NBC Renews 'Days of Our Lives' for 56th Season — Which Cast Members Are Returning?

Michael Ausiello
·2 min read

The iconic hourglass has dodged yet another bullet: NBC has renewed venerable sudser Days of Our Lives for a 56th season, the network announced on Wednesday. It remains unclear, however, which fan-favorite cast members will be returning to Salem.

The formal pickup, which will keep Days on the air through Summer 2021, comes two months after TVLine exclusively reported that Corday Productions had released the entire cast from their contracts, as a potential cost-cutting move. Shortly thereafter, longtime Days leading lady Kristian Alfonso took to Instagram to assure nervous fans that “we are still here and we are not going anywhere.”

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With a renewal now official, Corday will have to negotiate new deals with the series’ ensemble before production resumes in March (a process which has already begun, we’re told). Meanwhile, current head writer Ron Carlivati will be back for Season 56.

In a statement to TVLine, NBC’s EVP of Current Programming, Bruce Evans, said, “From our incredibly loyal fan base to our wonderful writers, cast and crew, the enthusiasm for Days never wavers. We’re incredibly thrilled to bring viewers another season of a show that has cemented its place in television history and touches all generations.”

Added EP Ken Corday: “We are most grateful to NBC for their enduring faith in the future of Days, and we are excited to continue delivering compelling stories to our loyal family of fans into this new decade.”

Days is poised to cross the 14,000-episode (!!!) benchmark later this year. The soap premiered as a half-hour series in 1965; it expanded to an hour a decade later.

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