NBC announced some fabulous, long-awaited news for Days of our Lives fans: the network has officially renewed the soap opera for a record 56th season, which will keep it on the air until the summer of 2021.
"From our incredibly loyal fan base to our wonderful writers, cast and crew, the enthusiasm for DAYS never wavers," says Bruce Evans, Executive Vice President, Current Programming, NBC Entertainment in an official statement. "We're incredibly thrilled to bring viewers another season of a show that has cemented its place in television history and touches all generations."
Adds Executive Producer Ken Corday, "We are most grateful to NBC for their enduring faith in the future of Days of our Lives and we are excited to continue delivering compelling stories to our loyal family of fans into this new decade."
Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, Programming, Sony Pictures Television, also made a comment on the renewal news, stating, "Ken Corday and his team continue to build on the legacy of quality storytelling and intriguing characters that connect with audiences of all ages. We are thrilled that viewers in the U.S. and around the world will be able to enjoy the award-winning Days of our Lives for another season."
With the signed deal in place, there are conflicting reports about when the cast and crew of DAYS will return to work. TVLine reports that production resumes in March, while Soap Opera Digest and actor James Reynolds (Abe Carver) have indicated things resume next week. The show has been on an extended hiatus since Thanksgiving.
"Back on DAYS set on Monday!" Reynolds posted on Instagram. "Nice to see cast mates again."
As Soap Central previously reported, the future of DAYS has been unclear for the last several months. The daytime drama shocked the entertainment world in November when it made the unprecedented move of releasing its entire cast from their contracts and beginning an extended hiatus in order to save money and increase its chances of being renewed. Not long after, Ken Corday reportedly announced the show's renewal to the cast, which allowed fans and the actors alike to breathe sighs of relief. However, NBC's entertainment chairman, Paul Telegdy, spoke of DAYS at the Television Critics Association press tour in January and said that the show had not been renewed yet but likely would.
"We're in the middle of knowing very soon [whether] Days of our Lives is going to carry on," he stated at the time. "We love it. Millions of Americans watch it every week... I know this will be good news for the fans. I know that someone [at the network is] going, 'You can't say that,' but we are of course carrying on with Days of our Lives."
Now that NBC has released an official renewal announcement, Days of our Lives fans can finally rest assured that sands will continue to fall through the show's hourglass for at least another year. Cheers to that and hopefully many more years to come!
How do you feel about NBC's official DAYS renewal news? What are you hoping for the show as it resumes production and brings another year of material to television screens? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
