DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[j swift]

That's an ironic quote, because the audience eventually believed that she could fall in love with a third guy.  And many current fans would be forgiven if they forgot the first one.

It's kind of funny to think that prior to the internet, the production's access to the audience response was so limited.

Edited November 20, 2023 by j swift

[Khan]

Where on Earth did DAYS get the idea that fans refused to accept Marlena with Roman?  If anything, I think they accepted him better than they did Don!

[Joseph]

Well..... he was pretty hateful in the early 1990's

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The Writing ruined his character! It sucked such an amazing character had to turn into this controlling SOB

[Contessa Donatella]

I know, I mean, "the cop & the doc" were legendary. I've got a quote where they were #1 couple after L&L, although at the time both Genie & Tony were on breaks from GH, but, still, ... 

I am right now watching episodes from when Wayne & Dee came back in 1991. So far there is no sign of RealRoman acting like a jerk. I just watched the RealRoman reveal to the Brady family in October & it was amazing drama! But, in fact, I'm up to mid-November, chronologically on my RealRoman investigation & project. They tell me if I keep watching long enough his writing will make him behave as a jerk. We'll see. 

[Khan]

But the article was written on the occasion of DAYS's 25th anniversary, which happened in 1985.

[Contessa Donatella]

Uh, the show began on Nov. 8, 1965 

So this article is some unknown day (?) in 1985 & the audience absolutely had accepted "the cop & the doc" by that time!!! 

Saying Nov. 6 is a terrible error. 

Schemering 72, "In the DAYS OF OUR LIVES tradition of strong, quietly macho leading men, Pat Falken Smith created police sergeant Roman Brady (Wayne Northrup, fresh from prime-time's DYNASTY) and paired him with Deidre Hall's lady psychiatrist, Marlena Evans. Eventually Roman and Marlena replaced GENERAL HOSPITAL'S Luke and Laura as daytime's most popular couple."

Edited November 21, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
combine 2 posts

[Paul Raven]

I was puzzled when I read that, but I think he means at first the audience didn't like Roman. They were used to Don and Marlena and saw all the plot complications as a means to eventually re-uniting D&M.

The Don/Marlena fans may have been very vocal (lots of mail/phone calls) and Rabin recalls that reaction...which quickly subsided.

[j swift]

That's my point, as we see from the 1980s ratings thread, the ratings were subject to multiple variables. So, the only other source of data they had to gauge popularity were phone calls or letters to assume the audience response.  However, much like Twitter/X or other social media today, the most vocal fans are not always indicative of the consensus.

Although it is amusing that apparently fans allowed Don to move on lots of other ladies. 

Given fan loyalties, I wonder if there are still people out there wishing Marlena had never found love again?  Because, unfortunately, a Don and Marlena reunion is impossible.

Edited November 20, 2023 by j swift

[Titus Andronicus]

The article ran in various newspapers in August 1985. 

So, about the time the Richard Cates storyline was finishing up. He had been teased as a Marlena love interest and I wonder if how his character turned out depended on audience reaction.

Which makes me also wonder if a) the Pawn was already being planned and b) if they had any thoughts as to whether that could lead to a Marlena love interest. I've always felt that the Pawn was retooled in his early days. There were some lines, plus his relationship with Steve that seemed to change when Drake Hogestyn took over.

Days really didn't have a leading character in mid-1985. Marlena was involved with Cates, but not the biggest part of the police corruption storyline. Bo, Hope, Abe, Theo, the priest, Alice, just about everybody had an equal role that summer. Steve was quickly elevated out of a small role in that story.

It's a shame that it was years before Abe had that much meat in a storyline until decades later. This was some of his James Reynolds' finest work.

[te.]

I want a Don and Marlena reunion now with a surprise pregnancy! Never Say Never!

[j swift]

Keep hope alive (literally and figuratively)

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[Contessa Donatella]

What's your plan about that little problem where he stepped out to mail a letter & was never again seen or heard from? I wonder if his daughter Donna knows. I think she lives in Genoa City! 

[j swift]

https://www.jason47.com/days/productionschedule.html

There are so many dark weeks in summer/autumn 2023 (although it is in keeping the usual 15-18 week off schedule since 2016).  I assume to account for the changeover in producer, and then the writing staff.  However, I wonder if that reduces the number of episodes written by scab writers versus other productions?  If the WGA strike ended 9/27/23, and DAYS was dark 10/2-10/6, with episodes filmed 10/9-10/13 airing 3/5, they may only have 8-9 weeks of scab material (assuming that the current writers got back to work immediately).

My concern/interest is will the scabs move the story forward like GH, or will they tread water?

Also, looking forward to summer 2024, I wonder if DAYS will take an Olympic break?  Obviously, they air on Peacock so it is unnecessary, but I wonder if they'll delay it for bandwidth in order to air all the games on Peacock?

Edited November 21, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

And, we don't know how it compares to their typical Dark Week schedule since not being in the studio is a primary way that both DAYS & GH save on their budgets.

[janea4old]

The taping schedule allowed Greg Vaughan to spent almost all of summer 2023 at his home in Texas with his sons.  Maybe one or two visits to L.A. to tape.
It allowed Jessica Serfaty to spend almost all of summer 2023 with her son and her fiancé in Italy.  She took one or two trips to LA on her billionaire fiancé's private jet to film in L.A. but otherwise she was mostly in Italy (and nearby areas of Europe). 

Edited November 21, 2023 by janea4old