Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Head Writer Ron Carlivati Reveals Why No Explosive Cliffhangers Before Olympic Break
Several Days of our Lives fans have taken to social media over the past few days, being disgruntled with the fact that when DAYS went off the air this past Thursday for its two-week break for the 2022 Winter Olympics, it was without major bombshell cliffhangers as it had in the past for previous summer and winter Olympic breaks when the event airs on NBC.
DAYS head writer, Ron Carlivati took to Twitter on Saturday to explain why, sharing: “We did not know until well after these episodes were written and taped that we would be preempted for the Winter Olympics.”
Carlivati’s tweet was in response to fan Tonja C”s tweet: “They do know. That’s why these huge cliffhangers use to happen all the time. #Days has always taped months in advance and was able to deliver huge cliffhangers. It just seemed to change with the change in writers.”
The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beiijing, China had gone through many question several months ago and leading up to the games including: whether the games would happen at all due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which countries would participate, and the fact that Winter Olympics preemption announcement did not happen till after the DAYS episodes had been taped.
So, are you looking forward to DAYS’ return following the Olympic break? Glad Ron Carlivati spoke up to explain why the last episode of DAYS before the break was not a game-changer? Comment below.
Not buying it ReRon….
NBC always has the Olympics, and they always preempt all the regular programming, both daytime and primetime.
This just happened last summer, for Hell’s sake. I have my senior Devil moments, but it’s not easy to forget something like a two week preemption.
First of all, the Devil doesn’t do Twitter. So if you’re having a feud with somebody on that idiotic time wasting platform, it ain’t me.
Second, there’s no point in defending ReRon’s half-assed excuses, without some facts to back them up. So perhaps you can document the last time that Days aired episodes during an Olympic year, without attempting to throw personal attacks against somebody who can cast you into the Lake of Fire without a second thought.
Satan -I asked my grandmother who has been watching Days religiously for years about the show being preempted by Olympics. Grandmother thinks that NBC did not preempt Days for the Olympics between 1988 and 2002. But to be sure Grandmother would have to read through her daily diaries for those years. .
Satan -given the awful writing and inane plot lines, the absence of an explosive cliff hanger is a positive relief. The only cliff hanger I would want to see is RC’s term as head writer end and the new head writer announced after the Olympics.
4ever DAYS -FYI Satan is allowed to post what he/she/they believe to be true.
I don’t agree with “Satan” for various reasons, including that Mr. Carlivati has no real reason to lie about this, and his lie would easily be spotted by his Sony and NBC bosses, getting him in trouble. Also, today for example, on the East Coast, Olympics coverage on NBC doesn’t start until after Days’ normal 1 p.m. timeslot, showing there may not have been an original plan to pre-empt it every day. (My local affiliate is plugging Days’ spot with a talk show.)
That being said, the personal attack on “Satan” by “4ever DAYS” is appalling and disgraceful. What’s the point of moderating these posts if that kind of abuse is tolerated? And if you get that worked up over an opinion about a soap opera, it’s time to take a deep breath and a step back and consider what’s actually important in life.
4ever DAYS, I am confused… Were your comments meant as humor? Also, it seems that some people think you were addressing your comments to our beloved Satan. Calling this particular Satan a “POS” and “Bitch” is an unfortunate, inappropriate choice. I had assumed that your comment was being directed at Carlivati. I may not think much of him as a head writer at the moment; he may deserve criticism but certainly not curse words and name calling.
Perhaps you might considering clarifying. It may make you (and others here) feel so much better. I have been known to apologize when I misspoke or misinterpreted someone else’s comments. Thanks for reading. And have a good day,
I, for one, choose to take Carlivati at his word because this plausible excuse is such a refreshing change of pace from his typical writing style… 🙂
I may be the only one who thinks so but I think Ron Carlivati is a horrible headwriter and has made Days incredibly difficult to watch with all his outlandish stupid storylines. Let’s see: camp, sci-fi, horror, and throwing characters I love under the bus (particularly Lucas at the altar of E.J.) do not make for riveting soap. I know others just love that idiotic possession storyline but this is not what I love about soaps. I preferred the reality based stories of all of our beloved cancelled New York based soaps. The overall arcs on Days are terrible and the show is only saved by an energetic cast that gives their all to inferior material.
