Days Of Our Lives
RATINGS: All Soaps Gain In Total Viewers! DAYS and Y&R Up In Key Demos!
Days of our Lives overall showed some strong gains for the ratings period of the week of April 28th -May 2, 2014! First, DAYS along with the three other networks soap operas gained in total viewers!
The Bold and the Beautiful scored the most additions with + 202,000, followed by DAYS with + 87,000, Y&R with 68,000, and finally General Hospital with +22,000.
However in the key demos, Days of our Lives showed increases in women 18-49, 18-34, 25-54, and The Young and the Restless rebounded in the 18-49 in total viewers for the demo, and showed gains in the 25-54 category. Y&R though still had it’s lowest all-time rating share once again in the 18-49 demo for a fourth week running! Check out the entire ratings picture here via SON.
Now its time for you to be this week’s Soap Opera Executive Armchair Quarterback! What is working for you on your favorite soaps? What stories need fixing? Who would you like to see return to you favorite soaps to give the series an extra lift? Share your thoughts below!
The June 22 episode of Days of Our Lives reminded us all of why Deidre Hall is iconic in the role of Dr. Marlena Evans. Here we are 50 years later, and Marlena is still the heroine of the long-running soap opera, and Deidre remains one of the most most recognizable names in the history of soaps.
To pay tribute, and to look back at the life and times of Marlena, the story starts with Marlena flipping through a photo album of her with John (the late Drake Hogestyn) over the years. As she misses him dearly, she gets a knock on the door and its none other than John’s son, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean).
With Andrew (Colton Little) in Salem working on a case, he sits down with Marlena, who says she can’t believe its been fifty years since she first arrived in Salem! Cue: Deidre’s first scenes on DAYS when she finds Mickey Horton (the late John Clarke) playing chess against himself inside the mental institution she worked.
Courtesy/Peacock
THE FLASHBACKS OF MARLENA’S LIFE
From there, viewers definitely got the cliff notes version of the history of Marlena and entrenched within them, some of the biggest moments in Deidre’s enduring run.
Paul thinks he is looking at 70s, and early 80s Marlena while going through her scrapbook, but he is actually looking at her twin, Samantha (Andrea Hall). Cue: when Marlena confronted Samantha about impersonating her, and then later getting a call on her radio show from the Salem Strangler (Jack Coleman as Jake Kostichek) who killed Samantha thinking it was Marlena.
In the present, Belle (Martha Madison) has arrived at this time to meet up with Paul, unaware of this trip down memory lane. She wants to go over the findings in the chess board mystery Stefano willed to Marlena and John, in private with him, since Marlena previously said she wanted nothing to do with it.
Back to the history lesson, Marlena speaks highly of Don Craig and even though their marriage didn’t work out, she could find a path forward with the new love her life, Roman Brady. (Wayne Northrop however is never shown, possibly to keep the story focused on John as Roman for confusion sakes?)
Paul sees a photo of a young Carrie (Christie Clark) in the album and Marlena says she was such a godsend after losing her baby. In fact, Marlena says caring for Carrie prepared her for her having and raising her own twins, Eric and Sami. Cue: The twin visiting Marlena in the hospital.
JOHN AND MARLENA’S LOVE CONQUERED ALL
Then, in a way to get through and incorporate the wild storylines only Marlena could have been in, she tells Belle and Paul, she has been through so much in her life, how lucky she was to find John, and some of the most unbelievable experiences no one could imagine. Cue: Marlena possessed by the devil and levitating from the bed. Next, John confronting Marlena being the Salem Stalker, where she admits she killed Alice Horton, pretends she needs help, then pulls a gun on her beloved John!
The comment is made by Paul and Marlena, that she literally has been to hell and back and she could not have survived were it not for her beloved John. Cue the big emotional highpoint clips; The Pier Scene! Marlena steps out of the fog when John sees her from a distance. After believing she was dead for four years, here she was before him in one of the greatest reunions in a soap opera love story in history. What followed were other times of the life of times of Jarlena.
