When did Days of Our Lives jump the shark?

[TMC]

Or did it ever? And was the last truly great storyline the Marlena/John/Susan/Kristen saga from 1996-1997.

[Christopher]

The last great story Days had was the serial killer story. I remember how huge it was that the show was "killing" all these long time characters. The way it ended though turned me off the show. All the victims ending up alive on some island was a huge cop out to undo the riveting story being told. What's the point of watching a show's story if they're just going to undo everything? It was a waste of time. Days should have been canceled after that. They proved they're a pathetic soap that will do extremely lame gimmicks to gain viewership.

[Wawwie]

Originally Posted by Christopher

The last great story Days had was the serial killer story. I remember how huge it was that the show was "killing" all these long time characters. The way it ended though turned me off the show. All the victims ending up alive on some island was a huge cop out to undo the riveting story being told. What's the point of watching a show's story if they're just going to undo everything? It was a waste of time. Days should have been canceled after that. They proved they're a pathetic soap that will do extremely lame gimmicks to gain viewership.

That was the super lame writing of James E. Reilly. He also used to write for the cancelled, ridiculous soap Passions.

[shandy630]

I think Days "jumped the shark" back in 1994 when that ridiculous Marlena possession storyline ran. That's actually made me stop watching in the first place.

And now to read that they're going to revisit that storyline...SMH....

[TMC]

Originally Posted by shandy630

I think Days "jumped the shark" back in 1994 when that ridiculous Marlena possession storyline ran. That's actually made me stop watching in the first place.

And now to read that they're going to revisit that storyline...SMH....

I've been recently reading comments elsewhere that suggest that DOOL's reputation as a consistently serious soap was tarnished by James Reilly’s campy, over the top approach to writing in the '90s. To put things into the proper perspective, on other soaps at the time, you had Marty’s gang rape on One Life to Live, the BJ heart storyline and Stone dying of AIDS on General Hospital. And yet, DOOL was at the same time, subjecting us to the Gothic Lady in White storyline, Vivian burying Carly alive, Marlena’s demonic possession, Eileen Davidson playing 5 different roles including a man. In a nutshell, while those other soaps were delivering social issue type storylines, DOOL under James Reilly's watch, was delivering us a supernatural camp-fest.

[Sgt. Saunders]

I thought it jumped when the slimy Alex Marshall never received his richly-deserved comeuppance. And, don’t get me going on the two Roman Bradys.

[shandy630]

Originally Posted by Sgt. Saunders

I thought it jumped when the slimy Alex Marshall never received his richly-deserved comeuppance. And, don’t get me going on the two Roman Bradys.

When Deidre Hall was in talks with Days to return back in 1991, there are rumors that she insisted that Wayne Northrup also return as Roman when Drake Hogestyn was already playing Roman....

[Sgt. Saunders]

Deidre Hall is incredibly beautiful and she looks great today. Leann Huntley (sp?), who played Roman Brady’s estranged in the show, is another lovely looking woman.

I remember that Deidre Hall’s sister was also on the show. She was strangled to death by the Salem Strangler. But, back then, everyone thought that Dr. Marlena Evans had been murdered. Thankfully, the good Dr. Evans survived, but her twin sister did not.

Whatever happened to Eugene Bradford on the show? He was an amusingly off-beat character. I heard he later appeared on one of the “Star Trek” spin-offs.

The late Joseph Mascolo was great as the crime lord, Stefano DiMera. I loved his thick Italian accent. He would have been great on “The Sopranos,” as either a friend or enemy of Tony Soprano.