Days Of Our Lives
Which Daytime Drama Served Up The Best Thanksgiving Episode: DAYS, GH or B&B?
Courtesy/NBC
On Wednesday, three of the four daytime dramas served up Thanksgiving themed episode while The Young and the Restless continued with their story, and did not deviate from it and embracing Turkey Day drama.
However, on Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and The Bold and the Beatiful, they delivered some touching and emotional familial dramatic moments throughout. But which one satisfied viewers most for the turkey day tradition?
DAYS viewers and the characters of Salem were reeling from the sudden death of the beloved Bo Brady. Now with Thanksgiving already upon them, the Bradys and the Kiriakis’ tried to endure it by sharing it with loved ones, but with a huge hole in their families. In perhaps the most touching moment, Caroline (Peggy McCay) delivered a heart-tugging speech about her departed son and a toast with the entire Brady clan present. This was also the episode that saw Martha Madison return as Belle, who delivered a bombshell to John (Drake Hogestyn) and Marlena (Deidre Hall) that her and Shawn (Jason Cook) are getting a divorce. John and Marlena toasted to both Bo (Peter Reckell) and Will (Guy Wilson), who were no longer with them. And at the Kiriakis house, a grieving Victor (John Aniston) lashed out at everyone before finally coming to his senses that he is upset over losing Bo.
Courtesy/ABC
GH fans watched as the annual Quartermaine Thanksgiving tradition was honored, and it was especially touching since Jason (Billy Miller) returned home for the first time knowing who he is, although he doesn’t remember anything! Monica (Leslie Charleson) was thrilled to have her son back, and so was Michael (Chad Duell) who made a toast to Jason (Billy Miller) towards the end of the episode. When the power goes out, thanks to Paul (Richard Burgi) frying the food, Jason suggesrt ordering pizza leaving everyone to pause. Did Jason recall this annual family turkey day food debacle? Jason says he doesn’t. Elsewhere, the Drakes had their dinner, and the Jeromes/Davis clans celebrated together; including a visit from Ava (Maura West) and baby Avery that was wrought with some tension. Later, Sam (Kelly Monaco) and Patrick (Jason Thompson) came to the Q’s where Sam overhears something said by little Jake (James Nigbor), which raises her suspicions about Liz (Rebecca Herbst), Helena (Constance Towers), etc. The episode ends with Tracy (Jane Elliot) telling the group that they must honor Edward’s Thanksgiving tradition, “First we sing, then we eat.” While everyone is celebrating Turkey Day, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Valerie (Brytni Sarpi) are having their own celebration by hitting the sheets… again!
Courtesy/CBS
B&B viewers had what seemed like the entire cast present for their holiday episode at the Forresters with the visiting Spencer and Avant clans. The episode starts with Eric (John McCook) recalling memories of his beloved late wife Stephanie. At the table, Eric upholds his tradition of everyone saying something nice or about the person on their right. Clearly, the placecards were strategic. Drama unfoldes when Julius (Obba Babatunde) , who was seated next to Maya (Karla Mosley), discussed his daughter and his acceptance of her. Througout the table-said sentiments some lovely moments between characters were shared.
So, which Thanksgiving episode striked your fancy? Which moment was the most emotional for you? Did DAYS, GH or B&B deliver best this year? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
139
Since we, in Canada, had our Thanksgiving in October and it is not mentioned or celebrated on the soaps I am able to be objective……I think lol. Days, after weeks of murder and killing off some great characters sat down the day after their beloved Bo died. Not ever being a Bope fan the death was a non event for me. The TG gettogethers were brilliant; I hated and loved Victor in the blink of an eye. The Brady Pub gang’s table was the right amount of sadness, giving thanks, return characters and peeks at what is to come……brilliant writing… Read more »
REALLY??? Y&R skipped Thanksgiving? That show used to be all about family, friends & thanks. Holidays were some of their best scenes of each year. How sad they did this!!
Yes, unless they play it out on Monday I was really disappointed Y&R turned their back on Thanksgiving.
In Canada we have seen the Monday ep. No mention of TG.
Certainly NOT #GH!
Unless you watch all 3 soaps how are you suppose to rate or say which one was better? I watched only GH and it was good, only disappointment was Dante agian sleeping with Valerie, it proves he is a weak pathetic men and he’s more like his dad then he realizes, I mean talk bout no boundaries, what real good excuse can he come up for sleeping with his wife cousin for the second time?
i cant stand Valerie and i no longer can stand Dante…and you are right…he is a weak pathetic man…Lulu will be no different…she will sleep with Dylan which proves she is no better!…i hate storylines where one cheats the other has to sleep with someone too like some silly if-you-can-do-it-i-can-do-it-too contest!
Well, a lot of us watch all 4 soaps so his question is valid. Anywho, I liked Days the best. I thought Bold had a good vibe to it, but Days really pulled at my heart strings. The focus on family and return of Belle and Claire was great. I hated GH’s because it made me realize how much they don’t nurture familial relationships throughout the year. I loathed Michael’s toast at the Q’s. It was horrible. He doesn’t care about that family, if he did, he wouldn’t be under Sonny again. Also, there was no mention of AJ. Last… Read more »
Definitely not the actions of someone who wants to save their marriage. Dante gives up to easily. “Well, this is what Lulu wants.” Pfft. Nathan fought harder for Maxie. Spencers need partners who won’t fold like a house of cards when the going gets tough.
What good excuse does Dante have? NONE. The bum.
Amen to that notion, Aria! Dante is, quite simply, a pig…and what that makes Val-Chops is left to one’s own interpretation!!!!! Their wholly predictable and disgusting tete-a-tete was hardly an inspiring or soul-satisfying addition to what should have been an episode celebrating gratitude for God’s blessings. It was totally unnecessary….the least that could have been done was wait until next week for Mr. “Woe is Me” to plunge back into the same self-destructive behavior that destroyed his marriage in the first place instead of having Jezebel stop by to ply him with turkey and her feigned football fandom.. Ugh!
Also since when does Olivia break bread with Julian and not be with Dante?? I love this show but the writing lately seems to be lazy….
@Elite Advisors…Olivia should be disowning Dante for his appalling behavior with that “putana.” No more of “Mama Celeste’s” eggplant parmigiana for him…from now on, let Val-Chops do all of his cooking for him! LOL…..
If she EVER takes him back I will forever look at Lulu as a LOSER! Dante is scum, period! Once you cannot trust someone it is VERY tough to give them another chance and he thumbed his nose at Lulu TWICE!
Dante ‘s a good guy. He’s always been a good guy.
People complained that Dante and Lulu were too perfect. Now that that they’re being portrayed as a couple with problems…they’re criticized again.
Dante has been faithful from the day he walked into town. This is the story of the unraveling of a relationship between two people who still love each other…and how secrets, miscommunication, outside influences, betrayals, hurt…all contribute to their destruction.
Luke and Laura, Lucky and Elizabeth, Lucy and Doc, Sonny and…lol…everyone, Carly and Jax, Franco…Spinelli, Ellie, Maxie…Its a soap! It’s all about the tangled webs we weave…
Exactly, Timmm!!!! Dante is tainted goods….why should Lulu ever take him back or even want him now???? He made his bed….and sadly, now it’s Val-Chops lying in it!!!! They deserve each other because they are both disgusting adulterers……
I don’t watch B&B because from what little I have seen of it, it’s pretty horrid.
GH’s Thanksgiving was anti climatic and dull so I am going to have to go with Days,
Days is hitting it out of the ballpark.
I second the emotion re Days–lol.
