DAYS: Another reality show?

[brimike]

Ryan - that Jason jpeg is certainly getting a workout these days, huh? LOL!

[Ryan]

Lol, it's awesome. It works for everything.

[Jane1978]

Ok, I don´t believe I´m actually defending Highley here but the stuff we are watching now was written in the middle of the strike. Obviously, the main priority was to save the sweeps ratingwise, but after that everybody needed a brake, a time to rethink and reposition the players before the new storylines can start. Hogan took a few months off to prepare his longterm projections while Beth Milstein wrote the show in his place. Highley came to the show and had immediatelly wrote both the daily stuff AND the outlines for the next few months. It´s obvious she´d already had some rough ideas which are foreshadowed here and there, but it takes time to turn these ideas into a more concrete brakedown, especially if the staff is very limited.

Yes, it´s a position she choosed herself to get in and everybody can hate her for her scabing and backstabing, but that´s really not the point here. The point is, this Bo´s storyline is essentially a filler, a device created specifically for the writers so they can fully concentrate on the upcoming stuff. It´s almost over and if you look at the spoilers for the next week and especially the first April week, all the storylines you are asking about are back in the full swing. I´m not saying this solution was ideal but I understand the reason behind it and if it means the show will be fully armed and ready to enter the May sweeps I´m willing to accept it. I certainly don´t think it already confirms Dena will suck again.

[PhoenixRising05]

^Excellent post, Jane. ITA.

[Ryan]

That is no excuse. All shows were on strike, and yet all didn't immediately go into suckitude mode. Obviously they can use the strike as an excuse for the "poor quality in storyline." That doesn't sit to me, especially when Y&R, OLTL, GH, and others worked very well during the strike, with a very limited staff as well. Some of those shows "treaded water," but others also went and started new stories. This thing with Bo is her story, her finger prints are on it (the mysterious sudden illness). So what's the excuse there. Unlike most shows, Dena was actually there. She knew what she wanted. She ended the stories she didn't want, she got rid of characters she didn't want, she brought back characters she wanted.

[SoapQueen89]

Look, all I want a soap to do for me is entertain me for an hour. That's it. Once that soap doesn't entertain me, I tune out and find something else that does. I've been watching Days since 1990 and I've been watching GH since 1977 - a whole hell of a lot longer and I've tuned both of them out before and have come back time and time again. I'm tired of fighting TPTB on both soaps for something that should be a given. Balance, diversity, interaction with characters, not only by storyline, and decent/good writing. Is that too much to ask for? It surely seems that way these days.

I've fought for my favorites on GH and got squat. I've fought tooth and nail to get my favorite actor a decent storyline only for it to be shot to hell and back. My fight is gone, I'm tired of fighting for something that I will never get. TPTB will do what they want, executives will hire who they want, they will fire who they want, and the writers will write what they want. Fans are a moot point and most shows/networks could give a rats ass about us or what we think/feel about their show.

I give ya'll credit for fighting for something you believe in, I've been there, done that. Rah rah rah to you but this soap fan is done with all the drama. I watch a show for the show's entertainment value - if it doesn't have it - I don't watch.

[brimike]

Couldn't agree more, Ryan and Jen!

If you'll allow me to get off-topic for a second, I just want to give a huge thumb's up to everyone at SON re: all this Days talk. Clearly there is no middle ground - posters either love what's on camera now (PR, JP, Kev) or don't (myself, Ryan, Jen). And there has been so much debate back and forth on a LOT of posts both here and in the DTS forum. But everyone's been really respectful and argued their sides without being offensive, and no one's resorted to below-the-belt attitude. It's really refreshing, considering how I've seen other boards deal with similar debates. Huge pat on the back to us!!!

[Ryan]

I'd like to piggyback on your statement brimike. We all feel passionate about DAYS, and it is nice to engage in some thoughtful discussion. We are all trying to be respectful of each other's opinion, and we all know that this isn't personal. It's nice that someone else noticed it.

[KevC1980]

Ryan i love reading your posts and have so much respect for you as a fellow poster..But I don't agree with your comment about no other soaps taking creative nosedives during the strike..Y&R, B&B, and OLTL are really the only ones that have gotten better or stayed the same..Y&R because they are just bringing the show out of the gutter where LML had it and B&B and OLTL because they stayed consistent and kept with their stories..

But there hasn't been much praise for GH, ATWT, GL, or AMC the past few months during their scab written episodes....Yes AMC had the awesome Angie and Jessie reunion, but the rest of the show isn't doing that well...GH blew their text message killer story by having the character be someone thought to be dead that wasn't even on the canvas....And I've tuned in a few times and can't even get into Sarah Brown's new character... The show is still too much about the mob for me and the story with Claudia's brother was stupid....GL has been getting attention for its new look, but are the stories that exciting?? And ATWT, lets just say i'm not a fan of their new story with the Iraqi woman having to marry Noah to stay in the country..

[Drew]

[PhoenixRising05]

I agree, Kev.

Also Brimike, good post. I may disagree with alot of people in this thread but the fact that we all discussed the topic in a mature and respectful manner is fantastic and a testament to SON and to the fine posters in this thread.