Days Of Our Lives
NBC Executive Jennifer Salke On Ron Carlivati Writing Regime: "We're Feeling Really Great About The New Team In Place …"
Courtesty/NBC
On Thursday morning at the NBC TCA (Television Critics Association) Summer Press Tour executive session, the network’s President of Entertainment, Jennifer Salke said the network brass is behind Days of our Lives under new head writer, Ron Carlivati.
“We’re feeling really great about the new team in place and we’re evaluating it as it goes,” Salke told the media. “Right now, we’ve been so focused on the fall and making all these new shows. We love the new DAYS and we hope it stays on the schedule forever. Everyone’s feeling really good,” she added.
So what did you think of Jennifer Salke’s comments on DAYS? Comment below.
Wow wonderful news, It seems that Days is here to stay. The ratings will go up, I am sure this will happen.
When looking at the now available soap writers ( an endangered species ) there is only one that could turn DOOL and very possibly rise over GH and that is RC,
RC writes out of the box and he is a brave writer. He will be bring his A-Game to Days..
I am envious that days has RC .. (and that Days has Tyler)
You’re incorrectly thinking that only someone who has already written for soaps is eligible to be a writer for soaps. And that is the whole problem: they just keep recycling the same ol’ same ol’. That’s why all these shows are going the way of the dinosaurs: that’s who is running them.
Seriously!!! Good post! Doppelgänger plots are the cheapest laziest most sophomoric of all soap plots. That’s all Ron knows how to write! If DAYS is pinning their hopes on this….um….buh bye.
So true..mab n pratt both wrote ridicuolous doppleganger stories on y n r during their tenures. pratts with jack n marco probably the worst of the bunch. Mabb wrote not one..or two. .but three..catherine n marge, lauren n sarah, sheila and phyliss. Wat a waste of my viewing time
Su, obviously you haven’t seen any of the episodes RC has written.
Watched today–and it’s like a totally different show. Kayla and Steve were a just-remarried, sweet couple. Today, they were shouting at each other and Kayla was slamming doors. Overnight, “Adrienne” is an impostor as is “Marlena.”
And Morgan Fairchild is suddenly front and center. I could go on, but why? It’s all so cliche and predictable. Ho hum–and jeepers creepers!
Wow, what a difference a writer makes, huh??????
Words sound good but i wont get all giddy goo ga until i hear it once again is renewed…then and only then i can be happy and sigh relief!!!
I agree jimh read between the lines. A statement that reads this is truly the last shot for DAYS. If the numbers don’t project a significant rise by the early months of the New Year..IT WILL be cancelled. All the negative posters on various sites and twitter and facebook could quite possibly end DAYS days. People were negative and tuning out of Y&R over Pratt..they listened and brought back Sussman and within months the complaints and tuning out have now led to Mal Young in full charge and already on the sites people have started their negative campaign. He’ll surprise THE WHOLE DAMNED LOT OF YOU..TRUST THAT!! I WANT LOVE NEED MY DAYTIME DRAMA PERIOD!! The choice is four and I watch them ALL. STOP whining and crying and add your voice to the many reasons they should stay and your viewing/dvr to the reason why they are guilty pleasure appointment TV. Voice your complaints but at the same time voice your enthusiasm for never leaving daytime drama less. THAT IS ALL!!
Yes, too many complaints and not enough enthusiasm. I watch all four shows ,also ; not because everything is going the way I desire, but to help boost ratings. Believe me, I’m not overjoyed with every storyline ; however, if I / we continue to voice my/ our opinion and keep watching , hopefully, the powers that be will listen and do the right thing.
i think it is always great to have support from a top nbc executive . i would say to jennifer salke evaluate Days way beyond nielsen , you need to look at figures through streaming platforms not just the official ones but the non official ones , the traffic on facebook and twitter , through facebook and twitter the product is also being consumed , in a different way but it is being consumed , their is also communication from the fans through social media . Yes the market is more diversified on a multitude of platforms and consumed in different ways at different times .
