Ryan, Focus groups is a bullshit excuse. There is no such thing. Any SoapFan who believes that Focus groups is the real reason DG was let go needs a reality check. HBS announced HT leaving Days before DG was let go. no one really noticed until Dan left, because everyone went on others actors sites looking for comments from them. No one saw that HT was leaving because no one was looking for that info. The focus groups is bullshit, and you might as well say the "focus groups" were the reason Matt was fired as well.

As a matter of fact. there is still no official announcement from ABC about Dan or Heather!

Dude, your timeline is wrong. Dan's webmaster informed fans of Dan's firing on August 23, HBS put a message about Dan & Heather AFTER his webmaster announced it on his official site. HBS's message was posted August 27.

And for the record, I also think the focus groups excuse was bs, as you can see in the various posts I've made about it.

People did see Heather leaving OLTL soon. Either she would be fired or she would quit. Many members here kept asking how long it would be before she left the show or was fired (before the posts in this area got deleted).

No one will say that Matt Ashford got fired b/c of a focus group b/c unlike ABC, NBC didn't try to cop out. They just fired him, plain and simple.

I agree. Maybe if ABC would have been men about it and just fired him instead of Making BS up, Fans would have took it better and been less pissed, still pissed, but less pissed than they are now.

The problem with OLTL is that Dan and Heather are one of the most talented people on the cast and yet they get stuck with shitty storylines and not enough airtime. They fired Dan for a BS reason and fans are angry b/c of the bs reason he was fired. Had ABC come out and said they fired Dan for any other reason besides what the focus groups said, I'm sure many would be angry but wouldn't be livvid.

There are many more unlikeable characters (even if they aren't written that way) who deserve to go before a legacy character like Kevin.

To answer your question, I doubt Dan would have been fired under Hogan and Lynn Marie Latham.

I really like your explanation about OLTL and Dan. The focus group thing irks me to no end. Kevin is a friggin' BUCHANAN, and we have to suffer through the likes of Spencesuck, Claudia, et al?

Hell no.

I don't find the situations to be comparable.

1. HS is a new writer and if he does what he says he's doing per his SOD interview it's everything that OLTL isn't doing. In fact, getting rid of K/K is the exact opposite direction of what HS is doing and what ABC/OLTL should be doing.

2. I don't know what the actual circumstances of HT's decision were but after seeing (a) her wasted for two years and ( knowing that HBS was given a contract offer they wanted her to reject, I find it hard to buy into HT ever truly anticipating a stay at OLTL.

3. Kevin and Kelly aren't presently a couple and so them having a reunion and slipping away together at this point isn't something that will appease this fan. If anything I don't want Kevin near Kell after she $$$$ his son, a son that she helped raise as a child by her history and her and Duke's dialogue.

4. Somehow I doubt that DOOL has gotten rid of the three most talented male actors it has at once. OLTL is losing TW and DG and TDS is now recurring meaning that the three most talented male actors on the show are gone at one time. Add to that HT who is easily the most talented younger female actress and the unwillingness to provide story for ES and HBS and hello there is a problem.

I'm beyond mad, I'm not watching because they give me nothing to watch.

It's two different issues. And the answer is No.

DOOL is in the process of bringing back core characters. Missy wasn't cut. She quit and that spelled the end of Mat and Billy Warlock. I'm sorry because they are great characters and I think they should stay. Matt's character however, has been so tied to Melissa's there is no point in keeping him.

There was no reason at all to dump Dan because Heather decided to leave. The two character have not been tied as close together as Jack and Jennifer.

The truth is, however, that DOOL is doing anything but dimenshing core characters. They are bringing back and very quickly changing the focus of the show back to core characters. OLTL is doing just the opposite.

Finally, OLTL is a very bad soap right now. Dan getting axed and once again diluting the core family is just icing on the cake. DOOL is a much better show now that OLTL. When DOOL stunk for about six months, this board was livid. They ridiculted it daily. Now OLTL stinks to high heaven and is the worst soap on television. Passions is designed to be silly. OLTL is not getting beaten up as bad right now as DOOL did six months ago. It should be, but it's not. That's probably because people just gave up on the show, and are now watching DOOL. LOL.

So it is not inconsistent. DOOL took a beating when it stunk. Now it doesn't. OLTL gets praised for its one good episode every three months. It is taking a beating now because it stinks. It is a well-deserved beating. Canning Dan G., the best actor on the show of his generation, killing Duke Buchanan, putting Viki on the backburner for four years merits harsh criticism.