Actually, JFP told Pratt he could write something holiday-themed and it went something like this: Sage decided to deep-fry a turkey but got distracted by her grief for the “death” of preemie Christian … Faith, wanting to help-out, went into the kitchen just as the fryer EXPLODED leaving her face scarred for life!! (The ranch house caught fire and Nikki went back to the bottle. Wandering aimlessly, Nikki (…finding out Victor had yet ANOTHER convenient off-camera, out-of-character affair with a lunch lady) didn’t see a spooked horse come charging at her and fell unconscious in a ditch near the main… Read more »
Geez, i wish it had been that good…lol
ahha! GH was campy sappy BORING .. It was way too much of a lackluster love-in.. Nothing unexpected happened.. I had a chuckle at the singing to eat, lame. Jason standing there blending into the wallpaper hardly noticed during a Q event was blah.. Jerome’s- Ava invited in with little problem holding hands in prayer, ridiculous stuff no way lol Anna and Doc were good. The Dante Valerie stuff was way over acted by Val… her overkill jumping and screaming at a football game, it was stupid but it gave me laugh. It was just for a day (thanky god)… Read more »
Wait a minute, Su00. Unfortunately for you, I have a really good memory.
I recall that many many times you called GH”s writing “campy” when Ron was the headwriter. However, back then you hailed the camp as a good thing and something to celebrate. Now while you continue to call GH “campy,” you express said sentiment as if it were a bad thing.
hi Harry ..
GH was fun to watch..
It’s ‘campy moments’ were usually humor based, but never ”sappy” ..
GH is now campy sappy <— the worst kind of campy.. I refer to now GH as campy sappy, not campy..
I miss the subtle humor, the good campy that would give me chuckle or laugh..
GH was not always campy but when it was it was fun 🙂
Harry, Harry, quite contrary….how goes it, my friend? You know su and I share very little common ground on all things GH, but to have a brief moment of bonding over the Krampus during this holiday season is not necessarily a bad thing, now….is it????? (Alright, I can already picture you vehemently nodding YES!!!) Fair enough….just saying! ; )
I guess you will be in line for the new holiday theme horror film call Krampus opening soon in theaters– yes it is a real movie, no joke– enjoy.
Yes, Mary!!
There are the traditional Krampus organization here, most likely in all the sates.
The Krampus is always popular during the Germanfest fest parade and Christmas parades.
December 5th is Krampusnacht, parade through town scaring the bejeezus out of children. Many Krampus roaming the area.. lol
The parties are really fun..
**KRAMPUS IS COMING*** !!
I really hope Dr. O, bring us the Krampus, again.. She was delightful!!
Thank you, RC !
I’m coming to your house next year for Thanksgiving!
hi Timmm..
You are welcomed to come, nothing fancy..
A table full of awesome BQ ribs, homemade fries, corn on the cob, fruit salad, dark Heineken and a pile of napkins..
If you want dinner wine you gotta bring your own..
Be ready to sing & dance– after all it is a celebration 🙂
Hey, su0000! Just saw that “Krampus” is already on the loose in Salzburg! Guess the Austrians are a bit ahead of the States when it comes to this sort of revelry!
hi Shay.. Hope your gifts will be safe LOL
I know! When the Krampus appeared many many many had not a clue as to the Krampus, the boards were full of- what was that thing!
At Christmas parades– the children wave at Santa Claus and beg for gifts..
At the Christmas Krampus parades the children are so happily frightened and running screaming giggling loving every minute of it!!
Krampus puts the zing in Christmas fun ..
Can Suoo ever answer a question? Once again, and I repeat– you said GH was campy under Ron and made it clear you thought it was a good thing.
Now, you are calling GH campy under the new writers and you have made it clear that you now think it’s a bad thing.
Can we all stop acting like Suoo is some cute little exhibit one invariably finds at the country fair and call her out on her crap?
Well, su, since we have no “Krampusnachts” in my neck of the woods, I think my gifties should be safe…at least, that’s what I hope, as I have entrusted the care of my copious Black Friday/ Cyber Monday online purchases to the guys at FedEx and UPS for delivery. (And despite their sometimes dubious reputations, I must say mine have never done me wrong! Fingers crossed that they maintain their superb record this holiday season!) But by all means, do have fun at your local Krampusfest….maybe you’ll run into Dr. O.!!!!!
Hi Harry.. reread my answer to you.. I did indeed answer your question.. — there are different types of campy.. GH is now ”sappy campy” the worst yawn kind.. RC’s campy held humor.. ie( Dark Shadows was campy, but never was it sappy campy.. There is dark campy, humorous campy, slapstick campy, sappy campy.. ect.. I said.. GH is now the horribly dull ‘sappy’ campy- love-in.. RC’s campy held humor, I would chuckle and laugh and ‘wow’ it was entertaining/fun.. my 1st reply to you was; ”’hi Harry .. GH was fun to watch.. It’s ‘campy moments’ were usually humor… Read more »
Hi Shay..
I will tell the Krampus of you and ask him to visit you if he has the time to bring you some very exciting Christmas moments! lol ..
Thanks, but no thanks, su! That’s not necessary…..truly! Instead, just send some of that lovely snow eastbound and we’ll call it even! (The weather has been too warm and unseasonable for my druthers, thus far. After all, it is December now!) However, perhaps you could direct some Krampus cheer to our Harry….he seems to need some! LOL….
I watch all 4. B&B was an “up” TG with all the correct things said to the characters. Days was a TG that had to react to the death of Bo and was heart wrenching and depressing to watch, but well done and GH was the usual pizza debacle and also had story going too. Y&R was wrong to ignore it. Totally. In all, B&B did Thanksgiving best. Days had so much going on that it was hard to celebrate Thanksgiving.
I watched all three and I think GH had the best Thanksgiving theme show. It had it all, some heartwarming moments, some drama, some humor, and a nice mix of theme and regular plots going. I thought Days was okay, but because of the death in the family it was too depressing. B&B had a traditional soap Thanksgiving. Here in Canada I had the chance to see the a repeat of 2015 show on the same day they showed the 2014 repeat of last year’s Thanksgiving. That was a hilarious to see within a year how many of the 2014… Read more »
I watched B&B and GH and thought both were great! Happy to see Thanksgiving celebrated on the soaps!
You must watch the one on Days of our lives. In fact Days of our lives in terms of writing and quality is really good right now . You will love Days . It’s on NBC.
Seems Black Friday is becoming Thanksgiving..
Mall of America since early morning til evening was bursting with shoppers, not turkey eaters but shoppers. Stores are open are ready to get you into the store shopping and away from your table.
People are in block long lines to shop, not have Thanksgiving dinner.
I think the soaps should go Black Friday excitement it seems to be more so what Thanksgiving is becoming. Show it like it is..
I saw both Days and GH. I was thankful that Days finally turned the Salem clock to a new day. Months of actions occurred in a 24 hour span in Salem time and it was beyond ridiculous. Abigail giving birth to a clearly full term baby was ludicrous. However, Victor was hysterical yesterday, especially his BYOH line. I found GH to be highly disappointing. There was no fighting or arguments at the Q mansion. I’m tired of Lulu’s drama which she brought on herself. Highlight was no Sonny in this episode — major plus. In my opinion Days came out… Read more »
I agree, Paul. I really did not like to see Julian, who ordered the hit on Duke, to be allowed to sit down happily with his entire family including Baby Leo. Then it gets worse and Olivia is sitting down with her best friend’s murderer, Ava, who for some unfathomable reason is not only not in prison, she has full custody of Baby Avery ( feel the same about Sonny, however, we did not see him on Thanksgiving). Meanwhile, Anna continues to mourn Duke. Dante and Lulu have been presented to us as romantic couple–the next generation’s answer to Luke… Read more »
Harry, I hated Julian’s get together and like I told CeeCee before, once we finally get Jason in the right direction and fall in love with Billy Miller’s version, you watch, he will leave the show and we ALL would have wasted two years of our lives on this story!
