Days of our Lives
Opening title screen, during which the show's trademark voiceover is heard: Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives
Alternate titles	Days, DAYS,[1] or DOOL (acronym)
Creator(s)	Irna Phillips, Ted Corday & Betty Corday[2]
Senior cast member(s)	Frances Reid
No. Irna Phillips ( July 1, 1901 – December 22, 1973) was an American actress and most notably writer who created and scripted many of Theodore "Ted" Corday ( May 8, 1908 &mdash July 23, 1966) was a producer, director and creator (or co-creator of many Betty Corday ( Née Elizabeth Shay, March 21, 1912 &mdash November 17, 1987) was a producer of the American Frances Reid (born December 9, 1914 in Wichita Falls Texas) is an American actress.  of episodes	10,844 (as of June 9, 2008)[3]
Production
Executive producer(s)	Ken Corday, Edward Scott
Head writer(s)	Dena Higley, Victor Gialanella
Distributor	Sony Pictures Television (Columbia TriStar Television 2001 until 2002, Columbia Pictures Television 1974 to 2001, and Screen Gems until name change in 1974) Corday Productions
Running time	30 minutes (1965–1975)[4] 60 minutes (1975-present)[4]
Broadcast
Original channel	NBC , SOAPnet
Premiere date	November 8, 1965[5] (US)
Links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Days of our Lives is an American soap opera, which has aired nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965^[5] on the NBC network in the United States, and has since been syndicated to many countries around the world. Events 53 - Roman Emperor Nero marries Claudia Octavia 62 - Claudia Octavia commits 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Ken Corday (born June 16 1950) is an American television Soap opera producer and Music composer. Edward J Scott is an American Soap opera producer He married Young and the Restless actress Melody Thomas Scott in October 1985 and they have three Dena Higley (born September 26 1958) is an American television Soap opera writer who lives in Los Angeles California. Victor Gialanella (born October 29 1949) is an American television Soap opera writer Sony Pictures Television Inc (SPT is an American Television production /distribution company Columbia TriStar Television Inc was the third name of the Television studio Screen Gems, adopted with the Columbia-TriStar merger of 1991 Columbia Pictures Television (CPT was the second name of the Columbia Pictures television division Screen Gems (SG Screen Gems is an American subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment 's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's SOAPnet (stylized from 2000 to 2002 as SoapNet) is an American Cable television channel Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A soap opera is an ongoing episodic work of Fiction, usually broadcast on Television or Radio. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[6][7][8] The series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday along with Irna Phillips in 1964,^[2] and many of the first stories were written by William J. Bell. Theodore "Ted" Corday ( May 8, 1908 &mdash July 23, 1966) was a producer, director and creator (or co-creator of many Betty Corday ( Née Elizabeth Shay, March 21, 1912 &mdash November 17, 1987) was a producer of the American Irna Phillips ( July 1, 1901 – December 22, 1973) was an American actress and most notably writer who created and scripted many of William Joseph Bell ( March 6, 1927 &ndash April 29, 2005) was the creator and executive producer of the extremely successful Soap

The Cordays and Bell combined the "soaps taking place in a hospital" idea with the tradition of centering a series around a family, by making the show about a family of doctors, including one who worked in a mental hospital. ^[9] 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. The town of Salem is the setting for the US Soap opera Days of our Lives. ^[10] 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. Al Rabin is a producer of Soap operas specifically known for his work on Days of our Lives. "^[11]

Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia (in contrast to shows such as As the World Turns) and its portrayal of "real American contemporary families. As the World Turns ( ATWT) is an American television Soap opera that airs each weekday on CBS. "^[12] By the 1970s, critics deemed Days 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. AIH redirects here For the indie rock band abbreviated AIH see Architecture in Helsinki Artificial insemination (AI is the process by which ^[13] 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. ^[14][15] 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. William Earl Johnson (better known as Jack Harcourt Deveraux) is a former resident of the fictional town of Salem on the Soap opera Days of Our Lives Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor best known for the long running role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC . . actors look at that and think, 'What is this — the Cartoon Network'?"^[16]

