The most exciting thing I've seen on DAYS in ages was Kristen coming at John and Marlena. That felt like old DAYS. I think that was written by Salmons, who used to be over at OLTL with FV and RC. That team was real good at those types of big confrontations. I just have no faith that DAYS can keep it going. None at all.

The thing about Kristen Blake is I always said she wasn't one of those characters who could come back because she was a force of nature. If she ever came back, she would destroy everything in her path. And the problem is that up until those scenes, DAYS has written Kristen like all their shitty returns - mealymouthed, meek storytelling designed to promote and preserve a bland, budget-conscious status quo. That's why Stefano doesn't do jack [!@#$%^&*] on the show anymore, that's why so many other villains or big characters fell flat on their face when they returned. Corday has no will for it and he hires only people who will keep bland Tab A into Slot B storytelling in place. DAYS lives to coast and then is shocked when it fails.

Say what you will about McPherson and Thomas or whatever their names were, but they were planning for the future. They were doing new things. I liked their show. It felt new, and current, despite all the cheap-ass Corday production limitations. And from them to even Hogan Sheffer and his crazy tenure, anything new or different has been shot down. Corday is only content in hiring people like Tomlin, Higley and their minions. This show could be so much more. And scenes like the one with Kristen and John show that, as do a handful of other actors and characters. But no one in control cares.

Edited January 5, 201312 yr by Vee

I think various people want to do new things, but it just always caves in. McPherson and Thomas went from hyped stories about PTSD and corporate espionage to dated, offensive gay-baiting, Gina and John repeating a Langan-era flop with no apparent ending in sight, Ian Buchanan practically eating his own face, and Daniel boning 8 months pregnant Nicole on his desk. I'm sure Sheffer had a lot of ideas for what would be new and fresh (he certainly seemed to see "women who say no actually want it bad" as new and fresh), but that also stalled out. I don't think sticking to basics is a bad idea. But the basics for DAYS have become rotten to the core. The basics used to be the Horton family, or the supercouple era. Or even some Reilly knockoffs. Now it's Daniel Jonas.

Edited January 5, 201312 yr by CarlD2

All really good suggestions!

Here's a few of mine:

1. Fire Gary Tomlin/Christopher Whitesell

2. Fire Shawn Christian - it doesn't matter how much Daniel is pimped and sanctified, the character still sucks, and so does the actor behind the mask.

3. If possible, make Sheri Anderson a very good offer, at least to be co-headwriter with somebody else, OR give MARDAR another shot, without NBC this time interfering in their work(MARDAR I thought showed great potential to do some interesting character based SLs)

4. Negotiate a new contract with Peter Reckell - Hope needs the real Bo back, and so do we.

5. Beg Matthew Ashford very hard to make another return as Jack, make it worth his while to come back, pitch a decent SL to him.

6. If Jack was to come back, write a genuine triangle involving him, Jennifer(after she's been purified from the Daniel disease) and another attractive, classy woman who's interested romantically in Jack. Jennifer's got to actually fight like crazy to win her longtime soulmate back, she needs some competition.

7. End the Sami love triangle/quadrangle once and for all - preferably she marries EJ, and stays married to him for a long time.

Am I the only one who thinks the return of Matthew Ashford would equal another BORING storyline for Jack & Jenn? When was the last time they were REALLY interesting... 1993? Everything from 2001-2006 was fluff.

In my opinion, Days of our Lives never recovered from Jim Reilly leaving in 1997 to create Passions and try to fix Sunset Beach. Sally Sussman held it together, but Tom Langan totally shot it all to hell by writing 'Reilly stories' without the Reilly panache. Then, every writer post Tom Langan was left trying to recreate a moment that had long passed. So they brought Jim Reilly back. Henry Slesar and Bill Bell could write two half hour shows in the 70s, but Jim Reilly couldn't write two hour long programs in the 00s, not because he wasn't talented, but because it was just too much work. Even though I will go to my grave saying that the Salem Serial Killer was pure genius up until they all came back alive.

Days of our Lives has had three distinct periods, The Bell Era, The Super-couple Era, and The Reilly Era. Everything before, after and in between those periods was just meh.

What stands out about those three eras was that Days had a clearly defined identity and purpose. A clear vision. Bill Bell's Days was messy and psychological and engaging. Even though the super-couple era was complete ripoff of GH, Days shamelessly took the format and ran with it and never apologized for doing so and in many ways bested GH at its own game. The Reilly Era was classic soap opera for a new generation. Pure soap opera bones filled with, Harlequin romance, over the top insanity, Gothic characters, and the supernatural Even people who hated Jim Reilly had to see what he was going to do next.

Days is currently stuck and has been for 16 years. The same way that it was stuck in that period between Bill Bell and the super-couples. The same way it was stuck in that period between the super-couples and Jim Reilly.