The Qs holiday will be never be the same since most of the family are gone. They can fill the house…but without Edward, Lila, Alan, Emily, AJ, Ned…by the way..,where was Alice?…they’re all just fillers…with the exception of Monica, Tracy and Dillon (who I hope isn’t leaving). Until, if…they start making the Qs a central family again, with some ties to the past, they’re just a memory. Would have been heartwarming if they had used some flashbacks of Thanksgiving at the Qs… incorporated it into the story…explaining to Jason all the past dinner fiascos…THAT would have been a great use… Read more »
Harry…just a reminder…Connie was Olivia’s cousin.
“GH” The only soap i watch, not fair to judge the other Three lol
Considering the circumstances, I thought GH served the best ‘dinner’. I liked the idea that Julian welcomed his sister and his little niece ( I just want to gobble that baby up…..cutie pie). Olivia was acting a bit too stuffy for my taste…that holier-than-thou-air really gets to me. Days was just too sad, but everyone acted accordingly. I must echo Aria here. I never forgave Dante, and, I have sung this chorus before……”like father like son”. I cannot express it better than Aria. Dante is a pathetically weakling whose crotch-hunger desires means more to him than his wife and kid.… Read more »
Correction…hungry desire; sudsy soaps, not soapy suds. Sorry.
Im not an Olivia fan but it was strange having her and Ava sit down to a holiday dinner after Ava had killed Olivia’s cousin Connie!
Hi, Jimmy, my friend. I understand what you’re saying, Jimmy. I am talking about the hypo racy that runs rampant in PC. It wasn’t too long ago that Olivia was living and sharing Sonny’s bed…yet, he is a murderer who shot their own son. So, this huffing and puffing on her part mean pittance to me. Not only that, but she is sharing a ‘revered’ meal at the table of another ruthless mobster whom TPTB are using a powder-puff to paint a rosy aura around him. I think I should adopt Avery. I will make a much better parent than… Read more »
Correction….hypocrisy
@jimh….Not surprisingly, we share the same Christmas wish! LOL. However, as for Dr. O. and her beloved “Krampus?” I wouldn’t expect a return engagement for that grotesque creation. Despite the fact that you and I—as well as su, and of course, Joss!—found last year’s appearance to be a right hoot, most people were appalled and aghast at the beastly character crashing GH’s normally traditional yule fete….plus, it had Ron C.’s fingerprints all over it. Ain’t gonna happen again. That’s not to say that Liesl cannot do something equally as outrageous and camptastic at the Nutcracker Gala….in fact, I’m totally counting… Read more »
Yes, jimh….We will take whatever our beloved Liesl has to offer this Christmas season, but I sure hope it includes a repertoire of both the sublime and the ridiculous. Kathleen Gati handles each with equally-adept aplomb! And while we’re at it, may we please see her beauteous, “britchy” Britta back for a holiday visit, too????
Hey, CeeCeeGirl! You forgot the thing for which we should be most thankful from this GH Thanksgiving episode: Alexis finally discovered the extra buttons on her blouse and actually used more than just the one of them! YES! (Although, alas, it would seem that she has passed her penchant for plunging necklines to Miss Molly, who is apparently now carrying on the family tradition….and here I was truly expecting it to be the demurely plum lace-clad Kristina to be serving it up on a Thanksgiving platter! Oh well, it’s all the same Davis DNA driving those “décolletage on display” genes…as… Read more »
Carlos taking Sabrina away is on my holiday wish list…i want to have a Merry Krampus with our beloved DR.O!…lol
Hey, Hey, Hey, Shay. Hope your Thanksgiving was the best ever and not too stuffing. HaHa! No , I haven’t forgotten Alexis red, ‘buttoned-up’ shirt. She must be reading these posts. She looked so pretty. Red’s her color. There’s not much to say about her in this episode. She acted the perfect hostess….demure as heck. I was waiting for her to start stripping and jump Julian’s bones. Too many kids around? Seriously, I thought it was a nice affair. Of course, nothing can top an Italian Thanksgiving meal; which is quite ironic in itself. A Thanksgiving dinner is as American… Read more »
ill settle for anything this Christmas as long as our marvelous mutter is a part of it!
As for Alexis, I do concur that the color red absolutely suits her….the best I’ve ever seen her look was on one occasion this past year when she wore an extremely modest merlot sweater….it was stunning in its simplicity, and I made sure to say so! Of course, it was not so expedient for stripping off for a quickie with Julian, but hey baby, it was cold outside! LOL. I also agree with you that their “relationship”—-and I use that term loosely—-is only based upon the physical and that’s why it seems so very immature and superficial despite the chronological… Read more »
Yes, bring back Britta for a visit…Brad is at his best when in scenes with his old pal…i like those rare friendship moments!
Hello, Shay, You know that I am never at a loss for words when it comes to Alexis. But, I truly was so pleased to see her as I would like her to be….a mother, a lover and friend to Julian; an intelligent, mature professional; cordial and welcoming to both Olivia and Ava. Kudos to the writers for showing the character in this light!! This was a normal Alexis….no lisp affectation, lol. Carly will never be the fantastic, altruistic mother for me…but, oh, can she act. Every day, she impresses her talent upon me more and more. She and the… Read more »
A husband and a wife, two adults, whatever happens, they can recover over the heartbreak of marital dishonesty. [Cheating!] BUT, when there are kids involved, whomever the guilty party, they are scum of the earth! Hurting your spouse is bad enough but when kids are involved your cheating on them to! A little heavy for the holidays but I hate dishonesty!
You and I both, Timmm. Dishonesty is one fat thorn I could never abide. I truly admire your sentiments about when a spouse cheats, he/she also cheats on the kids. I love that, my Timmm. Nonetheless, I am one of those women who would never forgive her husband if he ever cheated. My will is stronger than my urges. If I can do it, so can he….otherwise the door’s right there. No excuses, no nothing! Plus, I have too much pride….no way, no how, would I allow my husband to touch me after having touched another woman. No absolution!!!! EVER!… Read more »
Hands down the winner is DOOL.
Days was the best.
#1DOOL
#2BB
#3GH
….last but deserving….Yawn/R.
no doubt. speech Caroline’s to Ridge was very touching and sincere. such as Ridge to Steffy. everything else was all a carousel of hypocrisy
Good gawd what has become of my GH.. It is sappy pathetic.. The Queens of Snooze gave the worst November sweeps I have ever seen= total uneventful lackluster. 1- they have Jason being dull dull dull not even a hard drama twist and turn reveal. 2- they have the dysfunctional dark Corinthos family coming off like the Walton’s. Sonny is all whimpy in a wheelchair being a love guru. Morgan is all messed up, Michael a nothing much, and Laura being mother of the year. the once vibrant electric dark Corinthos have lost their hellbent edge and are now like… Read more »
Hey, i watch The Waltons and Leave It To Beaver…dont down grade them by comparing them to the Corinthos…lol
Watch Days of our lives on NBC ; this soap has improved a lot . Writing and quality of this soap is very good right now .