Days, in addition to receiving critical acclaim in print journalism, has won a number of awards, including a Daytime Emmy for Best Drama in 1978^[17] and a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama in 2000. The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York -based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles -based Academy The Writers Guild of America is a generic term referring to the joint efforts of two different US labor unions The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE representing ^[18] Days actors have also won awards: Macdonald Carey (Dr. Edward Macdonald Carey ( March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American Actor, best known for his role as the Patriarch Tom Horton) won Best Actor in 1974^[19] and 1975,^[20] Susan Flannery (Laura Horton) won Best Actress in 1975,^[20] Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton) and Leann Hunley (Anna DiMera) won Best Supporting Actress for respectively 1979^[21] and 1986,^[22] and Billy Warlock (Frankie Brady) won Best Younger Actor for 1988. Dr Tom Horton was a Fictional character on NBC's Soap opera Days of our Lives. Susan Flannery (born July 31, 1943) is a Golden Globe - and four time Emmy Award -winning American Soap opera actress Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Crumpler on July 9 1944 in Colonial Heights Virginia) is an Emmy Award -winning American actress. Margaret "Maggie" Horton (née Simmons) is a Fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Suzanne Rogers Leann Hunley (born February 25, 1955) is an American actress known for her roles on television Soap operas Anna Fredericks Brady DiMera is a Fictional character on the American Soap opera, Days of our Lives. Billy Warlock (born March 26, 1961) is an American Actor Most know for playing Eddie Kramer a Lifeguard Frankie Brady (née François Von Leuschner) is a character on the American Soap opera Days of our Lives. ^[23]

As with other soap operas, Days ratings have declined since the 1990s. In January 2007 it was suggested by NBC that the show "is unlikely to continue [on NBC] past 2009. " ^[24]

Storyline

Main article: List of Days of our Lives storylines

When Days of our Lives premiered in 1965, the show revolved around the tragedies and triumphs of the suburban Horton family. This is an overview of " major " historical storylines from the daytime drama Days of our Lives. The Hortons are an Upper middle class Christian family living in the fictional town of Salem on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives Over time, additional families were brought to the show to interact with the Hortons and serve as springboards for more dramatic storylines. Originally led by patriarch Dr. Tom Horton and his wife, homemaker Alice, the Hortons remain a prominent fixture in current continuity. Dr Tom Horton was a Fictional character on NBC's Soap opera Days of our Lives. Alice Horton (née Grayson) is a Fictional character on the Soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Frances Reid.

One of the longest-running storylines involved the rape of Mickey Horton's wife Laura by Mickey's brother Bill. Michael "Mickey" Horton is a Fictional character on the Soap opera Days of our Lives. Dr William "Bill" Horton is a Fictional character on the daytime Soap opera Days of our Lives. Laura confides in her father-in-law Dr. Tom, and the two agree that her husband Mickey should never know. The secret, involving the true parentage of Michael Horton (a product of the rape) and Mickey's subsequent health issues as a result of the revelation, spanned episodes from 1968 to 1975. Dr Michael William "Mike" Horton is a Fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. The storyline was the first to bring the show to prominence, and put it near the top of the Nielsen daytime ratings. Nielsen Ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research to determine the Audience size and composition of television ^[25] Another love triangle, between lounge singer Doug Williams, Tom and Alice's daughter Addie, and Addie's own daughter, Julie, proved to be very popular around the same time. Douglas Williams and Julie Olson Williams are Fictional characters and a Supercouple from the American daytime drama Days of our Lives. Adelaide "Addie" Williams (née Horton; previously Olson) is a Fictional character on the television Soap opera Days Julie Williams (née Olson; previously Banning and Anderson) is a Fictional character on the Soap opera Days of our The storyline culminated in the death of Addie in 1974 and the marriage of Doug and Julie in 1976. ^[26]

In the 1980s, the Brady and DiMera families were introduced, and their rivalry quickly cemented their places as core families in Salem beside the Hortons. The Bradys are a Working class Irish-American Catholic family living in the fictional town of Salem on the soap opera Days of our Lives The DiMeras are an Upper-class Italian Catholic family on the soap opera Days of our Lives. Around the same time, with the help of head writers Sheri Anderson, Thom Racina and Leah Laiman, action/adventure storylines and supercouplings such as Bo and Hope, Shane and Kimberly and Patch and Kayla reinvigorated the show, previously focused primarily on the domestic troubles of the Hortons. Sheri Anderson is an American television writer and producer who has worked primarily on serials and in international film and television development Thom Racina is an American television writer and novelist He hails from Kenosha Wisconsin, went to school in Albuquerque and Chicago where he got a MFA in Theatre Arts and Leah Laiman (b August 29, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American Soap opera writer and Romance novelist A supercouple (also known as a power couple or dynamic duo) is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or Beauregard "Bo" Brady and Hope Williams Brady are Fictional characters and the signature Supercouple on the American daytime drama Days

