This is true. I know Beth Chamberlain turned down a contract on at least one occassion because she was making more money on recurring and didn't want to be tied down to contract with a low guarnatee.

I do disagree that the baby swap was the only big story. I was reviewing the ratings on Jason47's site and most of the major story peaks during the previous regime (Sami learning the truth about Sydney / Carly shoots Melanie / Parker's paternity reveal) met with ratings peaks. The problem was there was a fairly substantial gap between February and December 2010 where there was no major story climax.

I remember Beth was offered a contract with a single episode guarantee, and she smartly decided that she did not need the vanity and remained recurring where she definitely made a good pay check and was free to shop around for other endeavors.

http://soapcentral.com/gl/news/2006/0403-chamberlin_keifer_oleary.php

In regards to storytelling, isn't this supposed to be covered in soap opera 101? Irna Phillips spoke openly about the success in her soaps being about how she paced her stories. When story A was at it's climax, story B was ramping-up, story C was probably just getting started, and story D just hit its dénouement. That way, parrallel stories are flowing like successive waves, and viewers do not feel comfortable in status quo, nor that their is a lull in the energy or interest of the story.

What difference does any of this make? In six months, Gary, Chris, Lorraine and even Lisa De Cazotte will all be out; Shawn Morrison, Clem Egan, and two other PASSIONS survivors veterans will be in; and the new team will bring back everyone from the '90's, including Nurse Ali McIntyre and Jonesy. Second verse, same as the first.

GL seemed to be more of a fluid situation than most shows in regards to recurring status. Wheeler made some type of flexible deals with people who had had backstage problems (in terms of working too much or being mistreated) for years, like Maeve Kinkead.

This all seems so hilarious and stupid in hindsight:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aZxjuy9MLNw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What a disaster this turned into...

Will should become possessed by the devil, and kill off all the people who are about to leave in one fell swoop, and then retreat back to his apartment and f#ck the living shi# outta Sonny. Bareback. That'll get people talkin'

I agree. I've been wanting daytime to get edgier since forever. The problem is soaps just repeat the same storylines over and over from the 50s. That'd double DAYS' ratings.

This all seems so hilarious and stupid in hindsight:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aZxjuy9MLNw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What a disaster this turned into...

Happy Labor Day Carrie, Austin, Marlena, John, and Jack....

This all seems so hilarious and stupid in hindsight:

&lt;iframe width=&quot;420&quot; height=&quot;315&quot; src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/embed/aZxjuy9MLNw&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;

What a disaster this turned into...

Oh Lord.

I can't WAIT to see what ad campaign rolls out next.

The hivemind of daytime and the certainty that only one way is right for every soap just never ends.

Where are they finding these people? The people who went to see Twilight and Hunger Games or watch Game Of Thrones and watched Lost? Where are these throngs and why aren't they watching any of the soaps? Nothing in the current pop culture, or even the pop culture landscape of the last few years supports his statement or the vision of any of the soaps. A run down of the top grossing movies of the decade, the TV shows that became cult favorites like Lost, Battlestar and GoT, nowhere in current entertainment is there this insistence that people want babies, love triangles, and mundane reality mixed with the ho hum everyday. Considering their current audience is about 4 people, what have they got to lose going crazy?

DAYS was more enjoyable to me back when it's characters were a over the top. Now they need not give dual roles out to any bad actors(like last year with GG) but they need to do something to make it interesting. I sure as hell don't like watchnig my real life played out on soaps. It's why I can't stand the soap stories with the whiny brat teens and the cliched stories that remind me of my highschool which I hated for the most part. I'm tired of the WTD, baby switches, badly written love triangles, etc. Most of the cliches daytime soaps keep pushnig no longer work.

I agree. I've been wanting daytime to get edgier since forever. The problem is soaps just repeat the same storylines over and over from the 50s. That'd double DAYS' ratings.

Happy Labor Day Carrie, Austin, Marlena, John, and Jack....

Lol I wouldn't mind if they uppede the romance one bit. I tune into Lifetime movie network often during GH time and the hotness of the sex scenes in some of those movies are exactly what soaps are missing.