Courtesy/Peacock
MARLENA’S ‘GIFT’ FROM STEFANO HAS A NEW CLUE
When Marlena makes a brief exit to the other room, Belle fills in Paul on the chess set Stefano left her mother and the photo of the Lire. Paul said he will investigate. Marlena comes back into the room and overhears, and says to promise her if things get dangerous he will back off, she does not want anyone hurt by Stefano’s games.
As the episode comes to a conclusion, it’s just Belle and Marlena going through the photo album giggling about 70s hairstyles and all the memories. Belle speaks on the impact Marlena has had in everyone’s lives, and that she is both the heart of their family and the heart of Salem.
An end card comes up acknowledging Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena, and we fade to black.
So, what did you think of Marlena’s walk down memory lane? Were you happy to see the flashback clips utilized throughout? Were you touched by the scenes and the performance of Deidre Hall? Let us know what you thought of Deidre’s 50th anniversary episode via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Christel Khalil Reveals She Almost Quit Acting After ‘That’s So Raven’ Audition, But Then Came ‘The Young and the Restless’
DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Marlena Looks Back at 50 Years in Salem
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
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GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
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Days Of Our Lives1 week ago‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
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Days is just the best show in all aspects. The other ones I fast forward thru.
When you’re as low in the ratings basement as “Days of Our Lives” is, there’s only one place to go … and that’s up.
Not much news here.
Loving GH right now, on DAYS would have loved EJ and Abby but know that is not happening, strange though the ratings are not as strong as when they were together in January and February …Also the April 21 episode of Alison Sweeney and James Scott did not bring in the ratings..
GH has been down and stuck ever since they destroyed Robin and she left. The following weeks, the week of 3/10, GH lost 400,000 viewers and went down to 2.6 million viewers and stayed there the week of 3/17. It rebounded for one week, the week of 3/24, hitting 3,058,000 because of the baby reveal. The following week, week of 3/31, it went down to 2,875,000, even though it was the 51st Anniversary.
Since then, the last four weeks, GH has been stuck in the 2.7 million range. The show is awful. They destroyed Robin and then AJ and they’ve lost viewers from that and from the just horrid writing and pacing. Those weeks also had this “new” family the Westbournes take center stage and the viewers have given a resounding “We don’t give a crap.”
The ratings should be higher for the two weeks of the Nurses Ball. Is that going to be a victory? People tuning into an event that they are nostalgic for? And what will that say? That Vets and GH history bring ratings? Will that ever compute to the suits at ABC? That they would have better consistent ratings if they reigned in TIIC and told them to concentrate on GH, it’s history and stop crapping on legacy characters?
The funniest thing was today. RC thinks he dissed John Stamos. Yeah, this is really cutting into the guy’s rich, famous and handsome thing. RC doesn’t realize that he and FV look like fools because the only way they can get people to tune in is for them to think they’ll see Stamos or a vet and not the consistent crap that they feed us.
Week to week ratings go up and down all the time.However in the latest ratings report GH is the only soap that went up in all the categories from the same time last year.Now i do think it’s a bad sign that as the week of April 28th progressed the ratings for GH went down each day.However the ratings only count for live and same day viewing.Plus since you brought up the weeks of March 10th and 31st all 4 soaps went down those 2 weeks.We don’t know why ratings are good one week and bad the next..I’m just glad General Hospital is still on the air.
Why are you saying they destroyed Robin and she left. She only come back for a short time. She is producing a movie. John even helped her out getting her time at Grey’s to shadow the producers to help her to produce her own movie. She said she wanted to produce not be an actor anymore. She came back as a favor for them to give closure and Ron said he didn’t want to kill of her character hoping she would return someday. so can’t blame them she doesn’t want to do it anymore. Actors move on all the time. I’m loving GH and grateful its on yet,, No thanks to ABC…
Why do you watch the show(im asking in a friendly manner)…yes, GH has problems and i disliked killing off yet another Q but most of the time i find the show still entertaining…it could definately be a lot better…all soaps go up and down ratingswise…i feel these show attract ‘temp’ viewers who only watch on occasion the way i do with Y&R…but i watch the other three almost dailey…supporting the genre or not or hoping for a turnaround i wouldnt watch a show if i thought it was consistantly bad…i just want to know if there is anything you do like about GH…thats all. Im not trying to be mean or anything…im just wondering and asking in a friendly manner so i hope you dont take this the wrong way!!!
