DAYS: Behind the Scenes, Articles/Photos

[AbcNbc247]

1990 episodes used to be posted, and I remember thinking that Mike’s exit was abrupt and lousy.

[Franko]

Also, I've said it before, but I feel like DOOL in the '80s and '90s had an assembly line attitude when it came to their couples. Just keep turning them out.

[AbcNbc247]

Leah Laiman loved her supercouples lol

Edited October 14, 2024 by AbcNbc247

[carolineg]

Makes sense.  Mike's departure did seem abrupt, but I never thought Days ever really found a footing for his Mike even though I know MTW was popular.  Although I would argue the show has always struggled with Mike post Wesley Eure because Roark Critchlow just stood around for about 3 years before he hooked up with Carrie.

Yes!  I remember it being random too.  And since I watched them as adult I thought it was strange.  Although 1990 was a bit of an odd year for Days (and GH).  Moving out of the 80's and not quite into the 90's yet.  By 1991/92 it felt like an entirely different show.  I know there were a lot of backstage changes though.

[AbcNbc247]

Yeah. There was a huge cast purge from 1990-1991. I think it was even bigger than the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1980

[carolineg]

For sure.  I misspoke a bit because I actually think 1990 is a decent year for Days with the Cruise of Deception story.  The cast and focus just changed a lot.  I think long term it mostly worked as I can't say I miss too many of those characters, but I think it took until late 1992/early 1993 for Days to find it's footing again.  That is also the start of the JER years though.

[Jdee43]

I don't know why the show highlighted Nick Corelli for so long, especially in 1988 and 1989. I didn't think the actor was that strong, nor his chemistry with his partners that great. When they finally killed him off in late 1990, it was three years overdue; they could have spared us. When they were killing him off, they undid all the "good guy" progress he had made; again, it was like, what was the point.

[Liberty City]

Poor guy, and I like his Mike so much!

[carolineg]

I always liked him too.  I know people are more partial to MTW and his Hawaiian shirts, but I thought he deserved more of a story especially considering how important Mike was to Days history.  Although after Tom passed it seemed fitting for Mike to be the Dr. of all trades and carry on tradition.  Unfortunately once Mike finally became an "A" player I believe RC decided to leave.

[Liberty City]

Shame; his recent visit wasn't that bad, but was part of a bad storyline... hoping we can either get Critchlow back, or simply recast the role... again.

[AMCOLTLLover]

That’s how I felt about it too. What was the point?

But between the 1989-1992 there were a lot of storylines and abrupt endings to them where u thought: what was the point of caring ?

and about Mike.. I always wondered why they never made him more prominent with a family? I am a die hard Carrie and Austin fan but why not moving on from them and making Carrie and Mike a couple with a family? 
everytime I think about Mike it’s only the abrupt exit and his long dragging romance with April and his shirts or the Carrie and Mike thing. Lol

I thought when they teased his return that it would be longer. I was so dissatisfied:( but it was good seeing him again

True! And this was one of the few storylines keeping me glued and Shane’s running around town with amnesia with Rebecca Downey lol only two storylines that I loved of 1989-90 and John/Roman with Isabella

[dc11786]

I believe James E. Reilly stated he brought on Mike because he felt he was an important character to have on the canvas, but that he needed to reestablish him before he set him up for a long-term relationship. I feel like Mike returned before the Possession storyline which blew up and took up so much story space that Mike probably got lost in the process. Then, the show went with Aremid which nearly became its own show so again Mike probably got lost in the process. JER said NBC was pushing him to pair Mike was someone, but he was waiting. I am curious if JER was considering revisiting the idea that Mike was gay, which is why the story didn't go anywhere. 

I thought the time that was best to bring on Mike was around 2011 when the show was slowly rebuilding Jennifer's family by bringing on Abigail and giving Jen the Horton home. Mike and Carly is the angle I would have gone, at least initially, while building a professional rivalry between Mike and Daniel Jonas. Though, I also would have brought Bill Horton back at that point as well as threw him into the older romantic storyline by bouncing between Kate, on the outs during her marriage to Stefano over keeping the secret that Chad was his son, and Maggie, because how could Bill resist his brother Mickey's other wife. 

[carolineg]

So strangely enough, during the Possession story I thought they were soft testing Mike with Marlena. When Mike got Marlena's passcode because he was being blackmailed by Stefano for.....something I can't recall lol.  I know that seems crazy, but some of their initial scenes are flirty-ish.

Overall, I agree.  Once the show truly decided on going with big event arcs, Mike got lost in the shuffle.   He was too steady and reliable to do much else lol. There were plenty of ladies to pair Mike with at the time it was a strange stop gap to him hooking up with Carrie.  I never got any inkling JER was even hinting at Mike being gay, tbh, but I got a sense the show didn't know where to place Mike age wise for love interests.  He sort of fell into the younger crowd being around Carrie, Austin, Sami, Lucas, etc, but should have been more in the Kristen, Billie, Hope, Jen, Bo, Peter, etc crowd.  It's like they actively de-aged Mike more.

[dc11786]

I remember the passcode story. I believe Mike had been involved with arms dealers when he was living in Israel with his son Jeremy or something of that nature. He had been reluctantly roped into some scheme and Stefano had used that information to his advantage. I don't even know if that secret ever came out. 

Most of the women available were the losers in the love triangles with the Horton girls (Billie and Kristen). Both women were friendly with Jennifer, Mike's sister, so there was easy access, but I am not sure if either could have generated much conflict. Mike might have worked as their talk-to / comfortable second choice. If they really wanted to shake things up, Mike and Kate having an affair would have escalated the conflict between Laura and Kate and would have revisited some of the animosity between Mike and Bill over Janice. Additionally, Mike and Kate would have played a very different angle for Lucas in a rivalry with a brother as Austin / Lucas were already at odds over Carrie / Sami. 

[Bright Eyes]

Lexie would be my choice! Lexie learning she's a DiMera and feeling a need to connect to that side of her family puts her at odds with Abe, while at work, Mike is right there being the supportive friend, knowing full well what's it's like, and all the confusing emotions that come with, learning the truth about who you are. I don't see why it wouldn't work, considering Renee Jones was one of those super humans who had chemistry with everyone. And then, to make matters more complicated, Laura FINALLY gets a love interest as her and Abe start bonding over constantly being betrayed by their spouse!