I like your post, Su. Just one little thing. Helena’s ‘mise en scene’ is just that; STAGED. No weakling, she. And if she , indeed, were? There’s no way she would show that incapacitated side of her persona….. Definitely not in her DNA. This is why I firmly believe we ‘ain’t ‘ seen the last of this sophisticated virago. Later.
@CeeCee…..How right I hope you are, mia amica! The prospect of an Helena-less GH is simply too sad to fathom….”sophisticated virago,” indeed! I adore your vividly-apt description of the diva of darkness! Complementi!!!!
su000o, I love your posts BUT the “Queens of Snooze” have done well, so far. Its early but they are piecing stories together, bringing back some of the veterans or taking them off the back burner and adding some story telling and not just doing things off camera. For one, I never though Sonny boy would still be in a wheelchair. We know he will rise again but at least they are giving Sonya some screen time. I cannot stand Morgan BUT his scene when they drug him out of the cabin was pretty darn good!
I am not even remotely agreeing with SUOO, here, Timm. To do so, one would have to wear a foil hat.
That said, simply put, GH is offering no pay off for the viewers and has not offered one in a long long time.
As much as I’ve been enjoying DAYS lately, I found it ridiculous that Caroline and Victor were in good enough shape to host Thanksgiving right after Bo’s death. Too unrealistic IMO.
A pet peeve of mine when shows do this. Talk about bad timing! Only saw parts of it-Thanksgiving preparations interrupted some of mine. Will have to watch again but did anyone MISS Abby yet (besides Chad?) Surely somebody did seeing as she also just missed Hope’s wedding & now Thanksgiving!
How right and sensitive you are, Joel!! That’s not even the half of it.
Y&R! LOL
Haven’t watched Days’ ep yet. B&B was good, but where was Donna?
GH had the best episode and honored the holiday in the most beleivable way. All of the core families had their own thanksgiving moments. Corinthos, Jeromes, Davis, Quartermaine, and Patrick/Emma/Anna and Lulu/Laura. There were heartfelt and funny moments throughout the two episodes. We also had some storyline progression and a successful chemistry test between Anna and Dr. Andre Maddox. Dante sleeping with Valerie yet again was the only thing that didn’t work but I’m not gonna harp on the one negative when the rest was quite positive. I am just not a fan of B&B having their entire cast all… Read more »
This is shocking to me. No mention of TGiving on Y&R, who used to thrive on family, friends & holiday gatherings???? Astonishing! What a nice break this would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been from the OTT mayhem that ‘s taken over this show. It’s reasons like this that I stopped watching it recently. I hate folks that comment on shows they don’t watch but I only say it now because I stuck w/it for a long while under new HW. Not afraid to tell Y&R WHY I stopped-they need to know good and bad reviews. I feel that Katherine was the heart… Read more »
John Abbott should have NEVER been killed off. Secondly, I loved Jeanne Cooper BUT after the legend died, they should have recasted her. No one role is bigger than the show. Eric Braeden is a legend but when he goes, it will be damn tough but it would be stupid not to recast Victor. The Abbotts, Newmans and Chancelors should always be strong and featured and THAT was their problem with Thanksgiving, other than the Newmans, where are they other families now? Jack needs to grow a set and Tucker, the original Tucker needs to return and take over Chancelor… Read more »
I only watch GH. One thing I have to say is that there is no way Olivia would have had dinner with Ava, the murderer of her cousin. The flimsy excuse of the two babies bringing the families together did not fly with me.
Terrible!
But Olivia has never been really selective about which murderer she sleeps with or socializes with. Sonny has murdered countless people, including shooting their own son, and Olivia was okay with that. She got knocked up by another murderer Julian, but he was bad, so she had to lie about him being the father of her son. She slept with Johnny, who murdered his own father (well, grandfather). So, why wouldn’t she do lunch and nails with Ava? And, in her defense, since almost EVERYONE on the current canvas has killed someone, you’d be hard pressed to have any friends… Read more »
“Do lunch and nails….” Oh, that was just perfect, Dylan!
Days of our lives yes it was sad and it showed that people can lose some one around the holidays and that empty chair was so sad. General Hospital needs to go back to how the used to have it am not fan of how they did this year
Days is just too dark. It needs to lighten up. It has too many psychopaths. There are way too many Criminal Mind shows already. I want to watch it because David I. will be on there soon. Not sure if I will be able to watch if it stays this dark. Y&R still the best soap for me!
CERTAINLY NOT GH….I ENJOY THE SHOW AND LOVE BILLY MILLER…BUT THIS WAS A THANKSGIVING SHOW??????
Days of our lives of course..
I only saw GH. Judge how you wish BUT to see Jason at the front door of the Q’s and for Monica to say “Jason, you came”, brought a holiday tear to my eyes! Thank you GH.
Well, that was good, Timm. I also was happy to see Laura but sorry to see her continue to advise and console stupid, squat Lulu.
Harry, I’ll give them to the new year, if Laura isnt written to move on, have her own story line that involves her own drama, hopefully a brand new love, if that doesnt happen I consider her return a bust! Now I do like that she is there for her kids now but its high time she carries her own story.
Days Of Our Lives hands down!
I only watch DAYS, but it’s hard to imagine another soap having more heart!
Err, perhaps a soap that doesn’t unnecessarily murder a much-loved core legacy character, and then invite us all to celebrate? Err, perhaps a soap that doesn’t publish a gorgeous 374 page photographic coffee table book celebrating its 50 years on air, which has just ONE SMALL MISERABLE picture of an extraordinarily talented and brilliant young actor who won 3 Emmy’s for them in a row, and who led in one of their most celebrated storylines, and whom they dumped like trash – I mean, it is literally a small miserable picture – of his character looking miserable at a funeral… Read more »
Stop right there.
My statement was in the context of the Thanksgiving episode. DAYS showed alot of heart. Their were several different emotions played out in a realistic manner.
Stop turning every damn thing I and others say into Will and his fans being wronged.
Days of Our Lives themselves decided to kick off their 50th anniversary season with the deeply upsetting murder of Will, and the broadcasting of some startlingly anti-gay messages within that story, and subsequently. Days of Our Lives THEMSELVES created THAT CONTEXT for their 50th anniversary story-scape and celebrations, (which are continuing through Thanksgiving). Fans did NOT do that! Days did! Days, and only Days, did that – and it is entirely reasonable for any one commentating about the 50th anniversary season to talk about it in *that* context – for that is the context in which Days themselves created for… Read more »
Some of us were upset, at not just that the iconic character of Will was killed off, but was killed off in such a degrading manner. Some of us are upset… and you are not. As a gay man who also has a biological daughter like Will, I was proud to be represented in such a positive way. After all I have supported plenty of heterosexual fathers on Days and other soaps through the years. I will never watch Days ever again!
