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Before we begin...
WHAT IS AN FAQ?
FAQ stands for Frequently Asked
Questions. Thus, this document should answer some of the questions
people continuously ask about Days of Our Lives. This FAQ
provides an introduction to Days. Many of the questions are answered
in greater detail somewhere on my site. Wherever possible, links have
been given, to allow you to learn more about a particular topic. Just
click on the underlined text. If there is anything that is not
answered in this FAQ, and you think it should be addressed here,
E-mail
Ken.
You are welcome to link your page to this FAQ. However, you may
not reproduce any part of this FAQ without my consent.
Compiled by K.R. Marshall (ken@whoswhoinsalem.com) © 1998-2001
Originated: April 24, 1998
Updated: April 14, 2001
Section 1: Important Facts About the Show
Who created Days of Our Lives?
Irna Phillips, Ted Corday, and Allan Chase. Ted Corday is the father
of Ken Corday, the show's current executive producer. Irna Phillips was
the story editor. Allan Chase was a producer and friend of Ted Corday who
actually had very little to do with the creation of the show besides helping
design the original concept.
When was Days created?
Days was created in 1965.
First Air Date: November 8, 1965 (30 minutes in length)
Other noteworthy dates: April 21, 1975 (1 hour in length)
Of today's cast, who has been with the show the longest?
Frances Reid (Alice Horton, 1965-present)
John Clarke (Mickey Horton, 1965-present)
Susan Seaforth-Hayes (Julie Williams, 1967-1984; 1990-1993; 1994; 1995;
1996; 1999-present)
Bill Hayes (Doug Williams, 1970-1984; 1986-1987; 1993; 1994; 1995;
1996; 1999-present)
Suzanne Rogers (Maggie Horton, 1974-1984; 1985-present)
Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans, 1976-1987; 1991-present)
Who was in the original cast of Days?
Macdonald Carey as Dr. Tom Horton
Frances Reid as Alice Horton*
John Clarke as Mickey Horton
Marie Cheatham as Marie Horton
Patricia Huston as Addie Olson
Robert Knapp as Ben Olson
Charla Doherty as Julie Olson
Flip Mark as Steven Olson
David McLean as Craig Merritt
Richard Colla as Tony Merritt*
Burt Douglas as Jim Fisk
Ed Prentiss as the Narrator
* These actors were in the original cast that went on the air. In the pilot
episode presented to NBC, Mary Jackson played Alice Horton, while
Ron Husmann played Tony Merritt.
Which actors remain from the original cast?
Only two original cast members remain today: Frances Reid
and John Clarke.
Has the show ever been aired in primetime?
Yes. The show has had three special primetime episodes, each of them airing before
the Soap Opera Digest Awards. They all picked up from where that day's (a Friday)
show left off.
One Stormy Night -- aired January 10, 1992
The story centered around a devastating storm that had flooded Salem, and
focused on 3 couples: Jack and Jennifer, John and Isabella, and Bo and Carly.
Jack and Jennifer had had a terrible argument and he was afraid that she would
leave him. Intent on avoiding Jack, Jennifer tried to cover the flood for her TV
station. But while at the station, she and Jack accidentally were locked inside
a gameshow studio, where Jack managed to win her heart and they made love.
Meanwhile, Carly and Bo's engagement party had been interrupted by the flood.
While helping victims at the hospital, Carly got called to rescue someone in an
isolated shack. Instead, she found Lawrence, who reminded her of their past
relationship. After dealing with the painful memories of their love, Carly left Lawrence
to go make love to Bo. Meanwhile, John tried to help sandbag the river and warned
Isabella to stay home. But when she heard that there had been a mishap where the
sandbagging efforts were taking place, Isabella drove there to see if John was okay.
Unfortunately, her winshield wipers didn't function and she drove off the pier. Also
throughout the show, a young woman was seen hitchhiking her way to Salem.
She turned out to be Carrie.
Night Sins -- aired February 26, 1993
The story was more intertwined than the previous special, and revolved around the
events occurring at the Titan Publishing party announcing the Face of the 90's contest.
First there was Billie Reed, who desperately wanted to sell Jack's manuscript to Victor
Kiriakis while Jack constantly tried to put a stop to her. In the end, they both lost when
Jennifer grabbed the manuscript and locked it inside a drawer in Kate Roberts' office.
Meanwhile, Marlena attended the party alone, having had an argument with Roman
earlier that evening. John, to whom she'd made love recently, was also there. She went
downstairs to the offices of Titan in order to resist temptation again but he followed her.
They both submitted to passion in the conference room, while someone peeked through
the door. Meanwhile, Carrie, who had become one of the Face of the 90's finalists, was
going to go away with with her boyfriend Austin. But as they were leaving the building,
Gus Bartoli splashed acid on her, scarring her beautiful face. Elsewhere, Bo solved the
mystery behind Lisanne's murder and reunited with Carly just as she was leaving for Europe
with Lawrence.
Winter Heat -- aired February 4, 1994
The show began with Bo and Billie, who had been shipwrecked on a deserted tropical
island. On the island, they found a chest containing sarongs and they dressed accordingly,
and played in the sand. In the end, it all turned out to be a dream of Billie's. Meanwhile,
Vivian was prepped for a lobotomy in Pine Haven, while Ivan brought Laura out from her
drug-induced stupor. Together, they saved Vivian. A fire broke out in the hospital, and
Vivian and Laura managed to escape together, defeating Anne Goldberg and Nurse
Jackson along the way. Elsewhere, Peter and Jennifer went skiing together at Green
Mountain. Also there were Carrie and Austin, who were planning to make love for the
first time. Lurking in the shadows was Lucas with his friend Alan. At night, when Austin
left with Jennifer to take her to the airport, a masked stranger knocked on Carrie's door.
When she asked what he wanted, the stranger replied, "You."
Has the introduction of the show always been the same?
The basic concept of the hourglass has always been the same. However,
a real hourglass was used for the intro in the past and remained
stationary. In 1993, computer graphics and digitized music replaced
the previous introduction. The only time that the introduction has been
drastically changed was during the Cruise of Deception storyline in 1990.
The introduction was changed to show an ominous-looking dark ocean while
the words "Cruise of Deception" appeared on the screen. "Days of Our
Lives" appeared in small lettering on the bottom. Also, Macdonald
Carey's introduction was shortened; rather than hearing "This is
Macdonald Carey...", we would hear Charles Cioffi (Ernesto Toscano)
say, "The story continues on 'Cruise of Deception'." That remained
until the location shifted from the Cruise to Toscano's Island.
The introduction did change 3 times for each Primetime episode that was
aired, however. In One Stormy Night, the show began with a stormy
background, with the faces of the cast appearing in the episode fading in and
out in a long sequence, while an ominous theme song played. In Night Sins,
a flowing satin background was shown, with the faces of the cast appearing in the
episode fading in and out in a long sequence, while a sultry theme song played. And
in Winter Heat, a montage of snowy mountains, an institution, and a tropical
island was shown, with the faces of the cast appearing in the episode faded in an out
in a long sequence, while a fast-paced theme song played.
What about the saying in the introduction?
