But this isn't about the creation of the characters. We're talking about the decision to put them on contract. And that blame rests solely on Ken Corday.

Well to me it is not much difference in the matter. I was already mad remember when I found out there were going to be 2 more new characters. That is Hogan's responsibility. And evidently he planned on using them a lot for a long term - just like he has Willow.

For me and the average viewer just like Michael said they won't know if they are contract or not. The new characters are still going to be there and these two are evidently going to be there for awhile.

As Michael said and as I said there comes a time when Corday and Wyman have to decide what is going to be best for the show in the long run moneywise. Is it going to be cheaper to pay these people for that many appearances on a recurring basis or is best to put them on contract. With newcomers generally they only get a 2 to 3 episode guarantee. Until a certain point that is all Corday has to pay is the guarantee and catch the overload up later. If they are on recurring they have to be paid per week or per episode they are on.

Corday's only fault in this is that he should have said NO to them being used long term or that much.

I blame Hogan because he is the one creating all these new characters. It is too many esp. with all the new faces already on the show.

Since he has come on we have had Willow, Jed, Connor, Nick, and now these 2 - not counting that Benji who is basically a new character to many. Add to that right before he got there we got EJ and Steve/Kayla who haven't been around for 16 years and are new characters to most of the current audience. And then now we have Adrienne coming back who is going to be new.

Hogan needs to concentrate on who he has and be done with it for awhile. This is Hogan's fault as far as the characters and whether it is for 13 weeks or 26 weeks that they stay around it is still too long. I held out hopes it might be for a few weeks at the most but Hogan had to have more than 13 weeks planned for them for Corday to even consider a contract. Remember when Willow first came on she didn't have a contract. It wasn't until Hogan planned more for her that Corday gave her a contract.

It really does. Let's all remember the Walkers. Nicole, Taylor, Brandon and Faye. All within, what, 9 months?

I wish people remembered Doug Marland's rules.

Nope. Nicole debuted February 1998, Taylor August 1998, Brandon June 1999, and Fay was sometime after that I believe..and father Paul didn't show up till July 2001.

I can't believe I'm saying this(please slap me, someone), but maybe JER wasn't quite so bad after all?

OK, JER is a hack, and I hated him for what he did repeatedly to Jack/Matt Ashford, but Sheffer ain't much better!

Who is to blame? Both Corday and Sheffer!

Is Duck supposed to be a male Bonnie?

Is Duck supposed to be a male Bonnie?

I doubt it.

I can't believe I'm saying this(please slap me, someone), but maybe JER wasn't quite so bad after all?

OK, JER is a hack, and I hated him for what he did repeatedly to Jack/Matt Ashford, but Sheffer ain't much better!

Who is to blame? Both Corday and Sheffer!

JER is ten times worse then Sheffer. If JER was still here, people would be getting raped by half man/woman every day....

With the exception of Nick, about all the newbies so far have been supporting characters for a story. Willow was needed for what to do with Shawn after he seperated from Mimi, yeah she is not needed that much right now but she has played a role in the story. A role that was needed.

Jed they could have used Connor but he is just a supporting character in the Mabby story and I cannot see him getting his own story.

And I have a feeling these two will only be supporting too.

Willow is by no means supporting. She is on ALL the time in lengthy scenes and is currently having a "family" type storyline developed around her.

Supporting or not these are roles that are not needed and these are characters that are going to be taking up airtime from a show that has already removed familiarity from its equation. And no matter how economically advantageous this may be these are ultimately people getting paid that will be on our screen in addittion to the many new faces that we are seeing repeatedly and that does not bode well for the show AT ALL. And THAT is Hogan's doing. Hogan is going to WRITE for these people. He has WRITTEN for Nick, he has WRITTEN for Willow and has NOT written for Hope, Bo, Marlena, John, Kate (by all practical means she is a mere supporting player to anything going on and there for props completely) and Victor, etc. He is WRITING for his new characters and not writing for those that have given this show its identity. And seriously, that includes Shelle too.

Willow is by no means supporting. She is on ALL the time in lengthy scenes and is currently having a "family" type storyline developed around her.

Supporting or not these are roles that are not needed and these are characters that are going to be taking up airtime from a show that has already removed familiarity from its equation. And no matter how economically advantageous this may be these are ultimately people getting paid that will be on our screen in addittion to the many new faces that we are seeing repeatedly and that does not bode well for the show AT ALL. And THAT is Hogan's doing. Hogan is going to WRITE for these people. He has WRITTEN for Nick, he has WRITTEN for Willow and has NOT written for Hope, Bo, Marlena, John, Kate (by all practical means she is a mere supporting player to anything going on and there for props completely) and Victor, etc. He is WRITING for his new characters and not writing for those that have given this show its identity. And seriously, that includes Shelle too.

Good point. Even when the vets are used, I get the feeling it's just to mollify the fanbases so TPTB can say they are using the vets. They don't have their own stories, they are supporting the younger members of the cast. Steve/Kayla have a story but it's not a good one and not a popular one.

Yep out of the mistakes that he did make at ATWT that was not one of them.

And as to the thing about the new characters being on contract. I think the difference is Hogan has penned a long term story for them. That is the reason they are on contract. I think that is the reason you don't see Jed on contract right now is that Hogan has not penned a long term story for him - just like Benji. He doesn't figure into the long term story so they are willing to risk losing the actors by keeping them on recurring.

