"Let's not do a price check here because John and Marlena and Patch and Kayla are not even in the same store. For the ardent John and Marlena and Patch and Kayla fans, great, you can still see them at their luncheons. That was then, this is now."--Ken Corday, Executive Producer of Days of Our Lives, Interview in Soap Opera Digest, July 17, 2009.
In three sentences, Ken Corday managed to insult two of the largest fan bases in the history of Days. Fans of Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans were particularly outraged at the blatant disregard shown to two actors who were responsible for providing Days with their highest ratings ever. The wedding of Steve Johnson and Kayla Brady in 1988 was the only time in the history of the soap that it bumped Y&R from the #1 spot in the Nielson ratings. And let’s not forget that Days has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series for the first time in recent memory. Odd that 8 of the 12 actors featured in those Emmy clips have been fired for the good of the show. That doesn’t seem logical, but that is the excuse fans were given for the “Days Massacre 2009.”
Mr. Corday obviously underestimated the size and determination of Stephen and Mary Beth’s fan base, because those fans have now banned together in a massive effort to bring Stephen and Mary Beth to CBS and Y&R, a show that is known for utilizing and respecting their veteran actors. So organized is the movement they have created their own web site "headquarters" and have worked tirelessly at promoting the campaign. Please take a moment to have a look at what dedicated fans can do when they pull together.
The 'Y&R' Campaign
Stephen and Mary Beth fans
EJAMI….INEVITABLY Solid Gold
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