Oh Lord.

I can't WAIT to see what ad campaign rolls out next.

Sincere Announcer: A night to remember...

Sami: Lucas, Rafe, EJ! I'm so sick of all this! Pull them out NOW!

Sincere Announcer: ...turns into a lifetime to regret.

Doctor: Mrs. Hernandez...you are expecting triplets.

Sincere Announcer: Happy Mother's Day, Sami. Happy Mother's Day, Sami. Happy Mother's Day, Sami.

This all seems so hilarious and stupid in hindsight:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aZxjuy9MLNw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

What a disaster this turned into...

There were some of us, I'm looking at you JackPeyton and Cat, who KNEW the September reboot was going to be a disaster from day one. And the three of us knew why: the actors who returned had burned through their viable storylines.

The lone return which has been grand is Deidre Hall, though in a winning supporting position, rather than her leading lady days of yore.

I agree, Deidre Hall is not a great actress, in fact she sucks, but she excelling in a supporting capacity.

Marlena works as best as support for her family and friends, not the damsel in distress heroine that she's too damn old to still be playing...

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

I think the ideas of the reboot were what drew positive interest, and I think some could have worked (aside from EJ as mayor). They were handled so poorly. I also thought that entrance, like the royal family had just come to visit, was so hilariously off.

I loved this interview. This guy def needs to take over the interviews and keep Ken away.

I found it to be very on point. He adressed the issues, the show isnt working, and he didnt place blame on anyone but a change was needed. I liked his reasoning for why CW & GT. I think cast cuts are 100% needed. The cast is way ti big, none of the stories connect, its all just not working. I dont think he placed blame on any of the actors, or even the writers. The ratings talk was nothing new, but at least they are aware there is an issue, and we have to be aware that at the end of the day the ratings and advertisers are what pays for the show, so they are important, very much so.

It really is interesting to see a network involved with their soap. I dont think it is a bad thing at all. I think its telling that they are and are invested, as opposed to just letting it die off. But im sure many will cry foul and complain they are out to kill it.

and i loved what he said about not returning to JER camp, and the show lacking and needing romance, i dont mind that couples break up and move on, thats a soap, but not one single fanbase at days could be happy, at all. every single couple was apart and most of it in stupid ways for rushed other reasons.

i dont know where the panic about dropping the gay story is coming from, he said they were committed to it and that it is a story everybody mostly likes, it just isnt enough to get the target demo to tune in everyday.

as for the epic firings on the horizon being as big as dee and drake, its not possible. its expected at this point that anyone can go. inf act the only shcoking people would be JS & AS. I guess maybe PR & KA would be shocking, but i dont think as shocking as DH2 when they were let go, not at all. But id say a good 15 people can easily be written out, including some of my favorites.

i dont know where the panic about dropping the gay story is coming from, he said they were committed to it and that it is a story everybody mostly likes, it just isnt enough to get the target demo to tune in everyday.

I think people are wary of gay stories being dropped, so that plays into it. I think there's also some unhappiness over him saying that the women 18-49 demo doesn't want to see a gay story. I can see why people didn't like that comment, but I agree that I don't think he meant anything by it. Besides, this story has been front and center for months, breathlessly hyped by some in the press, and has done jack all for ratings.

There were some of us, I'm looking at you JackPeyton and Cat, who KNEW the September reboot was going to be a disaster from day one. And the three of us knew why: the actors who returned had burned through their viable storylines.

The lone return which has been grand is Deidre Hall, though in a winning supporting position, rather than her leading lady days of yore.

Yup, and im pretty sure we were told we were being haters about the situation...

The thing is, to make days work is so simple. Any soap, really. Days needs to look at the last time it truly gained ground in the ratings and reaction from fans and critics - the baby swap. It was a cliched soap opera storyline, centered around two long running female characters with an interesting dynamic, it was full of secrets that acted as mini plots all tying together, it weaved in nearly the entire canvas, it used history. It worked so well, and while i dont think another baby swap is the story to be done, a large, ongoing, storyline building to a climax that we can invest in sure is.