The epigraph of the show, "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives," has always been present on
the air. It was written by the show's creator, Ken Corday. However, there existed two epigraphs before
this one was created.
For the pilot episode, the epigraph was:
"Each day is a little life. Every waking and rising, a
little breath. Every fresh morning, a little youth. Every
rest and sleep a little death; and the sands are running
through the hourglass."
A new epigraph was scripted for the first show:
"Each moment in life becomes a memory. Each day brings on
the next, and tomorrow will soon run its course. This day
only is ours."
However, the only epigraph that actually made it on-air is
the one we know and love. It was inspired by a passage from
the Book of Psalms from the Old Testament of the Bible.
Who *IS* that speaking during the intro?
That is the voice of the late great Macdonald Carey. He
portrayed Dr. Tom Horton from 1965 until his death in 1994.
Although an announcer recited the familiar epigraph in the
beginning, Macdonald was soon asked to do it.
Ed Prentiss was the first to recite the epigraph, which was followed by
"Days of Our Lives, a new dramatic serial starring Macdonald Carey."
Prentiss' voice and this line were heard until March 1966, when
Macdonald Carey took over.
For years, we would hear, "Like sands through the hourglass..." and
then, "This is Macdonald Carey, and these are the Days of
Our Lives." After his death, that latter part was edited
out. His voice remains as a perpetual tribute to the man
who shined on Days for almost 30 years.
Where does Days of Our Lives take place?
Days Takes place in the fictional town of Salem, USA
We do not know what state Salem is, and we will probably
never know. The only thing we can be sure of is that Salem
is located in the Midwest. There are mountains nearby, and
the Salem River runs through Salem. Some have proposed that
Salem is in Illinois, since it's an easy commute to Chicago.
Salem is the seat of Salem County. The size of Salem changes
according to storyline. Sometimes, it is a medium-sized town
consisting of an upper-crust population. At other times, it
is a large metropolis with both wealthy and impoverished
areas. The original Days bible explains to us that in
1910, Salem was a small Midwestern town 40 miles away from
a large Midwestern city. "In the fifty-four years since...both
Salem and the nearby city have grown considerably, pushing
their borders closer and closer together, until, today, they
are barely twenty miles apart."
Who were the original families on the show?
The Horton family has been the primal focus of Days since its inception.
The other families present at the beginning of the show were
the Olsons, who were an extension of the Horton family, and
the Merritts, who were also linked to the Hortons.
Okay, so the Hortons were pretty much the only family in the beginning.
What other families existed in the early days?
In the years following the beginning of the show, the Hunters,
the Bannings, the Spencers, and the Martins were introduced into
into the show. However, these remained minor families, as they
only consisted of two parents and one child. It was not until
the Anderson and the Peters families were introduced in 1972 that
the show received new blood.
So after the Andersons and the Peterses, which families have taken the
forefront?
In 1980, the Chandlers came to town full of surprising, yet disappointing,
stories. Most of them were quickly written out, save for the jewel of
the clan, Liz. In 1982, two major families were introduced, and still
remain today: The Bradys and the DiMeras. In the 1980's, Days
centralized around the Bradys, and pushed the Hortons into a secondary,
but not distant, back burner. Other families popped up, most notably
the Johnson and the Deveraux clans. Unfortunately, the last traces of
these two families, Jack and Abigail, were wiped out in 1998.
The Bradys seem to be the successors of the Horton family. How were they
introduced?
Roman Brady was the first one to appear in Salem. He arrived in 1981.
He was soon followed by his sister Kayla that year. Their parents,
Shawn and Caroline, appeared in 1983 to attend Roman's wedding to
Marlena. Their brother Bo came back to Salem shortly after, following
a tenure in the merchant marines. In 1984, their sister Kimberly
returned from Europe, where she'd been making a living as a prostitute.
In 1986, there were two new additions to the Bradys, as Caroline and
Shawn adopted street youth Frankie Donner and his "brother" Max. The
Bradys claim to have been old friends of the Hortons, and some of the
Brady children even claim to have grown up with some Hortons. While
this is a nice tale, it remains a rewrite of history since the Bradys
had never been mentioned before Roman's appearance.
What foreign lands has Days visited?
Well, it actually depends on who you ask. Days has gone on
location shoots to the actual countries, while other times they simply
build a locale in the sound stage.
Places where actual location shoots were filmed:
Carmel (1979), New Orleans (1984), England (1985), New York City (1985),
Boston (1985), Los Angeles (1979, 1985, 1993, 1998), Miami (1985),
Greece (1987), Charleston (1989), Mexico (1991), Puerto Rico (1994), Hawaii (1999)
Other places where actual remotes were shot:
Los Angeles, CA (Salem, England, Greece, Peru - 1970's-present), Burbank,
CA (Salem - 1970's-present), Lake Malibu, Augoura, CA (Salem Lake - 1980),
Big Bear, CA (Upstate New York - 1981), Lake Arrowhead, CA (Ridgecrest -
1983), San Pedro Harbor, California (Salem - 1983), Catalina Island,
California (Mazatlan - 1982; Stefano's Island, 1984 & 1988), Knotts Berry
Farm, CA (Salem Civic Center - 1985), Kern River State Park, CA (West
Virginia - 1986), Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA (Stockholm - 1986),
University of California in Los Angeles, CA (CULA - 1987), Charleston, SC
(Civil War South - 1989), Malibu, CA (Lawrence's home country - 1990),
Universal Studios in Los Angeles, CA (Salem Fair Grounds - 1991.)
Show sound stage locales:
Boston, Italy, Switzerland, France, Venezuela, Maui, New York City,
Chicago, Thailand, Washington, DC, Sweden, Peru, Australia, Tahiti,
Maison Blanche, Los Angeles, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda.
Made-up locales:
Stefano's island, Toscano's island, Lawrence Alamain's home country
(which some have dubbed "Alamania" or "Ubilam" [the name of the
country was never revealed on the show]), Santa Rosa, Aremid, Island
Fortress.
Has Days ever held any special episodes in honor of its anniversary?
Yes. In 1990, Days celebrated its 25th Anniversary with three
episodes that aired on November 20, 21, and 23. These episodes
featured the cave-in at the Alamain villa. In 1995, Days did not
do anything special to celebrate its 30th anniversary, although the
major storyline of Aremid was playing out at the time. Some consider
Peter Blake and Jennifer Deveraux's wedding there as the anniversary
episodes; they were married on November 20-21 of 1995. In 2000, the show
celebrated its anniversary on November 8 by showing a melange of flashbacks
throughout the episode. Unfortunately, most of these flashbacks were less than
two years old and really had no business being in a 30th Anniversary special.
Has Days ever done fantasy episodes or storylines (excluding daily
flashback/daydream/fantasies)?
Yes! In the past, Days had very memorable sequences that were
enjoyable, yet not directly connected with any storyline. In 1978,
almost all of the Salemites participated in a variety show in which
they performed song and dance numbers. In 1984, Bo Brady and Hope
Williams re-created a romantic Southern fantasy with them dressed in
period costumes at Oak Alley Plantation. In 1986, Eugene Bradford
got lost in time when his time machine malfunctioned. In 1988,
Steve Johnson had an out-of-body experience, and he dreamt of life
with Kayla in their golden years. In 1989, Steve and Kayla found a
diary from a Civil War-era woman, Emily, who described her romance
with Gideon; everything in the diary was developed on-screen. That
same year, special fairy tale episodes aired with the entire cast as
characters in a bedtime story that Shane Donovan told his son Andrew.