Excellent point. I find it hard to believe the ratings are accurate. When DOOL stars appeared in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee two years ago, more than 5,000 showed up for a book signing. I am hoping that DOOL is turned around and that the show gets back to “can’t miss daytime.” It has NOT been that way since Ben was the serial killer.
great point!
I hope it stays on the schedule forever too.
My username says it all…
Titanic…….
Okay call me a cynic here– but saying we hope it will stay on forever means nothing. No show stays on air forever— although Ron is great at kick starting the engine, he is not very good over the long haul– it happened at GH when he took over, but eventually, his style of writing cannot be sustained– so her statement sounds good, but when I am on holidays I hope my vacation will never end– but it does– and so will their support for the show if the numbers don’t go up or if something comes along that they think will bring in more viewers–
Mary!!! You said it best! His writing style cannot be sustained!!! It is short term, high impact, zero believability, emotionally void writing. There is absolutely no character development, or motivation, or people to root for.
Unfortunately this is true. I truly hope he can do it. I want the remaining four soaps to succeed. Can’t imagine daytime tv without the soaps.
His “engine” just sputtered–big time. Everything on DOOL is suddenly at sixes and sevens and UNRECOGNIZABLE.
I love that Ron is being appreciated for his work. He really is the best in the business.
Come again? I can’t hear you!
You might not appreciate his work but i do. We all have our own opinions. If you like someone better, that’s fine. It doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with you.
Sounds great. NBC & Sony seem to really support Days and want it to stay on the air.
What execs say in public and what they discuss in their conference rooms are two totally different agendas.
Didn’t ask you to! 🙂 🙂
Call me cynical here, but I’m just calling it like I see it. Ms. Salke’s comment “…we hope it (Days) stays on the schedule forever” means zero. “Hoping” it will stay on the air and it actually staying on are two entirely different things. The ratings are beyond putrid. What network executives say publicly and what they say behind closed doors are very often two different things as well. Folks, television is a business, not a nostalgic photo album. Networks have to answer to their advertisers and shareholders, and they can’t be happy at all with Days’ status. The fact is that TPTB are always going to publicly support a show in front of the media– until that show is cancelled. Remember ABC/Disney with AMC and OLTL? I rest my case.
Days has only been renewed by NBC through September 2018 (13 more months), so the next few months are undoubtedly do or die time. If the numbers don’t show any kind of upward trend, you have to think that the sand in the hourglass will finally run out. And if I’m a fan of Days, I’d be scared to have my show’s fate rest in the hands of overrated “Re-Ron” Carlivati’s nonsensical, cartoonish brand of writing (How does this man keep landing head writer jobs at daytime soaps?!?!) Talk about desperation.
Agreed, I wonder if she said this with a straight face, LOL. The “new Days” is an embarrassing hot mess.
She’s honestly feeling “really great” about falling under 2 million total viewers, 300K in W18-49?? The show being moved out of its longtime 1 pm time slot in many key markets??
Be afraid–be very, v-e-r-y afraid, Nick. I saw the show and your adjectives apply in spades.
Keep the faith!
I love Ron C
I think it’s a big mistake for Ron to start off with this double doppleganger story. I’ve been fast forwarding more than ever before… Sometimes I just delete the entire episode when I read the episode summary. Can we get some fresh stuff. Don’t want dopplegangerw, DNA switches, couples in love for 5 minutes and then they’re on to the next one ( Chad, Abby/Gabby/Abby/Gabby and now back to Abby…sucks. I’m waiting for Sami, Will, Vivian, Kristin and whoever Tyler Christopher is playing. Hopefully we’ll get something new and exciting. Until then it’s fast forwarding and skipping entire episodes for me. Beyond ridiculous and boring.
