I agree. How can people decry the state soaps is in and then say "oh, Days needs to be canceled."

I will say whatever state the show is in (and I don't HATE it now, it's just messy) it has longtime fans, cast and crew, and it also feels like a real soap. Even when it's boring or things aren't working, if it makes any sense, I still know I'm watching Days. And it's never truly lost that essence, as opposed to say, Y&R. I watched that show regularly. I watch it now and it's very much not a show with any kind of vibe I recognize as Y&R (much like that weird ATWT period years ago). But as long as it feels like I'm coming to Salem whenever I watch it, Days and I are good.

I'm interested in Tomlin's approach, he seemed to be the fixer while Higley was on board. And I enjoyed some of Higley's stuff. For the large part it was awful, but if Tomlin was responsible for the good stuff, then I say bring it on.

Sorry but none of the soaps feel like a real soap and none of them have in years. I keep tuning into to repeat stories with repeat cliches that needed to stop being used a long time ago. I'm not calling for cancellation but I definitely dont see 10 years left in any of them

Edited April 5, 201213 yr by frequentsoapfan

I'd say Days feels very much like a soap to me and many other people. It's one show that's at least about families interacting, much like B&B. Repeat storylines aren't wanted, but it doesn't mean the show doesn't feel like a real soaps.

I'd say Days feels very much like a soap to me and many other people. It's one show that's at least about families interacting, much like B&B. Repeat storylines aren't wanted, but it doesn't mean the show doesn't feel like a real soaps.

Family interaction is not the first thing that comes to my mind mind when I think of soaps though. Intrigue, Real Romance, Drama. And for the most part they've been stale on attention grabbing storylines.

I think it may be a difference of when you started watching. Soaps were all about family interaction (and romance) through the late 70s. Intrigue, adventure, highly stylized romance and "hype-able" stories became big in the 80s.

I'm not talking about what a soap "should" be, I started watching in the 90s. What I'm saying is that I look on my screen and I recognize Days. It and B&B are the soaps that have had the least cast upheaval, at least pay attention to history and it feels like I'm watching the same characters I've been watching for years.

I'm not talking about what a soap "should" be, I started watching in the 90s. What I'm saying is that I look on my screen and I recognize Days. It and B&B are the soaps that have had the least cast upheaval, at least pay attention to history and it feels like I'm watching the same characters I've been watching for years.

You just listed B&B's biggest problem which is that they have focused far too long on the same people for years. They switched from one triangle that was on going and annoying the the triangle between the children of the ongoing triangle people were getting sick of

The last crazy storyline is EJ becomes obssessed with Sami after Sami rejects him again - he thinks they're getting close again but that's only one sided. Sami still loves Rafe. After EJ "dies" when the truth about the embezzlement comes out - John is responsible for the "death" which enrages Stefano. Anyway, now that EJ is dead, he can lurk around in the background and he plots to kidnap Sami. Just in 1997 when Stefano made everyone think Marlena was dead (though John didn't believe it), EJ makes everyone think Sami is dead (though Rafe doesn't believe it). So now EJ has Sami and he tries everything to win over Sami and when that doesn't work, he decides to erase Sami's memory (by this time, Stefano knows that EJ is alive and he helps EJ with this since he knows a thing or two about erasing memories) to make her forget Rafe. So as Rafe gets closer and closer to finding Sami, EJ gets desperate again and decides to create a Sami-lookalike who has "amnesia". Rafe saves "Sami" from an explosion or something. We wouldn't know it's not Sami until a little while longer. But when the real Sami is rescued, fake-Sami becomes obssessed with Rafe. That's all I got for now! LOL

This is amazing, and exactly the kind of story I would want DAYS to do.

This is amazing, and exactly the kind of story I would want DAYS to do.

If done well in terms of storyline pacing and the hints/clues, this could have been marvelous.

I'm just going to shoot out some storyline ideas, though I'm hardly a writer.

