DAYS: Thaao Penghlis attacks the late James E. Reilly

[Gray Bunny]

Playing devil's advocate here, but people don't respect Hitler just because he's deceased and it's not ''respectful'' to speak ill of the dead. Some people liked the work *he* did too.

Just sayin'... (cuz being dead or alive doesn't change my perception of someone)

[Rakesh]

^^ The SSK was designed to fix Days' budget. The show was facing financial problems and Mr. Reilly created a solution to axe actors in order to save money. Atleast he didn't axe out all the veterans like Dena and Corday.

[Toups]

Are you serious? I don't think the two even met! Jim didn't interact with his actors. So he's going to write a "tell all" about someone he doesn't even know?

Sure the ratings went down after the HUGE climax, but that was expected. DAYS was better in the ratings when the story finished than when it started. And I wouldn't call these stats, "tanking."

HH Average

September: 2.925

October: 3.02

November: 3.175

December: 3.125

January: 3.48

February: 3.5

March: 3.2

April: 3.175

May: 3.175

HH Ranking Averag

September: 5

October: 4.2

November: 4

December: 4.5

January: 2.8

February: 2.0

March: 3.0

April: 2.75

May: 2.75

18-49 Average

September: 2.275

October: 2.42

November: 2.75

December: 2.575

January: 2.72

February: 2.725

March: 2.46

April: 2.375

May: 2.5

18-49 Ranking Average

September: 3

October: 2.6

November: 1.25

December: 2.25

January: 1.6

February: 1.0

March: 1.6

April: 1.5

May: 1.75

[Rakesh]

He bashed the "diva" at that event(he wasn't the only actor who did so, btw). Of course I praised him for doing it too.

[JONNYSBRO]

Thaoo sounds like a MORON in this interview. First of all is he jealous of how wealthy James E Reilly. People do not realize how rich Jim Reilly is and Corday is still paying his estate. He brought ratings to the biggest freaking highs in daytime history. His first stint on DAYS kept AW on the air for 7 more years then it should have been.NBC was making so much money, that AW was not a finacial barrier at the time. They could afford to put Sunset Beach on the air based on their profits and then Passions came on. Talking ill of a dead person is such bad taste. The man is buried and in the ground. He sounds bitter and totally burned his bridges. First we had the unprofessional Cady McClain and then Thaoo. The sad truth of the reality is Dena/Gary's DAYS is getting higher ratings then Ed Scott/Sheffer's were. They are under strict budgets right now. I do not agree with every decision. Getting rid of Deidre/Drake was so stupid but ditching Mary Beth/Stephen I agree with. They did not work this time around at all and they were costly and not necessary. All soaps are in trouble right now except Y&R. Lots of sour grapes all around going on. DAYTIME is a dying genre. You either TAKE THE PAYCUT OR GET FIRED. These soaps do not have money.

[dragonflies]

How did he attack him? He stated how he felt, doesn't make him right or wrong

For once we agree!

[Shylock]

@ JONNYSBRO:

When you're going to go the "he's jealous of how much money Reilly makes", then just stop. Drop the thought and don't let it come out of your fingers. That's just such a cheap excuse and it shows how little ya understand about what Thaao is saying.

JER's style, and everyone else who writes campy, ridiculous garbage like him, is what killed any reputation Daytime had and is still killing it today. Reilly, admittedly, did some pretty good stuff in the mid 90's up until that stupid possession storyline. Tony's initial death was really awesome, I thought. Then he went to the ridiculous camp with the possession, his whole second term, and pretty much the entire tenure of Passions.

The stigma that stuff gives to daytime is what killed it. Sometimes that mystery, action, adventure, pseudo-supernatural stuff can be good, but it has to be done in a way that it isn't.. you know, ridiculous. Mid to late 80's Days is kinda like that.

Hogan and Ed Scott didn't get to turn around the show, because they weren't availed that kind of autonomy. Sheffer's original plan for the Vendetta Origins stuff sounded much, much better than what it was butchered into. I would assume that his entire tenure is full of that BS. Ed Scott, apparently, had pretty much full control of the show in August of 08. He got some good ratings plus they had two promising stories that looked to be setting off much better stuff. Corday, the NBC execs and Dena were the problems. Sheffer wasn't the problem during his tenure, because you can take a look at what he's doing now and see a quality show.

And honestly, daytime in general wouldn't be suffering right now if it weren't for management faux paus, some sort of cronyism determining who gets to be head writer (it seems they keep recycling failed head writer after failed head writer at most soaps), a lack of fresh blood for writers and not staying ahead of the curve.

[Ponz]

That's still a 10% drop from January. Not dramatic but the trend did exist prior to Corday's alledged interference.

That's not saying much given:

1) He had to brutally murder half of the veteran canvas to accomplish this. That's alot of a story capital to spend for a .2 gain in HH.

2) The base period is Higley's disastrous '03 tenure. After months of Love is Blind, In The House and Bope the Bounty Hunters, any vaguely exciting story was going to get a boost.