“Beyond ridiculous and boring.” Spot on. And that ol’ double doppleganger story–how unoriginal and fantastical. Verisimilitude? Say what? Lost in the shuffle.
So far not enjoying the new storylines, fast forward through most.
First thing out of the gate, Ron breaks out the lookalike imposters. At least it’s not the endless latex mask parade like it was at GH. But we really NEVER needed Bonnie Lockhart back again for any reason. Or any other member of her trailer trash family.
Hattie is at least amusing, in limited doses, but it’s a 666 mile stretch to claim that she would be associated with Angelica Deveraux, who had been gone for decades before Hattie was ever seen.
And locking Marlena in the nuthouse?? Is this a sign that eventually Ron will change the whole story and turn Hattie into Marlena’s other personality….. like that “Fluke” dragonshit rewrite on GH (even though we saw Luke Spencer physically locked in a rubber room while the wannabe ran around Port Charles stealing his life)
Yeah, sounds like! (Snore!)
The fact is…Ron really doesn’t know how to write anything other than look alike sandbox doppelgangers and plastic surgery fake outs. His entire 3.5 year run at GH was exactly the same…first Faison and his masks, Obrecht and hers, Julian coming back surgically altered, Kate and Connie as alters, the notorious Fluke, Jason returning with a new face etc etc. Even going back to his OLTL days, he had the luxury of multiple personality disorder for core favourites Viki and Jessica. That was any combination of 10 characters right there! He did Stacy and Gigi…the Tale of Two Todds, and more. This is just more of the same because the man doesn’t know how to write genuine human interaction. He is fantastic at umbrella plotting! He does not Lack all the good things that make a soap headwriter great. It’s that his writing style is so jeuvenile, so predictable, so uninspired, and so cartoonish. What I would love for this show to do (or any show)…is on Bonnie’s first attempt at being Adrienne…is for someone…ANYONE…to hear her say “Hi” and to have that character say “Oh hey Bonnie, what’s with the Adrienne get up?” To sell whatever major plot point he is pushing, Ron makes all his characters look stupid! He completely underestimates his audience. We are NOT stupid! Put yourself in any of these characters’ shoes. Your significant other comes home one day and acts completely different, sounds different, kisses different, doesn’t understand or appreciate all the little inside jokes you have between you. No one can replace someone like that. It’s not entertainment anymore. That two senior citizen off their rocker loons and a 50 something trailer park trash would be so deluded that they could even begin to pull something like this off is absurd. To suggest that Anjelica…charitably 70… would be lusting after a young man she had a fling with 30 years ago and thinks she can “get” him is demeaning and disgusting. Where is the character motivation in that type of writing? The realities of psychosis and dementia and obsession are not pretty, and to have all these women on at once who are all clearly diminished in their mental capacities and should be locked in the loony bin does a real disservice to those who do suffer from mental disorders. The fact these women would willingly and gleefully destroy the lives of countless people around them is scary! Marlena is a trusted doctor with mentally ill patients! What if one of them committed suicide on Hattie’s watch? What if she prescribed wrong medication that killed someone? Doppelgänger plots are done. They are irrelevant. They are not entertaining and have been done to death! I know that in Soapland, not everything is realistic and kids go from 5-18 in the span of a day. I just don’t appreciate stories that completely insult my intelligence. When there is no emotional core of truth in the writing, no logic, no motivation, no character development…there is little reason to tune in. I just know that Bonnie will be revealed as Adrienne’s twin and that will be her get out of jail free card. Probably same…Hattie will be a triplet with Marlena and Samantha. They won’t pay for their crimes and will be kept around for future shenanigans. Speaking of Shenanigans. I would like to see that joint resurrected! I don’t want Days cancelled… but my initial feelings are not positive. Should that happen…at least we know that Ron can write one helluva finale for a long running soap! His two part finale for OLTL was awesome!!!! Although I would have reversed the order in which they aired. Unfortunately, we will not be able to assess the full spectrum of destruction that Rons stories have caused for about 6 months. Although he has recently stated that some of his stories will have already wrapped on air in 6 months. So that is good news! I really can’t see 6 months of this doppelgänger nonsense! I think probably Kristen is pulling Anjelica’s strings. Maybe Anjelica is even Kristen’s birth mother. That’s a scary thought! Wait and see.
