I have to wonder--shouldn't part of the blame go on THE ACTORS who allegedly are coming back? I mean, if these actors didn't demand such an UNGODLY paycheck, the show wouldn't have to make more "cuts."

That is a very good point. Budget cuts were going to happen regardless, but if tptb want these other actors back, They are going to go for the "big" one's. I realize that newbies are not paid as much as the vets, but hell, take a way a number of newbies and some not so newbies, couldn't you at least afford 1 from that.

I remember reading that it is Corday that doesn't want Joe for the long-term, but that Hogan does. Joe only wanted to come back if it was going to be long-term.

I can definitely see that. Corday just freaking let Hogan do what he wants.

I can definitely see that. Corday just freaking let Hogan do what he wants.

I don't think Corday will ever let any writer do what they want, he pitches a fit over almost everything a writer tries to do.

I don't think Hogan has anything to do with all these cuts, this coming one and RJ and SR are all Corday.

I don't think Corday will ever let any writer do what they want, he pitches a fit over almost everything a writer tries to do.

I don't think Hogan has anything to do with all these cuts, this coming one and RJ and SR are all Corday.

Exactly, and this is why Corday needs to just stay out of the creative end of the show. But of course, we all know that will never happen, unfortunately...

Keep saying Roman, people. You're all just dreaming. Josh Taylor will only leave when HE wants to leave...

I have to wonder--shouldn't part of the blame go on THE ACTORS who allegedly are coming back? I mean, if these actors didn't demand such an UNGODLY paycheck, the show wouldn't have to make more "cuts." Frankly, I say blame the PRODIGAL ACTORS. Yes, if more and more significant cuts come, fans WILL grow hatred for Eileen and Joe. I'm already seeing red.

I personally will not blame the actors for this. That is what happens when the EP and network stick their noses in everything, and don't let proven writers write. If some network wanted to guve me an un-Godly amount of money, and I've been reasonable in the past, how is it my fault? These same actors who have been stuck there for the last 3 years dealing with JER's crap writing are now getting dumped on because KC or NBCD are ince again sticking their noses in where it doesn't belong.

Let actors act, and get paid for their time. If there is any blame......blame the guy at the top.

Hogan most certainly deserves some flak for what is going on. You can't have "MAJOR" transitions like these cast cuts and have nothing appealing on screen. DAYS is not really interesting right now, which is a strike, and the many firings is another strike, making it a loss-loss for DAYS. That's not good. Honestly if DAYS was must see right now I wouldn't care much about who is getting the boot because I care a lot about DAYS overall than specific actors (and this does include KA, but only to an extent), and right now DAYS is not progressing. If GH can have a mega sweeps, why can't Hogan do it? He is sooo talented after all?? This would certainly help to forget about all this bull crap going on behind the scenes.

Also regarding the firing for hiring, we don't know that at all. After all, there has been NO confirmation at all that Joseph Mascolo or Eileen Davidson are returning.

The show has been in talks with Joseph to return for over 2 months now. I mean really, 2 months! Do salary negotiations take that long? Hogan said he wanted Stefano short term, but perhaps that is what Joseph doesn't want, and I don't want that either because then all Stefano will be is a ploy, a plot movement, just like GH did with Genie. If you are going to bring back characters you have to write them with purpose.

Uh, excuse me but how is Hogan going to write when cuts keep coming? The cuts are not his fault. He has to constantly change plans because of this. GH has had it's writer for awhile. Hogan's stuff was only airing for 3 weeks before sweeps and he has a mess to deal with after the past years of hell from previous regimes.

Plus, who the hell gives a damn about sweeps all the time? I would rather have a soap try to impress me with solid shows shows all year around then 3 months out of year. Yes its about cash but it's not like Days had nothing going on. It was an ok sweeps with movement but nothing huge. There were no stunts but how do you expect a HW to have any stunts when you are one month into his reign and his stories are beginning to take shape. The transition will be going on for awhile and if some can't take it and understand the situation that is their problem. Thankfully, most of us on SON recognize the situation and are willing to understand that this is not on Hogan at all and that he and Days deserves some time to get the show into the shape it needs to be in.

I don't think Corday will ever let any writer do what they want, he pitches a fit over almost everything a writer tries to do.

