Really, really sad about SLG getting fired. That's a shocker.

I can understand the overhaul of the writing staff if they are very serious about turning things around. Like Kenny said, people have been saying big changes have been needed for years. I was hoping we would keep SLG, though. I also understand budget cuts with the actors, but I'd much rather cut the equivalent of 4 Mimi's (and we DO have at least 4 crap characters that could be cut easily) and keep one Matt Ashford or Renee Jones. I'd take quality over quantity any day.

I agree with you 100%, but I think it doesn't work that way because of guarantees. For example, a vet like Matt or Renee say earnes $16000 and a newbie earns $4000 (I'm making these numbers up - but it fits the 4 newbies for 1 vet ratio you mentioned). The vet has in his contract a g'tee to appear say 2 times a week for which his salary is covered. If he appears less than 2 times a week, he still collects his $16000 at the end of the month. But if he gets extra cash for appearing more than twice a week - I have no idea how much per episode but lets use $2000.

So if you fire the 4 newbies, the vet would likely have to appear 4 times a week on average in more scenes (which sounds great ). In a 4 week month thats an extra $16 000 a month - salary doubled to $32 000. No saving is made from firing the 4 newbies, but the vet may get burnout (and he/she may make the audience turn off from overexposure). But if you fire the vet and make the nebies appear 3 times a week (scenes spread more thinly because of the numbers) their collective take home at $500 extra per episode, is $24 000, ($4000 * 4 + $500 * 4 * 4) and comes in 1/4 cheaper than the vet with no newbies options.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I know FOR A FACT that Matt was earning nowhere near 4 times the salary of Farah Fath.

I really hate that Sofia Geier was let go. She was the one dialogue writer I could count on writing a good show.

But the fact remains, that Beth Milstein is still on staff, for which I'm grateful. I would have rather she be in Meg Kelly's position as opposed to associate HW.

I think Hogan does have control of the writing staff. I just wonder why its taken him so long to get rid of the Reilly flunkies. I never liked Bruce Neckels at all.

As for the character of Roman Brady, I would absolutely love it if John was Roman. Josh Taylor was wrongly casted in this role by Corday because of the friendship thing. Josh just doesn't have the chemistry with the rest of the Brady family, especially Bo/Peter Reckell. I think Drake does, and of course Wayne Northrup always did. But, I think maybe Josh could be worked around to play a different character if he has to be kept at all. Preferably, I would rather see him leave Days.

I know FOR A FACT that Matt was earning nowhere near 4 times the salary of Farah Fath.

I don't doubt that because Fath has been there since 1999, and is not a newbie.

Corday only intervenes if he really objects to something Wyman wants to do or he has had some brainfart he wants implemented on a whim (like Lisa Rinna returning in 2002) - from an outsiders view, we really have no idea which hirings, firings and S/L direction changes came from Corday, Wyman or Hogan and as such most blame laying is purely speculative, unless directly confirmed by any of the 3 in the press for taking responsibility.

Yes, that was where I was coming from. I wasn't trying to say nothing was Hogan's doing, but who made what decision specifically is all speculation. It's fine to speculate as long as you remember it's just speculation.

Seriously!

Honestly, I did not watch DAYS at all last week. Haven't watched today. I am not planning on watching this week either or next. This week is last week of class, next is finals. I have them all on TIVO, but the desire/urge is not there to watch.

I'd rather put the little time I do have into my blog.

King skip last week, but this week and next week are supposed to be very good..Ditch the blog and watch the show..Does anyone even read these blogs on here? No offense, but it seems like everyone and their mother has one...

Does anyone ever read the blogs? Where have you been! My blog got 900 hits last week. Juniorz's gets more than that, methinks. It's sad to say but every DAYS blog on SON is better than the show right now.

I'm really getting back into DAYS lately and really liking the direction things are heading in. But King's right, the DAYS blogs are better.

As for whether anyone reads them........today I logged on and found a comment from someone in HUNGARY!! They just joined SON today. People read the blogs, trust me. Hell, I'd venture to say that there are some guests & members that come to SON specifically for them.

I know FOR A FACT that Matt was earning nowhere near 4 times the salary of Farah Fath.

Why does everybody take everything so LITERAL? We were using an analogy, a hypothetical

example.

No need for all the knit-picking.

The basic POINT of the matter remains true--it's a BUSINESS and because of the budget

and the low ratings of today's soaps, they can't afford these extravagant casts that we used

to have.

A mid-rated soap used to get a 5.0 or a 5.6.....a top show would score 9.8 or 10.2

Those days (and the "budgets") are GONE FOREVER.

It's not Hogan Sheffer's fault and no matter how much he loves certain characters, he will

have to fire people he likes just like everybody else does.

I agree with you 100%, but I think it doesn't work that way because of guarantees. For example, a vet like Matt or Renee say earnes $16000 and a newbie earns $4000 (I'm making these numbers up - but it fits the 4 newbies for 1 vet ratio you mentioned). The vet has in his contract a g'tee to appear say 2 times a week for which his salary is covered. If he appears less than 2 times a week, he still collects his $16000 at the end of the month. But if he gets extra cash for appearing more than twice a week - I have no idea how much per episode but lets use $2000.

