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DAYS Head Scribes Josh Griffith and Dena Higley's First New Episode Aired Today!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/CBS

Courtesy/CBS

The changing of the guard is official on Days of our Lives for viewers today on Wednesday’s episode of the NBC soap opera.  The airshow was the first script under the new co-head writing regime of Josh Griffith and Dena Higley who replaced Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

Since DAYS tapes six months in advance, the episode was written several months ago, but aired today.  With the recent news that Higley has taken a leave of absence, the future is unknown at this time if Griffith will continue to be head writer of the show solo, or if as has been rumored, he would be adding another writer from the Y&R staff to work with him, while Higley is out for now.

Although fans of the series have yet to have the opportunity to all that awaits them as the big returns, the murder mystery, and changes and shake-ups to the Salem canvas play out, from interviews On-Air On-Soaps has done with talent, and from all we have heard on social media from cast members, they are thrilled at the writing, the stories, and that DAYS has become quite the “It” place to be and work.

As the credit rolled at the end of today’s episode, Griffith and Higley’s names were there.  So, excited to finally see Josh and Dena’s stories begin to play out? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Time will tell…so far i liked todays episode…but ill see what its like in the coming months before i’ll make final judgement…i am excited about the returns but not too happy about the aged children…i do understand the reason behind it so as long as the writing is good and interesting ill be spending more days watching DAYS now at night on POP!!!

I must say that I loved the fight scene between Aiden and Clyde. It’s a shame those two are leaving because I want to see more of that from them.

One of the show’s problems for sometime now has been giving poor story lines to phenomenal actors. James Read and Daniel Cosgrove are both so good. Aiden was a decent character IMO who had a fairly good story, but Clyde was a disaster from the get go. James deserved so much better.

So I understand why Clyde has to go, but I think cutting Aiden is a big mistake.

I watched yesterday ep last night…

I too was impressed with that fight scene…. wow… wasn’t it a long drawn out FIGHT. realistic

altho… it pained me to see Aiden beat up… and doesn’t help knowing he’s exiting…

@Eddie… it’s truly a BIG mistake letting Daniel Cosgrove go
James Read’ acting choices draw you in… despite the bad writing

???? who was that phone call Aiden received?

I know… i’m just venting… I don’t want Daniel Cosgrove to leave the show

I don’t get why DAYS production is messing with a frontburner character like KA’ Hope… when magic strikes… why ruin a good thing…

Rafe is SO good to look at… and as a couple… Rafe and Hope are beyond measure….

I just think with Aiden… she made it her own… and now she has to start all over again… and their’s no guarantee

Daniel Cosgrove is exquisite. Why, oh why, are you letting this actor go???? He was back-burnered so long & now that he is rolling he’s axed? I feel they will turn him dark after all of that talk between Julie/Hope & Hope/Aiden regarding trust in Wednesday & Thursday’s episodes. Not happy about that.

I liked JJ/Paige a bit better after she finally dropped that scowl Wednesday & helped JJ get out of that apartment. Why do I feel she will get offed by the Salem Slasher?

Rafe finally gets a sl??? Could Lucas be far behind?

Also bummed that Xander is on his way out. 2 good actors out. Waiting to hear music to my ears: Ben leaving-fingers & toes crossed.

I understand the younger crowd. DAYS had a very good teen scene back in THE DAY w/Jen, Eve, Frankie etc…they want to light it back up. All I can say is please don’t cute Rory! I like Cole as well but he’s also on a new Fall CBS sitcom w/Colin Hanks called Life In Pieces that may hit.

Like the longer, deeper scenes & relationship talk so far w/new writers. Here’s hoping GH’s new writers focus on the same!

@ Eddie – I agree James Read is very good but the story line he was given is just awful. The writers really let him down from the beginning.

it’s curious

that phone call that Aiden received…. could it have been from John?

I’m grasping… could Aiden ‘ murder be planned… as he’s so involved with Clyde and the drug ring… that his murder will be faked… he’ll go undercover… and Wallah … be reunited with Hope down the road? if not her…. dang it… Kayla… Eve… ! JUST KEEP HIM!

