I am not putting anything past DAYS now!!!

Screw all of the talk of budget and money crisis and newtork contract renewals. Screw it all! This proves that all of that is B.S. DAYS and NBC have cash AND room!

IMO DAYS proved this when the rehired EVERYONE they killed off during the SSK storyline (which was being touted by the press as massive budget slashing...which DAYS *ALWAYS* refuted).

Also in a time when most soaps have unloaded some MAJOR contract, DAYS hasn't really unloaded ANY. I mean DAYS does have the biggest budget allowance, but I don't get how they could employ ALL of these major actors:

-Matthew Ashford

-Melissa Reeves

-Peter Reckell

-Kristian Alfonso

-Deidre Hall

-Wayne Northup

-Drake Hogestyn

-Julie Pinson

-Billy Warlock

-Judy Evans

-Alison Sweeney

& now

-Mary Beth Evans

-Stephen Nichols

That has GOT TO BE ONE HELL of an amount of money that the show pays these actora as they all are most likely in the top 1/3 of the salary bracket for daytime actors (especially the top 7 and MBE/SN)

Not to mention outside of this group they still have some pretty solid heavy hitters:

-Christie Clark

-Bryan Datillo

-Austin Peck

-Suzanne Rogers

-Josh Taylor

-Peggy McCay

-Lauren Koslow

-John Aniston

The only actors that I consider be to cheap hire on DAYS are:

-Farah Fath

-Martha Madison

-Jason Cook (who probably cost the most out of all the "cheap hire" group)

-Kyle Brandt

-Rachel Melvin

-Brody Hutzler

-Darrin Brooks

-Ashley Benson

-Christopher Gerse

-Recurring Actors

IMO DAYS proved this when the rehired EVERYONE they killed off during the SSK storyline (which was being touted by the press as massive budget slashing...which DAYS *ALWAYS* refuted).

Also in a time when most soaps have unloaded some MAJOR contract, DAYS hasn't really unloaded ANY. I mean DAYS does have the biggest budget allowance, but I don't get how they could employ ALL of these major actors:

-Matthew Ashford

-Melissa Reeves

-Peter Reckell

-Kristian Alfonso

-Deidre Hall

-Wayne Northup

-Drake Hogestyn

-Julie Pinson

-Billy Warlock

-Judy Evans

& now

-Mary Beth Evans

-Stephen Nichols

That has GOT TO BE ONE HELL of an amount of money that the show pays these actora as they all are most likely in the top 1/3 of the salary bracket for daytime actors (especially the top 7 and MBE/SN)

Not to mention Ali Sweeney, which is Days future lead heroine, IMO. She will be to Days, thirty years from now (if it goes that long, heh), what Erica Kane is to AMC and Reva Shayne is to GL.

I'm guessing it has to do with NBC only having two soaps? So, the money can go further. Not to mention, Passions has a SMALL cast, and with the exception of like 5 people (Korman, Gering, Westmore, Mills, and Masters) I can't see any of their salaries being uber high.

Who knows maybe this is why Days and Missy wouldn't talk about her exit. Maybe she wanted this and Corday caved. This definitely is the push Days needed to get everyone talking. The show has been great but it needed something to grab attention and now it has. This gives J&J huge story and I hope Missy stays now along with Matt. I suppose they could be replacing J&J but who knows.

OMG that cover rocks!!

The cover does rock but ummmm...WHERE is the patch?!!!

I'm guessing it has to do with NBC only having two soaps? So, the money can go further. Not to mention, Passions has a SMALL cast, and with the exception of like 5 people (Korman, Gering, Westmore, Mills, and Masters) I can't see any of their salaries being uber high.

That is so true or maybe DAYS being the #1 soap in 18-34 for how many years now REALLY HAS helped financially for the network.

Not to mention Ali Sweeney, which is Days future lead heroine, IMO. She will be to Days, thirty years from now (if it goes that long, heh), what Erica Kane is to AMC and Reva Shayne is to GL.

Your right...Sweeney probably should be included in that list, I mean she is a pretty big player at DAYS now and IS their future.

Steve was "killed" in an explosion, and buried. Lawrence stole his body. That is the story to tell. How did he get free, and where in God's name has he been all these years?

This should involve Jack, Jennifer, Bo, Hope, Roman, Abe, Kayla, and hopefully John and Marlena. I don't have faith in JER to do it right, but by some chance he does it right, I'll gladly eat a Godzilla-size piece of crow. If done right, this should cover his past, his return, and should branch everyone off into their own stories.