Since the 1990s, with the introduction of writer James E. Reilly, Days of our Lives has moved from traditional plots to supernatural and science-fiction-themed stories, in conjunction with the rivalry of good vs. James E Reilly (born July 15 1948 in Bountiful Utah) is an American Soap opera writer evil, in a Hatfield/McCoy feud style the Bradys verses the DiMeras. The Hatfield-McCoy feud (1878–1891 is an account of American Lore that has become a metaphor for bitterly Feuding rival parties in general Under the tenure of Reilly, ratings, first rose and then fell dramatically. Despite the introduction of new head writer Hogan Sheffer in 2006, ratings failed to revive, which led the show's producers to hire a few past fan favorites to stop the ratings hemorrhage,^[27] While penned by James E. Hogan Sheffer (born Mark Wayne Sheffer on June 12, 1958 in York Pennsylvania) is an American Daytime Emmy winning Screenwriter Reilly, Days began to flounder but remained steadily in the 2. 5 range (consistently second to last among all soaps at the time. The other show for which he was head writer, Passions, held the position of dead last in the ratings until it was moved to DirecTV in 2007. ). Since the head writing job was appointed to Hogan Sheffer the ratings have dropped to a consistent 2. Hogan Sheffer (born Mark Wayne Sheffer on June 12, 1958 in York Pennsylvania) is an American Daytime Emmy winning Screenwriter 0 rating, continuing to leave Days in the bottom three overall.

Best-remembered stories

In addition to the love triangles of Bill/Mickey/Laura and Doug/Julie/Addie, other memorable storylines include the 1968 story of amnesiac Tom Horton, Jr., who returns from the Korean War believing he is someone else and then proceeds to romance his younger sister Marie;^[25] the twenty-year tragic love triangle when John Black steals Marlena Brady from her husband Roman;^[25] the 1982 "Salem Strangler" (Jake Kositchek, who was nicknamed "Jake the Ripper"), who stalks and murders women;^[25] the 1984 Gone with the Wind storyline when Hope Williams and Bo Brady hide out on a Southern plantation and dress up as Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler (originally devised to keep viewers tuned in despite pre-emptions due to the 1984 Summer Olympics);^[25][28] "The Cruise of Deception" in 1990, when madman Ernesto Toscano invites all his enemies aboard a ship, the S. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Sister Marie Horton (born 1942) is a Fictional character on the television Soap opera Days of our Lives. This is about the 1936 American Novel. For the film see Gone with the Wind (film Gone with the Wind is a 1936 American Hope Alice Brady (née Williams; previously Welch) (born onscreen December 24, 1974) is a Fictional character on the television Beauregard Aurelius "Bo" Brady is a Fictional character on the television Soap opera Days of our Lives. Scarlett O'Hara (full name Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler) is the Protagonist in Margaret Mitchell 's 1936 novel Gone with Rhett Butler is the antagonist of Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, The Cruise of Deception was a major Cliffhanger and resolution storyline on the Daytime drama Days of our Lives. S. Loretta, and holds them captive;^[25] the 1994–1995 storyline when the town's Christmas tree burns down and Marlena becomes possessed in Exorcist fashion;^[14][25] and the 2003–2004 "Melaswen", when several characters purportedly die at the hands of a masked psychopath, but are later revealed to have been kidnapped to the secret island of Melaswen (New Salem spelled backwards). Dr Marlena Evans (formerly Craig, Brady, Bradford, Black, Black and North) is a Fictional character on This article is about the novel published in 1971 For information about the 1973 film please see The Exorcist (film. New Salem is the name of several towns in the United States: New Salem Illinois New Salem Menard County Illinois, onetime home ^[25]

Cast

Main article: List of Days of our Lives cast members

See also: List of Days of our Lives characters

When Days of Our Lives debuted the cast consisted of 11 actors, nine of whom were permanent fixtures in the storyline. List of actors and their character(s who have appeared or are currently appearing on Days of our Lives. The following is an alphabetical list of characters (and their performers by last name from the NBC Soap opera Days of our Lives. ^[29], In April 1975 the cast was increased to 27 actors in different storylines. By the 25th anniversary in 1990, 40 actors appeared on the show in contract or recurring roles,^[30] which is the approximate number of actors the show has used since then. Of all the current cast members, only Frances Reid, who plays Alice Horton, has been on contract with Days of our Lives since it began, appearing since the very first episode in 1965. Frances Reid (born December 9, 1914 in Wichita Falls Texas) is an American actress. Original cast member John Clarke, who played Mickey Horton, left the series in 2004. John Clarke (born April 14, 1932) in South Bend Indiana is an American Actor. Suzanne Rogers, who plays Maggie Horton, and Deidre Hall, who plays Marlena Evans, have been appearing on the show for over 30 years. Suzanne Rogers (born Suzanne Crumpler on July 9 1944 in Colonial Heights Virginia) is an Emmy Award -winning American actress. Margaret "Maggie" Horton (née Simmons) is a Fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives, played by Suzanne Rogers Deidre Ann Hall (born October 31, 1947) is an American actress best known for her role as Dr Dr Marlena Evans (formerly Craig, Brady, Bradford, Black, Black and North) is a Fictional character on

