Titus Andronicus

Hogestyn works in 1986. He's inexperienced as an actor and John Black is nervous, pretending to be something he's not, so it totally fits. And Hall played Marlena as a strong, confident individual at the surface, good at masking her fears. She's a believable therapist at this point. I thought Hogestyn continued to do pretty good work through 1988ish. After Genie Francis leaves, Roman doesn't really have a direction, nor anybody really experienced enough to carry him. There's a couple of good scenes in Two Romans - the rainy night where Roman and Marlena are warned that John could self destruct. And Hogestyn pulls it off in a solo scene. Two Romans might could have worked, if they'd just left John's past as an Alamain. Instead of their wont for the past 30 years, tieing him to every half-assed idea they want to push as the new truth. I thought both Hall and Hogestyn did wonderfully well for the first two weeks in 2008(?) when John was back from the dead. Hogestyn toned down a bunch of his annoying trademarks and for the first time in a while, Marlena was back as a cool, strong leader. But of course, their story was nothing more than a prop for that ridiculous Santino and Colleen crap and John had no direction for months after. Until they finally decided to just drop the RoboJohn thing.

David Seidler was on Nina Laemmle's Days writing crew in 1980 (and apparently was later a staff writer for Another World). He kinda won a ton of awards for writing the screenplay for The King's Speech

That may have been one of his first dates. A few newspapers in March 1982 announced his arrival. Kenney seems to have been trying to get away from soap directing after leaving Days in January 1980 and had projects in both 1980 and 1981.

The scene didn't even make a lasting impact on the show, beyond that storyline. A little more than three years later in 1987, Emma made practically the same speech as Renee did (and with Alex!) to start off her murder mystery.

I seem to remember that Kim called baby Eric "Rick" as an alternative. That may have been before she revealed the molestation to her family.

But, alas, separate twin beds.

Added another date to the timeline, which indicates that NBC - more than anybody else - had decided to completely overturn the cast. It is from February 7, the gray area between Harrower's firing and someone else actually taking over. Poteet-Lisanti and Tomlin deserve gold medals and possibly canonization for what they did over 1980-81 for Days. It should have been dead, dead, dead. Days was struggling and NBC, inspired by changes on other soaps, decided to do the same. In the Oakland article, Allan pointed to General Hospital doing it right, so NBC probably was trying to copy them. Except that they hired Laemmle to be in charge of these changes, which had only a minuscule chance of working. Surprise! It was a disaster. Laemmle had never written for soaps. Her writing staff was largely inexperienced and also new to soaps, with Tomlin being an exception. Since NBC was all up in Days' decisions, I wonder how much influence she had on picking the writers. On top of that, it sounds like Laemmle like personal issues going on, on top of not knowing how soaps really worked.

