Days: Is Anyone Sick of the Sheffer bashing?

[Tishy]

And by Chris Kostichek I meant Roman. In my mind, Josh Taylor will always be Chris. Still bugs me after all these years that they cast him as Roman.

[jadestar]

Yes I'm tired of all the Hogan bashing especially because I like Days now. I may be in the minority but I enjoy the teens a lot more than vets like John and Marlena. John could disappear forever and I would like Days even more.

[Dan]

I completly understand how you are sick and tired of the bashing of Sheffer, except I'm the opposite. I am sick and tired of all the praise the man gets. laugh.

I'm sick of reading all of the Sheffer bashing for the ratings.

I must say, I see both sides. On one hand, Sheffer is overrated. His first year was good IMO only because of the fabulous support staff guiding Sheffer. By "support staff" I mean the fabulous Carolyn Culliton, Stephen Demorest, Hal Corley, Richard Allen, and Jeff Beldner. Once he was on his own and these greats were fired (After the won a freakin' Emmy no less. You gotta wonder about MADD), the show began to SUCK. And it never looked back to be honest.

On the other hand, DAYS is a totally different show now. It's no longer the stupid show of Reilly's with on-note dialogue and stupid stories. The show may not have bog events, but it is still the most consistently well written show in daytime right now. The daily shows are entertaining on a creative level. Hogan's only problem is that he needs some help guiding the storylines to a higher quality. Also, Hogan's sense of balance has ALWAYS been his weakest part. He needs to learn that ATWT and DAYS fans are very different. Sure ATWT fans will rant that you are not using the vets, but DAYS fans will tar and feather you. And then let you rot on the ground for wolves to lick off the tar.

[Mason]

LMAO! That's so true!

[MrsMahaney]

I think people give Corday too much credit. Corday's problem is he does not know how to be an executive producer.

Now Sheffer... no matter who is writing the show, they are going to get praised and they are going to get praised. Stuff will be made up about them to support or not support one's case.

Now if you are going by the facts, John being in a coma is not Corday's doing, it is Sheffer's doing. Sheffer clearly stated in a TV Guide interview that he was putting John in a coma and that he would communicate with Marlena and all this BS. This was Sheffer's idea and he wrote himself into a corner because he likes the character of EJ too much and if he took John out of his coma, he would have to have some kind of closure for EJ.

As far as the vets being backburnered, Sheffer also clearly stated in TV Guide that the older characters needed to go and the young ones need to claim the show. He put the characters of Victor and Stefano down in the process. Sure enough, all we are seeing are the younger crowd on screen. This wasn't another Corday interfering, this was Sheffer's writing pure and simple.

People like to blame Corday for all of DAYS' ills and to a point they are correct because he's an idiot and he let's things get out of control with the writers. Believe me, the only reason why Joe Mascolo is returning to the show is Corday. If Sheffer got his way, we would never see Stefano.

The ratings are down because of the storytelling. Fans do not like the Steve in the mental hospital story, they aren't liking EJ, they aren't liking this huge adventure Shelle is on (this too was all Sheffer's idea and he also stated this in TV Guide,) or Willow & Jed or Gabby & Duck (Sheffer also said he would never introduce new families in TV Guide as well and look he introduced two of them.)

I'm using TV Guide as a reference for everything because I know there are people out there who will say this or that about me or what I am writing, so I thought I would make it simple and have everything stated here easily verified by a reliable source!

The only reason why things are changing now is because Corday can start shopping around DAYS in September and he can't sell a show that's getting such dismal ratings. Ratings for the show have been decreasing since Philip returned in mid-January. This can also be verified as the ratings are printed all over the place. This was before PASSIONS cancellatiion announcement. So honestly, why else would people be tuning out if it wasn't for the fact that the storytelling wasn't great. If Sheffer is getting bashed I believe it is because fans expected more out of him with all of his pimping himself in interviews last fall and those 4 Emmy wins. I know I look at the show now and ask myself, "This is being written by a four time Emmy-winning writer?"

Everyone's going to have an opinion on this. Opinions are like a-holes.... everyone has one and everyone is not going to agree. But I'm sure the nearly 30 percent of the people who have abandoned DAYS in the last 6 months would agree Sheffer is responsible. Sheffer is not a saint and he is not free from responsiblity to why the ratings have dipped so get over it!

