DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[jam6242]

Frances had a stroke after returning from a trip to Africa.

[YRBB]

 

Ah, thanks! I thought it might've been something health related.

[Paul Raven]

Aug 67

Tom Donnelly, writing in the 'Washington Daily News' of a news conference with MacDonald Carey, who plays Dr. Tom Horton in an afternoon TV Soap opera on NBC-TV, 'Days of our Life,' quotes him as saying: "For a time we tried attacking social problems on our show. We talked about cancer and abortions and we were goingto do something with water pollution. Bui those things just didn't grab our audience. Anyway, in doing research we found "that a great source of water pollution is detergents and that is why we decided to forget about water pollution."

[Gray Bunny]

 

Yes @jam6242 is correct, I think the stroke was in December '95.  

 

Off the top of my head, I can't remember if the Horton family was shown during that holiday season. I specifically remember the bulk of Salemites in Aremid that Christmas, with John giving that sad lil girl something to smile about

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[KMan101]

Frances was always so active and vital. How many strokes and ailments did she have towards the end? Alice was so actively involved and it was so sad to see it decreased to basically hanging off of Maggie and later either in bed or in the chair. But Frances worked up until she couldn't. I just loved her

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 Losing her and Alice was such a massive loss to the show. It has never felt the same, honestly.

 

And I think they should have used Alice's memorial in 2010 to make the rest of the Horton's "relevant" again, but they all only returned for that and were shoved off again. Marie should be vital and active. Bill and Laura. Mickey could have been better recast, IMHO (but that ship sailed, of course, since he's dead too). Mike (instead we spent almost a decade on Maggie's egg-baby) ... Jeremy ... Melissa ... at least they finally brought on Sarah. I like Linsey but I always had my heart set on a redhead for Sarah LOL (and Sarah should be about 10 years older). They wrote Nick into a corner and killed him. They had no interest in Nathan (who should have been Jeremy, but I liked them introducing a son for Melissa "the forgotten" cousin as we spent years on Hope and Jennifer ... most viewers probably have no clue Hope and Melissa were best friends)

 

At least they recognize Julie and Doug should be filling the matriarch and patriarch (as much as Jarlena stans want to insist Jarlena are the current Tom and Alice; I like Jarlena but I massively disagree on this, they're not at that point yet). I still think they can better use Julie and SSH is more than able to work. So is Bill, but he's also what, over 90? I understand not using Doug as much. But neither appeared in April ... 

 

I also want to whine that they could take time to write for other characters. Adrienne and Justin only appeared twice (I'm not their biggest fan, but I like each actor and I think both characters can fill roles on the canvas) and they filled a role in their episodes. I liked Adrienne's use with Jennifer and the Jack/Eve wedding, but then why not give them a followup episode where they discuss this? The lack of investment in a lot of characters, not just them (and I get it, they're recurring and you have to pay them to use them ... so why not a limited contract??) is sad. To note, I was reading some recaps recently and when The Dragon story started (a lot of these stories are honestly dumb, but the rest of the show and actors make up for it) they killed off Russian Sonia, who was living with Don, but from what I saw, they never bothered to show Don after. They were getting close, she's killed and then nothing? Did I miss that? The shows had their flaws even then.

Edited May 3, 2019 by KMan101

[Forever8]

If DAYS ever got a decent budget , Yeah I know .... Anyway, if it was possible which Hortons would you bring back for a short or long stint? 

Mines would be 

Jeremy Horton

Mike Horton 

Melissa Horton - Recast if Lisa Trussell doesn't want to come back for a longer stint. 

[KMan101]

 

It would have been Sarah, Jeremy, Mike, Melissa (Marie Wilson was cast in 2014 and instead of Summer could have been an attempt at recasting Melissa, or Sarah Brown!) and Marie (she should have been brought back on recurring when Nick was introduced in 2006, around when Frances was very much declining, and Marie could have transitioned into a supporting role, and later could have given advice to Eric when he became a priest ... I also would have paired Marie and Victor instead of Maggie and Victor ... random, I know, but I think about this weird things).

 

But at they've added Sarah (really not sure why so many Hortons are "forgotten" about)

 

Instead of Dr. Rex Brady it should have been Dr. Jeremy Horton (but I get why they sometimes make the decisions they do) and Dr. Stephanie Johnson. 