[JONNYSBRO]

Thaoo sounds like a total idiot sorry. Oh you mean Reilly in 1997 bringing DAYS in the freaking EILEEN DAVIDSON SUMMER UP TO OVER 7.0 and almost beating Y&R. I remember the freaking millions he brought into Ken Corday's bank account and DAYS back account. Before Reilly DAYS was in like 9th place, it was in big trouble and AW was going to be cancelled. NBC daytime was a mess back then. JAMES Reilly came in and 1995 surged ratings to number freaking 2. Back then DAYS/NBC had so much money in their accounts. They could have a big huge massive budget which kepts all the vets on, have elaborate big stories, great sets, pay lock stock and barrell for AW, pay for Sunset Beach and create Passions. They were so much money it was unbelievable and that was due to JAMES FREAKING REILLY. Passions did very well the first few seasons with a great young demo. Corday is so bitter at Reilly because Corday offfered Reilly the biggest deal in daytime history to stay with DAYS for five years and he turned it down at the freaking PEAK OF HIS TENURE. Reilly left at the peak of his first tenure when Eileen Davidson's ratings were going so high they did not know what to do. You know what Corday has today take the 1997 budget and take 10% of that budget and that is DAYS current blackhole. They have NO MONEY AT ALL. I am surprised they have not adopted GL's production model, they are in such bad shape. Sheffer/Scott in the beginning got some autonomy but the ratings were below a 2.0. NBC was freaking out and they had to do something. I am no fan of Gary/Dena but the show is doing better with such a small budget. DAYS will be cancelled next year. Thaoo is a moron bitting the hand that feeds him. Remember you never burn bridges in life and trashing co-works/bosses gets you nowhere. He sounded like a fool in this interview and to speak ill of a dead person is just beyond TACKY.

[dragonflies]

How is speaking ill of him? Geez, he's talking about the guy's writing style.

I might agree if he were coming out and saying "Reilly is an idiot, and I hated his guts" or something like that

[Toups]

Jonny, the thing is Thaao didn't burn his bridges because he never dissed Corday - only Reilly, Tomlin and Higley. For some reason, he still respects Ken Corday, the man who gave the final order for all 3 of this firings.

Ponz, for a 9 month story, I will take those numbers anytime.

Shylock, Aremid happened after the Possession.

[TheRedWarrior]

He's absolutely 100% RIGHT.

Doesn't matter when JERk died....he was a horrible writer and the reason why soaps in general are thought as completely useless and just the butt of jokes.

I'm glad Thaoo had the balls to say what I'm sure PLENTY of people in the industry and regular old soap fans are thinking.

[SteveFrame]

I'm sorry I don't get this speaking ill of the dead thing. Is that just in regards to James Reilly or is it a standard. Because if it is then we need to remove history books, quit talking about dead politicians, and a lot of biographies will have to come off the shelves too because many of them speak ill of the dead.

I know that many loved Reilly and I had my likes and dislikes about him, but lets face it the man was not perfect and I don't even think he would want to be canonized by his fans but would rather have his life looked at for both its good and bad points.

[All My Shadows]

Matt Ashford is a grown man, as is Thaao Penghlis, and they make their own choices based on what they feel like doing. If Ashford wants to brush off any animosity towards DAYS and take the high road, that's fine and it's his choice. If Thaao wants to speak his very valid opinion to the press, that's fine, too, and it is his choice. It doesn't have anything to do with who has class or who doesn't have class.

Re: JER and his "style." IMO, doing supernatural, sci-fi, adventure, spy, blah blah stuff in daytime isn't a bad thing. Soaps wouldn't be on the verge of death today if there were various subgenres. It's only a bad thing when doing those stories completely changes the focus and character of a show. PSNS's use of the supernatural was great, and because the supernatural was an element that went into its creation, it worked, it fit, and it made sense. But with DAYS? No! JER may have helped Ken Corday save "Days of our Lives," but he pretty much helped put Corday's "parents' show" out to pasture. I'm pretty positive that Ted and Betty wouldn't have approved of demonic possessions and alien babies on their earnest little show about a small-town doctor and his family... IMO, and it can be called attack if one wants to call it that, but when JER (with lots of help with KenDoll) started to do this freaky, crazy stuff, he basically took one massive [!@#$%^&*] on the what the show was supposed to be about.

[Toups]

Umm.......daytime was the butt of jokes way before Jim Reilly ever became the HW for DAYS.

"The guy was killed in an auto accident! I looked it up! He was driving in the Yukon, in a pink convertible, to visit his brother who's an ex-con named Frances, when a tractor trailer comes along and decapitates him. You know what that means, it means he doesn't have a head. How am I suppose to write for a guy who doesn't have a head? He's got no lips, no vocal cords. What do you want me to do?"

From the movie Soapdish......which came out in 1991.

To act like Jim Reilly was responsible for soaps having a bad rep.....please!!