Also in 1989, Nick Corelli, Scotty Banning, Mike Horton, April Ramírez,
and Eve Donovan appeared in a Casablanca sequence. In 1990, various
Salemites aboard the yacht Loretta were forced to act out tragic scenes
in a strange play written by a vengeful Ernesto Toscano. Also, Jack
Deveraux was haunted by the ghosts of his two fathers, Duke and Harper.
And in 1994, various Salemites traveled to Maison Blanche to attend an
almost surreal cotillion dressed in Old South period costumes.
Has Days ever done any breakthrough storylines for daytime
television?
Of course! The old Days was never afraid to tackle on social
issues. Many storylines featured were often daring for daytime.
In fact, a 1976 issue of Time Magazine featured the characters
of Doug and Julie on the cover, with the headline "Love in the
Afternoon." In the article, Days of Our Lives was named television's
most daring daytime drama. Here are some social issues that Days
has explored in the past, often being the first in daytime:
(In no particular order of importance)
Interracial Relationships
The interracial relationship between David Banning and Valerie Grant
in 1975-1976 stirred up a lot of controversy, and was critically-
acclaimed. Although it was not the first interracial story on
daytime, it was one of the first to be executed completely despite
negative public reaction, and paved the way for the creation of
stronger African-American characters on soap operas.
In future years, Days featured other interracial relationships,
such as Marcus Hunter and Faith Taylor, or Emilio Ramírez and
Melissa Anderson. However, none of them stirred up any controversy...
from the public. NBC forced the show to pull the plug on Faith and Marcus
for fear of public backlash, which was an absurd decision. Emilio and
Melissa would've probably suffered the same fate if their storyline had
actually been given the time of day. Their backburner romance ended in
six short months. Needless to say, these storylines were nowhere near as
well-executed as David and Valerie.
Interfaith Relationships
Another subject not often portrayed in daytime was interfaith
relationships. In 1985, Mike Horton, a Catholic, fell in love with
a Jewish woman, Dr. Robin Jacobs. This story culminated with Mike's
decision to convert to Judaism (he didn't.)
Leukemia
Leukemia is a debilitating form of cancer that many viewers were not
acquainted with in the early 70's. In 1973, Addie Horton was struck
with Leukemia. Her storyline featured the intensive, and weakening,
treatment for the illness, such as combination chemotherapy. This
storyline made viewers aware of a little-known illness, and also
showed that it doesn't have to end with tragedy.
In 1977, Margo Anderman also was a character with Leukemia. Again,
Days was able to make strides by showing her condition and
treatment. And in 1985, Nancy Pearson also developed the illness.
In 1987, we were exposed to a particular type of Leukemia, Hodgkin's
Disease. Believe it or not, Jack Deveraux suffers from this form of
cancer of the lymph glands. In 1987, we watched Jack's struggle with
the disease, and his treatment, including chemotherapy. Again, this
exposed viewers to a condition that, although known to the majority of
the public, was not understood by all. Needless to say, Jack's disease
went into remission; although Hodgkin's Disease is curable ninety
percent of the time, Jack was not cured.
Myasthenia Gravis (MG)
In 1987, viewers got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to view an excellent
storyline regarding a disease that is almost unknown to the general
public. Maggie Horton developed Myasthenia Gravis (MG), an
autoimmune disease affecting the neuromuscular junction and producing
weakness of voluntary muscles. Not only educating the audience,
this storyline also touched the hearts of viewers because Suzanne
Rogers, who plays Maggie Horton, is in remission from the disease in
real life.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
SIDS is the death of an apparently healthy infant that remains
unexplained after a thorough autopsy and death scene investigation.
It is a devastating tragedy to the parents, and something that
all parents must be aware of, as it is leading killer of infants
between one week and one year of age. This was portrayed on Days
in 1980 with the heart-wrenching death of D.J. Craig, the newborn
son of Don Craig and Marlena Evans.
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a devastating disease that can ruin the lives of
both the person suffering from it and those around him. This was
demonstrated in a hauntingly realistic way through Maggie Horton's
struggle with alcoholism in 1978. She did not recover until 1980.
Neil Curtis, Paul Grant, Adele Hamilton, April Ramírez, Liz Curtis,
Monty Dolan, and Roger Lombard were other characters who educated the
viewers about alcoholism.
Homosexuality
Daytime television had never explored this taboo subject when
Mike Horton began to wonder whether he was gay or not in 1976. Though
he wasn't, this certainly opened the way for other soaps to tackle
on the subject. Days touched on the subject once again that year by
introducing the character of Sharon Duval, who had romantic
feelings for Julie Williams.
Codependency/spousal abuse
This intriguing subject was explored from 1977-1978 through the
abusive relationship between Fred and Jean Barton, and their
troubled son, Billy. It demonstrated the devastating effects
that codependency can have on a family. In 1984, Days presented
this issue once again through the marriage of Tess Jannings and Barry
Reid. And in 1987, we witnessed the abuse suffered by Jo Johnson
at the hands of her husband, Duke. In 1993-1994, we were also
exposed to this issue through the telling of Kate Roberts' marriage
to Curtis Reed.
Child abuse/Incest
Another subject left untouched by daytime, Days took on this
serious subject by showing the relationship between Jack Clayton
and his stepdaughter, Trish, in the mid-1970's. This also went
along with Fred Barton's abuse of his wife; he also abused their son
(not sexually). Much later, this subject was explored once again
in 1984 with the revelation that Kimberly Brady's uncle Eric had
sexually abused her as a child. In 1987, we were exposed to the
incestuous relationship between Duke Johnson and his daughter, Adrienne.
In addition to raping Adrienne, he also beat his wife Jo. And finally,
in 1993, it was revealed that Billie Reed's father, Curtis, also forced
her into a sick relationship at the age of 12.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) [formerly known as
Multiple-Personality Disorder (MPD)]
Along with Trish Clayton's abuse by her father came the fragmentation
of her mind. She developed three different personalities to shield
her from the pain. This phenomenon is called Dissociative Identity
Disorder (DID), and is usually linked to some type of abuse
as a child. Though Days also had Jessica Blake suffer
from the disorder, her story was not accurate with scientific
facts. However, it must be noted that in 1981, multiple personalities
were still a big mystery to the psychiatric community. The most
elaborate, and true, DID storyline for Days was in 1992,
when Kimberly Brady developed two other personalities as a result
of her abuse at the hands of her uncle.
Rape
Rape is a serious crime that, unfortunately, hits close to home
for many women. This subject has been handled with extreme care
in the cases of Julie Williams, Kayla Brady, and Jennifer Horton.
