Days Of Our Lives
DAYS Production Designer, Tom Early, Shows Off New and Reimagined DiMera Mansion Set
It’s always great to see a face-lift to the sets on your favorite soaps. So many of then have been around for years and years, and in these changing times need to be given new life and freshened up, as much as longtime fans may miss the comfort and familiarity of the originals.
2020 and 2021 has also definitely been filled with challenges and keeping everyone safe on set throughout the coronavirus pandemic on all of your favorite soaps.
Photo: TEarlyTwitter
Recently, Days of our Lives fans noticed a change to the famous DiMera mansion set, where for decades the likes of Joe Mascolo (Ex-Stefano) graced the room with bluster and drama as only Stefano could.
With so much of the action taking place there in story, and several key characters living at the mansion, it was time for an update.
Production Designer, Tom Early took to his Twitter account and shared two views of the reimagined set.
Take a look and let us know what you think of the new look DiMera Mansion via the comment section below.
Nice changes.
I really like the brightness of the new sets. I wish they would acknowledge the change onscreen like they did when the Kirriakis set was updated.
When new sets are introduced as if nothing has changed or rather quickly (like a remodel taking place in one week), that IS very jarring for viewers.
I am NOT a fan of soaps continuously doing this.
The DiMera mansion set looks nice enough but it will take some getting used to.
Victor and Maggie’s new set looks like they mugged grandma or stole it out of mothballs in the attic. Yuck!
I more than disagree! It is about time the DiMera mansion got an update to show that a younger generation now lives there. The mansion is supposed to be a home for a couple with young children NOT a mausoleum. It should have been years ago.
Didn’t they have an update several yrs ago about the time Chad & Abigail were getting married – hence the blue furniture and brighter surroundings?
Imho the last Kiriakis set was brighter and more tastefully done that this dark room.
Agree – IMHO the former set in main room of Kirakis mansion was bright and cheerful. This room, not so much.
I have never seen such a beautiful set be turned into such an ugly set. You really ruined this set
I’m late to the ballgame, but can you or anyone tell me what in the world happened to Maggie and victors home? Is that supposed to be their home or an old home of someone else??
They completely remodeled both the Kiriakis mansion & the DiMera mansion right around the same time. In some ways, it almost seemed like they just swapped sets and changed them up slightly so nobody would notice the difference.
Ironic that you have these really rich families remodeling their houses and the rooms somehow get smaller. Guess Titan & DiMera Industries must have taken some hits in the stock market??
I agree it looks like an abandoned home from th 60s I just tuned in today for first time in about a year. Hideous old set was far bar
I SO agree! These are suppose to be wealthy people with old money. The rich wood, big fireplaces and art nouveau were totally appropriate! And what happened to the gorgeous staircase at the Kiriakis mansion? It also appears that the very rich John Black and the successful Dr. Evans can’t afford new furniture or a decent painter! Apparently the police commissioner Rafe has the nicest home in Salem!
I totally agree with you. They ruined both mansions.
Also in the Demera Manson I’ve noticed that the chimney has been moved over and a window put in so where did the Secret Door go to the basement of the hidden rooms. ?
The “secret basement” door is still there, though it somehow might have switched to another wall in the same room. I don’t know why they bother hiding it anymore. Half the town has been held prisoner there at one time or another, and the other half probably was involved in rescuing them, so it’s not really much of a secret anymore.
Plus it’s a wine cellar. What rich family hides a wine cellar?? Most people with wine cellars like to keep their collection on display so they can show it off to their guests. Not to mention they might send Henderson down there to grab a bottle or two if they have a party going on.
Here’s my issue with the recent set redesigns. First, there was Nicole’s apartment, which went from nice and conservative darker colors, to a spring explosion of bright colors of flowers on the wallpaper and in the pictures hung on the wall. It was a total 180 in terms of style and while it might, perhaps, possibly match Allie’s personality and style, it certainly isn’t Nicole’s. She who dresses to the nines to make breakfast and sit around reading the paper and never working.
Then we had the Dimera mansion. I actually kind of like it, although the double-columns is a bit of over-design. And more importantly, the design would have meant a major renovation / construction job since that room bears no resemblance to the structrural integrity of the room that came before it (nor in fact did the room that came before match the structure of the room before that!). And it’s the same room because you can see the stairs right outside the double-door. Where Stefano’s portrait is hung was a wall, with a entry to the tunnels in it’s previous form – now there’s a fireplace and windows looking outside (and prior to the last room, it was an entryway with double-doors to another part of the house). Plus, the same week the new room debuted, we saw the hallway upstairs that had the same old wood-looking walls – so, they ran out of money???
