DAYS

[Roman]

Then, for some of you who are leaving, you would have been really pissed back in the day. I wonder if you had the same feelings when Stephen, Peter, Kristian, Christie, Austin, Matt, Melissa, Joe, John Clarke, Wayne Northrop, Deidre Hall, etc., etc., etc. left the show? I didn't. I stayed and watched what would happen.

But now it seems as though there are some who complain no matter what is happening on the show. They hate the supercouples, the fanbases have ruined Days, KC listens to the fans too much, he doesn't listen to the fans at all, the writing was lousy under JER, now its lousy under Beth, etc.

No one is happy. So, if that is your feelings, cool. You will be missed, but since now KC has gotten his head out of his ass, and hired a wonderful writing team, I'm sticking around to see what's up. The show has gone through serious financial issues, and some actors, right or wrong, had to be let go for the time being, and their characters given a rest. I would rather see Matt leave now and come back next spring (which I really feel will happen) instead of sticking around and probably not have a story. Same with CC and AP.

So....see everyone else after we watch Days today.

[SteveFrame]

I am going to post my thoughts on this here. Better summed up that what I was able to do in earlier posts. This is posted in another thread in response to Phoenix too, but since this thread is about the return, I will put it here too.

I have always been one who was a fan of the show, and never felt that I could leave because of a character. And I know that I would never leave over a couple or a character leaving. I do still stand by that. I have never been a bigger fan of any actor as I was George Reinholt (and still am) but I did not quit watching AW and they fired him.

But I have found out that I can quit watching a show because of a character. And I have not problem with it. It is what that character represents, and I do not feel that he is needed. His being brought back to the show brings the whole credibility of the show down - and it was restoring it. And even people who are not fans of the show have noticed it. Now all that will come back. Whether the character is written different or not, just the fact that he is there will cause people to remember all the sci-fi stuff and the cartoonish way he was written before. With him gone and the focus on a new generation, they could have continued on moving forward and regaining momentum toward restoring that. They can't do that now that they are bringing him back. Maybe after 2 or 3 years of him being written different (if he is), they can but they could do it a whole lot quicker without him.

Bringing him back is no better than what people have criticized other shows for. It is just a quick way maybe to bring some old viewers back who liked him, and maybe to get a big ratings surge. He is not needed on the show, and the show could continue without him.

And yes I agree with you about the budget cuts. They are typical of today and are necessary. But you don't make big cuts, and then turn around and bring back a high paid vet after firing big fan favorites and expect most fans to understand. It was a big mistake - a big stupid mistake. I have no problems with the ones who were fired. I feel that some of them will be back someday, but why fire them and then bring back another high paid vet who is not needed right now.

I know that many of you don't understand, and you never will. You love the character and the actor and that outweighs it. I loved the old character and he had a place on the show in the past. He doesn't anymore. And if he is part of the show now, I am not.

I will not argue about it or anything. Those are just my feelings, and I have written them to Corday too.

[Evan]

Steve, ICAM!

Bringing back Stefano sends the wrong signal! The Dimeras should be dead and buried.

Why not make EJ the villain, or bring back Lawrence Alamain?

Yes, Jack/Jennifer are really the only reason I watch DAYS. Once they're gone, I won't be watching again.

Call it selfish, shortsighted, whatever..............if I don't want to watch the show after September 21, I'm perfectly entitled to my choice, as is Steve and anyone else.

I've no doubt Sheffer is a very good writer and he will probably do great things for some of the characters: the crying shame is that Hogan Sheffer could have been great for Matt Ashford!

DAYS problem is still Ken Corday, he will always be the millstone around its neck.

Everyone here excited about the future of DAYS, I hope you guys all get what you want in future! I mean this sincerely.

[DaysFanJean]

I hope Sheffer WILL be great for Matt/Jack. Hopefully he'll be back on the show but I worry about how Jen will be handled....not a recast hopefully.

