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Chad/Abby, Bo/Hope, John/Marlena, Steve/Kayla, Shane/Kim, Maggie/Mickey, Doug/Julie, Jack/Jen, Shawn/Belle. I never watched Days during the 80s 90s so I can’t say for the older couples but I feel that a lot of recent couples were planned like Will and Sonny. Chad and Abby were also planned and they had the greatest 10 year romance. There have also been a lot of planned pairing that have been complete flops like EJ and Taylor, Daniel and Jennifer, Rafe and Hope.
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Steve and Kayla were definitely planned. I remember hearing MBE say that in an interview in the 80s. The writers knew they were putting Steve and her together, so they tested him with the actresses up for the role to make sure they had chemistry. -
John and Marlena weren’t planned. They are only together because fans wouldn’t give up on them. They tried in the 90s to make John and Kristen work.Comment
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Doug and Julie weren't even supposed to be a couple. Doug was going to seduce Sister Marie. But then head writer Bill Bell saw sparks between Bill and Susan in their scenes and changed his plans. Of course, it was easier to change course back then. Mickey and Maggie were planned. Suzanne Rogers even auditioned with John Clarke.Comment
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Wow, I never knew that. Doug and Julie are my favorite super couple. Were Bo and Hope planned? I heard that Hope initially had a crush on Roman. -
GrandmaJulie Hope did have a crush on Roman (which he didn't reciprocate) but it was pretty clear right away that Bo and Hope were going to be the couple. -
Doug and Julie were also the only soap couple to ever be on the cover of TIME magazine. That happened in the mid-70's way before we even had the word 'supercouple', lol!
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I wouldn’t count some of those supercouples but that’s another argument
. Jack & Jennifer weren’t planned either. They put Jennifer at the spectator for something to do and they were already testing her with Emilio. But they saw something with Jack & Jennifer and started writing more for them.
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I think some are planned and some aren't... Usually when they screen test then with someone they definitely planning to put them together. Other times random characters will interact and they will that spark. But work days being so far in advance I think that's hard for them case in point: Stabi 2.0Comment
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I'd guess that most were accident. You can't always plan on people having good chemistry. So it really comes down to who's great together. They pair some people up, and they probably watch how fans react.Comment
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The best example of a non-planned super couple would be Ejami. (Note: I am not bashing them, please let me explain). I watched the show religiously in the 2000s.
James Scott was first brought in as a racecar driver, and as Sami's mysterious neighbor. He was brought in under JERk's last year and there was a mystery of some black-gloved hand going around Salem messing with everyone and everything (which resulted in Tyler Kiriakis, the son of Philp Kiriakis and Mimi Lockhart, Belle was 'accidentally' fertilized with Shawn's sperm, she unfortunately miscarried. but anyway). Around this time, JERk was fired because of the gong-show storyline of Melaswen, and was trolling Shelle and Phelle fan bases.
That was when Hogan Sheffer came in. At first there were drastic changes, he was the one who brought back Kayla and a SORASed Stephanie. He also created Nick Fallon and brought him in as a love interest for Chelsea. Anyway, back to Ejami. EJ's backstory wasn't established, there were rumors that he was supposed to be a child of Tony and Anna's, or possibly Marlena's son with Alex North. But finally was decided to be a SORAS'ed EJ. Sheffer was responsible for transforming Sami from being the Salem punching bag (It was really bad, the girl would constantly get flack even if she exhaled the wrong way) into the heroine she was always meant to be. The intention was for LUMI to be endgame, but the chemistry between AS and JS was undeniable. And so rape happened, and in SPITE of this, and the NUMEROUS obstacles the writers put in (reviving the Brady DiMera feud, John being the lovechild of Colleen and Santos, etc) EJAMI supporters would not relent. Also to note, the writer's strike occurred during this time, and Sheffer was fired. Despite his flaws and all the backstage drama, Sheffer's writing actually got Days back into the race for emmys. (Rachel Melvin/Chelsea got her first nominations). Sheffer was then replaced by Hackley, and we all saw how that went.
Anyway, I guess that is my LONG-WINDED explanation of how some super couples are unplanned can literally change the trajectory of a show.
On the opposite of the spectrum, any of the planned pairings with St. Daniel never worked out. I have no idea why though.
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great summary of a very random era in the show's history. -
SalemSwinger, thank you. I felt those points were needed to be explained.
@tiff55555, I think Ejami became 'planned' when their fanbase wouldn't relent on them.
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Some are planned some aren't, take for example Bo and Hope odds are not planned she was quite young when he first came on and played by another actress when KA took over the role this was when they started to be chem tested and it paid off. Same with Shane and Kim, originally the character of Shane was supposed to be a villain but the few scenes he shared with PP showed they had chemistry and people actually seem to like the character as well so it was rewritten that he was a spy working undercover and the first time the ISA came into play.Comment
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John and Marlena were definitely not planned. She was in a popular pairing with the original Roman (Wayne Northrup) who decided to leave. Then there was the Pawn story (one of the best stories ever) and Marlena became involved with the Pawn and all thought he was Roman. Eventually they found out he was not but the chemistry between Deidre and Drake was too hot to turn back. They were solid forever!!!I
And yes, I think Abby and Chad were meant to be and were a cute couple even in the beginning but they really hit super status when Billy Flynn took over as Chad because the chemistry was just off the charts (and Billy can deliver a love line like no other)!!
And i think for a while they played Shawn/Belle/Phillip with some viewers liking both pairings but in the end....it became Shawn and Belle as the forever!!! Phillip was always better with Chloe to me anyway! Hope they revisit that if he comes back to Salem.Comment
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I think its a split some are planned others aren't. Shawn/Belle were definitely planned. Shane/Kim weren't.Comment
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planned...Days has never been much for subtlety.
But I think Sami/Lucas was probably one of the more organic romances. They had a long (mostly bad) history (including the one night stand that created Will) before they became a couple. Every other couple has always seemed a little contrived like the romance was planned all along. Sami and Lucas found each other after years of being at each other's throats.
I enjoyed Sami and Lucas's romance because they were villains...they weren't love sick idiots like the heroes Days shoves down our throats. They seemed...more evolved.Comment
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It’s definitely a mixture. It wouldn’t make sense if they were all accidents or all planned.
I tend to think any uber popular pairings lately though fall more in line with ‘accidents’ ...?♀️ ...Especially since I think people can actively make the case that supercouple writing died in the 80s/90s for all soaps.Comment
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Shawn and Belle were totally planned. Ken Corday called them the “golden couple” before they even got together. They were just put together because they were children of 2 super couples. I never saw the chemistry, but felt they were forced. I preferred Belle and JKJs Philip.Comment
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I thought they stunk.Originally posted by Angela8422 View Post
To me they were too connected. When Belle was born Bo thought she was his niece then she grows up to be his daughter in law. Plus Belle's half-brother Brady shared a grandfather with her husband. And her other love interest Phillip was Brady and Shawn's half uncle.
Gross gross gross.Comment
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