Hogan Sheffer report card

[Y&RWorldTurner]

^Hmm, Well, JER was balanced-out on GL in the early 90's with Curlee, Demorest, and Broderick there. That's widely reguarded as GL's last golden era, I wonder if someone else could spin some of JER's stories into gold, as a capable co-head writer.

[mr. sweet]

I like the majority of what Hogan is doing. He hasn't reached his glory days like he did with the first four years of ATWT. But DAYS has been very good, definitely the best since since BRash & Cwinkly regime. The characters have been fleshed out and SLs are actually going somewhere. I like what he has done to the DiMera's insted of writing them as cartoonish. His writing for Stephanie and Nick have been horrible though. These two characters should disappear or at least flesh them out and make us care.

[Ponz]

Not sure about Hogan/JER but I thought the 4 month Anderson/JER tenure in '93 was awesome. Sheri must have balanced out his worst excesses, LOL.

[scuba]

Excellent post, Ponz. I agree with everything, except I would bump the grade up to a C/C- just because the dialogue and individual scenes are so much better compared to JER. Since soon after he started, I've said that Hogan is JER with better dialogue. There have been zero creative changes in the show since Hogan took over. We're getting the same types of stories we've been getting for years, and they're not even given a new twist. I actually had a feeling I wouldn't like Hogan when he did the big SoapNet interview before he started as HW, when he talked about his plans for Shelle and Lumi. I knew immediately that he was going to pander to the fan bases, that he wasn't going to make any significant changes. He proved me right.

I don't know why he's not doing any better, there are definite signs that the man can write. It seems that most of Hogan's stories fall into two main categories. They either start of well and at least have an interesting premise with lots of possibilities, but then the execution is horrible (the kidneynapping is a good example of this. Sure the idea of stealing a kidney is nuts, but it's one of those OTT ideas that can be really good and soapy. EJ/Sami is another example. So much potential, and Hogan thought a rape would be a good idea). The other category is that the story starts out so horribly that viewers are immediately turned off, but as things build up the execution greatly improves. (Willow - hated her at first sight but I loved her by the time she died. Touch the Sky - I'm actually starting to get into this story). The problem with this is that a bad first impression will have viewers ignoring that story without taking the time to notice if it's improved. There are also those stories that are based on stupid ideas and are executed horribly, like Tinda Lau, and basically everything they did with Steve and Kayla in 2006. (Love the couple, but that was awful writing.)

Hogan should be demoted to script writer. I have no idea who could replace him though.

[stenbeck212]

If people really paid attention and got over the Emmy gloss he restored to ATWT, they'd realize that half the time they were responding to great scenes and dialogue in otherwise absurd stories. When his Oakdale wasn't a brilliant history and character driven locale, it was high camp madness. Interviews I read during his ATWT tenure suggested that he was happy to be an industry outsider, and thought soap conventions were silly. Then he created several of his own and made characters remark on how ridiculous their situations were! Who knows how great he could be if he took the medium seriously?

[PhoenixRising05]

Everyone knows I am an easy to please Days fan so I am going to leave bias out the door and try to be fair.

For the first 3 months of his run, Hogan was very on point. We were given fantastic character interactions and lots of action and drama. Then came the infamous January. Now none of us know what truly happened and probably never will but it's clear it was budget related. Now, one could say Hogan should've been professional enough to do better with what he had. Well, I would argue that that was the best he could do. Just imagine having all these great ideas and then being told to scrap them and write for a selected group of people only. A person writing stuff they didn't envision or want to write means you are going to end up with a show that lacks energy. A writer can't be passionate about things that his or her heart isn't in and that is where the show suffered earlier this year. The show was never horrible but the balance was way off (something that is wrong with all soaps) and the pace was slowed to a crawl. The acting and dialogue was still well-done IMO.

Then came the next plan to save Days where they promised a return to the Dimera/Brady feud. For the first time since December, Hogan spoke and it was clear he was unhappy as the man that did nothing but talk about his ideas in the Fall said nothing in the winter and was now talking again. The story took awhile to get a good feel but this month has been classic 80's Days. For those that weren't around for that, this is what it felt like. You would have these adventures like J&M had with Tony and Anna this week and all the supercouples talking together and having fun. I just feel the old Days is back lately and it has a different energy to it...something I haven't felt in a long time.

My overall grade for Hogan is a B+. It would be an A if not for earlier this year, which is partially his fault but falls more on budget and Corday. Hogan has had to deal with alot. He had impatient fans right out of the gate and then he had to deal with more and more cast changes that made him appear like a liar. Then there were the budget problems. Right now, you can tell he has free reign and is being allowed to write as he sees fit. We have the vets on every day and the balance has gotten worlds better. Hogan still has a problem with continuity at times and so many things happening offscreen is annoying. I am feeling more emotion lately so that is good. Days isn't perfect and Hogan has made mistakes but the show is more grounded and much better overall. I feel it's getting better every week.

Could anyone do better? B&C probably could but I doubt Sheri Anderson could. She wrote in a time where the couples were still fresh. It's hard to keep the vets involved with all they have been through so I think a return by her would result in something like what happened to JER. His stuff just didn't work this time. It was a case of been there, done that. Beth Milstein is good but she also wrote during a time where she was giving us payoffs of all of JER's stuff. Let's see her come up with her own stuff first before proclaiming her the second coming. I think Hogan is doing the best he can with what he has had to deal with. Honestly, at this point, I won't accept anyone but him or B&C in the HW position. I don't have faith in anyone else to get the job done right.

[leevo64]

Guza also allows for some intimate, quiet, character driven moments. I think he'd be a great fit for the show. I just don't want him to leave GH.