Chandler left the show of his own accord. He was not dumped like trash, as you so melodramatically put it. He sprang it on the powers that be very suddenly, so they had to make a quick casting decision. Although I personally loved Guy Wilson in the role, not many other viewers did, based on these types of message boards. Fans were brutal and vicious to him. They hated his Will and wanted him gone, or fired. So, that’s what the show did. It LISTENED to the fans! Same with the murder of Serena, and of Paige. General consensus had… Read more »
OK Stephen, yes, you have a right to express your opinion, as do we all, but when a thread is about Bo&Hope, or some other storyline we’re enjoying, you don’t have to keep dragging Will into it. Yes, I love Will because he’s Lucas & Sami’s son and I’ve watched him grow up on the show. It’s when he suddenly turned gay, to fulfill the show’s agenda of wanting a gay story, and then suddenly every other leading man on the show had a gay son .. and you just KNOW Derrick was also going to turn out to be… Read more »
@ Dylan. Chandler was on a four-year contract, and he was publicly open from the beginning about his intention to return to university after four years. And Days were, of course, well aware when his contract was ending, and it was there responsibility to plan for that – which they did! Days then decided to abandon those plans, and dropped Chandler without any notice at all. “Heartless” strikes me as a fitting term. Chandler, to his credit, has been very diplomatic about it all. And quite right too! After all, his predecessor was dumped when he took on the role!… Read more »
4EverDAYS, thank you! This guy’s been following me around, trying to make me feel guilty for loving DAYS. I’ve got news for Stephen, there’ve been lots of other characters in DAYS’ 50-year history besides Will. Jack Deveraux was killed off unceremoniously, he didn’t even rate an onscreen funeral! I WAS upset enough to quit watching for a year or two. But I didn’t expect everybody else to follow suit. I happen to love Will and I was very upset when he was killed off. But he’s not the only character to get a lousy sendoff. Far from it.
Yes, maddie, loving DAYS doesn’t mean we agree with everything the soap does, but a walk in the park is more interesting if it sometimes involves shootings, stabbings and strangulations!!! Will’s death was to let viewers know anything can happen. Viewers are definitely more engaged! The excitement can last…4ever!
One hundred cheers for you, maddie!!’ And, 4ever? What can I say? I, too, thank you!
Maddie, Perhaps they didn’t give Jack an on-screen funeral, because they didn’t want to fully close the door on his return – again! He’s very popular isn’t he? Lots of people want Jack back!! As to your accusation of me following you around – it is, er, well, I shall be polite, and say you are quite mistaken! Actually, I am just reading threads that I am interested in, and responding to Michael’s invitation to make comments – just like you! Why on earth would I be “trying to make [you] feel guilty for loving DAYS”? I don’t even think… Read more »
Hello again Maddie, I hope that you are aware that our mutual comments on different threads kind of “crossed in the post”, due to them all being held up in the moderation queue. Now that I have been able to read your other comment, I see that you have said that you “mis-spoke” when you talked of Will as a symbol – and that you say that you really do “love Will”, and would indeed like to see him back. That’s something we agree on then! 🙂 Unfortunately, Ken Corday made it clear that anyone killed after September will stay… Read more »
Before my above comment becomes misconstrued, maddie…..I like Stephen’s sensitivity, and I appreciate what he has to say. He is very passionate about his convictions. My thanks to you above, maddie was about your loving expression towards Will, as did 4ever. We cannot dismiss what Stephen is saying. Dylan said it best…..Will was killed off because of the lack of tolerance some viewers had for the actor, not the character. In my opinion, Will could have been recast; for that, Days’s actions are unforgivable. I agree with Stephen for being ‘hurt’ to a certain extent. I am also, because I… Read more »
Days did very well.
Yes. And Stephen needs to settle his kettle.
This a thread ABOUT Thanksgiving, and you 4ever Days, volunteered above, that Days had a “LOT OF HEART”. Bo (naturally) *was* remembered at Thanksgiving by the Brady’s. Will (very very unnaturally) wasn’t – and Will was always more of a Brady than a Horton. Bo had a good innings. Will, on the other hand, was savagely murdered at the young age of 23 (or 19 if you want!) just a few weeks ago- but apparently he isn’t in their hearts at all at their first Thanksgiving without him. They actually treated him like he never existed! Caroline Brady, the matriarch… Read more »
The most pressing matter at that time was the death of Bo. Bo had the mentions because he just died. Bo was up front and center for most of the 32 years the character was a part of the show. There was a mention of “all” the loss in the family. Will had a larger mention by Marlena at her home. I hope you and all your family and friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Have a merry Christmas and happy New Year! I will no longer speak of Will. He’s dead and buried and life goes on, especially in a… Read more »
I got Will’s sorassed age wrong! I had to find a picture of Will’s gravestone to check (you know, that gravestone that notably DOESN’T say “Beloved Husband and Father” – poor Lucas probably couldn’t spare the change!) Will was killed at the young age of 22 (sorassed), and 19 (real time). He had had a wee small jump when Darian Weiss took over from the original twins. Alison Sweeney said in Soap Opera Digest, “A lot of us like Sami were aged. She was born in the 80’s and was around for a while as a kid, and then they… Read more »
Hi Stephen, I’ve just read your comments, and CeeCee’s, and I realize that I probably HAVE been unfairly attributing other people’s negativity to you. For instance, as you pointed out, expecting everybody else to quit watching. That’s not what you said, you’re right. You simply want all of us to be as outraged as you are. Not necessarily to the point of quitting the show, but you’d like it if all the fans would flood DAYS with calls and letters. Maybe you’re just trying to drum up support, and I was unfairly categorizing you as “just another whiner”. But I… Read more »
I was wondering why Valerie wasn’t with Bobbie and Carly (since they ARE family) on the Tuesday episode rather than stopping by Dante’s on the Wednesday episode. Also, it would have been nice for Bobbie to make mention or reflect on being thankful that she and Luke had the opportunity to reunite with their sister Patricia earlier in the year before she died. It’s the little things like that which make all the difference in an episode to me. Also, I understand that Laura is in town for two of her kids, but it would have been nice for her… Read more »
Lol, Liam. As I said, TPTB want Dante and lulu done. For all intents and purposes, Jezebel went to Dante’s for one reason only. You guessed it. And, of course, Lulu finds out. I am scratching my head trying to figure out why this marriage is being destroyed? Why would a perfectly good, honorable husband and father suddenly derail? Not enjoying this one bit.
They very rarely mention Luke anymore.
Not that I miss him, Timmm, but I do have to say that it would have been interesting to see Luke’s reaction to Dante cheating on his “cupcake.” One would certainly think that it would not have gone over at all well, but then again, were Spencer to judge Sonny’s boy too harshly, wouldn’t it have been the proverbial pot calling the kettle black? Hmmm…
Well I have to give it to GH because they’re bringing folks back from the dead: Jason, Carlos. DAYS is dropping ’em like flies! Not much to be thankful for in Salem just now. More deaths coming! Goody Goody Gumdrop!
I must have missed this part but did I read that Molly or Kristina tells Julian the baby looks like him?
1-the last time I saw Leo he looked like Shawn’s son, not Julian’s, just sayin’
2-Julian needs to get DNA test ASAP if he does look like him because this is not Julian’s real face-he had plastic surgery!!
I loved DAYS’ serving of turkey & dressing with sides of mashed potatoes and mourning!
DAYS is proving death can be delicious!!!
I’m hoping for cranberries and carnage at Christmastime!!!!!
Sorrow served on a silver platter…Days of our Lives
LOL. Awesome observation!!!! It is so amazing to me that writers can’t keep track of details like that, but fans can.
Days was the best for me
Days of our lives had the best thanksgiving episode . The other soaps were torture to watch . I am so impressed with the quality and realism on that soap bearing in mind this is a soap . The writing is very good on Days right now . Was not always that good but boy has it changed and for the better !
For me it was Days,I cried when Caroline made her speech at the dinner table oh what the heck I cried when Bo died In Hopes arms,I can relate.
I’ve never been a Lulu fan. Never really liked Dante either, but I especially hate them with that awful Valerie forced in the mix. Hate them all, but Valerie is unwatchable. I don’t know if it’s her face or horribly forced terrible acting? Don’t know, don’t care. Just ugh!!! Fast forward to the rescue!
Glad Carlos isn’t dead. Love him and happy Anna didn’t kill him.
Not many characters to root for on GH, but Anna is one of my faves.