I don't think Hogan has anything to do with all these cuts, this coming one and RJ and SR are all Corday.

Exactly.

I personally will not blame the actors for this. That is what happens when the EP and network stick their noses in everything, and don't let proven writers write. If some network wanted to guve me an un-Godly amount of money, and I've been reasonable in the past, how is it my fault? These same actors who have been stuck there for the last 3 years dealing with JER's crap writing are now getting dumped on because KC or NBCD are ince again sticking their noses in where it doesn't belong.

Let actors act, and get paid for their time. If there is any blame......blame the guy at the top.

Good points yet again

Uh, excuse me but how is Hogan going to write when cuts keep coming? The cuts are not his fault. He has to constantly change plans because of this. GH has had it's writer for awhile. Hogan's stuff was only airing for 3 weeks before sweeps and he has a mess to deal with after the past years of hell from previous regimes.

Plus, who the hell gives a damn about sweeps all the time? I would rather have a soap try to impress me with solid shows shows all year around then 3 months out of year. Yes its about cash but it's not like Days had nothing going on. It was an ok sweeps with movement but nothing huge. There were no stunts but how do you expect a HW to have any stunts when you are one month into his reign and his stories are beginning to take shape. The transition will be going on for awhile and if some can't take it and understand the situation that is their problem. Thankfully, most of us on SON recognize the situation and are willing to understand that this is not on Hogan at all and that he and Days deserves some time to get the show into the shape it needs to be in.

Dude I am like the biggest DAYS fan here and have stuck through it but I'm not making excuses for the show, this show needs no favors. They have been in this situation for over the past say 10 years and not once have they delivered. Their transitions take forever and they are always given reason to for sucky storylines and going ons. We have no reason to give the show the benefit of the doubt because it has not delievered for say the past 10 years. Even B&C messed up a few times. No storyline has gone complete from A-Z, even Zach's storylines ended quickly because of JER's exit. If the show is in such a dire state which is what we are led to believe since there are cast cuts going on everywhere, then it should have all reason to write good intense soap. It NEEDS to draw in fans not just transition and set storylines up, and Hogan has had a lot of opportunity to do so with storylines climaxing everywhere. The show has been in transition since JUNE and yet it it has not had one big step of momentum AT ALL. Everything has been good but not great and since the show is knocking on cancellations door (according to Corday and everyone else) it needs GREAT not GOOD.

I'm not saying that DAYS sucks because it is good, and I'm not giving up on it either, but most writers take shows by storm and DAYS is in such a state that that is easy to do. There are a plethora of opportunities for storylines to take major swings without comprimising future plans for actors or characters. Hogan is NOT doing it and he joined in October right before November sweeps and had A LOT of time to do it. If DAYS was such a bad state then this November meant a lot that is why there should be a SWEEPS. This whole Steve and Kayla storyline sucks IMO, its a waste of Stephen and Mary Beth's talent honestly. It kind of wreaks of JER.

I'm also not saying that Hogan is to blame for the cast cuts, he is to blame for the lack of momentum DAYS suffers from now. His writing has not been impressive at all. B&C were MUCH better when they first came on. And everyone can keep saying "give him time", but you can keep saying that for months and months until the show is left with like 5 actors b/c the rest were fired... The show isn't going to get ratings without great stuff, and without ratings it won't get money and thus the firings will continue. If this November sweeps is an indication more actors are going to get fired.

Besides, the characters that are getting fired aren't even shown now, they aren't fired now and could easily be used, at the very least he could be setting up their exits, which we know he hasn't done because Carrie and Austin exited in a span of 2 days with such a crappy good bye. He should't just stop writing for people because they could be fired because the way it seems now anyone could be. Corday keeps saying the show was on the brink of cancellation and if that was the case then the show doesn't have time to transition (a transition that is lasting almost 5 months now!!!!!!!) If DAYS needs saving the way they make it seem Hogan should be writing to keep fans watching to save it not to just keep the show in transition because that is not going to save the show.

Stellar post, Ridge. But I disagree that the November sweeps is an indication of more pink slips. Sorry, not buyin' it. The show is freeing up money, I believe, JUST to get Eileen and Joe back. And if that's true, then I stand by my statement that THEY are to blame for being so pricey and not realizing THEY would be responsible for others losing their jobs.