And last but not least, we come to the Kiriakis mansion. Where once we had a bright room filled with Maggie’s knicknacks, now we have a darkly lit room that is better suited as a reception room at a funeral home. Everyting is so dark, and dreary. It’s almost like the previous lighting schems for the Dimera Mansion and the Kiriakis Mansion were switched. This renovation is completely off – and it appears as if the room was enlarged some.
And for the life of me, I can’t understand why they don’t incoroporate these renovation projects into the actual story???!!! It would make so much more sense then one day being the old set, and the next day, a brand new set that no one acknowledges being different. Yes, I get – we accept recasts and masks and children growing up overnight – but this would be so easy to ground in reality. It’s just one of those soap specific things – like characters that are leaving deciding one day they they are moving to another city or another country and have to go NOW – in 24 to 48 hours. No packing up, no long goodbyes, no winding down their life in Salem – just poof, got a job offer last night, took it, moving today. Same thing with these rooms.
Drives me crazy.
Mike, I am not fond of Nicole’s and Allie’s apartment makeover either. I enjoy sunny yellow as much as anyone, but they incorporated soooo much of it. It’s overwhelming and distracting.
I notice in Nicole’s apartment bears two windows headed out towards where they go towards there bedrooms how is that possible I guess the long hallway to their bedrooms and windows outside the hallways rain straight down
Mike
Very interesting take on the new sets. This is another thing I have always wondered about. It’s when a character, a woman usually is in dire straights and the next time she is sporting an elaborate hairdoo, etc. Leaves us wondering how or when she could spend hours at a beauty salon with all she’s been going through. Very unrealistic to say the least, with nary a mention.
At least on GH, the two major set redesigns (Q foyer/living room and Corinthos entry/living room) were discussed by characters.
My issue is when the same trend carries over from one set to another. On GH, the white marble was used in both the Q and Corinthos sets as well as the new PC Grill set and this week’s redone courtroom set.
Overall, though, it is good to see some investment in set design.
I didn’t know where there were for a few episodes. I thought Ally had gotten her own place.
How do u put the fireplace on a different wall!! Can’t happen!??
What happened to the secret passage? How do u get outside Windows that use to be an exit to the kitchen?? Totally ridiculous!!
Well, the other end of the “secret tunnel” used to be under the old “Doug’s Place” restaurant/nightclub, but is now in the middle of a public park.
So apparently the DiMeras can change their secret passages around at will any time. Even more amazing since Stefano & Andre are dead, Elvis is a Rolf zombie still “recovering” overseas, and Kristin has a revolving door to her prison cell, leaving the DiMera legacy in the hands of Chad & Jake – neither of whom seem to have old Stefano’s Rolodex of “secret passage” subcontractors on speed dial. So Hell only knows how these things get built or rebuilt when needed.
I agree with you 100% on the Kiriakis set.
Mike, great commentary throughout! I’m with you on all of it. But your last few lines about characters deciding in 1 day that they need to leave “NOW” is one that resonates with me the most. It’s so unrealistic. Sometimes a character will inform someone (who just happens to be home) of the news while on the way to the airport. In another thread, I recently mentioned my personal disdain for Johannesburg because we have lost JJ and Claire to that faraway city. I think that adds to the preposterousness of it all: no one in real life moves from the United States to Johannesburg! Right?!?!
So, I’m really late to the game, but am I the only one who thinks the new artwork in the DiMera mansion looks like a close-up shot of a hairy chest? I wish they would change it out. Maybe they have by now, but I’m about 5 months behind.
I agree! I’m actually in the middle of March now (had to play catch up from the past year) & I really don’t like the new sets. Too much change for simple updated decor.
Thanks for covering the change. I thought they took Stefano’s picture down in the scene I saw.
The change is nice because that orange and red couch was lookin rough!
I like it ok but I DO think something about a redecorate should have been written into the script!
The set overhaul was long overdue, and seeing it in production stills is a much different task than it looks onscreen, and that is because the production level of Days of Our Lives is quite poor, so I hope that is going to improve next! Would love to see some other updated / new sets come out, too!
Refreshing a set (a necessity over time) is one thing. Moving an architectural element from where it’s always been to another place is quite another because it defies logic. It appears that the foyer which had previously been opposite the fireplace is now oriented perpendicularly.