In recent years, Days has hired back many former cast members. In fact, twenty of the current contract cast members have been with the show, off-and-on, since at least 1999. Since 2006, cast members from the 1980s, such as Stephen Nichols (Steve Johnson), Mary Beth Evans (Kayla Brady), Joseph Mascolo (Stefano DiMera), and Thaao Penghlis (Tony DiMera) have been brought back to Days, in an attempt to reach viewers who may have quit watching the series. Stephen Nichols (born February 19, 1951) is an American Actor. Steven Earl "Patch" Johnson is a Fictional character on NBC 's daytime drama Days of our Lives. Mary Beth Evans (born March 7, 1961 in Pasadena California) is an American Actress. Dr Kayla Caroline Johnson (née Brady; previously Deveraux) is a Fictional character on the daytime Soap opera Days of our Lives Joseph Mascolo (born March 13, 1929) is an American Actor and Soap opera veteran best known for his long-running role as Stefano Stefano DiMera (alias the Phoenix) is a Fictional character, a villain on the American Soap opera Days of our Lives Thaao Penghlis (born December 15, 1945 in Sydney, Australia) is an Emmy -nominated Australian Actor of Greek parentage Count Antony "Tony" DiMera is a Fictional character on the American soap opera Days of our Lives, played by actor Thaao Penghlis ^[27] More recent additions to the show include long-time soap veterans Tamara Braun and Shawn Christian. Tamara Braun (born April 18, 1971) is an American actress, best known for her work in Daytime television. Shawn Christian (born December 18, 1965 in Grand Rapids Michigan) is a television and film Actor. The show met some negative fan reactions when Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison who portrayed the popular supercouple Shawn-Douglas Brady and Belle Black, were fired. Shawn-Douglas Brady (born on screen April 6, 1987) is a character on the television Soap opera Days of our Lives. Isabella "Belle" Brady (née Black; previously Kiriakis) born onscreen October 21, 1993 is a Fictional character on

Executive producing and head writing team

Main article: List of Days of our Lives producers and writers

The co-creator and original executive producer, Ted Corday, was only at the helm for eight months before dying of cancer in 1966. This is a list of executive producers and head writers for the Soap opera Days of Our Lives. Theodore "Ted" Corday ( May 8, 1908 &mdash July 23, 1966) was a producer, director and creator (or co-creator of many Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. His widow, Betty, was named executive producer upon his death. Betty Corday ( Née Elizabeth Shay, March 21, 1912 &mdash November 17, 1987) was a producer of the American She continued in that role, with the help of H. Wesley Kenney and Al Rabin as supervising producers, before she semi-retired in 1985. H Wesley Kenney is an American producer and director of several Television series. Al Rabin is a producer of Soap operas specifically known for his work on Days of our Lives. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) When Mrs. Corday semi-retired in 1985, and later died in 1987, her son, Ken, became executive producer and took over the full-time, day-to-day running of the show ^[31], a title he still holds today. The series' current co-executive producer is Edward J. Scott, who was hired after longtime producer Stephen Wyman left the program in 2007. Edward J Scott is an American Soap opera producer He married Young and the Restless actress Melody Thomas Scott in October 1985 and they have three Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.

The first well-known head writer, William J. Bell, started writing for Days in 1966 and continued until 1975, well after he had spun off his own successful soap, The Young and the Restless. William Joseph Bell ( March 6, 1927 &ndash April 29, 2005) was the creator and executive producer of the extremely successful Soap The Young and the Restless is a 39 time Emmy Award winning American Television Soap opera, first broadcast on CBS on March 26 He stayed with the show as a storyline consultant until 1978. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, high writer turnover was commonplace. In the early 1980s, Margaret DePriest helped stabilize the show and kill off dead wood in the cast via a serial killer storyline. The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. Margaret DePriest is an American daytime serial Writer. She began her career as an actress both onstage and on television Later head writers, like Sheri Anderson, Thom Racina and Leah Laiman, built on that stability and crafted storylines of their own, temporarily bringing up ratings. Sheri Anderson is an American television writer and producer who has worked primarily on serials and in international film and television development Thom Racina is an American television writer and novelist He hails from Kenosha Wisconsin, went to school in Albuquerque and Chicago where he got a MFA in Theatre Arts and Leah Laiman (b August 29, 1946 in Tel Aviv, Israel) is an American Soap opera writer and Romance novelist Writing changes occurred after Laiman left the series in 1989, and would not become stable again until James E. Reilly started with the show in 1993. James E Reilly (born July 15 1948 in Bountiful Utah) is an American Soap opera writer His tenure, which lasted for four-and-a-half years, was credited with bringing ratings up to the second-place spot in the Nielsens. Other writers who succeeded him, such as Sally Sussman Morina and Tom Langan, failed to keep the ratings success, and another writer turnover continued until Reilly returned to the series in 2003. Sally Sussman Morina is an American Soap opera writer and producer This article is about an American televistion producer and writer