After Friday's episode and Monday's preview, I think it is quite obvious that Kate is going to die. Kate has mentioned her being dead several times and Marlena mentioned that she is making a fatal mistake. DAYS has never been one for subtlety. I guess it looks like Koslow is the one out.

Hogan has to be partly to blame, even if its indirectly. He just comes on and people are getting fired...

Stellar post, Ridge. But I disagree that the November sweeps is an indication of more pink slips. Sorry, not buyin' it. The show is freeing up money, I believe, JUST to get Eileen and Joe back. And if that's true, then I stand by my statement that THEY are to blame for being so pricey and not realizing THEY would be responsible for others losing their jobs.

I agree with you in many ways about the demand for big bucks. Again I see that they have the right, but the show also has the right to say no. I just don't see Corday doing that.

I do blame Joe M. a little because right now all the show wanted him for was a short stay. It is nothing new. It has happened often in the past. To put the show in the position of having to write for him longer than they intended or needed at the time is wrong. If Corday says he wants Joe full time, then Hogan has to change his plans for the character as he has written him. I just don't agree with that.

And I can some of the argument that Ridge is making about Hogan too. I know it is hard on Hogan to keep making all these changes, but I feel he could have punched things up a little more than he has. The family stuff he has written has been good, but the show just has had no punch. And the Nick Fallon character stinks to high heaven, and so does Willow. He could have held off on them and not used two bad characters so soon. Those were two big mistakes. I think after this last week I hate Nick almost as much as I do Willow. And the Steve/Kayla stuff is so boring still, and her in the hospital drug out way too long. I am actually liking STeve better with Billee. I don't know if Hogan intends that to be, but Steve and Billee are a lot more exciting that Steve and Kayla.

So I feel like Dru and Ridge and I hate to say it but Hogan is some to blame. There are just some things he could have changed right now.

I'm not blaming JM one single bit. If he wants to take a paycut, and it is reasonable, but still get paid, how is supposed to do that? DH accepted a paycut and is still with the show. All of the actors (Vets) who have reuped have taken paycuts just to stay on the show. But now, they should take more paycuts, because they aren't being team players by accepting the money that they are.

Hogan is to blame because he hasn't fixed the show in the short time he's been on, and should be able to change at a moment's notice. And it's nmot a fact of always being in his corner, because I think sometimes that the writing goes off in different directions since he joined, but for everything to always fall on him because the guy he took over for, who had too much clout, and almost ruined the show is getting quite old.

I don't like the fact that some more actors might be leaving, but I will see what is to come instead of jumping on some bandwagon and demanding everyone's head, without seeing what willhappen. And, I also will not blame HS for having to change his stories when someone above him has decided to make cuts once again before the end of the year.

I agree with you in many ways about the demand for big bucks. Again I see that they have the right, but the show also has the right to say no. I just don't see Corday doing that.

I do blame Joe M. a little because right now all the show wanted him for was a short stay. It is nothing new. It has happened often in the past. To put the show in the position of having to write for him longer than they intended or needed at the time is wrong. If Corday says he wants Joe full time, then Hogan has to change his plans for the character as he has written him. I just don't agree with that.

And I can some of the argument that Ridge is making about Hogan too. I know it is hard on Hogan to keep making all these changes, but I feel he could have punched things up a little more than he has. The family stuff he has written has been good, but the show just has had no punch. And the Nick Fallon character stinks to high heaven, and so does Willow. He could have held off on them and not used two bad characters so soon. Those were two big mistakes. I think after this last week I hate Nick almost as much as I do Willow. And the Steve/Kayla stuff is so boring still, and her in the hospital drug out way too long. I am actually liking STeve better with Billee. I don't know if Hogan intends that to be, but Steve and Billee are a lot more exciting that Steve and Kayla.

So I feel like Dru and Ridge and I hate to say it but Hogan is some to blame. There are just some things he could have changed right now.

I agree with you on some of that post, but I also think Hogan is still getting ajusted to writing Days, because some Days fans are a little different than ATWT's fans, I don't know how that many ATWT fans work, but I do know it's gonna be a tid bit different than ATWT. I have noticed with alot of writers that they jump to bring in their new characters like Nick and Willow, and even on my blog I brought in two of my own characters very early, and myself included have learned it just doesn't work that way. I think as time goes on Hogan will get better, so I am really going to hold off on my opinion right now about him because it is too soon to tell.

