DAYS: Weekly recaps of Tomlin/Lisanti's year 1980-1981

[JAS0N47]

As requsted on various message boards, here are the abbreviated weekly recaps of Gary Tomlin & Michelle Poteet Lisanti's one year of head writing "Days" from October 20, 1980-October 20, 1981. Tomlin is now the co-executive producer of "Days" and Poteet Lisanti just returned to "Days" this week as a staff writer.

Week of 10/20/80: Mrs. Chisholm confirmed that that Kellam knew Sunny was murdered. Cassie crashed Tod's party. Julie guessed that Joshua is Sunny's long-lost son. Marie asked Alex not to look for Jessica's parents.

10/27/80: Julie stopped Joshua from killing Kellam. Cassie's dead body washed ashore. Don and Marlena argued about her joining Kellam's staff. Neil refused Kellam's bribe and his gambling debts mounted.

11/3/80: Tod begged Jessica to lie to the cops because they thought he killed Cassie. Mary's attentions were on Chris. Kellam lost the governor's race.

11/10/80: Chris left town when he found out Alex owns the marina. Don and Marlena separated. Trish offered to help Neil with his debts.

11/17/80: Marie admitted to Alex that they are Jessica's parents. Tod and Jessica were charged with Cassie's murder. Liz realized that Neil was Kellam's pawn. Maggie cautioned Mike against teasing Mickey about her and Kyle.

11/24/80: Joshua's testimony cleared Tod and Jessica. Kyle fantasized about Maggie. Mike and Trish rekindled their past love. Neil had Lee tranquilized.

12/1/80: Pippin, the loan shark, closed in on Neil for his gambling debts. Jessica moved into her new apartment. Kellam made a move on Marlena.

12/8/80: Marie begged Alex not to adopt Jessica. Kellam urged Marlena to adopt Johnny. Pippin, the loan shark, had Neil beaten up. Kellam told Liz he'll give Neil the money if she leaves Neil and returns to him.

12/15/80: Jessica was adopted by Alex. Neil disappeared. Marlena asked Don for a divorce. Doug was angered when Lee taunted Julie.

12/22/80: Lee ruined Doug and Julie's Christmas Eve. Doug got even by spending Christmas Day with the Hortons. Because of a mixup, the hospital party had two feuding Santas, Don and Kellam. Chris returned to Salem. Liz asked Mickey to hire a detective to find Neil.

1/5/81: Lee resented the arrival of her sister, Renee. Neil returned but wouldn't tell Liz where he was or how he paid off his debts. Marie went on a religious retreat. Tom prepared for hip surgery. Mike became Trish's manager.

1/12/81: Chris and Joshua decided to build a gym. Lee began receiving mysterious phone calls. Maggie and Mickey became closer after Kyle left town.

1/19/81: Alice found out that Alex is Jessica's father. Liz agreed to marry Neil. Brent returned and followed Renee. Joshua offered Tod a gym job.

1/26/81: Marlena and Don made love one last time before their divorce. Chris told Leslie that it's over between them. Don agreed that Liz should confess their affair to Neil.

2/2/81: Brent assumed the name Brad Connors and dated Julie. Alex asked Marie to leave the church and marry him. Liz came clean to Neil. Lee found out she could walk again, but pretended she couldn't.

2/9/81: Alex fumed when Tod and Jessica dated. Neil forgave Liz for her affair. Renee caught Lee out of her wheelchair. Alex and Marie followed Mary in the Chandler plane, which Max had rigged to crash to kill Alex.

2/16/81: Marie and Alex found their way to a deserted cabin after crashing. Mary found out Marie was Jessica's mother. Brent told Lee he would kill Julie unless Lee paid him more money. Kellam proposed to Marlena.

2/23/81: Lee admitted to Doug she had been a prostitute. Max was confident that Marie and Alex were dead. After Julie rebuffed Brent, he plotted to kill her and frame Lee.

3/2/81: Lee went off the deep end after killing Brent, who was holding Julie hostage. Marie removed her nun's veil and kissed Alex. Doug and Julie reunited.

3/9/81: Kellam showed signs of a breakdown. Tod proposed to Jessica. Neil advised Trish not to divorce David. Tod blamed Marlena for Kellam's condition.

3/16/81: Julie refused to press charges against Lee. Neil clashed with Don over Liz. Chris dated Renee.

