DAYS: Susan Seaforth Hayes' debut script from 1968 now online!

[JAS0N47]

In celebration of Susan Seaforth Hayes' 40th anniversary with "Days of Our Lives", Susan's debut script from 1968 is now available for the first time ever online! Susan taped her first episode exactly 40 years ago this week (December 3, 1968). The episode aired on December 11, 1968. See how Julie was re-introduced to the show, after being gone from Salem for over ten months. Plus take a look at the special pictorial tribute to the four Julies (Charla Doherty, Kathy Dunn, Cathy Ferrar and Susan Seaforth Hayes). The first half of Susan's debut episode is up now. The second half will be added later this week. All that and more at http://www.jason47.com

[MarkH]

What a remarkable tribute.

And, everything about that script made we want to "see" MORE. Tom's hesistance with his grand-daughter. Alice as the warmer go-between. Julie's obvious emotional manipulation of her grandmother. But that ENDING at the first half was remarkable! I always wondered why David was a BANNING...and now I understand it.

This was SO Bill Bell, in such a good way.

It would be great to actually see the performances.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Ooh, that script was facinating to read, and I agree with MarkH, it is so Bill Bell.

Also, reading the credits, I notice Frank Pacelli was one of the directors on Susan's first episode. He would later be one of Y&R's most legendary directors of course, and H. Wes Kenney would of course later be EP of Y&R.

Only Bill Bell and Pat Falken Smith were listed as writers on that script, which would never happen today. Also, the fact that Susan's first episode was taped three days before it aired tells us about how much production has changed over the years.

Great tribute, Jason!

[JAS0N47]

Thanks. Glad you liked the tribute. I'll have the rest of the script up later this week.

[SteveFrame]

Thanks Jason. I loved that.

Jason did you see the Top 300 couple resutls over at my history site. Days placed 32 couples in the Top 300 including 4 in the Top 15.

The results can be seen at: http://s15.zetaboards.com/SoapsWeb/forum/3003227/

Also at the site Days did okay in the Best of the Best and The Webbie Awards we did earlier this year too.

The Best of the Best Results are seen here: http://s15.zetaboards.com/SoapsWeb/topic/6516759/1/

The Webbie Awards can be seen here: http://s15.zetaboards.com/SoapsWeb/forum/3002937/

Days got 17 nominations and won 7 in The Webbie Awards which honored the best in soaps of all time.

I know what a big Days fan you are and wouldn't sure whether you saw them or not.

[Vee]

I see no reason why DAYS can't utilize Julie's kid and grandkid in some way. David Banning, the illegitimate(?) teen pregnancy was what a lot of this show revolved around early on.

[SteveFrame]

Vee,

I think later writers haven't quite know what to do with the way too early aging of Scotty Banning who was last played by Rick Hearst making him roughly the same age as the deaged Mike Horton is supposed to be old enough to be his father too.

The writers really screwed up when they aged him as they did. And it has really hurt the use of the characters of David and Scotty and I even heard one of the writers or actors say several years ago that it was best to leave them off the canvas because of that mistake.

Sadly in a show that constatly screws around with ages they see it better to leave him off then use the characters.

[JAS0N47]

SteveFrame: Yes, I was checking in on your results of the couples. I'm glad to see Days did so well!

[Paul Raven]

I agree that the aging of David Banning and Mike Horton did damage the structure of the show.Julie was only about 26 when David became an adult,so she then had to be assumed to be 10 years older and a motherand a few years later,a grandmother which meant the character of Julie was affected.

This is my beef with SORASing-it damages the show long term.If David and Mike were allowed to age more realistically,they would have become leading characters in the early 80's and carried the show through that decade.That would have allowed Julie/Bill/Mickey to have been more vital as parental characters at that time.

Hope and then Jennifer would have been the new young characters in the late 80's/early 90's.

Days should have made Sandy Horton and Steve Olsen the young characters in the 70's.Those 2 characters(Horton grandchildren)were always afterthoughts.

Steve could have played out the David story with Trish and Valerie and Sandy could have been the Marlena character(with a few adjustments).Imagine Deidre Hall as Sandy!The twin story could still have happened.Maybe Kitty gave one child away?