Incidentally, Kayla and Jennifer were the victims of marital rape,
a subject that not many viewers even knew existed. Although there
have been other rape storylines on Days, they have not
always been handled in a careful manner (i.e., Sami Brady, Marlena
Evans, Maggie Horton.) Often the rapist has been romanticized, as in
the case of Bill Horton or Eric Peters. Although Jack Deveraux was
eventually turned into a "good guy", his transformation took years
to achieve, and his rape of Kayla haunted him for over 5 years. This
doesn't excuse his actions by any means, but it does show that such
a crime is impossible to erase both for the victims and its perpetrator.
Some consider the drugging of Austin Reed by Sami Brady as rape.
However, the show never made an attempt to portray this as rape,
thus it cannot be considered a rape storyline. If anything, a
really bad one. The same goes for Stefano raping Hope.
Racism
Another subject that daytime is afraid to touch is that of racism.
Days was able to take on this subject in 1989, when Marcus
Hunter found out the truth behind his parents' deaths in a Church
bombing.
Anti-Semitism/Genocide
In 1986, Robert LeClair and his brother, Eli Jacobs, were horrified
to find out that Dr. Fred Miller had been a Nazi war criminal
responsible for the death of their mother in a concentration camp.
Through their storyline, they informed the audience of the evils
of The Holocaust.
Substance Abuse/Dependency/Addiction
Though Alcoholism fits in this category, I've chosen to separate
the two. This refers mainly to drugs. Drugs are another issue
that plague our society. Days has addressed this best through
the story of Billie Reed in 1992-1993. However, drug use has also
been told through the characters of Brooke Hamilton, Nancy Pearson,
Matt Rhodes, Chad Webster, and Laura Horton.
Child Custody Issues/Foster Care
The abandonment of a child, both willing or inevitable, is a very
distressing issue that Days presented the best in 1976 with the
foster care of Janice Barnes. Mickey and Maggie Horton became foster
parents to Janice, and planned to adopt her, until Joanne Barnes,
her mother, returned to claim the child. An agonizing two-year
storyline ensued, showing the heartbreak that goes along with
giving up a child. A similar storyline was portrayed in 1981,
when Marlena Evans became a foster mother to a young boy named
Johnny. The following year, Johnny's mother returned to take the boy
back. Also, in 1988 Kayla and Steve Johnson were ready to adopt
Benji Hawk when his grandfather Orion came out from hiding to raise
the child.
Surrogacy
In 1976, Doug Williams decided to have another child through artificial
insemination. Rebecca North carried the child. This was perhaps the
first surrogacy storyline on daytime. In 1981, surrogacy was dealt with
again when Maggie decided to be a surrogate mother.
Infertility
Although infertility has been touched upon often in the years, there
was only one serious attempt to demonstrate the true heartache that
comes with it, and that was through Adrienne and Justin Kiriakis.
Although Adrienne was not infertile, her vastly damaged reproductive
organs made the odds of pregnancy astronomical. This resulted in a
struggle that slowly deteriorated their first marriage over a 2-year
period, something that unfortunately happens often with couples facing
similar problems.
Has Days ever used outside sources as inspiration for their storylines?
No daytime drama can claim that all of their storylines are the sole
brainchildren of their writing teams, and Days is no exception.
Here are a few sources from which Days has borrowed material,
excluding material taken from other daytime dramas:
Miami Vice
This popular nighttime cop show from 1984, whose episodes mostly
dealt with drug busts in Miami, was practically imitated on Days
beginning in mid-1985 beginning with the introduction of a drug
trafficking storyline surrounding the music industry. Also, the
background music changed to mimic the style of Miami Vice and the
unique fashion of T-shirts, Italian sport jackets, and sockless
mocassins created by Don Johnson's character on that show also
became prevalent. And the drug storyline culminated with a location
shoot in Miami...need we say more?
James Bond films
The character of Shane Donovan -- a charming, daring, British
world-class spy working for an international spy organization
whose agents are mostly British and are equipped with clever
espionage gadgets -- curiously resembles the famed 007...
Batman
...although Shane's secret communications room, and his devoted
helper and butler, Simmons, are more reminiscent of Batman and his
butler Albert.
Out of Africa
In 1987, Roman (John) and Diana made love in Greece. The love scene
had them revolve around each other, taking off their clothes as they reached
the bed. This scene was inspired by a similar scene in the film Out of Africa.
The Bedroom Window
In early 1988, Frankie Brady witnessed someone murdering Grace
Forrester from the bedroom window of Paula Carson's apartment. He
wanted to help the police find the killer, but he couldn't go to
testify because then people would begin to wonder what he was
doing in the bedroom of his Physics professor in the first place
(and it wasn't studying!) So he coached Paula on the killer's
description so that she could testify as if she'd witnessed the
crime. Frankie and Paula had unwittingly reenacted the entire
plot of this popular movie.
The Manchurian Candidate
In 1988, Roman Brady (John Black) discovered that during the time
he had been kept by Stefano DiMera, he had been brainwashed into
being a highly-dangerous assassin working for him to eliminate
opposing political adversaries. Thus, Days capitalized on the plot
of the critically-acclaimed classic that had been re-released
earlier that year.
The Phantom of the Opera
In 1989, Nick Corelli's face was badly scarred in an auto accident.
Though he wanted to remain hidden from the rest of the world, he was
forced to come out of hiding to save Eve from a deranged criminal. To
keep his identity a secret, he donned a black mask over his face to hide
the scars. Sounds a lot like the musical, doesn't it? Additionally, it should
be mentioned that the idea for this storyline came from Matthew Ashford (Jack).
The Princess Bride
In 1989, Shane Donovan sat with his son Andrew and wife Kimberly
during a stormy night to tell them a bedtime fairy tale. As he told his impromptu
story, the audience saw the tale play out, with much of the cast in the fantastic
roles. This concept was derived from the 1987 classic The Princess Bride,
starring Cary Elwes and Robin Wright.
"Mame"
J.J. Bagwood was a mousy nanny who spent much of her time
with her ward's larger-than-life mother, Anjelica Curtis. Then J.J.
left Salem. Months later, she returned pregnant as a result of the
behavior she learned from Anjelica. The same thing, more or less,
occurred to Agnes Gooch in the acclaimed Broadway musical, "Mame."
"The Premature Burial"
In the summer of 1993, Carly Manning was buried alive by Vivian
Alamain. This could probably have been influenced by this Edgar
Allan Poe short story. On the other hand, perhaps Days was merely
following in the steps of Dark Shadows and The Young & The
Restless, two other daytime shows which also buried leading ladies
alive.
Pretty Woman
Also in the summer of 1993, Bo Brady toured Beverly Hills with
Billie Reed, who had never been exposed to such luxury. With a
limitless spending account provided by the L.A.P.D., Bo took
Billie to Rodeo Drive and shopped in a boutique, having Billie try
on several different expensive dresses. This hooker-with-a-heart-
of-gold-exposed-to-lavish-luxuries routine was directly lifted
from the movie Pretty Woman, starring Richard Gere and Julia
Roberts.
Rebecca
In the months prior to Hope Brady's return from the dead, her
memory remained an obstacle for Bo and Billie's relationship,
much like some of the plot in the classic novel by Daphne
DuMaurier.
