Days: Another person is going to be fired..

[Ponz]

Steve, I agree with you again.

Hogan is obviously not to blame for the majority of the departures. With 40 million slashed off the budget, the firings were going to happen regardless of who was writing. And Corday/NBC have undoubtedly stuck their noses in with respect to which actors would be the ones to go.

IMO, none of the firings (with the exception of Matt Ashford) were bad decisions individually. Warlock, Peck & Clark all had high-profile returns that bombed. TPTB were right to cut their losses there. Hutzler was a disaster from day one. Rose was all wrong for the part of Stephanie. I can even excuse the axing of Jones because her character has been drifting aimlessly for so long. However, when these firings are added to the voluntary departures of others (especially Cook and Reeves), the net effect is very jarring for viewers. By Feb/March next year, the show may have lost up to 15 cast members (many of them veterans) in the space of 6 months!

In this context, Hogan could have shown a bit more restraint in bringing in newbies. Introducing the likes of Willow, Nick & soon-to-be Connor Lockhart just compounds the jarring effect on viewers and creates the impression of an unstable/unfamiliar show. I also think the instant recast of Shawn was a mistake. Hogan should have sent the character away for several months before Beemer was brought in. As bad an actor as Cook was, he did have a big fanbase. They needed to give fans time to adjust to his departure.

I do sympathise with Hogan. It's tough for him to put his creative vision into place in the midst of all this behind the scenes drama. But it was unwise of him to introduce new characters in this environment.

[DaysFanJean]

Hogan did say from the beginning that there would be new characters popping in and out all the time when those characters were required to tell the story then they would be gone. Fallen is here for the Chelsea love story. Willow apparently is here to keep Shawn busy while Belle is adjusting to life as a single woman and letting go of Philip. They work for me. I love Nick because he is brilliant and that is about all that is required to make me a fan, that and his over-the-top self-confidence and humor. Willow was given a contract so she may have a story beyond Shawn which we will learn about. Frankly, I think it's a brilliant move to bring in characters to help tell a story and then letting them move on so they don't stay around to start earning more money and hogging storylines to earn their pay.

About Kate, she is the head of her clan. I really don't see her getting the ax. Without Kate, Billie, Chelsea, and even Lucas would lose staying power.

Most likely Abe will go, then Josh Taylor's Roman even though Corday is his good friend.

[billyjill]

Not necessarily. Corday could well have just gone, Gee the show is in trouble, better change up the writers and change up the cast. Simple as that.

Not saying no, just saying not necessarily.

[Days4Life]

If Eileen is in fact coming back to Days, I can see how Kate might be the next one cut. They could move Kristen into Mythic to help E.J. who we now know is some kind of DiMeara relative. That might give her story beyond just a J/M interloper. I have very mixed feeling about this, as I have enjoyed Kate over the years, but I'm also tired of her doing all kinds of underhanded things and never suffering any consequences. Frankly, I don't understand why anyone in Salem would have anything to do with her, and that includes her own children. I would prefer Roman be cut over Kate because he has no real role anyway--except apparently working as Abe's secretary. But I don't think Roman would be considered a "huge" cut because he's never really been accepted by the fans. And unlike some, I just can't believe Corday would be so stupid as to cut any of the supercouples unless he has a death wish because he would have fanbases gunning for him for sure!

[DrewH]

As much as I love the vets, Steve, I have to see where the Execs are coming from when they ask veterans to take pay cuts. Those actors have did their time and shined. It's time to pass the torch to the next generation. Am I saying the vets should be written off completely? No! However, they are no longer leading material, IMO. Vets should support the next generation's storlyines. That way, fans will still see them and their presence will still be felt.

[Soapsuds]

I totally disagree with your statement. No matter what show we are talking about the vets should lead the story. The next generation should support the vets. IMO that's why soaps are losing viewers. They are showcasing the teens and just using the vets as window dressing. Those actors you mentioned have proven they will stick to the show. The next generation are the ones that have to prove they will stick with the show.

For example ATWT: Only Martha Bryne and Jon Hensley remain from the 80's. Martha was in her teens and Jon in his early 20's. What happened to all the other teens on that show? They left. Where is Brian Bloom(ex-Dusty)? Gone!

I sure wouldnt want you as an executive producer at my show.

[DrewH]

So when the vets die, should the show be cancelled? You wouldn't want me running your show? I wouldn't you running my show. I'd gain interest and then after all the vets died, the show would be over because the next generation was never established because all of the stories were led by vets.

[Soapsuds]

The way the soaps are featuring all the newbies and next generation the vets will out live the soaps. So many soaps are in big trouble already. Who says the next generation will be the future of soaps if they are cancelled in a few years?

