Days Of Our Lives
RATINGS: In A Week That Featured DAYS WilSon's Wedding & GH's 51st Anniversary, All Soaps Lose Viewers!
The week of March 31st through April 4th saw some very strong episodes delivered to soaps fans, in particular on General Hospital and Days of our Lives. And while you can’t please everyone all of the time and some fans have had complaints about each, General Hospital’s 51st anniversary was surprising, riveting, and heartbreaking.
Meanwhile, DAYS had its first same-sex wedding (and also the first gay male wedding of main characters on a daytime soap in history), and throughout that episode, there were some extremely well-written speeches that touched the hearts of many, as well as the symbolism of the nuptials between Sonny and Will.
Yet, when the ratings picture for the week came out via SON, GH and DAYS lost viewers, although DAYS lost the LEAST viewers from the previous week, and Y&R and B&B were also down in total viewers.
The Young and the Restless lost -275,000 viewers, giving it 4,554,000 for total viewers for the week, but still held number one. The Bold and the Beautiful lost -158,000 viewers, but totaled 3,529,000 for the week and holds strong at number two.
General Hospital in its anniversary week lost -183,000 giving it 2,875,000, and Days of our Lives which lost only -22,000 came in with 2,423,000 for their weekly tally. In addition, General Hospital was the only soap to gain viewers in a key female demo adding +5,000 in women 18-34.
So, why the decline in viewers last week? Why weren’t fans tuning in when the soaps need their audience to keep watching for daytime dramas to continue to survive and thrive? Did you expect that more eyeballs would have tuned into GH and DAYS? Since we always ask your thoughts by being our Soap Opera Programming Executive Armchair Quarterback, what went right on your favorite soaps? What went wrong? Let us know!
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Alum Tanner Stine to Appear in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Starring Nicholas Chavez
Another face familiar to daytime fans has already boarded Ryan Murphy’s limited series, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story which stars General Hospital favorite, Nicholas Chavez (Spencer Cassadine) in the role of Lyle.
Tanner Stine who played Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) and Steve’s (Stephen Nichols) son, Joey Johnson on Days of our Lives will also appear in the series.
In ‘Monsters’, look for Stine to portray the role of Perry Berman, who was Lyle and Erik’s friend and former tennis coach. In the story, Perry found himself at the epicenter of the murder mystery when he had accepted a phone call from Lyle shortly before the brutal murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez.
Photo: JPI
Other previously announced castings included: Cooper Koch (who plays Erik), Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny as parents Jose and Kitty Menendez, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, and Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth.
Photo: IMDb
In the series, the two wealthy brothers stand trial for shooting their parents in Beverly Hills, amid claims of self-defense after years of abuse, while prosecutors alleged that greed was the motives for the killing. Lyle and Erik Menendez have been behind bars in California for more than three decades for the 1989 killing of their parents.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will debut later in 2024 on Netflix.
What do you think about Tanner Stine being part of the all-star cast for ‘Monsters’? Miss Joey on Days of our Lives? Comment below.
Breaking News
51st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Set to Be Announced
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed on Wednesday via X, that this year’s 51st annual Daytime Emmy Nominations are set to be announced in full on Friday, April 19th at 12 pm ET/9 am PT.
However, four of the top award category nominations will be revealed on Thursday, April 18th across four entertainment news programs to kick things off.
Those include this Thursday episodes of Access Hollywood, E! News, Entertainment Tonight and Extra. Over the past few years, NATAS has often let the syndicated entertainment news program handle the duties of revealing the top actor and actress in a daytime drama series, but we shall see which categories the shows unveil this year.
Photo/AP
As previously announced, the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be presented in ceremonies on Friday night, June 7th on CBS (8 – 10 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.
The awards will be back at The Bonaventure hotel in downtown Los Angeles, where (the delayed due to the actors and writers strike) 50th annual Daytime Emmy Awards were held back in December of 2023.
Look for the full nominations to be posted right here at Michael Fairman TV and you can follow along on Friday on the Daytime Emmys social platforms as well.
Photo: AP
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of categories, including daytime dramas, talk shows, instructional programming, hosting, culinary, and legal/courtroom programs. In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy jointly announced plans to realign the Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards to be organized by content genre, as opposed to program airtime.
The 51st Daytime Emmy Nominations will honor the work and achievement from the calendar year of 2023.
So, who would you like to see in the running for gold when the Daytime Emmy nominations in the key acting and show categories are revealed? Share your thoughts below.
Let the countdown begin! #DaytimeEmmys nominations are coming this Friday at noon ET, with a special sneak peek tomorrow on @accesshollywood @enews @etnow @extratv! pic.twitter.com/aL5PFYXBCL
— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) April 17, 2024
Days Of Our Lives
Days of our Lives wins WGA Award for Daytime Drama Series
Sunday night, April 14th in concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City, the Writers Guild of America is handing out their 76th annual WGA Awards in the fields of motion picture, television, news media, and radio/audio.
In the Daytime Drama category, Peacock’s Days of our Lives was the winner, taking home its fourth WGA Award in this category in a row.
The DAYS winning writing team consisted of Head Writer Ron Carlivati Creative Consultant Ryan Quan and Writers Sonja Alar, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Joanna Cohen, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Cheryl Davis, Kirk Doering, Christopher Dunn, Jamey Giddens, David Kreizman, Henry Newman, Dave Ryan, and Katherine D. Schock.
Photo: JPI
The team from Days of our Lives bested the only other team in the category from General Hospital, which consisted of former GH head writers: Dan O’Connor, Chris Van Etten Writers Ashley Cook, Emily Culliton, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Shannon Peace, Stacey Pulwer, Dave Rupel, Lisa Seidman, and Scott Sickles.
Courtesy/Peacock
As previously reported, a show spokesperson for Days of our Lives shared that the episodes submitted for the competition were #14663, #14678 & #14679, and mostly centered around the death, and the funeral of Victor Kiriakis played by the late John Aniston.
