Four cast members are officially on contract at Days of our Lives, according to the soap opera’s closing credits on Peacock and longtime Days expert and historian Jason 47.

Lauren Koslow (Kate), Sydney Malakeh (Sydney), Sal Stowers (Lani) and Jacob Martinez (Javi) are the names that appear in the closing credits in the contracted cast members section. Days of our Lives fans also note that the series tapes ten months in advance of streaming episodes.

As Days of our Lives fans know, Lauren Koslow has played Kate Roberts since 1996, and recently filled-in for Jess Walton in the role of Jill Abbott on The Young and the Restless when Walton was unable to travel from Oregon to Los Angeles during the specific tape dates. But now, Koslow has been re-upped to contract status as of the September 8 episode.

Photo: JPI

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

Sydney Malakeh is the newest member of the contract players when she debuted on contract status on the September 10th episode. Days fans first met Sami (Alison Sweeney) and EJ’s (Dan Feuerriegel) daughter in scenes in Monte Carlo around a gambling table.

As for Sal Stowers, the actress had been on contract from 2015-2022, then on recurring status with the soap, and would make appearances and limited runs since 2023. Soap fans first saw Sal as Cassandra Foster on Prospect Park’s revival of All My Children in 2013. Sal’s first new contracted episode was noted to be September 16.

Jacob Martinez, debuted on June 30 of this year as the successor to Al Calderon in the role of Javi Hernandez, and has now been bumped up to series regular as of the September 10 episode.

Photo: JPI

CREDITS

According to the referenced posting from Days of our Lives expert and historian Jason 47, he shared, “It took me four weeks to realize, but the same week that Sydney Malakeh (Sydney) debuted (9/7-9/11), “Days” also put Lauren Koslow (Kate), Jacob Richard Martinez (Javi) and Sal Stowers (Lani) on contract.”

Jason47 added, “This confirms the “errors” of Lani being listed in the credits the week of 9/7 but not appearing, and Kate and Javi appearing in the credits the week of 9/14 but not appearing. It also now makes sense why Javi and Sydney are being listed before Rafe and Philip in the credits.”

He also shared, “For the record, Lauren Koslow’s first date back on contract was 9/8, Jacob Richard Martinez was upped to contract on 9/10, Sydney Malakeh debuted on contract 9/10 and Sal Stowers’ first date back on contract was 9/16. The records will be fixed on the website in the coming days.”

So, glad to hear Lauren, Sydney, Sal and Jacob appear to be on contract with Days of our Lives (as of these episode airings)? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

The ever-popular Australian soap, Neighbours is now reimagined as a premium vertical series via a partnership between its production company Fremantle and the vertical TV platform Roseberry.

In fact, the soap is being cut into short-form vertical video by RoseBerry Media for its “Epis” platform and it will kick-off with episodes from one of its biggest alumni, motion picture star, Margot Robbie.

Robbie starred as Donna Freedman from 2008 to 2011 and there will be two storylines of Donna made into vertical episodes that will total 150 minutes of content which is standard vertical drama fare these days.

Photo: Neighbours

TRANSFORMING NEIGHBOURS WITH NOTABLE ALUMS

The project will transform storylines from the Neighbours archive through RoseBerry’s proprietary AI-assisted production workflow RedSnapper, which can scan decades of episodes to map character arcs, storylines and standout moments.

Neighbours premiered in 1985 and ended in 2025, and aired roughly 9,363 episodes. Other well known alum include:  Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan and Jesse Spencer.

As Neighbours fans know, it was back in 2022 that the Australian soap opera lost its production partner after UK’s Channel 5 failed to reach a new agreement with Freemantle. Next, after its fan favorite alumni returned for the series finale, Amazon came in and revived the show with the series’ 40th and final season airing on Prime Video in 2025.

