By 
Days of our Lives, the longest running series on NBC, has been renewed for a record 55th season. Buoyed by critical acclaim and rising ratings, the iconic series has seen an upswing since 2017.
“Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
Those words, which have drawn millions of eager viewers to their television sets for six decades, will remain a high point of the broadcast day with the renewal announcement of the multi-Emmy Award-winning series.
Days of our Lives’ survival has been no small feat, and it’s required forward thinking and hard decisions both in front and behind the camera. In 2007, former NBC president Jeff Zucker (now head of CNN) infamously proclaimed the series would likely not continue past 2009. Though DAYS has faced numerous challenges over the last decade, it remains on-air, still going strong.
Currently written by Emmy winning head writer Ron Carlivati and executive produced by creator Ken Corday and co-producers Albert Alarr and Greg Meng, the series is set in the fictitious Midwestern town of Salem, the core families are the Bradys, Hortons and DiMeras, and the multi-layered storylines involve elements of romance, adventure, mystery, comedy and drama.
“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,” said Bruce Evans, Executive Vice President, Current Programming, NBC Entertainment. “The actors and crew have such a tremendous respect for ‘Days’ and what it means to fans. We believe that level of commitment shows through and touches our audience year after year.”
“It’s a great day in Salem! The sands in the hourglass will continue to flow for yet another year,” said executive producer Ken Corday. “We’re grateful to NBC and Sony for their continued support of the show and, of course, to our dedicated and passionate fans, we owe it all to you. Thank you for taking us through our 55th season. We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store.”
Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, Programming, Sony Pictures Television, added: “Ken Corday and his cast and crew continue to build on the strong legacy of dynamic storytelling and intriguing characters in ‘Days of our Lives.’ We are proud that audiences both in the U.S. and around the world will get to enjoy this award-winning series for another year.”
The show’s 53rd season (September 2017-September 2018) saw a 4% increase in total viewers (2.55 million vs. 2.45 million in live + 7 per Nielsen Media Research) vs. the previous season. In addition, “Days” added a number of new characters and a few surprise returns that have kept fans and critics tuned in.
“Days of our Lives,” which aired its 13,500th episode in 2018, remains a television institution. The show first premiered as a half-hour drama in 1965 and expanded to an hour 10 years later.
The show has garnered 57 Emmy Awards, including most recently 2015 and 2018’s Outstanding Daytime Drama, and 323 nominations, as well as multiple People’s Choice Awards, GLAAD Media Awards and Prism Awards.
“Days of our Lives” airs nationally on NBC in the United States and in more than 25 countries internationally.
Congratulations, Days of our Lives! You deserve it!
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