I also agree with what you said about how they dissed John Stamos and thought that childish and a childish prank in an attempt to attract fans and get their hopes up!!!
I too thought it was cheap and crass of them to use Blackie Parrish as a ploy and then not deliver. John Stamos was more than willing to appear on the show last year but did not want to be boxed into a one day, one note performance. I am honestly surprised that Ron Carlivati still has a job. He quite obviously goes on Twitter when he is drunk…he lashes out at fans and actors with horrible tweets that drip with arrogance and sarcasm. Anyone in ANY professional capacity who uses social media to abuse others for whatever reason deserves to be fired. Also…look what he has done to our show!!!!!!!! If you watched the Nurses Ball yesterday, and had not seen the show for even 2 years….you would have been “Who are these people????? What show am I watching? Why is everyone stripping and acting sleazy? Who are all these gay people? Why is Mac crying over a doll?”. The Nurses Ball used to be an event with heart and purpose and meaning and this regime has completely stripped it (pardon the pun) of all of that. The Luke storyline is kind of indicative of what has happened to GH…The show has been systematically dismantled before our eyes and replaced by an evil imposter. Everyone on this show is either a criminal….or sleeping with one…..or both. It is depressing and disheartening to watch day after day of constant sustained misery and darkness. In interviews RC has compared his writing for GH to prime time shows where bad guys are the lead characters. That right there shows how off track he is with his approach…and how out of touch he is with the fan base. Prime time shows air once a week for 12-20 weeks and then viewers get a break and a reprieve. The production values are better and the writing is better. Soaps are a daily investment by viewers for years and decades. We do NOT want to watch bad guys win and evil being rewarded and celebrated every day of our lives. So many characters are so disgusting and misogynistic and warped…Sonny, Carly, Franco, Levi, Tracy, Luke, Ava, Julian, Obrecht, and the list goes on. There is no one to root for. This regime made promises to fans very publicly and very vocally when they took over, and they have broken every one of those promises. They have amped up the senseless violence considerably. How sad that it takes a horrific event like a school shooting or some kind of bombing to make these producers temporarily look at what they are doing. They issue a public statement saying they are going to tell stories with less violence. Then in a month or two they go right back to the same old thing. I could go on and on…and I will…but not right now. Thanks for reading.
Gee Andrew, ratings do go up and down all the time, which is why I gave an eight week example of a downward trend… up not so much. The year to year stuff is not the real measure here. That is ABC spin that goes out in press releases and what promoters use to populate the social media boards to try and spin the reality. Going back to last May and claiming a victory is misrepresenting the facts when you see that the ratings are down hundreds of thousands of viewers from several months ago. You really think that ABC is happy that they were averaging about 3.1 million viewers for weeks and now things went south? That is a trend.
Also, you and everyone else should stop comparing GH to other shows in terms of up and down. Not when they are so far off in total viewers, in raw numbers. And before anyone starts talking about key demos, they mean almost nothing when you don’t have the mass audience of added older viewers. A network show can not pay its bills based on 200,000 viewers 18-34 and 650,000 viewers 18-49 and there is very little growth opportunity in those demos because of the type of programming and the overall population. Again, that is just spin.
moshane 58, KMC choosing to leave and wanting to direct has nothing to do with how her character was treated. I see this argument on social media boards all the time and I have no idea why anyone thinks that argument resonates. How was she destroyed? The writing for her return was terrible and her exit was worse. Having her make the choice to leave her family and then having her husband tell her not to come home was destruction. It makes her look like crap. If you don’t get that, and get that an exit and an explanation for her absence could have been handled with more respect to the character, then I can’t help you. It would have been simple enough to not give her a choice in the matter, for her to be forced to leave.
Johnny, your post is spot on and very articulately stated, an aspect that I never see in posts that defend the show.
