sally_sussman: Hi everybody! Thanks a lot for coming tonight. I'm really anxious to get some fan reaction to the show and answer all your questions.

  nermister: Is there anything new planned for Days besides this murder mystery? Mysteries are cool, but I would prefer to see more romance.

  sally_sussman: Lots of romance in the works to play opposite the murder mystery. Looks for lots of heat building with Mike and Carrie/Austin story. Sami and Franco. Bo and Hope. And lots of romance still. Also, Eric and a new woman in his life.

  lisamichelle98: Sally, do you get a chance to read studio mail? Have you been getting some interesting Pro John & Marlena letters?

  sally_sussman: Yes, I read all the mail that's addressed to me. That's the only mail I personally get. There's no question that there is a lot of Marlena and John pro mail. I think the fans can look forward to a really good payoff for the two.

  jenbo: Why not try Roman with another love interest? There is no chemistry with Marlena at all.

  sally_sussman: Hey, who says we're not going to try Roman with another love interest. Lots of plans to try him with another love interest. Keep watching!

  expl0de: Are you going to keep storylines the same length as James Reilly?

  sally_sussman: I think all storylines are different and all writers are different.

  noopster: Who is going to be the new "bitch" now that Kristen is gone?

  sally_sussman: Well, I think we still have Sami. Billie has certainly taken on a more bitchier exterior. Vivian is back in Salem. You got Sami, Billie, Vivian and Kate, who's no door mat. There's no shortage of bad girls in Salem.

  rizz2u: The direction the Hope/Bo story seems to be heading, Bo and Hope longing to be together while Bo has a pregnant wife, strikes me as REALLY creepy, sleazy and immoral and I just can't watch it. Bo and Hope it ain't! After 4 years of this storyline in over variation or another, I have no patience for it. Can you tell me when I might be able to watch this show again?

  sally_sussman: Bo loves Hope, but Bo knows he's made a major error in his life in sleeping with Billie and getting her pregnant. But he knows he has to go a long way to redeem himself with Hope but Hope is not about to forget this betrayal. But this is definitely NOT the end for Bo and Hope.

  soap_gal: Did you watch soaps growing up? Which ones?

  sally_sussman: Yes. My very first soap was "Edge of Night." I watched it after school. And then the next soap that I was really passionate about was "The Young and the Restless" that I watched from the very beginning. I don't want to date myself, but over the years I've probably watched them all.

  lisamichelle98: I've loved Marlena since day one and miss her wonderful friendships! Maggie, Laura, and the adorable Alice Horton. Please write some scenes for Dee and Frances, they are incredible together and WE MISS IT!

  sally_sussman: Okay. I appreciate that suggestion.

  leigh29: Who is your favorite character and why????????

  sally_sussman: I don't really have a favorite to be honest with you at this point. I can't say that I can single out one person since I like them all. I'm not saying that to be political, I just don't have one right now.

  milwaukee2: Was it your idea to do the Kristen murder storyline? Is the storyline open for a possible return for Eileen in any of the roles and will all of her characters live on?

  sally_sussman: Yes, to the first question. Everyone knows Eileen is leaving the show, the door will be left open for a possible return. That will be up to her.

  milwaukee2: When are we going to learn about Maison Blanche and Hope's missing years?

  sally_sussman: Hope's missing years story is going to be playing very very heavily from the spring on. And Hope and Bo will go on a quest to discover the answer to Hope's missing years.

  ljc99: How about a love interest for Laura?

  sally_sussman: Absolutely. I would never rule out a love interest for Laura... How 'bout Stefano?

  soapqueen: I'm a fan of the Mike and Carrie coupling &emdash; can I expect to see them together somewhere in the future?

  sally_sussman: I think you're going to see lots of building romance between the two of them... However, Carrie is still married to Austin and that's where her dilemma comes in.

  jenbo: Is Stefano going to move on? Do something new, instead of obsess over Marlena?

  sally_sussman: Yes. Although he hasn't really been obsessed about Marlena lately. Stefano has lots of plans that will involve him with the characters of Salem like Vivian, Kate and Roman.

  tvaddict1: Any really wacky storylines coming up like the Secret Room, Jungle, Possession, Carly Buried Alive?

  sally_sussman: Those are all good stories in and of themselves, and you can expect lots more storylines like this in the Days tradition.

  soap_gal: If given the chance, what other kind of writing are you aching to do?

  sally_sussman: Right now, I have no time to do anything... Maybe down the road, when this is over I'd like to write a book.

  cookiemonster: For years, Abe and Lexie have been background characters. Are you planning on giving them a storyline anytime soon?

  sally_sussman: Yes. We have a storyline for them coming up soon which will feature them much more front and center.

