Now that NBC has picked up DAYS' option for renewal for the 2010-11 season, what suggestions would you offer TPTB to ensure that an already improved soap continues to do so?

Less Melanie.

Don't fix what is not currently broken and yeah, a little less Melanie and please write Hope in a better story.

Bring back Matthew Ashford and Missy Reeves as Jack and Jennifer

And bring back John and Marlena

The show needs another 1 year arc story like the baby switch. And it needs to heavily involve a long time character. There needs to be an element of "someone getting busted" or "a truth revealed" or a "reunion" of some sort. Take those basic elements and repeat it in another story.

Less Melanie.

Agreed. Right now, having a story surrounding two relatively newbies in Melanie and Carly (viewers of the past 16 years don't really know her) is not a good idea. Having Bo and Hope as supporting characters is another bad idea.

I don't mind Melanie but she shouldn't be in a leading storyline. She was so much better when she was only on 2 or 3 days a week. And please keep Molly from any emotional scenes. She's much better with comedy.

If they were to do another year long arc don't make it about Sami.

It would be great if they could give Renee Jones a storyline.

I'd love another storyline arc like Maison Blanche or Aremid.

Bring back Matthew Ashford and Missy Reeves as Jack and Jennifer

And bring back John and Marlena

You can bring those characters back, but you have to stay on budget! Thus we get:

Dax Griffin as Jack and Liza Huber as Jennifer

James Hyde as John and Kim Johnston Ulrich as Marlena

Give Lexie a storyline.

Bring back Sami's attitude and fire.

WAY less Melanie.

Bring on Shawn/Belle. (Martha Madison and a VERY good recast)

Fire Taylor Spreitler (Mia)

Edited March 21, 201016 yr by Eric83

I agree the cast balance needs to be better. I'm enjoying seeing more of Maggie, Victor and Vivian but we do need to see less of Melanie. I'm a Carly fan and I'll admit she's been on too much. She needs to be on less as well. I agree with Toups that Bo and Hope seem to be supporting players in the story but I think that has more to do with their contracts and budget issues.

I'd like to see more of Renee Jones. It's criminal how little she is used and yet she is a Dimera. They need to get Lexie more involved with her family or give her some kind of story.

The teens are just awful. I'm coming around to the new Will but something needs to happen storywise in this set. As I mentioned in another thread, the teens are fine when in scenes with their family but put them all together and they are horrible.

As far as production values, I'd like to see longer scenes. These 30-60 second scenes aren't cutting it. I wish Days would have less actors in each show and focus more time on them when the are featured. It seems as if most of the time 12-15 actors are on each show. Cut that down to 8-10 and give their scenes more substance.

We all know about the lighting and the sets. I don't think that is ever really going to improve. Another area which needs a lot of improvement is hair and wardrobe. I know they have a tight budget but some of the clothes are just awful. Phillip needs a hair cut. Carly and Vivian's hair is terrible.

The show needs a real villain. Stefano is in his 80s and Victor is in his 70s so I don't expect either one of them to be the shows big baddie, I'm just happy to see them on as much as they are right now. Once in a while they will do something shady and I'm fine with that.

When EJ a few weeks ago was in the cabin spying on Sami through the computer it reminded me of classic Stefano. The problem with EJ is that the writer keep going back and forth with him. One minute he's good the next he is bad. Make a decision and stick with it.

So if they're gonna continue with the flip flopping of EJ they need to bring on a new villain. And not write him off after a couple of months a la Trent Robbins or The Vitalis.

ITA with EJ. Either he's a bad guy or good guy. Stick with it.

It would be great if they could give Renee Jones a storyline.

Give Lexie a storyline.

I'd like to see more of Renee Jones. It's criminal how little she is used and yet she is a Dimera. They need to get Lexie more involved with her family or give her some kind of story.

It's a shame the producers don't see what we see with Renee Jones. Lexie has so much value to the canvas.

I also wish they did gave us back the Titan set.

I would gladly exhange the Java Cafe for Titan.

The Titan set is the new hospital set. I don't know why they got rid of the old hospital set. It was much better.