To GH50 and Johnny: Allow me to thank you both for exceptionally intelligent, detailed, passionate posts. I agree with both of you 100%. GH is becoming dark and sleazy; it is sinking into a moral black hole. It lacks a strong moral core, represented by stalwart and steadfast characters that provide a needed positivity and light to a program: like Steve and Audrey Hardy, Rick and Lesley Webber, Laura Spencer…Characters like these are crucial to balance the quirky, or the naughty, or the evil in ancillary characters. They provide the promise of good triumphing over evil, eventually; the promise of family-oriented centeredness that every soap needs to survive and to thrive over generations. Today’s GH revels in the sheer rottenness of its characters! To revel in rottenness is, apparently, to be hip and cool and contemporary. The rotten characters in Port Charles have literally become the moral touchstones of the show, the moral barometers, while the kind of morally positive, stable characters that used to anchor GH have become truly marginalized and stripped of any kind of professional or moral authority. Anna is a real example of the latter.
The PTB of GH have discarded the elements that were determinative of GH’s half-century longevity: family, friendship, long-term romance, seriousness of purpose allied with sheer fun. And fun is not synonymous with nonsense and silliness. The show is currently a narrative disaster and it is clear that the PTB do not care. GH is their toy, and damn it — just like little children — they won’t share it with the audience!!! I am convinced, in fact, that the noxious, entitled, revolting little tot named Spencer is truly the alter ego of the head writer.
And yes, the Blackie Parrish ploy was to generate audience and to embarrass John Stamos.
Never ever have I witnessed a cultural institution dismantled with such fervor and malevolent glee as GH has been by these two “saviors of the show.”
Those of you posting about how GH has been “ruined” and “dismantled”, and every other creative adjective in the book must be watching a different GH then me, that’s all I can say.
GH50,Johnny and Tristan i read your respective posts and you had some good points respectvely.However if you can only find the bad points about GH then why are you still watching it and talking about it?If you want GH to change then maybe the way to do that is to stop watching.If you keep watching GH even you are hating it that’s not going to cause the show to change IMO.Also GH50 regarding Robin KMC’s return was only for a few months.So no matter how the show wrote her off Robin would have left her husband and daughter.Now i guess the show could have had Robin go to Africa or somewhere to do medical research or something but the show still would have had to come up with a reason why she wasn’t returning right away.
GH for the vast majority of its history was emotionally compelling. The current team is replacing the depth, drama and heart that we came to know and love with sleaze, excessive camp and unrealistic plot points where each is more outrageous than the last (and needs to be to keep a modicum of viewers). The reliance on cheap gimmicks (crypt sex, introducing a favorite character only to realize they aren’t really appearing) may be funny for RC and FV as they laugh among themselves, but it just reeks of a classless attitude and a disrespect of the audience. It is obvious that they don’t really take the show seriously at all. Its almost as though they are supposed to keep the ratings out of the toilet but to make sure that the show doesn’t become too popular once again so it can be cancelled whenever the network wants to. I agree that it isn’t boring…. and I guess for people whose only expectation is that then they can be satisfied. We used to be able to expect so much more!
How is days strong when they have been last in the key demo’s for months. Yeah the ratings increased since last week but they are not that exciting. Y and r but is still low. Gh is doing ok ratings wise even though they sunk in the key demos.
DAYS is just a better soap.
GH is a mockery of itself, overstuffed with a cast that ranges from stunt casting to nobodies. All talk, no substance.
YR is boring and B&B was never my cup of tea.
DAYS is well paced, utilizes most of its cast very well, has complex characters, character driven plots that don’t always have the most predictable outcome (…though who can’t see Gabi as being the one to shoot Nick from a mile away? But I digress.). They are doing daytime DRAMA better than any show right now. I’m proud of my little soap that could. GH may be the darling soap in critics’ eyes, but not mine. DAYS is my favourite and I’m happy for everyone involved. Hoping for more continued success!
…..And with heavy hitters like James, Ali and Blake leaving (some would even include Camilla on that list), I do hope they can bring on someone or someones (I know that’s not a word) to fill the gaps. Not that they can be replaced, and no stunt casting, but lets being back an old favourite or two that can bring a certain je ne sais pas to the show.- acting talent and entertaining. Eileen and Kassie are great additions, but with three big exits, there are other oldies but goodies that can be included.