  jhind: Hi Ms. Morina. I was just wondering if the rumors are true, that Ernesto and Isabella Toscano would be returning for the Maison Blanche storyline?

  sally_sussman: Um. At this point, there are no plans for them to return, but that doesn't mean that it won't be ruled out in the future.

  rizz2u: Do you ever surf the web? If so, we'd like to invite you to check out www.hopebo.com where we rant and rave ENDLESSLY about Bo and Hope on our message board!

  sally_sussman: Occasionally, I do, but I didn't know how to reach the Hopebo.com page, but now I do.

  milwaukee2: can couple 's be torn apart by natural forces instead of another man or woman?

  sally_sussman: Yes, of course a couple can be torn apart by natural forces. And some will be.

  rebm: Alright, you've told us that Bo and Hope will probably get together, eventually, so the real question here is will we see Billie OUT of their lives soon? Please, please?

  sally_sussman: There's still more story for Billie, Bo and Hope, but Hope is Bo's ultimate love and no one &emdash; not even Billie &emdash; could keep him away from Hope forever.

  ljc99: I loved Stefano's scenes on today's show. I think this is the first time I have seen him cry. I like the fact that you have humanized him. Are you going to continue to do that?

  sally_sussman: Yes, we are. I think if you watched Stefano's scenes with Peter yesterday, there was also a lot of emotion there. Now Stefano has lost Kristen and Peter. He has baby Elvis and Lexie, but Stefano's and humanity is just another level to his already complex

  sharinali: Sally do you ever think about Mickey and Maggie. They need to be in the show more.

  sally_sussman: Mickey and Maggie are definitely an integral part of the show, but it's a very big show and not everybody can be featured all the time. But they will always be

  itzmekristinag: Hi... whatever happened to "friendships" on days? Billie and Jenn...and Hope???

  sally_sussman: Well, Hope and Billie are certainly not friends anymore. Billie and Jennifer are still friends and will play scenes together in the future.

  ljc99: Any plans for Victor to return?

  sally_sussman: Not at the present time.

  milwaukee2: Is it tough being the headwriter and not divulge information to family or close friends, or do they know?

  sally_sussman: My closest family, like my husband, he definitely knows what's going to happen.

  cookiemonster: What's the status on the cops in Salem? John and Lexie act as if they are and Roman suddenly is one again after years away from the force.

  sally_sussman: No, but Roman having been in the ISA is certainly an "unofficial" official cop. But John and Lexie are not. But John has a long history with the police department.

  rebm: Does Kate's intense hatred towards Hope have something more to it? Perhaps some connection from Hope's past or some greater mystery yet to be explored?

  sally_sussman: I don't think that Kate hates Hope as much as she wants Billie and Bo together and she sees Hope as a stumbling block to that. But she's also said that Hope is her top model.

  rebm: What's the timetable looking like for Franco and Kate being exposed?

  sally_sussman: In the very near future.

  dansdayspage: Hello. My question is I have 2 Days Pages and one of them is called Where Have All The DiMeras Gone? Well I got tons of responds and people want more DiMeras well could you bring more DiMeras to days. And don't Kill Kristen off.

  sally_sussman: Eileen Davidson is leaving the show. There's always room for more DiMera's. We've got Elvis and we've got Lexie, and there might others.

  expl0de: Are you going to convert any character to a villain any time soon?   sally_sussman: I think Billie has become much more than of a villianess than she was previously. Vivian will be back in the thick of everything again very soon.

  cookiemonster: Is Lucas going to get a girl one of these days?

  sally_sussman: That's a certainly a very viable possibility for

  dh_1: What is going to happen to Celeste??

  sally_sussman: Celeste is going to have a really rough bout with jungle madness, but she's going to find a friend who will give her sanctuary and we'll wonder if she had something to do with Kristen's death.

  ljc99: There is a rumor going around that Deidre Hall is leaving Days. any truth?

  sally_sussman: No truth to the rumor that Deidre is leaving Days anytime soon.

  soap_gal: Do you get hounded by fans too much about what you should change in the storylines?

  sally_sussman: No, because nobody knows what I look like. I never get out much...

  soapqueen: I love the Susan and Edmund pairing, in part because they're one of the few happy couples on Days right now! When are we going to see more happy couples?

  sally_sussman: Jack and Jennifer are happy right now. They've overcome a lot of obstacles. Carrie and Austin are happy right now.

  jewel447: Is the woman following Eric a girl from his past in Colorado? And will they get together?

  sally_sussman: How do we know that it's a woman?   dimera**: WHEN IS EILEEN'S LAST AIR DATE?

  sally_sussman: The end of April.

  mouth2: Any strong comical kicker storylines in the midst?