This week, DAYS head scribe, Ron Carlivati, confirmed that, and told Michael Fairman TV on the decision of the scripts the team submitted: “I like to have some humor, but it was also the funeral, and then there was Sarah (Linsey Godfrey) giving birth, and then Vivian’s (Louise Sorel) crashing the reading of the will.”
You can follow along with the live updated list of all the winners from tonight’s WGA ceremonies here.
Michael Fairman TV will have more on DAYS WGA Award win as it becomes available.
So, what do you think of Days of our Lives winning the WGA Award writing award for a Daytime Drama series for the fourth year in a row? Comment below.
Mark Consuelos Celebrates One-Year Anniversary as Co-Host of ‘Live’ Alongside Kelly Ripa
DAYS Alum Tanner Stine to Appear in ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ Starring Nicholas Chavez
Soap Vet Christopher Cousins to The Young and the Restless
More of the Story on ‘General Hospital’ Star Josh Kelly’s Latest Film Role in ‘The Workout’
51st Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Set to Be Announced
Ron Carlivati Talks on Decision to Make Days of our Lives 15000th Episode About Doug’s Funeral, and Previews Chances for WGA Award
General Hospital’s Steve Burton Reveals the Emotional Scene He Almost Could Not Get Through
Y&R’s Eileen Davidson Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
Days of our Lives wins WGA Award for Daytime Drama Series
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: “Sugar Sugar! Oh, Honey Honey”
General Hospital’s Steve Burton Reveals the Emotional Scene He Almost Could Not Get Through
Y&R’s Hayley Erin Previews Her Role in Horror-Thriller ‘New Life’
‘The Golden Bachelor’s’ Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist to Divorce Three Months After TV Wedding
‘Tamron Hall Show’ Fire Forces ‘The View’ Hosts to Evacuate Studio
WrestleMania 40 Night Two: Cody Rhodes ‘Finishes the Story’ and Defeats Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship with Run-Ins by The Rock, John Cena & The Undertaker
-
General HospitalApril 12, 2024George Russo to Appear on General Hospital as Carmine Cerullo
-
Days Of Our LivesApril 13, 2024Ron Carlivati Talks on Decision to Make Days of our Lives 15000th Episode About Doug’s Funeral, and Previews Chances for WGA Award
-
General HospitalApril 15, 2024General Hospital’s Steve Burton Reveals the Emotional Scene He Almost Could Not Get Through
-
RecapsApril 14, 2024Y&R’s Eileen Davidson Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
-
Days Of Our LivesApril 14, 2024Days of our Lives wins WGA Award for Daytime Drama Series
-
NewsApril 12, 2024Y&R’s Hayley Erin Previews Her Role in Horror-Thriller ‘New Life’
The Will/Sonny wedding would have had more impact if the show would have given the audience more time to get adjusted to seeing Guy Wilson’s Will with Sonny. I am trying to be patient with the pair, but it feels almost like Sonny is being unfaithful to Chandler Massey’s Will.
The speech Caroline Brady gave was great. Alison Sweeney’s Sami knocked it out of the park again. Her sobbing during the wedding made it feel more real. I would have loved to have seen Kate be able to speak from the heart and show a softer side.
Kate is a repugnant,amoral character.What heart ? What softer side?Why is a 60 year old business mogul going around with a ridiculous blue streak in her hair?
Robert, Robert, Robert……. Luv me some Kate….. may she never lose her blue streak….
OMG…you must be from the backwoods. …so offensive. I am very young and I hope that when I am 60 I can be as cool as she! Kate , that is. Yes, her character is amoral. However, by the same token there are those who think homosexuality is aural, aetheism is amoral , cheating on one’s mate is amoral…get the gist?…shall I go on? This is a soap where we are introduced to a variety of colorful protagonists…some outrageously not representing real life, some delving into the most tragic of human suffering.
But, do not insult the person. Every story, be it a soap, a novel etc. needs a good guy (such as yourself, perhaps?) and a bad guy( villain, as I’m sure you think of Kate)…hello! You want for others to be accepting of homosexuality and whoever does not is labeled a bigot, but you cannot accept an aging woman being stylish and “up” with the times? Is she bothering anyone? Is she , with her blue streak, trying to sway people’s minds? …you, sir, are a hypocrite….by the way, my nonna has a purple streak…so there. You should be thankful she is not the one writing this post.
Correction..amoral, not aural..typo
Gee, Robert, my in capability of not understanding what I read has somehow got me as far as medical school. , but thanks for the nice words. I can read between the lines, sir.
FAS;What are you talking about?What does medical school have to do with your misunderstanding my comment.And why are you so testy?My prescription for you is Rx :”lighten up”.
Lauren Koslow’ Kate.. is the quintessential… “woman” business mogul… albeit.. taken in by the DiMera Mystique… and she was so alluring… lovelorn… fetching… as the feeling… HER guarded taken in by, I want him too, Rafe’alicious…
Kate and Rafe knocked it out of the park for me… time and time again… Yikes
HOT
it would have been over the top… for Kate to endear herself… to Salem’ites… her one true LOVE… her kids and grand kids… I’d have cried
watching her yesterday…. eschew… and throw to the curb… Lucas… love interest.. just brought her right back…. tough as nails… and no holds barred
i’m MAD! Lucas and Sheryl steamed
I will.. time and again… pom pom Guy Wilson… Will… he brought his Will to the forefront… and it’s elevated
Kate with : Stefano and/or Rafe… she’s on TOP
O, Patrick…you are after my own heart! …I love your double entendre…pun? …TOP? Oh, how poetic…loli love it.
FAS you misunderstood ,or were incapable of understanding ,my comment.The point I was making is that Kate IS a villain and I was replying to Ray who wanted Kate to show a “softer side”.Plus I said nothing about “accept(ing)homosexuality”.In fact ,I think the writing has been preposterously,illogically,unrealistically one-sided.To tell this story without divergent thoughts and opinions is proselytizing not good story-telling.
