SPOTLIGHT: 'Days of our Lives' Star Susan Seaforth Hayes Shines In Poignant Scenes With Blake Berris

On November 8, 1965, the very first episode of Days of Our Lives aired. It featured a teenage Julie Olson (originally played by Charla Doherty), who had been arrested for shoplifting.

Julie believed her Grandfather Tom and Uncle Mickey weren't helping her, and she accused them of ganging up on her. She declared that no one cared about her in the entire world and she broke into tears.

On the May 9, 2014 episode, a loving, wise and protective Julie Olson Williams (played by Susan Seaforth Hayes since 1968) counseled her cousin Nick Fallon (Blake Berris) as he shared his deep feelings of isolation. Nick worried that everyone was out to get him, and it turned out he was right. As the episode came to close, Nick had been shot.

Before Monday arrives, and we segue into the “Who killed Nick Fallon?” story, I can’t let the beautiful performance of Susan Seaforth Hayes go without recognition, as well as the importance of the Julie character to Days of Our Lives.

OPINION: The Time is Now for Victoria Rowell to Return to 'The Young and the Restless'

Victoria Rowell

It is time for Victoria Rowell to make a triumphant return to her beloved role as Drucilla Winters in The Young and the Restless. It has been 2,537 days since Drucilla fell off that clff and a lot of less than stellar Y&R episodes.

The spark, energy, and fire that Rowell brought to the screen is sorely missed. I don't care about what supposedly went on behind the scenes. All I saw on screen was a magnetic character who I couldn't take my eyes off of, who made her scene partners better, and who always made me care about whatever drama she was dealing with at any given time.

At a certain point, producers and networks need to do what is best for their shows, if they truly want a series to be the best it can be. Y&R is in desperate need of Dru in Genoa City. As we lose core characters and a sense of history, fan favorite Rowell would be just the thing to bring some much-needed history and depth back to the top-rated daytime drama.

Victoria Rowell is an actress who cares about her craft, believes in diversity, and stands up for what she believes in. I don't see anything wrong with that.  In fact, why aren't more people celebrating her for speaking out?

SPOTLIGHT: Soap Opera Catfights

When I think about what I have enjoyed about soaps over the years, what comes to mind are love stories like Cliff and Nina from All My Children, Cruz and Eden from Santa Barbara, and Steve and Kayla from Days of our Lives.

There were the close family ties of the Bauers on Guiding Light, the Hughes family in As The World Turns, and even now the Hortons, who are still front and center on Days of our Lives.

I have loved having the chance to watch characters grow and change over the years, such as Rachel on Another World, Barbara on As the World Turns, and Viki on One Life to Live.

But then, I think about something else I have always delighted in, and began to feel a bit guilty.

'Days of our Lives' Spotlight: Jack Deveraux and Jennifer Horton

Photo Credit: NBC

I recently wrote out about the disastrous pairing of Daniel (Shawn Christian) and Jennifer (Melissa Reeves) on Days of Our Lives, asking if it was time for them to call it quits.  Based on the emails, comments on this website and the social media responses we received, many fans think it is.

The continued focus on this couple in the past few weeks has not helped make me root for them. In fact, I find myself rooting for Liam (Mark Collier). Something is not working. What did work for many years was the pairing of Jack and Jennifer. In their time they were the it couple. Their story had so many layers to it and the audience longed for them to be together. There was angst, drama, laughter, adventure and, most of all, love. It was obvious these two people belonged together.

The dynamic Matthew Ashford (the definitive Jack Deveraux) may never return to the show. And if he did, would it even be possible to recapture the dynamic the couple once had? Could the writers finally get it right? Jack and Jennifer fans remained very loyal to their favorite couple over the years, and they never had it easy.

So for those Jack and Jennifer fans out there, or for DAYS fans who never experienced this couple at their peak, below are a selection of classic videos that I consider to be some of their most defining moments.

Enjoy!

SPOTLIGHT: 'Days of our Lives' Memorable Musical Montages

I an a romantic. I admit it. I want to watch a couple fall in love slowly and and sit on the edge of my seat as I wait for "the moment." Do you remember the days when your favorite couple fought so hard to be together? And then, when they were finally united, they received their own special song? This signified that they had "made it." Or when they were torn apart, they would remember the good times shared, and the beautiful song would play in the background of a flashback sequence. Do you miss that? I do!

I miss hearing the latest pop songs on the soaps and how much many of them added to the shows in the '80s and early '90s, before the show couldn't afford to pay for them anymore. Music added so much to the moment.

Today, I want to highlight Days of Our Lives, which was known as the show for supercouples and romance. Below are some of my favorite musical montages from the past, including John (then thought to be Roman) and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Kim and Shane, and Steve and Kayla. I would love to hear what you think about the use of music in daytime soaps.

GH: Is GENERAL HOSPITAL Out Of Control? And Should Twitter Impact Your Enjoyment Of A Show?

GENERAL HOSPITAL has done many things right since executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati took over the reins of the show in early 2012. It can certainly be argued that they saved this long time daytime drama from cancellation. The show was dreary and boring and they quickly revitalized it.