How haven't they been tied as close as Jack and Jennifer??????? Jack was gone for months and Kevin and Kelly were onscreen together, though not together, and When Jack finally came back, he and missy were somewhat together, as Kevin and Kelly were still acting opposite eachother on Television. Both Kevin and Kelly were together, as were Jack and Jennifer. It is indeed the same thing

No, it isn't. Jack and Jennifer are a supercouple, with years together. Kevin & Kelly are hardly the same thing. Recent history was no Jess' point, I don't think.

Honestly, We have no idea what OLTL is doing. Just because Missy left, that doesn't mean Billy and Matt had to leave too. It's a shame that they lose their jobs because of Melissa Reeves, that their characters, are nothing without hers. What i am saying is that, just because it is Hogan Scheffer and the "new" DAYS, it still does not make it any better..period.... Dan didn't deserve to leave because Heather chose to, and Matt and Billy didn't deserve to leave, because Missy chose to. At the End of the day, these are all veteran characters who we love, and they are also fathers feeding children.

Forget Carrie and Austin, they are different. It's all about Missy and Matt and Dan and Heather

The difference lies in the fact that DAYS is in transition behind the scenes and, as far as we can tell, OLTL isn't. The similarity is that no one's particular happy with the cuts on both shows. No one likes to see talented people lose their jobs, but that's show business and anyone who's made it as far they have know that. The situations are not, however, comparable beyond that. End of story.

Honestly, We have no idea what OLTL is doing. Just because Missy left, that doesn't mean Billy and Matt had to leave too. It's a shame that they lose their jobs because of Melissa Reeves, that their characters, are nothing without hers. What i am saying is that, just because it is Hogan Scheffer and the "new" DAYS, it still does not make it any better..period.... Dan didn't deserve to leave because Heather chose to, and Matt and Billy didn't deserve to leave, because Missy chose to. At the End of the day, these are all veteran characters who we love, and they are also fathers feeding children.

Forget Carrie and Austin, they are different. It's all about Missy and Matt and Dan and Heather

Christie and Austin are no different from Matt Ashford. They were all fired. It's not fair.

And for the LAST time, Dan was NOT fired b/c Heather Tom chose to leave OLTL. The news of Heather deciding not to re-sign with OLTL came days after Dan's announcement was made. Can we please some saying that Dan was fired because Heather chose to leave. That's true.

Even though I'm extremely disappointed with Ashford's firing, there are other opportunities out there for him. And there's no guarantee that he won't return to DAYS, but right now, he doesn't fit in with Hogan's visision of the show. The same with Christie, Austin and Billy.

The reasons for firing Dan however, are inexcusable. No excuses about it. No concessions can or should be made. Higley is hack and both she and Valentini deserve to be unemployed.

Not a DOOL viewer here so I don't know if the comparrison is accurate or not. My big issue here is that the Kevin and Kelly are both core members of the family with tons of story to tell. If anything they have developed into two of the most complex characters on the show with tons of relationships that are intentionally ignored in favor of one dimensional characters who'se biggest fans seem to be Frons, Hackley and Valentini. The writers then chose to tell what some might consider to be an unpalatable story and then TIIC decide that Kevin and Kelly should go. It doesn't escape my attention that neither Kevin nor Kelly are being recast which suggests to me that Kelly isn't any more favorably viewed as a character than Kevin by the three stooges.

Considering fans have been doing little more than screaming for both Kevin and Kelly to have more story since Dena's arrival, that people want an emphasis on the family and that viewers want more from the legacy characters the decision to get rid of two such characters played by two of the shows most talented actors doesn't ring true to me. It especially doesn't ring true when the reason given is that focus groups determine the character to be unlikeable. Add to this the general decline of OLTL with the absence of couples that appeal outside the fanbase mentality, the bad writing and the rather obvious agenda to get rid of the Lord/buchanans and it makes for a vocal response.

How the hell do we know ABC's reason for firing Dan. Yippe, Heather's Annoucement came days after Dans..who hoo!!!! Some press releases come later than others. We dont know anything and i will not believe that because HT's annoucement came later, that it cancels the possibility of Dan being fired because of her. Lets be real.....Note that ABC hasn't had an official press release for either so timing of HT's announcment doesnt mean [!@#$%^&*]... Just because hers came days after means nothing...Maybe HBS couldnt get online until those Days after....WE DONT KNOW!!! Since the release came from a Fan club Pres and an actress, doesnt really feed us completly..

Also, who can be sure that Kevin doesnt fit in with Higley's vision of the show... I hate Higley and all but we have to be fair. why is it that with Hogan, its his "Vision", and with Hackley, its her lacking, although she does. The Deveroux's are major players, as the Brady's. Some say "Well Kevin's name is buchanan, Well Frankys name is Brady!!!

The show told Dan he was fired because focus groups called him unlikable. This is confirmed.

Who confirms that???? Does ABC confirm that...No. ABC has confirmed nothing, at this time.