GHs…51st anniversary was not as good as it shouldve been…its like throwing a party and hardly anyone showed up…too much focus on Carly/Sonny and barely anyone else was in the episode…and whats to celebrate when the rest of the show focused on a death…and days later no real follow up with A.J.s death…Monica should have been shown grieving at the Q mansion looking over old photos of A.J. with Tracy comforting her…same with Micheal who should have been there with his grandmother…soap characters are like family…when their happy i want to feel happy for them…when they are sad and grieving over the tragic loss of a loved one i want to feel for them…soaps used to be like that..tug at your heart…get you involved…make you feel like you are part of their world…like they are real people who you know and care about…know what im saying!!! Guess they dont write them the way they used to…and thats why there are only four left…imo!!!
GH does have its good moments and i still like but i know it can be much better!!! Days has problems too…Jordans story moves at a snails pace…Liams story is just ok but lets put Jen and Danial in a different storyline instead of someone coming around to break them up…other than that Days is still the best of the four…GH is a little better…i like Dr. Mutter from Hell!!! lol
Not only did GH “celebrate” it’s 51st by killing a legacy character due to a dispute with the actor, TPTB showed zero class putting up a big HAPPY ANNIVERSARY sign at the end of the episode.
Look at the day by day ratings that week. About 2.9 million viewers each day MON-WED. AJ dying on MON, the 51st on TUES. On WED people tuned in to see the aftermath and they got Carly and Sonny trashing AJ and that idiot Franco making an appearance. What happened Thursday, down to 2.7 millon, 250,000 viewers shut it off.
Watch the next round of ratings for the week of 4/7 be even lower with all this Dr.O/Madeline contrived family drama. The show is just terrible from every aspect, writing, pacing, producing and there are too many bad actors these days as well. It’s all starting to catch up to them.
I cant wait for Micheal to find out about Carly and Sonny and have him trash them for a change, telling them A.J. was a kind, decent man who had more heart than the two of them combined!!!
I loved GH’s 50th, but I haven’t watched since the stupid Robin exit. Getting rid of AJ, leaving Monica with NO family AGAIN?!! Sick of all the newbies and that includes the OLTL Trio. I want to see the characters I grew up with in a REAL story.
It has been a real disappoint to see the legendary families crumble. The Quartermains – all that’s left is Robin and Tracy. Why kill off Tracy? Now we have the faux Luke trying to infiltrate their business, That’s a loser of a storyline in itself. And the mad Doctor running around GH as chief of staff. That’s a real kick in the butt to the hospital itself. The plotlines are getting looney and disrespectable of the Quartermains and Gh itself. Very little love in the storylines, alot of crime. That’s one of the things that drove me away from GH a few years ago. I was pulled back to watching it since AMC and OLTL went off again. GH was really good for a while, but now it’s just getting looney. It’s like the writers don’t know how to give the established characters good storylines and they keep pulling in new ones. And aren’t we all tired yet of the detective who can’t act and is usually with his shirt off? Way too shallow for me…
Well said.
Ooops, apologies in my post up above. Meant to say why all that’s left is Monica and Tracy. Meant to say why kill of AJ. Would have liked to see him succeed. I miss Robin, her return was ridiculously brief. I’ve got her on the brain, it seems…
Regardless of people’s views on gays or gay marriage, Days of our Lives was THE show to watch last week! Everybody should look those episodes up and watch them.
thank you…
the fact that DAYS was thee ONE show.. that lost the least amount of viewers… is telling
it’s a cumulative effect… the whole cast.. IS still “bringing” their A game… delivery.. marvelous intrigue… must see… and captivating story
there’s so much on the cusp to uphold
you know… with “only” 4 soaps on the air… and I know there are plenty who would attest : that DAYS of OUR Lives… continues to feature… collectively… the whole production… at NBC – Sony – DOOL…
course.. i ave my wish list
Ted King… and/or Peter Reckell… to stratosphere.. thru the roof ratings
Michael Muhney as Peter Blake
Kelly Sullivan… as the nuSammi… and thats no dissing Alison Sweeney
It’s amazing to know… that DOOL isn’t pressed as much as the other shows….
it’s under the radar… but shines… and beacons for Serial
Fan Salute
DOOL rules
3rd emmy for best Serial
DOOL won in 1078 and 2013…
2 years in a row… is A must… for 2014
Days pulls all the elements together: good acting good stories even the costumes and sets are nice — and the show moves at a graceful pace. The other shows move too slow or too fast and have too many loose ends. I will continue watch — I want daytime to thrive — but GH in particular is really a bit silly sometimes.
who the freak knows, how do they come up with the numbers to begin with? how do they count those key demo #? its all confusing. hopefully things will improve especially for GH. So far i’m happy that Rebecca Herbts is in the forefront of sort hopefully she will carry her own storyline and i wish Finola Hughes would take center stage more, and I wish/hope that RC would realize that he doesn’t have to dumb down certain characters to make others look better, GH would be so much better if the good guys were more on even par with the villains. i hate those scenes where characters like sonny, julian an ava act like the police i.e Anna an company are an annoyance and then you have all these other characters who show no respect for them either. like rick, alexis, sam and tracy. if anything, Anna and Alexis should be friends who might not agree on each others tactics but at least would still respect each other. plus Anna shouldn’t be played so straight , afterall she’s been a double agent , she’s lied and cross the line, she should use those tactics to go up against these wannabe villains . i’m not saying cross the line, but at least come close enough to make her opponents fear her more. i just hate seeing this great female character played out like an unworthy opponent . and i also wish they would show her kicking ass. back in the good old days, you saw her kick ass, now under RC, so far she’s been handcuffed by lucy, and over powered by both crazy dr. O and lunatic Heather. This is not my; Anna that i love. ok, nothing can stop me from loving my Anna, best female character in all of daytime, but Rc is sure good at ruining some characters and he needs to stop trying to ruin Anna.
”’why the decline in viewers last week? ”’
..