The Days of Our Lives 1980 scorecard, with a few 1981 notes I decided to put together what I could of the backstage happenings at Days that year as every new bit puts a bit more into context, but also makes it sound even wilder. Apparently there was a TV Guide article in c. September 1980 that talked about Days' woes (it's referenced in the Rabin article). It doesn't seem to have been digitized anywhere, but it could be interesting. < January 18 Wes Kenney's departure as executive producer. Al Rabin, who has been directing for Days the last five years, is promoted. A January 18 article in the Dayton Daily News features this quote from Kenney: "When they dropped Ann Marcus*, I quit. It was a pretty sticky situation and I was very unhappy." * Though Kenney is quoted as saying Marcus, the dates line up for it to be Elizabeth Harrower. Marcus had been gone since February 1979. Kenney is credited on Days through January 18, per Jason's fantastic site. Rabin's name begins appearing January 21. Late January Pike's Peeks column mentions rumors are out there that Harrower is leaving. January 31 Seemingly the first media mention that Nina Laemmle is to take over as head writer. The story is published often over the next few weeks in various papers. But there's something weird going on. Harrower isn't gone. Per Jason, Harrower continues to be credited as head writer through MARCH 14. February 7 The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that Days is about to clean house. Up to a dozen actors are gone, according to an unnamed NBC source. "Leaving, dying, disappearing, going to college." [The source] declined to say which performers would get the ax since "They haven't notified them yet." The same article mentions Harrower has been replaced by Laemmle and that Kenney is gone. < March 5 Nancy Reichardt's syndicated soap column said Laemmle's storylines "are slated to begin appearing this month." March 17 First date of Ruth Brooks Flippen to air, per Jason. No newspaper articles in 1980 make mention of Flippen. Flippen seemingly only had recently returned to writing. A March 29, 1980 episode of The Love Boat was her first credit since a 1975 TV movie, per what's available on IMDB. April 18 Last credited date of Flippen, per Jason. She does not appear to have been credited with Days in any capacity again. Mid-April Columnists Jon-Michael Reed and Lynda Hirsch both highlight all the changes going on at Days, specifically crediting them to Laemmle. Who has yet to be credited as head writer. April 21 First credited day of Laemmle. July 29 Jed Allan is quoted in the Oakland Tribune and he is quite upset. "I've just about had it," said Allan. "They've taken my character and decimated it." Allan isn't quoted, but says the changes were initiated by Laemmle. Other Allan quotes from the story: - "The way it is now, they've got me playing a flunky to a bunch of characters called the Chandlers, but Don was never a flunky!" - "I am very unhappy about the situation and I just gave them somewhat of an ultimatum. I told themif they don't change the script, I'm leaving the show. That's just how strong I feel about the situation." Mark Tapscott was let go as Bob, he said, because they wanted to do more with Josh Taylor. As for Ed Mallory, he "quit the show because he couldn't direct." With Robert Clary, Allan said he "should never have been fired. He was very definitive. It was a dumb thing to do." Allan wasn't against bringing in new people, but felt it has been done very poorly. BONUS INSIGHT INTO WRITING AT DAYS IN 1980 "I really can't say anything good or bad about her. But for a while she was giving outlines to be done by the other writers, which should only be done by head writers." So Laemmle wasn't really even communicating her vision, but dumping it on the staff. I'm wondering if this is what was going on with Ruth Brooks Flippen, that she was doing these outlines. August 11 Laemmle's daughter dies in California, per the California Death Index. September 21 Article appears in New Orleans' Times-Picayune with quotes from Rabin. Laemmle is out as head writer, with Michelle Poteet-Lisanti and Gary Tomlin taking over Rabin said Laemmle will still be involved in longterm story plans. He cites the death of Laemmle's daughter to be the reason she is stepping down from the post. October 9 Last credited day of Laemmle as head writer, per Jason. October 10 Michelle Poteet-Lisanti first credited as head writer. Gary Tomlin's name joins her days later. Poteet-Lisanti looks to have joined the staff in late 1979. Tomlin earlier in 1980, possibly in connection with Laemmle's hiring. Of note from Laemmle's writing staff is David Seidler, who's better known for witing The King's Speech. Days might have been his first Hollywood job. Yep, he was born in England. Laemmle was his only head writer during his short span. Late October Jon-Michael Reed column mentioning Laemmle is out because of "personal conflicts." February 7, 1981 Flippen is credited with another Love Boat episode, which was probably her last gig. July 9, 1981 Flippen dies in Marina del Rey of heart illness at the age of 55. Her obituary in the Los Angeles Times is the only contemporary mention of her work with Days. Surprisingly, though, it does not mention the Love Boat episodes.

This may be common knowledge already, but I found an interview with Al Rabin from 1980 and there's a few good tidibts, including a bit more on Laemmle. New Orleans Times-Picayune September 21, 1980 Excerpted. About the number of characters dropped Rabin admitted ratings dropped in April and May but were rising again. He also said they were trying to cater to a younger audience and move stories away from the Hortons. The Times-Picayune said there were no plans to bring back Laura, Bill or Phyllis. Rabin liked Joshua, Jessica and Liz as well. Here's a fresh claim, quoted from the Times-Picayune. Also, Macdonald Carey had hip surgery in June 1980. Wesley Eure was taking a break to do theater. Rabin was really eager for Eure to return. edit: It looks like Laemmle's daughter died in August 1980, per records I've found.

