Just wrote Jay c/o DAYS/NBC

[Steve]

Jay asked for people to write him and express their views on the storyline. I did just that, yesterday - dropped another letter to him, c/o Days/NBC.

Personally, I'm very unhappy and disappointed with how Corday and Sheffer have handled Jay's return. They courted Jay - openly, in public - for nearly a year. I read many online/print accounts of Sheffer hoping to get Jay back. They wanted him back in a big way. They got what they wanted - Jay returned. And how do that thank him - and his returning support base? With one-dimensional writing, no storyline of his own, regulating him to the back burner.

It's no wonder I left Days for four years - and didn't miss a single second of it. The writing is uniformly bad, the storylines - all of them - are flat rehashes - nothing original. I mean, how many times is Sami heading back yet again to the altar, with a secret she's keeping? They should start a line of wash and wear Sami bridal gowns. (That was not meant as a swipe against the character - just a comment re the repetitive writing.) Enough already! Been there, done that once to often. Corday brought back popular actors and characters in the past - Lisa Rinna, Christie Clark, Austin Peck - and each time, he gave them a very unpopular story where they were merely there as props to come between a 'beloved' supercouple. And that's with 3 different head writers - meaning, it's obvious the real problem is Ken Corday.

Sorry for the rant - but with Jay being on twice in the past 3 weeks, with him not having a fully realized, layered story to explore (i.e., Philip is being written as a one note character all about anger and revenge), I'm beyond frustrated. They have in Jay a truly talented actor. They wooed him back - and he did them a huge favor in returning. And they've mishandled things, from the very start - including that ridiculous face transfer angle. (Another rehash - I recall Bo and someone else doing that, many years ago. Come on - can't these people come up with one original idea?)

Again, sorry for the rant.

Write Jay and let him know what you think - he wants to hear from you. And, be honest. If you like the story, fine, let him know. If not, express your thoughts. Thanks! Also, write Corday and Sheffer - e-mail Kevin Reilly. I have - and will do so again.

What do others think? I've been very open, for the first time, re my views. I held out hopes, I tried to remain positive - but too much time has passed, and I see no evidence of them giving Jay a layered story - i.e., Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. (Imagine what Jay could do that story - a missed opportunity, to be sure.) Now, with Philip being MIA for three weeks, this short into Jay's return, I have to wonder - WHY? Those are my views. Your thoughts?

Thanks!

Steve

[pags60]

I am in total agreement........... what a total disservice to a fine and talented actor like Jay.... the wooed him back, as you said, in a very public way with promises of a great front burner storyline... but we haven't seen any of that... we get instead is a one dimensional Philip full of anger and rage, but that's really never fully explained... we get no interaction - except superficial - with members of his immediate and extended family and no story about how Philip's military service and injuries has affected his mind......I've written Jay already once, but will get another letter out today...and I have written to NBC and Corday and Sheffer letting them know how I feel about how they've treated Jay since his return....... AND like so many others, I only started watching Days because of Jay's return........... I am so disappointed and angry with how Jay's been treated and how little air time he is getting.....what a waste of a talented and gifted actor...

pags60

[Steve]

Well put, Pags - and thank you, for writing Jay, Corday, Sheffer, etc.

Corday and Sheffer are truly missing a great opportunity here. WHY did they want Jay back, if they had no intention of giving him his own story, of using him? And WHY - with an actor so capable of breathing live into a character, of adding many, often conflicting, layers - do they give him one-note rants day in and day out? I mean, Jay's doing a super job with the material - but he's capable of doing SO much more - of adding so much more. IF they'd allow him to. They aren't. I've seen Jay do bits and pieces here and there, adding what isn't on the written page - just Jay doing what he does best. But, you know, it's hard for anyone to add sympathy to a character when he'd dangling a pregnant woman over the side of a ship. That's over the top - in a big way. For many, that was the turning point in how they viewed Philip. Instead of exploring what's going on inside of Philip, they just plow ahead.

This dinner with Kate - I don't see it happening. And if it does, from the spoilers I've read, Philip is back to being the same angry and obsessed guy we've seen the past few months. No shading, no layers - just anger, without exploring the WHY of his behavior. I like Philip being angry, being the 'bad guy' - but SHOW us WHY, write some depth into the character. Jay is the actor who can deliver - who can show the confusion, the guile, simultaneously with the fury.

You can write and e-mail Kevin Reilly, as well - he's the president of NBC Entertainment - in charge of both the prime time and daytime divisions.

Steve