Is ‘Days of Our Lives’ Canceled? NBC Soap Gets Surprise 2-Season Renewal
Days of Our Lives is getting another turn of the hourglass. NBC has renewed the venerable soap opera, which is currently in its 56th season, for two more seasons. The news delighted fans of the show. In recent years, they’ve had to endure rumors that the beloved daytime drama might be canceled. Production on the current season ended in mid-April.
NBC commits to two more years of ‘Days of Our Lives’
NBC has committed to two more years of Days of Our Lives. That ensures the soap will remain on the air through its 57th and 58th seasons.
“After more than 55 years of bringing drama, adventure, and romance to screens around the world, we are thrilled and honored to carry on the Days of Our Lives legacy for another two years,” executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement. “We are thankful to NBC for their enduring commitment to the show and grateful to continue this wonderful journey with our fans for years to come.”
“We couldn’t be happier to bring our loyal fans two more seasons of Days of Our Lives and continue what has been an absolutely remarkable achievement in television,” Michael Sluchan, NBCUniversal’s executive vice president for scripted series and kids programming, said in a statement.
Days of Our Lives is set in the fictitious Midwestern town of Salem. The soap follows five core families: the Bradys, Hortons, Carvers, DiMeras, and Kiriakises.
Fans worried about the future of ‘Days of Our Lives’
The two-season renewal for Days comes as a relief to fans, who not long ago feared NBC might pull the plug on the show.
Cancellation rumors gained steam in the fall of 2019 after viewers learned the entire Days of Our Lives cast had been released from their contracts. Those involved in the show were quick to reassure fans that negotiations for a new season were underway, and a season 56 renewal was announced in late January 2020.
Recently, Days of Our Lives has struggled in ratings. It’s the least-watched of the four remaining daytime soaps (which also include The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, and General Hospital.) So far, it’s attracted about 1.7 million viewers per episode in the 2020-21 season, down from an average of 2.1 million in the 2018-19 season, according to TV Series Finale.
Days of Our Lives is no longer profitable to its distributor, Sony Pictures Television, Deadline reports. However, the studio and the network have been committed to finding a way to keep the show on the air.
‘Days of Our Lives’ is one of the longest-running scripted TV shows in history
Days of Our Lives premiered in 1965 and has been on the air ever since. It’s one of the longest-running scripted TV dramas currently on the air. Days is eclipsed only by General Hospital, which has been around since 1963. The 14,000th episode of Days of Our Lives aired in December 2020.
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