3/23/81: Kellam attacked Marlena then was accidentally shot dead by Tod. Marie came closer to leaving the church. Mary seduced Alex. Joshua comforted Marlena. Julie and Doug planned to remarry soon.

3/30/81: Marie caught Alex with Mary. Trish brought Scotty to Salem. Jessica agreed to marry Tod. Alex warned Max not to hurt Mary. Liz accused Marlena of leading Kellam on.

4/6/81: Max went to jail. Marlena revealed to Don that Kellam had raped her. David arrived to stop Trish from divorcing him. Maggie was intrigued when Neil started a surrogate mother program at the hospital.

4/13/81: Tom and Alice advised Marie to leave the church. Marlena resumed her work at the hospital. Don gave up on Marlena once and for all. David told Tom that his boss, Stuart Whyland, might move to Salem.

4/20/81: Jessica was elated when she found out Alex was her father. Mickey nixed Maggie's idea of becoming a surrogate mother. Lee set her eyes on Neil.

4/27/81: Mickey rethought things and gave his okay for Maggie to become a surrogate mother. Marie told Jessica she was her mother. Neil was hesitant to hire Stuart as hospital administrator. Maggie learned that Mike would be returning to Salem in a few weeks.

5/4/81: Marie left the church and began dating Alex. Jessica disappeared. Stuart offered Marlena her own radio talk show.

5/11/81: Mike returned to town. Lee tried to turn Hope against Julie. Neil purchased a house for him and Liz. Stuart dated Marlena.

5/18/81: Lee was released from Bayview. Neil dated Mary to get her off Alex's back. Stuart had eyes for Maggie. Mike became a paramedic. Liz's singing career skyrocketed.

5/25/81: Lee failed to stop Doug and Julie's wedding. Trish and David divorced. Mary located Jessica at a convent. Julie and Doug honeymooned in Japan.

6/1/81: Maggie became pregnant. Mickey told Marlena that he's still apprehensive about Maggie's pregnancy. Chris told Renee about his estranged brother, Jake.

6/8/81: Don and Liz planned to tie the knot. Chris suffered a concussion after a scuffle with Tod. Doug consulted Marlena about Hope's distrust of Julie. Hope decided to live Tom and Alice. Lee gave up on pursuing Doug. Chris was delighted when Jake moved to Salem.

6/15/81: Maggie comforted Stuart. Marie told Mother Superior that Jessica is rushing too fast to become a nun. Jake impressed Hope. Marlena convinced Stuart to hire his son, Evan, at the medical center.

6/22/81: Doug made a scene when he found Hope in Jake's room. Tod apologized for fighting Chris. Don investigated Marlena's weird phone call. Mickey feared that Maggie wouldn't give her child for adoption once it was born.

6/29/81: Chris broke off with Renee. Alex wanted to wed Marie. Hope turned Doug away.

7/6/81: Mike proposed to Trish. Lee tried to throw Neil and Liz together for Marlena's sake. David warned Marie about Alex.

7/13/81: Alex was shot. Renee told police she saw David removing fingerprints from a gun. Neil confirmed that Evan fathered Maggie's child through the surrogacy program. Doug and Hope made amends.

7/20/81: David was charged with shooting Alex. Alex's condition stabilized. Lee dated Stuart.

7/27/81: Jessica kept mum about being evicted from the convent and formed a sleazy alter ego named Angel. Marlena received an ominous note. Liz pressed Don to marry her. Jake pursued Angel. Trish put off marrying Mike.

8/3/81: Alex revealed he had not seen his assailant. Tod admitted he had a drunken blackout the night of Alex's shooting. Don investigated Marlena's strange letters. Neil failed to pry Evan away from Maggie.

8/10/81: Alex realized he's paralyzed. Mary gave a report to Don that stated David was shuttling drug packages in California. Hope offered to introduce Jessica to Jake, who doesn't know Jessica is Angel. Liz planned a splashy wedding to Don.

8/17/81: Mike and Trish got engaged. Don agreed to marry Liz in two weeks. David was convicted of shooting Alex. David's cell mate was hired to kill him. Hope resumed dating Jake, this time with Doug's approval.

8/24/81: David broke out of jail. Maggie had second thoughts about surrendering her child. Marlena received more frightening calls.