Mine, as well, MB. Anna does not deserve this cat and mouse game in which Paul is playing.
Valerie? Where shall I begin…..Ummmm. Her face, you say? Her acting? How about everything? Lol.
That Y&R rerun of Nick and his many wimmin (gag) was terrible the first go round and even worse in rerun. Nick. Newman. Is. The. Worst.
Right, MB? But, of course, the Newmans’s mantra is to assume a holier-than-thou attitude. They are all saints, don’t you know?
I used to like Nick before the Phick years. It was all downhill after that for me. No wonder Sharon is so vulnerable after dealing with the Newmans all these years.
I really wish the writers would fix the mess they’ve made Sharon.
No turkeY&Rolls!
HaHa, 4ever.
lol .. c’mon..
Most everyone was standing in line at Best Buy, not eating turkey..
The malls were full with shoppers Thanksgiving day..
Mall of America which is a large city in itself, was bursting from shoppers.
Y&R might be right, no big deal LOL
All the millions of peoples, some seen on TV. where celebrating bargains not blessings of turkey’s and family..
Many people in America of different cultures, and the young, don’t do Thanksgiving with the exception of food when they return home after shopping and too tired to eat.. lol
i usually dont like thanksgiving episodes (except for ghs!!) but the best one ever was a couple of years ago on B&B when Katie and Bill had broken up and she is seated next to him at the table. Everyone had to go around and say what they were thankful for or something and Heather Tom just ROCKED! it was just incredible. I am not even a big Heather Tom fan but she was just great. I have never forgotten that episode!
The one they showed on Thursday?
Definitely GH. DOOL was once my favorite but not enjoying at all! Killing too many people and then having Thanksgiving like nothing is going on! WTF! Days just keeps getting worse IMO
B&B because they managed to get everyone at one table. Poor Belle relegated to another table on Days.
Days without a doubt! B&b has been an affront since they discarded Thorne and Allie like they never existed and propped two self centered horrid people as leads
Only watched bits of Days.
The charity dinner in HTS made me LOL because it’s one of the pivotal scenes in the movie Soapdish.
Nice to see all the departed were missed, just happens some a lot more than others obviously.
That not so innocent nuCiara speech about the validity of some weddings should set them up for some Family Values award next year.
I hope Dante and Valerie both get fired for their affair. Most professional PDs wouldn’t tolerate such behavior. We know Valerie will run to blab to Jordan ASAP.
Did you see the self-satisfied look on Valerie’s face, MB? Like the cat that ate the canary. That was pretty good acting, for once. Regardless, I am seething. These two have joined the Sonny club, in my book. As Shay said, Valerie is a puttana….. I wanted to straighten those fangs with one swipe and scratch that smug smile right off her face. I suppose the set-to Jordan gave Valerie when this dirty mess began did nothing. And, you are right; this behavior should not be tolerated……what will Jordan do once Valerie does, indeed, blab? Nothing!! She will probably tell… Read more »
The Sonny Club, so true.
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Alison Sweeney on Working with Bryan Dattilo: “28 Years Later, Some Things Never Change. Still Laughing Between Takes and Grateful to Have Such a Talented Supportive Co-Star”
Days Of Our Lives
Kevin Spirtas Talks ‘After Forever’s’ Digital Special ‘Riley’s Unforgettable School Project’, The Loss of Michael Slade, and a Chance to Reprise DAYS Craig Wesley
The coronavirus pandemic has put to the test many content creators on just how they would keep their projects moving forward in ways they never dreamed of. However, out of that situation has come some of the most compelling, unique series, specials, and features currently streaming for viewers. One of which is Riley’s Unforgettable School Project, brought to you by the team from the six-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning series, After Forever.
Former Days of our Lives star, Kevin Spirtas (Ex-Craig Wesley) has starred in and created the first two seasons of what has become the most honored Emmy-awarded LGBTQ-themed drama series on any platform. Along with his ‘After Forever’ writing/producing partner, the late Michael Slade (DAYS, OLTL, Passions, Another World), the two also conceptualized and delivered this latest documentary-style offering now on Amazon Prime Video.
What makes Riley’s Unforgettable School Project so noteworthy is not just how they were able to execute the series based on fictional 11-year-old Riley’s virtual school project and utilize its cast, which includes: Spirtas, Cady Huffman, Jamison Stern, Lenny Wolpe, Erin Cherry, Anita Gillette, Christopher J. Hanke, and Finn Douglas, but that it was made while Slade was succumbing to his battle with cancer, and that this special marks the final script from this talented writer.
Michael Fairman TV spoke with Spirtas about making the special during Covid-19, how the death of Michael Slade has made a lasting impact on his life, what After Forever has personally meant to him, and how an official third season is still in the works, and … if he would consider a return to Salem and Days of our Lives, should they come a-calling. Here’s what Kevin had to say about it all.
Photo: AfterForever
I think the entire story of this digital special has become even more meaningful with Michael Slade’s passing. What was the genesis of the concept? You wanted to continue the telling of the story of After Forever … but we are all in the middle of a pandemic?
KEVIN: Yes and… when we filmed season 2, we had the scripts for season 3 already completed. It was our hope and desire to film them at the same time, back-to-back, so that we would have had all of our cast and crew together, and we could have gotten through it because we’ve always imagined this story being told in a trilogy so to speak – a beginning, middle, and end to Brian (Spirtas) and Jason, (Mitchell Anderson) and Brian’s healing or his steps towards healing through grief. Schedules turned out that they couldn’t really work out for us to hold all the people and hold all of the sets for that amount of time. So, we thought, “We’ve got the scripts for season 3 ready. We’ll come back to it in the following year,” and that was always the intention, and then the pandemic hit. So, it was shut down immediately that we weren’t going to do anything, but we wanted to stay current, and instead of going back in and telling the third installment of After Forever as a Covid-19 story as well, Michael and I sat down and looked at a way of staying relevant and current with a story within COVID, and there was born the idea to do this documentary style story/special about the characters of After Forever told through the lens of the character of Riley, the 11-year-old boy, who is now being homeschooled during the pandemic. He gets an assignment to do a project about the most unforgettable person he has ever met, and he, of course, chooses his best friend, the late Jason Adams, and he enlists all of Jason’s friends and family to join in. Michael actually said, “What if we tell a story about Riley being homeschooled?” And, not only is Riley a technical genius at 11-years-old in the story, but Finn Douglas, who plays Riley, is a technical genius.
And didn’t Finn perform and write the song “Forever There” contained within the special?
KEVIN. Yes. He is this incredible musician. Michael thought, “What would it be like if we asked to have the character of Finn sing a song for Jason?” I said, “Well, what kind of song would we have him sing?” Finn could play anything, I’m sure, because he’s self-taught, he plays by ear – guitar, piano, and drums. Michael said, “What if we ask him to see if he could write a song?” and when we heard this song, we all called each other and we all got on Zoom and went, “Can you believe this song? Can you believe this came out of this 11-year-old?” It’s pretty incredible. Michael did a gorgeous job of weaving the stories in and out and how they just sort of dove-tailed into each other, and then it was framed by Riley opening the project and ending the project. During the Zoom reading we wanted to hear the song out loud. We said to Finn, “Would you want to sing the song?” We all just watched everybody on that Zoom call just fall apart. It was just so beautiful. He’s an amazing talent.
Where is your character within this?