You are not the only one who thinks so, richard. I share your opinion. I miss reality-based stories in Salem too. Always preferred the writing styles of Nixon, the senior Bell, and Marland. Today’s writers worked with these masters. Why do we not have compelling stop like we once did?
Does it really matter?
Complete b**s if you ask me, not to mention his writing is nothing to write home about. It’s time we got someone in there who can actually write and direct this soap. Is Sheri Anderson available to come back again? Or can we promote Lorraine Broderick?
Doesn’t make sense since it’s still February sweeps. You want something BIG to happen even if you don’t know if the Olympics is going to happen or not.
Atleast Ron Carlivatti has an excuse!
Whats Josh Griffiths excuse for never having a cliffhanger at any end of episode ever?
There was a time y n r would have several cliffhangers per episode multiple days of the week and always gaureenteed a juicy exciting one on fridays eppy! You couldnt wait for mondays! Josh the snooze Griffith cant even pretend to script a single cliffhanger since he startd his latest tenure. And no, Devon looking bored and Abby looking lost or Billy plotting some silliness or Victor mumbling a threat dont count. Its almost laughable how bad he is, even worse cbs stills employs Josh Griffith.
Atleast Ron writes plenty of cliffhangers always usually.
Hahaha!! I hate to admit it but you really did hit the nail on the head. Y&R is just not the show it used to be. I only watch because Lauren is still around and even then, we haven’t seen her in an exciting story in a long time.
Every soap he gets his hands on turns into total camp! One Life to Live, General Hospital and now DAYS.
Ron Carlivati needs to break up Eli and Lani I believe it’s time for Ron to reveal Elis romantic past with Steffy Johnson Steve and Kaylas daughter and it’s revealed that Eli has another set of twins a boy and a girl with Steffy the result of a passionate night with Steffy from when he was with the FBI I don’t like the character of Lani Eli can do way more better than her.
well, sure. Carlivati’s is to rewrite history that happened off screen and everyone hates it, so, why not? #facepalm
Well this is a soap you never know
Right on! Lani is too nice. Let’s send her back to the convent where she should have been made Saint for befriending Ktisten.
I don’t see why Days couldnt have been shown on Peacock during this time. You can stream free. If you want to watch the Olympics on Peacock you have to join and pay a fee People are not really tuning into watching the Olympics as much this time around. Rates are way down. NBC HAS REALLY SCREW UP
This is the first time that NBC has ever pre-empted “Days of Our Lives” for the Winter Olympics. None of NBC’s afternoon coverage is live as it is in the middle of the night in Beijing. NBC did not decide until November to pre-empt “Days Of Our Lives” for these Winter Olympics. The episodes that aired last week were taped in September. The producers did not receive enough warning. NBC pre-empted “Days of Our Lives” for the Summer Olympics in 2012, 2016, and 2021, which is what everyone is remembering. The producers were given plenty of notice for those three instances.
The failure to have the cliff hangers is probably due to the production schedule where episodes are shot months in advance and to reshoot or edit them is just not cost efficient. The decision not to put the episodes on Peacock or the NBC application though is lame. Anything that drives people to the internet is good for the show and good for Peacock. It means younger people are watching the show and those are the people who are most likely to be interested in streaming.
Not buying this flimsy excuse either. The last 6 months have been promos about the Winter Olympics. Now I don’t watch Days but don’t think NBC going to suddenly say you’re going to be preempt. But with what’s going on from the site of storylines going on canvas it seems a bit of a mess. What was that big teddy thing that women was fighting? Still devil made me do it is still on canvas and a mask doppelganger story. What I’ve read from comments it seems a lot Days fans are not happy campers of their current stories. I couldn’t watch that kind entertainment.
It’s abysmal. The dream sequence so you’re referring to with Ava fighting a Life size teddy bear was unbearable to watch. Pun intended. That’s what the fast forward button is for thank God for it.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Heated Rivalry’ Star Franco LoPresti Opens Up About ‘Days of our Lives’ Debut as Dante Vitali
Next week on Monday, September 14 will mark the first appearance in Salem of Franco LoPresti in his new Days of our Lives role of Dante Vitali.