Five-time Daytime Emmy winner Hogan Sheffer was named head writer with great fanfare in October 2006, but lasted less than 16 months with the show, with his last episode airing in January 2008. Hogan Sheffer (born Mark Wayne Sheffer on June 12, 1958 in York Pennsylvania) is an American Daytime Emmy winning Screenwriter His co-head writer was Meg Kelly. Meg Kelly is an American television Soap opera Scriptwriter who co-wrote Days of our Lives with Hogan Sheffer from October Dena Higley was named as the show's newest head writer in March 2008, and she was first credited with writing the April 23, 2008 episode. Dena Higley (born September 26 1958) is an American television Soap opera writer who lives in Los Angeles California. ^[32] Her co-head writer is Victor Gialanella. Victor Gialanella (born October 29 1949) is an American television Soap opera writer

Ratings and scheduling history

See also: List of US daytime soap opera ratings

During its first three years on the air, Days of Our Lives was near the bottom of the daytime Nielsen ratings, and close to cancellation. The following is a list of television ratings and rankings for American daytime Soap operas from the 1950s to the present However, its ascent was rapid; as the 1969 TV season ended, Days became a successful part of NBC's attempt to dethrone CBS. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. By 1973 the show, pitted against CBS' Guiding Light and ABC's The Newlywed Game at 2 p. Guiding Light (known as The Guiding Light prior to 1975 or simply GL) is an Emmy award winning American Television The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. The Newlywed Game was an American television Game show where newly-married couples answered questions to find out how well the husband and wife knew m. (EST)/1 p. The Eastern Time Zone ( ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of North America and the west coast of South America m. (CST),^[4] had matched the first-place ratings of As The World Turns and sister NBC serial Another World. The Central Time Zone observes Standard time by subtracting six hours from UTC during standard time ( UTC−6) and five hours during Daylight saving NBC capitalized on this success with the decision to expand to one hour on April 21, 1975. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This expansion had followed the lead of AW, which became TV's first-ever hourlong soap on January 6, three-and-a-half months earlier. Events 1066 - Harold Godwinson is crowned King of England. 1205 - Philip of Swabia becomes King Further, Days' new starting time of 1:30/12:30^[4] finally solved a scheduling problem that began in 1968 when NBC lost the game Let's Make a Deal to ABC, and in its wake, eight different shows were placed into the slot, with only one, Three on a Match, lasting more than nine months. Let's Make a Deal is a Television Game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the Three on a Match was an American television Game show, created by Bob Stewart, that ran from August 2, 1971 to

However, this first golden period for NBC daytime proved to be short-lived, as Days' ratings began to decline in 1977. Much of the decline was due to ABC's expansion of its popular soap All My Children to a full hour, the last half of which overlapped with the first half of Days. All My Children ( AMC) is a popular American Soap opera and drama television series that has been broadcast Monday through Friday on the ABC By January 1979, the network, in a mode of desperation more than anything else, decided to jump headlong against AMC and moved the show ahead to the same 1 p. m. /12 Noon time slot. ^[4] In exchange to its affiliates for taking away the old half-hour access slot at 1/Noon, NBC gave them the 4 p. m. /3 slot, which many (if not most) stations had been preempting for years anyway. ^[4] By 1986, ABC and CBS followed suit, under the intense pressure of lucrative (and cheap) syndicated programming offered to affiliates. In Broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast Radio shows and Television shows to multiple individual stations without going through

