Days of Our Lives
Days of Our Lives is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed new episodes on Peacock since September 12, 2022. The soap is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965. A co-production of Corday Productions and Sony Pictures Television, the series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday. During Days of Our Lives early years, Irna Phillips served as a story editor for the program and many of the show's earliest story lines were written by William J. Bell, who would depart the series in 1975 to focus full-time on The Young and the Restless, which he created for CBS in 1973. Following the 2007 cancellation of Passions, Days of Our Lives remained the only soap opera airing on NBC. On August 3, 2022, NBCUniversal announced that it would relocate the series exclusively to its Peacock streaming service beginning September 12, after 57 years on the network, leaving NBC as the only Big Three network without a daytime serial.
The series is set in Illinois, in the fictional city of Salem, and primarily focuses on two groups – the Brady and the Horton families. Other families, however, are also frequently represented including the DiMera and Kiriakis families. The actress Frances Reid, remained with the show from its inception until her death in 2010; her last, formal appearance had occurred in December 2007. Suzanne Rogers is the longest-serving member of the program's current cast, and the longest-serving current cast member of an ongoing American soap opera, having appeared on the show since August 1973. Susan Seaforth Hayes – the second longest-serving actor currently on the program – is the only cast member to appear on Days of Our Lives in all seven decades it has been on the air, having made her first appearance in December 1968 as a recast of original character Julie Olson.
Due to the series' success, daily episodes were expanded from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on April 21, 1975. Days of Our Lives has been syndicated in many countries, internationally, in the years since its debut. The soap was given the title of "most daring drama" in the seventies, due to the episodes venturing into topics that other soaps of the era would not dare to cover. The show's executive producer is Ken Corday, who has held that role since his mother, Betty, relinquished showrunning duties upon her semi-retirement from the program in 1986, with Janet Spellman-Drucker serving as co-executive producer. As of July 2025, Days of Our Lives has been renewed through 2028. The soap celebrated its 15,000th episode on December 2, 2024.
The show has been parodied by the sketch comedy series SCTV and the sitcom Friends, with some cast members making crossover appearances on the show, including Kristian Alfonso, Roark Critchlow, Matthew Ashford, Kyle Lowder and Alison Sweeney. The show has had high-profile fans such as actress Julia Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
History
The Cordays and Bell combined the "hospital soap" idea with the tradition of centering a series on a family, by making the show about a family of doctors, including one who worked in a mental hospital. Storylines in the show follow the lives of middle- and upper-class professionals in Salem, a middle-America town, with the usual threads of love, marriage, divorce, and family life, plus the medical storylines and character studies of individuals with psychological problems. Former executive producer Al Rabin took pride in the characters' passion, saying that the characters were not shy about "sharing what's in their gut."Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia and its portrayal of "real American contemporary families." By the 1970s, critics deemed Days of Our Lives to be the most daring daytime drama, leading the way in using themes other shows of the period would not dare touch, such as artificial insemination and interracial romance. The January 12, 1976, cover of Time magazine featured Days of Our Lives Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, the only daytime actors ever to appear on its cover. The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose on-screen and real-life romance was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.
In the 1990s, the show branched out into supernatural storylines, which critics immediately panned, as it was seen as a departure from more realistic storylines for which the show had originally become known. However, these storylines did have the desired effect, making Days of Our Lives the most-watched daytime soap among young and middle-aged women, also becoming one of NBC's five most profitable shows in any time slot. In 2006, when asked about his character, Jack Deveraux, "coming back from the dead"—for the third time—actor Matthew Ashford responded, "It is hard to play that because at a certain point it becomes too unreal...actors look at that and think, 'What is this — the Cartoon Network'?"