The DiMera family has it's rightful place in Salem. Always has, always will. EJ is a DiMera and so is Lexie and no telling who else before this is over. I'm really looking forward to the new story.

Speaking of stop watching due to a character, I'm so guilty of that. Lisa Rhinna/Billie drove me away and every Billie story except Julie Pinson's. Don't mess with Bo and Hope. Patrick nearly drove me away. His character is such a nothing and to involve Hope with him is lunacy. So far from believability without severely dementing Hope....shameful.

[SamanthaKitCat]

I don't know. For myself, in the past, if the writing was good on a soap, I'd continue to watch after my favorite actors and/or characters were gone. I did that throughout Marland's run on ATWT and with GL (1991) after my favorite HW (Pam Long) and my top two favorite characters left (Phillip and Rick). I quit ATWT after Marland died, when the writing became bad. GL I stuck with. First, because I still liked the writing and several of the actors on the show. But, later, when the writing stunk to high heaven, it was solely because my favorite characters were on the show. Only finally quitting GL in August of 2004, when I realized that DK intended on writing my favorite character as a cartoon.

With Days, I was never a fan of JER's Days work (while I liked his GL work, go figure). So it became more about specific actors and characters. Especially, after the 2003 Serial Killer storyline, and the way TIIC handled the character of Jack.

But recently, I've been really impressed with Beth's stuff. My only quibble would be with the lack of Jack and Steve scenes. If she was the permanent HW instead of the interim HW, or if she is made co-headwriter along with Hogan, I'd be tempted to watch. But, Hogan by himself doesn't interest me that much. Though, I'll probably watch to see how he handles Stefano's return.

[darraholic]

They could really fire everyone and bring in all new actors and I'd still watch it. I'll be watching until the day I die or NBC cancels DAYS.

[SteveFrame]

I used to think that too Danny. This is now the 2nd time I have quit watching completely. I quit when Days Of Our Lives became Saved By The Bell. It wasn't even Days anymore - it was the teen scene. Just wasn't for me. And now. And what is funny is when I quit back then, I was still sneak peaks every once in awhile. And when I was helping to take care of Mom and so busy I still sneaked peaks or would read the daily episode threads or the daily synopsis things on SoapCentral, but they have made me so mad over Stefano that when I quit last week, I have not looked at any of those or even peaked at the show. I never thought I could do that. I have read a couple of news threads and read here to see what others opinions are on this, but that is my only contact with Days.

[Ridge]

See... I think this is an assumption and its wrong. The show is not bringing back Stefano for ratings. The show is actually writing him in and making a storyline out of it. In the past, DAYS has brought characters back, big names back, and has had no storyline for them and has boasted it like crazy. THIS is what happened with Christie Clark and Austin Peck and contributed to their recent exit. The same thing happened with Billy Warlock and to some extent Mary Beth Evans and Stephen Nichols (All JER returns).

DAYS has not even confirmed that Mascolo is back yet so how can this be for ratings? That's an assumption and IMO it is an attempt to daunt negativity on a show that is really making changes. How do we know what Stefano will be written like? Sci-fi? Cartoon-ish? That remains to be seen but saying that his return is less worthy than anyone elses is wrong. IMO, Carrie and Austin should have never returned last year because they spent months in a horrible storyline. That was a ratings move and that failed miserably. With Stefano practically being written in already I don't think the same will follow.

[PhoenixRising05]

Bree, Roman, darraholic, and RBSoapsfan-excellent posts and I could't agree more.

I just can't see why some people quit watching because of one person leaving or a couple leaving. I can see quitting because the quality of the show sucks or the show as a whole has taken a bad direction but right now Days is better then ever and is even making unlikeable characters easier to watch. Let's not forget-Hogan hasn't even started yet and we don't know how anything will play out so is it really fair to throw in the towel before even giving things a chance?

