Days Of Our Lives
Martha Madison and Brandon Beemer Preview Their Returns to Days of our Lives and Pay Tribute to Drake Hogestyn
Today, on November 8th marks the 59th anniversary of Days of our Lives. The soap opera originally premiered on NBC back on November 8th, 1965. For 57 years it remained on the network, but then back in 2022, the series transitioned to its new home streaming on Peacock. Last week, the series was renewed for its 61st season which will take it through the 2025-2026 television and streaming season.
On today’s anniversary episode, Martha Madison returned to her role as Belle Black, the daughter of Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) and John Black (Drake Hogestyn). In story she returns for Jarlena’s wedding anniversary along with her half-brother Paul Narita (Christopher Sean), although no Shawn is present, nor John for that matter.
However, Madison will soon be in story full force, as she previewed to Michael Fairman TV at last week’s 2024 Day of Days event; along with her longtime on-again off-again on-screen husband Shawn played by Brandon Beemer. As DAYS fans have been privy to via the 2024 extended fall preview for the soap, Belle and EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) will soon hit the sheets, with EJ getting shot by someone, and the imminent return of Belle’s half-sister, Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney).
Photo: JPI
Martha teased that there is big story ahead, “I can tell you it has changed with the new writers (Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford). We are back full-time and have been since April. It is the best stuff I’ve ever done in 20 years on this show. So if you are a fan of Shawn and Bell start watching.” From the sounds of it, the upcoming story which fans will see down the line, puts Madison back as a leading lady on the show, to which she confirmed for all those who have w, “It’s coming.”
Brandon shared that when viewers see Shawn again, he won’t be in the same shape he was battling the bottle when we last saw him. “Nope. I’m not gonna be a drunk. I’m not at all,” revealed Beemer. “It’s a lot of good story to tell. They are writing Shawn as Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope’s (Kristian Alfonso) son. He’s more like the son of Bo vs. the ‘woe is me’ whiny Shawn anymore.”
Photo: JPI
In addition, the actors are back at the show without the presence of the beloved Drake Hogestyn, who for decades played Martha’s on-screen dad, John Black. “It feels like losing a member of your family,” Madison shared as her emotions ran high. “We’ve worked together and known each other for two decades. I called him dad for 20 years. There’s something to that. It’s deep and it’s meaningful. It’s not the same without him.”
Photo: JPI
Madison also expressed how it was for her to tape John’s memorial episodes which we will see in 2025. “I thought it was beautifully done. I think everybody hoped he would come back. I think the combination of shooting so far in advance and really expecting that he would make a recovery, and come back to work really delayed us addressing it in a formal way. But, we have now. I think it was an important way for us all to come together to honor him.”
Photo: JPI
In remembering his co-star, Brandon shared on Drake, “I think that sometimes after a scene where you’re maybe a little bit insecure, he would come up to you and go, ‘Good job, kid. Good job. Yeah. Good job.” He just gave so much love. I think that he could see it in people’s eyes, but he was sort of one of those buoys to hold onto.”
As viewers soon will see more of Belle and Shawn, Martha revealed why her and Brandon still click on-screen. “The reason we work well together is I think we love each other in real life,” admitted Madison. “I heard Jessica Chastain once say, that to have a really good connection on-screen, you have to let yourself fall a little bit in love with them (co-star) in real life. I think that’s true for us.”
Make sure to catch all the Michael Fairman Channel interviews with the cast from Day of Days 2024.
Now let us know, are you looking forward to seeing Belle and Shawn back in action? What did you think of Martha and Brandon’s sentiments on the late Drake Hogestyn? Comment below.
My grandmother finds it interesting that there seems to be no comments on Drake’s death made by Wayne Northrop.
I am more than happy the Shawn and Belle are back on days . I love them both and their characters on the show . I am so sorry for how they will return as far as John Blake death . I am so happy that they will be having around for the log haul
It is about time. No disrespect to the vets, but Belle/Shawn really should be front and center on this show as they are the next generation. Philip and Chloe need to return as well. They should also bring back Carrie and Austin, Mike Horton, Greta, and Eric Brady as well.
More casting news from Days of Our Lives, and for now, the soap opera seems to be breaking their new additions to Salem via their Instagram account. Now comes word and picture on August 24, that General Hospital and The Young and the Restless alum Brytni Sarpy has joined DAYS!
The Peacock soap opera’s Instagram account, showed a photo of Sarpy standing in front of her dressing room in the hallways of Days of Our Lives’ studios. The caption read, “Someone new is checking into Salem… Welcome Brytni Sarpy to the Days of our Lives family! Stay tuned.”
The casting of Sarpy comes on the heels of the announcement of Sydney Malakeh coming to the show in September, and earlier this year General Hospital favorite, Sofia Mattsson (ex-Sasha Gilmore, GH) joining the show in a mystery role when she began taping back around the end of March of this year. Now Sarpy is the “mystery role” category too!
In addition, the Days of Our Lives social team dropped a video ditty of the cast spoofing Love Island, where Sarpy appears as the new “bombshell” of the villa. Other cast members such as Rob Scott Wilson (Alex), Abigail Klein (Abigail), Casey Moss (JJ), Sal Stowers (Lani), Paul Telfer (Xander) and Linsey Godfrey (Sarah) pop-up in it too, among others.