There is always the Doppelganger route. Works on the Young and the Restless. Beats bringing them back from the dead.

I enjoyed today’s episode. Yay, there was NO cat fight!

I’m very excited!!!!!

They didn’t waste any time. In one episode they spelled the end of Clyde and Aiden, and they put Rafe back on the police force where he belongs.

Don’t forget John maybe going back to the ISA.

Great episode. I’m really going to miss Aiden. Really wish they would keep him. Love the character and his portrayed.

You could certainly feel and see a positive difference in today’s episode. I am hoping Dena’s leave will be short lived and she and Josh can turn Day’s back into the power house it once was. So hoping to see power couples back front and center.

You know, it was noticeable. The show felt different, the conversations had more depth, there was an energy that was present that had been missing. You could feel someone taking the reins and pointing the show in a direction. What direction, not sure of yet. But it was a direction.

I just wish DAYS would do normal tape sessions like all the other soaps and tape like a month or six weeks in advance give everyone five months off then resume…..it would keep the soap relevant and “in the now” as far as storylines go…the fight scene was good today with Clyde and Aiden…..good to see Julie and Marlena reconnecting….get back to the family…that’s what this show was always about with Tom and Alice Horton…and the generations of their family…..and please update the sets and stop using the two door office as Roman’s office and Aiden’s office and Sonny’s office…..we are not stupid….lol….hopefully Ken Corday and Sony are listening to the viewers…the Glory DAYS are coming back!!!!!

I agree that the taping schedule should only be 4 to 6 wks out. It would make fixing problems so much more immediate.

With the current schedule it takes 6 months to know how fans will respond to a new story or new characters, which makes mistakes impossible to fix.

And the mistakes made a total mess of the Aiden and Clyde story lines. I hope they don’t do the same to Thaao Penghlis, Peter Reckell, Stephen Nichols and others.

From all the publicity regarding the change in writers, we can gather that a great deal of actors are being dropped which is not a good thing, at least not for the actors who portray these characters. I agree with the person above who commented about the six month ahead taping schedule…they should completely scrap all the stories that are not important to the show and just move it up. The change in children turning to teenagers in a few weeks is lazy storytelling. And quite frankly, who needs all that teenage crap? All it will consist of is horny teenagers poking each other and getting pregnant. How about we focus on the adult characters who already have stories going on. Days has some novel ideas and some good actors. I just wish they could focus on what is going on now instead of trying to be fashionable or hip.

Words can’t express how fabulous it was to see my favorite actor, Drake Hogestyn in scenes that were IN character combined with beautiful dialog that he delivered impeccably. I LOVE that John is rejoining the ISA again! Bring on Agent Black! WOO HOO! Dena and Josh are a breath of fresh air! I pray her leave is VERY short because she is needed back at DAYS to create scripts like the one we saw today!

Loved seeing Drake and Deidre today! And they actually had a long conversation!!! Happy Days are here again!

I am concerned about what’s going to happen to Paul and Will and any gay story lines. As it is we going to have to wait a week to see any scenes between Paul and Will.

And there’s still seems to be rumors and debate whether Will will be one of the murder victims.

It was nice to see Julie do more than talk about cruising.

Didn’t really like the fight scene. Too brutal. But am curious as to who Clyde really is.

I did think it was an improvement on the past though and look forward to seeing more.

I love it that Rafe is rejoining the police department. I never bought that he would be a bar manager. Why not be a private investigator? The fight scenes were intense. The show should have done more to keep Daniel Cosgrove. I think he is likable and could have been a great partner for Jennifer or Nicole. Like many of the other comments, I am ready to see some new sets. The one booth at the Brady Pub looked ridiculous. Would it not have been lesser expensive to use a single camera and have the characters walking around outside, similar to the way “Guiding Light” was shot during its last year.