The DiMeras can do anything! 🙂
The same thing happened with the shifting of the front door to the Q foyer on GH.
What gets me are obvious staircases to nowhere and walkways directly behind fireplaces.
Except, Steve, the current set actually resembles the original floor plan of the Quartermaine Mansion; the 1990s remodel is the one which changed the floor plan; this was a fix to restoring how the mansion looked pre-1990s.
Scott
The main Q entry from the 80s was always in the rear of the set. The staircase was more towards the center of the room (open on both sides). This can be seen in clips going back to when Lesley helped Monica give birth to AJ.
The good old days, when Stella would always answer the door and cocktails served promptly before dinner.
Yes, I understand, however, the current set definitely reflects the original blueprints than the former set. I am pretty sure having a door front-facing the camera is more technically difficult to shoot than a door to the side of the camera (a.k.a. off-to the side). The door’s location was the main problem with shooting on the old set, hence why it relocated to the side, much like most sets we see in daytime. Not to mention, per the set designer, the original blueprints actually had a side-entrance on them, which is why they went the route they went.
Speaking of design, it looked like Theo’s shirt and Ciara’s hospital gown were virtually the same design. It was distractingly bizarre. Surely, they could have given Theo a solid-color shirt to offer contrast.
Hey, James—-long time no talk–
Speaking of Theo—can we please remove him from all sets/scenes? He looks twelve.
Hello Celia! So glad you reached out. I am on the same page as you here. I just don’t find this character interesting or believable at all, in any scene, with any other actor. Maybe it’s his youthful look, as you mention. Maybe it’s his acting style… I know he’s a recast.
Everyone seems to LOVE Theo. They are seemingly putting him with every other character in Salem. The other day, he had scenes with Chad! They acted like they are best friends. Do they even know each other?!?! I’m furious that Ciara and Ben are not yet together. And Theo’s intrusion is not endearing himself to me.
Please forgive me my rant here, but so glad you opened the door… Take care, Friend! I promise I won’t be a stranger.
LOL, James—always the kind gentleman.
As far as ranting? Well, I rant and fight with the TV as I watch—I used to laugh at and make fun of my grandmother whenever she did that—Lo and Behold!!—I’m now doing the same thing.
Yes, TPTB are overdoing it with this Theo—-I loved the old Theo….such a natural. He made it really easy to be liked.
This actor is still green and so out of his element. And, he was brought in at such an opportune time. WOW!! He so coincidentally appeared almost simultaneously with Chanel ….And, golly-gee, they dated in South Africa. What a coincidence—yes, yes—it’s a soap, but these little, big ( pardon the oxymoron), in-your-face coincidences are getting mundane.
If Theo is to remain on the show indefinitely, I hope ye gods find a more suitable actor for the role.
Thanks for responding, my friend—stay well….
Well, the rumor here in Hell is that Theo will be going back to South Africa soon. Bad news is that Ciara will be going with him. It’s an excuse to make them both “recurring” characters who pop up every now and then.
As for Chanel…. I’m sure she’ll probably cause trouble for herself & everybody else in Salem by competing with the likes of Gabi & Claire (they all seem to be in the same age range now) for the boys, business, or whatever.
I don’t expect her “marriage” to Xander to last very long… if indeed there actually is one.
I think you may be right about Ciara and Theo’s departure for SA. I hadn’t thought of it, but it makes sense, which, as James suggests, will compel Claire and Ben to comfort each other and fall into bed —as is every soap’s standard.
The marriage between Chanel and Xander is very suspect to me—-I mean, what nut-case-justice ( or whomever) marries a sot to a girl who looks like an adolescent? And, how does one get a marriage license overnight?
Yeah, I know—-it’s quite magical living in Soapland—the impossible does happen, more often than not.
But, oh, brother—-what a mismatch. I guess Xander’s shoulders, pecs and biceps are too irresistible—not to mention the Kiriakis’ money.
PS, James—forgive me—I forgot to comment on Ben. The writers must have a reason for this turn of events. I don’t see the dramatic plot—-unless Ciara and Ben are history. I hope not!!
Ciara hates Ben and still thinks of herself as Theo’s girl.
Is Theo taking advantage of the situation to get her back?
James, it makes no sense to me because Theo is supposedly autistic.
So, Theo not showing any signs of ASD is somewhat confusing to me.—-no social interaction being one sign of said impairments. Are we to forget about Theo’s ASD?