In addition to receiving critical acclaim in print journalism, the series has won many awards, including a Daytime Emmy for Best Drama in 1978 and 2013 and a Writers Guild of America, East Award for Best Drama in 2000 and 2013. Days of Our Lives actors have also won awards: Macdonald Carey won Best Actor in 1974 and 1975. Susan Flannery and Eileen Davidson won Best Actress in 1975 and 2014, respectively. Suzanne Rogers, Leann Hunley, and Tamara Braun won Best Supporting Actress for, respectively, 1979, 1986, and 2009 and Billy Warlock won Best Younger Actor for 1988. In 2009, Darin Brooks took home the Emmy for Best Younger Actor", and Tamara Braun won for Best Supporting Actress, the show's first acting victories in over 21 and 23 years, respectively
As with all other network programming, Days of Our Lives ratings have declined somewhat since the 1990s. In January 2007 it was suggested by NBC that the show "is unlikely to continue past 2009." In November 2008, in an eleventh-hour decision, it was announced the show had been renewed through September 2010. The 18-month renewal was down from its previous renewal, which was for five years. The show made somewhat of a comeback in 2009, with ratings increasing as the year progressed. In March 2010, the show was renewed once again through September 2011; then again on November 8, 2010, its 45th anniversary, the show was renewed for two more years through September 2013, with an option for an additional year which would keep the soap on through 2014, its 49th year on the air. The series received a two-year renewal in January 2014 that was set to last until September 2016. Beginning on November 8, 2010, which marked Days of Our Lives
The show was officially "rebooted" on September 26, 2011, to gain back its lapsed audience, appeal to long-term loyal fans, begin new stories, and boost ratings. Former fan-favorite characters were reintroduced as part of the reboot. These included Jack Deveraux, Carrie Brady, and Austin Reed. All three, along with actress Sarah Brown, were fired from the show to lower production costs. The reboot was met with mixed reviews from critics. Head writers hired to handle the reboot, Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas Junior were subsequently fired due to declining ratings. Chris Whitesell and former Days executive producer Gary Tomlin were rehired after being fired as part of the show's revamp. Daytime Emmy award winner Lorraine Broderick was hired as a member of the breakdown writing team in April 2012. Days of Our Lives is noted as the fourth longest running soap opera in the United States.
On November 30, 2014, NBC introduced an updated logo for Days of Our Lives at the 2014 Hollywood Christmas Parade, in celebration of the series' 50th anniversary. On February 11, 2016, NBC renewed Days of Our Lives for one-year, with the option of an additional year. In January 2017, while discussing the potential of renewal for the soap, NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt stated: "We don't make a decision for another couple months. But I don't think it's over yet." In February 2017, NBC officially renewed Days of Our Lives for an additional year. Jennifer Salke, President of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement: "We feel so privileged to be able to continue the remarkable legacy of Days of our Lives. We thank Ken Corday and his team for their incredible accomplishments and look forward to all the stories from Salem that will continue to unfold." In March 2018, NBC announced their decision to renew Days of Our Lives through fall 2019. In January 2019, NBC renewed the serial through September 2020. In a statement, NBC Entertainment said: "With writing that manages to weave together Salem's iconic characters with current realities, Ken Corday and his team have ushered the show's legacy into a new era that resonates with both longtime and new viewers."
On February 11, 2019, one month after NBC announced its renewal of Days for a 55th season, Corday Productions filed a breach of contract and fraud lawsuit against Sony Pictures Television in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that Sony placed the soap at a competitive disadvantage favoring its higher-rated CBS rival, The Young and the Restless. The suit – which seeks restitution payments of more than $20 million – alleges that Sony Pictures had forced Corday to absorb budgetary production deficits, had provided them with inaccurate accounting, had failed to offer the show for distribution in certain foreign markets and had failed to pay profits within the eight-figure range as well as to negotiate a license fee with NBC that incurs a "reasonable profit" for Corday, while negotiating a more favorable license fee from CBS for its carriage of The Young and The Restless. Corday also alleged that Sony Pictures executives have expressed indifference to Days of Our Lives, claiming that Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra said the soap is no longer a priority for the company and is "hanging by a thread." Representatives for Sony described the claims made in the suit as "meritless."
