DAYS: Discussion for the month of January

[Roman]

Well, if it's going to go off the air on NBC, I hope that some changes are made to at least have the show go out the way it was back in the day.......full of family drama and intrigue, adventure, and romance. I hope it stays, but it now seems as though the network is losing more and more faith in Ken Corday to run that show properly, and how many chances will they keep giving him?

[JackPeyton]

I am loving it right now. Im behind, but getting up to date.

I loved the philip/stephanie bedroom scenes. Those two have so much passion and romance and a honest friendship. Such a rare thing today. I love that Philip stoped it and wants to take it slow. You can tell he really likes her and doesnt want to hurt her. I also lvoed her being hurt by hims topping it and telling him to live in the moment. Such great scenes.

As much as i dont like kate/daniel the scenes they shared were great. I have never seen the chem between them until now.

The Lexie & Stefano scenes were a real treat. I hate Bo's visions but whatever, i did really like the moment with stefano/hope because the only time i ever liked her was when she was gina with stefano. I am loving everyone wondering whats up with bo tho. and Tony/Lexi. I loved her confessing her fears and worries and whatnot.

I also really like Nicole and how crazy she has become!! lol.

[JackPeyton]

Also, i really like Mia.

[JackPeyton]

Oh man, Max & Chelsea.... i kinda love them this time around.

and EM is doing fantastic as Brady IMHO. Love him and Nicole.

Sandra Ferguson is amazing. I love her, and hope she stays for some time but i doubt it...

[Toups]

The early stages of couples usually have scenes where you want to watch it over and over right now.....or over and over 5, 10, etc years later. For example, I can watch every early Sheridan/Luis or Ethan/Theresa scenes over and over. I can watch S/L's tango scene or Luis pulling Sheridan over; or E/T early interactions where she accidentally does all these bad things to him. To choose a recent scene, I watch about 10 times already the last Alison/Casey scene from December 30th episode.

With Philip/Steph, there has been nothing I would want to watch again right now or years later.

http://thebiz.fancast.com/2009/01/deep_soa...ble_realit.html

Word, Sara Bibel, word. Sami/Rafe was another pairing I was excited for in November but they haven't done much to make them exciting to watch over the past 2 months.

[Terrible Towel]

I have to agree. I should want a couple together before the writers let me know that not only are they together but here's the crazy interloper. I don't care for getting hit over the head.

Stephanie and Phil may have started interacting at the end of October, but that isn't two or three months in Salem time. Time doesn't move that quickly. Plus, Stephanie was madly in love with Max. I'm supposed to believe she's over him just. like. that? Not buying it. At this rate, all I see is Phil is Stephanie's rebound guy.

I'm really kinda digging it. The saddest thing is NB finally has an actor she has chemistry with and it's not gonna go anywhere. I'm hoping they elope.

Dang, never met you and you wanna piss me off.

[PhoenixRising05]

Well, I guess that as where we differ because I often look back at old stuff with the couples and cringe. I like supercouples and destined couples but I often look back and see how contrived things were even back then. Even Days back in the 80's was like that. I was watching some old Steve and Kayla stuff and if you think this Sami and Rafe stuff as bad, you've seen nothing yet. The only difference is fans hadn't been down that road that much before. That is the problem. Back then, they still beat it into your head who were the rooting pairings and where they were going. The pacing was still uneven but the difference was it was fresh and now. Today's soap fan has seen it and as much as they long for it, when they get it somehow it's not satisfying enough for many. I'm not saying Days is perfect by any measure but I don't think it was much better in the 90's or 80's. You still had the horrible cliches like said couple arguing for months until the ice melted or said couple being put in dangerous situations over and over. It's the same pattern and I think it's why Days is doing well number-wise. It's recognizable and what Days trained fans to expect for years. They got away from it under Hogan and while the quality was better, we already know ratings don't equate with quality.