 

I would have paired Mike with Adrienne way back in 1987 and put Justin with Melissa (and then would have paired Justin and Adrienne leaving Mike and Melissa heartbroken and solo, lol). But I guess Justin and Adrienne just took off somehow so ... I also never quite understood Judi taking on Adrienne after having played a similar tortured heroine in Beth ... Mike and Robin were popular but never in the way of the other supercouples. I wish Mike had been given more a chance. I didn't care much for Mike and Carrie, either. I think the flying bed turned me off completely

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 (but I enjoyed the set up, and crazy Ali)

 

And then instead of Aiden, I would have brought back Mike and put him with Kayla in Steve's absence (or instead of Lucas and Adrienne, Mike and Adrienne ...). Of course in my world with a budget and someone who cares about the history of the show, Reckell wouldn't have been basically driven off the show and Bo would still be around too ... but then again, maybe he'd still "retire" (I get him wanting to spend time with his family after so many years working and working and working). But so many went running before and during Tomsell's last run (Renee Jones, Peter Reckell, Matt Ashford, Alison Sweeney and James Scott, to name just a few who either left on their own or were let go).

 

We should have had a Mike recast in 2008/2009 instead of Dr. Daniel Jonas. Mike, like Daniel, could have been paired with Kate, Chloe, Nicole ... they still could have also made MelaME his daughter with Carly (as much as Melanie annoyed me she would have been truly tied to the Hortons, you'd think they would have thought of that since they were so damned determined to tie her to the canvas; only for Daniel to be offed like he was nothing and Melanie is gone and almost never mentioned, thank God)

 

Random thought but they could have made Brody Hutzler a recast Scott Banning. Of course they couldn't have paired him with either Jen or Hope but still ... 

 

And it's also bugged me how David Banning was basically forgotten about in the mid 80s after Gregg Marx left and then they never bothered again. That's a long time to leave a character so vital off the canvas. And then they killed him for no reason instead of recasting and milking the Valerie/Eli drama. Such a waste. (The actor who played Vargas in 2013, whom fans took to, could have been Scott too, just as an example). Instead of TEK, Rhasaan Orange could have been a recast Jonah (they gave Lexie the same affair story just with Tek instead of Jonah), and the timing would have fit with Lexie having given birth to Theo, Abe blind ...

 

I know new characters are important, not everyone can be related, but so many times over the years they've cast actors I think could have been better tied to the canvas ...

Edited May 3, 2019 by KMan101

[Gray Bunny]

I wished the same for the Hortons. You know, it's tragic real-life moments that should serve as a re-set for a show that's lost its way with their tentpole families. Same could be done with Y&R's Neil currently.  Similarly, I felt the same for GL when they celebrated their 70th anniversary in January 2007 with their special episode that reimagined their radio days and early black & white years; perfect opportunity to boost the Bauers back into relevancy. 

[KMan101]

 

Agreed. Or even in 1997 when the show (GL) was in slightly better shape (not by much but by 1998 the show really went to hell and pretty much never recovered) ...

 

Shows have missed so many opportunities ....

 

And Neil's death should have resulted in correcting the wrongs in Hilary and Dru's deaths. But nope. They'll all probably be relegated to Wednesday's again. Yet Cane soldiers on somehow ... while Hilary is in the ground. Something is just so wrong with that. And with Nate on, you don't even BOTHER to try and include Olivia? Ever? Just "we tried but she couldn't"? Any viewer after 2008 probably hasn't a clue who Olivia is. I couldn't believe (but I could I guess) some "fans" on Twitter not seeing a need or wanting Dru back even if they acknowledged "the show did her (Rowell) dirty". They see no point (but thankfully most others do) even when I point out her SON is there (Devon), her nephew (Nate), her grandchildren (Mattie and Charlie) ... so what if three of them don't even know her? You know what you do then? You bring back Olivia too! It's not that hard but they don't care. To some fans without Neil and Christel's Lily they don't care. I say bring Christel on to play Dru's return and then just recast down the road if Christel has moved on.

 

Imagine the grief of Dru coming back only to discover her beloved Neil is gone. It WRITES ITSELF! lol

 

Let's continue to blacklist Victoria Rowell (and trot her out to say goodbye to Kristoff, which was a nice gesture but it's starting to ring hollow, but at least she was allowed to pay her respects to him on-screen) but hey bring back Greg Rikaart, Melissa Claire Egan, recast Adam ... sigh. And fans just eat all of this up. I couldn't believe how excited many of them were for Rikaart and Egan's return. Mind-boggling.

 

While I never expected anything to truly happen on the Rowell front with Steve Kent still at Sony, I mean it's so blatant why she's being kept from the show, yet no one is truly calling them on it. And when Rowell does, it's like crickets chirp. I don't get it.