This was six months later and a different storyline, the Prisms. That storyline was ridiculous as all hell, making serial killer Roman to be quite grounded in comparison. (Additionally, Slasher had one of my favorite scenes ever, when Roman convinces Abe that he's not the murderer.)

Wes Kenney would have stayed at least a bit longer. Harrower was publicly replaced, but yet had to write at few more weeks, too.

The climax of Maison Blanche - the mansion catching fire during the hurricane - and everything that came out of that is some of Days' best stuff, not just Reilly's. Belle's birth, kidnapping and return were good, too, especially as it had not been revealed yet that Roman wasn't her father. The end of 1993 was really, really good. (Except for maybe the Pacifier storyline. It could have been written much better.)

You also had the Andrew's paternity and one of the Bradys is Victor's child storylines at the same time. Really, Days had been humming along pretty briskly since the close of the (underrated) Richard Cates storyline a year earlier, which zipped immediately into Miami. That said, I love just about everything from late 1983 to mid-1986.

John Stamos has performed a lot with the (much latter day) Beach Boys and released a horrid cover of Forever in the mid-1990s.

A little late here, but the blowoff to Maison Blanche was incredible and probably my favorite episodes overall. The hurricane, the fire, Roman saving John and Marlena, Tony going blind. Stefano escaping with Hope, but their boat tipping over. John, who had run after Stefano, finding Hope and carrying her to the first light he saw ... which happened to be Bo's and Billie's hotel room where they're about to do it for the first time. John barges in with the unconscious Hope and Billie's the first to see her. The look on her face was amazing. Everything she had fought for, a decent life, Bo, just blew up right there because this person looks a whole lot like Hope. I enjoyed the Susan storyline when it aired, but it was pretty much the end. John had been so dumbed down he was braindead. I couldn't watch the Jonesy stuff when it aired. So demeaning to such a great character as Vivian.

Reilly always had a fascination with John the Priest, so I think it's supposed to be the Devil's manipulation. They did briefly really lean into that background after Kristen figured out the password to Stefano's computer (than Tony went blind retrieving). John the Priest was supposed to make him sexier for Kristen since she was guilt-trapped into being with Tony, which was actually pretty good thinking to have it reestablished for Possession. I don't mind they brought Wayne back. John's missing past had so much potential, but it unfortunately became a prop for every head writer to use in another story. I started watching Days in the summer of 1993. Every story from then until Possession was absolutely on fire.