Photo: Freemantle

NEIGHBOURS LIBRARY OF STORYLINES TO BE CONVERTED INTO MICRODRAMAS

Guy Hameiri, co-founder and CEO of RoseBerry Media, said in a statement: ’Neighbours’ is an iconic piece of television history and exactly the kind of premium entertainment IP we believe can thrive in the vertical format, This is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to apply RedSnapper to a long-running soap with such a rich library of characters, storylines and cultural moments, and Fremantle has been a fantastic partner in helping bring that vision to life.”

Jens Richter, Fremantle commercial and international CEO, shared on the new partnership and new way to utilize the series archive: “Working with RoseBerry allows us to explore an incredible archive in an entirely new way, bringing much-loved IP to new audiences while demonstrating how established television libraries can continue to evolve, find new relevance and, importantly, create new commercial opportunities. It’s an exciting example of how technology and creative thinking can unlock new value from our diverse catalogue and content library.”

SHOULD U.S. SOAPS UTILIZE THEIR CLASSIC STORYLINES AND MAKE THEM  VERTICALS?

As microdramas continue to roll out, the vertical drama industry has been tasked with some companies using AI-generated characters instead of actors, taking jobs away from many in Hollywood, while others continue to build new vertical stars, loved by their passionate fan bases.

With the potential of Neighbours becoming scrolling-sized for your phone, might this become a way for the U.S. broadcast soaps to also repurpose their previous popular storylines through the years instead of just leaving them on the shelves, when soap fans crave seeing some of the classic storylines of the past? Food for thought.

So, what do you think of Neighbours’ storylines from their 4 decades being made into microdrama-sized vertical episodes, the first featuring Margot Robbie? Would you like to see shows like DAYS, Y&R, B&B and GH, with such deep history, utilize a microdrama app to serve up past storylines and archival footage, so fans could see them again in a new format? Share your thoughts via the comment section.

The last 24 hours have been a devastating one for professional wrestling; following the news of the sudden death AEW star Pac, real name Benjamin Satterley at just 40-years-old. Satterley had also wrestled earlier in his career as “Neville” in WWE where he has won the NXT Championship and became a two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

On Saturday night, September 26, Pac opened the match card at AEW All Out Chicago at the NOW Arena that was broadcast on pay-per-view. Pac’s opponent was Andrade El Idolo and in the match he was challenging for the AEW National Championship. He would return to the ring later in the evening in the main event interfering with his fellow Death Riders faction in the Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay AEW World Title bout.

The next thing that happened shocked everyone when on Sunday night, September 27 the AEW social media announced Pac’s death. The entire wrestling community poured their hearts out with tributes for the fallen star from Newcastle, England who leaves behind his beloved wife.

Photo: AEW

PAC FOUND UNRESPONSIVE IN HIS CAR IN PARKING LOT OUTSIDE RESTAURANT

On Monday, September 28 new details emerged as to the mystery surrounding how Pac had died. Reports indicated that at around 4 pm on Sunday CT, Pac was found unresponsive inside a car outside a restaurant in a CAVA parking lot in Des Plaines, Illinois, shortly before he was pronounced dead.

The dispatch audio obtained by the California Post, shared, “This is going to be a slumper. We can’t confirm breathing at this time.” A witness spotted PAC passed out inside the vehicle and called 911  with others searching the restaurant for medical equipment before paramedics arrived.  The witness added, “There was an ambulance, police and a fire truck, all outside.

NO FOULD PLAY CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED IN MANNER OF PAC’S DEATH

A rep for the Des Plaines Police Department told the New York Post there are currently, no indications of foul play and the circumstances surrounding the death are not considered suspicious.”

Pac signed with All Elite Wrestling in 2019 and held multiple AEW Championships.  On Monday, AEW announced that on their Wednesday, September 30 episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT, that they will honor the late wrestling star.

On Instagram, AEW shared, #AEWDynamite – “This Wednesday, September 30 at 8e/7c on TBS & HBO Max This Wednesday, All Elite Wrestling will honor the life, career and legacy of one of the greatest people we’ve ever known, PAC. Join us for A Tribute to PAC, this Wednesday Night!

Share your thoughts on the sudden passing of AEW’s Pac via the comment section below.

 

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