‘Days Of Our Lives’ Cast Released From Contracts Amid Renewal Talks With NBC

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://deadline.com/2019/11/days-o...-contracts-renewal-talks-with-nbc-1202783911/


As of this posting Sony and NBC are in negotiations over the contracts of Days of Our Lives

The entire cast of NBC’s daytime drama Days of Our Lives are been released from their contracts, Deadline has confirmed.

As first reported by TVLine, the soap will go an indefinite hiatus at the end of the month. The cost-cutting move comes during the usual renewal window between NBC and Days distributor Sony Pictures TV; a renewal for Days typically comes at the start of the year. According to sources, negotiations for another season of the show on NBC are currently underway.

The decision to release the cast came from Corday Productions, the production entity on the series created by Ted Corday and Betty Corday. With daytime drama ratings continue to slide, and the current season (through end of summer) of Days already in the can, the company is limiting its exposure in case the series is not renewed for another season while also employing a possible negotiating tactic with the cast.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Negotiations. Sure.

 

[crainbebo]

I can just see it. The next soap opera to end its run?

 

[Ccook55]

With either a game show, a clone of The Talk or an afternoon edition of The Today Show in its place, or NBC simply goes dark in the dayparts (outside of the morning Today)?

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

I’m not sure they give up the time just yet. But stranger things have happened.

 

[anotherguyTN]

If NBC fills the time with anything it will probably be with another talk show that might or might not have the Today name. If it was something along the line of what ABC is doing with Strahan, Sara and Keke that won't be too bad. I'd like to see game shows make a comeback but I doubt that will happen.

 

[FreddyE1977]

Aw, geez, not the old "cliffhanger bus crash episode at the end of the season" again.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Midday Today?

I mean, sure, there’s something to be said for going all in and giving the news division the hour. Forums like this, by and large not made up of the audience for such an effort (nor for Days of our Lives for that matter) can whine and kvetch, but the economics could be more sound.

I might even put game shows beneath giving the hour back in order of probability. They’ve played a little on the fringes of game shows in primetime lately with Ellen’s show and such. But they never (yet) aired a recorded new season of The Wall. And while primetime and daytime are separate beasts, they wouldn’t enter the field with a situation like ABC and some track record of successful games (summertime, but still). They own some rights that could be useful, and there is a plethora of titles old and new they could explore, if they had any desire.

 

[crainbebo]

'From NBC News, this is Today PM! Live from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza...'
Nah, as much as I'd love game shows to replace these failing soaps, besides CBS's mainstays it probably won't happen. Besides, what would they try to greenlight? NBC's current game shows (Ellen's Game of Games, Hollywood Game Night, The Wall) are designed for primetime and would be nearly impossible to put in daytime. I doubt if Howie wants to do another daytime Deal knowing the success the last one got (which was little to none).

 

[Don CT]

Aw, geez, not the old "cliffhanger bus crash episode at the end of the season" again.

The people of Salem find out that there is a nuclear plant on the edge of town that is about to explode.

 

[Joey1986]

So the days of this show’s run could be numbered?

 

[Don CT]

So the days of this show’s run could be numbered?

The sands might be out of the hour glass.

 

[anotherguyTN]

This is getting closer to what I had predicted at one time: "Stay tuned for the 10th hour of the Today show followed by NBC Nightly News!"

 

[CTListener]

This is getting closer to what I had predicted at one time: "Stay tuned for the 10th hour of the Today show followed by NBC Nightly News!"

That would certainly please NBC's partners at SiriusXM, which has a dedicated Today channel that currently carries the morning show live, then a replay for the West Coast listeners, then a repeating announcement that programming will return the next morning. The announcement is on far longer every day than the programming.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The people of Salem find out that there is a nuclear plant on the edge of town that is about to explode.

And it's Stefano DiMera's fault.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

With either a game show, a clone of The Talk or an afternoon edition of The Today Show in its place, or NBC simply goes dark in the dayparts (outside of the morning Today)?

Perhaps a clone of "The View" and "The Talk" called "Today's Chat."

 

[John Gallagher]

Probably a maneuver designed to cut high actor salaries.

 

[CTListener]

Got to wonder just how many people are watching midday network TV these days -- or any TV during those hours, for that matter. The viewers must consist mainly of the elderly, the third-shift workers, the unemployed, the ever-decreasing number of stay-at-home wives, shut-ins of various descriptions ... not exactly the sort of demographic makeup that would have much appeal to advertisers. They obviously must be overwhelmingly female, because none of the networks is airing anything remotely male-skewing between 10 and 3.

Personal anecdote: My dad's 98 and he spends most of the day napping, flipping between CNN and MSNBC, or looking for a war, detective or western movie on one of the Starz channels. I'd be surprised if he's ever watched a minute of what the networks offer in the daytime.

 

[TheBigA]

Probably a maneuver designed to cut high actor salaries.

Given the declining ratings of daytime TV in general, it's likely that budgets for these shows are being cut. That translates to salaries, although actor salaries tend to be based on AFTRA rate. Some multiple of that, such as double or triple scale, depending on seniority and if penalties apply.

 

[danderson6500]

Got to wonder just how many people are watching midday network TV these days -- or any TV during those hours, for that matter. The viewers must consist mainly of the elderly, the third-shift workers, the unemployed, the ever-decreasing number of stay-at-home wives, shut-ins of various descriptions ... not exactly the sort of demographic makeup that would have much appeal to advertisers. They obviously must be overwhelmingly female, because none of the networks is airing anything remotely male-skewing between 10 and 3.

Personal anecdote: My dad's 98 and he spends most of the day napping, flipping between CNN and MSNBC, or looking for a war, detective or western movie on one of the Starz channels. I'd be surprised if he's ever watched a minute of what the networks offer in the daytime.

Remember it's not the days when my grandmother would watch Another World, complete with live accompanying organ music. Or watching You Don’t Say!, starring Tom Kennedy which followed AW. That was when soaps and games pretty much ruled daytime TV. And i do remember my granny watching Who Do You Trust? starring this young comic named Johnny Carson, which aired in the late 50s/early 60s..