So FAR THE WRITING IS EVEN WORSE!! DUAL RULES STUPID, THE ACTING HORRID! THIS IS NOT COMEDY ITS JUST LOUSEY
Breaking News
Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62
Robert Kelker-Kelly, who became prominent as a one of the leading men in soap operas back in the late 80s and 90s has died at the age of 62. TMZ first reported the news of Robert’s passing on Saturday, October 3 at his home in St. Peters, Missouri.
According to the St. Peters police report, officers responded to call at around 8:16 pm about an unconscious man who was not breathing, as paramedics and other EMS were en route, Kelker-Kelly had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event.
Officers and paramedics administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful in reviving Kelker-Kelly. The cause of his death is still unknown and under investigation.
Photo: NBC
Daytime fans first saw Robert back in 1987 when he was cast as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the role for three year suntil 1990. Two years later, he took over the role of Bo Brady on Days of our Lives replacing Peter Reckell, who at that time decided to leave the show.
As Bo, Kelker-Kelly was major in story playing opposite the likes of: Crystal Chappell as Dr. Carly Manning, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. When Peter Reckell returned to his signature role in 1995, Kelker-Kelly left the show.
Next, Robert returned to his original stomping grounds at Another World but this time as race car driver, Bobby Reno who was actually Dr. Shane Roberts. His second AW stint lasted from 1996-1998.
Photo: ABC
Eventually, the actor would begin his run as the evil Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital in 2001, then make returns in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, he briefly returned as Stavros as part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, and made one last appearance in 2014.
Robert has also became a professional pilot full from 2003 to 2015 and had been married to former Days of our Lives star, Miriam Parrish (ex-Jamie Caldwell) from 1997-2011, but the couple divorced in 2011. Since that time, he has not remarried.
Recently, Robert was back in the news when Lisa Rinna talked about her time working with her former Days of our Lives co-star in her recently released memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.
Rinna shared on her then on-screen love interest, “Behind the scenes, we hated each other. Remember when Kathy Hilton said I was the biggest bully in Hollywood? Not true. Not even close! I have legit stories about the real bullies in this town. Robert Kelker-Kelly is one of those bullies.”
The former Billie Reed and reality star even punctuated that with, “He made my life a living hell on the set of DAYS, He was horrible to me, I’d go so far as to say verbally abusive. He was passive-aggressive, manipulative and played weird mind games.”
Michael Fairman TV will provide further updates as they become available on the death of Robert Kelker-Kelly.
Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Robert Kelker-Kelly via the comment section below and let us know of all his daytime roles, which was your favorite.
Days Of Our Lives
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: Kristen Locates an Alive Sophia, How Much Does Rita Know About the Birth of Dominic Marino?
Next week, expected surprises and schemes on Days of our Lives. In official spoilers for episodes streaming on Peacock from October 5-9, it looks like Kristen (Stacy Haiduk) has hunted down a very much alive Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd), while Marlena (Deidre Hall) admits a deeply concerning confession to her daughter Belle (Martha Madison), and more.
As previously reported, Tajh Bellow (ex-TJ Ashford, General Hospital) is stepping in for one day for Tyler Joseph Andrews in the role of Theo Carver and will share scenes with Gabi (Cherie Jimenez), where Theo finally agrees to go along with Gabi’s plan, after she offered him a job.
Meanwhile, Gabi may have her hands full with Philip (John-Paul Lavoisier) whose big win in Monte Carlo may have sparked his gambling addiction … all over again, but Philip reveals her has a plan.
