Reilly created the
NBC Daytime soap opera
Passions in 1999, and served as the series' head writer until its cancellation in 2008. and the final episode aired on August 7, 2008. During his run on
Passions, Reilly returned to
Days of our Lives as head writer from August 18, 2003 until August 9, 2006, and was succeeded by former
As the World Turns head writer
Hogan Sheffer. Reilly was one of 20 writers who chose
financial core status with the
Writers Guild of America during the
2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike; after the strike, the WGA wrote a letter releasing the names of these individuals, inviting accusations of
blacklisting. James E. Reilly had a
triple major in
psychology,
social anthropology and
biology.
Departure from traditional stories In 1993, Reilly gained attention immediately after taking over as head writer on
Days of our Lives for a storyline in which heroine Carly Manning (
Crystal Chappell) is buried alive by villainess Vivian Alamain (
Louise Sorel) for weeks, and taunted through speakers. Reilly began what is arguably his most infamous storyline in 1995 when the show's central heroine,
Marlena Evans (
Deidre Hall), becomes
possessed by
Satan. The storyline played out for a year, with Marlena's lover finally
exorcising the demon, but not before garnering the show increased ratings — despite frequent interruptions by the
O.J. Simpson murder trial going on at the time, and the criticism of longtime fans upset by "liberties" Reilly took with the characters and continuity. Finally, in 1996 Reilly gave
Eileen Davidson, who had played
Kristen Blake since 1993, a second role as Kristen's lookalike
Susan Banks, and between 1997 and 1998 added three more — including a man — with Davidson ultimately receiving a
Daytime Emmy nomination for
Outstanding Lead Actress in 1998. Reilly left
Days of our Lives in 1997 and created
Passions in 1999, freed of a pre-existing fan base to please. The series featured veteran actress
Juliet Mills as
Tabitha Lenox, a 300-year-old witch (with a doll-come-to-life sidekick) using magic and manipulation to wreak havoc on the citizens of a
New England town. Standard soap opera melodrama was juxtaposed with sorcery, supernatural creatures and closet doors leading to
Hell. In an attempt to boost ratings, Reilly was asked to return to
Days of our Lives as head writer in the summer of 2003. Days executive producers gave Reilly
carte blanche to "fix" the show (while simultaneously remaining as head writer for
Passions). What followed was a controversial and attention-getting storyline in which multiple long-running characters on the series are brutally murdered by a serial killer dubbed the Salem Stalker. The story grew increasingly graphic (and ironic) as recovering alcoholic
Maggie Horton is bludgeoned by a liquor bottle and original cast member and town matriarch
Alice Horton chokes to death on a donut, her culinary specialty, forced down her throat. The reveal that heroine Marlena Evans was somehow the killer made the February 3, 2004 cover of
Soap Opera Digest. This was not all; shortly after Marlena died after being exposed as the killer, all the victims were discovered alive on the island of Melaswen (New Salem backwards), which revealed that Marlena had in fact been mind controlled to believe she was the killer. Reilly left the series again in 2006. ==Death==