Days moves at a graceful pace like soaps should and has a classic ripple effect. General hospital moves so fast and has so many newbies and boring characters it just gets choppy and confusing and messy. Y&R is ok right now but kind of like a ship with holes in the bottom and B and B is just a little time waster in between shows
on the latest issue of SOD : on the cover
Picture of Peter Reckell : on DAYS : “I would come back”
certainly seems like the best time… to take advantage of : and, I really like Hope and Aiden
MORE : Shane and Kimberly… to visit their daughters… Eve and Theresa
I certainly can’t imagine what’s happened to John Black
EJ Sami and Nick ARE just as on par a big miss… as Adam, Billy, Phillis… OK I digress some… but its OUR Days
cumulative cast : DOOL is it of the 4 on air : have to quote Mark : DOOL’ has that “classic ripple effect”
They should bring back Anna : for Roman, Abe, John she was always so easy to adore… her feisty… the way she delivered her snappy lines, her comedic timing
I’m not fretting by any means….
Salem’ite
I disagree. I love Days, but EJami and Dannifer take up too much screentime. I hate EJami, and I think Sami will leave him when she learns of the Abby romps. I like Dannifer but they need a better storyline than countless interlopers.
Everything else moves at a snail’s pace. Why is John back in Salem? Like Marlena said, he has nothing there for him, and we barely see him anyways. I say they should send him packing and bring Bo back, even if I do want Hope with Aiden.
I want to see more of Abe and Maxine, as well as the other veterans.
Let Eric learn the truth about Nicole and return to the priesthood. Then, have Rafe learn the truth about Jordan and end things with her. But instead of going back to Kate, let him and Nicole get together. They have great chemistry. Jordan is SO boring and brings Rafe down with her! At least Ben and Abby have chemistry! I say they should have Brady leave Theresa after hearing she gave Liam the key, and then he can get together with Jordan and get his life back together.
Daniel and Jennifer need to get married and be put on the backburner for a while.
I could care less about Brady and Theresa drinking and acting like idiots. Got old a LONG time ago! So did Anne’s whining.
JJ and Paige, while sweet, are boring.
Fix the Eric and Nicole love story. I truly loved it and they had to bring in that whole evidence deal. Plus I hate the deal about Eric always stating that he would have stayed a priest if he was cleared. Either he loves Nicole or not. Finally, the box fix please no more Jennifer and Daniel. Jennifer was such a beloved character. They have turned her into someone I don’t even know.
I agree with you. The Eric and Nicole love story could be good if they give them a good storyline. AZ is one of the best actors on the show, and GV is good, so the writers have to step up to the plate with this. I also agree about Jennifer and Daniel. They are both good characters and actors, but their romance just doesn’t seem to do it. Although it was a little better recently.
I agree as well. I loved Dannifer before. But, like EJami, they take up too much screentime. Have them get married and send them on a backburner. I loved Ericole until they had her screw up again. Now, I hope Eric leaves her and that Nicole can steal Rafe away from Bore-dan…oops, I mean Jordan. LOL.
I’ll harbor some sour grapes
YES!
“…Y&R though still had it’s LOWEST ALL-TIME rating share once again in the 18-49 demo for a FOURTH WEEK running
Hello Michael Muhney
Hello Billy Miller
Hello Michelle Stafford
they are all missed and Y&R is empty without them..
No, no replacement will cure their loss..
All 3 characters the actors own them, replacements will fail..
Billy=fail …. not working by a long shot..
I knew Y&R would wait 6 months for the Adam fans to calm down before putting the new Adam on screen..
there will be backlash, and whomever the actor is trying to be Adam, is very barve..
I truly would like to know why most of the actors don’t want to come back to work @ Y&R ,humm why it’s that?.. Specially Michelle stafford ,totally declined going back there!!
ANA, They don’t want to drown. The captain (JFP) ran the ship into an iceberg and now the ship (Y&R) is sinking! BTW, EB had a small role in “Titanic”. He’ll be sinking twice!!
I just wish I could find a career that is high profile, high paying and where I could literally ruin the product everywhere I go and still get hired for the next opportunity… hey JFP, how do you do it?