The way to fix Days is to simply do what Bell in the 60s, those poached GH writers in the 80s, and Jim Reilly in the 90s did. Blow it up and reimagine. Take the show into a whole new world and do something different, while at the same time keeping it a soap opera. I'm not saying throw away characters and history, but I am saying get rid of dead weight, tighten the show, and refocus. You're gonna piss off fanbases and like good plastic surgery, the show is gonna be bloody and swollen and bruised for a while, but the end result will be worth it. The show can be saved, if someone really wants to save it. and it is not going to happen under Gary Tomlin and Chris Whitesell, (the Nina Laemmle and Gene Palumbo of 2013

Wow! This was a fantastic read! Proud Reilly hater here, but that is only because I was a victim of Trassions. I'm not too familiar with his Days work (but of course, saw bits and pieces of Marlena's possession).

Really enjoyed reading this!

Am I the only one who thinks the return of Matthew Ashford would equal another BORING storyline for Jack & Jenn? When was the last time they were REALLY interesting... 1993? Everything from 2001-2006 was fluff.

You are not the only one! Jack should stay dead and if Days should go off the air, he does not need to be resurrected for closure. Of course, this is coming from a severe MA/Jack hater!

Am I the only one who thinks the return of Matthew Ashford would equal another BORING storyline for Jack & Jenn? When was the last time they were REALLY interesting... 1993? Everything from 2001-2006 was fluff.

The PTSD story should have been interesting. Instead Jennifer verbally abused him day in and day out. If they were actually written for then I think it would work.

Am I the only one who thinks the return of Matthew Ashford would equal another BORING storyline for Jack & Jenn? When was the last time they were REALLY interesting... 1993? Everything from 2001-2006 was fluff.

No. I don't see why he would come back, Matthew has been shitted on by this show time and time again anyway.

They should have put Jack with Nicole the last time he was here. I think he and Jen are dead as a couple and if he were to come back, it shouldnt be for her. I really dont think Jack is needed to help "save" Days. The character has been extremely marginalized

They should have put Jack with Nicole the last time he was here. I think he and Jen are dead as a couple and if he were to come back, it shouldnt be for her. I really dont think Jack is needed to help "save" Days. The character has been extremely marginalized

I don't think anyone can save DAYS, only writing and production can. I do think there's a lot of untapped potential with the character, but that doesn't amount to much these days, sadly.

The PTSD story should have been interesting. Instead Jennifer verbally abused him day in and day out. If they were actually written for then I think it would work.

Instead of being about Jack's suffering - and hell, that could have easily fed into the long-ago past with Kayla again, history never dies - Jack's "PTSD" (in quotes because it was basically nothing in the end) became strictly a plot device to keep those poor Disney lovebirds of Saint Jenn and Dr. Pumpkin Man, apart. Alas, alack.

It was such a waste as, I think, that was the last time Days - besides Chandler Massey - got any true recognition for their work, with Matt Ashford there.

But for whatever reason, phoning it in or not, Corday has and will always favor Melissa Reeves over him, so Jenn plays the victim and Jack gets [!@#$%^&*] upon over and over again.

If by the grace of God Matt Ashford is ever asked AGAIN to return, I hope he gives Corday the middle finger salute.

Am I the only one who thinks the return of Matthew Ashford would equal another BORING storyline for Jack & Jenn? When was the last time they were REALLY interesting... 1993? Everything from 2001-2006 was fluff.

That´s because the show did everything in its power to erase Jack (or atleast MA´s Jack) from Jennifer´s life no matter if it hurt the show or the story. From Hawk to Daniel, from Langan to Tomlin, it´s the same story again and again. First they tried to recast him and then replace him as the love of Jennifer´s life. It seems ever since MA played hard bargain during his contract negotiation back in 1991 and had NBC forcing Corday to accept his new demands the show is on a mission to prove him he is not the star he thought he is and the show can very well exist without him. Now I agree their job is almost done. But this ego trip was a colosal waste for the show because J/J were very uniq and modern in their combination öf civil, ordinary, hard-working yet funny and adventurous couple and they attracted very different kind of audience than say John/Marlena, Bo/Hope or later Austin/Carrie.

Still, I think if Missy leaves/is let go after another writing change and the inevitable Dannifer fall there is definitely a place for Jack return as the single father for Abby a Jack Jr.

Matt Ashford makes me physically ill. I cannot stand to watch his bumbling ass on television.

I certainly wouldn't blame Matt Ashford if he refused any more offers to return to DAYS, considering the shabby way he's been treated on multiple occasions by Ken Corday and NBC.

It's a moot point anyway if NBC cancels DAYS during the next 12 months or so, which I'm increasingly convinced they're going to do.

Tomlin/Whitesell aren't bringing in the required numbers to justify NBC renewing the show.

The only reason I think Days could be renewed is, well, if Days gets the axe, NBC would be completely out of the soap game. Now, maybe this is the idea, in which case, no surprise, but with ABC/CBS still holding on, I could see NBC soap fans up in arms and NBC not wanting to be the first network to completely throw in the towel yet.

Still, if the show does end, Corday needs to look in the mirror to figure out who is ultimately to blame.

Tomlin also sure did his best to make sure Jack's death came across as final. Hard to explain away an elevator falling onto you, but I guess if any show could, Days could explain it away. I personally think Matt just needs to give this show the middle finger and run to GH and remind them of Tom Hardy. Didn't Frank work with Matt when he was on as Prof. Haver on OLTL?

Edited January 6, 201312 yr by KMan101