Again, going after Days or Joe for the cuts and all is ludicrous. This is a business too and you have to make tough decisions. It sucks but Matt may come back someday or even CC. Both have been fired before afterall. Maybe if JER had not written Missy the way he have ot maybe if JER had thought up something rather then what he did for Carrie and Austin things would be different but they are not and such is life. Certain people do not make a show and if you only watch a show for a couple ot actor then you are not a fan of the show. You are a fan of the actor or the couple so calling yourself a Days fan is kinda unfair to those who watch for the ensemble. I have my faves and Matt and CC are two of them but I am not quitting. I have been with this show though bad times and good. Like Roman said, we have seen many beloved actors and actress come and go and, unless the quality of the show wavered, we never left. That is a fan. Now I know I will get bashed for this and this sounds incredibly sharp but it's the truth. When you are a true fan of a sports team, do you quit when one player leaves or when the team goes bad? If you do, isn't that a fairweather fan? Now with soaps many are driven away by poor writing and direction and I can understand that. But when I see people quit because so and so is leaving it is almost a feeling of why did you bother watching in the first place? Why not just watch clips of the actor or couple online or something? I mean if they are all you like how can you even watch the rest of the show if that is all you like?

Steve-you don't know how Stefano is going to come off. We have yet to hear anything about it yet. I understand what he stands for but that is not Joe's fault and that can easily be eliminated within months by solid writing. Most Days fans will forget the sci-fi debacle after one month of Hogan and his team write Stefano in his element, something I am sure will happen given the way Days is going right now. I hate the fact that people are saying bringing Joe back and the cuts are in relation. When most of these cuts were decided on, Joe was still on B&B so Days seemingly had no idea Joe would be available. It wasn't announced until mid-July that Joe was officially gone from B&B and by then Matt, Brody and Billy were all already gone and, if I remember right, so were CC and Peck. It is a business move by Days and I am sure there is some reasons behind it ratings driven but I do think it has more to do with story. Stefano has never stopped being a presence in Salem and he provides good stories for all the major couples when written well.

I am not trying to be rude or bash or anything but this is a HUGE pet peeve of mine as you all know. Clearly, many others in this thread are with me and didn't say it in so many words. Those of you not watching-you will be missed and I hope you return but I am confident you will miss some good drama.

[Evan]

Steve is perfectly entitled to stop watching DAYS, if that is what he wants to do! Why is it he is getting bashed here? It's one more week for me too, and then I'm done! Yes, Phoenix, probably a very selfish attitude on my part, but that's the way I feel!

I think people can understand that Matt Ashford fans in particular are still feeling angry, and we're not really in the right frame of mind to keep supporting the show after September 21. I've no doubt Sheffer's SLs will be a vast improvement on Reilly's 3 years of crap. My argument isn't with the new writers, who it is rumored wanted Matt Ashford to stay.

Ken Corday is the one I can't stand!

[MichaelGL]

I believe Cwikly and Brash did us a favor by killing him off and having Tony take over for Stefano. Plus his death was excellently played out because the ripple effects were riveting.

Shaffer bringing back Stefano is kind of ironic considering he killed off David Stenback on ATWT and vowed never to bring back that villain again.

[Mitchapalooza]

I am still SO excited for this return and to see Sheffer's take on Stefano, I think everyone should at LEAST give him a chance to prove he can correctly write for this character before you start jumping ship.

[Mitchapalooza]

I am still SO excited for this return and to see Sheffer's take on Stefano, I think everyone should at LEAST give him a chance to prove he can correctly write for this character before you start jumping ship.

[PhoenixRising05]

I agree Mitch and Evan I respect your opinion as well as Steve's. I am not bashing but I will not lie and say I understand the motivation behind why you both are quitting but it's your choice .

[Roman]

Thank you Phoenix. That's all I'm saying.

If anyone wants to stop watching becuase their favorites are gone or someone is coming on they don't like, cool. But then, don't critisize me for coming back after JER was canned, saying that I'm not a true fan because I wasn't watching when he was butchering this show beyond belief. If it ever gets that bad again, I'm gone again.