To: NBC Daytime, Corday Productions, and Sony
Pictures Television
THE JACK AND JENNIFER CAMPAIGN PETITION
SUMMARY:
We are a group of Days of Our Lives viewers who have been increasingly
worried about the dearth of storylines focusing on Jack and Jennifer,
as played by Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves.
They are the youngest of DOOL's three golden supercouples, and have
remained popular over the years even when absent from the screens. They
are extremely attractive, intriguing, and have a long history and manifold
contacts with other characters that could be tapped for exciting, captivating
and emotional storylines. Instead, their drama-rich history and undeniable
chemistry have been disregarded in favor of weak comedy and, at present,
no airtime other than through "In the House" segments -- which provide
little more than product placement.
Such youthful, charismatic, beloved and multifaceted characters, with
backgrounds and personalities ripe with untold stories viable for years
to come, should be considered integral to the show's future. The continued
disregard of them and their fans is utterly bewildering.
Now that James E. Reilly is returning as headwriter, the time is ripe
for us to make our voices heard as far as what our hopes and expectations
are for Ashford and Reeves' characters. We the undersigned want 1) the
actors in place, 2) a return to Jack and Jennifer's true characters,
3) plots with emotional depth, and 4) Jack and Jennifer to share the
frontburner as they rightfully deserve.
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We now offer a detailed description of the four main points we wish
DOOL and its producers and network to keep under consideration:
1) KEEP THE ACTORS IN PLACE:
This is first and foremost. Why are Jack and Jennifer still such tremendous
fan favorites despite being virtually ignored over the years? Because
of the incredible performances from Ashford and Reeves, and the electricity
that sparks between them and the other cast members. The characters
were unwatchable with others playing them, and another switch would
be absurd and insulting. DOOL was brilliant in bringing Ashford and
Reeves back to the studio together -- do not let them slip through your
fingers again!
2) A RETURN TO THEIR TRUE CHARACTERS:
Unlike some others on soap operas, Jack and Jennifer are not mere puppets
whose experiences bounce off them with no effect on their lives. They
are who they are because of their history, which should continue to
affect them, even in small ways. Their complex, intriguing background
deserves respect and careful examination into what makes them tick.
Jack Deveraux is unflaggingly protective of and loyal to Jennifer and
his loved ones; he is romantic, intelligent, inquisitive and acquisitive
(he is ambitious and would fight to own his newspaper again, much less
the fortune that was stolen from him years ago). He is dryly sarcastic
and self-deprecating, and aloof to those he doesn't trust. Still adept
at scheming, he has never forgotten his dark past despite others' forgiveness,
and is vulnerable to guilt and remorse whenever it's become public in
some way. This is his sorest spot -- his own sins, and the sins of his
fathers. He has a quirky sense of humor but is NOT a bumbling oaf, as
he was often treated by the writers. He may seem cocky sometimes yet
is often insecure; he is no swaggering macho hero and is often afraid,
but has been heroic many times -- even more so because he has conquered
his fears.
Jennifer Horton Deveraux's character was nearly destroyed during the
Colin arc, changing into a shrewish, man-hunting, brainless victim.
We want to see a return to who she really is -- a loving, warm woman
who, though she's matured since her beginnings as a naive girl, is still
romantic, impetuous with a twinge of idealism. She loves digging into
mysteries and wants to make others' lives better through her work. She's
been (badly) burned before, and may have doubts about her ability to
make the right decisions. She is funny, smart, enjoys adventure, loves
romping with Jack, and can be frustratingly yet endearingly stubborn.
At heart, that's who these characters have been -- and this multifaceted
depth should be at the heart of who they are today.
3) PLOTS WITH EMOTIONAL IMPACT:
There is so much to work with in these characters' histories and emotional
makeup that it is astonishing that the writers have treated them
little better than cardboard scenery. We want and expect more. The recent
feather-light and silly plots have been beneath the dignity of the audience
who have adored Jack and Jennifer for so many years, not to mention
the characters and actors.
We want to see a return to the storylines with emotional depth -- such
plots were directly responsible for Jack and Jennifer's enduring popularity.
Jack's discovery of his true parentage, his long and painful journey
of redemption, Jennifer's loss of her foster child, Jack's trauma over
killing his adoptive father, Jack and Jennifer working together to prevent
Isabella's discovery of the truth about her father, Jennifer's struggle
to recover from her rape, Jack's realization and subsequent guilt that
his past involvement with toxic dumping resulted in Abigail's aplastic
anemia (a storyline written by Mr. Reilly) -- all of these were personal
fights that deeply affected both of the couple, along with other characters
involved with them. Viewers were addicted to DOOL's storylines back
then, and we crave such captivating plots now.
We do NOT crave another triangle, particularly if it involves Jennifer
falling for another man; since Jack and Jennifer's first marriage, this
plot has been done at least three times with disastrous results. Put
Jack in the center of a triangle, if you absolutely must; though he
would never betray Jennifer, it is certainly believable that another
woman would fall for him.
Back when Jack and Jennifer were at their peak, the plots in which they
were involved were linked to who the characters were: Jack's struggle
to reform himself despite many heinous acts was mesmerizing and unforgettable,
as was Jennifer's journey from naive trust to deeper understanding,
forgiveness and love. We want plots with romance, adventure, mystery
and humor -- but we also want plots that deal with Jack and Jennifer's
emotions and personalities, and ideally are also somehow tied to their
history together.
4) PUT THEM ON THE FRONTBURNER:
When a sweeps month goes by with a hotly-anticipated wedding of a supercouple
... and yet these characters are barely shown onscreen ... something
is horribly wrong; the ratings speak for themselves. We were disgusted
at the chopped-up wedding ceremony, with the lack of airtime for the
bride and groom, and not even a honeymoon to make up for the obliterated
ceremony. We want airtime. And not airtime merely through a monitor
on the "In the House" set: we want to see Jack and Jennifer in
a real plot, one that is vital to them and other characters.
We respect the fans of Bo, Hope, John, Marlena,
Shawn and Belle (characters who receive the bulk of airtime over the
past few months), and do not wish these characters to fall by the wayside.
BUT WE URGE EQUAL TIME FOR JACK AND JENNIFER.
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All in all, we want intelligence, passion, fun,
romance, mystery, angst, wit (not slapstick), adventure, and AIRTIME
for Matthew Ashford and Melissa Reeves' Jack & Jennifer.
We respectfully request that you
turn this soap opera around and bring back the magic of Jack and Jennifer.
Sincerely,
The
Undersigned