I think there is great chemistry with Rafe and Hope. Rafe should be a leading man by now after being paired with Sami and Kate. I think the writers now realize that he should be elevated to one of the main stars of the show.

I hope the writers continue to write for Justin and Kate. The ship has sailed for Adrienne and Justin. I do not think they have the great chemistry that shared in the 1990s.

With the character of Joey coming back, I would also like to see Stephanie again. It would make sense and give Gabi and Abigail a friend.

The one change I hope I see with the new writers is that they either give Nicole a confidante or have the character stop talking to herself NONSTOP. It makes me character seem somewhat crazy. Wait, we are talking about Nicole. 🙂

Eve and Theresa need to be more multi-layered. It has become boring to see Eve stomping around Salem Town Square with no purpose except to ruin Jennifer. Does she work? Have any friends? I could maybe jump on board with Eve and Eric if the writers would show that she is human underneath all of the venom.

If the show is going to be written six months in advance, the costume department needs to dress the cast accordingly. Why are so many characters wearing jackets in August? Why did Aiden have on a hoodie sweatshirt this week?

Lastly, I think the best triangle is awaiting. Let Theresa give up on Brady and start being an obstacle with Chad and Abigail. I think this triangle could be GREAT. This would also be the time to start showing Thesesa has some redeeming qualities.

All women should give up on Brady…i like to see Thresa with Chad as the next Sami/E.J…..

I want to see Theresa punished for her crimes. Let her spend a couple of years behind bars and be done with it.

How any woman could want Brady is a mystery to me. Chad and Theresa would be awesome.

I knew something must of have changed when they actually had Hope and Julie talking about Bo and hearing about the ISA again. Looking forward to better things to come, hopefully the sets will be given a make over for the 50th as well. If you are putting all this money into the cast and writers, it would be silly not to update the sets. If they don’t it will a bit like getting a fabulous new outfit, but wearing old tennis sneakers with it.

I wish Josh Griffith was back at “Y & R” and Chuck “The Hack” Pratt ended up at “Days”, which I don’t watch.

Why are you wishing harm to DAYS and it’s fans? Josh is staying at DAYS and Chucky is staying at Y&R. You can watch DAYS and have your doppelganger watch Y&R!!

I haven’t seen it yet but I’m glad to hear that they didn’t waste any time making changes like Rafe back on the police force and John talking about ISA.

Please, please, please quit focusing so much on the gay storylines! A couple of days a week is enough! Can we have some other actors to focus on.

Whats this about daniel leaving and why and why let clyde go hes bad and intresting tried of steffano amd rafe and hope wow it would be expossive

John joining the ISA could lead to some grand adventures wow would be awesome maybe him and steve parters wow would be the good old days again and doug and julie could be like tom and alice we can dream right

John rejoining the Isa is a great indicator that these writers are interested in having the show move back into its classic paxtion/adventure style and Pace as well as having characters do what they do best. I felt passion bouncing off the screen and a sense of Pathos behind the words. The music added so much to the show. I forgot how much a good soap music score amplifies the emotions. Well done so far

What murder mystery are you all talking about

i could tell the difference immediately! Whole first week was exciting! Thanks! Looking forward to the big story.

I think that Nicole Walker should have some happiness in her life on DOOL. It would be great if she is expecting Daniel’s baby. She diserves some happiness after all she has lost.

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53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards Presenters Announced

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Daytime Emmy Presenters

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) revealed on Thursday, the lineup of presenters for 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards taking place on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California.

The ceremony will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.

Scheduled to present from the current soaps are: Katelyn MacMullen (Willow, General Hospital), Delon de Metz (Zende, The Bold and the Beautiful), James Preston (Nick, The Bay), Paul Telfer (Xander, Days of our Lives), Tamara Tunie (Anita, Beyond the Gates) and Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless).

Genie Francis

Photo: NATAS

In addition soap alums, Crystal Chappell, Lesli Kay, Joe Lando, Eva LaRue, who is also a nominee this year,  A Martinez, Juliet Mills, and Alicia Leigh Willis, will also be on hand to present.