Jane Eyre
And once Hope was discovered to be alive, she was being kept in
the attic of a large mansion, was cared for by a peculiar servant,
and a fire engulfed the mansion soon thereafter; all of these are
key elements in the gothic novel by Charlotte Brönte.
Dynasty
In the fall of 1994, Peter Blake hatched a plot to drive Laura
Horton crazy by painting her office with toxic paint that caused
her to think irrationally. This storyline was lifted entirely from
the nighttime drama "Dynasty", which in 1983 had the character of
Adam Carrington do the same thing to Jeff Colby.
In early 1996, Vivian Alamain took over the Kiriakis mansion &
Titan Industries, and had all employees sign loyalty oaths; those
who didn't were fired. This was almost identical to Alexis Colby's
takeover of the Carrington mansion & Denver-Carrington on
"Dynasty" in 1987.
The Exorcist
When a demonic force took possession of Marlena Evans' body, many
of the elements of the story seemed to be taken from this 1974
horror film.
Mission: Impossible (the movie)
In early 1997, Bo Brady needed to prove his loyalty to J.L. King
while undercover. To do so, he had to break into Abe Carver's
office, which was almost impenetrably secured by an intricate
high-tech alarm system. Bo achieved his feat by lowering himself
into the office from the ceiling attached to a cord, coming
dangerously close to setting off the alarm system a few times.
This entire scene was a direct rip-off of a scene in the movie
Mission: Impossible, which had enjoyed large success the previous
year.
Fatal Attraction
Although no boiling bunnies were involved, the storyline that had
Mike Horton reject Ali McIntyre following a one-night stand,
who in turn developed seriously psychotic behavior, followed
closely the plot of this 1987 film.
Has Days ever gotten inspiration from real life?
Many stories, especially those of social concern, have had vague
foundations in real life, of course. But as far as specific inspiration
from real occurrences, only three come to mind. The first is Addie
Williams' leukemia, which was a storyline written by Pat Falken-Smith,
whose mother had battled with the disease. The second is Maggie
Horton's Myasthenia Gravis (MG), a storyline requested by Suzanne
Rogers after her struggle with the muscular disorder. And finally, the
Riverfront Knifer, which was an obvious recreation of the 1886 serial
killer that stalked the Whitechapel district of London, Jack the Ripper.
The Emmy Awards never seem to favor Days. Has it ever won an Emmy?
Of course, Days has had its share of critical acclaim in
the past. Here are the past Emmy Awards that Days has been
nominated for; These first awards were presented during a time
when the Daytime Emmys had yet to exist. An * denotes which ones
Days won:
Outstanding Achievement in Daytime Programming -- Individual
1968 -- Macdonald Carey as Dr. Tom Horton (no one won the
award that year
Outstanding Achievement by Individuals in Daytime Drama
1973 -- Macdonald Carey as Dr. Tom Horton and director
H. Wesley Kenney (for the March 6, 1973 episode he directed)
were nominated in this category. (lost to Mary Fickett,
Ruth Martin, "All My Children")
Best Actor in Daytime Drama
1973 -- Macdonald Carey as Dr. Tom Horton*
Best Individual Director for a Drama Series
1973 -- H. Wesley Kenney *
Program Achievement in Daytime Drama
1973 -- lost to "The Edge of Night."
After the National Academy of TV Arts and Sciences (NATAS) got its
act together and created a separate awards show for soap operas,
Days was able to be recognized for what it was. Again,
an * denotes a winner:
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
1975 -- Macdonald Carey * (Dr. Tom Horton) and Jed Allan (Don Craig)
1976 -- Bill Hayes (Doug Williams) and Macdonald Carey (Dr. Tom Horton).
They lost to Larry Haines (Stu Bergman, "Search For Tomorrow")
1979 -- John Clarke (Mickey Horton) and Jed Allan (Don Craig)
They lost to Al Freeman, Jr. (Ed Hall, "One Life to Live")
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
1975 -- Susan Flannery * (Dr. Laura Horton) and Susan Seaforth
(Julie Olson).
1976 -- Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Olson). She lost to Helen
Gallagher (Maeve Ryan, "Ryan's Hope")
1978 -- Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams). She lost to Laurie
Heinemann (Sharlene Frame, "Another World")
1979 -- Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams). She lost to Irene
Dailey (Liz Matthews, "Another World")
1984 -- Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans Brady). She lost to
Erika Slezak (Viki Lord Buchanan, "One Life to Live")
1985 -- Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans Brady). She lost Kim Zimmer
(Reva Shayne Lewis, "Guiding Light")
1986 -- Peggy McCay (Caroline Brady). She lost to Erika Slezak
(Viki Buchanan, "One Life to Live")
1987 -- Frances Reid (Alice Horton). She lost to Kim Zimmer (Reva
Shayne Lewis, "Guiding Light")
In 1988, the name of the Outstanding Actor/Actress category was
changed to Outstanding Leading Actor/Actress.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1988 -- Stephen Nichols (Steve "Patch" Johnson). He lost to
David Canary (Adam/Stuart Chandler, "All My Children")
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
1998 -- Eileen Davidson (Kristen Blake). She lost to Cynthia Watros
(Annie Dutton, "Guiding Light")
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
1979 -- Joseph Gallison (Dr. Neil Curtis). He lost to Peter Hansen
(Lee Baldwin, "General Hospital")
1989 -- Joseph Campanella (Harper Deveraux). He lost to Justin
Deas (Keith Timmons, "Santa Barbara")
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
1979 -- Suzanne Rogers * (Maggie Horton) and Frances Reid (Alice
Horton)
1980 -- Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans). She lost to Francesca James
(Kelly Cole, "All My Children.)
1986 -- Leann Hunley * (Anna DiMera)
1987 -- Peggy McCay (Caroline Brady). She lost to Kathleen Noone
(Ellen Chandler, "All My Children")
1988 -- Arleen Sorkin (Calliope Jones Bradford). She lost to
Ellen Wheeler (Cindy Parker, "All My Children")
1989 -- Arleen Sorkin (Calliope Bradford) and Jane Elliot (Anjelica
Deveraux). They lost to both Debbi Morgan (Angie Hubbard,
"All My Children"), and Nancy Lee Grahn (Julia Wainright,
"Santa Barbara")
2000 -- Patrika Darbo (Nancy Wesley.) She lost to Sarah Brown
(Carly Roberts, "General Hospital")
Outstanding Ingenue/Woman in a Drama Series
1985 -- Kristian Alfonso (Hope Williams) and Lisa Trusel (Melissa
Anderson). They both lost to Tracey E. Bregman (Lauren Fenmore,
"The Young and the Restless")
Outstanding Younger Leading Man in a Drama Series
1987 -- Billy Warlock (Frankie Brady). He lost to Michael E. Knight
(Tad Martin, "All My Children")
1988 -- Billy Warlock * (Frankie Brady)
Outstanding Juvenile Male in a Drama Series
1989 -- Darrell Utley (Benji Hawk). He lost to Justin Gocke
(Brandon Capwell, "Santa Barbara")
Outstanding Younger Lead Actor
1998 -- Jensen Ackles (Eric Brady). He lost to Jonathan Jackson
(Lucky Spencer, "General Hospital")
2000 -- Jensen Ackles (Eric Brady.) He lost to David Tom
(Billy Abbott, "The Young & the Restless")
Outstanding Juvenile Female in a Drama Series
1990 -- Charlotte Ross (Eve Donovan). She lost to Cady McClain
(Dixie Cooney, "All My Children")
Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series
1991 -- Charlotte Ross (Eve Donovan). She lost to Anne Heche
(Vicky Hudson/Marley Love, "Another World)
1992 -- Melissa Reeves (Jennifer Horton Deveraux). She lost to
Tricia Cast (Nina Webster, "The Young and the Restless")
1997 -- Christie Clark (Carrie Brady). She lost to Sarah Brown
(Carly Roberts, "General Hospital")
1998 -- Christie Clark (Carrie Brady). She lost to Sarah Brown
(Carly Roberts, "General Hospital")
Outstanding Guest/Cameo Appearance in a Drama Series
1980 -- Hugh McPhillips * (Hugh Pearson).
