Like sands through the hourglass... and it looks like Days of our Lives has a lot more sand in its iconic hourglass. The long-running NBC soap has been renewed for a record 55th year.
"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," executive producer Ken Corday said of the renewal. "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."
It's a happy day in Salem! #DAYS has been renewed for Season 55. ???? pic.twitter.com/b1OtwBqvoS
— Days of our Lives (@nbcdays) January 8, 2019
DAYS saw a viewership increase of about four percent in the September 2017 to September 2018 season compared to the previous twelve months. According to NBC, the soap logs 2.55 million viewers.
"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," Steve Kent, Senior Executive Vice President, Programming, Sony Pictures Television, added. "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."
In case you were wondering, DAYS airs in more than 25 countries internationally.
The seeming ease with which DAYS was renewed is a welcome change of pace for fans of the NBC soap who, in recent years, have seen the renewal process often shrouded in gloom and doom. In 2016, the DAYS writers were reportedly told to stop writing until a new deal was reached. And who can forget in 2007 when then-President and CEO of NBC Universal, Jeff Zucker, announced that DAYS was on its last leg and was "unlikely to continue [on NBC] past 2009"?
Days of our Lives debuted November 8, 1965, and is NBC's longest-running scripted program and one of the longest-running programs in all of television history. During its history, which now spans more than 13,500 episodes, Days of our Lives has garnered 57 Emmy Awards-- including the Outstanding Daytime Drama crown last year -- and 323 Daytime Emmy nominations. The show has also won multiple People's Choice Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, and Prism Awards.
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