DAYS Writers to Halt Writing until SONY/NBC Reaches Deal

[Gray Bunny]

Good. 

 

With their track record in the past 5 years, they need a firm handle on what's onscreen so they can make changes quickly. 

[YRBB]

Oh, miracles! A network wanting to implement a positive change!

[KMan101]

Look at all the writer changes ...

 

1998-1999: Morina

1999-2002: Langan

2002-2003: Brash/Cwickly

2003: Higley #1

2003-2006: Reilly

2006: Milstein

2006-2008: Sheffer

2008-2011: Higley #2

2011-2012: MarDar

2012-2015: Tomsell

2015-?: Higley/Griffith

 

Lord

[Sindacco]

You think that's bad? Look at the early 90s!

1989-1990: Bailey

1990-1991: Allen & Schoettle

1991-1992: Palumbo

1992: Allen & Milstein

1992: Anderson

1992: Anderson and Palumbo

1992: Anderson

1992-1993: Anderson & Reilly

.

[KMan101]

Very true.

[slick jones]

It's about time TIIC made a move and caught up.  How do you fix the things  that need tweaking...

[jo.frank88]

 Really hope this is successful! Even if they still want to keep the fast paced filming schedule why not film mid-January -may (with an extended spring break) and then again late September-December (with a fall break and thanksgiving break). Follow a school's semester schedule. They could still have some random dark weeks in there if needed too. 

[edgeofnik]

This has been my biggest problem with DAYS - for example, I think of Summer 2014 when the Kate/Sami revenge S/L was quite captivating and I think the audiences were getting into it, but BOOM, it was wrapped in a couple of weeks. The problem with the writers guessing what viewers want is that they can't capture those lightning in a bottle connections - B&B (except for the past 9 months) was very good at making those adjustments - if something unexpected hit, you can bet within 4 weeks you'd be seeing more and converse was true (see, Drunk Brooke - a story that Bell thought was a huge winner on paper and was going to be Emmy worthy, etc., but it was a complete faceplant - no pun intended - was wrapped in amazingly fast. Y&R has also done this under Pratt. 

I'm glad NBC is stepping in - they clearly see what works and doesn't work from an audience and ratings perspective. It's clear DAYS has a large group of fans who sit by the sidelines and will gladly return (or at least watch a bit more frequently) for the right stories. I hope this works.

[Khan]

On the one hand, I think DAYS is resisting, because they want to limit the network's impact on storylines.  If they tape far, far ahead, then Corday can protect his writers from the network and their perceived interference,  But, on the other hand, if what we are getting now is the result of NBC not being able to give notes on what is and isn't working, then maybe -- in this case -- a little more network intervention might be good.

 

Here's what I think: if NBC wants DAYS to abandon their current production model, then they need to loosen the proverbial purse strings a little.  I'm not saying turn back the clock to 1985, when DAYS could afford to leave the country every week.  Just give them enough money to allow them to produce a quality show everyday without having to convert actors' dressing rooms into doctors' offices or tape in one day what other shows tape in one decade.

[Gray Bunny]

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I'm just waiting for the dreaded day when Ellen Wheeler is lured out of her cave and asked to write DAYS' sure-to-be swan song. 

[Vee]

Ellen is working for The Lord and Glenn Beck. She's deep in her own world and not coming back.

 

I think claiming they do it to avoid network interference is partly an excuse. The truth is the show and Ken Corday are deeply risk-averse and fickle, and I think he likes working in a vacuum so he can keep turning on a dime without much static from the audience. Any time they have a potentially exciting new story or direction they kill it in the crib. Every single time, for years and years. Then they reverse course, then reverse back. That's on the show, not NBC. It comes from the core.

 

There's a million cases of this but just look at the anniversary stuff - Aiden and Hope married, Aiden dies, Bo back, Bo dies a week or two later, now she's onto Rafe. Adrienne and Justin are back together - now they're not! These are C-players and they doubled back even on that.

 

It's impossible to invest in DAYS because DAYS has zero interest in investing in anything long-term and does not write long-term. It's all about what makes Ken Corday feel happy or secure in the moment, and production-wise what saves him money, even if that means shitty lights, music, sets, actors. It is a show with an embarrassment of riches in history and characters and wildly different eras, but it will never, ever get it together because its showrunners have made it into a ADHD clownhouse.

[DRW50]

Considering that GL had the only good finale (with AMC coming closest to that) of any soap I can remember in recent years, I wouldn't be sorry...