Because the rating are a rollercoaster, always have been always will be an up and ride..
Never is one thing the reason, never..
The soap fans are frantic over ratings… geez that is so lame..it’s numbers..
All I care about is enjoying my soap!!
As long as I’m happy I could care less about numbers that rotate..
Soaps will be up one day down the next, never ending rise and fall of numbers..
I don’t worry over ratings 🙂
No matter the numbers, Y&R has not been better than GH ..
(number pffffttt..
The 50th and the return of the Nurses Ball was important to viewers. Robin’s return was important to viewers. Jason’s return was equally important. But suddenly viewers are supposed to warp let alone extend their imaginations to have serial killers/mass murderers running Hospitals and essentially Homeland Security type bureaus. The DC slant is becoming all a bit much with every villain you can think of popping up on the canvas..characters up and exiting/dying..babies found and stolen again…it’s as if RC is writing to the end of a story instead of THE STORY…DAYS is plodding..with characters who should make sense yet don’t..characters who should be on the canvas..yet aren’t..characters who have NO BUSINESS sitting in Alice’s park or anywhere NEAR her memorial bench..it’s a hodgepodge of boring..ooo like that..and twice as much more boring…really with that JORDAN debacle…Love love love Kristen…and the whole LADIES WHO SHOULD NEVER LUNCH…Kate/Sami/Gabi..et al…but the show is NOT cohesive..and Abe and Lexi were so mismatched yet worked..but ABE/MAXINE..EWWW..At one point the remaining soaps need to have fresh new blood from writers even if they are from other countries and need to move FORWARD…It’s no longer the GOLDEN AGE of THE PERILS OF PAULINE…PLEASE..just give us a whole new and fresh outlook on DayTime with it’s existing players..IT AIN’T the actors fault the majority of the time….and stop hiring gay writers who don’t appreciate hetero viewers…
great assessment, ITA
Gh is a mess but days has been wonderful as always
GH is a mess? Are you kidding? This past week has been the best in so long. For the love of Zeus!!! Dr. O with all her drama is classic.
Lately, the characters on days are portrayed as cartoons. The arrest Hope made at the square was a debacle. She actually turned her back on the perp, who didn’t even try to bolt. Seriously?
Dr O? Lol one character does not a show make and really she is a psychotic criminal and we are supposed to believe she is a chief of staff at gh? lol gimme a break! At least hope is believable as a policewoman.
GH is too cartoonly and over the top for a lot of soap viewers.
I am among those viewers. I do not mind some cartoony but GH is running amok in cartoony! I miss the extended family relationships and genuine regard for history in those relationships, not they just exist. The mob stories can be exciting but there is just too much evil and no comeuppance. Redemption is a good plot point, too. I am tired of resurrections, baby dramas, and nonsense (freezing machines). I remain faithful but I was disappointed in the Robin save and her sudden departure. Seems the over-the-top was fine in the 1908s but these are more realistic and tough times. :et me see real issues not necessarily cloaked in silliness. There is serious story to mine in Monica and Tracy and their great losses.
Don’t the upper echelon know that more people record the shows? Very tired of the antiquated rating system.
Yes!! That should count, too. Sometimes I will catch it in the ABC App. Anything to watch my show.
An inadequate rating system is to blame.. and quite surprised that the ratings still do not allow for online viewing and recording.
People get busy and save up for a marathon view it it best suits THEIR time.
It’s counted-
Nielson ratings do count internet viewers, for awhile now..
And Nielsin is also Global/international..
((CBS probably has something going with Nielson to count viewers for Y&R in Mexico, too lol
… ya never know.. Big business has their ways..
How else could any soap be #!, without fail, not even one year down, for decades, numbers are coming from somewhere.. lol
thanks for the info. and your thoughts make total sense on the y&r’s ratings.
Such a ridiculous claim.
I did not watch DAYs at all, the whole idea of a gay wedding offends me. I quit watching when even Great-grandma Caroline was all enthusiastic about it. The only people I like on DAYS these days is Eric and Jennifer. Everybody else is too liberal. Why does a soap have to take one side on this polarizing issue and bad-mouth those of us on the other side? Do they think we find this entertaining?!
How does/do your gay relative(s) feel about your feelings?
believe it or not, there are plenty of GAY people who are against gay weddings.
Statistically, most gay people are against gay marriage, that is true. Marriage does not fit with their lifestyle…commitment, monogamy, procreation, etc. If they wanted those things, they would be straight.
you are correct
I t is a sign of bad writing when all the characters speak with interchangeable voices.That is to say the writer’s own sentiments are spoken by ALL the characters.Where is the diversity of thought and opinion.If it does not comport with trendy,politically correct thought it is not given an airing..This writing by committee produces trek.All this talk of increased soap ratings is imbecilic.When you cancel 50% of the soaps on the air naturally the remaining 50% will pick up some of the viewers of the departed shows.
you are right, robert! at the next straight wedding, i want someone to stand up and make a speech against straight people getting married. we can’t just have one side of the issue. you tell them, robert!
Well, I think soap writers think their audience is stupid and they can brainwash us into thinking any way they want us to. What DAYS just did alienated those of us who recognize propaganda when we see it. But we also see this kind of “the audience is dumb” writing when writers change RECENT history and expect us to not notice. My grandma was a soap fan. My mother was a soap fan, and I have always been a soap fan. But I don’t like to be insulted. If one soap offends me too much, I’ll try a different one.
GB, did you watch the Days wedding of Will and Sonny? Was there an actual speech against straight marriages? First I heard of it. Everyone says Caroline’s speech was amazing. BTW Welcome to the MF comments section 😉
It would make better drama if they show both sides of any issues…all they showed was a day player opposing it…my family has gay relatives and at a family picnic i could easily tell not everyone there showed acceptance…at least one regular character on the show should have been showed offended by it and refused to attend the wedding to make it a little more real(and i bet there are some actors on the show who secretly do not accept gay marriage but wouldnt admit it)…love is love…the wedding episode was well done…imo!!!
