Days of our Lives has seen a lot of ups and downs in the past few months, including topping General Hospital in the ratings, releasing its entire cast from their contracts in an unprecedented move to save money, facing cancellation rumors in mainstream media, and getting an early renewal through 2021. The roller coaster of events has made a lot of fans nervous about the long-term future of the NBC soap opera, but the network's entertainment chairman, Paul Telegdy, says there's no reason to worry, as the series is on solid ground.
"We're in the middle of knowing very soon [whether] Days of our Lives is going to carry on," Telegdy revealed at the Television Critics Association press tour. "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."
Telegdy's comments come less than two months after the show's executive producer, Ken Corday, reportedly told cast members that the series, created by his parents, Ted and Betty Corday, had received a one-year renewal that will keep it on the air until September 2021. The reassurance that Telegdy made during last week's TCA press event further cements DAYS' solid standing at NBC.
Days of our Lives has broadcast more than 13,700 episodes since it premiered as a 30-minute soap back in 1965. The soap opera has won the award for Outstanding Drama Series at the Daytime Emmys four times and has garnered numerous People's Choice Awards and GLAAD Media Awards.
Soap Central has reached out to Days of our Lives for clarification about the statement Ken Corday made to the cast in November that the show had already secured a renewal.
What do you think about Paul Telegdy's comments about the future of DAYS? Are you relieved to hear that NBC has no plans to cut the soap from its lineup? 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.