Also, counting on this situation to stick it to Ben goes against all known studies. While people afflicted with autism are able to tell little white lies, they are unlikely to be deceitful or scheming.
I’m not sure what to make of this. Autism does lessen for some as they age (higher percentage with girls than boys)—-if that’s the case; the writers should prepare a segment dedicated to Theo and his autism—this is a very sensitive subject.
Who’s ranting now, James?? LOL.
LOL, indeed, Celia! Thanks a million for your replies and for broadening the discussion with your great points: the coincidence of Chanel living in South Africa, Theo’s autism, among others. You obviously know more about autism than I do, but I would expect the writers to explore that at least somewhat with this new actor. Maybe the writers could give the actor who plays Theo better motivation, address his autism, and flesh out this character more. In contrast, I think the actress who plays Chanel has star power. Her character is interesting and appealing, a very flashy performance!
All along, I have had this sinking suspicion that Ben and Claire would turn to each other romantically. Given the way they’ve both been treated by Ciara, that seems like a good bet. But I also see Satan’s comments about Theo and Ciara going off together. So your thought about perhaps an end to Ciara and Ben’s relationship is also looking more certain. If so, as a viewer, what was the point in Ciara being alive after all and Ben rescuing her?!?! To end in such a way would be a rather cruel slap in the face to the viewer.
So from one “ranter” to another, til next time, Friend!
Yes, James—I have had the same suspicions about Claire and Ben for a while. However, after knowing that Ciara was alive, my suspicions, which do not thrill me one bit, went down the drain.
I think Ciara was ” found” for a definite reason. The fact that she has partial amnesia (not remember Ben as the love of her life) is to dispel the notion that Ciara was dead—-this chaper in Ben’s life needed to be closed so that he could move on and put Ciara to rest—-metaphorically speaking.
Later, my friend.
Chanel’s entire backstory keeps getting more ridiculous all the time. Now not only did she date Theo (her cousin’s little brother, no less) in South Africa, but she was also Allie’s best friend in London. What’s next? Did she work for Chad while he was running the DiMera branch office in Paris?? Was she Carrie & Austin’s nanny in Switzerland (or where ever the Hell they live now)? What other exiled Salemites (past or present) can she be tied to in some weird way??
They had an emmy winning Theo! Why they let him go is beyond me. Recast Ciara already. This actress is not worth working stories around her swinging door! Dimera set-A Kiriakis set-F. They had just remodeled the Kiriakus mansion and it looked great. Not now!
Hi, I just happened to see this a year later. Theo is Chad’s nephew. He is the son of Chad’s late sister, who was married to Abe.
Very Nice.
Just glad Days has the money to spend on new sets. For a while there the Horton square and the hospital was the only set.
I like the new design but was confused if they were still in the D mansion?! Should have been written into the story line … fireplace should have stayed on left wall ! I only realized it was the living room because of the old staircase rail ( which should have been updated too) It’s nice they are filming back in that room as the old study was used for over a years. Love the show … been a long time fan since 1986 ❤️
They did update the stair rail and steps. Still the same shape tho.
I had no idea where they were for the longest time. The style is nice, but should have been announced as part of the storyline. Not a fan of the framed artwork though. Looks like a child scribbled it.
I love the changes to the Dimera mansion.
The den was claustrophobic with half of Salem living there. It annoyed me to no end! Thank you!!!!
They changed it up several yrs ago very bright with lighter colors. That’s when the blue furniture came in around the time Chad & Abigail were getting married in that room. Ben was still terrorizing Abigail.
Wish they would bring it into the story line like when the Kiriakis set was changed a few years back -just makes more sense.
The only thing I want to see , is there still an entrance to the hidden passages in this new room? That can’t possibly just disappear as it’s a huge staple to everyone sneaking around in the diners mansion.
They might as well just put a regular door on it. For one thing, it’s supposedly a “wine cellar” which isn’t exactly secret. And for another, pretty much everybody in Salem knows about the tunnel by now, so it’s not really much of a secret. They just need to seal off the other “secret” door hidden behind the shrub in the park.
Sorry, but not a fan of the new look. It’s not the Dimera mansion at all. Did they move? What is it? It also does not provide the audience with the answer as to why it changed. It’s not good, in my opinion.
Agree – what an abrupt change with nothing to alert viewers. I had no idea where they were. There seems to be some sort of light that shines in Dimera, Kiriakis and Horton house – as though lights are off & moonlight is streaming thru windows.
