ONTD

3:38 pm - 04/04/2012

Like sands through the hourglass...so are the headwriters of Days of Our Lives

Exclusive! Soap Opera Network has learned that “Days Of our Lives” has fired Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. as its co-head writers and replaced them with Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

McPherson and Thomas were hired in May 2011, replacing Dena Higley, to help shepherd the “DAYS” reboot (the returns of fan favorites Drake Hogestyn, Deidre Hall, Patrick Muldoon, Christie Clark and Matthew Ashford). Unfortunately, the ratings did not improve and the show recently hit a new low in Women 18-49 Viewers with just 496,000 total tuning in from that ratings category for the week March 19-23, 2012.


Tomlin returns to “DAYS” after being the Co-Executive Producer from September 17, 2008 – September 2, 2011 (on air episode dates) . This will be Tomlin’s first head writing gig in about 27 years – he was Head Writer of “Another World” in the mid-80′s. Though he was an interim Head Writer for “One Life To Live” (on air episodes dates: February 1, 2008 – May 1, 2008) during the 2007-2008 Writers Strike.

Whitesell also returns to the show after being Co-Head Writer from October 13, 2008 – June 13, 2011 (on air episode dates). This will be Whitesell’s 6th Co-Head Writing stint: he co-head wrote for “General Hospital” (1997), “Sunset Beach” (1998 – 1999), “One Life To Live” (2001-2003), “As The World Turns” (2005-2007). Whitesell was writing breakdowns for “The Young and The Restless” for the past year.

First post y'all!

Source

lumosofmylife 4th-Apr-2012 08:28 pm (UTC)
What time is this show even on?
arabian 4th-Apr-2012 08:30 pm (UTC)
So pissed about this. The show is FINALLY good again after years of utter dreck! Ken Corday lives to destroy his parents' legacy. Ugh.
slayer4915 4th-Apr-2012 08:47 pm (UTC)
It's not perfect by any means, but it's so much better than when Dena Higley was the headwriter. The overall tone is lighter and more fun, compared to all of the rapes, violence, clones, and whatnot of the past few years.
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:34 pm (UTC)
YES! Oh and the whole, "I'm going to make my own show with my own family that no one else knows and ignore EVERY ONE ELSE" thing that she liked to do.
tube_fiend 4th-Apr-2012 08:30 pm (UTC)
The current headwriters haven't done much to reinvigorate the show, as most of it is dull as dirt, but I can't help but think the show will never get better with an ever revolving door of HWs. Look at the hot mess that was the final days oof AMC. And I don't have much faith in Tomlin and Whitesell, as the show was especially spastic during that time period.

And, let's be real - I'm only watching again for the dangling carrot of EJami that has reappeared, so if these two drop it and suddenly refocus on the endless tedium of Safe like they did last time, I'm pissed and done with this shit.
arabian 4th-Apr-2012 08:51 pm (UTC)
You know they will drop it. Ken Corday HATES EJami, every time a headwriter or EP starts to put them together, whoops! he fires them.
withoutyoursmil 4th-Apr-2012 08:57 pm (UTC)
does he really? :(
arabian 4th-Apr-2012 11:07 pm (UTC)
For sure. First he tried to sell Colleen/Santo to get the EJami fans to shut up figuring that if he gave them the actors in a different characters for a while they would be quiet. Didn't work. Then he started pushing Sami/Rafe like they were his oxygen (to the point that before the summer when EJ and Sami were going to get married before she found out he kidnapped Sydney, he gave an interview where he said that Sami/Rafe fans would be very happy and the EJ/Sami stuff would be all over by Labor Day). He also pushed EJ/Taylor like mad. He's done everything he can think of to kill the EJami momentum. I'd be cool with it, if the pair got a legitimate chance and the feedback/ratings tanked, but they've never had a legitimate shot, so who knows?
withoutyoursmil 4th-Apr-2012 08:56 pm (UTC)
EFF, IKR! Just give me Ejami, srsly, THATS ALL I WANT
chantemarissa 4th-Apr-2012 09:13 pm (UTC)
yep, the younger gen is a MESS. Melanie has lost her fire. Abby & Gabi are insane. The older gen is playing musical chairs.
rabidglow 5th-Apr-2012 01:09 am (UTC)
Oooooo, EJami possibilities? That's the only reason I watch anymore, and I haven't seen the show in awhile.
tube_fiend 5th-Apr-2012 02:04 am (UTC)
Yep. Their grief sex back in November just got exposed, so Rafe and Nicole left them.

EJ just bought Sami an apartment and is being all nice and "I'll always take care of you, you're the mother of my children."

Plus spoilers say he kisses her next week, before they decide to keep things platonic... then she gets all hot and bothered when his shirt is off.