By the early 1980s, Days had displaced Another World as NBC's highest-rated soap. Another World is a television Soap opera that ran on the NBC network from May 4 1964 to June 25 1999. However, the entire NBC soap lineup was in ratings trouble. In fact, by 1982, all of its shows were rated above only one ABC soap (The Edge of Night) and below all four CBS soaps. The Edge of Night (or known informally as Edge or EON by fans was a long-running American television mystery series/ Soap opera produced by Procter The "supercouple" era of the 1980s, however, helped bring about a ratings revival, and the 1983–1984 season saw Days experience a surge in ratings. It held onto its strong numbers for most of the 80s, only to decline again by 1990, eventually falling back into eighth place. In the mid-1990s, however, the show experienced a resurgence in popularity and the show reached number two in the ratings, where it remained for several years before experiencing another ratings decline beginning in 1999, the year that Days became NBC's longest-running daytime program (upon the cancellation of AW). Throughout the 2000s, Days and all the other remaining network daytime serials have witnessed a steady erosion of viewers, mainly due to vastly altered viewing habits induced by cable networks and alternative genres such as reality and talk shows on minor network affiliates. Reality television is a genre of Television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations documents actual events and usually features ordinary A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to

On January 17, 2007, NBC Universal Television president Jeff Zucker remarked that Days of our Lives would most likely not "continue past 2009. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "^[24] With the move of Passions from NBC to DirecTV in September 2007, Days is now NBC's last remaining traditional daytime program (excepting The Today Show, which received a fourth weekday hour in exchange for Passions' cancellation) on its mid-day schedule. Passions is an American television Soap opera created by DirecTV (trademarked as "DIREC' TV' " is a Direct broadcast satellite (DBS service based in El Segundo California, USA, that was founded Today, also referred to as The Today Show, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. After the January announcement, the Nielsen ratings for Days dropped to 1. 9 million households^[33] before stabilizing in June near 2. 4 million households. ^[34] In an April 2007 interview with Soap Opera Digest, executive producer Ken Corday remarked of the ratings decline of the previous months, "If I don't pay attention to the ratings and what the viewers are saying, I'm an ostrich. Soap Opera Digest is a Magazine chronicling the stories airing on American Soap operas and the off-screen lives of the actors appearing on them I have not seen a decline in the ratings on the show this precipitous — ever. I've never seen this much of a percentage decline. "^[33] But Days has not been able to recover the viewers it has lost.

On September 10, 2007, as a result of Passions' cancellation by NBC and subsequent move to DirecTV, along with the expansion of The Today Show to four hours, in some areas Days moved to 2 p. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. DirecTV (trademarked as "DIREC' TV' " is a Direct broadcast satellite (DBS service based in El Segundo California, USA, that was founded m. weekdays, taking over the former timeslot of Passions. Affiliates have a choice of what timeslot to air Days in, but most affiliates continue to broadcast the show at its 1 p. m. hour. ^[35]

External distribution

See also: Screening of daytime soap operas in Australia

According to Variety, Days is the most widely-distributed soap opera in the United States, with episodes not just broadcast via NBC, but also via cable (SOAPnet), and as of June 2007, episodes are offered via iTunes. A number of American daytime Soap operas have aired in Australia over the years Variety is a weekly entertainment trade newspaper founded in New York in 1905 by Sime Silverman SOAPnet (stylized from 2000 to 2002 as SoapNet) is an American Cable television channel iTunes is a proprietary digital media player application introduced by Apple Inc ^[36]

Days also has an international audience. It started broadcasting locally in Australia in 1968,^[6] later moving to the Nine Network. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney Over time, Days ended up airing at a delay of nearly five years behind the United States due to cricket pre-emptions in the summer, so in 2004, Nine aired a special titled Days of our Lives: A New Day, which summarized four years of storyline in one hour, in an attempt to catch up to more current telecasts. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries ^[6] This speed-up caused mixed feelings as viewers missed many vital storylines and it landed right in the middle of the Melaswen storyline. Now, episodes are ten months behind the United States. New Zealand has aired Days nearly as long, debuting on Television New Zealand by 1975 at the latest,^[7][37] and currently running approximately five years and 3 months behind the United States on the TV ONE channel. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Television New Zealand (TVNZ is a state-owned television broadcasting corporation in New Zealand. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For other uses see TV1 disambiguation TV One is a New Zealand national television network owned and operated by state-owned media

Days also airs in a number of countries across Europe, premiering in Turkey on October 8, 1990, France on July 29, 1991 and since July 1998 after the end of Loving diffusion on France 2 , Germany on September 6, 1993, Finland on August 11, 2003, and Hungary on June 14, 2004. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Events 2492 BC - Traditional date of the defeat of Bel by Hayk, progenitor and founder of the Armenian nation Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Channel 5 aired episodes of Days in the United Kingdom from March 2000 until April 2001, eventually pulling it off the air; network executives deemed its audience of 200,000 viewers as too low a figure. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located ^[8] Days had previously aired in the UK and Ireland on the Sky Soap channel between 1994 and 1999; episodes were three years behind U. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Sky Soap was a British Sky Broadcasting channel that showed a mix of American and British Soap operas including Emmerdale and Take the High Road S. telecasts. From September 3, 2007, UK viewers will be able to watch Days on the female-skewed entertainment channel Zone Romantica. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Zone Romantica (formerly Romantica) is a TV channel that broadcasts Telenovelas Music and Entertainment from all over the world mainly In Italy Days aired for only three months in 1985 on Rete A; in 1992 Italia 7 started to air new episodes, five years behind U. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest All Music (formerly Rete A) is an Italian Free-to-air Television station which broadcasts Videos and Music programmes S. telecasts. In 1993, after 260 episodes, the show was cancelled.

