Days of Our Lives (DOOL) news shows that the legendary NBC soap now streaming on Peacock has delighted fans for more than 50 years. But some sources worry that the show’s longevity could be in danger for one very grim reason: the loss of veteran cast members.
Days debuted on NBC in 1965 and recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. One of the most endearing things about the soap has been its long list of veteran actors, some having been with the show for decades. According to an inside source “age is now a concern for show bosses.”
Can DOOL Survive?
A network source told the Daily Mail: “When you lose so many fan favorites, it can’t help but affect the viewership and the show’s ratings.”
Several long-time fan faves have departed the show in recent years: 98-eight-year-old Bill Hayes, who played Doug Williams, 89-year-old John Aniston, who played Victor Kiriakas, Wayne Northrop, 77, who played Roman Brady, and Drake Hogestyn, 70, who played John Black.
The source noted “When Days first began, the two main families were the Brady’s and the Horton’s. Stars the fans would love to see more of are Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton) who debuted in 1993.
DOOL Audience Misses Fan Faves
On a side note, Arianne Zucker, who played Nicole Walker for over 20 years left last year after she filed a lawsuit against director and executive producer Albert Alarr.
She accused him of sexual harassment and discrimination; Alarr lost his job and they settled last month. He has denied the allegations.
Some fans have voiced concerns about the show being behind a paywall since 2022. Despite the fact that DOOL was Peacock’s second most watched show of 2024, the source worries it has led to disenchantment among the fan base.
One fan posted: “when you stream the show, you can no longer call your friends and discuss the story because they don’t want you to ruin it for them when they haven’t had a chance to watch.”
Another voiced the opinion of many, stating that the added $10.99 – $16.99 a month is restrictive: “I began watching with my grandmother when I was about ten. But now that I’m in my late 70’s, and am living on a tight budget, it’s just an expense I can’t afford it.”
A spokesperson for the show has said that a “continued focus on the legacy families” is front and center, but that new talent and younger stars is important. To this end, staff allegedly are being “directed by the network to go in a much younger direction. And the money seems to lie in bringing in Gen Z and millennial viewers.”
Daily Mail contacted a representative for Days of Our Lives for comment and if and when a response is available we will update this story.
For now, tell us what you think about the show’s current direction.
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