DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[carolineg]

I could be crazy but I think they broke up Don and Marlena because they wanted to give DH a younger love interest after she became super popular.   The early 80's had so many casting changes and I feel like they were beginning to start phasing Don out.  Giving him B stories like the Maggie romance.  Once WN's Roman caught on there was no need to go back to Don and Marlena.

Conversely,  they hired Eileen to give Drake a younger love interest because TPTB thought Deidre was too old.  JER is the one that went full force with J&M.   I honestly never thought Marlena looked older than John.  I think Deidre looked pretty ageless until the last few years.

[Bill Bauer]

 

Maybe Shenanigans? 

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks @jam6242 and @carolineg for your theories. In any case, Jed Allan certainly proved he still had the romantic actor goods when paired with Judith McConnell on SB.

[beebs]

Actually, I just figured JER needed someone to fill the spot Isabella held in the Roman/Marlena/John/Isabella quad. She filled the same duties in the story (daughter of an enemy of John's, though by that point, Victor had been defanged). The only real difference is that I can't see Isabella becoming the desperate villain Kristen became, though I'm sure fighting Marlena for John's affections for that many years could potentially do it to anyone. It could have proven a much more compelling story had Isabella gone to the dark side, given the more extended history, as well as the added leverage of Isabella also having John's child. Long term, that rivalry could have carried over into Brady and Belle, though, knowing Reilly, he'd never go into it with the depth that kind of storytelling would require.

[carolineg]

 

I am pretty sure if Staci Greason stayed the plan was still for a John/Marlena affair just with both parties cheating on spouses instead of just Marlena.  I just remember reading on a board or in a magazine they hired Eileen because she was a younger love interest.  Obviously John and Marlena needed some kind of angst after Wayne left and Kristen was pretty boring pre-villainess.  I do have a hard time imagining Isabella as a villainess but a lot of it is because Isabella is revered as a practical saint on Days so I can't really imagine her as anything but tragic.  I don't think SG really has the depth to play the villainess the way Eileen did, but Isabella's background and upbringing would make sense for her to turn bad.  I really hated Isabella when I was younger (I really, really loved John and Marlena back in the day), but she isn't awful when I watch clips now.  Also, I feel like WN's Roman got the shaft for John.  He was written like such a jerk after he returned in 1991.

It would be strange to see Brady and Belle at odds because as kids they were literally a package deal.  I would honestly feel bad for Belle.  She already had to deal with Sami. 

Edited March 18, 2019 by carolineg

[victoria foxton]

Maybe it was a good thing that Staci Gleason left when she did. I think had SG stayed JER would've thrown Izzy b under the bus. I remember Isabella being nice. But she was never a pushover. She could be strong yet level headed. 

[carolineg]

 

Probably.  JER was single minded on his supercouples and J&M were his favorite.   JER didn't do triangles with all 3 players being 'good'   Everyone was either good or evil.  Even Billie, who was basically a nice person, became a schemer under JER.  Isabella definitely would have been a villain lol.  I think her character arc was pretty decent.  She served her purpose and has a good legacy on the show.  Though I really would have liked to see the John/Isabella/Marlena/Roman quad play out with her and J&M having the affair and Belle.    Although I literally cringe at the nickname Izzy B.  It's super obnoxious...but I am not a fan of nicknames.  The nickname Doc bothers me too.  It's like the least sexy thing you can call your soulmate/wife.

[Sindacco]

Here's part of an interview with JER where he talks a little about John/Marlena/Roman (although the question/subject was about Victor/John Aniston), still it's a good read.