 

Sorry for the Y&R rant ... wrong thread for it, lol but I got carried away.

 

Back to DAYS ....

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Edited May 3, 2019 by KMan101

[Khan]

If Frank Valentini or Bradley Bell were smart*, they'd work to get VR on their respective shows.  She might not be some people's cup of tea, but there's no denying that she has a large and dedicated following.

 

 

(*Which they're not.)

[DaysFanatic777]

Gosh, I'd populate the whole town with them!!

 

David Banning (I imagine Grant Aleksander in the role)

Scotty Banning

Melissa Horton

Mike Horton

Jeremy Horton

Laura Horton (I'm sorry but I can't with JLB, as good as she is.  I see Slezak since Flannery has retired)

Bill Horton

Nick Fallon (Yes he died, but this is Days)

Marie Horton

 

This show went to hell when they cut out the Horton family.  It ripped the heart and soul right out of the show. 

[jam6242]

Sometimes I wish for more Horton returns, but then I remember who is writing, and then I'm content to keep them in my memories.  Sarah Horton finally returned and she barely interacts with her Horton family.  Eli rarely does either, except in his professional capacity.  I do hope that Marie at least returns if/when the show is canceled in the next few years.

Edited May 4, 2019 by jam6242

[DaysFanatic777]

If Sheri Anderson were head writer it MAY be different.  Then again, she is one of the many reasons the show ditched it's core family in favor of fluff and filler. I don't know of any current writer in this genre that I would ever trust with a treasure like the Horton family.  We have reached the point where there are literally NO options. 

 

BTW Jam, I love your posts on that other message board as well.  Like you, I love Julie Olson Williams!!

[KMan101]

 

Yeah, I love Anderson but the show really veered off track as everyone got all hot and bothered by the super couples and adventures. Not saying the show wasn't good but it became a different show before Reilly did his own damage later on (to be fair, I see a lot of silly stupid stuff we'd all rip to shreds now, and the show still had some flaws I see still today ...) But back then, there was a budget, and folks seemed to genuinely care more about putting out good quality stuff, even when it was a bit cringey and dumb. Personally I found Calliope and Eugene to be absolutely exhausting and tiresome characters most of the time. I wonder how fans really felt as all these new people just randomly started showing up and dominating airtime. I know it was a different time, writers developed characters better, the show just looked better, actors were invested, etc. but a lot of the same complaints we often have today I could see folks having then ... but it seems folks want to look at things through nostalgia and rose colored glasses. But I'd take any of it over today's crap.

 

And to be fair, it still had heart, a sense of community, stories while dumb still had beginnings, middles and ends and lead into other stories, they still tried to bring back certain characters other regimes have long given up on. I can see why fans ate it up, but again, I see a lot of flaws ... lol

 

They had the best opportunity in 2010 to resurrect the Hortons as a true core family and they failed. They trotted them out for Alice and promptly forgot about all of them.

 

It's weird how Ron seemed to want to write for Lucas and Bryan Dattilo initially but then it suddenly stopped, Lucas was MIA for a lot of Will's return and then randomly paired back with Chloe before being written out. So strange. Another Horton was out the door ...

 

It's also so sad that vital characters like Carrie, Philip, Shawn and Belle are all off canvas, to name just a few.

 

They do give Sarah, IMO, plenty of time with Maggie (but it felt bizarre to see her just sitting there grimacing as Victor was rude as hell to Sarah for no reason but because he's a grumpy ass old man, you'd never know they were mother and daughter half the time ... and Sarah's Will's family too but you'd never know it when they're interacting during Will's 6 episode brain tumor story), but really with no one else. The lack of episode guarantees probably plays into this. You can't have Sarah and Jen or Sarah and Hope interacting because you need to use Kristian's appearances for her own story and in Ciara's story ... so other things lack. People don't seem to agree when I say it but Episode Guarantees are really hurting this show.

 

This may sound simplistic but I'm just no longer drawn into soaps like I am when I watch anything from the past. There's very little depth anymore. Not that soaps weren't always a bit hollow at times, but I really feel they're so hollow now. I watch out of loyalty. Nothing I see really ever truly drags me in anymore. It's really sad. I can pick just about any episode, even a bad one, from the past and be instantly drawn in and interested.

Edited May 4, 2019 by KMan101

[YRBB]

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, Alice, Mickey, Maggie, Mike (got a call from Jeremy), Jenn all appeared. They did a version of the ornament hanging and flashbacked to Tom/Alice as a substitute.