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
1974 -- Lost to "The Doctors"
1975 -- Lost to "The Young and the Restless"
1976 -- Lost to "Another World"
1977 -- Lost to "Ryan's Hope"
1978 -- WON!!
1979 -- Lost to "Ryan's Hope"
1983 -- Lost to "The Young and the Restless"
1984 -- Lost to "General Hospital"
1985 -- Lost to "The Young and the Restless"
1995 -- Lost to "General Hospital"
1996 -- Lost to "General Hospital"
1997 -- Lost to "General Hospital"
1998 -- Lost to "All My Children"
1999 -- Lost to "General Hospital"
Days was also nominated many times for technical awards. Here are
the ones Days won:
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series -- 1976
Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a
Drama Series -- 1990
Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series -- 1988
Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Drama Series -- 1988, 1991,
and 1992.
Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Drama Series -- 1988
Outstanding Hairstyling For a Drama Series -- 1995
Outstanding Sound Mixing - Daytime -- 1974, for the episode aired
July 20, 1973
Who has been Head Writer for Days?
This is a list of all the Head Writers the show has had:
Peggy Phillips and Kenneth M. Rosen -- 1965-1966 (with Irna Phillips
as Story Editor)
Bill Bell -- 1966-1973 (Story Consultant from 1973-1975)
Pat Falken Smith -- 1973-1977; 1981-1982 (Story Consultant from 1987-1989)
Ann Marcus -- 1977-1979
Ruth Flippen Brooks -- 1979
Elizabeth Harrower -- 1979-1980
Nina Laemmle -- 1980
Gary Tomlin and Michele Poteet-Lisanti -- 1980-1981
Margaret De Priest -- 1982-1984
Sheri Anderson -- 1982-1986; 1992-1993 (Story Consultant from 1990-1991)
Thom Racina -- 1984-1988
Leah Laiman -- 1986-1988
Anne Howard Bailey -- 1988-1989
Anne Schoettle and Richard Allen -- 1989-1991
Gene Palumbo -- 1991-1992
Beth Milstein -- 1992
James E. Reilly -- 1992-1997 (Story Consultant from 1997-1998)
Sally Sussman-Morina -- 1997-1999
Lorraine Broderick -- 1999
Tom Langan -- 1999-2001
Peter Brash and Paula Cwikly -- 2001-02
Dena Higley -- 2002-2003
James E. Reilly -- 2003-present
Section 2: People and Places
What places are there in Salem to visit?
Over the years, Salem has had many famous places to visit.
Here's a few:
Named Homes
Marshall Manor (home of Alex Marshall)
Dolphin House (home of Victor Kiriakis in Miami)
Donovan Manor (home of Shane Donovan)
Stores
Bartlett's Department Store
Jordan's Jewelry Store
Elite Tuxedo
Baron's Department Store
Ballistix
The Gift Box
Book Ends
Chez Julie
Book Ends
Saxton's
Robert's Gun Shop
Flaunt It
Restaurants/Bars/Night Clubs (in chronological order)
The Embers
University Hospital Cafeteria
Sergio's (later renamed Doug's Place, and then Doug's Coffee House)
The Pines
The Blue Cat
Doug's Place on the Lake (later renamed Blondie's, and then Wings.)
The Twilight
The Salem Inn Restaurant
Shenanigans (later renamed Alice's Restaurant)
Beefcakes
Riverfront Diner
Jump!
The Park Café
The Cheatin' Heart
The Continental Hotel Bar
The Zodiac Room
The Beat Bar
The Sand Dollar
Chanterrel
Casey's Roadhouse
Brady's Pub
Johnny Angel's (later renamed Java Café)
The Penthouse Grill
Chez Vous
The Warehouse
The Blue Moon
The Salem Club
The Snake Pit
The Blue Note
The Tuscany
.Com
Lady Vi's
Churches/Religious Institutions
St. Luke's Catholic Church
St. Michael's Catholic Church
St. Monica's Convent
Glory Day Church
Hospitals/Clinics
Salem University Hospital
Salem General Hospital
Riverfront Emergency Center
Salem V.A. Hospital
Albright Nursing Home
St. Mary's Hospital
Bayview Towers Sanitarium
Lakewood Sanitarium
The David Martin Clinic
The Right Connection
Civic Organizations/Places for the general public
University Park
Green Oaks
Salem Concert Hall
Salem Civic Center
Riverfront Community Center
Salem Fairgrounds
Salem County Museum
Toscano Foundation
Horton Center
Lookout Point
Businesses
Titan Industries (including all subsidiary companies)
Alamain Industries (including all subsidiary companies)
DiMera Enterprises
Portofino Enterprises
Woodstock Industries
Alamain International
Anderson Manufacturing
Magnus Enterprises
Kiriakis/Deveraux Construction (later renamed Kiriakis Construction)
Salem Secure Transport
Valley Woods Corporation
Allied Cargo
Kava Chemical Company
Peck Construction
Waterfront Construction (later renamed Johnson Construction)
A-J Construction
Brady Fish Market
Salem Hair Design
Glamour Gallery
Salem Place Cinemas
Fast Freddy's Used Car Emporium
Lester Lumber
Woodman Lumber
Basic Black
Subsidiary Companies
Jencon Oil -- an Alamain Industries company
EcoSystems -- an Alamain Industries company
Titan Publishing - a Titan Industries company
Countess Wilhelmina Cosmetics -- a Titan Industries company
Publications (in chronological order)
The Salem Courier
The Salem Times
Salem Today
The Salem Spectator
International News Daily
The Salem Chronicle
Viewpoint Magazine
Sunday Magazine
TeenGirl Magazine
Bella Magazine
Sports Today
The Intruder
The Salem Tribune
Educational Institutions
Salem University (with an acclaimed medical school)
Salem High School
Lincoln High School
Lakeside Elementary School
Riverside Elementary School
St. Charles University
Hotels/Inns
The Salem Hotel
The Salem Inn
The Greenbriar Inn
The Elton Hotel
The Riverside Motel
The Midtown Hotel
The Continental Hotel
The Riverview Inn
The Sunnyview Inn
The Summerfield Inn
Prisons
Reinhardt State Women's Penitentiary
Salem State Penitentiary
Salem County Jail
Yachts/boats
The Sea Horse (owned by Stefano DiMera)
The Sea Titan (alias for Stefano's Sea Horse)
The Dolphin (owned by Victor Kiriakis)
The Fancy Face (owned by Bo Brady)
The Adrienne (owned by Justin Kiriakis)
The Loretta (owned by Ernesto Toscano)
River Flyer (rented by Bo Brady...Steve Johnson was killed on it)
Spas/Health Clubs
The Body Connection
Titan Health Club
Salem Spa
Banks
First National Bank of Salem
Hathaway Bank
Salem Union Bank
Midwest Bank of Salem
Salem National Bank
Salem Federal Bank
Television Stations
WXIW TV
WATB (later renamed WGTB)
Salem Home Shopping Channel
Ski Lodges (in chronological order)
Ridgecrest (later renamed Mountain View)
