Saturday, January 25, 2014

DAYS OF OUR LIVES Fans Have Had Quite The Week!

Alison Sweeney announced she was leaving DAYS on Tuesday.   On
Friday, NBC announced Kassie DePaiva was joining the soap.
What a week for DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans! 21 year soap vet Alison Sweeney OUT! DAYS OF OUR LIVES renewed for two more years! Kassie DePaiva IN as Eve Donovan. Michael Muhney IN as Frankie Brady. Okay, that last part isn't true. But, this has been a momentous week for DAYS fans, who arguably are the most passionate in the world of soaps.

Can DAYS OF OUR LIVES survive without Sami Brady? This is the question that has been asked around the internet all week. Sami is a character that has driven story for most of the 21 years she has been on air. Seemingly every character on the show is connected to her. If you have been watching recently, she even has a brand new feud with her little cousin Ciara!

Many people view Charlotte Ross as Eve Donovan. Does the show need the character so badly that if they couldn't get Ross to reprise the role, they had to recast? Played by Ross from 1987-1991, Eve was a character who only briefly led story, and her popularity was based mostly on the actress herself. In fact, at the time she left, DAYS let her out of her contract early. If Eve was such an important part of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, would they have let her walk? Kassie DePaiva is a wonderful actress, as many fans of ONE LIFE TO LIVE can attest to. But it remains to be seen if the 52 year old actress will be believable to DAYS fans as the daughter of Shane Donovan, played by the legendary 58 year old, Charles Shaughnessy. Shane isn't on the show now, but I hope that DAYS doesn't avoid bringing him back because of this casting choice. I wish the talented Kassie DePaiva the best, and we will find out this summer, if she can make it as Eve. If Eve can make life hell for Jennifer Rose, I could accept Robin Strasser in the role.

The most exciting news is that the much loved DAYS, has been renewed for two more years. Thankfully, the show has been on a creative upswing for the last year, and it is poised to get even better in the months to come. EJ and Abby are having a passionate affair! Nick is alive! Eric and Nicole have admitted their love! The love story of Daniel and Jennifer… well, everything else is going great!

This brings me back to the departure of Alison Sweeney. The show will go on without her. The show survived the loss of major stars in the past, but one must remember that for an entire new generation of DAYS fans, they don't know DAYS without her. DAYS has enough time to craft a truly exciting exit story for Sami, while they build up other characters to take her place on the front burner. But Sami needs an exit story that will impact everyone else for months to come. It has to mean something. She can't go out and mail a letter and never return like poor Don Craig. How would you write Sami off? What would be a truly satisfying exit for fans of the iconic Sami Brady? Sound off below, and let us know!

Michael Goldberg is a freelance contributor to We Love Soaps covering daytime drama and web series.

12 comments:

  1. Not to mention what actually happened on the air. Great Friday cliffhanger with Nick showing up at the christening.

    DAYS definitely needs a great exit story for Sami. Or will Sami leave at all? Would they recast?

    I never even thought about Eve Donovan returning to DAYS until Charlotte Ross tweeted about meeting with the show last month. It was an interesting idea at the time with her possibly coming back. I can't even imagine her on the canvas today. The show much have an Eve story they are really excited about in the works. I hope Eve doesn't serve as a pseudo parent for Theresa instead of Kim and Shane (miss them). I'm excited to see Kassie play a new role.

    It definitely was quite a week. :)

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  2. Great column. While I think Kassie is a great actress, this is a total miscast from the get-go. To me Charlotte Ross is and always will be Eve Donovan, even though the last time she played the role was 1991. At least this is an older, remembered character and not another newcomer.

    To keep Days' momentum going, it has to think about balancing newcomers with veterans willing to return. Asking Matt Ashford and Peter Reckell to come back would be a smart first step. So would re-establishing the Horton clan.

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    1. Thank you. It is sad for me that Ross isn't returning and I hope Kassie works out in the role. I have loved her for years, going back to her role as Chelsea Reardon on GL. So my fingers are crossed. As for Ashford and Reckell, I just don't see Reckell returning. But, I will never understand why every DAYS writing team doesn't want to write for Jack, as played by Matt Ashford. Especially now, when Jack has so much family in town.

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  3. Recasting Sami Brady, would be like recasting Lily Snyder. It will never happen!!! Oh, wait...

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    1. Hmm, let's think of the "unthinkable" recasts of iconic characters. Lisa was recast on ATWT with Betsy von Furstenberg. DALLAS recast Miss Ellie with Donna Reed.

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  4. Keith Timmons on Santa Barbara being recast with actor John Novak. No one could play Keith like Justin Deas!

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  5. I always thought.. if you replace Justin Deas... and most couldn't... Kin Shriner would have been able to do it.

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  6. You know Ricardo, that would have been a great recast. Santa Barbara loved bringing on actors from GH too. But at that time, I think Shriner was under contract with GH. But it would have been great to see Shriner and Robin Mattson reunited.

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  7. As for a great exit for Sweeney - I'd suggest they turn Sami into a man permanently and rehire Dan Wells to play "her" again.. lol! .. This would allow EJ to really "walk that line" again. ;-)

    http://youtu.be/B_xvzutnXiA?t=2m1s

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  8. Love to see Sami & EJ get married and move away with there family to Hollywood. Sami becomes a successful movie star. Stefano becomes ill so EJ has to return to look after the
    business. EJ becomes more like his father. He continues to keep in contact with Sami via ph. e-mail, etc.

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  9. Oh, I don't think Kassie's age will matter. She is a top notch performer. I loved Charlotte Ross as Eve, but I think Kassie will be great. Thrilled Days has been renewed and while I will miss Sami Brady, I do believe life will go on in Salem. I don't believe any soap should just be about one character.

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  10. Okay, I'm just going to say I think Sami has always been more of a problem for the show, that an solution, I wish AS all the best in her next endeavors, but she has always been way overrated to me. The show will be just fine without her.I'll put money on that! The sooner she is off screen for good the happier, I will be.

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