Days Of Our Lives
Ron Carlivati Reveals When Days of our Lives Episodes From His Head Writing Regime Resume Streaming
Days of our Lives viewers have not been watching material from head writer Ron Carlivati and his writing team for many months. Well, things are about to change.
Circle this Friday, May 31st when the first new script from Carlivati and company will stream on the Peacock soap opera. If you recall, Carlivati had to step away from the writing gig at DAYS due to the writer’s strike, but because the soap tapes at least seven months ahead of air, it is only now that fans will see how the stories shift or finish out that were started by Carlivati.
According to Ron’s conversation with TV Insider, when Carlivati and his team resumed writing the show in late October of 2023, the stories were already written well into 2024. Carlivati explained, “For me, as of us talking right now, the (replacement writers’ material) is still airing, so that has been very tough. I’m just very anxious and eager for our stuff to start airing again.”
Photo: JPI
Ron explained before the writer’s strike, he and his scribes had written up through the 2023 Thanksgiving episodes. Speaking on how the replacement writers tried to handle stepping in for the regular team, Ron expressed, “I think what they tried to do was move things slowly in the hopes that the strike would end and respect where my storylines were so that I could play them off when we came back. Unfortunately, the strike dragged on, so I understand that the show needed to make story decisions.”
The award-winning writer made clear that, “from January to May (2024), those were not my stories. I had nothing to do with those.”
Having lived through a writer’s strike before (when he was at One Life to Live in 2008), Carlivati explained how he dealt with coming back and adjusting the stories including that the plan was to, “blow things up, jettison anything that I did not like, and get back to a show that I understand and can enjoy and tell. ”
Photo: JPI
Look for a Carlivati-style ‘wink-wink’ on Friday’s episode. As he puts it, “I did want to make it clear that this was the line of demarcation, that the writers were back and there was a change happening. We have a little nod or two to what was going on in the first day and I think it will be very obvious and clear to the savvy viewer. Luckily, story-wise, certain things were coming to a head already.”
Photo: JPI
Stay tuned for how Ron resolves a Sloan and Nicole showdown, how Eric will find out he is Jude’s true baby daddy, what happens when the new Gabi returns from Salem from out of the slammer, the Maggie/Konstantin wedding, payback time for Theresa and more.
In addition, and as previously reported, when Carlivati returned, he crafted the series 15,000th episode which is set to air in early December, and will also pay tribute to the late Bill Hayes with the passing of his on-screen beloved character, Doug Williams.
So, glad to know Ron and his team’s material will start to reveal itself this Friday and moving forward on DAYS? Comment below.
Never understood taping so far in advance. If a storyline is a bust they can’t do course corrections for almost a year. Maybe they should just take 5 months off and not tape that they can do what others do and tape 6-8 weeks.
Apparently, it has to do with cost-saving measures. But that doesn’t make sense to me either because if that were the case, all soaps would do it.
DAYS needs a complete overhaul, anyway. None of the current stories are interesting to me, many of the characters are insufferable (Konstantin, Theresa, Sloan), and many of the characters I really liked (Ben, Ciara, Shawn, Belle, Abigail, soon to be Nicole) are not on the canvas. Hopefully this change in pace will be a good thing for the show.
If you tape that far in advance, you can do a lot of the OTHER production stuff in batches, as opposed to producing and finalizing each episode, one after the other, in real time.
This is an imperfect analogy, but think of it like making a new lunch every day vs. making them in advance each month. Yes, it means sacrifices (you won’t have as many fresh/perishable things,you can’t change things up if you find you get sick of a specific meal, etc.) BUT it also means you can save by buying things in bulk at Costco rather than going to the store daily/weekly. It means you can spend a hard weekend getting 30 meals ready vs. having to make time each day to do it, etc. (This is especially important in production, where certain roles are paid by the day, whether they work all day or just part of one, and doing things in batches vs. daily can be the difference between having to hire full-time employees to do a job — which is very expensive – vs. hiring people to do the work as a project when you have enough work for them and letting them go off and do other work in the meantime, which is much cheaper.)
It’s not ideal for several reasons, but it is much, much cheaper. DAYS has a far, far lower budget than the other soaps (which is why they reuse sets more often and refresh them less often, and no longer shoot outside). That’s why you don’t see the same issues on other shows. DAYS had to cut and cut just to get renewed and found something that worked for them, striking the balance.