The ceremony which celebrates nominated lifestyle programs and dramas will also include presenters: Eva zu Beck (Superskilled with Eva zu Beck), Danielle Chang (Lucky Chow), Sunny Hostin (The View), Derek Hough (Extra), Pati Jinich (Pati’s Mexican Table), Star Jones (Divorce Court), Michael Jr. (Stand Up and Do Something), Judge Greg Mathis (Mathis Court with Judge Mathis), Keke Palmer (Glam Through the Ages), Nischelle Turner (Entertainment Tonight), and Andrew Zimmern (Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen).

The 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards will bring together an exciting mix of presenters representing the full spectrum of daytime television,” said Adam Sharp, President & CEO of NATAS. “From familiar faces in daytime drama to the personalities and creative voices behind talk shows and lifestyle programming, this year’s lineup reflects the breadth of talent that makes daytime so special. We look forward to celebrating the people who continue to shape the genre.”

Matthew Hoffman (Love Island USA, Cheap A$$ Beach Houses) will serve as the ceremony’s Voice of God, bringing his signature comedic narration to the evening’s celebrations. As previously announced, Lifetime Achievement honoree Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by her husband, Jonathan Frakes.

So, what do you think about the list of presenters for the 2026 Daytime Emmy Awards? Let us know who you are looking forward to seeing via the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Reveals Kyle Pryor Cast as Dominic Marino

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Kyle Pryor

For months now, Days of our Lives has teased the character of Dominic Marino. In recent weeks, viewers learned that Marino is on the down low working with Sami Brady’s (Alison Sweeney) apparent fiancé ‘Dante Vitali (Franco LoPresti), and that he is the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall)!

Up until now, the Peacock streaming soap opera has never revealed his face, but that all seemed to change on the Tuesday, October 2o episode of DAYS. In story, Dante met Sami’s parents for the first time, Roman (Josh Taylor) and Marlena.

He shows them a photo of Dominic, which he happened to have on his own phone and even commented he kind of looked like he could be Marlena’s son. The photo, which has quickly made it around Soap Twitter/X, revealed that British-born actor Kyle Pryor is the man in the photo and eagle-eyed viewers actually located said photo on Pryor’s Instagram.

Dominix

Photo: Peacock

Deadline revealed Pryor started taping at the end of 2025 and will first be seen in the role, on air Monday, November 2.  In addition, Days will celebrate its 61st Anniversary with two special episodes featuring Dominic’s arrival, as well the returns of Tony and Anna DiMera, played respectively by Thaao Penghlis and Leann Hunley, on Friday, November 6 and Monday, November 9.

Those in the know, are are that Pryor previously held series regular roles on Australia’s Home and Away, and the UK’s Hollyoaks and guest starred on Emmerdale. In an ironic twist, Pryor appeared in the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand which is the same action series his apparent TV brother, Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera), once appeared in before coming to DAYS.

So excited to see Kyle Pryor take on the role of Dominic Marino as Days of our Lives sets its anniversary story to kick-off with is arrival in Salem? Share your thoughts in the comment section. And in case you missed our latest conversation with Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera) he weighs-in on how Dominic’s appearance will shake things up in Salem. You can check that out below.

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Days Of Our Lives

Days of our Lives’ Conner Floyd Talks Dominic Marino Mystery, Chad and Belle, and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Exclusive)

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Conner Floyd

Fasten your seat belts Days of our Lives fans, as the mystery of Dominic Marino continues to unravel on all-new episodes of the Peacock streaming soap opera. Last week, Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) learned that he may have a half-brother, who may be the biological child of his father, the late Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Dr. Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall), giving him great pause, because he knows Stefano had kidnapped Marlena for four years back in the late 80s and early 90s.

Chad has already been hunting down clues with his current girlfriend Belle Black (Martha Madison) in Italy and Salem, which revealed a photo of a young boy with Stefano with the date 1992 on the back of it, hidden inside Stefano’s chess set. So, what’s next?