[PhoenixRising05]

LOVE YA RYAN .

I totally agree with all of your posts in here. I am just going to repeat what I posted in another thread.

I can't beleive people still think this is all on Hogan. Apparently, we are forgetting Corday's track record and the fact that Hogan had a great balance going all the way into January where in one week Days lost all balance and became what it has been recently. The reason why Hogan isn't doing anything is because Corday screwed with his stories to experiment with the young cast yet again. Hogan doesn't want to write these stories and that is why they are poorly planned and executed. Now Corday is being forced to backtrack and go with what Hogan wanted in the first place. Hogan would not open his mouth that much and be so excited and then all of a sudden shut his mouth. Days didn't even issue February sweeps previews!! That shows that something happened behind the scenes. If Corday left Hogan alone and just let him write, things wouldn't be how they are. Period. Hogan's reputation in on the line and, while I am aware at what he did on ATWT, he wouldn't come out with all those ideas and plans and then not do all of them. Sure, some things can change but he wouldn't tell that many lies. No one can convince me of that. It's career suicide and his name is bring dragged through the mud because of Corday butting in.

If he lets Hogan write and if Corday holds true to his words, you just watch how good May and the summer is. We go through this every year with Days. Corday messes up and the show must backtrack and the rest of the year is good. That is how I know it's not Hogan. It's just the yearly "Corday messed up and now is trying to save his show and his own ass" situation. Most Days fans and soap fans should be used to it by now.

I don't mind people being critical but the Hogan bashing began nearly one month in to his reign and it wasn't just here. Actually, SON is like child's play compared to other boards who were on his case after two weeks because they didn't have their couples together right away. I remember distinctly the same people who are bashing Hogan now complaining about how boring Days was in October and November and how they wanted more. Then December comes and everyone is happy until January. Everyone is entitled to their opinion but we all know changes are coming yet you see people complaining this is boring and why is this happening and so on. The changes are coming in May. Lay off a bit until you see May and the summer. I mean, I understand before when things were still happening and we heard nothing from Days but now we have so let's give the show a chance to breathe.

It just seems like people were out to get Hogan from the start. Even before his debut, all we heard was what he did on ATWT and so on. THIS IS NOT ATWT!!! I watched his entire tenure and, like Ryan said, he didn't write for every vet but he did write for vets. Yes, he writes some characters similarly to others on ATWT but they are entirrly different shows. That is what really annoys me when the ATWT thing is brought up again and again. Go ahead and be critical but let me just lay something out for you:

Exhibit A: Emmy award winning writer Hogan Sheffer does countless interviews in the Fall of 2006. He shows a great deal of excitement and pleases fans with his comments. He makes several promises, a good deal of which come true early on.

Exhibit B: Days slowly improves in Hogan's early months only to catch fire in December and early January. All of a sudden, as January comes to a close, we have one week of nothing but Shelle/Nick/Chelsea/Philip. One story as a focus for a 5 day week? Strange...

Exhbit C: What?! No February sweeps previews for Days? When has that ever happened? Hmm...can't think of a time. Wow...Hogan hasn't said a word since late December/early January? You don't say? So unlike him...he was so excited...

Exhbit D: Hogan has a huge ego. He expressed desire in writing for characters like Jack and Lexie. He had a story beginning for the Carver's that all of a sudden dropped out of sight. Wait, was that a rushed exit for Lexie? I just can't understand why they would let RJ go...a proven team player who is likely to have taken a pay cut just to stay (since JR admitted taking a pay cut to sign his new contract last year). That Hogan...such a reputation. It's just not like him to lie so much...his reputation will be ruined. He is oddly quiet..isn't he?

Exhibit E: What Corday is a Shelle lover? Oh yeah, he loved pushing his teen adventure in 2001 didn't he? He just loved looking like a hero when he fired Langan in 2001 huh? Now he comes off looking like a hero again after blaming everyone from Steve/Kayla and Hogan to Passions and his lead in. He just loves to deflect blame and only take minor responsibility all the time, doesn't he?