Believe me, every person on DAYS would love to go back to a conventional schedule for many reasons (though I suspect they do enjoy the longer dark periods and time away that I’ve heard comes with this schedule) but most are resigned this is what was needed to save the show. I respect that, as I really do want to see the show stick around.
yeah, but the other soaps have something resembling a budget and they’re not so desperate to save money. Days is. The other shows clearly feel that they’d rather save money somewhere else, given the choice. Days does not have that choice.
The problem with the 5-month off suggestion is that cast and crew have to get paid or released from their contracts (laid off).
DAYS had the easy solution to this in 2020 when all TV production shut down for 4 months. Instead of adjusting the pace of shooting then, they were able to get to a 7-month advance in short time.
GH, can be at a max is 8 weeks ahead (prior to summer and winter breaks) and occasionally airs some scenes 3 weeks after shooting.
Having several months of episodes in the can should have been used to their advantage during the strike, and they should have just used up those episodes and taken a few months off, rather than use scab writers at all. Days, of course, was able to keep new episodes on the air during the 2020 COVID shutdown, and in the end, only had to do about two weeks of reruns before resuming production, though the last few weeks before that had epsiodes that were “padded” heavily with flashbacks, even some scenes that aired more than once in the same episode.
On the other horn, we’re seeing baby swaps and DID stories in Salem right now. Those aren’t ReRon’s writing??
They aren’t. He knows what people are thinking, which is why, I think, he’s making very clear he had scripts written through Thanksgiving and outlines through Christmas, but everything from early January to today, plotwise, was the scab writers.
When he returned he had weeks of scripts that were already in progress in terms of shooting/production. At best, he could make a few tweaks. His and the true writing team’s stuff starts tomorrow.
It’s easy to credit a writer we love or blame a writer we don’t for stuff we like or don’t. But put simply — and legally: union contracts are no joke and people don’t work at all when they are on strike, not even “behind the scenes” — the stuff from January to today was scab plot and dialogue and Friday is when Ron’s plotting resumes (though even that will have to involve him transitioning out of the existing stories, and working with the cast/contracted actors already in place, as when a new writer takes over).
I’d expect pure Ron stories to start in six weeks or so, by then some contract cycles will be up and Zucker and Burton’s non-story dictated exits will be handled (allowing for the characters on the canvas to start shifting) and all the previous stories will be wrapped up (even if they have repercussions), giving him a clear runway.
I love Mr. Carlivati as a writer but to be honest I liked a lot of the replacement writers work. It was less camp, more generational, slower paced and more adult. I loved the EJ Nicole relationship and the Holly Nicole Brady Tate Theresa parenting vibes as well as the Holly Tate story. It was great to see teens on the soap again. Great to see less Kristen. I even like the Maggie Constantine story because we get to see mature actors in a real storyline other than worrying about their adult children and being clueless. So I hope he doesn’t come in and whack all of the replacement writers work just because he can and because he hates the scabs and because it will only alienate the fans.
Doug Marland once said as newly hired soap writer you should take your time before you make a lot of dramatic changes because what you think on first glance may not be working the fans may have different ideas. I know this is a different situation but i cannot lie some of their work was good. The times are grim and we all want a return to more realistic, intergenerational family drama.
I agree with you on a lot, but the show was too slow for me, too repetitive, and weeks went by where nothing of significance happened. The scabs also didn’t use or refer to history as much as they could have (a strength of Ron’s) and missed some big opportunities, such as making the burning and rebuilding of the Horton house a non-event.
Holly and Nicole has been interesting and I agree completely about the value of intergenerational storytelling. But I would like a little more plot and payoff. If Ron can strike a balance, I’d prefer him.
Can’t wait for Ron’s material to start airing again. For the most part, the last several months have been kind of rough to watch. I’m anxious to see Xander finally learn the truth about being Victor’s true son and heir, kick Alex to the curb and make Theresa pay for her conspiracy with Konstantin, including kidnapping his daughter. I also want Shane to find out how she betrayed his trust wnen she tampered with Victor’s will after he left it with her. Nothing against EOB, but this character, IMO, has been completely ruined. I find her unwatchable. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I’d rather see Gwen return. I found her much more interesting.
