DAYS: SOD August 28

[DAYSisHOT]

Huge DAYS Shake-Up; Cast Cuts Ahead.

In a surprising move, former Y&R Executive Producer Edward Scott has been hired as DAYS co-Executive Producer, replacing Stephen Wyman. He reported to work on Augsut 6. Supervising Producer Roy Steinberg is also out, along with casting director Fran Brascom, who was replaced by former Y&R Casting Director Marnie Saitta.

Such a big change at the top indicated that there might be life in DAYS past 2009, when its contract expires with NBC. Corday says, "I honestly believe that NBC wants to stay with DAYS OF OUR LIVES. They're looking for a very strong show of change, faith and support from me. They believe the show could be improved, as do I.." Translation: Expect changes ahead."There is a need to, I don't to say drastically change the cast size, but the cast size is large," he concedes. "So there will be - without putting fear into their hearts - cast changes that are necessary over the next few months."

Sorry no real spoilers this week - well any worthy Lumi ones.

National Enquirer Spoilers - Upcoming

Lucas is forced to save EJ's life.

While arresting Andre, Roman is injected with a sedative.

Benjy is kidnapped.

http://groups.msn.com/SecondChancesTheLUMI...mp;all_topics=0

[Roman]

I hope Drake has his dressing room packed up........

It might not be long for him or that eyebrow.

[Soapsuds]

He is hot to look at but his acting...oy.....lol. At least Days is getting more changes happening....ATWT...nada....Jean is still there..grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[DrewH]

Hate the man or love, Corday always sounds promising during his interviews. He gives hope after all. Too bad I've experienced disappointment from him in the past. Oh well..

DAYS' cast is relatively large. There are a few actors and actresses that are no longer needed. Here are a few that I feel should be handed their walking papers:

Trevor Donovan (Jeremy) - He's growing on me as an actor, but the character has been a huge miss. Donovan was horrible in the beginning, but it looks like he got an acting coach or put more umph into his performance because something in him has changed. However, Jeremy is so one-sided and so many people can't stand him, I think it would be wise to just let him go. They are trying to show another side to him now with his business in jeopardy, but I think it's too late.

Shelley Henning (Stephanie) - Not once have I ever considered this girl the daughter of Steve and Kayla. Maybe it's my resenment towards the show for recasting a role I didn't feel needed a replaced. I don't know. From the very first day she came onto the show, she rubbed me the wrong way. She just wasn't the Stephanie that we saw only a few months before. Yes, maybe this is the way Stephanie should have been portrayed in the beginning, but she wasn't. And since she wasn't, you have to continue on that, not fall back because I'm sorry, but it doesn't make any sense. Nothing against Henning. I think she's a decent actress, not the best, but decent. She's just not needed. Steve and Kayla can progress without their daughter in town.

Frank Parker (Grandpa Shawn) - I hate to see any veteran leave, but his firing has been years in coming. And the death of this character would be such an impact and a firestarter for this DiMera/Brady feud. Sucks for Parker, but oh well...

Marcus Patrick (Jett) - I like Jett. I like him with Chelsea. Patrick and Rachel Melvin have great chemistry. The character is just too boring for me though. I don't know if it's Patrick's bland acting or what. When I see Jett in scenes with Chelsea, Patrick looks bored with the scene and he doesn't deliver like he should. I like the diversity that DAYS is trying to gain, but Jett is not the character that we need right now.

And if Drake Hogestyn goes, prepare to see a lot of backlash. While many on SON can't stand Hogestyn, the J&M fanbase will have DAYS hanged if Hogestyn is fired. Just my own little prediction.

[Ponz]

Drake and Dee are glorified extras right now. I think Ed will either push for them to get a story or have them bumped to recurring. The current situation is not sustainable.

[DrewH]

That is true, and look at the backlash their fans are giving now. If one or both of them are actually canned, watch out.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I can see a few vets possibly going on recurring and a few of the relative newbies being fired. If this happens to someone significant, then yes, you can expect a backlash. I just hope it isn't a big name actor, because Days certainly cannot afford a backlash of any sort right now. With NBC switching the show's timeslot in a few of the big markets and possible casting changes, the show cannot afford to lose even a little bit of the audience it has left. Corday, Scott, Hogan, NBC, and Sony better be careful.