KEVIN: I still stand in the center of the story of Jason because my character, Brian, was married to Jason, and it sort of connects us all, and through Riley’s understanding of how we all connect to Jason, is how we are all sort of spread out throughout the story. Michael jokingly said, “You know, you’re not going to be the star of this special,” and I said, “I don’t think it’s about being the star. It’s really about the storytelling.” The beauty of Riley’s Unforgettable School Project is that we get to see moments of each person’s relationship with Jason, which Riley sets out to say, “Answer these three questions: What did you like most about Jason? What did you like least about Jason? And what’s your favorite memory?” Those three things, cut back and forth is where we all kind of fit in. Nobody has more of a story than the next person, and it’s all telling honest portrayals of how they’re dealing with their loss of their good friend, or their child, or partner.
It’s a very inventive idea during Covid-19 to continue it in a way where you weren’t having to go shoot a full season of episodes.
KEVIN: Well, we couldn’t. I have to say, Allison Vanore, who not only produced this special, but she also stepped up saying, “I’d love to direct this,” and I said, “Yes, please!” She knows the characters. She understands the story because she’s been a part of it for the last two seasons. Allison also has this extraordinary amount of knowledge and expertise with the camera and what was needed for a remote shoot, and to also be able to organize filming 13 people in 2 different countries and 5 different cities… that’s just the technical side of it, but having that in our back pocket, knowing that it was a remote shoot, we had to send the camera, the computer, the ring light, and the microphone to each person’s house. We had to location scout over Zoom. We had to do wardrobe over Zoom. It was all this big puzzle putting it together, and once you look at that board of storytelling and how we were going to do it, it kind of fell into place. I feel blessed that a) we still had Michael with us, at that point, and b) Allison had the know-how to do this. We all feel that at least this pandemic didn’t keep us from doing what we love.
Photo: AfterForever
In terms of the contribution of Michael Slade in this special, was it the construction of the story, and how was he able to work and write this during his illness?
KEVIN: Michael’s contribution to the special was no less than the contribution to season 1 and season 2, and the future of season 3, because the scripts are written. We did everything on Zoom, and we worked around his schedule of treatment. We scheduled 2 people per day, and we spread them out over two weeks. He was very present, and when there would be a day where he would say, “I’m going to be an hour late, let’s just push that call time,” I would ask, “Is this too much right now? We can shelve it; we can stop it.” He’d then say, “Absolutely not, otherwise cancer will win.” He was determined to stay focused and to stay active because it took his mind off of what was happening to him.
Photo: AfterForever
It would be lovely moment if you both were to win a Daytime Emmy for this project.
KEVIN: It’s our last collaboration together as a team, as I said, season 3 has been scripted, and it is on the calendar to get made. We are just waiting for the COVID restrictions to lift a little bit and everyone to get vaccinated. Michael was really hit hard with cancer – to stay healthy was so challenging for him. Sadly, he didn’t make it to see the final edit of the special, and he died four days before we launched, but he had seen the cuts before that and was very approving of it, and had made some decisions, and offered some suggestions, and if God gives him an Emmy for this, it’s not because he died. It’s because it’s great work. It just happens to be that the work that was involved in this particular special was very tricky. It brought up everything, like life itself to have to deal with. Here we are dealing with the loss of a colleague, the loss of a friend, someone’s brother, someone’s son, this is life imitating art, imitating art imitating life. I can’t tell you the darkness that I went through just experiencing the need to stay focused on getting everything edited, and everything ready, and everything aligned for a release of this project that we had put into motion. On top of it, our editor lost his mother just before Michael passed, and Allison’s mom was sick at the time, as well. It took a lot of heavy deep breaths with Michael’s death, and the pandemic, and the loss has, for me, on a personal level, sent me back to really questioning my spiritual muscle and to help remind me that we have to come out of this better than we went into this. I had many dark nights of the soul this last year, and December was probably the darkest. I feel like I’m just kind of coming out of it now with the spring revealing itself.
Photo: AfterForever
It must have been extraordinarily difficult for you to also go to New York during a pandemic and also knowing Michael did not have much time left.
KEVIN: I will say this: I am grateful that I was able to stay in touch with my heart and my instinct and go out to New York to let that be my remote location. Yes, maybe there was some risk involved. I wore my mask; I was Covid-19 negative, and I was determined to be fine. Once I got to New York, I would visit him very protectively with our masks and our gloves, and I’d sit across the room, and then I’d go back to the house I was at. It was a gift that I was able to see him at that time. We had some good talks then about how he was feeling, and I think he was still being optimistic, and then once we got the project in the can there was maybe this psychic letting go. That’s when everything really started to reveal itself as this could be the end. I did go back to see him when he was in hospice. I think I was there the last two days that he really was able to really stay coherent. He would close his eyes and be at peace and quiet for a minute, and he would finish a conversation and sort of close his eyes, not to sleep and not to go away, but I remember watching him going, “Look how peaceful he is,” and then he’d open his eyes and he’d remember that he is in this body that has been given a time limit of life, and he’s on his way out. I’d watch the fear go back in his eyes. At one point, he did say, “I’m so scared,” and I just held his hand, and I said, “I’m scared too. Let’s be scared through this together.” I don’t know how to navigate grief like that. We are all going to be in a position at some point where we are going to be on the other side of the hand holding. The wonderful thing is that we were able to have honest communication about our feelings. I thanked him for everything that he has done for me and how he believed in my talent and creativity and our partnership. I will always take that with me. I waved my finger at him, and I said, “Listen. Now, we wrote a series about a man talking to his deceased husband. You’d better talk to me!” So, we laughed about that.
Photo: AfterForever
You’ve done a lot of things in your career from Broadway to television, and of course, daytime fans know you best as Dr. Craig Wesley on DAYS. How does the entire After Forever project stack up to you within all that you have done?
KEVIN: Former DAYS casting director Fran Bascom, sought me out and offered me this 2-day role on Days of Our Lives, and those 2 days turned into 8 years, and unbeknownst to me at the time, the final 3 months of that contract of those 8 years, Michael Slade was brought in to write. We didn’t cross paths at that point, but years later, when we did cross paths in New York, and then After Forever was born, that was that universal crossing point. I am most proud of the fact that we were able create something fresh, and real, and personal to ourselves that we didn’t have to cater to any “powers that be” that had their vision and their tinkering, that they thought that it could be better in this way or that way. Then for After Forever to gain such recognition, within the film festivals, and the Emmys, and then, just after Michael died, we won the GLAAD award for Special Recognition this year. We don’t even fit into one of their categories! They found a way to acknowledge this project. If another Emmy happens again, that might be another one to put up on the shelf for After Forever that would be beautiful, and I couldn’t have done it without Michael.
For the Daytime Emmys this year, what category have you entered Riley’s Unforgettable School Project?
KEVIN: We are not a series this year, we are a daytime fiction special, and the “Daytime Fiction Special” category is a special class. It’s anything that’s digital in the construct of less than 40 minutes. NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) is being bombarded with so much content, they’re trying to find ways to put categories together.
Photo: JPI
So, now, when we last saw Days of Lives’ Dr. Craig Wesley, where was he? (Laughs)
KEVIN: (Laughs) He was in a flash from the past or something in the DOOL app’s Last Blast Reunion series. I had a fun time working with Patrika Darbo (Nancy) and Nadia Bjorlin (Chloe), once again.
So, if they were to want Craig to come back to DAYS, would you be all for it?
KEVIN: Hell yes!
Photo: JPI
Now, what story would you want to be told involving Craig?
