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Days of our Lives Co-EP Janet Drucker Previews 2025 in Salem: “Big Year Honoring Show’s Past and Legacy,” plus “New Eventful, Exciting Stories”

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: JPI

In 2025, Days of our Lives will officially turn 60 years old. As the series heads towards its incredible milestone, recent changes behind the scenes and in front of the camera will be felt by the viewers of the Peacock streaming soap opera.

DAYS co-executive producer, Janet Drucker previewed what’s ahead in the New Year with TV Insider and teased, “It is going to be a big year honoring the show’s past and legacy while setting up new, eventful, and exciting stories.”

With new head writers, Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford material set to begin to stream at the end of April (they replaced Ron Carlivati), Drucker noted on the reset, “It will quickly be evident that they are moving us back to Salem’s core family dynamics – Brady, Horton, Kiriakis, DiMera, and Hernandez families.”

Photo: JPI

Part of the legacy and big returns Drucker spoke of will be that of Alison Sweeney as Sami Brady and Kyle Lowder as Rex. In addition, Drucker promised more familiar faces and returns as they get into the fall towards their 60th on November 8th.

With the passing of Drake Hogestyn and as previously reported, DAYS will deal with the loss of John Black and his memorial, airdates not announced at this time. However, Drucker teased in story, “Steve Johnson vows to Marlena Evans that he’ll keep searching for John Black.”

Photo: JPI

The series will also re-focus its college-aged characters, plus a major whodunit with “Who shot EJ?” is forthcoming, and as Drucker shares, (there will be) “small doses of Leo Stark, Hattie Adams, Bonnie Lockhart, Susan Banks, and Vivian Alamain thrown in the mix.

Some casting changes to note as previously posted, the role of Sophia Choi will be played by the incoming Rachel Boyd. The part of Rachel (the daughter of Brady and Kristen) will now be played by Alice Halsey as of the April 24th episode, and according to the preview, at some point, Rachel goes missing.

Photo: JPI

Meanwhile, Kim Coles reprises her role for one episode as Nurse Whitley King, the deranged woman who kidnapped Abe Carver. Emily O’Brien reprises her role of Gwen Rizczech beginning with the March 10th episode.

In another intriguing move, former Port Charles and Guiding Light favorite, Michael Dietz (ex-Joe, ex-Alan-Michael, respectively) is slated to appear in an undisclosed story arc beginning on April 30th.

Are you looking forward to what Janet Drucker previewed for 2025 in Salem and Days of our Lives? Comment below.

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In general, interesting developments! But we can do without a return of the deranged nurse. In the “Best and Worst of Soaps 2024” recap, I was fully expecting Michael Fairman to knock the deranged nurse kidnapping storyline (or was that the year before?) as well as the deranged Connie storyline. They were both torture — and not only for some of the other characters!

For Hell’s sake enough with the doppelgangers and pointless psycho characters like Nurse Horrendous Wig. I’m assuming these things are still part of ReRon’s “end stage” writing (which got him fired, just like the terrible last two stories he wrote for Luke Spencer got him fired from GH)

But with 9 months of episodes in the can, it might be a better approach to just cut anything involving doppelgangers and/or “Body & Soul” completely out of the story. Patch together some good episodes from what’s left, and in the process, bring that taping schedule back to a more reasonable 2-3 months out, so it’s easier to lose bad writing directions and horrible recasts in the future.

Would love to see more of Leo but redeeming himself he is so funny but needs to find his good worthy leo
Please I hope Zander and Sara can finally be happy (they were great detectives)
And hopefully couples stay together, Jada/Rafe
Johnny/Chanel, Brady/Ava, Stephanie/Alex

I am sorry, DAYS is a shadow of its former self and that is partly due to Ron Carlivati. He wanted to recapture Reilly’s far-out writing style, but that wasn’t DAYS. DAYS was about families and super couples and they did it quite well! I hope the new writers can breathe new life to this soon to be a 60 year old soap!

…And nothing about the Carvers. Typical. Thank God for “Beyond The Gates.”

TBH, I’m not watching right now. I’m keeping up by reading spoilers and recaps. It just feels like one single episode is on for 3 hours to me.
I’ll be back when Hope and Sami get back.

Days Of Our Lives

DAYS OF OUR LIVES: Sophia Seemingly Plans to End Her Life, But Not Before Setting Fire to Johnny’s Apartment With Him Trapped Inside

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The final few moments of the Thursday, April 30 episode of Days of our Lives, will pave the way, to what just may be the end of Sophia Choi’s (Rachel Boyd) life, but not as you may think!

After an unhinged Sophia paid a visit to Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman), maced him in the eyes, knocked him out and then tied up to a chair, now conscious, she lets him know that she holds him responsible for all the trouble and trauma she has gone through from adopting her child, and her being sent to a mental institution.

So instead of the unregistered gun Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) gave her to finish off Johnny, Sophia sets up a plan to light candle, use nail polish remover and turn on the gas on the stove to ultimately create a mass explosion, which although Johnny pleaded to her not to that to all the innocent people inside his apartment building, she doesn’t seem to care.

Photo: JPI

FIERY FACE OFF

The plan was supposed to be, after she takes care of Johnny she will toss the gun in the Salem River, then focus on payback to Holly Jonas before leaving town to start a new life.

Now, Sophia makes her exit, leaving Johnny to be a few moments away from an explosion or gas inhalation, when Chanel (Raven Bowens) comes home after awaiting the results of her mammogram. She sees Johnny tied up, as he panics and tells her to put out the flame on the candle, things go awry, and a fire has begun and everything may go up in flames with Johnny and Chanel inside.

