Days: May 2020 Discussion Thread

[DynamiteKiddo]

Today's episode was really problematic.  First off, I never needed to see Maggie Horton attempt suicide.  And if you're going to do that, then GO THERE.  This episode didn't have any more energy than usual... there was good setup with all the scenes... it makes me think the low energy issue is production's, not writing's. But the writing wasn't where it needed to be for something like this... I kept thinking back to JJ's standalone episode, which was incredible, imo.  The scenes with Eric/Nicole and Brady/Sarah were very nice, but they could've waited... I needed a lot more from the Maggie stuff, and Rafe/Zoey/Orpheus/Marlena should've had a LOT more energy, too.

 

Also, what a waste with Orpheus and his family... shockingly, they really worked for me and didn't need to be short-term.  Ending this before it began and the convoluted "twist" to kill all potential for them feels very Bob Guza's GH lol.  I guess Summer really didn't have anything to do with it... she was one of the worst characters I've ever endured on this show, but it is gnarly to think she was completely discarded after Josh Griffith only to return for a day to truly just die.  Kinda chilling.

[vetsoapfan]

Anyone who thinks that the audience will be entertained by watching a longtime matriarch trying to kill herself does not understand either the viewers or the soap opera genre. Nancy Hughes slitting her throat? Bert Bauer pouring gasoline over her head and setting herself on fire? Lila Quartermaine becoming suicidal and deliberately rolling her wheelchair off a cliff? Alice Horton tying bricks to her ankles and jumping off a bridge?

 

Um...no. There are things that you just don't do.

 

Vomit.

[victoria foxton]

Maggie's suicide attempt lacks any substance. No proper writing that delved into her pain. No proper production values either. An empty prison with one prison guard is pathetic. Days shouldn't have bothered since they can't properly executed it. 

[pdm1974]

As someone who has worked in a maximum security prison, the one in Salem is hilariously unrealistic. First off, you don't get to have unlimited numbers of visitors, and ONE security guard. Yes...if they just HAD to go there, they should have spent a little more on those episodes.

 

Still, I don't need to see Maggie attempt suicide. Life is dark enough right now.

[Soapsuds]

The problem is that this was taped almost a year before the pandemic happened. That's why Days shouldn't have been taping so far ahead.

[JAS0N47]

"DAYS" HITS LONGEST PRODUCTION SHUTDOWN IN ITS HISTORY TOMORROW...

 

Tomorrow will be the 68th day since "Days of Our Lives" last taped an episode, making this the longest production shutdown in "Days" history. This is just the second time "Days" has shut down unexpectedly. The show previously had to shutdown for 13 days due to an AFTRA (actor) strike from March 29-April 10, 1967. 

 

Longest Production Shutdowns in "Days" history:

 

3/14/20-Present...68 days+

11/28/19-2/2/20...67 days
11/19/16-1/15/17...58 days
2/27/16-4/3/16...37 days

[AbcNbc247]

Strange how the longest shutdowns have all been in the last few years and they were still so far ahead with taping 

Edited May 19, 2020 by AbcNbc247

[te.]

 

It doesn't help that they supposedly film around eight episodes a week, which means that it takes very little production time for them to get ahead in the schedule. Once DAYS gets back into production I see them easily getting a few months ahead really fast again.

[JAS0N47]

 

Because they never needed to take long shutdowns before. From 1965-2008, they pretty much taped every single day except for holidays. To have off on Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc... they would also tape on some Saturdays during the year to build up a few weeks to have off around Christmas and New Year's. Starting in 2009 with the new production schedule, they slowly got from 2 months ahead to 8 months ahead at times, and also started taking off longer chunks of time. First a few weeks at most, then in more recent years, months at a time off.

[JAS0N47]

"DAYS" STUDIO PARKING LOT EMPTY...

 

As the "Days" production shutdown continues into its 67th day today, here's a photo sent in by Doug, a "Days" fan, of the "Days" Burbank Studios parking lot empty yesterday on what would normally be a bustling day of Salem storylines taping inside:

 

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Edited May 19, 2020 by JAS0N47

[GLATWT88]

While taping so far in advance has helped DAYS (well not really since the numbers are pretty much the same, but who knows what may happen to the numbers for the other soaps after they return from this extended break), I don't think any soap should tape so far in advance as it limits the ability for change. If you're pushing a storyline that isn't connecting with the audience, then you're stuck with 8 months of already taped story. When considering the low budget soaps, once taped they're not going to go back and film new footage.

I'm surprised they haven't used that parking lot as a set.

[JAS0N47]

If I'm remembering correctly, I think you saw Peter Reckell drive into the parking lot during his return in 1990, or in the storyline it was when Bo was supposed to be in Australia before returning to Salem. 

 

I think I remember seeing a portion of the parking lot outside the window during the brief time when they were doing some scenes in the hallway and made the hallway a "high school" hallway with a few lockers at some point in the last decade, so that would have been the window you saw in the high school locker scene.

 

I forget if you saw the bars of the parking lot gate, but this could have been the street (where the photographer is standing) where John Black was run over and 'killed" by a car in 2007-ish.

Edited May 19, 2020 by JAS0N47

[GLATWT88]

Come on Days! We love a resourceful soap... lol. They're trying. 

[DRW50]

Thank you for the photos, Jason.

 

I was looking around on Twitter, bored, and saw that some were talking, again, about how offputting the Kristen/Brady relationship is to them because of the age issue. Eric Marstolf decided to go along with the joke.

 

 

[victoria foxton]