Robin (Kimberly McCullough), slated to die for "real", was saved. Popular actors Finola Hughes, Lynn Herring, Robin Mattson, Kin Shriner, Kristina Wagner, and Tyler Christopher, among others, returned. The events leading up to the 2013 Nurses Ball were magical. I truly believe that Mr. Carlivati is a fan of the show and is trying hard to respect its history. He understands that fans want to see their favorite characters from the past.

DAYS: Is It Time For Daniel & Jennifer To Call It Quits For Good?

DAYS OF OUR LIVES is doing so many things well right now. I have already gone on record saying how lovely the WilSon Wedding was. Salem feels like a town that I want to visit. Every character on the show is connected to each other in some way. Their use of history has never been better.

In a recent scene, Julie (the divine Susan Seaforth Hayes) let Sami (Alison Sweeney) have it for not giving "poor Nick" a second chance, considering all of the times the Hortons and Bradys have forgiven Sami. This takes even on more meaning, because how supportive Julie was of Sami, during the Sami & Lucas days.

Hope (Kristian Alfonso) is front and center again and working incredibly well with Daniel Cosgrove as Aidan.

Fireworks will explode when Sami finally finds out about EJ's affair with Abby.

However, there is something that still isn't working for me. That would be Daniel and Jennifer.

DAYS: Why Will and Sonny's Wedding Mattered More Than You May Think

Sonny Kirirakis and Will Horton wedding photo.
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: JPI Studios/ Howard Wise

DAYS OF OUR LIVES couple Sonny and Will, affectionately known as "WilSon" to fans, got married this week, and a lot can be said about the first male same sex couple to get married on Daytime TV. Sonny and Will get to kiss, they get to have sex, and now they get to marry just like any other couple on soaps. But beyond that milestone, this wedding represented something different. Once upon a time in a soap opera land far, far away, a wedding meant something. A couple "earned" their wedding. They didn't meet, have sex, fall in love, and then get married in three months. What always made soap operas unique was viewers having the chance to see relationships develop slowly. How can you care about something, if you don’t have the time to invest in the relationship?

Will and Sonny have been through it all, and now they get their payoff. What makes this wedding extra special are the relationships between the characters that are connected to Sonny and Will. Marlena, ostensibly the heart and soul of DAYS, was the perfect person to officiate the ceremony. We saw on camera months of Marlena and Will bonding during his coming out process, as she helped him cope. She saw him through his darkest days.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES Fans Have Had Quite The Week!

Alison Sweeney announced she was leaving DAYS on Tuesday.   On
Friday, NBC announced Kassie DePaiva was joining the soap.

What a week for DAYS OF OUR LIVES fans! 21 year soap vet Alison Sweeney OUT! DAYS OF OUR LIVES renewed for two more years! Kassie DePaiva IN as Eve Donovan. Michael Muhney IN as Frankie Brady. Okay, that last part isn't true. But, this has been a momentous week for DAYS fans, who arguably are the most passionate in the world of soaps.

Can DAYS OF OUR LIVES survive without Sami Brady? This is the question that has been asked around the internet all week. Sami is a character that has driven story for most of the 21 years she has been on air. Seemingly every character on the show is connected to her. If you have been watching recently, she even has a brand new feud with her little cousin Ciara!

The Death of Delia Abbott: What's Wrong With 'The Young and the Restless'?

Y&R has featured memorable performances from
Sophie Pollono (Delia) and Billy Miller (Billy).

I've avoided writing about the death of Cordelia "Delia" Katherine Valentine Abbott on The Young and the Restless because it has been hard to watch and process. For me, we can debate whether soaps (or TV shows in general) should kill off children or not, but that's not my biggest beef with this decision. There are examples from soap history where a child died and a story was powerful and memorable and had a lasting impact (Maxie getting BJ's heart on General Hospital comes to mind). That's what I want to see on my stories. My biggest complaint with Y&R right now is that the Delia story is just another example of how bad the top-rated daytime drama has become of late. And based on recent history, there's no reason to believe the Delia storyline will end up any different than the other fizzled plots in Genoa City this year. If you can't write a proper sendoff for the great Katherine Chancellor (played by the late Jeanne Cooper) that lasts months and impacts the entire canvas, what can you do?

BREAKING BAD Kicks Off the Beginning of the Epic End

Photo Credit: Ursula Coyote/AMC

Sunday AMC premiered the first episode ("Blood Money") of the second half of the final season of BREAKING BAD. After a year of waiting on a nail-biting cliffhanger, fans were finally able to continue their journey with high school chemistry teacher turned drug lord, Walter White. The premiere was the third episode directed by lead actor Bryan Cranston.

The intense beginning of the end opened in the future sometime around Walter’s 52nd birthday, two years after the Season 5 pilot episode takes place. Walter enters his old home which has been abandoned and covered in graffiti that reads “Heisenberg.” In the back yard, the White’s pool is empty and being used by skateboarders. Walter walks into his former bedroom and retrieves the ricin he hid behind an outlet. He then looks at himself in a broken mirror, realizing how terrible things have gone. Outside, Walter is recognized by a former neighbor. Walter says, “Hello, Carol” and the woman drops her bag of produce in horror.