After airing 14,000 episodes over 57 years, NBC moved one of the last remaining soap operas, “Days of Our Lives,” from afternoon TV perch to the network’s streaming service, Peacock. did.
It is replaced by newscasts in time slots, in addition to the demise of the soap opera genre, which had a steady presence on major American networks every afternoon for most of television’s existence. will debut on Peacock on September 12, and the hour-long “NBC News Daily” will also premiere on network TV.
“With the majority of Days of Our Lives viewers already watching digitally, this move will allow us to build a loyal fan base for the show on streaming, as well as an urgent live stream for our partners and consumers. The programming opportunities will enhance the network’s daytime offerings,” said Mark Lazarus, Chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, in a statement.
The move left only three soap operas left on network TV. ABC’s “General Hospital”, CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and Beautiful”.
Soap operas, named after the early advertising soap companies, began as radio programs in the 1930s and transitioned to 15-minute television format in the 50s. “Days of Our Lives” debuted as his half-hour show on November 8, 1965, and in 1975 he was expanded to an hour.
The formula remains largely unchanged from the beginning in several respects.The plot features a great deal of love, lust, infidelity, heartbreak, murder, and all sorts of other intrigues, including the occasional resurrection from the dead and supernatural brushes. It is characterized by
For more than a decade, “Days of Our Lives,” which follows characters from the fictional Midwestern town of Salem, has been haunted by rumors of its cancellation. In 2007, Jeff Zucker, then president of NBC Universal Television, said the show was unlikely to continue beyond 2009Ratings for soap operas were dropping across the board. In 2009, CBS canceled his 72-year-old “Guiding Light,” as well as his 54-year-old “As the World Turns.”
In 2011, ABC has been canceled ‘All My Children’ and ‘One Life to Live’.
But “Days of Our Lives” was as compelling as it was powerful. Less than 2 million viewers per episode In recent years, it has fallen well short of the nearly 10 million it took over as the highest-rated daytime series in the 1970s.it had Lowest rated among the remaining four soap operas 2021-2022 season.
In 2021, NBC renewed this program for two years, moving into 2023.