Yes, JFP certainly knows how to fall on her feet. I see it at my job every day, though. In this country, networking, audacity and good old fashioned b.s. are what get you places, not necessarily talent and know-how. There are probably hundreds of thousands of people who are more talented than Y&R’s current producers and writers and would love to produce and write for this gem of a soap. However, we’re making a huge assumption that, behind the scenes, Sony and CBS truly want Y&R to succeed in the long term. I don’t know. JFP has one proven track record: failure and show destruction. Maybe that’s why she was hired? Who knows? But I wouldn’t put it past people in power in 2014 America.
The ratings are a stupid game..
soap fans love to jump in and play the blame game when the ratings come out..
thing is;
They ALL go up and down up and down, one week this soap next week that soap..
sopa ratings prove nothing in the realm of things, they are stupid ..
all that counts is how much I love to watch my soap no matter what the numbers are.
I agree.Plus i think we the fans of soaps should be happy that all 4 went up this week and all were up from the same time last year.I know people have their favorite soap and want that one to succeed but you can want that and not want the other ones to fail.Plus the networks may have their own way of analyzing what the ratings really mean.Plus as you pointed out and i have to soaps go up and down all the time from week to week.So maybe the important thing that networks take a look at is how soaps do in the key demos and from the same time last year and not the week to week ratings.
As long as YR is number one in total viewers, all is right with the world. 26 YEARS and counting!
Go CBS.
The demo group thing is totally dumb. Sorry to women 18-49, but I don’t want you deciding what soaps there are to watch and what ones there aren’t.
OMG, DAYS ratings should skyrocket! Nick died!! It’s been so great to have Julie/SSH and Maggie/SR in substantial scenes!!! This past weeks episodes, which have been excellent, will be in next weeks ratings. Today’s episode was everlasting brilliance!!! The stage is set for must see TV!!! Who killed Nick? Now is a great time to tune in and be a little detective!
Salem population: 1 less
Days of our Lives viewers: 100’s of 1,000’s more!
Isn’t it time to play in the sand?
With all the characters/actors leaving, being murdered or possessed, you’ll end up with just Maggie and Marlena sitting in rocking chairs counting down the Days…
I would rather play in the sand than wear red lipstick! If you want, you can do both.
Blake Berris could still return as Nicks twin Rick…i still believe Percy shot him(maybe Nick refused to help him because he is really Rick?)…other suspects you might think of: Chaz Bono, Sara Gilbert, Christina Crawford or his own mother Jessica Fallon…lol
I still say it was Jordan’s cat that pulled the trigger.
Why not Ciara playing with her daddy’s gun?
Go GH all the way…. Great writing .. stories that move at a good clip … non predictable story lines.. .. Go Go Go.. GH is def the best soap on daytime TV these days.
I started watching Days again after many years away since Robin left GH. WOW. It is awesome. I love almost every story. Hope it continues to gain. Go Days!
Welcome back, Sally!
Don’t get me wrong, I am sorry to see James, Allison, and Blake leave – they are strong characters, but I have been watching a bit more to see how it is all going to play out eventhough James and Allison are going to be on the show for awhile yet. Will they go out with a bang or ride off into the sunset?
Without James and Allison to keep ratings up, the writers are really going to have to step up to the plate and have strong and good storylines for the whole cast. They have been very focused on two characters, and now they are going to have really to branch out – make other characters and storylines stronger. As much as I will miss Ej and Sami this may be an opportunity for Days to step up to the plate.
I agree.Plus with James and Allison leaving that could free up money for the show to use to bring back other actors.Plus depending on how Sami and EJ that could create stories for other characters on the show.I’m sure Sami and EJ won’t just decide to take their kids and leave town and that’s it for their exit.
I will miss them because they were entertaining to watch, but since they have chosen to leave I hope the writers will use this as an opportunity to really branch out instead of falling a part. They have to bring in some strong new (or past) characters, and write really strong storylines for all. Of course, I would be glad to see James, Allison, Blake return some day (although it may be doubtful) , and at first I thought wow, what is Days going to do without James and Allison, but now I think it could be an opportunity to write more well rounded storylines for all since so much has been focused on them! Just a side comment- I think James and Allison should do a fun show of their own focusing on health, exercise, food, drama, humor (Kind of like Kelly Ripa )- they would be good together and entertaining!