So if you fire the 4 newbies, the vet would likely have to appear 4 times a week on average in more scenes (which sounds great ). In a 4 week month thats an extra $16 000 a month - salary doubled to $32 000. No saving is made from firing the 4 newbies, but the vet may get burnout (and he/she may make the audience turn off from overexposure). But if you fire the vet and make the nebies appear 3 times a week (scenes spread more thinly because of the numbers) their collective take home at $500 extra per episode, is $24 000, ($4000 * 4 + $500 * 4 * 4) and comes in 1/4 cheaper than the vet with no newbies options.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You took it deeper than the example I set, but you're TOTALLY RIGHT. That is exactly what the problem

is. You have to pay enormous DOUGH for the "STARZ", their agents work out these huge contracts as

they become more and more popular. Regardless of how a writer really likes an actor, the BUSINESS SIDE

of show biz always rules the day and that was my point.

I still insist that anybody that Hogan WANTS to be on that show--will be there. Corday is not firing anybody

that Hogan wants to write for. That's absurd.

IF....IF Jason's report is true about the writing staff, then it just proves what I'm saying, because not even the all powerful James Reilly was allowed to fire Corday's "class pets"---Sofia Landon and Peter Brash

or any other of Wyman's picks. Reilly was allowed about 3 or 4 writers of his choosing and the rest were

Corday and Wyman's.

On any show---the HW rarely gets to pick or control his entire writing team. The EP does that.

We also have to remember that Corday fought very hard to bring Sheffer to "DAYS". Hogan DID NOT want to come to Days of Our Lives. He was wooed and begged for months by Corday and Wyman to please

come save their show. An official announcement of him joining the staff was held off for months and months

because of the negotiation of his contract. Everybody in the industry kept saying that Sheffer wanted

"Artistic Control" over the show or he wasn't coming.

In the end, Corday gave Sheffer everything he wanted in order to get him on board, and I believe he made

the right decision.

The transition is bumpy and there's no way to please all of the people all of the time, but if Sheffer is given

time and control, he will turn this show into a major force in daytime. He is a good writer and he knows

how to make an award-winning product. The budget, however, will always be a problem for any writer

in daytime t.v. It's not like the old days anymore.

Why does everybody take everything so LITERAL? We were using an analogy, a hypothetical

example.

No need for all the knit-picking.

The basic POINT of the matter remains true--it's a BUSINESS and because of the budget

and the low ratings of today's soaps, they can't afford these extravagant casts that we used

to have.

A mid-rated soap used to get a 5.0 or a 5.6.....a top show would score 9.8 or 10.2

Those days (and the "budgets") are GONE FOREVER.

It's not Hogan Sheffer's fault and no matter how much he loves certain characters, he will

have to fire people he likes just like everybody else does.

I'm not knit-picking. You implied that Matt was earning significantly more than the younger actors on the cast and I know this not to be the case. Matt took a substantial pay cut to return in 04. His salary was well short of other vets like Missy, Peter, Kristian and even younger actors such as Jason Cook.

I don't believe Matt's firing had much to do with budget concerns. As soon as Missy's departure was confirmed, I feared Corday would pull the plug on Matt's contract. He always viewed Matt & Missy as a package deal and never really saw the value of Jack as an individual character. His actions in the past back up that assumption.

I'm not knit-picking. You implied that Matt was earning significantly more than the younger actors on the cast and I know this not to be the case. Matt took a substantial pay cut to return in 04. His salary was well short of other vets like Missy, Peter, Kristian and even younger actors such as Jason Cook.

I don't believe Matt's firing had much to do with budget concerns. As soon as Missy's departure was confirmed, I feared Corday would pull the plug on Matt's contract. He always viewed Matt & Missy as a package deal and never really saw the value of Jack as an individual character. His actions in the past back up that assumption.

And if HOGAN wanted Matt Ashford on the show, he would BE THERE.

I think that's very obvious to anyone who's watching how the show is being retooled.

Whatever Hogan wants, they're giving it to him. He obviously didn't want to keep Matt Ashford.

They should have kept Peter Brash and SLG. They know how to write intelligent, heartfelt dialogue, especially SLG. I'm glad Neckels is gone. You could usually tell the episodes that had his pen all over them.

Beth really needs to be co-head writer, and put Meg Kelly down in her place.

I do appreciate Sheffer trying to rejuvenate DAYS, because after the bog that Reilly had it in, change was needed. However, he and TPTB should be doing these changes slowly. They're getting rid of too many people too quickly. Unless the show comes forth with some great storytelling and writing, I think more and more fans will be leaving the show.

They should have kept Peter Brash and SLG. They know how to write intelligent, heartfelt dialogue, especially SLG. I'm glad Neckels is gone. You could usually tell the episodes that had his pen all over them.

Beth really needs to be co-head writer, and put Meg Kelly down in her place.

I do appreciate Sheffer trying to rejuvenate DAYS, because after the bog that Reilly had it in, change was needed. However, he and TPTB should be doing these changes slowly. They're getting rid of too many people too quickly. Unless the show comes forth with some great storytelling and writing, I think more and more fans will be leaving the show.

ITA. The changes need to be much more gradual, especially since DAYS fans (myself included) are notorious for being particularly sensitive. Milstein should most definitely be Co-HW, and Brash, SLG, and Schoettle should be staying on.

And if HOGAN wanted Matt Ashford on the show, he would BE THERE.

I think that's very obvious to anyone who's watching how the show is being retooled.

Whatever Hogan wants, they're giving it to him. He obviously didn't want to keep Matt Ashford.

It's not obvious at all that HS is being given what he wants. He has publicly stated that several of the firings went against his own plans and were influenced by NBC/Corday Productions.

For all we know, Corday allowing HS to fire these writers is a compromise because Corday has meddled in casting decisions. There's a BIG difference between having control over a couple of writing appointments and having control over casting.

You really think it would as easy for HS to fire Josh Taylor as it was for him to axe Peter Brash (assuming this e-mail is true)?