Quick! Bail out the soap opera industry!
The latest casualties of hard economic times? Veteran “Days of Our Lives” soap opera stars Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn:
Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, who as Marlena and John have been one of daytime’s most durable and recognizable soap opera supercouples, have been fired from “Days of Our Lives,” according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. Both of the stars have been with the show for more than two decades, and their characters’ on-and-off love story has been at the center of the show.
The firings came just days after NBC renewed “Days” through 2010. NBC made the renewal on the condition of severe budget cuts, and Hall and Hogestyn likely won’t be the last casualties, according to The Tampa Tribune.
NBC says the story will have the estranged couple reunited before their January exits.
And the bailout beat goes on: Needed: Network bailout?
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the taxpayer grabs of our lives…
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Please don’t give these people ideas …
Still to depressed over the demise of TWC’s Cheryl Lemke to comment.
While Your Stomach Churns…
I understand Scrooge McDuck is petitioning Congress for a piece of the bailout pie after a failed joint venture with Flintheart Glomgold left him nearly million-less.
MM-don’t mock our most precious national resource …soap opera viewers!
/sarc
The only soap opera I ever watched was ‘Dark Shadow’s’ back in the 60’s. It was about vampires and fun to watch.
L
Guy, to be more correct (and to cite the great Carol Burnett Show’s lampooning) the bailout situation is now such that “The Days Of Our Lives” are causing “As The Stomach Turns”.
(Mebbe that should be “The Pays Of Our Lives”.)
Boo-hooo; sob, sob…. Aww, just replace it with a reality show.
Pay-a-ton Place?
“All My Bailouts”?
“The Young and the Clueless”
Don’t forget “The Guiding Lie” starring Hank Paulson.
I’m waiting for Him to bail out the illegal mexicans — After all they are loosing jobs, can’t send money back to mexico, are having to return to mexico now that they can’t USE our country.
Like the auto industry, I think they should have to come up with a viable business plan first.
Like bringing back Luke and Laura.
I’m going to miss Marlena and John. Are Bo and Hope still on the show?
somebody’s about to drive off a cliff… I’m guessing they won’t find a body.
Thanks to my mom, I’m probably the only heterosexual man who watches Days of our Lives. I’ve been watching since 1993 and the way I feel about this bit of news is identical to the way I feel about the banks and everything else. Days of our Lives hasn’t been worth watching since 1999. Going off the air IS WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN. No more bailouts PLEASE!!!!
P.S. They brought back Joseph Mascolo to portray the diabolical Stefano Dimera, but all he does is walk around the mansion and look sinister. Remember the good old days when he was brainwashing people into thinking they were his own art thieves? Ah…the memories.
For those not familiar with daytime soaps this is major, major news. The problem with “DAYS” is the Executive Producer, Ken Corday, who is riding the dust of his dad’s coat tails all the while destroying that show. Too bad. However, Ken Corday has done this type of stunt before, so don’t be surprised if they are both back next year. It’s a soap opera afterall.
Thanks Chap for providing me with two minutes of uncontrolled wretching.
Where’s the medicinal brandy?
I think Luke’s still hanging in there, Chappy. Or at least the actor (Tony Geary?) who plays him is still on some soap, I believe.
Now if AMC could get Cliff and Nina back, I might chip mebbe $1.27 in for the bailout.
Obviously, the OpShop must be bailed out. Recent experience shows a stupid business model is no reason to NOT bail out a company.
I think your comment here was meant to respond to a different blog entry, Dexter.
I considered it a cross-over. The main theme here, I believe, is ridiculous bailouts.
Ah, a crossover. Mebbe you shoulda gone for the “music” thread instead then
The reason is as simple as ageism, They took off the soap Another World years ago because the newer younger executives were nauseated by older couples having a sex life. I stopped watching NBC for that reason and I was only in my forties then. No Country for Old Men or Women?
“He was a one-eye one-horned flying purple-people eater…”
We have that 45!
Pretty young then, but I remember it well. The debate rages on as to whether the People Eater was purple or if the people he ate where purple, it’s a bit vague.
I wonder if there’s anyone 30ish or under who would know what “45″ means, lol. At our house we had some great Edison 78s and even some cylindrical records.
pretty good finger on that pulse of the Soap Pulse, Michelle.
more than just a passing post?
Just move the show to Public Television, right after Sesame Street…
IIRC, Hall was at the DNC convention this year.
Looks like she got that change she was looking for!
Haven’t they already bailed out G.E., the owner of NBC and MSNBC?
It seems to me that they’re already bailing out networks.
OMG- a fellow GH afficionado? Say it ain’t so! First the Bills (now 4-4 unfortunately) now GH.
Anyhoo, didn’t you get the memo? Luke and Laura, I believe (it could change it is a soap opera), are divorced. Now, Luke is married to Tracy Quartermaine otherwise known as Cruella Deville. Laura has been battling some mysterious, brain-altering illness that has kept her locked away in some nursing home or mental health care facility. Perhaps, she’s in Boca now?
GH has lost its mojo since the late 90’s when they resurrected the Spencer family. Then the whole show became all about Sonny Corinthos and his naughty mafia ways. Things went south after that.
Unfortunately, it’s not only GH… it’s all the soap operas. And when they cut bigwigs like Deidre and Drake it just makes the shows worse.