Heated Rivalry fans now LoPresti very well from his part as hockey player Cliff Marleau in the series first season. (No word yet if Cliff appears in season 2).
Now in a conversation with TV Insider, DAYS fans will learn that LoPresti is on the soap for a limited run. No timetable was given.
Photo: Corday Productions, Inc
When LoPresti does burst onto the scene come Monday, Dante makes quite the impact as Franco LoPresti explains. It seems that viewers will first see him in scenes in Monte Carlo at a poker table with none other than Gabi Hernandez (Cherie Jimenez) and Philip Kiriakis (John-Paul Lavoisier). However, Dante will come to Salem to talk to the Brady family about his supposed fiancée Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney).
Franco shared, “Dante was born and grew up in Italy and educated at this pretty top-tier English boarding school. He then went on to build his own dynasty in finance, all the while trying to distance himself from the Vitali name (as viewers know Tamara Braun played his cousin Ava Vitali).”
“But at the core of Dante, there’s definitely an old-school quality to him”, continued LoPresti. “He’s super passionate, he’s sincere and incredibly generous, but he’s also someone that you probably shouldn’t underestimate. Loyalty is something that means a lot to him. As Dante enters Salem, I think the audience will get to slowly peel back those layers and discover what’s really driving him. So, I’m excited for Days fans to go on that ride with Dante.”
Photo: Almay
As it turns out, LoPresti taped his episodes of DAYS starting back in November 2025 which happened to be weeks before Heated Rivalry became a smash hit.
Franco recalled, “It’s so funny because I thought my episodes would air in a month (on Days of our Lives). But I found out it was nine to 10 months and I was like, ‘I gotta wait that long?!’ So, I’ve been biting my nails, trying not to think about it, and I think it’s actually kind of helped because now it’s here and it’s all coming at me from all different angles. I’m nervous. I’m excited, and I just can’t wait to see it all come together. It’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had for sure.”
In his personal life, Franco just had his first child with wife, actress Emily Alatalo, just a weeks ago on August 23rd when they welcomed their daughter, Stella into the world.
So, looking forward to seeing Franco LoPresti’s debut come Monday? What do you think about the fact that it’s being reported as a limited run? Do you think Dante and Sami have a chance on-screen or off-screen to be a happy couple? What do you really think brings Dante to Salem sans Sami? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.
In a metaphor for the start of the school year and their upcoming anniversary in November, Days of our Lives revealed its “Class of Season 62,” with a very clever yearbook montage on their social media handles, welcoming new cast members, while paying respect to the veterans and “class”-iying the other characters in Salem.
The official Days of our Lives Instagram account shared on the posting, “The Class of Salem Season 62 has arrived. Familiar faces, new names and plenty of personality. Flip through our yearbook for a peek at this year’s class.”
Let’s take a look at how they broke it all down: The Salem Yearbook starts with saying “another unforgettable season,” with some group pics, and then we dovetail into Salem’s new class which features: Sydney Malakeh (Sydney DiMera), Brandon Butler (Mason Whitfield), Angelica Nero (Victoria Kiriakis), Cole Gersmeyer (Thomas DiMera) and Lorelei Olivia Mote (Rachel Black).
Photo: Days of our Lives
Next up, are the likes of: Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez), John-Paul Lavoisier (Philip Kiriakis), Tyler Joseph Andrews (Theo Carver) and LeeAnn Hopkins (Joy Wesley). Then, in the “Drama Club” section are: Dan Feuerriegel (EJ DiMera) and AnnaLynne Cipriani (Cat Greene).
Following the ‘Recess” section with some group snaps, comes “Homeroom Highlights” with: Abigail Klein (Stephanie Johnson), Eric Martsolf (Brady Black), Rob Scott Wilson (Alex Kiriakis), Lamon Archey (Eli Grant) and Sal Stowers (Lani Price Grant).
The “Salem Spectator” section features: Conner Floyd (Chad DiMera), Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark), Stowers again, and Ashely Puzemis (Holly Jonas). In the “Afternoon Sweets” section look for: Paul Telfer (Xander Kiriakis) and Linsey Godfey (Sarah Horton), Emily O’ Brien (Gwen Rizchech), Stacy Haiduk (Kristen DiMera/Susan Banks), Brandon Beemer (Shawn Brady), plus Jackée Harry (Paulina Price).