Photo: JPI

A BROKEN SOPHIA

Back in her room, Sophia breaks down after reading the social media comments about her, she planted, and then starts writing a suicide or farewell note which says. “I’m tired of begging for forgiveness for my mistakes. All I wanted was to move forward, to be loved and understood. But it’s clear that I was never going to get that. Holly Jonas said that I was dead to her. So, as her former BFF, I’m going to make her dream a reality.”

Photo: JPI

A DEADLY TRAP

Now, the fate of Johnny, Chanel and Sophia will be revealed on tomorrow’s May 1st cliffhanger, which may be the end of Sophia when she crosses paths with Kirsten at the bridge near the river. We do know Rachel Boyd is no longer appearing in the show credits section and is now off contract with the soap.

So, what did you think of the climatic final moments of DAYS? What did you think of the performance of Rachel Boyd as Sophia Choi? Let us know via the comment section.

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Jacob Martinez is ‘Days of Our Lives’ New Javi Hernandez Replacing Al Calderon in the Role

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Finally! The casting has been revealed as to just who would be Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Days of our Lives, Javi Hernandez. On Friday, April 30, the long-running soap opera revealed Jacob Martinez is taking on the part and he will first be seen this coming June 30th and then on all-new episodes streaming on Peacock.

As previously reported, the popular Calderon exited the soap opera last year to join the cast of the NBC primetime medical drama, Brilliant Minds as nurse Nico Silva, who in May will air the remainder of their second season. The series has been on the bubble for renewal by the network. His last episodes as Javi will also air this May on DAYS.

Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming, Martinez has been secretly ensconced in all the drama in Salem for quite some time. When viewers see the new Javi in story, we should learn what will happen in Javi’s relationship with Leo Stark played by Emmy winner, Greg Rikaart, plus his continued relationship with his relatives in the Hernandez clan. Currently, when Javi returned to Salem after taking care of his ailing father, and after the bust-up of his marriage to Leo thanks to Dimitri (Peter Porte), he claimed he had moved on with someone else while he was away from Salem.

Photo: JPI

Like Calderon before him, Martinez is a multi-talented actor and singer. Jacob’s resume is impressive having appeared in the musical In Pieces: The Musical at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and he was hand-picked by Joey Contreras to play the role of Grey. Other credits include: the short film, Memory Swim and the play Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage.

Martinez hails from Norfolk, Nebraska and appeared when he was very young at the Johnny Carson Theatre, and as DAYS fans know, Jacob is now working at the Days of our Lives studios, right where the “Tonight Show” is filled. In addition, Jacob Martinez is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).

Taking to his Instagram on Thursday, April 30 once the news of his casting was revealed, Martinez, expressed, “Way too many people to thank in one post, so I’ll just say THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART to each and every person who continues to pour into me and encourage me to chase my dreams. I cannot even begin to express how grateful I am. I already feel beyond blessed, supported, and loved. See you all in Salem ⏳”

Jacob Martinez appeared on Friday on the Days of our Lives Instagram account announcing his casting. You can check it out below. Deadline was the first to report the casting switch.

So, excited to learn who is the new Javi Hernandez? Please welcome Jacob Martinez to the role and be on the lookout for his debut on June 30. Comment below.

 

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of Our Lives’ Conner Floyd on Chad’s Quest For Abigail’s Resurrection; But Who Should Be Cast as NuAbby?

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Former Y&R favorite, Conner Floyd made his debut as the recast Chad DiMera on Days of our Lives last week on the April 21 episode of the Peacock streaming soap opera

Floyd replaced Billy Flynn in the role who is firmly cemented in his old stomping grounds of Genoa City and The Young and the Restless as Chad DiMera. For the last year or two of Chad’s story, he believed his wife, Abigail Devereaux DiMera could be alive, he even thought Cat Greene (AnnaLynne McCord) was Abigail until the story turned.

Now with Floyd taking over the role and Lexie coming back to life after years of being dead, and Chad noting how Dr. Rolf (Richard Wharton) and his brother, EJ (Dan Feuerriegel), could resurrect somehow they all love, he thinks, how about Abigail? The part of Abigail was played by Kate Mansi and then Marci Miller. 

Photo: JPI

Speaking with Stephanie Sloane for her new Daytime Dish Newsletter on the matter, Conner shared, “Any kind of idea that she could possibly be coming back, as farfetched as that may seem, he’s stuck on it. The idea gets in his head, and he’s locked in on it.”

CHAD WRESTLES WITH THE FATE OF ABIGAIL

Floyd added that Chad, “He’s asking Theo (Joseph Tyler Andrews) about it. He’s asking EJ about it. It’s one of those things where he loves her so much that the peace in his mind that he’s made with this kind of comes unbroken. So the fact that that she might be able to come back, he’s so bent on it, he thinks it’s going to happen and he kind of spirals away.”

A NEW ABIGAIL ON THE HORIZON?

Photo: ABC

That begs the question, with Days of Our Lives taping ten months in advance, which is already taking them into the beginning of 2027, is it possible that the soap has already recast Abigail and its being kept top secret?

Recently, it was revealed that former General Hospital favorite, Sofia Mattsson (ex-Sasha) has joined Days of our Lives. Back on March 30 it was reported that Mattsson is now taping all-new episodes that will be seen in 2027, but her role was being hush-hush! Could she the new Abby?

If not, the question is, since it seems that Kate Mansi is not coming back as she is firmly entrenched in her role as Kristina Corinthos-Davis on General Hospital and other outside projects, and Marci Miller has also been away from soaps for awhile working on other TV and film roles and indie motion pictures, who should play nuAbby?

Now below, let us know, who do you think would make the perfect leading lady opposite Conner Floyd as a recast Abigail Deveraux DiMera? Be our armchair quarterback casting director and drop your pick in the comment section.

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