Gasp! Moan! Oh My!

Most of you have probably seen this by now, but just in case, there is big [un-]casting news on Days of Our Lives, according to Soap Opera Digest:

Huge DAYS Casting News!
It's hard to believe, but it's true: Superstars Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Drake Hogestyn (John) are the first two casualties of DAYS's massive budget cuts. In an exclusive interview with Soap Opera Digest, Executive Producer Ken Corday says, "The couple will be happily reunited after a long period of angst and separation and will be off-screen after January for an unknown period of time. It was a very tough decision to make." To see what else the exec has to say about the popular duo — and the show’s recent pickup by NBC — be sure to pick up the next issue of Digest.

I must admit, this doesn't upset me.  I liked them in the 80s and 90s (yes, even together -- I have not always been a hater), but Marlena in particular hasn't been an interesting character in about a decade.  I've liked the latest incarnation of John Black a lot, but if these two bring in huge salaries and had to be cut to give the show one last shot at continuing, it's fine by me.

In case you're a little weepy over this news, let's remember how annoying Marlena and John have been together over the last couple of years, shall we?  And while we're at it, I guess we can humor your nostalgia by remembering some of the better times.  (Which pretty much involve John dying or behaving like a totally different person.)

• Oh god, remember the coma months of early 2007?  "Gag me with a spoon" still seems to sum them up well.
• The brain-scarring "oooh, mama!" incident -- in words, then video -- brought on multiple guffudders.  Gasp!  Moan!  Oh my!
• Aloha!
  
• Remember when John went splat on a car, and I still couldn't be nice about Marlena?  Oh my!  And then I stupidly thought they actually did kill John off?  Gasp!  But they totally didn't?  Moan!
• I was bummed about the resurrection and the absurd daily focus on Marlena (Moan!), but then, well, The Door Incident happened, and I was nothing but gleeful.  Gasp!  Oh my!
• I even found one of their sex scenes entertaining ("Brace yourself!"), and ultimately it was that kind of romance that made me fall madly in love with the new John Black.  Gasp!  Oh my!

Okay, maybe I'll miss them a little bit.  Their departure will significantly decrease Days' mocking opportunities.  Gasp!  Moan!  Oh my!

Comments

[tanya]

ding dong they gasping witch is dead!

[Beth R.]

And this isn't a huge hoax played on us the Serial Drama readers by the DAYS IIC? Seriously? I am alive to see such a day occur? Good Gravy what is next????

[Chad]

I won't be upset either. Marlena pretty much stopped being an interesting character in the early '90s when they started writing her as "John and Marlena" instead of just Marlena, and we were supposed to see them as a supercouple just because, not because of anything that actually happened.

I will miss the new "John DiMera", though, because he was pretty much the only new, unique character to join the canvas in years.

[Nolebucgrl]

Best news out of the Days camp in years. I can't think of anything that delighted me more!

[Stephanie]

Okay I'm actually upset because Marlena is our Erica or Victoria Lord. To get rid of her truly means the end of Days is near.

[Celine]

My mother said with John & Marlena leaving, it's like Days has already been canceled. It's like a company which sells of assets in a futile effort to stave off bankruptcy. Pretty soon, Days will be a bunch of 20-something characters with no history on the show, or recasts of existing characters, and it won't be Days at all.

[ScoobyDoo]

Well, I can't get too upset, either, mainly because of the nastiness of some of the fans, and yeah, the gaspiness. Days hasn't been Days for a while now. To me, J&M don't make Days. The Hortons and the Bradys make Days. Business is business, even if it means having to cut the pretty's pay salary. But the drama backstage is sure a hell lot more entertaining than what's on the screen now!

[jackie]

I am not a Days fan, but even I know who "John" and "Marlena" are and I am upset for the Days fans. However, I think a lot of the shock and disbelief and anger are more to do with WHO got fired, not what characters, if that makes sense. To me it signifies that no one is safe right now while the soap opera genre is doing so poorly. I am just hoping that this stupidity of firing big generational characters stays at NBC!

[Susan]

I am upset about what this means symobolically for the show, but I'm not a huge Jarlena fan so it doesn't crush me or anything. I'm more upset about JKJ cleaning out his dressing room because that has just cut the hotness level by half for me!

[Pawn Roman John Father Ryan etc]

*arches brow*

*sniffs a fart*

*accepts*

[Jes]

Two down, one to go. There's one more DH left at Days that needs firing.