Exhibit F: What was that? MBE and SN are cheap. They took pay cuts to return? Oh, all these young and newbie characters...I know they are cheaper. It sure looks like Days is trying to save money...perhaps as an effort to stay on NBC with a lesser budget? Maybe it's a way of preparing for what may happen on another network that may want the vets cut? Hmm...

Exhibit G; Boy, that balance went downhill awfully fast. Practically overnight. You would think someone was changing gears. The show seems so lethargic now...it's almost like the writer is being forced to write this. I wonder...

Exhibit H: Wow...it seems like a tradition to have these "Save Days" situations every year. That Corday...always experimenting. Isn't it weird how the show always improves shortly after we the next plan to save Days only to see the show go downhill again the following January due to similar problems? It's a tradition unlike any other!! Corday f**ks up again!!! YAY!!

After examining the evidence presented...there is only one conclusion...Ken Corday. I find him guilty. You want the answer to who is responsible...look to further then him and the idiots at NBC who made that stupid statement right when the show began having these issues, which only compounded the problem.

[Mason]

God, I love your posts Phoenix. They're like orgasms for my eyes, LoL.

And I was just thinking about this and I totally agree:

[PhoenixRising05]

Thanks Mason.

I am never snarky or sarcastic in posts but this just called for it.

Some are ignoring the Corday factor here. Hogan has a clean slate when it comes to Days. Corday does not. His track record speaks for itself. He made a comment in SOD about having to "look in the mirror" about who is responsible. It was the one moment in the interview where I felt he was sincere and finally realizes the truth...he is messing with the show. He is responsible.

The Days HW job is the hardest job in soaps, if not TV. You are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Days is the biggest bandwagon soap I have ever seen. And I do mean EVER.

[Mason]

Exactly. You give fans what they don't want. Of course they're not happy. But then when you give them something they've been begging years for...many DAYS fans still bitch and moan. You just can't win. And this was even back during the fall when things were on fire. I honestly do not envy Hogan one iota. This summer sounds like it's going to be amazing, but I can already hear the complaining about SOMETHING coming.

[billyjill]

So much agreement on this. Where the hell are the 30 year olds??!? Would it kill this show to introduce a new 30 year old, if we must have new characters? Is it so hard? Is it so wrong?

[sungrey]

And so did I. And given time and less interference, Hogan will be the writer everyone hopes. He has so much potential now and his stuff really isn't being given time to work (thanks, Ken!)...

I agree with others, too. If James Reilly ever returned to Days, I would wash my hands of the show.

[R!ck]

Will you marry me? We can sit on the sofa and eat bon bons while watching our soaps?

Marvelous Post!

[KLN]

He said alot of things that came true (Shawn and Belle on the run, Phillip returning as a new villain) but he also said alot of things that were contradicted (we'd see tons of Bo/Hope/John/Marlena, no new families introduced *cough* Jed/Willow, Gabby/Duck *cough*). The contradicted statements can only mean one of two things...

1.) Sheffer lied.

2.) Corday interfered.

Knowing Corday the way I do, I tend to believe option 2. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. He's been the sole common denominator through all these years of horrendous writing. And I've noticed a trend with new Days headwriters starting out strong, and fizzling out a few months later. There must be something to that. And as I said, the only common denominator is Corday.

[JackPeyton]

i think hes doing OKAY as HW at days, and by OKAY, i eman just that, okay. nothing more and nothing less. is he doign better than DH over at OLTL? yep. when McT was at AMC? yep. better than whoever the hell has taken over at YR? yes.

id say hes on the leval with the people over at B&B and GL. they are all doing okay. and given the state of Days BEFORE he got there, id say okay is great for now. its still way better than it has been in years and i can see possable good storylines there. yes some things are not working, but IMHO, most are. and whats not from what ive read is gonna be changed.

Days has had far worse HW in the past fw years. and currents soaps have far worse HW than he does.

but i also think that brakdown writes have a lot to do with how good or bad a show is, as is producersm the network, etc... not everything can be placed on only one person. it takes many people to get a show made, therefor many people have a hand in what happens.

[Cheyenne]

I'm with you on this one! There's really nothing more to add that you havn't already said.