Days: Does Hogan Sheffer Want To Return?

[Jane1978]

I think he wants back. That´s probably main reason why Dena so rushes to get rid of every character he had some plans for while bringing in tons of her own newbies. I think either he will just sit back, collect the money and watch the show die, or he will try to get rid of Dena again.

I think right now a lot of people loves Dena (resp. scab) because the vets are on a lot and we are still on the wave created by Sheffer´s outlines. But come March, when her own stories appear on screen and all those newbies starts occupy the screen, you will hear the huge crash.

We also don´t know how much Corday really supports Dena. It seems weird to me she was so adamant to be named CoHW a week before the strike. It could be very well a price Corday had to pay for her willingness to write the show during the strike. And if Corday doesn´t have anyone else to replace her she can easily get everything she wants, because she can say either it will be my way or I´m gone.

[Ponz]

I think the more relevant question is would Corday want him back? Higley is cheaper, more willing to do his bidding and- assuming she features J&M and Bope as much as previews indicate- unlikely to draw lower ratings than HS. Also, Hogan doesn't have that many folks in his corner. Most of the big fanbases see Higley as the lesser of two evils. I imagine the cast are generally anti-Hogan given how unbalanced the show has been during his tenure. And since Hogan did nothing for the ratings prior to Ed Scott's arrival, I doubt NBC and Sony are particularly invested in him. The only thing discouraging Corday is the cost of buying out his contract and that can supposedly be avoided if he invokes force majeure.

[DevotedToAMC]

How about AMC and DAYS just switch writers? AMC gets Hogan and DAYS get B&E and then NBC will have the best team available to get them out of the soap opera business

[Jane1978]

But that´s just it. If J/M, B/H, S/K and other vers are on as much as now, they will get way above their guarantee and I´m pretty sure the budget is not that big. For all mistakes Sheffer did, he was atleat trying to build up the future. The sorority gang was interesting enough to not colapse the show when they were the leading story for a week or two. And while the Phelle, Shloe qudrangle wasn´t popular between hardcore Shelle and Phloe fans, it finally shaped the characters enough so they was watchable and enjoyable even for a general audience.

Besides, I really don´t believe juist having S/K, B/H and J/M on automatically means a better ratings. For a while yes. But longterm. All those couple are played out, there is nothing fresh or inovative the show can do with them. And combined with Highley´ s incapableness and her ability to write characters into a corner, I´m almost sure the ratings will already be collapsing when the strike ends.

[Vee]

That's not what I'm hearing.

[Toups]

I think he does want to return since this

and the new John/Marlena romance are some of his biggest storylines ever. He also had Belle/Shawn/Philip/Chloe at a good place. I would've loved to see the direction he took with these storylines.

And then Corday will have TWO former Head Writers on payroll. So money is definitely not an issue when it comes to the Head Writer. It's just Corday throwing money away as usual.

[Ryan]

I love your anti-Corday agenda Toups. It makes up for you being a Reilly fan, lol

[Sylph]

[Toups]

Me, anti Corday?

You know I would forgive him if he brought back Jim Reilly to pair him with Sheffer. Corday would then leave to go on a very long vacation. I would love to see what Reilly/Scott/Sheffer - the dream team - would do to DAYS without Corday's interference. DAYS would be INSANE....in a good way.

[daysfan]

I'm worried if he does return or if he doesn't.

If he does return, unless Dena is not FiCore and can't write Days, he's going to probably be fighting with her. And even though Hogan might stand up to her, Corday is going to be on Higley's side. Higley is a Corday-like writer, so I wouldn't be surprised if even with Hogan's there we see ALOT of her influence.

[PhoenixRising05]

GREAT post.

I also disagree the vets are anti-Hogan. Drake was the only one that came off that way. The rest of them commented on how much the writing had improved, especially dialogue-wise and after Ed joined the show. Just because they were off-screen the first half of the year doesn't mean they hate a writer. They still got paid and they understood it was business and they had been backburnered before . Drake was the only one that seemed upset about it, at least publicly.

The vets need to be on but in the Fall, Hogan had the right idea. He built up the Shawn/Belle/Philip/Chloe stuff and tossed them in with the vets. He then began to back off on Lucas/Sami/EJ and gave the young cast a decent supporting story. It was all clicking and that is why I hope this strike ends before March because that is likely when nothing but Higley stuff will be airing.

[Ryan]

I just want to quote a few things from the great Erika Slezak regarding Dena Higley....

[Noel]

I swear I just love Erika Slezak. Now, I'm tryting to go back in DAYS time when Dena Higley was writing for DAYS. Was this during the time when Kate Roberts offered Nicole Walker 5 million dollars to marry Lucas Roberts and she was turning into a major alcoholic? I believe Lucas was trying to get custody of Will at that time. And I think Nicole was all about Eric at that time too. Am I wrong or am I correct?

[daysfan]

No, that was Tom Langan or Sally Sussman Morrina(who are on Higley's level of bad writing skills, IMO).

[Noel]

You're correct. That was Sally Sussman Morrina! I knew it was a female headwriter, but i just got them confused. Now when did Dena Higley write for DAYS? What stories did she do? Please don't tell me Rex and Cassie who were brought to Earth in a spaceship who turned out to be Dimeras and Kate Roberts being the mother! Please don't tell me this!