8/31/81: Don and Liz got married. Marlena worried that her caller killed a girl. Jake broke a date with Hope to see Angel. Hope warmed up to Julie. Mike tried to win over Scotty. Tod and Joshua reconciled.

9/7/81: Mike scared away a henchman who held Trish and Scotty at gunpoint. Neil caught Jessica hallucinating. Don and Marlena joined forces to catch her mystery caller. Neil dated Mary. Renee hid David in the Body Connection basement.

9/14/81: Mike discovered David. Alex planned a risky operation for his paralysis. Marie set a wedding date with Alex. Jessica's "Angel" persona vowed to exterminate Jessica.

9/21/81: Marie realized that Jessica is Angel. Marlena's caller is on a murder rampage. Joshua told Marlena he has feelings for her.

9/28/81: Marie stopped Jake and Angel (Jessica)'s wedding ceremony and got Jessica hospitalized. Don and Liz had more tiffs over Marlena. Mickey noticed Evan is uncomfortable around him.

10/5/81: Lee was besieged by creditors. Mary tried to seduce Neil. Mike helped David don a facial disguise.

10/12/81: A depressed and out-of-it Tod was arrested after Don prevented him from strangling Marlena. Don thought Tod was Marlena's mystery caller. Mickey and Maggie learned her child would be adopted by a doctor. The mob edged closer to David. Joshua comforted Marlena.

10/19/81: The cops nabbed the mobster after David. Marlena's caller struck again while Tod was locked up. Mike helped Alex search for clues about his assailant.

Tomlin & Poteet Lisanti were replaced after this week of show's by Pat Falken Smith, who would, in the next few months, re-introduce the characters of Valerie & Danny Grant and create three new families in Salem with the introduction of Roman Brady, Kayla Brady, Abe Carver, Stefano DiMera and Tony DiMera.

http://www.jason47.com

[JackPeyton]

Can anyone elaborate on the Kyle/Maggie storyline?

[JAS0N47]

Kyle was an athlete who liked Maggie while he was recovering at University Hospital.

[JackPeyton]

Thanks.

I wish there was more old Maggie clips on youtube.

Shes the best.

[DRW50]

I never knew Valerie and Danny Grant came back. What stories did they have? Were they played by the same actors?

Tomlin and Poteet were after the writers who fired all the longtime cast members, weren't they?

[JAS0N47]

They were new actors. Diane Sommerfield and Roger Aaron Brown came on in 1981. Valerie was written off pretty quickly. She was a doctor at University Hospital and was Abe Carver's first romance on the show. Danny and Abe both liked Abe's secretary, Nikki Reed (who happened to be played by Renee Jones, now Lexie). He stuck around for almost three years in Salem, but didn't have any major story. After leaving town in 1984, it was announced in the summer of 1985 that he had been killed while in New York City. Roger Aaron Brown even came back and filmed some newly-created "flashback" sequences with John Aniston (Victor).

Yes, the many castmembers were written off in early 1980 and it's been dubbed the "Valentine's Days Massacre", but the shows didn't actually air until April, 1980. That's when a ton of new characters were introduced as well, with Liz being the longest-lasting of the new characters.

[Toups]

Why was it called that then?

[DRW50]

Thank you, Jason. I still don't know why they got rid of so many people. Were any of the characters who left people who really needed to go? I still think Bill Horton could be brought back to the show, especially since Mickey is such a wasted part.

[JAS0N47]

Toups: I don't know why it was called that by the press. Perhaps Nina Laemmle let the cast know in February about their upcoming departures in the episodes taping in March that would air in April. Laemmle's first episode didn't air until 4/21/80. A lot of the actors were gone by then, during scripts credited to Ruth Brooks Flippen, but perhaps Laemmle had input into those as well.

15 main characters were written off between February and May, 1980:

Bill

Laura

Bob

Phyllis

Linda

Robert

Samantha

Donna

Margo

Steve

Melissa

Brooke

Jordan

Cathy

Hope

10 new main characters were introduced between April and May, 1980:

Joshua

Flora

Max

Kellam

Liz

Tod

Jessica

Leslie

Cassie

Kyle

Of these, only Liz , Tod, Jessica & Joshua (who would marry and eventually have Nick Fallon) had any long-term success. But even Jessica & Joshua lasted less than 3 years.