[PhoenixRising05]

Good to hear NBC wants to help although I don't buy it really. I know Sony wants to save it. Sony was pissed about the statement back in January so maybe they got pissed at NBC and NBC is trying to backtrack a bit. Who knows. Perhaps the new NBC head wants to try to help the show.

I am worried about the cast changes but whatever they have to do is fine. I just hope they choose wisely. I know it's probably likely some of the vets go to recurring but I hope not. However, better to see them at all then not at all. The show is in trouble and they need to keep those around that are active in stories and are the money characters at this juncture.

I still think they should fire Drake. He is bringing Marlena down and I feel tension in his scenes with everyone else since his comments. He adds nothing to the show anymore and it frees up Marlena. That alone would help the budget but that's JMO. I don't see Dee going. I think ED will like her and want to use her. Drake is someone I think Ed would suggest cutting but maybe Corday won't do it. Who knows. I wouldn't worry about too much backlash with Drake. Dee is the one they care about more it seems and see holds more important I think. I noticed Drake lost alot of fans when he threw several cast mates under the bus in June.

I know they won't cut the newbies, although maybe Donovan will be. I don't see anyone else from the young cast going because they aren't weighting down the budget. It looks like interesting and stressful months ahead.

The upcoming stuff sounds good. More action in the Dimera story is always a good thing. Good seeing Benji back.

[bellcurve]

Corday is feeding fans hope so he can count on a letter writing campaign to save the show.

SONY will want to continue with DAYS(albeit a very different version) past 2009, but NBC won't. I don't buy for a second NBC is interested in keeping DAYS. If they were, why the heck would they allow their bigger markets and O&O affiliates to mess with the timeslot of the show? It just doesn't add up for me.

DAYS(as it is on NBC) is screwed.

[DrewH]

I do like how the new head of NBC is optimistic about DAYS on the network. It does contradict with what Zucker said in the beginning of the year. Are they interested in the show, or not?

IMO, Drake Hogestyn came out and said what all of the other actors at the time were thinking. I find nothing wrong with an actor speaking his mind. He was pissed and he has a right to speak about it as an actor. I mean, take it from his point of view. You're an actor, who has been pretty much front burner for several years and then all of a suden, after you were promised a story, you got nothing, but a few scenes and even in those scenes you did absolutely nothing but lay in a hospital bed. Any actor would be upset. Drake was just vocal about it in the magazines. Deidre, Kristian and Peter chose not to say anything about it. Who cares? Maybe that's because they weren't lying in a hospital bed for about 5 scenes throughout 5 months.

I'm not liking this backlash against Drake, and I know J&M's fans will be horrified if they lose John. To them, J&M are a packaged deal. Yes, Marlena is probably the more popular of the two, but they want them together, and not apart. That is evident every time the show pulls the two apart for storyline reasons. J&M fans are furious.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Zucker is still the head of NBC-Universal, Silverman just oversees the day to day operations of the television division. In other words, Zucker is Silverman's boss and whatever Zucker wants is going to happen.

NBC is switching Days' timeslot in the major markets, the show has lost nearly 800,000 viewers from a year ago, advertisers are noticing this and starting to offer up less advertisements. It's a whole chain of reactions that NBC themselves set up years before. With the show losing viewers and advertising revenue, and productions costs always going up, NBC is setting themselves up for Days to fail. Not to mention, Days is their last existing soap and they've been anxious to get out of the soap business for at least 15 years now.

Part of me thinks Days would be better off on another network, but it isn't guaranteeed that another network will carry the show, when NBC decides to dump it. But you can be sure that Days probably wouldn't be in all this trouble if it were a CBS or ABC soap.

[PhoenixRising05]

Normally, Drew, I would agree with you. I have no problem with any actor or actress speaking their mind.

However, in this case, it was very disrespectful. The proper way to have done it would've been for Drake to have said "We didn't have the right people at the forefront. Their talented but their time has not yet come" or something like that. Instead of talking of the situation with respect and class, he chose to throw half the cast under the bus. He called them "the B-Team," which implies a dig at their talent. Ali Sweeney, Bryan Dattilo, James Scott, Stephen Nichols, Mary Beth Evans, etc are not "B-Team" actors and he should know better then to call them that, especially when his own acting leaves alot to be desired. That creates tension, which I think is there, and if anyone had done that in a real job it's likely they would be fired for ruining the team atmosphere of a staff or workplace.