Towards the end of the yearbook, veteran performers such as: Mary Beth Evans (Kayla Johnson), Stephen Nichols (Steve Johnson), Lauren Koslow (Kate Roberts) and Josh Taylor (Roman Brady) are featured, plus Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans), James Reynolds (Abe Carver) and Matthew Ashford (Jack Deveraux), Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) and Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Kiraikis) with her on-screen daughter, Linsey Godfrey.
The Salem Yearbook comes to a conclusion noting “Big things happening in Salem” and to tune-in on Peacock, where we also find Jacob Martinez (Javi Hernandez), Maggie Carney (Rita Lesley), and a host of other favorites previewing what’s to come this fall.
So, what do you think of the Days of our Lives Class of Season 62? Looking forward to seeing what happens in Salem? Did you like the yearbook concept for promotional tune-in? Let us know via the comment section below.
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Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of our Lives’ Head Writers Give Fall 2026 Preview: Marlena and Stefano’s Chess Mystery, The Arrivals of Dante and Sydney, Romance Drama for Sarah and Others
As summer comes to a close with Labor Day weekend, the former Days of our Lives co-head writing duo of Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford have given their annual fall season preview in episodes taped some 10-11 months ago.
As previously reported this past July, Ryan Quan returned to Days of our Lives and is now co-head writing the show with Ford, while Cwikly is now a consultant. The new co-head writing teams stories will not be seen till late spring/early summer 2027.
So for now, the stories pick up from where we left off with Cwikly and Ford promising via TV Insider, “Fall in Salem is full of twists and turns and secrets and surprises. Dots connect in unexpected ways as seemingly unrelated threads converge.”
Photo: JPI
CHECKMATE?
In one of the top mystery’s, Marlena is still having troubling memories and she will have another one on the Monday, September 7 episode. Meanwhile, her daughter Belle (Martha Madison) has gotten very close to Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) and as pictured here, the two smooch while in Italy searching for answers to the chess set that Stefano DiMera gifted th the late John Black and Marlena (Deidre Hall) that has some significance.
The head scribes share, “The (chess board) mystery and its fallout are central to the fall stories. Chad and Belle follow the clues to a discovery that changes both of their families, and Salem, forever. Marlena worries that their investigation/the chess set may be a Pandora’s box that has been opened. And she is right…”
Newcomers are also the order of the day for Cwikly and Ford, this fall. We have already seen the debut as Brandon Butler as Mason Whitfield, and next week you can add as previously reported Sydney Malakeh on the Thursday September 1o episode as Sydney DiMera, followed by the the Monday, September 14 arrival of Franco LoPresti as Dante Vitali.
Photo: Corday Productions
Paula and Jeanne Marie expressed on the incoming Dante, “The arrival of a stranger who will set the whole town on its ear. The character has several strong ties to the current canvas and impacts many storylines.” What will Dante be up to? We know Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) had mentioned in 2025 she got engaged to the man, but that was off-screen.
LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH OR THE ONE YOU WANT?
In the romance department, the triangle between Brady/Sarah/Xander heats up with a very conflicted Sarah (Linsey Godfrey). The head writers reveal, “When Sarah faces attacks personally and professionally, Xander (Paul Telfer) and Brady (Eric Martsolf) work together to help and protect her. Sarah’s new love for Brady is challenged by her lingering love for Xander. Xander risks everything for Sarah.”
In addition look for, “Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) and Philip (John-Paul Lavoiser) to draw closer as he tries to save the family company and home.”
Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) will also be returning at some point this fall and she won’t be alone. Who might she bring with her? And from the looks of the Peacock promo for next week’s DAYS, someone is wearing Stefano’s ring around their finger, but who … and how does it all tie in this fall?
So, what do you think about some of the highlights coming up this fall on Days of our Lives per the series head writers? Does anything float your boat or pique your interest? If so, what? Let us know via the comment section. But first, check out the action next week on DAYS in the promo entitled “Bag of Tricks” below.
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