DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[carolineg]

That is probably true.  I just thought it was an interesting concept.  Aremid was so gothic.  I remember Days fleshing out a lot of the townsfolk.  I just can't remember if it was anything more than an idea.

I am not defending Missy.  I just think it's embarrassing lol.

[Contessa Donatella]

I know. I'm not confused. 

[Lye-C]

I’m still surprised that the show has never revisited Aremid. All of JER’s big stories have gotten “sequels” at some point except for Aremid and the Salem Stalker/Melaswen (although that one got a shout-out in one of the Halloween episodes).

[carolineg]

You make a valid point.  Aremid was cool.  The show should use the fact this place exists more often.

[Contessa Donatella]

There's been another demonic possession. Susan Banks & Thomas Banks & Sister Mary Moira have reappeared once or twice. No one's been Buried Alive, have they? No Aremid (no Woman in White). No Serial Killer/Melaswen. What else? 

[carolineg]

There was a Buried Alive Redux story with Brady and Vivian and Maggie I think.  It happened.  I just didn't like and don't remember it that well.

The show never didn't anything else with that underground kingdom Stefano had in Paris.  I am not sure what else you would do with that though lol.

[Contessa Donatella]

I thought it was so funny. BITD a comic aficionado posted a description of the Paris Underground in a meta text about European comics. It was a complete rip-off! 

Sorry, I missed that second Buried Alive. 

[carolineg]

You didn't miss much.  Vivian buried Maggie and then Brady got involved and buried Vivian.  I think it was in Isabella's grave (her remains were removed).  Someone probably can explain it better, but it was tacky.

[Lye-C]

They weren’t even really buried, though. They were sealed in a coffin entombed inside a crypt. All I remember is the garishly bright lighting in the coffin scenes.

[Franko]

What a saga this was! Thanks, @JAS0N47!

No worries, Khan.

[JAS0N47]

Glad to help. I scanned any interesting SOW behind-the-scenes "Days" articles from the early 1990's in when I was scanning the soap ratings a long time ago, just for cases like this, when someone has a random question. So, I'm glad they were all at the ready!

I spoke to Barry Cutler about that:  http://www.jason47.com/days/barrycutler.html

They had just signed all of the Aremid gang to contracts shortly before Missy quit. I don't remember the exact quote, but I remember the sentence that begins "Unfortunately" is where he had mentioned something like "an actress quitting", but when I published that interview I used just his word "Unfortunately" and then subbed in paraphrased words so as not to mention those specifics in the posted interview.

"A number of us involved in the storyline of the small town in which my character lived [Aremid] were very disappointed when the storyline was brought to an early conclusion. There had been talk of spinning off [the Aremid characters] into another soap opera. "Days" had jumped up in the ratings, in large part due to our storyline, and the network had thoughts of a spinoff. Unfortunately [that did not happen]." Cutler reflected that "It's a tough business and it's a blessing when we can get on-going job opportunities such as "Days" provided."

Edited January 5, 2024 by JAS0N47

[carolineg]

Thank you!  That is so helpful.  I didn't think it got very far since Missy quit, but it is interesting they all were put on contract.  I wonder how well that premise would have turned out if Missy had stayed.

[Khan]

Whenever I think of Barry Cutler, I think of when he played a "burnout" who was at some "wild party" at Willona's apartment on "Good Times."

[te.]

I'll admit I always thought the whole thing was more of a set up to keep Deidre happy by vaguely promising a spin-off and just keep it permanently in development, but from those articles it sounds like it was ready to go ahead. I wonder what changed their minds, especially once Santa Barbara exited the screens? They ended up premiering Sunset Beach a few years later and Manhattan Lives could've, if not anything else, worked as an effective placeholder (I guess a bit like Capitol). 

[carolineg]

I would assume it was a few things.  It was a really risky idea.  It would have been difficult to pull Marlena off the main show, but not impossible.  It didn't seem like Wayne was ever exactly on board.  TM as Carrie wasn't very popular.   Anna and Tony might have been involved, but it looks like it would have been Marlena, her newly recast stepdaughter, new friends, and new love interests and it sounded like it was actually going to film in New York which wouldn't be ideal for pop ins from Days.  And once it started stalling and stalling Marlena's story was heating up on Days, CC came back as Carrie, Sami was introduced, and JER had a very vested interest in Marlena.  In 1991 or early 1992 it could have happened.  By late 1992 there really wasn't any way to make it work.  I also suspect it really just wasn't that good lol.  All the concepts and new characters we heard about seemed way too broad and what if it flops?  Do you risk losing Deidre all together? 

I think it would have been much easier to pull Jack and Jennifer out of the cast and go a bit younger overall.  Have Jen take her talk show nation wide and then the idea of a Midwesterner in a big city would be more viable as well.