On the negative side, Nicole is pregnant with EJ's baby (and Rafe is saying it is his to help her keep EJ from the kid) and Lucas is back in the picture and Sami has her eye on him. So no guarantees the writers aren't fucking over EJami again....
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:36 pm (UTC)
I literally think the Sami getting hot and bothered thing will lead to Lucas getting jealous and then that Autumn person coming and Sami realizing she is meant to be with Lucas. EJ is just a red herring between her and Lucas. EJ loves and needs Nicole.
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:35 pm (UTC)
Gurl, you know they're going with LUMI
weekendwars 4th-Apr-2012 08:37 pm (UTC)
I feel like I should watch this again, but idk...
lenee91 4th-Apr-2012 08:43 pm (UTC)
SPARE YOURSELF.
shantayustay 4th-Apr-2012 08:43 pm (UTC)
They should have never cancelled Passions.
slayer4915 4th-Apr-2012 08:45 pm (UTC)
THIS! I watched that mess from Day 1 and loved every minute of it.
slayer4915 4th-Apr-2012 08:50 pm (UTC)


Never forget.
weekendwars 4th-Apr-2012 08:56 pm (UTC)
i miss this ridiculousness sfm
iamglory Never Forget7th-Apr-2012 09:25 pm (UTC)
lenee91 4th-Apr-2012 08:54 pm (UTC)
Ken Corday is an idiot. Fire sucky writers, hire back even worse ones...
clos_vf 4th-Apr-2012 09:32 pm (UTC)
lost interest in days after marlena was possessed... its all about GH
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 09:19 pm (UTC)
You can keep your SOnny Mob show
wowitsjustine 4th-Apr-2012 09:35 pm (UTC)
They best not get rid of Lucas again just when they're finally getting to lumi again.

Edited at 2012-04-04 09:37 pm (UTC)
cathangel 5th-Apr-2012 01:05 am (UTC)
Don't count on it. Gary Tomlin HATES BD & once said in the media that he's not worthy to be a leading man. Plus, GG is his man. So, we're probably going back to Safe which SUCKS DONKEY BALLS.

Ugh, there are not enough words to describe how much I fucking hate Ken Corday.
meganmerie 4th-Apr-2012 10:52 pm (UTC)
Maybe the ratings went down because EVERY SINGLE FUCKING COUPLE THAT MATTERS ON THE SHOW IS BROKEN UP/DIVORCING/BRAINWASHED/ETC....

In fact, the only couple that is technically together at this point is Abe and Lexie, and it was just announced this week that Lexie is going to get killed off. *sigh*

I've been watching this show since the 90s and I'd hate to see it get canceled :(
isntdaveone 4th-Apr-2012 10:54 pm (UTC)
the first week of the re-boot in September was great, but then it all went downhill and it got boring.

i swear Nicole's current storyline is the same one that Sami played 2 years ago!
cherie_b 5th-Apr-2012 12:29 am (UTC)
The reboot has only made the show worse. Will's storyline is the only one worth watching. Everything else is just plain boring or ridiculous.
plight 5th-Apr-2012 02:44 am (UTC)
NBC needs to just cancel this.
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 09:41 pm (UTC)
Don't say such things!!!
xcollsangelx 5th-Apr-2012 03:35 am (UTC)
Can't be as bad as General Hospital.

iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:25 pm (UTC)
I swear the only things on Days I like are:

1. Lucas
2. Will being gay and talking to Marlena
3. Stefano minus the Princess Gina crap....

The rest is awful. I cannot believe Lexie will die. It's heart breaking to me for some reason but I'm ok if they go with a Celeste/Abe hook up that confuses him and makes him hate life. I am upset that with all the press now they just reveal what will happen. I want to be surprised that you THINK Stefano will come up with a miracle cure or a weird technology thing only he knows how to do with Rolf...but then he dies and to see his torment.

I think it will be odd for Abe to deal with the fact that in all right he SHOULD allow Theo to get to know Stefano and EJ but he won't want to because of how they are. If they do this well, it could totally propel storyline where Abe and Stefano come to an understanding. Yes, he's evil but he does love Lexie.
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:33 pm (UTC)
Splitting this up for the tl;dr crowd:

I am going to be pissed that they have TRIED to make Ian this badass but then making him another DiMera. I know that Stefano is the 7th son of the 7th son, but just because Ian is like one of brother 1-6 doesn't mean he needs to be more badass. Stefano was the chosen child! HOWEVER, this would explain why he is enjoying fucking with Kate/Madison/Brady. John then would be his brother too and he is making John's son pay and he is fucking with Stefano because Stefano is the Chosen Child.

Yet I think the idea is stupid and I hate them for doing this (if that is what they are doing)
iamglory 7th-Apr-2012 07:36 pm (UTC)
FUCK..>I posted this in the wrong post
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