Bring back Brash and Cwickly. Seriously, it's the only good pair of writer's the show's had in years. I give Hogan a C+

[ChangedBYSon]

I give Hogan's writing an "A"

I give his judgement and understanding of female soap audiences a "C" (he drives many women away)

I give Hogan's handling of the history of the show and characters an "A+"

I give Hogan's storylines a "D+"

I give Hogan's ability to write Character-driven material along with PLOT material an "A"

I give Hogan's plotting for "big reveals", "pacing" and "big events" a screaming "D"

I give Hogan's penchant for using his "imagination" a "C"

For caring so much about the FANS, I give Hogan an extra "B+"

NOTABLE MISTAKES HE'S MADE: Changing both Sami and Chelsea drastically and having

no younger "bitch" character on the show; having E.J. clearly RAPE Sami without an "escape card"

to later make it acceptable that they drift into love; fixating the show too much around COPS and other

macho stuff that doesn't snag female viewers; "assuming" the audience would accept NEW Shawn

and NEW Belle as a lead couple--no matter how good the actors are; failing to have "larger than life"

scenes and circumstances during BIG REVEALS and especially the "wimper-like" re-introduction of the

previously ecclectic DiMeras; unforgivable creation of Jeremy Horton, who could have been a new anchor

character......and, a biggie mistake........focusing on male fantasies (Nick bangs Chelsea and her mother),

but never providing any "female fantasies", which is what daytime is all about.

I'm sure the Producers of the show are responsible for more than half of his mistakes

and they would have five times more control with a lesser writer in the HW position, so

things may only get worse when he is replaced, which I expect he will be.

DAYS best writer of all time: Pat Faulken Smith (1980-1981)

DAYS worst writer of all time: James E. Reilly (both tenures, because his writing insults the intelligence of the viewer)

[Dan]

I admit it. I found Sheffer's ATWT to be incredibly overrated. The stories were out there, the vets were misused and ignored, and stories meandered. In fact, the only thing good about it can be credited to Sheffer's amazing writing staff, the first and foremost being Carolyn Culliton.

However, in my opinion, Sheffer is a better fit for DAYS than he EVER was on ATWT. Even his worst episode is heads and tails above the creative black hole that DAYS has been in for YEARS and is still better than the other 9 nine shows out there. I think that says alot. And now that the Dimeras are at the front and center, the show has a sense of history and purpose again. The vets are being used, which is amazing considering it is Hogan Sheffer writing. The dialogue is consistent (except the clunkers they give to Trevor Donovan) and the individuals shows (while not always exciting) are usually well written. I think people are being a bit too hard on Hogan. DAYS has taken YEARS to become [!@#$%^&*]. It's getting progressively better, but it still has alot of work to go and I think we have a headwriter who is able to do so.

I give Sheffer a B+. The show has farther to go, but it is much better than it was before.

[soapfan770]

I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but PLEASE enough of the Brash and Cwickly sainthood! Yes they were good writers but they had their flaws, ie alien twins, the utterly bizarre enter/exit of Lisa Rinna’s Billie etc. Yet people seem to forget that and act like they could do no wrong. Being miles ahead of Langan and JER does not one automatic sainthood, even if it feels like they deserve it.

As far as Sheffer goes, I think his problem is consistency! He had the same problem at ATWT, going from extremes of hot(Ric Decker, Chris&Alison, Rose's murder etc.) and cold(Doc Reese, Jack's "death" and amnesia, the aging spa etc.) Here, he is have the same problem before.

The day to day dialogue is excellent, and the quality in my opinion is improving again. I still place some of the blame for the Jan-May mess on James Harmon Brown and Barbara Esensten. The quality dipped as soon as their names were in the credits, and as soon as they left for AMC, the quality started rising.

Can't explain the ratings though. Then again, I've read almost everything on broadcast network TV is losing ratings these days.

[DAYSisHOT]

I hate Hogan's storylines but the day to day writing is good.

With JER I loved his storylines but hated the day to day writing with all the flashbacks.

I would like the show written by JER and Hogan, but I doubt that would work

I don't really want Hogan to be fired becuase I am scared who his replacement would be given Corday's past experiences.

[daysfan]

See, here lies the problem. What writer is better than Hogan?????? Some say JER is better than Hogan, but he is either exactly the same or IMO a bit worse.

Many writers who wrote the classic era of Days don't work on Daytime now, and the writers we have now days on Daytime aren't that much. I mean, I can't think of anyone who would be a suitable replacement if Hogan was fired.

But I hope he's not.

[heatherwebber]

Ken Corday OWNS a chunk of the show and as head of Corday Production which is the production company for the show...... Unless Sony seizes control on behalf of their share, it's pretty much Ken's show......

NBC made that mistake once when they locked the Dobsons out of their show and the show was a disaster from that point on. Partly because they hired all the wrong people.

Distinction- they were writers, creators AND producers and he's a production company exec and a musician who does some of the show's music (the show his parents put together and ran.)

I still say dump all those stupid party people and especially fix the casting and writing of Stephanie. Other than that I don't have a lot of complaints.

[MichaelGL]

I would give Hogan a B. I do admit that he has has flaws, huge ones, but individual scenes and the dialogue are miles better than before. Compared to the other soaps these days, Days is the best soap out there at the moment.

Like Dan I always thought his tenure at ATWT was overrated (and to this day I think that), but Sheffer is a much better fit for Days than he ever was at ATWT.

[sungrey]

Hogan gets a B from me. He gets an A when compared to the clown that wrote this show before... lol

On a serious note, Hogan stumbled a bit in the first few months of this year, but I blame NBC and Corday for most of that. Left to his own devices, Hogan isn't perfect, but he has absolutely shown in the last couple months that he gets Days and what it used to be about... and what it still can be.

Overall, I'm pleased.