Ron Carlivati joined DOOL as head writer in January 2017. He was replaced by Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford in July 2024. Despite being head writers for the last year, the material from the pair only starts airing this month. In a long-ranging interview, they reveal the future of the daytime soap’s storylines.
Days Of Our Lives Celebrates 60th Anniversary
Days Of Our Lives premiered on NBC on November 8, 1965. It aired on the network for over 55 years. But the long-running soap made a permanent move to the Peacock streaming service in 2022. The show still airs weekly episodes, but not on network television.
The move likely cost the show a lot of viewers. But so far, Peacock seems to be sticking with the soap. It has already been renewed for Season 61.
One of the first storylines the new head writers, Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford, wrote was a gala to celebrate the show’s 60th anniversary. The new DOOL writers spoke to TV Insider about what fans can expect to see during the anniversary episodes and the entire show going forward.
They teased that the anniversary in November will see “the return of many familiar faces, leading to a new umbrella story that takes us into the New Year.”
However, some returns will happen leading up to the special episode. Emily O’Brien returns as Gwen in July. Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso are returning to the soap soon. The head writers said that they want to give fans the Bo and Hope storyline they deserve.
DOOL New Writers Share Future Of Show’s Storylines
The head writers promised to get back to the roots of the show. “Days is, first and foremost, a show about family and love/romance. We won’t totally abandon the fantastical types of plots Days has become known for, but human relationships will be at the foundation of all of the stories we tell,” they said.
The head writers added, “We wanted to bring more Hortons back to the canvas, give meaningful story to the beloved vets, and flesh out our younger cast to give Salem a true multigenerational appeal.”
How They Handled Writing John Black’s Exit
Another important storyline Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford had to write was John Black’s exit storyline. Drake Hogestyn, who played the role for decades, passed away in September 2024 after a battle with cancer.
With his permission and help, the show plans to kill off John Black, leaving Marlena (Deidre Hall) a widow. It was a tough storyline to write and tough for the cast to act.
“Everyone on the show, including us, loved John and Drake. They were both Superman, and this was not supposed to happen. Logistically, it was difficult because it was our first major story. It was an emotionally fraught situation that involved numerous variables beyond our control. First and foremost, we wanted to respect Drake’s legacy and everyone who loved him.” the new head writers said about the emotional storyline.