Anyway, I agree with Ridge and think Koslow is definately a possibility, I could even see a big whodunnit with her and mabye even it's that murder that we were all discussing a few weeks ago.

I'm not blaming JM one single bit. If he wants to take a paycut, and it is reasonable, but still get paid, how is supposed to do that? DH accepted a paycut and is still with the show. All of the actors (Vets) who have reuped have taken paycuts just to stay on the show. But now, they should take more paycuts, because they aren't being team players by accepting the money that they are.

Hogan is to blame because he hasn't fixed the show in the short time he's been on, and should be able to change at a moment's notice. And it's nmot a fact of always being in his corner, because I think sometimes that the writing goes off in different directions since he joined, but for everything to always fall on him because the guy he took over for, who had too much clout, and almost ruined the show is getting quite old.

I don't like the fact that some more actors might be leaving, but I will see what is to come instead of jumping on some bandwagon and demanding everyone's head, without seeing what willhappen. And, I also will not blame HS for having to change his stories when someone above him has decided to make cuts once again before the end of the year.

roman, I do not think any of the other vets should take pay cuts. They have been faithful to the show and should not be expected to take pay cuts. I was not saying that at all.

But I do say that if Corday could not get Joe M. to come on for the short term role that can be afforded that it is wrong to cut someone who has been faithful to the show just to accomodate Joe Mascolo. If JM does not want to take what is offered that is JM's perfect right to do so, but why should someone else suffer because Joe wants more than Days can afford or offer at the time. And I am not talking about coming on at a paycut, because from what we know they were going to meet his pay, but just for a shorter stint. Well Days either had nothing more planned for Joe at the time, or couldn't afford him.

And the same might could be said for Eileen Davidson. I do not know and will not speculate on that.

All I know is that these cuts seem to be coming out of nowhere, because all the talk of cuts had ended until the talk of not being able to get Joe came about, and then Eileen suddenly became available. And now more cuts. I do not believe for an instance that Corday felt more cuts were coming. I don't think he is stupid enough to know they are and let Hogan go off telling big story plans for characters that might be cut. This is all new.

And I will say too that if someone big is cut, the benefits of getting Joe Mascolo, Eileen Davidson or even Louise Sorel are going to be lost. Because a big loss right now is going to hurt big time, and even one of those 3 will not be able to make up for it.

I agree with you on some of that post, but I also think Hogan is still getting ajusted to writing Days, because some Days fans are a little different than ATWT's fans, I don't know how that many ATWT fans work, but I do know it's gonna be a tid bit different than ATWT. I have noticed with alot of writers that they jump to bring in their new characters like Nick and Willow, and even on my blog I brought in two of my own characters very early, and myself included have learned it just doesn't work that way. I think as time goes on Hogan will get better, so I am really going to hold off on my opinion right now about him because it is too soon to tell.

Anyway, I agree with Ridge and think Koslow is definately a possibility, I could even see a big whodunnit with her and mabye even it's that murder that we were all discussing a few weeks ago.

I don't feel that as much of the blame is on Hogan as it is on Corday. He needs to have the balls to say enough is enough right now. The show needs to start concentrating on working with what it has and get the show stabilized. Further cuts right now are not needed to accomodate bringing on someone else. These cuts will only delay Hogan from getting things fully started, as he has to write out more exits, deal with those, and then try to establish these new characters.

I don't feel HOgan had the full picture when he came on, but Hogan still gets some of the blame to me. I know that writers want to bring in their own characters, but even Hogan should have been smart enough to see what Days was dealing with. The show had already been in transition all summer, fans were dealing with losses of faves, and dealing with new faces - it wasn't the right time to bring on new characters. As bad as Dena Higley was she realized that the first few months was not the right time to bring on new characters at OLTL. She dealt with what she had and then brought in new folks. Of course that is when OLTL's big problems came. If she had stuck with dealing with the mess and expanding those original ideas things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand, because she was really good the first 6 months before she brought on all her new characters. So yes I do blame Hogan for that. I still think he is a good writer, but even worse writers have realized you don't bring on new characters into an already big pile of mess (a mess like JER left it in).