John and Marlena Got the ‘Axe’
Wow. Days of Our Lives without John and Marlena? That in my opinion is a complete oxymoron. What is this world coming to anyhow?
On Wednesday, “Days of Our Lives” announced that it was firing two of the soap’s biggest stars: Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn. I was shocked and saddened by the news. Can you imagine the town of Salem without Marlena (aka “Doc”) and John?
Thanks to budget cuts “Days” execs reportedly had to let go of the highly-paid actors in order to keep their show on NBC for another 18 months, but with a bloated cast of 31, couldn’t they have axed some of the newbies instead of these beloved vets?
When I asked my friend — who works in the soap industry — for his initial reaction to the news and what it means for the future of daytime, he responded, “You might as well sound the death knell.”
That’s what I was afraid of. I used to write for a soap magazine many years ago, so daytime holds a special place in my heart. I’m also fiercely protective of the genre, which people love to knock. “The acting’s horrible” and “the storylines are ridiculous” are two common criticisms. Yes, at times they are, but let me remind everyone that Kevin Bacon, James Earl Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Phillippe, Meg Ryan, and Marisa Tomei are just a few of the Hollywood stars who got their starts in daytime. And since “Guiding Light,” which is the longest-running drama in TV history, hit the radio airwaves in 1937, soaps’ silly stories have provided fans with a daily form of escapism. Of course, it’s been hard to keep these tales fresh over the years, which is why some writers have resorted to penning the absurd, supernatural plots that have turned many a soap fan off.
With that said, daytime ratings continue to dip, and it’s really no surprise. Although there are plenty of male fans out there, soap operas were originally aimed at housewives. As we all know, there aren’t as many stay-at-home moms as there used to be, and if someone does happen to be watching TV during the afternoon, they have hundreds of cable channels and programs to choose from. Plus, with everyone’s busy schedules, people simply don’t have the time to devote to a daytime serial anymore.
Days is a classic. How can they do this. Oh WAIT. It’s NBC. They love to ruin good things. Nothing But Crap. That’s NBC.
POSTED BY: Jennifer G.
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No Loss on John and Marlena - their characters weren’t going anywhere slowly and always ended up in the same place. I for one will be happy to see new people come on stronger.
I just learned of the loss of John and Marlena and I think it is awful. Amd now to lose Steve and Kayla and Tony too is ridiculous. I have watched Days since 1982 and I have to say the best part about it is the veterans. To lose them to stupid characters like the annoying Melanie is sad. Days will be no more in 18 months if they continue moves like this. First Passions and now Days. What a waste NBC. You really need to get your heads out of your rears and look at what you are doing. You are ruining an icon!