Fall Preview 2024 - updated

[JasonDíSpeech]

From what I gathered last year at Day of Days, Ron was forced to change the heir from Alex to Xander due to negative fan response. He was not happy as he really loves Rob Scott Wilson (Alex). So I think he punishes the Xander fans with his shallow half written stories.

This 100% tracks. May all my guesses be as correct! *goes to buy lottery tickets*

 

[JasonDíSpeech]

The roar in the audience at Day of Days when it was revealed to be Xander was very memorable. lol

I remember watching it on the YouTube or linked video and mentioning the roar here. Xander is just a good soap character and he's survived much longer than he logically should have because of the fans.

 

[brisbydog]

Paul Telfer (Xander) found out from the trailer at the same time we did. I strongly suspect that the strike writers didn't even know that Xander was the heir, given the isolated nature of their storyline.

 

[brisbydog]

I remember watching it on the YouTube or linked video and mentioning the roar here. Xander is just a good soap character and he's survived much longer than he logically should have because of the fans.

Xander, like Steve, still exists because the show was aware they had a great actor in what should have been a bit part. I know they wanted to put Xander in long term right off the jump but Paul Telfer (Xander) was reluctant to commit, and enjoyed the pop up villain stuff for a bit. But once he signed a contract in April 2019 they started developing his character immediately with the Maggie scenes.

Steve was going to just terrorize Hope for a bit and be a grimy reminder of Bo's past, but Stephen Nichols (Steve) was so good that they just kept him forever. I would also say that in any other actor's hands, Jack would have been long gone after 1988. Because Matthew Ashford was so good in the role he even made me, who loathed him post rape story, empathize with him when he found out he was really Billy Johnson. Jack's redemption story was the best I have ever seen, probably because we saw him change from good guy to villain and then back to trying to be better, whereas we didn't get to see Steve and Xander before life beat them down.

 

[redsquirrel]

brisbydog,

Anne Howard Bailey (Days head writer 1989 - 1990) adored Matt Ashford (Jack), and said she couldn't continue to write his character as the evil Jack Deveraux. She said it pained her to make such a sweet man act that part.

Yes, she said this to me at her home in Rancho Mirage, California. (Near Palm Springs.) She was a very close friend of my brother and sister-in-law. When I was visiting over my Thanksgiving vacation one year, she invited the 3 of us to have Thanksgiving dinner at her home.

I had never heard them use her full name, and was shocked to find out who their "writer friend, Anne" was. She had me take pictures with her and her many Emmys and awards. Se also shared her photos taken with the Cordays . She made me promise not to make any photos public. I was permitted to share them with Poirot and Jason24 for their own viewing and not to be published.

 

[DrBakerFan]

It’s good to hear that fan feedback gave us the wonderful characters of Steve, Xander, and Jack. Days wouldn’t be the same without them. I had thought that ReRon and others like him were indifferent to to audience feedback. It’s good to be wrong.

 

[Poirot]

Re-Ron wasn't the writer when Steve, Jack or Xander came on, and then became favs........

but perhaps he has taken note and pays more attention to the actors who play characters he invents and writes for