  sally_sussman: As long as Vivian and Ivan are around, we'll have lots of comedy around... especially if she gets involved with Stefano.

  expl0de: One of the producers of Days once said that there was mystery surrounding Tony's death. Any plans to resurrect him?

  sally_sussman: Not at this present time, no.

  mcfan_co: Please don't tell me Carrie & Austin are happy...she loves Mike and should be with him! So when is it going to happen?

  sally_sussman: Anything worth having is worth waiting for!

  sdfdesign: Where did you train to become a writer? What was your first "big break"?

  sally_sussman: My first writing job in the business was on a sitcom called "Facts of Life." After that show I did "The Young and the Restless" for five years. I went to college and got a degree in journalism but was always interested in soaps...

  mouth2: Do you do other forms of writing (i.e. poetry, screenwriting. children's books)? Have you had anything published/produced?

  sally_sussman: Only other television shows have I done in the past, I haven't had anything published. But lots of other shows produced.

  mouth2: What other soaps do you like to watch, esp. due to the writing and storyline content?

  sally_sussman: I really don't have time to watch, but my husband's a director and directs "General Hospital" and "Port Charles." So I keep up with what's happening with those shows. I get the soap magazines and try to keep up that way too. I just don't really have time.

  sally_sussman: Another question for the fans &emdash; who would you like to see Roman with, if not with Marlena?

  rebm: Any plans to write the Reeds off the show and replace them with a more interesting and classy family &emdash; or better yet, focus on the core families?

  sally_sussman: Well, the Reeds are a core family right now. Kate, Austin, Billie and Lucas &emdash; that's a lot of people to

  milwaukee2: How is the show written? Arc of story? Who handles the breakdown writing and what do you do?

  sally_sussman: I provide the arc of the story for the entire week. Each breakdown writer is responsible for one day of that week. That breakdown goes to a script writer who puts in the dialogue.

  ms.libertyblend: Are you really planning to make Franco a good guy in the end?

  sally_sussman: Actually, no.

  soapqueen: Can you give us any drop us any clues about the mystery of Kristen's death?

  sally_sussman: There's going to be a lot of surprises.

  cookiemonster: Do you believe in the concept of supercouples?

  sally_sussman: I think that the relationships and the couples are what keep people tuning in. The concept has been created, so yes, I would say that I do.

  jewel447: Is it difficult to do all the writing for shows like this? How often do you have to come up with a new show and ideas?

  sally_sussman: Very difficult. And you have to come up with new ideas every day, every week. It's very difficult and it's a big show with a lot of people on the show.

  everidle: Will any "unsolved mysteries" be resolved in the near future? For example, what was under the tarp in the jungle?

  sally_sussman: Yes that will be resolved. That was a Stefano device that will be resolved and answered soon.

  jhind: Do you have any major input into the casting of a character, like the new girls in town (Nicole, Taylor)?

  sally_sussman: Yes, I do. I get to see the tapes of the actresses as they audition and help make the decision.

  angelanichole: I hope to see Billie with someone else, is there anyone in the future?

  sally_sussman: There's always the possibility that Billie will end up with someone else.

  mcfan_co: When will we see the return of the ISA and stories related to them? We loved them....

  sally_sussman: It's definitely viable with Roman and Bo and Hope.

  cookiemonster: Eric was such a nice kid when he returned to Salem. Now he's as nasty as his sister regarding John and Marlena. Can we expect his opinion to change soon?

  sally_sussman: I think that Eric had a lot invested emotional in his father's recovery and the realization that his father wasn't dead, and unfortunately a lot of his anger over Stefano's machinations when he was a kid and his anger of being deprived of his father, caused him to really lash out at John. But ultimately, Eric will come to accept whatever decision his mother makes.

  dansdayspage: why is Peter leaving the show?

  sally_sussman: The actor would only agree to work this short stint.

  jhind: What do you miss most about "Generations"?

  sally_sussman: Everything!

  expl0de: How far in advance do you write stories?

  sally_sussman: About 3 months.

  everidle: Since we are now seeing "the downfall of the DiMeras" will the Lexie turning evil storyline be pursued?

  sally_sussman: I didn't know there was a storyline like that, to be honest with you.  

mrs.elmo: If Marlena was possessed today, I don't think John could pull of what he did before. Is there any plans of making him stronger (emotionally) the way it was before and start standing up for what he wants?

  sally_sussman: I think John has been pretty assertive with Marlena and what he wants. I think John is a very strong character who will always be a strong character.

  loveie: what is in the freezer in Stefano's town house

  sally_sussman: Right, something very mysterious and Stefano-like!

  sally_sussman: I just want to thank everybody for all their questions. I'm sorry I couldn't answer all of the, but I definitely want to come back and do this again. I hope everybody keeps watching the show!

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