Photo: Corday Productions
Sydney (Sydney Malekeh) is in for a shock when Dante (Franco LoPresti) arrives in Salem. Why is he in Salem? Is he part of the unraveling of the Dominic Marino mystery, since we know he seemed like he was talking to the man in Monte Carlo?
Will Marlena ever figure out what Rita (Maggie Carney) is hiding about the mystery of Dominic, and if Marlena is truly his birth mother or did something more suspicious go on and how deeply involved is Rita in this whole story?
EJ (Dan Feuerriegel) finally demands answers of his own from Rita after overhearing on today’s Cliffhanger Friday her conversation with Marlena. Will Rita cop to anything?
Then as noted, while everyone thinks Sophia took her own life, after Kristen “murdered” her, Kristen is infuriated to find she is somehow alive working as waitress in a diner in Kentucky. Will Kristen try to kill Sophia yet again?
Take a look at some of the additional spoilers for next week’s action on DAYS below.
Monday, October 5
Joy worries about her future.
Alex surprises Stephanie.
Chanel supports Johnny through a difficult decision.
Tuesday, October 6
Rachel gives Brady cause for concern.
Roman surprises Kate.
Wednesday, October 7
Leo’s good day takes an unexpected turn.
Brady is forced to make a difficult call.
Thursday, October 8
Paulina refuses to give up on Lani.
Chanel asks Johnny for a promise.
Friday, October 9
Stephanie and Alex steal a private moment.
Steve gets troubling news from Johnny.
So, what do you think will happen when Kristen finds that the woman she thought she murdered and framed (making it looking like a suicide) is alive and well and working in a diner far away from Salem? Was Rita more involved with Stefano DiMera than we even know? Who is the birth mother of Dominic? Is it really Marlena or did someone else carrying her child? And what of Dante? Why is he back in Salem? To get at Philip, or something else? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Days Of Our Lives
‘General Hospital’ Alum Tajh Bellow Fills In for ‘Days of our Lives’ Tyler Joseph Andrews in the Role of Theo Carver
After an earlier post on Thursday, October 1 about General Hospital alumni Tajh Bellow’s (ex-TJ Ashford) upcoming project from Issa Rae’s HOOPAE Digital, comes word that Bellow is temporarily stepping into the role of Days of our Lives Theo Carver to fill in for Tyler Joseph Andrews on the Peacock streaming soap opera.
According to TV Insider, Bellow will be making a one-day appearance next week on the October 6 episode of DAYS as Andrews was unable to make the tape date that was shot 10 months ago on a day last December. Andrews (pictured below) took over the role of Theo in September of 2025.
In Bellow’s upcoming episode as Theo, he will share scenes with Cherie Jimenez (Gabi Hernandez). A DAYS spokesperson tells the outlet that Bellow “stepped seamlessly into the role, and the cast and crew were grateful for his professionalism and commitment, albeit for only one episode.”
Photo: JPI
TAJH WILL BE SEEN IN MULTIPLE PROJECTS IN OCTOBER
As General Hospital fans know, Tajh played the role of TJ Ashford from 2018 to his last appearance in December of 2024. Along the way, he received two Daytime Emmy nominations for his performances as TJ, the last being in 2025 in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
In addition, bellow along with Y&R alum Loren Lott will be seen starting on October 14 in the new Love Island spoof series, The Compatibility Experiment. The show will drop exclusively on TikTok and the PineDrama platform.
The Compatibility Experiment gives a satirical look at reality dating shows, think Love Island! The story centers around Kelvin (Bellow) and Camila (Lott), whose relationship is put to the test when they join a reality show to try to win a the million dollar prize.
So, what do you think of Tajh stepping in for Tyler Joseph Andrews as Theo on DAYS? Perhaps, the soap opera liked his work that he might be considered for another role in the future bringing Bellow back to the soaps? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below.
Van Hansis Marks Two Years as ‘General Hospital’s’ Dr. Lucas Jones
Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62
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