And you win the bet, Beaver. There most definitely IS one actor on the show like that & most of us know her since she’s been vocal enough fairly recently. I laughed when I saw her at the wedding full of smiles… must have just killed her.
IowaMan i know you are referring to but she might understand she’s just playing a character.So she can separate her real life views on gay marriage from her character’s views.However i do agree with the above poster that said the show should have had a regular character be opposed to Will and Sonny getting married instead of someone we never met before.Plus even if a regular character is opposed to a gay marriage it doesn’t mean he or she is homophobic.I think a person can be okay with gay people but not want to get married.
Thank you, Andrew! The actress in question is a devout Christian (and a VERY nice person, btw, I’ve met her) and I’m sure she, personally, would not do a LOT of things her character has to do. That goes for all the other Christians on soaps. They are actors, they are not playing themselves. BTW, nobody knows for sure her views on gay marriage. She tweeted her support of FREE SPEECH, that is all. As an actress, she knows many gay people and, by all accounts, loves them dearly. One of her co-stars, a RABID gay supporter, defended her publicly. People need to stop hating on her.
Soaps will never tell a realistic gay story because they can’t and they know it. They have to forcefeed the idea off a fairytale where everyhing is sunshine and roses, and everyone is supportive and happy. Because…gasp….should anyone have an opposition…they will immediately be branded as hateful and homophobic. Statistically…since gay marriage has been legalized in different places, not many gay weddings have taken place….considering all the clamoring for them to be allowed. Of the ones that have, 78% have ALREADY ended in divorce. And…where do you go in story now? You cant tell the usual soap stories with this kind of couple….children, psycho ex lovers, adultery, divorce, etc. The gay community would cry foul if this couple ever fights, or separates, etc because they would claim it is disrespectful to show that. Well….its truth. I know many many gay people. The ones in their early 20’s like Will and Sonny are definitely not looking for commitment, and children, and responsibility…lol…they are out drinking and dancing at gay bars and celebrating being gay and looking at attractive straight people and wishing they were gay too. We watch soaps for fantasy and escapism….and even though I FF through all of Wlson’s scenes, at least the gay community can have their escapism and fantasy through the idealized, fairy tale of Will and Sonny
Thanks Johnny, I think many in DAYS audience are buying this sanitized version of gay life, but you and I aren’t.
Unfortunately you are right on the money Johnny. I thought while watching the Wedding, oh yes right the whole town is in favor of this gay union, when does that ever happen – the one old fart who objected to Victor was quickly and swiftly branded a bigot and a narrow minded fool. It’s not reality, not even close – would be nice if it were realistic, but it just isn’t. Seemed to me to be some Writer’s dream vision of how things ought to be.
johnny, you googled wrong. You got the numbers for straight couples. Gay divorce rate is actually 2%. Just wanted to correct so you wouldn’t look bad. 😉
Ooohhh, Maddie, watch your mouth…lol….you will be called a bigot. We have to apologize for being heterosexual . I will not say any more on the subject as Mr. Robert believes I have poor comprehension skills. I will not debate anyone who makes snide remarks on ageism, specifically, older women with blue-streaked hair . Blah, blah, blah….
I don’t care what strangers on the internet think of me, lol
johnny seems to know more about gay people than gay people do. BTW couldn’t find stats for half the crap he’s spewing. oh well, I do find it amusing that straight people seem to know so much more gays — than gays do!!!
Know the easiest way to spot a bigot? Just ask them if what they say about gays (or blacks or any others) can be said about others without sounding offensive. Why worry about one gay marriage when there have been a gazillion straight weddings on the soaps in the past nearly 100 years! (Yep, soaps started on radio)? To paraphrase JFoxworthy: If you’re really that bent about it, you might be a bigot. Just sayin’ — and also gay people LOVE Kate’s blue hair!!!
I thought the Wilson wedding was very well done. However, I feel Days is going downhill. They killed the Nicole Eric story with that stupid evidence thing. They need to give us some closure on Bo. I could never watch Days if I couldn’t record it.
You are right That they killed the Eric/Nicole storyline by having her destroy the evidence. It makes all her actions prior, like almost being killed, negated. I stopped watching after that as it became clear the writers do not know what they are doing.
If I see one more Flash back scene of Nicole shredding those secret papers that could prove Eric’s innocence I may puke. Geez get to the point already – to me, the Eric/Nicole deal is sooo drawn out.
I love Y and R, only soap I have watched now for years.
Mostly I DVR it and watch 2 at a time.
The days wedding might have had more viewers if it felt like Sonny was marrying Will Horton. Guy Wilson’s emotionless and robotic form of acting made it feel like Sonny was marrying a stranger and NOT the person fans have watched him be with for the last couple of years. If Days and mangement had given fans what they wanted and waited for, a wedding with the characters played by Freddie and Chandler, ratings would have been higher. No amount of press or interviews or selfies he takes on set that seem to be forced on fans from Guy Wilson are going to convince us he is a good actor and is portraying this character properly. Maybe the couple could be salvaged with a recast that can actually act and knows who Will Horton is.
Amen!
Maybe if the writers knew who Will Horton was, an actor could too. He was a straight teenager three years ago in a sweet little romance with Gabi. Then boom, two days later he was turned gay. Beyond being gay, there’s not much else story to tell there. Any young blonde actor could play Will, it doesn’t matter.
No offense but did you even watch Will’s coming out story?It sort of started in June 2011 and then built over several months until Will finally revealed he was gay early the next year.Plus i take offense to you saying that any blond actor can play Will.
Yeah the ratings are down for all 4 soaps this weeks but for most of them they were up from the same time last year.The week to week ratings go up and down all the time.Plus the networks may look at the ratings increases or decreases differently we do.They may look at all the ratings categories and not just overall viewers.