Stefano has a serious health setback when

Lexie dies

and lands in a coma, clinging to life. Kate and EJ conflict over who controls the Dimera empire with Stefano's incapacitation...when the moment comes to decide whether to remove him from life support Kate and EJ have an explosive argument that culminates in the reveal that Stefano's living will names Marlena as the one to make the decision, leading to further complications for Kate, EJ, Abe

representing Lexie's interest in the Dimera estate

, John and Marlena. Kate will ultimately find an ally where she least expects it.

Maggie suffers a relapse in her alcoholism after suffering a two pronged tragedy: Daniel dies in a mountain climbing accident while Victor, reeling in his own grief, focuses on work overseas. Maggie secretly drinks, little bits here and there, before dramatically falling down the stairs at the Kiriakis mansion in a stupor. Lucas, Victor, Marlena, Melanie, Hope and Jennifer stage an intervention. Maggie balks, runs from the mansion and is involved in a head on collision with Austin and Carrie's car, Gabby is on board with them. Austin is seriously injured (allowing for an Austin Peck recast) and Gabby is killed. The town turns on Maggie, though Carrie sees that Maggie is in a tailspin and stands up as her defence.

Nicole and Rafe raise "their" baby with comedic consequences and Nicole is revealed to be a hapless mother who relies on Rafe for support. In time, the two fall in like with each other and wonder what their feelings really mean. A jealous Sami discovers the paternity secret and lords it over Nicole, insisting that she distance herself from Rafe. Nicole, fearing what would happen if EJ was revealed as the father, agrees to Sami's demands. Unfortunately, Rafe is then scooped up by a predatory Billie and Sami is left alone once more. She swears revenge on Kate's daughter and works to expose Billie's work with the ISA.

Will and Sonny become a couple, but Will has a wandering eye and cheats on a distraught Sonny who begins working at Titan in order to bury himself in work. Sonny begins to develop a rivalry with Brady over gaining Victor's approval, with Ian's help Sonny rises to the top of Titan. Marlena counsels Will to accept his faults, while Kate cries foul on Will's actions. The Grandmotherly Rivalry escalates at Will's birthday party when Kate and Marlena get in an old school catfight.

Hope fears that she has uterine cancer when she begins to have irregular bleeding. She and Bo brace for the worst when it is revealed that Hope is having a "change of life baby" and the two have to come to terms with the risks of carrying the child to term with Bo and Hope having clashing opinions. Hope has a complicated pregnancy and Bo has to make the difficult decision, his wife or his unborn child, when Hope falls ill.

Lucas takes over managing Chez Rouge for Maggie and throws a fundraiser for the Alice Horton Foundation, as the citizens of Salem gather a twister touches down in the county, leading everyone to board themselves up into Chez Rouge and brace for the worst. Loves are declared, hatred spills over and tragedy strikes a supercouple.

Those sound great.

Does anyone remember Reilly's storyline, "The Night the Lights Went Out In Salem"? I think it was a prelude to the Possession, but I'm not sure. Anyway, I think something like that is a great way to re-energize a series and would serve as a great jumping off point for new stories.

Anyway, I guess I'm just not sure what the typical, average Days fan wants from the show. Do they want Reilly type stories? Do they want 80s supercouple/adventure stories? They obviously don't want the family drama stuff that MarDar was serving up. I could be wrong, but it seems like the show has coasted since 1997 without a clear vision or an identity. Every time it seems like something is about to take, they switch gears again. So what else is left?

I think I've seen a little of that. Is it when Carrie was alone in a blackout and Alan was going to attack her?

If done well in terms of storyline pacing and the hints/clues, this could have been marvelous.

I was thinking of the pacing since that seems to be the big issue lately. How long do you think this story could go for?

A lot of stuff happened and I can't remember it all, but Alan was holding Carrie and Sami. Kate and Vivian were trapped in an elevator. I believe Lexie and Jonah had sex in his car. Did John and Kristen have sex?