Conner Floyd chatted on the Michael Fairman Channel in a new virtual interview released on Sunday, October 18, where he spoke on what the new addition to the DiMera family could do to the already dangerous sibling rivalries, the state of Chad’s relationship with Belle and much more.

EJ and Chad

Photo: JPI

DIMERA RIVALRY

After finding out from EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) that Dominic Marino could be the never-before-heard-of child of Stefano and Marlena, Conner Floyd explained, “I think it blows Chad’s mind a little bit. I think there’s a lot of things working there with old Chad. Obviously, bringing in another DiMera could cause some noise and the whole situation with Marlena’s a little awkward as well because he’s dating Belle, so this could cause a little tiff there. I think his head’s spinning and he does not know what to expect, but I also think he kind of expects that from Stefano, for sure.”

As to how this will change and color Chad’s relationship with EJ, Floyd responded, “Chad knows EJ’s not happy about it and I think he’s going to be real upset if this gets in his way of doing what he wants to do with the DiMera legacy and all that. However, for Chad, I think he’s just going to keep a sharp eye, see what this guy’s about, see if he’s here to cause some trouble or here to be a friend and kinda play it by ear.”

Belle and Chad

Photo: JPI

BELLE OF MY HEART

With Chad and Belle already being sleuths, Floyd says, you can look for the duo to continue getting to the truth. “I think Chad and Belle are committed to this. They’re going full National Treasure, Nicolas Cage,” says Conner. “They’re going to follow the clues. They’re going to get some answers.”

Since beginning in the role of Chad in June of 2025 and debuting on-screen back in April of 2026, the former Y&R star (where he played Chance Chancellor), says it was Madison who helped him get comfortable in his new surroundings.

“Martha is phenomenal. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to get tagged up with when I started here, just because she knows everybody,” shares Floyd. “She knows where to go, who to talk to. She’ll get the tea if you want, and so it was kind of cool. Martha took me under her wing, showed me the ropes. She’s a sweetheart.  I love working with her too. She’s a great actress.”

But, is Chad in love with Belle after such a tortured past with his beloved Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Floyd thinks so! “I think he’s into it. They’re such good friends and they have such a rich history. I think he’s in for the ride. You know, it’s one of those things you probably overlook at first and then they reconnected, and it feels easy and they’re going on these fun adventures.”

MAKING CHAD HIS OWN

Conner had the arduous task of being the successor to Billy Flynn in the role of Chad.. Flynn had played the part for 12 years before deciding to exit and head to Y&R. So, how did Conner approach learning the ins and out of Chad? Floyd shared, “I really dove into Chad when I first got this job. I liked that he kind of walks this tightrope of DiMera and not DiMera, you know. He want to so honor his family roots and really do something for the DiMera family, but he doesn’t want to fall into that trap that all the other DiMera have found themselves in. Chad is a DiMera at heart. He’s got those demons, but he’s just trying to keep them contained.”

Susan Seaforth Hayes

Photo: JPI

ICONIC

When Floyd got to DAYS, it was none other than Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) who most surprised him in the most delightful way, given that he knew Hayes was a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and the current longest-running cast member on the canvas.

“I love working with Susan Hayes! I love her. She’s a sweetheart. Susan is one of the nicest people there. I just thought she was cool and it’s Susan Hayes, you know?  We’ve had a lot of scenes together, which is nice,” explained Conner.

“We’ll go to her dressing room, we’ll run our scenes, and then we’ll spend about an hour just talking about life and she’ll tell me about a book she’s reading. She’s such a history buff, which blows my mind. She’ll start dropping all these historical facts on me. I learn something new by the time I walk out of her dressing room every time!”

Now below, check out the full conversation with Conner Floyd via the Michael Fairman Channel.

Weigh-in: Do you like Chad and Belle as couple? Do you think Chad will get to the bottom of the Dominic Marino mystery? If so, do you think Dominic is truly Stefano and Marlena’s son … and what about Rita (Maggie Carney) in all this? Let us know your theories in the comment section.

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