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NBC has renewed the long-running soap opera Days of our Lives for a record 52nd season.
Set in the fictitious Midwestern town of Salem, Days of our Lives follows the lives of core multi-generational families the Bradys, Hortons and DiMeras. Mixing elements of adventure, romance, mystery, comedy and drama, the characters of Salem have been a part of American culture for over five decades. The show first premiered as a half-hour drama in 1965 and expanded to an hour 10 years later.
The renewal announcement will come as a sigh of relief to the cast, crew and fans worried about the future of the series amid widespread cancelation rumors.
“We feel so privileged to be able to continue the remarkable legacy of ‘Days of our Lives,'” said Jennifer Salke, President, NBC Entertainment. “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.”
Ken Corday, owner and executive producer said, “It’s a great day in Salem! We’re pleased to announce that after more than 51 years in the hearts and homes of our amazing fans, ‘Days of our Lives’ will continue to be part of the NBC family. We are grateful to our incredible network and longstanding partner Sony for their continued support, and we look forward to what the future will bring under the new creative direction of the show. I’m especially proud to be able to shepherd ‘Days’ into the new season, continuing my parents dream and the show’s legacy.”
In January, Emmy Award winner Ron Carlivati was named new head writer with Sheri Anderson Thomas and Ryan Quan on board as creative consultants. Episodes from the new creative team are expected to begin airing in late July.
Days of our Lives aired its 13,000th episode in January.
What about the Kiriakis family?
Great news obviously. But DAYS is in the middle of its 52nd season, having completed 50 seasons in November 2015. So this is actually the renewal for a 53rd season. I guess it’s hard for NBC to count this high. :)