Looks like a misprint. Here's a September 1970 listing of a few of the channels from another area newspaper. Not much of the area could actually pick up the lone ABC station over the air. The first southwest Georgia dedicated ABC station was another decade from springing up. WRBL (Columbus GA) 9 a.m. The Gourmet 9:30 Gomer Pyle USMC 10 Lucy 10:30 Beverly Hillbillies 11 Family Affair 11:30 Love of Life Noon Where the Heart Is 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 1 p.m. Midday 1:30 As the World Turns 2 Love is a Many Splendored Thing 2:30 Guiding Light 3 Secret Storm 3:30 Edge of Night 4 The Flintstones 4:30 Wild Wild West WTVY (Dothan AL) 9 Captain Kangaroo 10 Lucy 10:30 Beverly Hillbillies 11 Family Affair 11:30 Love of Life Noon Where the Heart Is 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 1 News 1:30 As the World Turns 2 Love is a Many Splendored Thing 2:30 Guiding Light 3 Secret Storm 3:30 Edge of Night 4 Gomer Pyle USMC 4:30 General Hospital WJXT (Jacksonville FL) 9 David Frost 10: [something illegible that isn't a soap] 10:30 Beverly Hillbillies 11 Family Affair 11:30 Love of Life Noon Where the Heart Is 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 1 Midday 1:30 As the World Turns 2 Love is a Many Splendored Thing 2:30 Guiding Light 3 Secret Storm 3:30 Edge of Night 4 Don't Eat the Daisies 4:30 Mike Douglas WCTV (Thomasville GA/Tallahassee FL) 9 Romper Room 9:30 Jack LaLanne 10 Lucy 10:30 Beverly Hillbillies 11 Family Affair 11:30 Love of Life Noon Where the Heart Is 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 1 Midday 1:30 As the World Turns 2 Love is a Many Splendored Thing 2:30 Guiding Light 3: Secret Storm 3:30 Edge of Night 4 Gomer Pyle USMC 4:30 Mike Douglas WTVM (Columbus GA) 9 Playhouse 10 Virginia Graham 11 A World Apart 11:30 That Girl Noon Bewitched 12:30 Panorama 1 All My Children 1:30 Let's Make a Deal 2 Newlywed Game 2:30 Let's Make a Deal 3 General Hospital 3:30 One Life to Live 4 Dark Shadows 4:30 Timmie and Lassie WALB (Albany GA) 9 Little Theater 9:30 Jack LaLanne 10 Dinah's Place 10:30 Concentration 11 Sale of the Century 11:30 Hollywood Squares Noon Jeopardy 12:30 Town and Country (local news) 1:30 Words and Music 2 Days of Our Lives 2:30 The Doctors 3 Another World 3:30 Bright Promises 4 Somerset 4:30 Flintstones WMAZ (Macon GA) 9 General Hospital 9:30 Bewitched 10 Lucy 10:30 Beverly Hillbillies 11 Family Affair 11:30 Love of Life Noon Where the Heart Is 12:30 Search for Tomorrow 1 Almanac 1:30 As the World Turns 2 Love is a Many Splendored Thing 2:30 Guiding Light 3 Secret Storm 3:30 Edge of Night 4 Dark Shadows 4:30 Gilligan's Island

I think you can go earlier than that: David. He wasn't Doug's child, but having him as an adult by the late 1970s aged Julie horribly before you even got to Hope being grown up.

Marcus hadn't been headwriter for months when Pat Falken Smith filed the suit. Days sounds like insane mess in the late 1970s. This lawsuit. The messiness at the end of Harrower that saw a) Wes Kenney quit because of it and b) Harrower still writing for a least a week or two after her replacement was publicly named. Then Laemmle didn't start for a couple of months after she was named in the press and whatever role Ruth Brooks Flippen played. Or even if Flippen did any actual headwriting. Laemmle being an absolute disaster is the icing on the cake. On top of that, you have NBC almost going into desperation mode with a 90-minute show and it's a wonder that it survived even long enough for Tomlin and Poteet-Lisanti to have anything to salvage at all.

Harrower was head writer at this time. She was fired in January 1980, though she continued to write a few weeks longer. I'm trying to imagine 90 minutes under Laemmle in 1980 and my first thought is how many more characters could she have killed off with 2 1/2 more hours a week.

Jason's first known credit for Harrower at Days is May 2, 1977. She was credited as head writer from February 27, 1979 through March 14, 1980, though she was effectively fired two months earlier. (Nina Laemmle was announced as incoming Days head writer in late January 1980.) It appears Days' handling of Harrower cost them Wes Kenney. He quit in January 1980 and an interview with him that month quoted him as saying it was the head writing situation. Kenney was quoted as it being Ann Marcus (there prior to Harrower), but it seems to be a gaffe on his part.

Adding to the 1992 story issues was the reappearance and quick disappearance of Patsy Pease.

Plus the 1984 plane crash and island storyline with Tony vs. Andre, Anna, Bo, Calliope, etc.

Found a website that had some of the songs used in that era: https://www.angelfire.com/tv2/dayssongs/

This had to be about the time that Phillip sang All I Have to Do Is Dream and played it on guitar.