[TV's Tim]

While I agree that John and Marlena are very annoying nowadays, there are a few things to bear in mind:

1. They have been the backbone of the show for nearly twenty years, for better or for worse.

2. They have a very loyal legion of fans. Remember 'Sheetgate'? Given how bad the numbers are now, I don't think they can afford to alienate any portion of their audience (no matter how shrill and annoying).

3. The last time a struggling soap opera dumped a beloved veteran player unceremoniously in order to save money and jumpstart the ratings, it didn't work out too well...at least not for the show in question (unless 'Guiding Light' as community theatre is your thing). Jerry verDorn, on the other hand, is doing just fine. And that leads into...

4. Given the current daytime climate, Deidre and Drake could be snapped up in a multi-year contract for another show in a heartbeat, meaning that if this latest 'Plan To Save DAYS!' backfires and Corday realizes that he needs his supercouple back, they might not be available. Or they could just pull a Grant Aleksander and say "f**k off, Ken Doll!" by either refusing to return or only agreeing to return for a hell of a lot more money, which or course would defeat the purpose of the whole damn scheme to begin with.

Plus, I can think of at least a dozen other barely-used players that I would have either fired or recurred first before I axed Doc and The Pawn. This isn't like Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves where they've both left the show numerous times and been recast so often that their arrivals and/or departures really wouldn't make a dent in the ratings one way or another. But you can't just jettison one-half of the foundation of your show and expect things to work themselves out.

I really don't think this is going to work out too well for DAYS...but I've been wrong before.

[Kat]

Ok, I haven't watched Days since high school, but aren't John and Marlena fans the only ones really still watching? What kind of sense does this make?

[TV's Tim]

"Ok, I haven't watched Days since high school, but aren't John and Marlena fans the only ones really still watching? What kind of sense does this make?"

Well, I guess they're counting on those disgruntled PASSIONS fans to balance things out. Next up: Jesse Metcalfe and Heidi Mueller as a SORASed Johnny and Alli! Be There!

[Jes]

John and Marlena have always annoyed me. I'm rather liking the new, robotic John, but I won't miss him when he's gone. Marlena can go, but they might as well write off Roman(who I will actually miss) since all he does is pine for her.

[Purple Crayon]

Most J&M fans have proclaimed often and loudly how they're already NOT watching and haven't been since after the plane crash and those infamous "cut scenes" (I'm thankful for those scenes being cut). How much have J&M fans bemoaned them being backburnered and wished they'd leave the show because they could do so much better with another show who would appreciate them.

They've gotten their wish. Now if only they would stop polluting their boards with their bitterness all would be right with my world.

Great article Serial Drama. I enjoyed it immensely. But I refuse to click on some of those links. Never again will I be subjected to Marlena and her orgasms when John would barely touch her shoulder or her "Oh Momma's". For that, I am grateful.

[Lauren]

Even though he had a gun to his head, it's amazing that Corday fiiinnnaaally made a good decision for the show. Soon to follow: his regular douchebag moves to "save" Days.

And that's a fact.

[tws1978]

Purple Crayon, you said it perfectly, but we probably will not be so lucky. The fans are already crying on the boards, saying how this is the end and the show will die in the ratings. I quess I´m watching some different DAYS than they are, because I will probably hardly notice they are gone.

[not anonymous]

IA with Purple crayon. The J&M fans were campaigning for Marlena to get a new man this summer. They do nothing but whine. They only thing on DOOL that would make them happy is non stop scrumping (I hope I never see that word again) by J&M. Yeah, no one wants to watch that.

I'm glad we don't have to see Deidre gasp anymore. Or try to move her eyelids at all.

I'm glad I won't have to hear from Drake about how he is the star of the show anymore.

Buh bye, and take your nasty fans with you.

[evilgenius]

Great insight as usual ladies. Scrumping, I think I'll miss you most of all.

[Purple Crayon]

"They only thing on DOOL that would make them happy is non stop scrumping (I hope I never see that word again) by J&M."

**Picks up Brain Bleach and S.O.S. pad and scours mental picture.**

I hope we don't get one more assault on our eyeballs before they leave town.

I just wish we would get a Christmas Miracle and didn't have to wait until January for them to leave.

[ScoobyDoo]

Purple Crayon rocks!
Save the boards from Jammers!
Get rid of the Kool-Aid!
And more shirtless ej!!

[Purple Crayon]

ScoobyDoo, we definitly need more shirtless EJ and much less Kool-Aid.