Maybe the soaps would have more viewers if, They listened to the viewers! I don’t watch days since they killed off Jack, and decided a rapist was the only one to be with their victim, Namely EJ and Sami. GH what can I say a mobster walks up to ANOTHER man shoots him in cold blood and is the victim.? I have watched soaps for YEEAARRSS. Now they are not something I care about. ON GH evil rules. That is my take on why they are losing viewers. I have no interest in keeping the ratings up for something that insults my intelligence.
Right on!!!
Soaps need new viewers, with that being said if you bring in the two original Carly’s there is a good chance that the newer viewership is not going to care. However this new storyline with Obrecht/Donna Mills is creating a lot of buzz this week. For Days of Our Lives, a nice wedding without drama does not even exist in real life so why give that much for airtime in a SOAP. The drama was EJ going to Chicago to meet a hippy dippy guy (James Scott seemed pushed to have a scene). Also Day’s of Our Lives seems to have lost its way, from the shocking scenes they were showing in January. Who wants to watch about bake sales? Days of Our Lives lacks the sleek look Soaps used to have, it has a very lower middle class feel to it. Soaps are meant to be an escape for women watching it, nobody wants to be going to bake sales and watch them on their telly.
Because of spring break…
I had beent thinking about giving Days a try for sometime and started watching during the wedding week. Not that I was interested in the wedding. I thought they would put their best foot forward for the special occasion and it would be a good time to just take a look at the show. I have continued to watch daily this week and I am certainly impressed by the quality of the production. As far as story lines go, I’m interested in the pharmaceutical rep who is stalking the PR woman and drugging her doctor boyfriend. He looks nuts. I do not trust the tall blonde woman who wants to marry the ex-priest. She’s a shady lady and I hope the ex-priest finds out soon. He seems like a nice guy and shouldn’t be saddled with the likes of her. I really don’t trust the scruffy young man who is after the young woman with the baby. I plan to keep watching and hopefully learn who all these people are.
It is always so interesting (and fun) to hear the comments and thoughts of a new viewer. Welcome to the best of the remaining Four… and your instincts are pretty much on the mark. Keep watching & enjoy!
Except that Nicole is someone you love and hate at the same time, IowaMan…I like that moniker.
Does Michael Fairman have any pull with the days of our lives writers. Wish he did and could let them know how they screwed up the Nicole Eric story. First of all with the evidence, and secondly making it look like the church wouldn’t accept Nicole. As a Catholic I was offended. Are any of the writers even Catholic. I really hate all this priest stuff. Either Eric wants to stay a priest or not. So many dans have been happy to finally see Nicole happy and the writers are going to screw it up. I started watching days when I was 20. Just turned 69 and my Days watching has finally come to a close.
Soaps fans are mostly women and we don’t get excited by gay male pairings! We want heterosexual romance and we aren’t getting it! On GH, the 51st Anniversary ep was pathetic! The 3 Carlys was a PR stunt with no substance and basically meaningless since Sonny and Carly haven’t been a couple for years! The death of AJ was offensive and pointless! Audiences want to see more of the Q’s not less and AJ is a legacy character who should have been put in a coma rather than killed! Killing the character added nothing to the storyline! Another issue at GH is Ron Carlivati who seems determined to remake the soap into his vision of GH rather than honoring the history of the show or the vets which is deeply upsetting to long time viewers! Add to that the choppy storylines with no details on the journey, no romance and too many new characters/favoritism for RC’s characters and you have a problem! I have watched GH for 38 years and RC and Guza are the worst showrunners the show has ever had!
I, too, want to see a ROMANTIC heterosexual story. That is what would make me start watching again. Just putting two people into bed doesn’t cut it for me. I remember Frisco&Felicia, Brenda&Jax, Robert&Anna .. Patrick&Robin was the last time GH had a REAL love story. THAT is what most of us women want to see, I’d bet my bottom dollar.
Id love a good old fashion love story on soaps like Days Doug and Julie or AWs Steve and Alice(they didnt hardly ever show couples just jumping in bed together back then)…iv watched soaps since 1964 and they use to be so much better than they are today!!!
Hey Jimh, you are correct, soaps back in the day had a MORAL to the story, anybody who had sex outside of marriage there were consequences (usually a surprise pregnancy). There were “good” characters and there were “bad” characters. Right and wrong. Even as late as the ’90s the “good” couples never had sex unless they were in love, and that after more than a year of angst. Morals in society have changed, I guess, and soaps reflect that. But I don’t want to see realism, soaps are supposed to be an escape, I still want romance.
Thank you, Tracy…well said!
You said this very well. I agree with everything. I remember when couples and romance were the lifeblood of the soaps. Now its mostly stunts, violence, plot driven, and unabated misery. Will and Sonny are really the only characters I fast forward through. Days does seem to be getting back to romance…JJ and Paige are adorably awkward….Eric and Nicole have off the charts chemistry….Dan and Jen are approaching something watchable finally…even Abe and Maxine are getting down. I also loved when Gabi slapped Sami!!! I have never really gotten the character of Gabi…she always seemed like a plot point more than a developed character. However, she is now on fire just as she is leaving. Who is Sami to judge anyone??? Or call anyone a liar, or selfish??? The hypocrisy and sanctimonious self righteousness of these types of characters blows my mind!!!! I like Nick…he is a little warped and creepy, lol, but characters like Kate, Sami, EJ, etc, make him sound like lthe worst villain to come down the pike. I still have NO idea whatsoever he did that was so bad…..not to mention anything that even approaches being as bad as some of.the things the others have done! The guy was brutally raped in jail….even alluding to the fact that it happened regularly.
But the thing is: Except for Will and Sonny, ALL of the romances on Days ARE straight romance … er … heterosexual love stories. How can you NOT be GETTING IT?! I’ve read ALL of the comments above and believe me: I DO GET IT! If any of the soaps gave SOME viewers what they think they want, they’d all be off the air. The remaining soaps try to give all viewers something, it seems some viewers just can’t get enough. Opposition to gay characters is no different than opposition to blacks being added in the past or even interracial pairings back in the day … history does have a way of repeating itself. Sadly it never looks any better the second or third time around!
btw To newer Days viewers: Nick was in prison for murder. He killed Melanie’s father. He also stalked and kidnapped Melanie. He also struggled with Willo and she died in a fall.