On November 12, 2019, TVLine reported that the entire cast was released from their contracts, in preparation for a previously planned production hiatus. Per reports, pending renewal, production will resume by March 2020. In a separate report, published by People, the shut down was known to cast and crew, for "scheduling reasons". Ten days later, Deadline Hollywood announced that the show had been renewed through September 2021. On January 29, 2020, NBC announced it had renewed the soap, and that production would resume in March; the following day, it was announced that cast and crew would return to set on February 3, 2020. In March 2020, it was announced that production on the soap was suspended pending "further notice," following the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, it was announced that production on the soap would resume on September 1 of the same year. The following month, on October 12, Deadline Hollywood reported the soap was suspending production for two-weeks, following a positive COVID-19 test. Production resumed eight-days later on October 20.
In April 2021, production was paused, with NBC and Sony Pictures Television entering into renewal negotiations. The following month, it was announced NBC and Sony Pictures Television had reached a deal, renewing Days of Our Lives through September 2023. On March 15, 2023, Peacock renewed the soap for two additional years, through its 60th anniversary.
On July 25, 2023, Deadline Hollywood published a report claiming an investigation against co-executive producer Albert Alarr for misconduct. The investigation was launched following allegations of misconduct by Alarr – with 30–40 individuals interviewed, of which were predominately women – with claims that Alarr's behavior "had been present for years", and only increased among being named co-executive producer in 2015. The report also called Alarr "abusive", resulting in those feeling "uncomfortable and humiliated". In addition to Alarr's alleged misconduct, the article cited a "significant number of women who have left the show over the past couple of years including actresses who played major characters", while male actors were "bullied" on the set. Alarr was also quoted as saying "You're fucking horny, man, you just want to fuck her" during the filming of intimate scenes. The investigation also "examined an incident" in which Alarr was said to have "forcefully grabbed and kissed" one female actor on the set without warning or consent. Following a nine-week investigation, Alarr was given written warning and remained in his position. Following the report, several cast members – both past and present – spoke out in support of the report, including Lisa Rinna, who cited the work environment as "disgusting" when she filmed the first chapter of the spin-off series, Beyond Salem in 2021. Three days later, Deadline Hollywood reported production of the soap would shut down for one-week, beginning July 31. On August 2, a subsequent report was published, claiming over 25 cast members had signed a petition, demanding Alarr's removal. The same report contained more details concerning the on-set misconduct; per the report, the cast is calling for an unnamed, respected director-producer to be named as Alarr's replacement. Two days later, on August 4, The Wrap announced Alarr had been let go. In a statement to cast and crew, Ken Corday announced Janet Drucker's promotion to co-executive producer. As a result of the investigation, Ken also announced additional HR protocols would be implemented, as well as "increased HR presence" while maintaining it was "imperative that we have a safe and inclusive workplace environment".
In February 2024, it was announced Arianne Zucker—recognized for her portrayal of Nicole Walker on the soap—filed a lawsuit against Corday Productions, Ken Corday, and Alarr, alleging sexual harassment, as well as wrongful termination. In the suit, Zucker claims she was "victim of nonconsensual sexual touching and inappropriate comments" by Alarr. She additionally claimed Ken provided a "take it or leave it" deal in October 2023, following her meetings in March and June of the same year with Sony and Human Resources. Reports claim Zucker concluded filming in the role of Nicole in January 2024. On August 8, 2024, a judge with the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled in Zucker's favor, allowing her to "move ahead with the disputed portion of her complaint that's seeking a formal order" which would bar Alarr "from harassing behavior in any future workplace." In October 2025, a settlement was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
In November 2024, it was announced the soap had been renewed through its 61st season, assuring its continuation through 2026. Days of Our Lives celebrated its 15,000th episode on December 2, 2024. The soap was renewed in July 2025, through its sixty-third season, which will occur during the 2027–2028 television season. In a statement, Ken Corday said, "This is a celebration for us without doubt, continuing with our NBCU family – 60 years this fall, and beyond. Our on- and off-screen family is excited to continue exploring and telling meaningful and fun stories for many, many more years to come."