Late last week, confirmation came that Peter Reckell is leaving the role of Bo Brady on Days of Our Lives. On Monday (June 18, 2012), Peter tweeted about his feelings on his departure from the program. If you don't want to go on twitter, SOD summarized all of them here. Bo will be on air until some time in October based upon how far in advance Days tapes their episodes.
The mood has been mixed to say the least since this news has come out, some people are upset, while others don't understand what the big deal is as Peter chose to leave. I wracked my brain trying to come up with a situation that compared on any other soap, a long term cast member, offered a contract, which they declined due to the terms. The first one that came to mind was Martha Byrne (Lily) of As the World Turns, and how she left that program. Like Peter Reckell, she didn't have another job to go to, but ATWT recast the role. Thankfully, Days is not doing that with Bo. Peter had taken a cut in pay already, but who knows what they offered at this juncture.
What DOOL did to Peter Reckell is something I've seen over the years happen to many soap opera performers as they got older. Many times it results to the performer being cut completely or taken off contract, unlike in this case. It goes something like this, the character gets less story focus and at times the character should be seen is not. Since a lot of people who like this performer are used to the old days when stories cycled nothing is done about it. If the performer is savvy, they may even warn their fans ahead of time, they won't be on as much. The viewers who love this performer while missing one of their favorites is interested in the show as a whole, so they don't stop watching or complain to the program they watch about missing this person. The program decides they are expendable, due to age, lack of fan outrage over being featured less or based on the salary they are making, and the cycle continues.
While Bo is just one character, he's been an important part of the Salem community for many years as Peter started in the role in 1983. He left for three years (1987-1990), came back, though left and Robert Kelker-Kelly was in the role for a time, but eventually Peter came back and has been on for over a decade straight. Whether one supported Bo and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) as a romantic couple or not, it must be said that the so-called Bope pairing has been popular over the years. Personally I prefer to use boandhope all one word as a nickname, but that's just me. Of the four original Brady siblings, Roman, Kim, Kayla and Bo, the character of Bo had the most story and staying power over the years. From that standpoint losing this character hurts, along with how Bo links the canvas being raised as a Brady, but actually being Victor's (John Aniston) son, along with his being married into the Horton clan for decades. Bo's love for Mrs. H was one of my favorite relationships the character had and continued until Frances Reid passed away in real life.
I wish Peter Reckell good luck in his future life outside of Days of Our Lives. I don't begrudge him for leaving, though I feel that Days will have a hole in the canvas where Bo used to be. Characters do come and go, but even if other characters in Salem can be the cop, no one else will fill the memories people have of Bo Brady.
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