Corday is doing the only thing he can from a business standpoint. If the writers have a long term story penned they want to assure that the actors are going to be there. If they don't and they do have to recast that is just going to cost more money in the long run because they will have to pay the casting director more for auditions and the such. Plus if they did have to recast becuase the lost an actor there you have another NEW FACE to get used too.

So I think Hogan has to take just as much blame here. He is the one that is creating the characters and planning the story. Corday or someone needs to stand up and say ENOUGH

I think for the very first time, I'm agreeing with Steve. You hit the nail on the head. It is Hogan's fault that Duck and Gabby are now on contract. Corday doesn't have the money to pay recurring characters that are going to have a major part in the story. That's why Annie Burgstede (Willow) was given a contract and that's why the White twins (Claire) were given contracts. With a contract, the actor has a set salary. With recurring status, Corday has to pay them for each apparence. Who has the money for that? For once, this is not Corday's fault. He's doing the only thing he can to keep money going.

But this isn't about the creation of the characters. We're talking about the decision to put them on contract. And that blame rests solely on Ken Corday.

Corday is responsible for contracts, but you have to realize that it's much cheaper to place an actor on contract than to place them on recurring and have them appear 15 times a month. Think!

Willow is supporting. You can still be frontburner and be supporting. Does a story revolve around her or is she part of the center of it? No. All she has done is been a supporter for the Shelle story and most recently Hope's house burning. That's all. If she had a story of her own, then I would not consider her supporting. But she doesn't.

Some people are going to blame Hogan no matter what for everything wrong with the show. I have come to accept that.

How this is his fault is beyond me. Maybe the characters were his but maybe it was Corday who wanted them cotnract to save money. Maybe people should wait to see how long these two last before going nuts and jumping the gun.

I am also sick of people bringing up Connor, Jed, and Benji. First off, we have seen Benji only a few times and he is recurring. Same goes for Jed. We are seeing him alot this week but he is recurring and while people don't know what status they are on while they watch Jed won't be here long so who cares. Connor is gone already so why people still bring him up I don't know

Nick and Willow are the only two frontburner and now these two. I am just as angry but I also wonder how long these two will stay. I am just going to wait and see. Also, if there is balance and the familiar characters are featured just as much if not more, what is the problem? If there is balance, bringing in new and fresh faces is fine. I totally understand people being upset given the balance issue but the balance is getting better and if we continue to see our faces I don't see a big deal with bringing in some faces to mix things up. I personally wouldn't mind if Bisco stayed. I don't understand the father being there but I like her. Again, I do understand what many people are saying but I am choosing not to jump all over it just yet until I see how long these two are around. I just give the majority of the blame on this to Corday but whatever.

JER is ten times worse then Sheffer. If JER was still here, people would be getting raped by half man/woman every day....

I'll never get why people always bash JER by saying "Oh, he's turning it into PASSIONS."

NEVER on Days, in his second run, did he do anything that came close to the most ridiculous and even stupid things he's done on "Passions" (and I say that lovingly since that's my jam).

"Passions," he has said, REPEATEDLY, has its own quirky beat and it can get away with tons of stuff that he'd never do on "Days."

Sorry, but he wouldn't have a half man-woman on "Days." Nevah in a million years. That's reserved for his baby.

and remember: Corday never would allow that.

I'll never get why people always bash JER by saying "Oh, he's turning it into PASSIONS."

NEVER on Days, in his second run, did he do anything that came close to the most ridiculous and even stupid things he's done on "Passions" (and I say that lovingly since that's my jam).

"Passions," he has said, REPEATEDLY, has its own quirky beat and it can get away with tons of stuff that he'd never do on "Days."

Sorry, but he wouldn't have a half man-woman on "Days." Nevah in a million years. That's reserved for his baby.

and remember: Corday never would allow that.

Did I say he's turning it into Passions? No.

I know he would not actually do it, I am just giving an example.

Did I say he's turning it into Passions? No.

I know he would not actually do it, I am just giving an example.

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest you said he was turning the show into that.

I was referring, however, to TONS of people who said that on this very board, when he wrote for "Days."

And it made me SO furious because it wasn't true. The two shows clearly maintained their own identities -- at least, to a reasonable degree.

I mean, MOnday on "Passions" Tabitha gave Miguel a potion to specifically make him horny. She gave a potion to Kay to specifically make her horny for a man. Miguel howled, ripped off his shirt and tried to mount Tabitha because she was a woman. Kay moaned and groaned and almost humped her bed because she was so hot for a man. Tabitha guided Miguel upstairs to be with Kay. He STORMED IN her room, the door went down and fantasy clouds were everywhere. THey immediately straddled each other and Tabby watched it all in her bowl and commented on how hot Migs.

That would NEVER happen on "Days." lol.

People, back then, would see Bonnie just being Bonnie and say, "Oh my gosh, this is turning into "passions." "

I hate that. Because they clearly have no idea what they're talking about, as evidenced by the Kayguel madness thatagain, would never happen on "Days." (Oh, I left out that Migs beat his chest and yelled out like Tarzan before he could find the right woman to screw, didn't i? )

I rest my case.

RE: JSF

So, I guess I just imagined the whole Iraq fiasco, Mimi's abortion, Melaswen, and the Castle?