Days of Our Lives also airs in the middle east and the Arab World Since 2003 in the cannel MBC2 and then moved to MBC4 as a channel of American TV shows and the show is 5 years behind the USA. MBC 4 is the first Free-to-air channel in the Middle East aired specifically for American programs.

Theme song and opening title sequences

The title sequence of Days of our Lives has changed several times since the show's debut, but always maintained hourglass imagery and trademark voiceover, "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. " Beginning in 1966, the voice has been that of Macdonald Carey (1913–1994), who played Dr. Edward Macdonald Carey ( March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American Actor, best known for his role as the Patriarch Tom Horton from the show's opening until the actor's death from lung cancer. Dr Tom Horton was a Fictional character on NBC's Soap opera Days of our Lives. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. ^[38]

Opening titles

1965 - 1972	Almost completely unchanged since the show's debut in 1965, the titles show an hourglass, as sand slowly trickles to the bottom against the backdrop of a partly cloudy black and blue sky. [39] In 1966, the focus moved from the entire hourglass to the bottom, with the sand trickling away as the theme played.
1972 - 1985	In 1972, the current title lettering was introduced,[39] a condensed version of the Times New Roman typeface in yellow coloring (before then, the show's title was in Latin Bold font). Times New Roman is a Serif Typeface commissioned by the British newspaper The Times, in 1931, designed by Stanley The title card would also say "Copyright 1972 by Corday Productions, Inc. " While the copyright was only for the title sequence, viewers would become confused in later years, as the 1972 copyright notice stayed on the title sequence until 1985.
1985 - 1993	No marked difference came in 1985's titles revision, save for the removal of the copyright notice from the bottom of the screen.
1993 - present	In 1993, a computerized version of the visual was made, with completely redone sound effects and rearranged music. In this version the hourglass, now slowly spinning clockwise, starts focus at the bottom-half, overlooking the dawn. As the sun rises, the focus is zoomed out, and the audience sees the entire hourglass and the show's title "flourishes" onto the screen as the music flourishes. [39] While the entire hourglass is revealed, the clouds in the sky change formations. The current version of this theme is about 30 seconds in length, however the full version lasts around 3½ minutes. A version of this opening exists that does not include MacDonald Carey's voiceover. [40] A shortened version of this open debuted in 1995, when the show's time period was shortened due to coverage of O.J. Simpson trial (and later for the Martha Stewart trial in 2004). The O J Simpson murder case was a highly publicized US Criminal trial in which O A US Securities and Exchange Commission and US Attorney probe of trading in the shares of ImClone Systems resulted in a widely publicized criminal case which resulted in The shortened version is still used when episodes run over the allotted time, usually during sweeps periods.

Opening music and announcement

The theme that regularly accompanies each sequence was composed by Charles Albertine, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. The Bobby Hart in this songwriting duo is different from songwriter Bob Hart (1900-1993 The Bobby Hart in this songwriting duo is different from songwriter Bob Hart (1900-1993 ^[41] The theme has only been modified twice since Days premiered: in 1993, when the opening titles were changed to computerized visuals, and in 2004, with an orchestral arrangement that was only used in eight episodes, at which time the theme was reverted back to the 1993 arrangement, and is the one currently used.

From its debut in 1965 until March of 1966, announcer Ed Prentiss spoke the words now made famous by Macdonald Carey. Edward Macdonald Carey ( March 15, 1913 – March 21, 1994) was an American Actor, best known for his role as the Patriarch ^[39] Since April 1966, Macdonald Carey has intoned the epigram "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives. " From 1966 to 1994, he would also say, "This is Macdonald Carey, and these are the days of our lives. " After Carey's death in 1994, the decision was made to remove the second part of the opening, out of respect for Carey and his family. ^[39]

A portion of the opening and theme music are also used as a mid-show break bumper, starting after the hourglass has zoomed out and title has appeared with Macdonald Carey announcing "We will return with the second half of Days of our Lives in just a moment," which has been used since the show expanded to one hour in 1975.

