DAYS: Big News From Matt Ashford(Jack)

[WTGH]

I can see that happen.

Heck, I can see Alice getting axed before Marlena goes.

[Ponz]

Tek cannot be cut since he is already on recurring. Same applies to Doug & Julie

My predictions:

Jack

Jennifer

Frankie

Phillip

Mimi

Patrick

Bonnie

Austin

Carrie

I have Matt's letter and he says "around 10 characters" so it's not definite. It's conceivable also that some will return if the ratings improve (although of the above, I can only really see Matt & Judi returning...the latter as Adrienne).

I doubt any of the vets like Parker, McCay & Rogers are being fired. They don't have many guaranteed days so cutting them won't save any of the budget. I could see them being bumped to recurring, though.

[KMan101]

And we can now add Carrie and Austin to the list of exits. What a waste to bring them back and fire them a year later. I feel most bad for Christie. If I'm adding things up, that leaves one more person to go, to equal 10, although some of the ones are still up in the air, I.E. not officially confirmed.

[irish secra]

Understanding the way Sheffer writes and the kind of characters he cherishes, I am not even remotely surprised that Austin and Carrie are being written out. They are just not the kind of characters that would excite him - not complex enough and too boring. It still shocks me to this day that Jack is being written out because he was the kind of character Hogie would get excited over. Though with that letter, it is possible Matt may return next spring once the ratings rise and Hogie has a firm hold on the show.

Mark my words - Sami will be the main character Hogie focuses on.

[nassaunew]

According to TV GUIDE, I think, Passions' new budget had a $5 million a year cut.

[JER Soaps Fan]

So funny you should say that WorldTurns!! I was JUST Thinking: hasn't Frances been with the show from the beginning? Her salary must be HUGE!!! You don't need to cut Marls, bump Franny to recurring! As others have mentioned, she's scenery filler anyway and well, sorry, but that's the definition of recurring. My gosh, to think they're doling out so much money on someone who appears once a month. Aaack!

And to think, we had to lose Caustin for this oversight.

Here we go with the "Adrienne" talk again..

Come on, it's not going to happen, you guys. Seriously. Bonnie is the show's comic relief. If they fire Judi and bring her back as dead-as-dishwater Adrienne, a huge injustice would have been committed. Gag me!

THE PEOPLE WANT BONNIE LOCKHART!!!

[Keith]

It doens't appear that the Lockharts will exist come 2007, so don't expect Bonnie to return if Judi does.

[JER Soaps Fan]

For all our sakes, I hope you're wrong, Keith. Bonnie is the best white trash character I have ever seen on soaps, and "Days" needs its token white trash character. I will truly be pissed if she's gone. Oh, what doyou think, Hogieboy? What, you wanna inject some 'class' in "DAYS?" I want my token white trash, Hogster and you BETTAH not mess wit' me, man!!

[Keith]

As far as I'm concerned, no show needs a token anything. At this point, none of the Lockharts have real staying power. Their ties to the canvas are weak and superficial. Unlike the Roberts/Reeds (for the most part), these three characters are easily expendable, even at the of the ubertalented Judi Evans. During his latest run, unfortunately, even most--if not all--The Reeds/Roberts bunch have become expendable. I only hope Sheffer can fix that in some cases.

[R!ck]

So let's update the list

Confirmed Exits:

Melisa Reeves

Matthew Ashford

Farah Fath

Jason Cook

Kyle Brandt

Austin Peck

Christie Clark

Highly Rumored:

Billy Warlock

Judi Evans

Brody Hutzler

That would be 10

IMO The Horton's need beefing up, now that the Lockharts are out.

I would love to see Sarah & Melissa (Lisa Trusel) leave Nashville and move back home to Salem.

[JER Soaps Fan]

NOt to offend, but, who would care? I honestly don't think there's enough of the 'DAYS' contingent from that 'old era' to remember or care for them, Rick. They're great for guest appearances but, other than that? Hmm...rehire Peck and Clarke, Corday and "Days". NOW, !@#$%^&*]es!!!

[Chanel]

I hope Jack comes back. Its good to see the MA has faith in the show.

[SteveFrame]

Not to offend either but it's fans like you that have put Days in the shape that it is in. There are more of the older fans out there than you think. You just don't hear from them because they don't have the Internet.

I for one would take any of the Horton's over that piece of trash Bonnie Lockhart any day. And I for one will not be sad if they let her go. Adrienne was 50 times the character that Bonnie is. There is 100 times more potential for Adrienne on the show with or without Justin. Bonnie is a one note character - comic relief at the most. She is not needed. She could leave today and not very many people would miss her at all. If anything they could bump Judi to recurring like OLTL did with Ilene Kristen. Bring her out every once in awhile. That is all she is needed for. BUt if her kids go whe won't even be needed for that.

And as to bumping Frances Reid to recurring - it won't happen. Frances has a life time contract with the show. She cannot be fired or bumped to recurring.

As to the Hortons again, every producer on every show needs to take a look at history. All the current shows except Y&R and B&B have hurt their core families. AMC has slowly dwindled and chipped away at the Martins and Tylers. OLTL has dwindled and chipped away at the Buchanans and the Lords. ATWT has about done that with the Hughes family. The Bauers are almost non-existant on GL.

And Days has been doing it to the Hortons. Luckily they have established the Bradys that are helping them.

Y&R has been about the Abbotts and Newmans since around 1980. They are people the fans care about. I think that is what has helped to keep them at #1. All the other shows have consistently lost fans and alienated fans by doing away with the characters fans care about. I know that is my biggest problem with OLTL is that all these new folks don't matter to me.

So sorry JSF but there are people that care. These same people are many of the ones that have quit watching, and the shows can't get back. Why come back when you don't care about the characters that are being featured. Many people like me have grown up watching their shows, and we grew up with many of the characters. When those people are gone and those families then there is nothing there to tune in for.

The Horton family is needed back. There needs to be a balance between the old and the new. A perfect example is all the fans that came back when Steve and Kayla returned. They had something to come back for. Give fans something to come home too.

[JER Soaps Fan]

I thought those were myths? SO many schools of thought have shared on this topic, the infamous "lifetime contract." Well, I don't buy it. I mean, Frances' rate increases every year, right? That means SHE has the problem salary, not Dee or anyone else. Hell, even if she does have a lifetime contract and those are legal (which, I can't fathom how they are), then it still doesn't lock her into salary increases. Make Franny take the cut! And frankly, why does she need so much money when she has no children and it could help the show?

Well, when Melissa appeared a few years ago, she didn't appeal to me. AT ALL. But I can see where you're coming from. If, for some stupid, pigheaded reason, "Passions," 20 years from now, put a lid on the Lopez-Fitzgerald family (including the incomparable Theresa Crane!)I would be [!@#$%^&*] LIVID.

[bellcurve]

Do you SERIOUSLY believe Frances Reid makes more than Deidre Hall? What crackpipe are YOU smoking!

I think what is meant by lifetime contract is more/less a gentleman's agreement between the show and its actors. John Clarke was able to get out of his "lifetime contract," which makes me believe that is what it translates to= a gentleman's agreement.

Frances probably makes even less than Alison Sweeney. Why would she warrant a paycut?! And she is only on the show like once a month, IF THAT?!

Of course she didn't appeal to you. Instead of researching the character's history and seeing what her purpose was on the show, you decided to eat Cheetos and watch Bonnie. This makes younger soap fans look SO disrespectful. No wonder why people see the young soap fan as a passive viewer!

I think the pigheaded thing would be keeping PASSIONS on the air 20 years from now.