KEVIN: When Craig was first on the canvas in Salem, there was a lot of mustache twirling and a lot of hand wringing. He was always plotting; most of the time with Nancy. It was kind of this high drama, evil villain storyline being told, but when the writers created an opportunity for us to be on after those first three months by bringing on Chloe without a father, there was something real about it. It may have been told under the construct of soap opera storytelling, but there was a reality-based story about, “You have a daughter, and we are just now finding out about it?” Then, finding a cure to her health was another realistic story, and finding out that Craig was her real father. Anything that’s reality based is what I’m getting to. I would welcome any job that brings me back and gives me an opportunity to dive into something real.
Photo: JPI
Would you welcome the opportunity to play a gay character on daytime; in a medium where there are very few represented in storylines?
KEVIN: I’d have no problem with that. Do you know anybody who is starting that? Let’s do it! (Laughs) First of all, there’s nothing to hide anymore. There’s nothing to pretend you’re not anymore. I would think that bringing in a storyline that deals with anything outside the norm that we are used to seeing would be interesting. How many times can you retell a story? How many times can you set the same story up with another couple? So, why not be diverse and have a stylized story being told through the lens of a gay person.
Photo: AfterForever
In closing, so many go through life without acknowledging people who had an impact them. We don’t give pats on the back, often enough, and especially in Hollywood, where people can be very self-involved. You have already paid tribute to Michael Slade in our discussion, but what gift from him is your personal takeaway?
KEVIN: The gift that Michael really gave to me is to remember to be kind to myself and to others, and to acknowledge and salute the person who is in front of us, because we don’t know when we will have, or if we will have, another moment to do that.
Now below, check out the trailer for Riley’s Unforgettable School Project. Then let us know, what do you think of its concept? Kevin’s thoughts on the passing of his collaborator on the project, Michael Slade? And, do you hope DAYS brings back Dr. Craig Wesley? Share your thoughts via the comment section.
Breaking News
REPORT: Dan Feuerriegel is DAYS New EJ DiMera
Could Days of our Lives finally found their new EJ? Rumors have been circulating on the internet for weeks that the character of EJ DiMera may finally have a new face and a new actor portraying and heading back to Salem, especially since Sami (Alison Sweeney) is back on the canvas.
The role was previously played by longtime fan favorite James Scott, who had made it very clear he would never return to Days of our Lives.
Photo: DFeuerriegelIG
Now according to Daytime Confidential and their report from setside sources, the new EJ will actually be played by former Spartacus actor Dan Feuerriegel.
The Australian-born actor has been seen in Starz’ Spartacus franchise in the role of Agron.
According to the report, look for the new EJ to make his debut sometime this summer.
DAYS fans know that in story, EJ was brought back form the dead, from the serum from Dr. Rolf, but then was injured in an explosion and had reunited with Sami and had been recovery in Europe.
So, if this reports turns out to be true, what do you think of the new EJ? Comment below.
B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor Shares He was a Writer of Today’s Episode
Karla Mosley Temporarily Replaces Mishael Morgan on The Young and the Restless
‘This Is Us’ To End Season Two Episodes Early From Original Order
Cailtin Reilly to Appear in General Hospital Tribute Episode to Her Father John Reilly
Former ‘Bachelor’ Colton Underwood Comes Out as Gay
Former Y&R Star Jason Canela Lands Recurring Role on ‘The Rookie’
DAYS Alison Sweeney on Working with Bryan Dattilo: “28 Years Later, Some Things Never Change. Still Laughing Between Takes and Grateful to Have Such a Talented Supportive Co-Star”
‘The Talk’ Returns as Sheryl Underwood Shares the ‘Trauma’ She Feels Over Incident That Led to Sharon Osbourne’s Exit
Kevin Spirtas Talks ‘After Forever’s’ Digital Special ‘Riley’s Unforgettable School Project’, The Loss of Michael Slade, and a Chance to Reprise DAYS Craig Wesley
Lynn Herring Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Her General Hospital Debut; and ‘We Love Lucy’
Y&R’s Sharon Case Shares Bittersweet Goodbye to Alyvia Alyn Lind: “We Wish You Well with Your New Endeavors & Of Course We Will Love & Miss You Always”
GH’s Kin Shriner Talks on Franco’s Demise, Scott’s Budding Romance with Obrecht, and His Enduring On-Screen Partnership with Genie Francis
‘Soap Con Live’ Event to Feature Panels from The Doctors, ATWT, OLTL, GH, Plus Virtual Meet & Greets
GENERAL HOSPITAL: “I’m Alexis Davis, and I’m a Fighter, and an Idealist, and an Advocate”; Nancy Lee Grahn Gives Masterful Performance In Special Episode
Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan Reveals Pregnancy News; She is Expecting a Baby Boy!
Cailtin Reilly to Appear in General Hospital Tribute Episode to Her Father John Reilly
Lynn Herring Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Her General Hospital Debut; and ‘We Love Lucy’
Karla Mosley Temporarily Replaces Mishael Morgan on The Young and the Restless
Joe LoCicero on His B&B Demise: “I Do Believe I’m Done Filming But it is a Soap Opera So Anything is Possible”
The Stars of Y&R and B&B Ask the Questions & Appear on Virtual Game Show ‘Soap Opera Know-It-All’
Former ‘Bachelor’ Colton Underwood Comes Out as Gay
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Don Diamont & Scott Clifton Shine In Father/Son Scenes; As Bill Watches Liam’s Meltdown Over the Accident that Killed Vinny
GH’s Kin Shriner Talks on Franco’s Demise, Scott’s Budding Romance with Obrecht, and His Enduring On-Screen Partnership with Genie Francis
The Stars of Y&R and B&B Ask the Questions & Appear on Virtual Game Show ‘Soap Opera Know-It-All’
Y&R’s Eileen Davidson Takes Supporting Actress Honors for ‘7 Days to Vegas’ in Garden State Film Festival Awards
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Nick and Sharon Band Together to Help Faith in Crisis Reminiscent of Cassie Tragedy
Y&R’s Newman Kids Talk 48th Anniversary, Storylines, Camaraderie, and Take the Trivia Challenge
B&B Celebrates its 34th Anniversary Today
‘Days of our Lives’ Writing Team Bests ‘General Hospital’ for Daytime Drama WGA Award
TONIGHT: Lauralee Bell in V.C. Andrews’ Lifetime Movie ‘Pearl in the Mist’
-
NewsApril 7, 2021Y&R’s Sharon Case Shares Bittersweet Goodbye to Alyvia Alyn Lind: “We Wish You Well with Your New Endeavors & Of Course We Will Love & Miss You Always”
-
General HospitalApril 8, 2021GH’s Kin Shriner Talks on Franco’s Demise, Scott’s Budding Romance with Obrecht, and His Enduring On-Screen Partnership with Genie Francis
-
As The World TurnsApril 8, 2021‘Soap Con Live’ Event to Feature Panels from The Doctors, ATWT, OLTL, GH, Plus Virtual Meet & Greets
-
General HospitalApril 8, 2021GENERAL HOSPITAL: “I’m Alexis Davis, and I’m a Fighter, and an Idealist, and an Advocate”; Nancy Lee Grahn Gives Masterful Performance In Special Episode
-
NewsApril 6, 2021Y&R’s Melissa Claire Egan Reveals Pregnancy News; She is Expecting a Baby Boy!
-
General HospitalApril 14, 2021Cailtin Reilly to Appear in General Hospital Tribute Episode to Her Father John Reilly
-
General HospitalApril 11, 2021Lynn Herring Celebrates 35th Anniversary of Her General Hospital Debut; and ‘We Love Lucy’
-
NewsApril 15, 2021Karla Mosley Temporarily Replaces Mishael Morgan on The Young and the Restless