Photo: JPI
SOAP HOPPING
Soap fans first met Sarpy when she played Valerie Spencer, the niece of Luke (Anthony Geary) and Bobbie Spencer (Jackie Zeman) on General Hospital back in 2015. She made her final appearance on the series back in 2019 to join the cast of The Young and the Restless in the role of Elena Dawson.
Elena was introduced as a love interest for Devon Winters (Bryton James). She later cheated on him with his cousin Nate Hastings (Sean Dominic). Elena began to be back-burned by 2023 with Sarpy’s last on-screen appearance in Genoa City in November of 2024.
Due to Days of Our Lives nearly year in advance tape schedule, viewers will have to wait till sometime in the early summer of 2027 to see Brytni’s arrival in Salem.
So, happy to see Brytni Sarpy has landed another soap role? Now that she is at DAYS, who you think she might be playing and paired with? Put on your casting director hats and let us know via the comment section.
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Days Of Our Lives
Sydney Malakeh Joins the Cast of ‘Days of Our Lives’ in Mystery Role: Who Do You Think She’s Playing?
There’s a new gal coming to Salem, or is she new and a recast? That’s what inquiring minds from Days of Our Lives fans have been trying to figure out since the Peacock soap opera dropped an Instagram video heralding actress‘ Sydney Malakeh‘s arrival in Salem.
The soap did confirm that viewers will first see Malakeh on the September 9 episode. In the video, Malakeh is seen going set to set from her dressing room and in to the halls of Days of Our Lives studios.
What we do know id that Sydney has been acting professionally for 6 years and had appeared on Grey’s Anatomy, Apple TV’s Shrinking and the HBO Max’s The Sex Lives of College Girls.
Plenty of Malakeh’s DAYS castmates jumped into the comment thread with positive emojis symbols or written excitement including: Paul Telfer (Xander), Linsey Godfrey (Sarah), Sal Stowers (Lani), Conner Floyd (Chad), Eric Martsolf (Brady) and Christie Clark (Carrie) and more now that fans will finally see her on-air. Since Days of Our Lives tapes 10-11 months in advance, Sydney would have started taping the show sometime back in 2025.
DAYS fans think perhaps because the actress’ name is Sydney that she might be playing the grown-up daughter of Sami and EJ. That character hasn’t bee on the canvas since 2021.
So, who do you think Sydney Malakeh might be playing on Days of Our Lives? Drop your casting director thoughts via the comment section below.
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Days Of Our Lives
Peacock Hikes Subscription Rates for Fourth Time in Four Years; ‘Days of Our Lives’ Fans Sound Off
While recently the streaming service Peacock reported turning a profit for its first time since its infancy, now comes word that the company is raising their prices for all customers, and in some cases it stared today on August 18.
The news of the subscription rate increases marks the fourth time the NBCUniversal streaming platform has done so in four years. So, on August 18, Peacock is increasing the prices for new or returning subscribers and customers, while current subscribers will see the rate increase on or after September 17 depending on their billing cycle when they initially signed up.
Here is the new pricing to follow along: Peacock Premium (which includes ads) will be $12.99/month, up two dollars from $10.99; Peacock Premium Plus will be $19.99/month, up three dollars increase from $16.99; and the Peacock Select tier (which includes current and past seasons of NBC and Bravo shows but excludes movies, live sports and Peacock originals) will increase a dollar from $7.99 to $8.99/month.
Photo: JPI
SUBSCRIBERS CONTINUE TO PAY MORE ACROSS THE STREAMER LANDSCAPE
It was back in June that the streamer reported that aid subscribers were up to 48 million adding a 2 million net gain during Q2 in of 2026. The subscription price hikes are rampant now in the entertainment streaming industry where over the last two years for example, Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV, Paramount+ have all raised their fees to consumers.
Peacock’s tier-levels feature not only Days of Our Lives, but reality hits such as The Traitors and Love Island USA, Bravo series, and a vault of Saturday Night Live, Law & Order, The Real Housewives franchise, and Below Deck episodes as well. Pecock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers have access to sports and live events, as well.
DAYS OF OUR LIVES SUBSCRIBERS HAD A FEW CHOICE WORDS FOR PEACOCK
As Days of Our Lives fans know, the soap opera moved from NBC to the streamer back in September of 2022 after 57 years on broadcast television. When the news hit X on the price increase, DAYS fans had a lot to say about it. Here are just a few of the comments below:
“I can’t believe Peacock and can’t come to a deal with Cordya to air old episodes of #Days. That alone would bring a ton of subscribers,” to If Peacock actually cared about #Days of Our Lives, gave the show the budget it needs for better sets, cameras, background actors and enough time to tell proper stories, I wouldn’t mind paying more. If the money actually showed on screen, the higher price would be worth it,” to “I will continue to pay for a Peacock subscription as long as #Days is on it, but did we know there was another price increase coming?” and more.
So, what do you think of the new price hike increase to watch Days of Our Lives and your other favorite shows and events on Peacock? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
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