Yes, I guess none of the Salem houses have roofs on them any longer. The blue “night” moonlight is very jarring. They are missing the cricket chirping sound effects since it looks like they all live indoors/outdoors now. Ha!
Love the design changes, but should have kept doors, walls and windows in the same place. Especially Rafe’s home, it is like he moved to a new home
I think the new DiMera mansion set is awful
The new DiMera set is bright , modern and a major improvement. There was a dreariness in the old set. I would like to see the characters reference it in the script.
Room seems small and congested,too much furniture
i hate it ngl. that room was a staple to this show. gave it its warmth.
I liked the old DiMera set. This one is too elegant for Chad & Abby. It’s more suitable for Tony and Anna. But to spring this new set on viewers and not say anything about it deviates from how Days has handled set changed before. Also, it seems they enlarged the room, which doesn’t make sense. There’s no portrait of Stefano, which also doesn’t make sense. And suddenly the acoustics have changed? It used to be that if something was happening on the stairs outside the room, like Abby and Gwen screaming at each other, the people in the room would hear. And why didn’t they lock off the cellars with the renovation? Also, why would they make the inside of the cellars entrance so light and airy? Doesn’t make sense. But then, the ridiculous storylines that seem like they’re written by 13 year olds don’t make sense either. Please send Ciara away forever with her self-absorbed mother, Hope. Roman made it clear a while back that he’s through with Kate. He threw her out of the pub (fired her) and told her to clear out of the room she was staying in. Why would he want to get re-involved with her now? Find Roman a decent woman who is a great match for him. And get rid of Kate, too. And PLEASE GET RID OF KRISTEN. Let Brady see what a monster she is and kick her out of his & his daughter’s life.
The new set makes no sense. One doesn’t just move a fireplace or windows. It’s far too busy in the decor also.
And the 1990s columns are outdated. It would actually look better and bigger if they remove the columns.
it is horrible
Rafe’s house is just a kitchen and there is no physical space for the rest of the house due to the new window placements. The hallway leads to the fence outside his house. There is no place in Nicole’s apartment for bedrooms, etc. due to the window placements on either side. The new Dimera set has stairs to nowhere leading to above the living room windows, again due to the window placements. There are way too many patterns and textures every few feet – so distracting. It looks like the set designers shopped at Home Goods/Marshalls/TJ Maxx due to low budgets. And, what is up with the secret passage at the Dimeras? You can totally see the unfinished set’s 2x4s. Sad. Why would Gabby’s bedroom door open out into the hallway? That would not be up to fire code.
Is Rafe’s house supposed to be the same place Maggie lived before she married Victor? That house was just a kitchen.
Maybe he needs to get a big bowl of moss covered rocks, like Sonny Corinthos has in his kitchen on GH?
It might be Maggie’s old set framework but now there is a window in the back center wall where a swinging door used to be to a living room. When Alice Horton died, the Hortons went through that door and into a living room to cry together. Now, there is a window there.
YOU READ MY MIND! It’s as if Home Goods just exploded things all over. And sometimes, you see the same pieces in DIFFERENT sets / houses, AND, the same patterns (think ceramic cut-work lamp bases, vases and bowls in different colors, but EVERYWHERE.
And the famous Dimera rounded-back dining chair in a taupe / brown paisley pattern. In the living room. It may have originated at Chez Rouge and will also show up at The Martin House (where did it go?), the Kiriakis house and other places…
And please, tear down Kayla Johnson’s mobile-home kitchen with wood linoleum back splash and dented freezer door (hidden under postcards / pics)
OMG, RKJ, so true. So many of the current sets are just the worst. The same dent on the unused door on the right side of the re-purposed hospital boxy sets is bugging me lately. And, the hand prints on various doors. Ew. It wouldn’t cost much for the set designers to paint the DiMera’s bedrooms woodwork white to match the first floor, too, and to flip the re-purposed bedroom DiMera door so it swings inward and not outward (this is not fire code since a door that opens into a hallway could be a fire hazard). It looks like two different houses at the DiMera mansion these days. All of the décor just too busy and tacky. I wonder where the head DOOL set designer’s training is from? Answer: from working at Home Goods. Sorry. I digress. So many DOOL sets are just ugly now. I did like Steve and Kayla’s house set when Joey was on DOOL at least but that set did not last long. Also, the nighttime blue indoor lighting has got to go as well – very distracting. Does anyone know how we loyal, decades-long viewers can give feedback to the DOOL powers that be?
