It’s been nearly six months since the material from Days of our Lives co-head writers, Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford began airing, and there’s already a lot to celebrate. Not only did the show recently score a two-year renewal from Peacock, but the soap will also mark its 60th anniversary on November 8.
As Days heads into the fall, viewers can expect to see more of Cwikly and Ford’s creative vision come into focus. “Because all stories build on characters’ history, we are always working with threads from past regimes,” the duo explains. “That said, the stories airing this fall are primarily new tales.
Because both writers have deep roots with the soap, the renewal news is especially meaningful. “We have both been fans of the show for decades, long before either of us got our first jobs on Days, and are thrilled the show will continue through at least season 63 and hopefully well beyond,” they enthuse. “We could not be happier for the cast, crew, and fans that life goes on in Salem.”
As the season changes, the writers describe the mood of the show as a blend of cozy and chaotic: “Thanksgiving/family feels with a healthy dose of Halloween mayhem thrown in for good measure,” they tease.
All that momentum is building toward the big anniversary in November. The milestone will serve as the key turning point in the season, and its impact will ripple into future storylines. “The 60th anniversary is the event that brings the town together to celebrate. The hospital gala will kick off a new umbrella story that extends into the new year,” add the scribes.
Cwickly and Ford say they’ve been thinking about how to mark the anniversary since stepping into their current roles. “We wanted to honor the first families of Salem with a retrospective that kicked off new stories in its aftermath,” they explain. “There will be a hospital gala in honor of Tom Horton [played by the late Macdonald Carey], which coincides with some mysterious experiments EJ [DiMera, Dan Feuerriegel] is conducting in his private lab.”
Big Cast Returns
As the show moves toward the 60th anniversary celebration, look for the following beloved characters to return for a handful of episodes over the season: Lamon Archey (Eli Grant), Matthew Ashford (Jack Deveraux), Maree Cheatham (Marie Horton), Roark Critchlow (Mike Horton), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton), Colton Little (Andrew Donovan), Chandler Massey (Will Horton), Melissa Reeves (Jennifer Deveraux), Sal Stowers (Lani Price Grant), Stephen Schnetzer (Steve Olson), Christopher Sean (Paul Narita), Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) and Greg Vaughan (Eric Brady).
Exciting Storylines Ahead
The “Who Shot EJ?” reveal — that young Rachel Black (Alice Halsey) pulled the trigger — will reverberate through the canvas for some time to come. Her mother being in prison is not the only trauma Rachel Black has to deal with, and she lashes out in a way that has life-threatening consequences.
Our teens move into the dorms at Salem U as they begin college. An adult also embarks on a new career as an adjunct professor.
Sophia Choi’s (Rachel Boyd) desperation grows as Brady Black (Eric Martsolf) and Tate Black (Leo Howard) get closer to the truth about the baby
Xander Kiriakis (Paul Telfer) and Sarah Horton (Linsey Godfrey) will love each other forever and always, but they both have inner demons to deal with before they can live together in peace and harmony.
Chad DiMera’s (Billy Flynn) growing feelings for Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) ignite a family feud
Tony DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) gets the upper hand on Xander and Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier). A mystery puts the DiMeras in danger.
Marlena Evans’ (Deidre Hall) health crisis worsens.
Stephanie Johnson’s (Abigail Klein) past comes back to haunt her.
Now that Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) has been exonerated, he and Chanel Dupree DiMera (Raven Bowens) get serious about starting a family but face unexpected roadblocks.
Secrets and desires come to light when Salem goes dark.