Rumor down here in Hell is that Xander’s mother will be coming to Salem for his wedding, and obviously she will know the truth about who his father was. I’m thinking she may not be aware that Victor intended to tell the truth about being Xander’s father in his final will & testament, but when she gets to town and finds out that Alex is passing himself off as the heir, things will “click” in her mind and she will realize her son’s being cheated.
They went to the trouble of burning the Horton House in order to buy a new couch? At least they pretended to rebuild the house and not move them into that three wall condo/bedroom set that everyone else lives in.
Days Of Our Lives
‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast
After languishing on the bubble for months, on Friday, NBC handed down the decision and canceled the medical drama Brilliant Minds after two seasons.
Brilliant Minds stars Zachary Quinto as neurology physician Oliver Wolf, who’s character and the series is inspired by the life and books of neurologist. Oliver Sacks. The series focuses on the medical mysteries of the mind, as Wolf a larger-than-life neurologist and his team of interns explore the last great frontier, the human mind, while grappling with their own relationships and mental health.
The final six episodes of what will now be the end of its second and final season were already set to air beginning on May 27, after being pulled off the network schedule in February as viewership saw a steep decline. Brilliant Minds second season became the lowest-rated drama on linear TV viewing, which didn’t bode well fo a network renewal, although it had its hard core fan base.
Photo: NBC
There are some exceptional notables in the cast along with the talented Quinto that includes Days of Our Lives alum, Al Calderon (ex-Javi Hernandez) who joined the series in its second season as Nurse Nico Silva, and One Life to Live alum, Teddy Sears (ex-Chad Bennett) who plays Wolf’s love interest and fellow physician, Dr. Josh Nichols.
The rest of the talented cast includes: Tamberla Perry, Ashleigh LaThrop, Alex MacNicoll, Aury Krebs, Spence Moore II, Donna Murphy, John Clarence Stewart, and Brian Altemus.
In an ironic twist of fate on Thursday, April 30, Days of Our Lives finally revealed the actor who was Al Calderon’s successor in the role of Javi, when they announced that actor Jacob Martinez had now stepped into the role. Since DAYS tapes ten months ahead of streaming new episode, Calderon left in the spring of 2025, but will be seen in the part for the final part this month, and then on June 20, Martinez debuts as Salem’s new Javi.
Taking to his Instagram with a sorrowful and heartfelt post on the Brilliant Minds cancellation was Teddy Sears who wrote, “Thank you, Brilliant Minds. I got the call today and I didn’t want to hear, but I knew that it would come, You have to be a particular vintage to quote Don Henley from memory, but that’s the line that came to mind earlier today after I got off the phone with our inimitable showrunner Michael Grassi who delivered the news that NBC has cancelled the series”.
Photo: NBC
Sears continued, “To say that I feel sad to be moving on from these stories, this character, and this cast and crew just doesn’t paint the entire picture. I’m sad, sure. But I’m also deeply grateful that I got hired to play this part, so proud of the stories we told, and the other actors I got to play alongside. I’m excited to see what comes next, what adventures await, and terrified to be without a professional home. A quick and heartfelt thank you to everyone, all over the globe, who found us and found themselves in us, in our characters and in our stories. We wouldn’t have been able to tell them without you. And we still have 6 fresh episodes yet to air, and I do hope you tune in enjoy the remainder of the series. They’re the best we’ve done.”
As he wrapped up his sentiments, Sears signed off with, “The more I know, the less I understand. All the things I figured out I have to learn again. I’ve been trying to get down to the heart of the matter. But everything changes…Thank you, Brilliant Minds.”
The medical drama was created and executive produced by Michael Grassi alongside Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Leigh London Redman, Lee Toland Krieger, DeMane Davis, Jasmine Russ, Henrik Bastin, Jonathan Cavendish, Andy Serkis and Shefali Malhoutra.
So, what do you think of NBC’s decision to cancel Brilliant Minds after two seasons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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
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.
Breaking News
Jacob Martinez is ‘Days of Our Lives’ New Javi Hernandez Replacing Al Calderon in the Role
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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‘Brilliant Minds’ Officially Canceled After 2 Seasons at NBC; DAYS Alum Al Calderon, OLTL Alum Teddy Sears and Zachary Quinto Among the Cast
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