What would make this perfect? If Lawrence were in league with The Phoenix. If JM returned............

There might be a huge turnover. They may be getting rid of contracts to add contracts, and what better way to get this show's ratings up than to get rid of the dead weight and FINALLY bring back veterans and fan favorites? These are the characters everyone has been waiting for.

Let's not get our hopes up about a story just yet. I'm sure all of us can pen a better story. I am sure DAYS will not have as good of a story ready for them as we all have in our minds, but let's be grateful!

Ali definitely gets paid WELL. Probably more than most of them, actually. Sami Brady IS Days of Our Lives. She's been there for well over a decade now, through multiple re-signings. She gets paid well.

SOD subscribers, do yourselves a favor and buy off the newsstands if you want the SN/MBE cover, as I have noticed subscribers now get different covers than the store version. For instance, last issue on the newsstand had a huge pic of Steve Burton and The New GH with small pics of Dusty/Jen of ATWT, etc.

Subscribers got Dusty/Jen as the big pic on the cover with Steve taking D/J's slot.

Just a heads up.

Let's not get our hopes up about a story just yet. I'm sure all of us can pen a better story. I am sure DAYS will not have as good of a story ready for them as we all have in our minds, but let's be grateful!

I'm sorry, but I suffered through his "death" just like alot of fans of this show. If this is the story that JER WON"T tell, why are they coming back?

I am happy enough but if Eileen came back I would be screaming. If Joe came back too I may need oxygen. I am happy with this though. I know MBE and SN would not return if the story sucked so they must have liked it.

Now SN being at the softball game and on the Soaptalk special and him being with MBE at the 40th anniversary makes so much sense.

I agree that Days has heavy hitters and I think its because of only having two soaps. That is why Days was able to have a big cast in the 90's because it was only them and AW. Passions has to be cheaper then AW since the actors are younger and less experienced. I think we all make too much of a big deal out of budgets and such-this proves that we do I guess. I still can;t beleive this-Corday and Days pulled off a whale of a shock. The only hint was the rumors I mentioned months ago based off Corday's "aces up his sleeve" comment. Maybe he had to work it out with MBE and SN and NBC. I still want to know if this connects with the British man casting call. We thought it may be Andrew Donovon so could Shane be on the way back too? Maybe he will return for a short term stint like he did a few years back and help find Patch or something. Days may be taking a page out of GH and bringing back all the 80's faces it can . I mean we got Wayne and Billy back, Arleen was back for a bit, and now this and who knows what next .

Ali definitely gets paid WELL. Probably more than most of them, actually. Sami Brady IS Days of Our Lives. She's been there for well over a decade now, through multiple re-signings. She gets paid well.

Agreed-she is near or even at diva-rank. That is why NBC and Days have her on like all their reality shows and always seem to promote her (they even have her blog linked to their site). She is the future of Days.

Whats sad is that I bet we will never have Patsy Pease back for good as Kimberley Brady considering the tragedy that has struck her.

She is bound to a wheelchair and is in CONSTANT pain all the time now because of her accident or her condition and I think I even remember SOD say she would probably never act again.

It was SO sad to read, especially since she was always ready to come back to DAYS at the drop of a hat, she loved it there and I think always wanted to be a part of the core cast...its too bad DAYS didn't decided to keep her on a permanent basis.

I'm sorry, but I suffered through his "death" just like alot of fans of this show. If this is the story that JER WON"T tell, why are they coming back?

I have to agree. Why bring him back if they don't have a story to explain how he died. I mean fans were DEEPLY affected by Steve's "death" and how he survived and what happened to him remains perhaps one of the biggest question marks in DAYS history...the head brass better have a good answer for that...considering the hugeness of their returns.

Mitch and everyone else is right-this needs to be epic and maybe even bigger then Hope's return. I do think Corday knows that and the fact that many members of the cast will be involved tells me that this will be big. JER usually writes great stuff for the summer so this may be it. I just wish we had the article inside so maybe we could find out more.

I do think the coffin switch and and where he has been will be covered but I think JER will have more then that as the major plot points. He will definitely make it a umbrella event.

KR is right though-it took is so long to get them back so we should be grateful.

The reason why I am confident in this though is because MBE and SN would not return for a crappy story. Corday had to pitch something good to them to get them back so that makes me feel really confident as they know the characters better then anyone.

Carrie and Austin's returns are too early to judge. Its so much better now just focusing on the quad and not corporate stuff. I can't wait to see Patch and Kayla interact with the new Salem folk!!