While I think this a big blow to DAYS, I think they can survive. If AS contract is until Dec 2014, then she'll air well into 2015. Plenty of time for the writers to figure out how to refocus the show. Look at B&B. That whole show revolved around Brooke/Ridge/Taylor and Stephanie for years and in a short time, they lost everyone but Brooke and managed to refocus show on younger cast of Steffy/Liam/Hope and their ratings have increased. Maybe DAYS can take a page from that.

While I think this a big blow to DAYS, I think they can survive. If AS contract is until Dec 2014, then she'll air well into 2015. Plenty of time for the writers to figure out how to refocus the show. Look at B&B. That whole show revolved around Brooke/Ridge/Taylor and Stephanie for years and in a short time, they lost everyone but Brooke and managed to refocus show on younger cast of Steffy/Liam/Hope and their ratings have increased. Maybe DAYS can take a page from that.

This is where the lack of a younger generation hurts.

I do hope they can build that up more.

If I wasn't so bored by her and if they hadn't aged her so prematurely, I'd say bring Belle back.

Jacqueline Macinness Wood as an aged Allie, Daniel Covin as Johnny, and Lexi Ainsworth as Sydney would be a good handing of the torch from Sami.

This biggest problem with the younger generation is that 90% of them are related to each other, so that hampers any possible couplings.

Days is doomed if they do this. Days is screwed without Sami.

The show should have revolved around Jennifer. She's the natural replacement for Alice!

Edited January 21, 201411 yr by Winchester91

It also wouldn't hurt if DAYS could get Eileen Davidson back as Kristen.

Wow. I'm honestly surprised. I figured she'd be with DAYS til the end. I'm sure she'll visit once the show finally concludes. At least we still have over a year left. April 2015. 7 months shy of Days' 50th anniversary.

Please bring back Christie Clarke!

I don't think it was a mistake at all to build the show around her. It was smart. What hurts days now in the high young cast turnover. They have nobody to take that leading lady spot. I love Nicole and Ari but she's not able to Carr it, Nicole that is. Belle and Stephanie should have been recasted years ago.

This is a huge loss but the show survived when Marlena left and that seemed huge then.

Wow. I knew Alison always had outside projects, but I didn't see this coming in a million years. Can't say as I blame her, though. Sounds like she wants a break. I know the Ejami fans will go nuts, but this Lumi-loving fan is disappointed. Have to wonder what happens to Bryan now.

I agree with DRW50. More Hortons. Maybe Eve. Definitely Bo and Jack (hell, you knew that already... lol).

If Days can handle this transition well, it will be fine. This is Ken Corday we are talking about, though.

Edited January 21, 201411 yr by sungrey

Eve. Bo. Jack. None of them fill the role Sami does.

Carrie? Maybe. I guess.

Belle? Stephanie? Defiantly can if they have the right actress.

Eve. Bo. Jack. None of them fill the role Sami does.

Carrie? Maybe. I guess.

Belle? Stephanie? Defiantly can if they have the right actress.

Eve wouldn't fill the big central role, but a schemer, tough-but-tender, sparring with characters - I could see that.

I don't see them bringing Stephanie. Her "natural place" on the show is already being filled by Theresa, and both her parents (let's be real here, Kayla's a living prop now) aren't part of the show in any meaningful capacity.

Eve. Bo. Jack. None of them fill the role Sami does.

Carrie? Maybe. I guess.

Belle? Stephanie? Defiantly can if they have the right actress.

I think I'm looking more at the big picture. Alison's exit leaves such a gaping hole in the show. It can be closed if done correctly, which I do not think is possible with this group in charge (and again, I'm sorry for being pessimistic... I'm not as high on the show as a lot of other people are at the moment).

I'd almost bring back Belle, provided Shawn came back down the line. The last thing we need is another busted-up couple. The question is would you have to recast? I don't know if Martha Madison would return, especially with a family... you could try for Stephanie, but again you'd have to recast because Shelley appears to be doing OK with outside projects.

Realistically, if they refocused a bit more on Theresa away from the black hole that is Dannifer, and brought in Andrew, Sonny's brothers, and maybe Mike, a new Jeremy and Laura, maybe Stephanie (hopefully recast, I find Shelly Hennig kind of annoying), it could refocus the show in a new direction, and give some opportunities to romantic pairings. I don't think that Shawn & Belle could work coming back unless they actually made them into stronger, more interesting characters.

I agree though, B&B did this and are stronger. Maybe it's time to get away from the Sami show. We have Marlena back, and I think there's enough familiarity there that the show can do some fairly interesting things if it thinks outside the box.

Here's the video if you want to see it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etCRBkFnY-A