Did anyone notice that the side gated hallway outside by the wall of vines outside of the Brady Pub suddenly disappeared one day and now the front the pub is much narrower? Yes, studio space is tight but I am not sure why the set designers are changing the iconic sets. I feel like it is the wrong creative decision. It seems like lot of the current DOOL sets are square or rectangle in shape like closets or cubbies.
Hadn’t noticed that, but if so that’s a weird thing to change. That exterior of the Brady Pub was pretty much the same even back in the 80s when the pub was a fish market. Why bother messing with that?
I guess with such tight minimal budgets. I just learned from another website that in the original Tom and Alice Horton house, Dr. Tom Horton’s office entry and door used to be in-between the staircase and the front door. Now, it is simply a wall and is gone. Who knows! Hee hee
The change to the dimera & kiriakis mansions are nice, but they really should have had the actors acknowledge the “renos”. Instead it’s all done “like magic” & no one mentions it. Which is weird.
I miss the old ’80s riverfront dock set, Marlena’s ’90s 2-story penthouse, the Salem tunnels with the water dripping sound effects and the big park set of the ’80s where Bo and Hope first kissed. Even quirky Eugene Bradford’s house had a trap door! I just miss the grunginess of some of the ’80s sets in general. I miss Jack & Jennifer set which morphed into Bo and Hope’s house set. Don’t forget Doug’s Place on the Lake with the fancy lobby in the ’80s and live music entertainment by Liz. I guess there is neither a riverfront nor a lake any longer either. And, I guess the Horton cabin was sold. So much good set design history, right? Today, not so much in the illogical set design department. But we still love DOOL!
OMG. I love set refreshes / upgrades.
HOWEVER, Days team, Tom Early, PLEASE – SIMPLIFY! MODERNIZE! I can’t even think about what might be happening at the Kiriakis house.
DiMera bedrooms need to catch up to downstairs.
*On ALL sets. Edit, edit, edit. There may not be $$$ for every set, however, they will be easier to look at if there weren’t so many knick knacks and tchatchki’s (?) laying around that are mismatched and not proportional.
Sometimes I have to look away for a few seconds.
For every set, STOP. Then REMOVE 10 items. Each time you set them up. You’ll have less busy-ness and it won’t be so distracting for the viewer. We can then focus on the great acting and the nice familiar sets that we’ll grow comfortable with.
Thank you for listening.
I don’t disagree with you, RJ— I’d love to have a simpler approach to things— that said, our sets load in rapid fire— we do what we can do— I appreciate your good eye—
Why are your sets so ugly then? Seeing the tan wallpaper poking out on the inside of a the metal hospital door on the (screen’s right side) of frame is crazy are careless on your part.
I absolutely love the black lacquered chairs, does anyone know the designer? Great changes to the DiMera lounge. Old and new mix.
I hate it! Bring back the old house!!!
I hate the new house! Bring the old house back!!!
I felt lost when I saw the Di Mera mansion.Everything was so grey , dusty blue & black. The rich wooden doors were painted black., too. I was shocked to see modern art in Stefano’s place on the wall. But it really looks good over the mantle.
Its hideous!!! Actually all the sets suck, they are too dark, the blue lighting everywhere is stupid, watching it is hard. They are too dark. The Dimera house is horrible, it’s like a mausoleum morbid…yuck ADD SOME LIGHTING. NO ONE LIVES IN A BLUE LIT ROOM. EVEN THE SQUARE IS BLUE…REALLY…TERRIBLE DESIGNING
Love the new facelift at Dimera mansion. Next, you need to do Jennifer and Jacks living room! That couch has to go!
I really like the new changes on the DiMera Mansion. The rooms are more of a modern design for a
young family setting.
The only area that is seriously “improved” is Rafe’s house. The Kiriakis mansion looks like they collected leftover pieces from sets from the last century. Wasn’t that old red and gold furniture somewhere else at one time? Some of the Dimera’s additions (the greek busts and white columns) are a bit over the top. And I agree with many of the comments about Nicole’s (Eriks) apartment – too much color. There was nothing wrong with the tasteful darker colors of old.
Where is Stefano picture now?
The DiMera mansion looks great, but what happen to Maggie and Victors Kiriakas home as it does not look very nice? It looks very cheap. Time for another remodel.
Why does every set use the ugly blue lightening? It’s distracting and awful!