Bringing up ratings? EJami haven’t brought up ratings in a long time! It was EJabby that really gave ratings boosts! Every episode THEY had was 2.0 at minimum! EJami’s whole episode dedicated to them with EJ’s daydream only garnered a 1.9!
It was a great week for all the soaps all around.
I’m loving GH. So many different storylines going on. To bad only Nielsen box holders have the say and that is very few..Glad all soaps are up. sure don’t need to loose anymore..
hmm soaps gaining audience… will the network bosses recognize this trend????
Well as a longtime soap fan and viewer of the last remaining four it is with a heavy heart that I say all four soaps right now are flat. I will not go into a long discussion about what I find lacking in each of them, all I know, for the first time in long time I am actually thinking it is time to stop watching all of them. And if this is A game for May Sweeps then I hate to think how dull the summer is going to be this year. Maybe I have just watched too long, seen all these stories before, and seen them done better that I am finding hard to connect with anything going on the screen right now.
It was bad enough during the Nurses Ball Yoplait Greek yogurt was mentioned more times than the cause but for me the lowest point was on Y&R when Avery announced to Dylan she was booked to go on the View, to promote her new web series. And if this is shown on screen that show just might be my last because it means suits are running the show and there is no longer a creative soul or vision behind any of the soaps.
DAYS is on fire! The decisions that CBS have made linking Y&R and B&B with their talk show and game shows is nothing but greed!
Sadly, DAYS for me is not on fire, for me it is barely simmering. I have watched Days a very long time, and I have honestly seen everything I am seeing now before and done better. I know you believe Days can do no wrong so I will not debate the point– but I am glad you are enjoying it, I wish I could.
As for CBS and ABC using their soaps as advertisement platforms, for products or for their own shows, whether their motives are greed or not, it doesn’t matter. What matters to me is the disrespect it shows the suits have for the genre. They don’t see soaps as being real drama or an art form. Trust me they would never pull this crap on any of their night time shows. Product placement maybe, but not out and out having characters plugging products or shows on the network. So if soaps are turning into vehicles to sell products within the show instead via commercials then as I will stop watching because I cannot bear see my beloved shows prostituted. And if it works for ABC and CBS, NBC will eventually do it too.
I agree, MarySF. I’m a B&B and DAYS fan, but both shows are very boring at the moment. The only good Sweeps Days event was Nick’s death, and even that is going to end soon. Everything else is dragging out very slowly, like Jordan’s past, Nicole’s secret, Brady’s addictions, etc. SO boring!
B&B is a bit more interesting but the problem is that the Wyatt-Hope-Liam love triangle is just another recycled storyline and written very poorly. Plus, Brill, a couple I loathe, is taking up too much airtime.
Well, DAYS OF OUR LIVES is a great show – plenty of drama, intrigue, lots of overacting which is great – right now, everyone is wondering who killed Nick and it’s going to turn out to NOT be the hired hit man (Not giving anything away, I don’t know for sure, but let’s face it – it won’t be that Nick died at the hands of the professional hit man) – and we know it could be the “usual suspects” of Salem –
I have only been watching DOOL since the new year and because abc-tv let ALL MY CHILDREN go – and then Prospect Park totally botched their “re-launching” of two once great soaps – but I will tell you one thing, DAYS is excellent. I hope more alumni from AMC and OLTL can wander through Salem in the months ahead.
I’m sure you’ll continue to be a happy viewer, Tony. Kassie DePaiva will be on DAYS soon!!!
Even though Days has its problems it is pretty good overall. The pacing is good and there is drama on a consistent basis. They have some newbies but its not crazy stunt casting or glaring. Unlike GH and Y&R where its the parade of newbies. Y&R especially bring on newbies each more boring than the last. The only standout is Ray Wise and he seems to make about 2 appearances per month!
“… The pacing is good and there is drama on a consistent basis. They have some newbies but its not crazy stunt casting or glaring”
there is some REALLY good press for DAYS : couldn’t be happier
Ray Wise : in Genoa City : I totally agree… he’s a serious stand out… charismatic with loads of presence… I had hoped Gloria would tangle mix and weave with….
not that Nikki has dumped dead Victor again… could she be close to ?
what about a coop with Jess Walton’ Jill ?