I’m sorry Matthew, but none of the soaps have really great love stories any more. They put the couple together too soon. They don’t make us WAIT for it! That makes their love cheaply won. Back in the day, we AGONIZED over couples like Bo&Hope, Patch&Kayla, Shane&Kim, Roman&Marlena, Jack&Jennifer, and yes, Doug&Julie, Bill&Laura, the ones who started it all! I would have LOVED a 5-day wedding extravaganza for a couple I’d invested in for years and they were finally getting their payoff. Will&Sonny are a joke compared to the great couples of the past.
Love Sonny and Will, and have loved their storyline, but even I missed the wedding scene which I have been so supportive of. I think it got buried in other storylines that weren’t interesting me as much, and somehow I missed it. Will try to see it at some point,. It may also have been the timing. It has been a long and cold winter in some parts, and it had just started warming up, so maybe people were out and about more.
On another note…can someone please slap The arrogance from Gabi’s face?
I think that Ari will be taken from Gabi. When Sami called her an unfit mother…well, the writing’s on the wall. Perhaps she and Nick will run away with the baby.
Will and Sonny are gonna raise the baby, that’s the whole reason Ari was born. So DAYS can have the perfect gay family. They are gonna show all the heterosexual couples how it’s done. More propaganda.
Reading these comments takes a lot of fun out of watching soaps. Still, love Sonny and Will, tho! Without WilSon, Days would not be timely or relevant. That said, it is draggy, pacing too slow, some scenes unnecessary to tell a story. Can’t live in the past or turn back the clock, after all, it’s 2014 not 1914, but I do watch reruns of vintage soaps when I need a nostalgia fix. Those old school romances are still out there for those who want to re-live them.
Exactly, Matthew. I am so tired of the non-ending storyline centering around Daniel and Jen…one storyline leads into another. What gives? Maid Marian and Dr. Hunk are always in some sort of peril or being set up by co- workers. Enough already. Let’s give this couple closure….
@FAS, for great pacing, check out Hollyoaks at H*l*. Watch a couple of episodes and you should get into it. The filming is amazing, the use of music is top notch, and it skews young although there are older characters, too. You may also like Coronation Street (also on H*l*). These shows are short but pack a lot of punch. For old school teen drama, almost nothing beats Home & Away (on the Y) —
OMG! Maid Marian and Dr. Hunk!!! Love it!
Thanks, Matthew…I will do your bidding..lol. I’ve just turned 22, but I’m a old soul, at heart….I love nostalgia.
Fas, I’m a bit older than 22. 😉 I won’t say how much! As an old soul, you’ll love Coronation Street. It has stories about younger and older characters. So does Hollyoaks, but it skews much younger, more of a teen soap. I loved the early 80s when Kelly and Morgan were on Guiding Light (it’s on the Y), one of my all-time fave couples and love stories. In the end love will always matter, H8 not so much. My nephews are both going into medical field. Good luck with med school.
Mark, believe me, I agree with you…the storyline surrounding Dr. O is beyond ridiculous. But, that is the point…I just get a kick out of her….her antics never fail to entertain me. No doctor would get away with the crimes she continues to commit, ….I am enjoying it thoroughly. I do not get to watch as much as I would like….so, the completely incredible plot twists make my head spin…in a good way.
OMG…there goes Nick, working Gabi. He just threw an-I’m-so-sorry-but-I-gotta-go line at her. Wow, Master Manipulator is showing his cards, one at a time.
Writers, please don’t make Gabi appear so dumb!…Nick does not love her…it is all about sweet revenge. Voila’, mes amis, he is succeeding.
Also, writers. Ari is over a year old, no? Why is she still being strolled around in a pram? Those things are designed for infants…just a few months old. Why is she not walking? And, why, oh why does she still sound like a neonate when she cries? C’mon, now…can you please try to make it a bit more realistic? Just sayin’.
Hi, Matthew. All I can say is that I know two gay guys very well. That does not make me a connoisseuse (fem.), for lack of a better word, nor do I profess to be one. These guys are two of my older sister’s best friends whom she has known since grade school. My sister is straight and married…these friends were groomsmen at her wedding amidst my father’s grumbling. (I am being honest, here). When they came out, my mother did not blink an eye..my father, on the other hand, is another story. Don’t get me wrong, my dad is never disrespectful…he is very cordial, actually. You see, Matthew, we all loved these friends before they came out and we still love them today. Coincidentally, I may be blue-eyed and blond, but I also have black first cousins in Johannesburg, So. Africa. I do not normally refer to them as “my black first cousins”, but I needed to make a point…..
…..My point…it is not tolerance we have for them…just, honest-to-goodness love. It makes no difference what our sexual preference is, or the color of our skin, albeit I must agree with Maddie…propaganda? What say you? I admire your thought process. 🙂
And, thank you for the best wished…it’s a little frightening, but I am doing what I have aspired to my whole life…true passion for helping our fellow-man.
OK. Well, it’s always best to know where someone stands. I don’t have a problem with your stance, per se. BTW I wasn’t making any comments to Maddie, but I did comment re: Johnny’s “statistics”. I could not find those he claimed and posted. I googled. Nada. Just to say I wasn’t disputing Maddie’s propaganda claim (although only the writers know their true intent, they have thought it would make good story) — just Johnny’s “statistics”. I guess the real question is would Maddie have felt any differently if the gay wedding had been more PC as per her views? I suppose we’ll never know.
