An Iconic Long-Running Soap Opera Is Leaving TV Forever
Soap operas have been a mainstay on television for decades on end, but it seems as though one of the longest-running shows is leaving television forever.
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After 57 years, NBC’s long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives will be leaving broadcast television. But that doesn’t mean the show is getting canceled. The residents of Salem are just moving to a new home on Peacock – the network’s streaming service. The change means that fans who previously watched the show for free will now have to pay for their dose of drama from September 12th, according to the press release. New episodes of the 58-time Emmy Award winner will debut daily on the platform, with the show’s robust library already available to stream for Peacock Premium subscribers.
The historic move to Peacock creates the ultimate destination for daytime fans to access the library, new episodes, and the Peacock Original spin-off, Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem in one place. NBC News Daily is set to air in the timeslot previously occupied by the popular soap opera, promising to provide signature world-class reporting and breaking news coverage in a first-of-its-kind, live in most markets, mid-day news offering. The hour-long program will also be anchored by NBC News’ team of award-winning journalists, like Kate Snow, Aaron Gilchrist, Vicky Nguyen, and Morgan Radford.
Speaking about the broadcasting change, Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming Mark Lazarus said the programming shift benefits both Peacock and NBC. He added that it’s a reflection of the network’s broader strategy to utilize its portfolio to maximize reach and strengthen engagement with viewers. “With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming,” he said in the press release. The move also aims to bolster the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers.
Days of Our Lives is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing almost every weekday since November 1965. Set in the fictitious Midwestern town of Salem, the story primarily focuses on the Brady and Horton families. However, other households are also highly represented including the Carvers, DiMeras, and Kiriakises. The series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday and Betty Corday and is produced by Corday Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Ken Corday serves as executive producer alongside Albert Alarr with Ron Carlivati heading the writing team.
After celebrating its 55th anniversary in 2020, the serial aired its 14,000th episode that December. In 2021, Days of Our Lives was renewed for seasons 57 and 58. Beyond Salem, a five-episode spin-off of the flagship soap opera premiered on Peacock in September 2021. A spinoff film, Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas, also aired in December 2021. Following their success, the second season of Beyond Salem premiered in July this year. Known as Chapter Two, it also consisted of five daily installments.
According to Variety, Days of Our Lives isn’t the only legacy broadcast show moving to a streaming platform. ABC previously announced that Dancing with the Stars would leave the broadcast network in favor of Disney+. The show’s 31st season will now debut on that streaming service in September. CBS also re-housed SEAL Team and Evil to the streaming platform Paramount+ ahead of their new seasons.
