~By Giddy
SOD then asks Corday about the fact that Chappell and Kurth are returning while fan favorites were let go. Corday says that “it was a matter of choosing amongst three very powerful couples” and deciding which to keep on the show and play. Corday continues that “by the time this happens in September” John and Marlena will have been off the show for nine months, and “Patch and Kayla the same”. He says that the show did not decide to bring Carly back at the same time that John, Marlena, Patch and Kayla were written off. Corday continues that we shouldn’t “do a price check” because “John and Marlena and Patch and Kayla are not even in the same store.” He says further, “for the ardent John and Marlena and Patch and Kayla fans, great, you can still see them at their luncheons. That was then, this is now.”
Okay I admit it…I do tend to carry a grudge. It’s been almost a full year since Ken Corday gave the infamous Soap Opera Digest interview and I still get pissy when I think about it. I won’t even get into the “luncheon” comment, because well…that comment was so unbelievably insulting to fans I believe it stands on its own and requires no further elaboration.
I think the reason I have once again found myself dwelling on this interview has to do with what has been going on over at Days for the past several months. I freely admit that I have not watched a single second of the show since February 2009. For that reason I am not going to get into anything related to the current stories, the writing, the ratings or the direction of the show that I once loved so much.
Instead I want to focus on this profound pearl of wisdom given to us by Corday: “That was then, this is now.” Even without reading the article, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what Kenny is talking about in that little blurb. He is referring to the recent firings of Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans (Steve & Kayla) as well as Drake Hogestyn and Deidre Hall (John & Marlena), and he is defending his decision by basically telling the fans to suck it up and get over it. In Corday’s opinion, fans need to realize that, while S&K and J&M may be two of the greatest supercouples in Days’ history, they are the past. So what if they were popular in the 80s? This is 2009 and fans need to accept the fact that Days is not what it used to be. No Ken, unfortunately for longtime viewers, it’s not.
So why is this still bothering me after all this time? I think after going through the various stages: shock (“I cannot believe he actually said that”) to denial (“No, he did not just say that”) to anger (“The nimrod said it and he meant it”) to acceptance (“Okay, so he obviously doesn’t care about the fans”), I had thoroughly and completely moved on. Whew! No more messing with my DVR and no more rushing home after to work to watch that day’s episode.
But then peculiar things started happening. We started hearing a rumor that Crystal Chappell was returning. Wait, wasn’t Carly on a really long time ago, like back in the late 80s and early 90s? Oh, I remember now. She shared a lot of scenes with Kayla at the emergency center, and with Steve during the Riverfront Raider story. Steve and Kayla? I guess they weren’t busy at any luncheons during that time.
Soon after, we heard that Louise Sorel was coming back too. Hmmm, oh yeah, Vivian Alamain. I liked her a lot…when she started on the show back in 1992. I think Kayla was still there at that time, even though Steve was presumed dead by then.
But wait, there’s more. Soon we were hearing that Wally Kurth was coming back too! Wally played Justin Kiriakis from 1987 to 1991. I remember when he helped Steve and Kayla when they were on the run after Steve accidentally shot Senator Deveraux. That was such a great story that encompassed so many different characters. Those 80’s stories really rocked! Of course during that time Justin also established a relationship with Adrienne Johnson, Steve’s sister played so wonderfully by Judi Evans from 1986 to 1991. Oh, did I forget to mention that Judi has come back to Days as well?
Yikes! I almost forgot to mention Anna Dimera, played by the beautiful and charming Leanne Hunley. I loved her from 1982 to 1986 and I still think she is fabulous. Unfortunately they killed off Tony (Thaao Penghlis) for the 10th time last year, as Tanna and their fans became yet another casualty of the peculiar and unexplainable anti-supercouple mentality that has taken over at Days.
Finally, it has recently been confirmed that Arleen Sorkin will be returning as the zany Calliope Jones, a character she played from 1984 to 1990. Rumor has it John de Lancie (Eugene, 1982 to 1986) has been asked to return as well. Calliope had a lot of humorous interaction with Steve and Kayla. Who could forget the naughty present she gave Kayla at her wedding shower? Such good times back in the 80’s!
It makes me wonder if Corday remembers that Steve and Kayla’s wedding in 1988 was the only time Days was #1 in the daytime ratings since 1974, and hasn’t been number one since. How ironic that Stephen Nichols is now on the #1 rated ‘The Young and the Restless’ as Tucker McCall, and if many longtime fans get their wish, Mary Beth Evans will soon be following him there. I would love to see what Maria Arena Bell, Paul Rauch and Hogan Sheffer could do with two of the finest actors in daytime on such a beautifully written and produced show. I would call that sweet comeuppance for two wonderful actors (and their fans) who were treated so horribly by a show to which they gave so much.
I want to make it clear that I am not complaining about any of the above mentioned actors/characters. They are all popular in their own right, and all have large and devoted fan bases and I respect that very much. In fact, I am actually happy for you. I am happy that each and every fan of each actor listed above gets to see your favorite on screen as much as possible. Personally, I like all the characters I have mentioned and I have lots of great memories of all of them from years past. Beyond that, I certainly don’t begrudge anyone a paycheck in this tough economy.
This blog is not about who has the biggest fan base or what characters deserve to be on the canvas at Days. It is about honesty and integrity and it’s about treating your customers with a little bit of respect. As fans, we are essentially the customers of the shows we watch. Aside from “preferred demographics” and “Nielson households,” the nitty gritty of it is that without us, there would be no show. Fans should be appreciated and catered to, not patronized and dismissed as if we are a group of ungrateful and demanding peons who need to sit back and accept whatever is dished out to us without question.
If someone is fired because there are personality conflicts or because they stand up for the history and integrity of their characters, then say that. Don’t gloss over it with some cloak and dagger nonsense about “budget cuts” and “that was then, this is now.” Especially when your actions and decisions for the next year contradict everything you just said in a public forum for the world to see.
At that point, you have not only lost fans, but you have lost respect and authority as well. You are called names like “putz” and “nimrod” and “tool” (as well as several others that can’t be printed here) by the very people you are there to serve.
In the end, I don’t suppose I will ever be able to reconcile in my mind what Ken Corday meant by “that was then, this is now” because to this 80’s Days fan, the “now” is looking more and more like the “then”…minus one of the greatest supercouples of all time.
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