Cultural references

Days was satirized on the hit sitcom Friends when one of the principals, Joey Tribbiani (played by Matt LeBlanc), got a job as Dr. Friends was an Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani Jr (born January 9 1968 is a Fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Matthew Stephen LeBlanc (born July 25, 1967) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award -nominated American Actor, best known for Drake Ramoray on the show,^[42] despite the fact that Joey lived in New York and Days of our Lives is shot in California. ^[42] All storylines shown on Friends (with guest shots by actual Days of our Lives stars) were fictional and did not represent what was really going on in the soap opera itself. Joey's fictional stint on the show ended when he angered its writers and his character was killed after falling down an elevator shaft. ^[43] Later, his character was brought back to life in a further spoof on the show (no fewer than thirty-six characters have been "brought back" from the dead on Days). ^[44] Joey was brought back as a man with a brain transplant. His new brain was from the character Jessica Lockhart, played by Susan Sarandon. Susan Sarandon (born Susan Abigail Tomalin; October 4 1946 is an American Actress. Lockhart died from a horseback riding injury. ^[45] The Lockharts are also the last names of Bonnie, Mimi and Patrick on Days, but the Jessica character is not a relation to any of the three. Alison Sweeney, who plays Sami Brady, appeared on Friends as Jessica Ashley who stars with Joey on his version of Days. Alison Ann Sweeney (born September 19, 1976) is an American Soap opera Actress. Samantha Gene "Sami" ^[46] Additional Friends episodes feature Kristian Alfonso as Hope Brady^[47] and Roark Critchlow as Mike Horton^[48]. Kristian-Joy Alfonso (born September 5, 1964 in Brockton, Massachusetts) is an American Soap opera actress. Hope Alice Brady (née Williams; previously Welch) (born onscreen December 24, 1974) is a Fictional character on the television Roark Critchlow (born May 11, 1963 in Calgary Alberta, Canada) is an Actor, best known for appearing on the daytime US Dr Michael William "Mike" Horton is a Fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives. In an episode where Joey hosts a soap opera party on the roof, Matthew Ashford and Kyle Lowder each make an appearance, Ashford even giving Rachel his number. Matthew Nile Ashford (born January 29, 1960) is an American actor best known for the long running role of Jack Deveraux on the NBC Kyle Brandon Lowder (born August 27, 1980 in St Louis Missouri) is an American Actor. In the spinoff sitcom Joey, Joey was nominated for "best death scene" in which his character was stabbed while performing surgery. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Joey was an American sitcom, which starred Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends ^[49]

In an additional link between Days of our Lives and Friends, John Aniston, the actor who portrays the character Victor Kiriakis on Days is the real life father of Jennifer Aniston, who portrayed Rachel on Friends. Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11 1969 is an American Film and television actress.

Fans

The show has had many high-profile fans. In 1976, TIME magazine reported that then-Justice of the Supreme Court, Thurgood Marshall, would call a recess around the 1 p. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Thurgood Marshall ( July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American Jurist and the first African American m. hour to watch Days of our Lives. ^[50] Actress Julia Roberts admitted at the 2002 People's Choice Awards that she was a fan of Days, and asked to be seated near the cast at that event as well as other award shows. Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28 1967 is an American - Academy Award winning Film actress and former Fashion model. Note This article does not pertain to the People's Choice Awards presented at the British Comedy Awards show in the United Kingdom, or to an awards show In 2004, during the show's Melaswen storyline, Roberts' interest was considered notable enough that Entertainment Weekly quoted her saying that "[the show has] gotten a little wacko. Entertainment Weekly (sometimes abbreviated as EW) is a Magazine published by Time Inc "^[51] A 1998 TIME article mentioned that Monica Lewinsky, the former White House aide who admitted to having an "inappropriate relationship" with then-president Bill Clinton, was a passionate fan of Days of our Lives, so much so that she wrote a poem about the series in her high school yearbook. Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American woman with whom then- United States President Bill Clinton admitted to See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States The article compared her whirlwind experiences in the White House to a story on Days. ^[52] Best-selling horror novelist Brian Keene has said in interviews with The New York Times, Rue Morgue Magazine and elsewhere that he has been a fan since the early Eighties and never misses an episode. Brian Keene is a two-time Bram Stoker Award winning horror author first in 2001 for his non-fiction work Jobs In Hell and then again in 2003 for his debut Rue Morgue is a Canadian Magazine dedicated to covering " horror in culture and entertainment" taking its name from Edgar

References

External links

• Days of our Lives official website - NBC.com
• Days of our Lives - Sony Pictures
• Days of Our Lives at Internet Movie Database
• Days of our Lives - SoapCentral.com