Green Mountain Ski Lodge
Salem Hills
If you're outside of Salem, be sure to visit these locations
Woodstock -- a town only miles away from Salem
Pine Grove -- a town hours away from Salem
Fayetteville - a town just across the state line, not far from Salem
Brookville -- a town near Salem (Maggie's hometown)
Cadensville -- another town near Salem
Clarkville - yes, another town hours from Salem near the mountains
Lakeview -- yet another town near Salem
Aremid -- a town a few hours away from Salem
The Simmons Farm -- Maggie's farm in Brookville
Harvey's Diner -- an old-fashioned diner in Brookville
Brookville Clinic -- a clinic in Brookville -- it closes early
Mandalay Bay -- a resort a short drive from Salem
Dolphin House -- Victor's house in Miami
The Lighthouse -- for whatever reason, Salem has a lighthouse
Donovan Manor -- Shane's place in England
Smith Island -- an island in the middle of Salem Lake
Pine Haven Mental Hospital -- outside of Chicago
Brooktree Sanitarium -- also outside of Chicago
Hillcrest Sanitarium -- located in Denver
The Good Shepherd -- outside of Salem
Summit Lake -- located in the mountains
Lake Ewing -- located in the mountains 1 1/2 hours away from Salem
The Red Dragon Inn -- located in Aremid
The Aremid Orphanage -- located in Aremid
Hartmann Orphanage - located in Los Angeles
California University in Los Angeles (CULA) - located in Los Angeles
The Revere Hotel - located in Boston
Braintree Construction - located in Dallas
Everyone on Days seems to be related. Who's related to whom?
I'm not about to put that much info here, sorry. Fortunately, this is
an HTML-based FAQ. Follow this link to view the entire
family tree of every family that has resided in Salem.
If you want to know more about the people of Salem, go to these pages:
Who's Who in Salem?
Beth's Days of Our Lives Page
Lori's Good Ole Days
Who are Days' most memorable villains?
Well, Stefano DiMera is obviously the biggest villain ever to visit
Salem. Here are some other memorable villains, rogues, and psychos:
Linda Anderson Victor Kiriakis
Samantha Evans Emma Donovan
Steve Olson Orpheus
Alex Marshall Harper Deveraux
Lee DuMonde Jack Deveraux
Nick Corelli Anjelica Deveraux
Stuart Whyland Marina Toscano
Jake Kositchek Ernesto Toscano
Larry Welch Lawrence Alamain
André DiMera Vivian Alamain
Maxwell Hathaway Curtis Reed
Megan Hathaway Peter Blake (pre-jungle madness)
Savannah Wilder Kristen Blake
Of course, there were also unmemorable villains, rogues, and psychos...
Kellam Chandler Alan Harris
Ian Griffith Tony DiMera
Serena Colville Satan
Arthur Downey Jude St. Clair
Emmy Borden Mary Brook
Lisanne Gardner J.L. King
Taylor McCall Travis Malloy
Samantha Brady Ali McIntyre
Whether they're memorable or unmemorable is purely subjective,
but there is no doubt that all of these people were less-than-saintly
at some point during their tenure in Salem.
Has any character on Days ever had a pet?
Sure, Salemites used to love pets. Here's a list of Salem's animal
friends:
Phaedra -- a dog belonging to Samantha Evans
Moonshine -- a cat given to Renée DuMonde as a present from
Tony
John Henry -- a dog given to Chris Kositchek as a present from
Kayla
Polly -- A parrot owned by Reginald Bradford. The only word
it ever said was "Beware." It died shortly before
Reginald did.
Leticia's raven -- Leticia Bradford owned a raven
Romulus -- In addition to a raven, Leticia also had this
lovable pet lion, as well as two smaller house
cats.
Martha -- a lovable poodle belonging to Calliope Jones
Herschel -- This was a big dog belonging to Jasmine
Reggie -- he was actually a stray dog, but Calliope made him
marry Martha after he got her pregnant.
Mercury -- Justin Kiriakis' favorite horse
Clipper -- A horse in the Curtis stables favored by Adrienne
Rochester -- A black puppy given to Justin by Calliope, and
then given to Adrienne by Justin; it disappeared
Jennifer's Beauty -- a horse owned by Neil Curtis, but named by Emilio
Ramírez after the girl he was in love with,
Jennifer.
Fluffy -- a German Shepherd belonging to Brian Scofield
Monterey -- Marlena found this lovely cat when she was on the
cargo hold of a plane from San Cristobal to Salem
Zeus -- a gray cat belonging to Lisanne Gardner. The poor thing
was killed by Ivan after Lisanne died.
Noelle -- a white puppy given to Vivian Alamain by Ivan on
Christmas Day, 1994. It was last seen in 1995
Jasper -- Among Mary Brook's many cats, Jasper was her
favorite.
Jill's kitten -- Though never seen onscreen, Jill Stevens had
a pet kitten. Presumably, Franco kept his promise
and took it back to her grandmother's.
Has anyone in Salem ever written a book?
Yes, some of Salem's finest have written books.
In His Brother's Shadow -- Eric Peters wrote this novel based on his
own life.
???? -- Grace Forrester was a romance novelist. Does anyone recall
the titles of any of her books?
???? -- Dr. Whitney Baker was writing a book when she began receiving
threats from Johnny Corelli. Does anyone remember the name?
In the Midnight Hour -- Jack Deveraux's plagiarization of Kate Roberts'
journal about her life with Curtis Reed and her affair with
Bill Horton
Anyone ever make a movie?
Well, only one movie attempt was made in Salem. It was a horror
film named Wild Night of the Teenage Vampires: Part II
It was directed by Porter Rollins, filmed in a reportedly haunted
house, and it was going to feature Carrie Brady, Sarah Horton,
Emilio Ramírez, Melissa Anderson, and Chad Webster. However,
production of the film was shut down after drugs were found on the
set (and after several "ghosts" haunted it.)
Before her death, Samantha Evans had a supporting role in a major
motion picture with a big name star.
Has anyone in Salem ever been on a television show?
Sure, hasn't everybody? In the late 1970's, Samantha Evans frequently
got jobs on T.V. sitcoms. In 1985, Pete and Melissa appeared on the
game show "Deal Me In". The following year, Eugene and Calliope Bradford
traveled to Los Angeles to appear on "The Newlywed Game", hosted
By TV's own Bob Eubanks. In 1992, we saw Calliope Bradford doing
just fine in New York City hosting her talkshow, "Talk to Me."
