Deidre Hall Reveals If Big Changes Are Coming To Days Of Our Lives Now That It's On Peacock
Many "Days of Our Lives" fans were stunned when the series left network television after more than 55 years on NBC and moved exclusively to the streaming app Peacock. The transition took place in September 2022, and fans are still getting used to finding the long-running soap opera on the platform instead of tuning into daytime television on weekday afternoons to watch their favorite characters.
The move has been a bit controversial among viewers, but Executive Producer Ken Corday — whose parents, Ted and Betty Corday, created "Days of Our Lives" – says that the move was in the works for a while, per Daytime Confidential.
"The network always had the right to migrate the show exclusively to Peacock and now they've decided to do so, and we're excited. The bottom line is, this is the future. This is not the end of an era, it's the beginning of another era," he said (via Soaps.com).
Corday went on to reveal that, once the backlog of episodes finishes airing and the new Peacock episodes begin to stream in February 2023, viewers will likely see some changes, such as longer episodes and sexier scenes. However, fan-favorite "Days of Our Lives" star Deidre Hall is reassuring fans that things won't change for the worse.
Deidre Hall clears the air about Days of Our Lives changes
Recently, actress Deidre Hall, who plays Dr. Marlena Evans on "Days of Our Lives," admitted that fans don't have to worry about the soap opera getting too racy following the move to Peacock. Of course, the transition to streaming could mean steamier romantic scenes and coarse language, among other changes.
Although stars Camila Banus (Gabi Hernandez) and Eric Martsolf (Brady Black) tell Soap Hub that it's a possibility, Hall promises that fans don't need to worry. "Our audience is not changing and we respect who they are and what their sensitivities are. We're not going to become a blatantly sexual or a vile language program. We're not going to do that; that isn't who we are, and it's not who our audience is," Hall told The Wrap.
The actress added that the soap will continue to be a program that families can enjoy together, despite any tweaks that will be made following the move to Peacock. "Our model has always been multi-generational families, doing something topical, human interest and of social interest. I think in those ways we're always family oriented. We're always topical. Our showrunner, Ken Corday and our headwriter, Ron Carlivati stay pretty much on the cutting edge," she revealed.
Hall's comments will likely put the minds of many viewers at ease — and give them more incentive to continue watching the program by following the show to Peacock, where it currently streams exclusively.