The soaps are catering to you, the teen market/early 20's. They could care less about the older/faithful viewers like me.

[SteveFrame]

Drew, I hate to disagree with you but I do X 50000 times.

Just take one look at ABC and esp at OLTL and AMC. Two shows that used to get high ratings. They have backburnered the vets and let them support the next generation. And even if you use the excuse that good writing would make the difference don't even go there.

Just take one look at this year alone on the months that GH, AMC, and OLTL chose to use the vets in front burner storylines what did the viewers do - they praised them and honored them with high ratings.

For years soaps had a working formula - you bring new characters in and the next generation and you let the vets and the older generation work with them and establish them. Gloria Monty did that with GH and Luke & Laura. She put them in a front burner storyline but also kept the vets going too.

No Drew you don't put the next generation in control of the show. If you don't want to look at ABC's mistake, look at Days mistake when they turned the show over to the teens and turned it into Saved By the Bell. That is where Days trouble started and they haven't recovered from it yet. Langan backburnered the vets, and let the next generation takeover. Days is still paying for it today.

[Bree]

TPTB at DAYS are in for a surprise if they think characters like Chelsea and Willow can carry this show. They tried to do it before with all those teens, and it screwed them in the behind big time. Soaps need younger characters, but not always constantly driving big, emotional stories---especially if some of those actors and actresses are not talented enough to pull it off.

[PhoenixRising05]

The best thing is for the next generation characters like Belle, Shawn, Chelsea, Abby, Max, etc to be roped in with their families and the vets. Thankfully, Hogan is doing that right now and that is how you transition the youth into the future. They should not be of focus now but they should be tied to the adults so that when the time does come they are ready to take over and the fans would've accepted them. That is the key IMO.

I just want to know who it is because this is getting really hard to be patient over. I am thinking its either Kate or Abe now based on all the hints of late but I just want to know who so I can accept it and move on.

As for the new characters Hogan brought on, I agree that he did it too fast but it is clear these characters are only here to fulfill some purpose. Nick was said to be short term and Willow has short term written all over her IMO. It's not like these characters are here to stay right now from what we know. Hogan's only mistake has been bringing these types of characters on too soon but I can't really bash him for that since they don't seem long-term. Otherwise, I can't see how the lack of action or subpar sweeps can be blamed on him. Some keep mentioning the long transition before him. That wasn't his fault and you can't include that in judging him. While some non-internet people won't know what is up, a good deal of people do. He should be judged from the moment his stuff started airing. Sweeps was not horrible but to say he could've did more is debatable. He can't just rush his new stories out of the gate and toss out the last 3-4 years just so we can have a big sweeps. That would be to the show's benefit. He did the right thing. I would've liked a bigger sweeps too and I would've liked things to get going like they have the last few days sooner but I understand what Hogan had to deal with. It's not excuses. It's facts. The cuts don't help Hogan's writing either. If anyone is to blame, it's Corday. He is the one that makes the decisions.

I said my piece about Hogan so I will leave it at that. Now let's find out who this person is before I tear my hair out

[jonphil]

I think Days has a nice balance between vets and younger characters right now. When i first started watching the show, I remember some people complained that Bo and Hope and some of the younger characters were getting all of the air time. I think the vets should be involved in all of the stories, but not every story has to revolve around one of them. Days has to develop the characters of Shawn, Belle, Abby, Will, Max, etc. I wish that we could get a new couple that really catches with the fans. I'm hoping that Mabby just might be that couple. Anyways, I like the balance that they show has right now. I don't think the new characters are getting too much airtime. Except for Shawn, and since he is a pivotal character and I"m enjoying the new actor I don't mind it. As long as we have John and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Steve and Kayla, Sami and Lucas, Caroline, Maggie, Abe, Victor, Roman, etc. I don't think the show is going to get unrecognizable.

[much debate]

Am I the only one that sees Victor on the way out?

I think the new Phil is going to come back with a vengance and take control of the family business.

Either Victor is going to leave to take care of business elsewhere, or Phil will find some way to have him committed to a facility so he can get him out of the picture and take over things.

[King]

I think it's silly to blame Hoagie for the exits. But I think it's silly to say he has nothing to do with it either. It's clearly a result of a collaboration between production and writing.

[SteveFrame]

That is the reason taht I said I hope that Hogan doesn't push Victor to the side when Philip does emerge. I like Victor - always have. I want to see him retain power and lead or even have a battle within the family, but keep him prominant.

As far as cutting Victor it is not going to save them much since he doesn't have a contract. The only thing saved is the money they put out the times he is used. Since he doesn't have a contract he has no security. I don't know if he didn't want the contract or if he just wasn't offered one.