It also bothers me that this came from Drake, someone who had NEVER been on the backburner in all his years at Days. I have watched Drake since he began and never once (as Jason47 pointed out last year) did Drake not appear in a month up until last summer. Drake was always moved from story to story with little breaks in between. Contrast that with Dee, Peter, and Kristian who have had several turns on the backburner over their years, especially Deidre Hall who has been backburnered so much over the years it's almost like she is recurring. Drake has no reason to be upset that he is now going through this when many of his co-stars have and said nothing and still don't. It shows Drake's massive ego and a lack of class on his part. It shows he isn't a team player. I would say this same thing about Ali Sweeney if she did the sane thing as Drake because she has never been backburnered except for one time in 2001. However, I don't see her ever insulting her castmates like that and she has no reason to complain anyway.

If Dee, Peter or Kristian had said this....fine. They have been through this before and I could see their frustration with it happening again at such a critical time for the show (although Bo and Hope were featured a bit more this winter then Marlena). I would especially understand in Dee's case as she has been on the backburner alot in recent years. Let's also remember Drake having his "Last Mission" fan event. If Drake is going to play hardball with the show or already has his mind set on leaving, there is no need to be so blatant about it. The show has enough problems and he only compounded it at that time. He has not been the same since December when he had those family issues and I still think he was the icon fired but they opted not to fire him and canned RJ instead.

I think Drake is the best cut to make because you save money, can create powerful and compelling story, and help improve the show's quality. Sure, you will lose some fans but the attention the story would get could attract new fans or even fans who quit for other reasons. Days needs to take a risk. It needs to do something to help the budget and to lure people in. This could do it. JMO.

[Ryan]

I'm sorry. Deidre was around long before Drake and she'll be around long after him. If Drake was pulling his A game for the past couple of years instead of coasting on his reputation as part of a supercouple, then maybe I could see him wanting to bitch. He's enjoyed well over 15 years on the front burner. What about the people who was on the show and had to lose their place to him? Did those people come out and bitch? No, the way it seemed to me was that he was pissed that someone dare give another the airtime he so "richly deserves".

And you're wrong, Kristian & Peter did say something about it, but they didn't come off as the !@#$%^&*] that Drake came off like. They chose a diplomatic, professional route and were honest with what they had to say.

I'm sorry but an eyebrow, sniffing his own farts and looking constipated isn't worth spending money to keep him around. If he wants to be a team player and decides to stop phoning in his scenes, then maybe he should stay. But IMO, he's coasting on the reputation of John & Marlena and isn't bringing anything to the table.

[PhoenixRising05]

Great post, Ryan.

I had forgotten Peter and Kristian addressed the situation in SOD. Your right...they weren't bitter at all. They missed being featured prominently and were a bit confused by it all but they looked forward to their next story when it was put in motion. That is the proper way to handle it. Addressing fan concerns but also understanding all sides of the issue and not wanting to disrespect cast mates, new or old.

If I were in charge, I would've fired Drake back in June. He got by too long on the J&M fame and on the fact that he was a loyal cast member and good team player. Since it's clear he isn't that any more, can him. Hell, two years ago he implied he wanted the Jate pairing more then J&M anyway. I remember that made me angry too because it sounds like he was trying to push something on the show at the time that was obviously something that wouldn't work on the show.

I am through with Drake. He was on thin ice before June and those comments put it over the edge for me. Save money and get rid of him.

[Ryan]

I don't want people to think that I dislike Drake. I have liked him and John since I was a little kid, but I can't help the way I feel about this situation now. There have been actors who have come and gone, who were much more talented than he is and never got that real opportunity to shine the way their talent should have provided them.

It's one thing for the fans to call Kristian, Peter, Drake and Deidre the "A" team, it's another for him to call himself that. Even though some fans were not happy with the state of the show for a few months, those "B" teamers as he called it worked their asses off, but hey, I guess when you feel self-important, you'll say whatever you want. People criticized Austin Peck for talking about the egos backstage at DAYS, but I think he told the truth. You couldn't pay me to attend a Drake Hogestyn fan event...not after the way he carried himself in the magazines.