And don't get me started on those Passions couples. Yes, Shuis and the tango was hot but some of those scenes were so God-awful. They would just randomly decide to tango around a living room and all I could so is laugh at a scene that was supposed to be serious and a way to connect with the couple. Ethan and Theresa got much better after the stupid disasters that went on and on to the point where I wanted something to fall on both of them just to end it. The thing people often forget though is that the pacing of couples like ET and Shuis was awful, especially for fans of slow buildup. There just seemed like more focus on the obstacles then on the couples coming together. Too much plot and not enough focus on the feelings involved. It worked but looking back on it now and going back and watching, it wasn't nearly as good as it seemed. Both those couples became a trainwreck once they lost the fairytale aspect and their not being together got drawn out to the point of ridiculousness. The only reason I wanted ET in the end is to have a satisfying climax.

Sorry for the rant but I just wanted to point out that what we are getting now is not always good but what we used to get wasn't much better. I often look back at things I loved the first time around and cringe because I see things I didn't, mostly because you got lost in the scene and what is happening the first time. This is why I wait awhile before re-watching something. You run the risk of tarnishing what you just watched IMO.

[Toups]

That's because the writing isn't good. There are still shows and pairings that have great writing and memorable scenes.

Well, I'm going to disagree with that. LOL I think the past was way better because there are stories I want to see again. Ten years from now, I'm not going to be going, "Damn, I want to see Sami/Rafe in the safe house again," or "I wish I could see those Dan/Chloe scenes again."

I disagree again.

I don't understand that. What do you tarnish? LOL

[Soapsuds]

How do you explain the increase in ratings? I dont disagree or agree with you. I just want your opinion why Days ratings have gone up all of sudden.

[Toups]

I honestly don't know. Maybe all the publicity they've gotten from Drake and Deidre's firing? That got them a lot of press and we know that when DAYS gets a lot of buzz, the ratings go up. I'm anxious to see the ratings in 6 months when the buzz dies down.

[PhoenixRising05]

I doubt it's due to buzz related to Drake and Dee.

If you look at the last few years, it always seems like people watch whenever their faves are on only. Days always seemed like that. Days with the vets on would always get a higher daily number but that has not been the case since around August. Days has managed to stop the bleeding and actually go up in time where soaps were fluctuating week to week and could not find any consistency numbers-wise at all. Yes, the holidays helped but the show had already begun a push before that and some soaps didn't do all that well during the holidays and usually most soaps see gains during the holidays. The other thing too is that it's doubtful many J&M fans, at least those that count in the Nielson's, are still left. J&M were off for all of summer 2006 and the numbers actually improved. They were off for most of 2007 and they even killed John and the show made it. J&M spent most of 2008 apart and the last half mostly backburnered and the show stabilized and went up. Hell, most of the other vets got nothing. Bo and Hope were only on during cop stuff. Even if you want to say the holidays are a big reason for the jump, the fact that Days could get the gains it did with minimal vet presence speaks volumes IMHO.

As for why I feel is tarnished, it's how good the scene is. Sometimes things seem good because your lost in the show you are watching. Many a time I will to go back and watching something and hate it when I loved it the first time. Maybe it's just me but it's just the way I am. That is why I don't want to re-watch something right away unless someone points something out to me on the boards and then I just go back to that point. I often look back at stuff I loved in the 80's, 90's, and even more recently and wonder why the hell I liked it in the first place.

[Roman]

It could be that more young people are tuning in because thgere is sometrhing or many things they like about the show.

Other than that, there are so many different reasons why people watch a daytime drama. One isn't more important than the other, IMO.

[JackPeyton]

really? i wouldnt say they have gotten a lot of buzz at all. a few places reported it and that was it.

i think the shows ratings are holding steady and going up because people are finding things they like. you may not like it, i may love it, others feel one way or another... it doesnt matter. ratings dont mean the show is good, but really who is to say the show is good? its all personal opinions.

i am really into days at the moment. i hope the shows ratings keep up in the upswing.

[quartermainefan]

Is it possible that ratings have gone up because all the people who abandoned ship when the NBC guy said Days would be canceled slowly realized Days isn't going anywhere so they slow but surely are coming home?

[Antoyne]

Ooooo a Tony and Nicole scene, how exciting