You’re welcome, of course. BTW Days could have gone with “reality”: Most of Salem shunning Will and Sonny just like in real life in many places. But how would that have played? How would Jen and others have looked, then? Would all those saying how “unreal” the gay wedding on Days was be happy then? I doubt it. They might still scream foul. I have a feeling the writers did not want to chase reality with this SL and have their characters/stars be painted in a bad, if somewhat more realistic (according to some posters) light. You see, I read the posts here — and I have a feeling it’s not so much that there was an “unrealistic” gay wedding as much as that there was a gay wedding at all (many of the comments pretty much say this — and don’t even get me started on the “made up” gay statistics!). Truth is I live in the southern US and that is how it is here, gays are shunned and ridiculed even in public. It’s a reality that many do not want to go away — ever. Maybe the writers wanted to portray that it’s NOT that way everywhere and that it shouldn’t be. That said, I appreciate your opinion and views.
Matthew, I have watched DAYS since the ’80s, and having gay characters was not a problem for me. The love scenes turn me off, but I can always FF through that. I don’t agree with shunning or ridiculing gay people. But not everybody agrees with gay marriage, especially in Illinois, where Salem seems to be situated. In Illinois, gay marriage barely passed by two votes, and those were entirely in the Chicago area. I never got the idea that Salem was a liberal stronghold. Most of the citizens are religious and attend (mostly Catholic) church. I have cringed at the parade of “bigots” and “homophobes” trotted out to represent people like me. I don’t have to sit there and take it. I can turn the channel.
Hi, again Michael. I really appreciate your answer…and you are correct. We should always know where one stands. I do not really go by statistics because they change from day to day, and not very reliable. Perhaps I misspoke and at this point I can answer my own question. Yes, I do believe every network, every program, every soap has an agenda. The scope is to attract viewers for the ratings. I get that. DOOL was very well aware this wedding would amass both controversy and ratings……so , my question is…did TPTB do the gay community a disservice using this wedding as bait as a means to an end? And, we do know the writers’s intent….it is always about the ratings. My mother said that the only other wedding she can remember having the same fanfare, for lack of a better word, was GH’s Luke and Laura’s wedding. Dool presented a perfect wedding and It was a good story…I believe it is the second gay wedding on daytime. The first, I think was AMC. Trust me, we have discussed this with friends, both gay and straight at the “round table” (lol) in my parents’s kitchen. … We never did come up with an answer..Ha, Ha. Each one of us wants to be right all the time.Lol.
Personally, I thought the wedding was great. I watched it and did not find it odd. I did not mind the wedding. It is the sexual content on daytime that bothers me…both gay and straight. I am tired of looking at dopey ,Brady’s chest…as much as WilSon’s. My mother keeps complaining that she can’t watch soaps in peace any more because she takes care of my 3-year old niece , off and on….very inquisitive kid….doesn’t miss a beat.
Another topic we discuss quite often is …..Is homosexuality a choice? Many think it is. I do not…I do not think that one morning a man/woman wakes up and decides to be gay…it is what it is.
In a few weeks I will be leaving for Europe…dividing my time and studies between Milan and Zurich ,(my mother is in tears)…..I will miss these chats…I am glad I communicated with you, Michael…you are a nice guy. ….I am very fussy about my grammar and spelling…I hope there aren’t that many typos.
Fas, your writing is fine, no typos, bu we all make them at times. It just shows how meticulous you are to be concerned. Only thing is my name is not Michael. lol It’s Matthew, but I knew you were speaking to me — so no harm, no foul. I do understand about sex on soaps and TV in general. I watch a mix of current TV shows and older. Most older shows have less sex, with some soaps in the ’90s being the exception. I am glad you responded. You have a wonderful outlook on life. Let no one change you. I expect you’ll be very successful in life and your chosen profession. I can only imagine how your mom feels. Europe sounds exciting, though. Wishing you a wonderful, enlightening trip. All the best to you. 🙂
Sorry, Matthew…I called you Michael…as I was writing, I received a message from my boyfriend, Michael…sorry.
Thank you..peace, Matthew…..stay well.
You cannot force people to watch what they do not want to watch. There are probably a lot of loyal Days fans who, like me never approved of the Wilson storyline. Such fans would not enjoy watching a Wilson wedding. I did watch. The build up to the event sparked my curiosity about how the writers would handle it.
To those Days fans who did not watch but are curious, at the end, those attending the “wedding” threw rice! Now if the notion of a gay marriage is strange enough, seeing people throw rice at a gay couple reinforced how ridiculous the notion of gay marriage is. A lot of traditions in a heterosexual couple’s wedding is symbolic of real possibilities for the happy couple. Throwing rice is symbolic of wishing the couple will be blessed with biological children conceived within the marriage. Not possible for a gay couple.
The whole “rice throwing” fiasco at the Wilson wedding emphasised the confusion that exists regarding sexuality and the definition of marriage. “Marriage” can NEVER mean the union of a same sex couple. That whole concept is ridiculous! Now do I understand the idea of commitment regarding a same sex couple? Yes. (Do I approve it? No.)
There are many types of commitment between individuals. Persons who join sororities/fraternities make a commitment to their sisters/brothers. Business partners make a commitment to each other. So commitment is not hard to understand. But marriage is a union between a man and woman that involves a lifelong commitment with the capability of procreation. Such a commitment is in a category all by itself and cannot be duplicated or altered, lest the commitment ceases to be a marriage.
I think the whole gay marriage topic reeks of confusion. That confusion was on display at Days’ Wilson wedding.
I have often wondered whether or not real deep friendship between two persons of the same sex has often been misunderstood or misconstrued as gay. There is the story in the Bible of David and Jonathan. They were real friends and NOT gay. The Bible says David loved Jonathan “as his own soul”. Jonathan protected David from his own father Saul (Jonathan’s father) when Saul wanted to kill David. After Jonathan died, David sought for and found Jonathan’s offspring so he (David) could care for them as his own.
When I see Will and Sonny on Days, I think of David and Jonathan. Will and Sonny are only gay because the writers say they are. Remove the sexual activity from them and they could be David and Jonathan.
The Bible says a man should not lie with (have sex with) another man as with a woman. The Bible did not say real deep love cannot exsist between two men…..Just saying…
I agree 100%.