I like Ray Wise
I gotta disagree. DAYS has been dragging several things out far too long. A perfect example is the Jordan storyline.
The networks look at trending over the course of a year, unfortunately ratings and demographics have deteriorated significantly over the years. There is always a weekly bump just before and during sweeps When storylines may get to the payoff point.
Mary SF, I quit soaps altogether a few years ago, it was a relief not to bother with them. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the good old days but that was at least twenty years ago. The stories and characters seemed so dated, and boring. I still follow the industry through the Internet but I could not sit to watch any of them even if you paid me.
A lot of thought went into comments this time. Why do we watch a show that pushes our buttons. because most of us have watched for years and like some of the characters. We don’t like our intelligence stepped on, and we *most of us * want to see evil pay.Shoot someone in cold blood for no reason and get away with it twice? I have shut the show off. I am home and I dvr go on the boards and see what happened. If I want to see it I watch. I have not watched the end of the NB. Went to the gym instead and am now going again today. The Blackie Parrish deal was a slap in the face to actors, and fans alike. How can FrankenRon give the Bronx cheer to the people who watch the show that pays their salaries.? Ron is definitely a 12 year old mean girl in middle school. Maybe someday he can grow up and see that his jokes are only funny to him. Maybe the ratings need to show him this. I went from watching live everyday commercials and all to DVR and FF what offends me. Quite a lot lately. GH50, Joknny, Tristan etc. You have all said it better than I could .GH is a joke and a very bad one. .I don’t want to see it cancelled but, if it is so be it. Hope FrankenRon need to see that they had a lot to do with it.
I tape DAYS OF OUR LIVES and watch it at night, and it’s a very classic soap opera, with proper soap opera “good guys/gals” and villians. I enjoy the acting, which is top notch – and no, I don’t take it too seriously but I enjoy it nevertheless. Being a newer viewer, I don’t always know the history of each character and how they all connect (for example, I don’t quite “get” what Marlena has against Nicole) but I garner enough info here and there from the dialogue – and of course, right now the key storyline is “who shot Nick” in the park.
Long live DAYS ~
“…I enjoy the acting, which is top notch”
YES : ALL this on DOOL : our DAYS
ie: Marlena… mother of “Father” Eric… her child… only wants the BEST for him… doesn’t he knock you out
DAYS delivers classic…
of the 4 left on air : its DAYS unlike no other
Tony when I was starting to watch GH last year for the first time, I found the website soap opera central an invaluable resource. Each soap has a history section, and a who’s who section– I would suggest you try that site when you need more information about the back story of a character on DAYS. I believe Mr. Fairman has a link to that site on his page.
Google the show and each character…thatll help you learn more about Days…i started with the very first show in 1965 and watched up until 1980 when many cast members were fired when tptb decided to revamp…then i came back a little over 30 years ago and have watched on and off since then.
Loving the May sweeps stories on all the shows. DOOL & GH have been must see for me.
Y&R has been in my family through a couple generations now, me being the youngest viewer. I’m familiar that back in the day the quality of drama was better and recently this soap might be at its worst, but having said that I want to have the faith it will get better. LOVED MICHAEL MUHNEY and praying he comes back because Adam was the reason I got into it 🙁 I’m still a fan, but don’t watch as much as before now that he and some of the others are gone.
*Miss JFP, please listen to the fans and put aside your pride or lack of experience and give this soap the help it deserves!*
I’m a big B&B and DAYS fan, but both shows have been boring lately. Days just drags things out for far too long and shows the same 4 characters everyday (Sami, EJ, Jennifer, Daniel) with barely any vets. B&B’s love triangle between Hope and the two half-brothers is also boring. I hope the shows crank up the heat for summer otherwise I’ll be tuning out and reading summaries instead.
I’m disappointed that General Hospital is not doing better in the ratings. I watch both Y&R and Bold and Beautiful and it’s so much better than either of those shows. Particularly Y&R which has so many boring characters Lily, Cain, Tyler, Kevin etc. Losing Billy Miller was a huge blow.
Love so many of the One Life actors who have come over to General Hospital. The story lines are great.