September 10-14, 2007

[cody_1990]

It's really sad how bad Days ratings are. I think the only way to improve the ratings is to get the newbies of the screen fast!

[PhoenixRising05]

JER returning would be the end of Days. It would bleed out the rest of the audience because his reputation has been forever marred by his latest stint. The show does not need shock and awe. No soap does because all that does is give you a brief boost. Hogan needs a co-HW IMO but that one would be all wrong.

I don't think he would return anyway after the way things ended. Besides, Passions needs his full attention. No more writing for two soaps. I also want Days to be taken seriously quality-wise again and JER as HW won't do that.

[Angela]

I second that sentiment. That was actually the first week since the CRASH storyline storyline started that AMC was fairly "balanced" - meaning more than Z/K and R/A (being about Spike/Ian) - R/A who had been driving half the show in their own storyline for about 2-3 weeks by that week. It's just that the stories suck or are not that interesting I guess, at least that's how I feel about most of them. I've been timing the scenes for a month now and this is how the week of 9/10 broke down (I already broke down this week too):

The Secret Locket/Past (Annie/Ryan - Greenlee/Aidan/Babe/Warden): 44.25

Ava's all that and a Bag of Chips Dramedy (JR/Ava/Jonathan - Adam/Lily/Julia/Joe): 43.25

"Denouncement" of Baby Drama (Zach/Kendall - Erica/Dr. Hilliard/Ryan/Annie/Spike/Ian): 31.49

Greenlee Whines & Is "Threatened" (Greenlee - Aidan/Ryan/Zach/Kendall/Spike): 25.09

Talk Show (Erica/Jack/Pam): 10.01

9/11 at the Comeback (Tad/Jack/Krystal/Colby/Sean etc.): 8.42

Back to Business (Hannah/Adam/Zach): 4.17

DAYS. Yikes. Obviously no Passions to be a solid #9 is going to make for some "startling" last place weeks for DAYS, GL (probably AMC, ATWT and even OLTL) in the next few months. I think they should maybe try to actually give the older cast more leading story, not supporting. By that, I mean do something like bring back a young J.T. and give Bo/Hope a good story surrounding that, don't make it about J.T. and his girlfriends or whatever. Make the Lucas/Sami/EJ story second string story, and backburn most of the kids? I don't know.

[Soapsuds]

I am surprised to see ATWT stay steady. I thought they would drop. I didnt find last week that great. I did enjoy Friday's show. Monday's show had Craig and Lucinda. Tuesday and Wednesday's show were the highest with 2.3s. I need to go back and see what happened those days. And this week has been much better. Maybe we will see an increase next week.

Great to see ATWT up in total viewers too.

[winterguy125]

I swear she can't be writing this show, today was another unbelievably good show, just did not have a JP feel at all. Previews looked outstanding. I see us taking on GH very soon

[Toups]

Nielsen viewers don't know who Jim Reilly is!

I'm telling you, if Ken Corday wants his show to back to #2, bring JER as Hogan's Co-HW and let them run loose. What have you got to lose? Days falling to last place? We're already there!! Bad stories? We already have that!!

And about JER's last run. How could he possibly do his job when he had two people who hated his guts trying to get him fired every single day. How could anyone work in that environment. Of course JER resented that and gave a big FU to them.

If Ed Scott, JER and Hogan can be on the same page, I think DAYS can survive past 2009.

Since JER is still on the payroll why not use him? At the very least, hire him as a consultant and maybe he and Hogan will click.

[Soapsuds]

I wont get my hopes on them taking over GH. I am just glad to see the show's ratings improving just slighty and remaining steady.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Honestly, I don't think Ed Scott can help the storylines on Days anyway, if we compare it to his Y&R stint. On Y&R, Bill Bell was clearly ruling everything storyline-wise for 90% of Scott's tenure as EP. When Bell stepped down, Scott and Kay Alden NEVER got along and she never listened to him, needless to say, they hated one another. Who knows how involved with the writing Ed Scott is with Days and what his relationship with Hogan truly is.

[DaysFanatic777]

Wow! I'm taking this hard, very hard. I don't know why, but this really upsets me to have Days in last place.

I gave JER the benefit of the doubt up till the pit sex debacle with Bo and Billie. I felt like he earned it. Not because he was a Bill bell type (Talented...), but because he had taken Days to the 2nd place overall position and 1st place in the 18-49 position in the mid to late nineties. Simply by keeping the show in a healthy position, he earned a little respect from me. EVEN, if I felt like he didn't write the best stories, or keep the show's integrity in tact. Toward the end, he had lost it and had to go, and I was ELATED when Sheffer came on board.

ED SCOTT: Find a new head writer for us, fast. One the understands which characters to write for and which ones to back burner. A writer that can comprehend that We don't have to have the "Big Four" together all the time and happy, but they do have to be on screen and front and center. A writer that can give us romance instead of just mentioning that they had sex a couple of nights ago. A writer that understands that we need a couple of people in the oldest generations to be pilars and moral compasses for this show (Julie, Doug and Maggie for the Hortons, Caroline for the Brady's), and a writer that realizes that this is not Hope or Marlena's territory yet.

I'm really irritated by Sheffer now, cause despite having it right in his face, he sqwanders the good things he has. He has a cast that includes Deidre Hall, Kristian Alfonso, Peter Reckell, and Joe Mascolo, and he doesn't write for them. These people are seriously soap icons, and he passes them over. That type of reasoning lands you in last place, and that type of planning makes you deserve what you get.

[Angela]

I'm against this on some moral level as I think JERk is Satan-ish and is somewhat responsible for the overall state of daytime right now. But maybe, just maybe - I think AMC was at it's best with the level headed Broderick teaming with the "wacky" McTavish. Could it work at DAYS?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

When have Broderick and McTavish worked together as co-head writers? Both worked under Wisner Washman in the 80's, and Broderick replaced McTavish as head writer in 1995.

[billyjill]

I do not think JER is the one who can bring fans of different characters and different generations together, to be honest. JER and Hogan have some complementary strengths but they also have overlapping weaknesses where they can't compensate for each other.

[Angela]

Weren't McTavish and Broderick co-headwriters, for a year or two, before Brodericks exit in 1992? I could be wrong, I thought they were. I do know that McTavish took over after Broderick left (1992). Then Broderick took over after McTavish was fired (early 1995). Then McTavish took over when Broderick was fired (1998).

[Y&RWorldTurner]

These are AMC's end credits for head writers from this era, according to our divine Toupsy.

I believe Broderick left AMC in 91 and resurfaced on GL in 92.

1982 - 1987

Wisner Washam & Agnes Nixon

1987 - 1988

Lorraine Broderick & Victor Miller

1988

Margaret de Priest

1988 - July 1992

Agnes Nixon

July 1992 - June 1995

Megan McTavish & Agnes Nixon

June 1995 - October 1995

Agnes Nixon

October 1995 - December 1997

Lorraine Broderick & Agnes Nixon

[dragonflies]

WORD to your post Angela. AMC has balance and people STILL complain. This ratings week was mostly about Ryan and Annie who on any given episode get about 3/4 of an episode, as does Ava.

Ouch at Days. I'm surprised ATWT went up, but the Luke/Noah stuff must be bringing some new viewers in