 

That being the case, why didn't you write for John Aniston? Victor used to be the bad boy of Days -- he was in everybody's business. Granted, that was before you got there, but still -- why didn't you make him a rip-snorting villain again?
When I came back, Victor had already become the good guy and Stefano was the villain who affected everybody's lives. I looked at what we had -- which was Roman I and Roman II and Marlena -- and as a viewer I had to ask: Why wasn't there more of an impact on these people's lives when Roman I came back and Marlena found out she was sleeping with the wrong man? I mean, all they played was Marlena sort of looking at John when Roman came back and saying, "Oops." That was it? Hello? We're all going to make believe that Marlena, who had been sleeping with John for so many years and raised children with him, would just turn off her feelings? Yet that's the way it was written. It made no sense. Obviously, John and Marlena -- being basically very decent people -- had to put their lives and feelings on hold because they weren't going to destroy the family and hurt Roman and stuff. It wasn't their fault but it was Stefano's fault.

 

I had to do surgery. It was the first story I had to address but to do that, I had to bring back Stefano because he was so crucial to it, and in doing that I could not have Victor and Stefano butting heads. I couldn't have two villains the same age. They'd be like Villain One and Villain Two. And the momentum of the baby story with Aniston and Debbie Adair got killed because Debbie wanted to have her own child and was out at various times when she was going through the in-vitro fertilization process.

 

I've seen alot of fans say this over the years, but when I watch clips from WN's original run in 1981-84, I think Roman's the same kind of jerk that he was in 1991-94.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Sindacco

[carolineg]

 

I think the way Roman was in 1981-84 worked for him at the time, but the circumstances and character changed and he didn't.  I would think being held prisoner for 7 years and losing all the time with your wife and children while someone else was actually taking your place would make you value your freedom and family, but Roman seems annoyed all the time. Like everyone should just accept him no problem.  Also RoJohn played a very different, more mature Roman.  It stills rubs me the wrong way how awful he was by going undercover 5 min after he came back and he had 0 sympathy towards Marlena and the years she lost.  It was all about him.  I also hated his creepy relationship with Sami and the way he totally discounted Marlena and John in regards to Carrie because he was biologically related to her.  Also, John and Marlena were smoking hot in the 90's.  DH and WN didn't have the same chemistry.  I like Roman/Wayne.  The TPTB made him unlikeable in the R/M/J triangle and it was unnecessary.  The outside factors of the trio were enough to build a triangle on, they didn't have to make one person the heavy in this one.  I also don't think Roman would shun Marlena forever for her affair and Belle when Marlena accepted a lot of crap from him ( ex-wife and child he forgot to mention).  The way WN was fired and written out let a lot to be desired.  The affair was talked about for years but TPTB fired one of the main players in it?

[chrisml]

I came across this brief mention of Patsy Pease's sudden departure from DOOL. Thought some people might find it interesting.

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[theherowithin]

For anybody that doesn't know,  this site has a  lot of old classic Days episodes.  And other soaps as well. 

 

https://archive.org/search.php?query=%22days%20of%20our%20lives%22

Edited March 28, 2019 by theherowithin
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[j swift]

I was in a UK Tabloid wiki-hole last night and became fascinated with Abi Titmuss.  She is a former nurse and poker player who had a sex tape released of her and a former morning tv host, John Leslie.  Her wedding, baby, and her new house have all been documented by the BritTabs, and in every article, she and her husband are credited as stars of Days of Our Lives.  Abi played a nurse (I think she tended to Rafe during his coma) and her husband Ari played a hitman (I think he may have been the guy who shot EJ).  However, it is as if there is an alternate universe where these two were the stars of the show; especially in comparison to the coverage of actual contracted actors of DAYS.

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/3867475/abi-titmuss-days-of-our-lives-husband-ari-welkom-baby/

 

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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2017051438912/abi-titmuss-ari-welkom-share-wedding-photos/

 

It was remarkable to me that this woman has made a side career out of work as an extra on DAYS.

 

She also has published two books 

Edited April 9, 2019 by j swift

[te.]

I'll admit that "Titmuss" is a hot last name.

[victoria foxton]

 

 

[YRBB]

@Gray Bunny or anyone else who may know:

 

Does anyone know the reason behind Frances Reid's prolonged absence for Oct/Nov/and most of Dec 1995? (This may continue after, but I'm up to Christmas 1995)