DAYS Writers Fired/Replaced (Read 1,968 times)

[DancingDays]

BREAKING NEWS: ‘DAYS’ Gets New Head Writing TeamPublished On: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 @ 12:51 PM Written By: Xavier Toups inShare.1(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Exclusive! Soap Opera Network has learned that Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. were fired and replaced by Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

Stay tuned to SON as more details become available.



www.soapoperanetwork.com/news/breaking-news-days-gets-new-head-writing-team

[Kpatch]

What???

[DancingDays]

Yep. Wasn't Gary Tomlin a writer before? What storylines was he responsible for?

I'm surprised that TPTB didn't give MarDar a longer chance. It's only been 8 months. It takes a LONG time to turn around a trainwreck. But I guess if ALL fanbases are mad at you, you're doing something wrong.

[Kpatch]

Here's the article:

(SoapOperaNetwork.com) — Exclusive! Soap Opera Network has learned that “Days Of Our Lives” has fired Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. and replaced by 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 Matt Ashford). Unfortunately, the ratings did not improve and the show recently hit a new low in Women 18-49 Viewers demographic with 496,000 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.



Stay tuned to SON as more details become available.

[DancingDays]

So does this mean they're returning to the DH Days but without DH? Awesome.

[rockfordfosgate]

My thoughts exactly, DD. Although with the Rafe/Nicole/EJ/baby story, it seems we haven't strayed too far from the Day of Dena in the first place.

[DancingDays]

Well, we WERE all complaining about the recycled storylines.

[sportsgirl]

Not sounding good to me... I had read most of the Higley crap stories were actually Whitesell's and that was why after he was fired, the stories got a bit better in time.

[Tom Horton]

Higley's writing was rarely Higley's writing. Tomlin was writing the show along with Whitesell and to put it mildly, they suck! I detest their "writing"... and have nothing kind to say about Tomlin period. The man is a poison. He ruins everything. He hates Days and Days fans and did his damnedest to turn the show into a new Passions. He also clearly hates women and loves, loves, loves writing demented, twist tales of violence, abuse and persecution. He was the absolute worst choice, so of course that's who Corday went wtih. I remember how happy everyone was when the annuoncement came that Tomlin was fired. You could feel it from the fans and renewed excitement among the cast, now the change is already been felt across Twitter. It's like a dark cloud of doom has descended again.

[Andyroo]

I am NOT happy about this. Even though the new writers have made several missteps, I think the general tone of the show has greatly improved. The quicker pace has been much appreciated as well. For the most part, the dialogue has been sharp, and I love all the nods to Days' history (even if at times it turns into recycled plots).

What will this mean for all the actors that came on specifically because of the "new Days"? Do you think this played a part in Renee leaving the show?

My biggest concern though is how this will affect Will and the gay storyline. I don't know much about Tomlin or Whitesell really (assuming they weren't the masterminds behind Higley's reign), but I will be really upset if they put an end to this s/l or put it on the backburner.

[slyn11]

I am very pleased they got rid of Mar and Dar. I thought they were awful. I didn't even feel like I was watching a soap most of the time. There was no depth of emotion, poor continuity, minimal use of character and minimal character development, extremely bad recycled storylines...it was like watching a sixth grade writing class try to run a show.

Not to mention they kept bringing back older and older characters. No wonder their 18-49 demo ratings dropped...no one wants to watch a show about their grandparents...not even grandparents.

Not sure how I feel about their rumored replacements though....hmmm.

I did enjoy Days the most ever IN MY LIFE during 2008 thru early 2011, so maybe I will be happier with these two back on the scene.

[Tom Horton]

I could care less about MarDar one way or the other but Tomlin is a talentless freak. I have no love loss for that man at all. I detest what he did to Days. Firing him was the best decision Corday ever made. The only light on the horizon I see is that he is only come back as writer and not EP. Meng better keep his thumb on that idiot if he doesn't want to see Tomlin running off a third of the audience again.

[Kpatch]

Soap Opera Digest just confirmed.
www.soapoperadigest.com/content/days-writers-out

DAYS Writers Out

By SOD • Posted: Apr 4, 2012

As reported in the 4/16 issue Digest — which will hit stands on Friday — DAYS head writers Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Jr., who joined the show last May, have been replaced by former DAYS Co-Executive Producer and one-time Co-Head Writer Gary Tomlin and former DAYS Co-Head writer Christopher Whitesell. McPherson just tweeted the following: "Thank you DOOL fans. U r the best and we love you! NBC never let us tell our stories. They kept stopping us and changing our direction. Sad."

[karebr13]

Here is a tweet form Marlene about her firing.

Tweet from Marlene:

twitter.com/#!/MarleneMcP/status/187619928537440256

Marlene McPherson ‏ @marlenemcp
Thank you DOOL fans. U r the best and we love you! NBC never let us tell our stories. They kept stopping us and changing our direction. Sad

Apparently the execs at NBC are the ones who were forcing MarDar to write these crappy storylines we are seeing right now and not allowing them to write what they really wanted to. I really wonder how much better their stuff would have been if NBC didn't step in and change their stuff.

[Kpatch]

I would take that quote with a grain of salt. People who get fired tend to be disgruntled and want to blame others for their failure.