The photo above of the set redesign looks pleasant, minus the absurd columns, for a hotel lobby not a home. But perhaps most troubling is the very strange blue lighting on the show in the mansion. The whole place now resembles a night club at Caesars Palace in Vegas.
That abstract picture does not match the room and it very ugly.
It looks nice but now all the sets look the same, I loved the dark woods that were in the Dimera mansion
Love the wallpaper in Allie and Chanel’s apartment. Does anyone know the name? And also the color of the paint? Thanks
The scribble red painting is god awful and so distracting! What is the point of it?
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of Our Lives’ Favorites Making Returns: Alison Sweeney, Christie Clark, Chandler Massey and Bryan Dattilo
Great news for Days of Our Lives fans, now that Ryan Quan is co-head writer of the long-running soap opera. Coming in June of 2027 (since DAYS tapes ten or so months ahead), you can look forward to the returns of Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady), Christie Clark (Carrie Brady), Chandler Massey (Will Horton) and Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton).
The foursome is back on set and began last week to tape their upcoming story arc, according to TV Insider. As to what exactly is going on that brings sister Sami and Carrie’s history back up, as well as Will and Lucas’ is only being teased at this time, but suffice to say, it should be intriguing.
Alison Sweeney explained on being back on set, “It was a lot of dialogue and emotion, but with all the best actors to work opposite, we fell into it as if no time had passed. It was really wonderful.”
Photo: JPI
As to working with the longstanding rivalry of Sami and Carrie, Alison added on working with Clark, “So, it really does feel like we’re sisters. It’s so fun, and she’s such a good actor that she makes everything so natural that you can really disappear into those stories.”
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
It also seems like the deep-history, which often had the sister fighting for the love of Austin Reed, but that might not figure into the equation this time, or will it?
Alison indicated what she thought of the scripts she was given. “I felt like when I read it, it was a page-turner. I was very excited. There’s a lot of history here, and a lot of things that haven’t been said. So, it’s really not like, ‘Oh, rehashing stuff.’ And now having played some of the scenes, I’m psyched.” Sweeney added, as for the men, working again with her on-screen son, Chandler Massey and Will’s on-screen father Bryan Dattilo, was also extra special.
The last time DAYS viewers saw Sami on the canvas was back in November of 2025, when she revealed she has gotten engaged to never-before-seen Dante Vitali. As for Clark, she last visited Salem for the episodes surrounding John Black’s memorial in June of 2025.
Chandler Massey’s Will Horton last made a visit to Salem in November of 2025 when he attended the gala for the Tom Horton Free Clinic as part of the soap opera’s 60th anniversary celebration. Bryan Dattilo was last seen in December of 2025. So, by the time we see all four again it will be close to two years since they were on new episodes of the series. Time to look forward to June of 2027.
So, excited by the news of Alison, Christie, Chandler and Lucas making a return to Days of Our Lives? What do you think the story will be involving, Sami, Carrie, Lucas and Will? Let us know via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Days of Our Lives’ Alum Al Calderon Talks On His Daytime Emmy-Nominated Scenes as Javi Hernandez (Exclusive)
Last Tuesday, Al Calderon scored the first Emmy nomination of his career for his role as Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives.
Calderon name was announced as one of the performers competing for gold in the Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series category at the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards on October 30.
This week, Calderon chatted live on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel for a one-on-one conversation where he discussed: his nominated scenes and time on the Peacock streaming soap opera, his decision to leave DAYS, his role of Nico Silva on Brilliant Minds and its sad cancellation, plus his passing the torch of Javi to Jacob Martinez, who took over the role on-screen on the June 30, 2026 episode of Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
JAVI REVEALS TO LEO THAT HE HAD A DAUGHTER WHO DIED
Al revealed the scenes that comprise his now Emmy-nominated reel have at its epicenter the heartbreaking moments from the September 12, 2025 episode. In it, Javi shares for the first time to Leo (Greg Rikaart) that he had a daughter named Solana, with a woman he was seeing named Sylvia. One fateful day, Sylvia left their child in a car when she went to work and the little girl died. Javi had blamed himself for not being the parent to take his daughter to school that day since he was hungover the night before, therefore it opened up the opportunity for something to happen to the his child, and it did.
The multi-talented actor/singer explained his reel: “It was the scene where he is talking about his daughter to Leo. I also included the scene where Javi goes to talk to Melinda (Tina Huang) and to see if it would be a viable option to adopt, because I wanted to introduce the subtlety and nuance of why Javi kind of has this whole connection to Tesoro, in a way.”