Jennifer visited the set and her successful experience on Calliope's
show prompted her to begin her own talkshow in Salem, "The Jennifer
Deveraux Show." Jennifer's co-host was Austin Reed. After Austin
left the show, she went solo until Jack came back to Salem. Jack
and Jennifer's little fights on the show made the ratings soar.
The show must have been canceled since Jennifer now lives in Africa.
Section 3: Commonly Asked Questions & Curious Facts
Was there ever a Dan Horton?
Yes. When the show began, the eldest son of Tom and Alice was Dan.
It was implied that he had been shipped overseas, where he befell
some terrible fate. He was also mentioned to have had a wife, Kitty,
and a son, Bobby. More than 2 years later, we would finally meet this
lost branch of the Horton tree. By this time, Dan's name had been
changed to Tom Horton, Jr. (Tommy), and instead of a son he had a
daughter, Sandy. Kitty's name remained unchanged.
What is the St. Valentine Day's Massacre?
This is a term bitterly used by longtime Days fans for what
head writer Nina Laemmle did to the show in 1980. In her first
six months on the job, Nina wrote out 14 major characters, and
replaced them with 9 new ones. These were the victims...
Bill Horton Samantha Evans
Hope Williams Donna Craig
Margo Horton Steve Olson
Bob Anderson Robert LeClair
Linda Anderson Dr. Jordan Barr
Melissa Anderson Phyllis Anderson
Brooke Hamilton/Stephanie Woodruff Cathy Breton
...who were replaced with
Kellam Chandler Maxwell Jarvis Cassie Burns
Todd Chandler Joshua Fallon Flora Chisholm
Liz Chandler Jessica Blake Leslie James
Of these new characters, only Liz Chandler survived longer than two years.
With the exception of Todd, Joshua, and Jessica, these new characters were
written out within 8 months of their introduction. In other words, the likes
of Bill, Bob, Linda, and Donna were all sacrificed for nothing.
Which characters on Days had multiple personalities? Who were their alters?
Trish Clayton was the first with a fragmented personality. In
addition to Trish, she had alters Cindy, a loose street girl,
and Lisa, a spiteful young child.
Next came Jessica Blake. At first, she only had one alter,
Angel, a roguish party girl. But after she was hospitalized, Jessica
developed a completely opposite personality, Sister Angelique.
Then came Kimberly Brady. Her alters were Lacey James, yet another
loose party girl, and Claire, a less-rowdy but very volatile woman who
controlled the other personalities.
Has there been any twins on Days?
Like any other soap opera, Days has had its share of twins...
Tommy/Addie Horton (fraternal)
Marlena/Samantha Evans (identical)
Samantha/Eric Brady (fraternal)
Gillian/Grace Forrester (identical)
Duke/Earl Johnson (identical)
Shane/Drew Donovan (identical)
Victor/Joseph Kiriakis (identical)
...and even quadruplets!
Susan/Thomas/Mary Moira Banks & Penelope Kent (quadruplets)
And we also had look-alikes:
Doug Williams/Byron Carmichael (half-brothers)
Tony/André DiMera (cousins)
Bo Brady/Mitch (no relation)
Kristen Blake/Susan Banks & Penelope Kent (no relation)
Hope Brady/Gina Von Amberg (no relation)
Have any actors on Days played more than one role?
The answer to this is an emphatic YES! Along with the tons of
recurring and "under five" (meaning they have less than five lines)
actors the show constantly recasts, there have also been major
actors who have returned to the show for a second (and sometimes
third) role.
John Aniston - Dr. Eric Richards (1969-1970), Victor
Kiriakis (1985-1997; 1999-present)
Bill Hayes - Doug Williams (1970-1984...), Byron Carmichael
(1979)
Ryan MacDonald - Scott Banning (1971-1973), Reverend (1983),
Howard Hawkins (1991-1992)
Josh Taylor - Chris Kositchek (1976-1987), Roman Brady
(1997-present)
John Lombardo - Eric Peters (1971), Fred Barton (1977-1978)
Noah Keen - Wayne Charles (1969), Ray Stone (1979)
Ed Prentiss - John Martin (1966), Dr. Ralph Dunbar (1967),
Alex Marshall (1971-1972)
Burt Douglas - Jim Fisk (1965-1966), Sam Monroe (1974-1975)
Joseph Mascolo - Dr. Tutano (1968), Stefano DiMera (1982-1985...)
Cyndi James Reese - Sally Johnson (1981-1982), Lexie Brooks
(1988-1989)
Frank Parker - Dr. Patrick Hennesy (1982), Shawn Brady
(1983-1984; 1985-1989; 1990-present)
Silvana Gallardo - Robin Carlisle (1982), Rosa Ramírez (1988)
Renée Jones - Niki Wade (1982-1983), Lexie Carver (1993-present)
Thaao Penghlis - Tony DiMera (1981-1985; 1993-1995), André DiMera
(1983-1984)
Judi Evans - Becky (1983), Adrienne Johnson (1987-1991)
J. Eddie Peck - Rick (1984), Hawk Hawkins (1991-1992)
Dani Minnick - Jacqueline Deveraux (1984), Rebecca Morrison (1993)
Camilla More - Janice Kennedy (1985), Gillian Forrester (1986-87),
Grace Forrester (1987-1988)
Anthony DeLongis - Claus Van Zandt (1985-1986), Hans (1990)
Stan Ivar - Clay Heffron (1985), Daniel Scott (1994-95; 96)
Vanessa Bell - Denise Preston (1985), Charlene (1988)
Terrence Beasor - Jonathan Rutherford (1985), Ernesto Toscano (1989)
Ivan G'Vera - Henri Von Leuschner (1990), Ivan Marais (1991-2000)
Robert Kelker-Kelly - Bo Brady (1992-1995), Mitch (1993)
Victor Alfieri - José (1996), Franco Kelly (1996-1998)
Nancy Parsons - Nurse Jackson (1993-1994), Mary Brook (1996)
Eileen Davidson - Kristen Blake (1993-1998), Susan Banks 1996-1998),
Mary Moira Banks (1997-1998), Thomas Banks (1997),
Penelope Kent (1998)
Kristian Alfonso - Hope Brady (1983-1987; 1990; 1994-present),
Gina Von Amberg (1999-2000)
Who is Carrie Brady's mother? It's not Marlena?
No. Carrie is the daughter of Roman and Anna Brady. Anna later
married Tony DiMera.
Why does Brady hate Marlena so much?
Because the current writer didn't have anything else to do. There is no true
true historical basis for Brady's current hatred for a step-mother who has loved
him as much as her other children. This is just really bad writing.
Which characters have "come back from the dead"?
Sigh...the question should be, "Which characters haven't come back
from the dead. Here is a list containing the names of those Lazarus wannabes who in
some way cheated death, or caused people to believe that they'd cheated death.
Ghosts and hallucinations not included.
1. Tommy Horton
2. Mickey Horton (twice)
3. David Banning
4. