It’s one of the longest-running television programs in history — and it’s on the brink of being canceled.
Insiders have reported that the entire cast of NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” the second longest-running soap opera in daytime TV, has been suddenly fired.
That’s according to TV Line, which reported the shocking cancelation of every cast member’s contract early Tuesday morning.
The move has experts questioning the future of the legendary television program, which has struggled under a rating decline in recent years. Experts say the future is “ominous” and doubtful.
Representatives for NBC have declined to comment on the story.
The show began in Nov. 1965 and had aired nearly every weekday since. “Days of Our Lives” has 13,715 episodes as of Nov. 1, 2019. Of American soap operas, only “General Hospital” is older and still currently running.
“The storyline focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Horton, Brady, Kiriakis and DiMera families and other residents of the fictional town of Salem,” Soaps.com reports.
The end isn’t certain quite yet.
The show shoots eight months in advance, which means “Days of Our Lives” will have enough content to run into the summer of 2020.
If the show is renewed, NBC can resume production in March without missing any time. In that event, the cast that might return is uncertain. Anyone that signs a new contract will likely have to accept a steep pay cut.
“It’s actually a shrewd — if cynical — business move,” one insider reportedly told TV Line. “If Days gets picked up, [the production company] can offer the actors new contacts at a reduced rate and with a ‘take-it-or-leave’ it attitude. Worst case scenario, they lose half their cast. Best case scenario, everyone agrees to return at a lower salary.”
“All indications are that NBC would like to keep the show going,” the insider said.
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