It is true that Al can bring the tears and make us cry right along with him during his run as Javi. To that, Calderon added, “I’ve read the comments that I’m a little bit of a crybaby, so I didn’t want the entire reel to be of me crying, but I wanted it to show a little bit of an emotional range of the restraint that Javi was feeling so I included that scene
In addition Calderon shared, “I also included a really beautiful scene with Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez, DAYS) where I’m looking at photos of Tesoro, and of course, Javi is crying. I just wanted to show the relationship between Javi and his family as well, and as I mentioned the reveal of the child that he lost.”
Photo: JPI
ALUMS AL CALDERON AND ALICE HALSEY REPRESENT DAYS OF OUR LIVES IN EMERGING TALENT CATEGORY
In a twist of fate, Calderon is also nominated in the Emerging Talent category with Alice Halsey who played Rachel Black. Halsey is currently starring in the reboot of Little House on the Prairie in the lead role of Laura Ingalls on Netflix.
As to his hope on Emmy night, Al expressed, “Of course, I want to win, but Alice Halsey is going to give me a run for the money. And if’s not me (who wins the award), it better be her!”
You can check out the full interview with Al below.
Now let us know, do you remember Al’s emotional scenes when he explained to Leo he had a daughter who died, which made it all the more heartbreaking to not end up with permanent custody of Tesoro? What do you think of Al’s chances to win the gold based on his Emmy scene selection? Do you miss him as Javi? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Days Of Our Lives
Emily O’Brien Talks On Her Y&R Past as Jana Hawkes and Working with Peter Porte on ‘Days of Our Lives’
On the latest edition of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart which dropped on Tuesday, July 21, Emily O’Brien is the featured guest. As soap fans know, Emily has worked with Rikaart both in her first soap role on The Young and the Restless as Jana Hawkes and now on Days of Our Lives in her current role of Gwen Rizczech.
While Emily continues on DAYS, she has very impressive list of credits in the other part of her career as a voice-over actress and one in motion-capture in some of the most popular video games in the world.
O’Brien was first seen on The Young and the Restless back in 2006. She recalled her landing the role which eventually paired her for her five year run with Greg Rikaart.
Photo: JPI
BEING CAST ON THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
“The role was just a few days and she wasn’t even supposed to be English,” Emily recalled. “The role was originally called Jade. Karen Rae, the casting director of The Young and the Restless at the time said to me “Oh, you’re from England. Try it with the dialect.” I put it on and she said, ‘I’m going to bring you back at like 3 for s callback.’ So then they changed the role to Jana and they said she’s going to be a Brit. I was only supposed to be on for like five episodes and it turned into 5 years.”
In explaining why she loved crazy Jana, Emily shared, “Jana was sort of like the misanthrope. She was just was the odd one out and I loved it. I felt so comfortable playing that because she was just eclectic and weird and she loved playing with Ouija boards and she rode a motorbike. There was just so much color to bring to her. It was just such a great match to play with Greg (Kevin), and Christian LeBlanc (Michael) and Tracey Bregman (Lauren).
Photo: JPI
GWEN, DIMITRI AND LEO ON DAYS OF OUR LIVES
On Days of Our Lives, the Leo, Gwen, Dimitri dynamic is quite unique and been through many schemes and entanglements. Often Emily finds herself in repartee with her ex-lover, Dimitri, who turned out to be gay and then had a thing for her bestie, Leo (Greg Rikaart)!
During the conversation, Greg and Emily sang, Peter Porte’s praised with O’Brien expressing, “Peter is just ready to play. He comes on set prepared. I’ve never seen him with his script. From blocking and rehearsals, he doesn’t have it. He’s prepared. He’s a physical actor and he always trying to come up with something. I think he let me slap him. He let me kiss him. He let me throw a cheeseburger in his lap. He’s ready for anything for anything.”
You can catch the full episode of ‘Soapy; featuring Emily O’Brien below where the actress also talks about replacing Jen Lilley as Theresa Donovan after being let go as Gwen; and being paired again with Greg Rikaart on the Peacock streaming soap opera this time as best friends and more.
So, were you a big Jana Hawkes and Kevin Fisher fan on Y&R? Did you like them as a couple? Do you like the dynamic between Emily and Peter Porte and Greg Rikaart on DAYS? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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