New Days Casting

[cassadine1991]

A casting call has gone out for a new contract role on DAYS. “Val" is a gorgeous, 25-year-old Caucasian female, who is described as “passionate, intelligent and sensitive. 

http://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-casting-new-role-10

 

 

[Gray Bunny]

The newbies are really racking up these days... Is this the next round of Aiden, Ben, Clyde, Jordan, Serena etc.?

[BetterForgotten]

Maybe it's a de-aged Sarah Horton, GB. 

.........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nah.  

[John]

I tthink this is a recast Abby and Kate Mansi plans to leave in December when her contract ends

[Michael]

This is totally for an Abigail recast.

 

Ugh. They've had her onscreen for nearly five years and only figured out how to effectively frontburner her in, what, the last six months? The success of this recast could honestly determine the fate of the show moving forward. 

[detroitpiston]

She's finally started growing on me so I hope not, especially after they've spent so much time making her and Chad a tentpole pairing.

 

Days inability to hold on to younger talent past their first contract cycle is probably its biggest hindrance and has been since the mid 00s.

[Vee]

That and the fact that the show is produced by a man with the tastes of 1990 and the attention span of a dementia patient.

[Gray Bunny]

Agreed. I finally give a damn about her. At least we're getting Shawn and Belle back in forms that we're already familiar with, plus Chloe is still played by the original.

 

 

[DRW50]

I thought Chloe was just back briefly?

 

Never really thought much of Mansi. If the show had better writing for its characters, they would have an easier time with recasts. 

[Khan]

Perhaps DAYS would be wise just to abandon long-term contracts altogether and then reformat itself as a telenovela-styled soap, creating characters and hiring actors for specific stories, then writing them out at each story's conclusion, while keeping on some vets for the sake of continuity.

 

...Just a thought.

[DRW50]

I think it's a good idea. Maybe having a boarding house type format.

[Khan]

I guess that would be one way to keep the Horton house in play.

 

Look, I know the last time a U.S. soap attempted this format (with PORT CHARLES), the results were abysmal and, ultimately, show-killing.  But, let's be real.  DAYS has no budget and too much lead time between production and air date.  They can't hold onto any actors, young or otherwise, who are so-so, let alone good.  Each new slate of characters they introduce with an eye toward keeping the show alive for a next generation of viewers (that will likely never materialize) possesses, at best, limited shelf life or staying power, with one crop of characters indistinguishable from the one before; and every sojourn to the "old favorites" well becomes the newest, most embarrassing example of "you can't go home again."  Moreover, even if TPTB were to luck upon the correct production regime to reverse all this, the team would have neither the luxury of time nor the total cooperation of NBC and SONY to realize their vision.  

 

Frankly, all DAYS has going for itself now are an apparent ability to produce on the cheap and at an assembly line's pace...and a handful of actors who have reconciled themselves with going down with the proverbial ship.  So, I say, embrace it.  Redefine DAYS as pure telenovela (albeit one with some physical or visual continuity--the Horton house, the hospital, Brady's Pub, etc. -- and with the longest-serving vets on hand as support for the short-term characters) with limited-arc stories that emphasize the show's core principles of faith in humanity and community.  Maybe it'll save the show in the long run, maybe it won't.  But anything has to be better than this merry-go-round

[DRW50]

The main problem with the PC format was it was just poorly written and it clung too heavily to the "supernatural" format after the interest had worn off. And they focused too much on a handful of characters.

 

With DAYS, the main problem with moving to this type of format is that their vets need shoring up, which is why I'd have more of Julie and Doug (I realize Bill Hayes is 90 so I'm not expecting tons of demanding material), bring back Marie, properly use Kate and Hope and Marlena and Maggie. Bring in a good recast of Bill Horton. Give final, and appropriate, endings to the DiMera era of the show, to Roman, as well as Jennifer Horton (if Matt Ashford was willing I'd say bring Jack back one last time and send them off for good, barring guest shots), tone down further on the crime so that it will actually seem shocking when it happens, etc. I'm not sure I'd keep John around at this point either. 50/50. I'd also keep Nicole around, and return Eric to being a priest.

 

If you have a tight, strong core group, then the stories for guest characters and how those guest characters impact them would work.

 

They should watch the first few years of Emmerdale on Youtube, even though something that heavy/drab obviously couldn't be done today.

[Khan]

You know, the more I think about it, the more I realize I'm not talking so much about a telenovela as I am an anthology series.  Sort of like what THE DOCTORS started out as before becoming a full-fledged soap.

 

There aren't too many Hortons I would care to bring back.  Julie could run the Horton boarding house, which would be the main locale.  And...that's about it.  

[DRW50]

I do think there would be a role for Marie (especially as religious issues have become so prominent in recent years), but I agree otherwise.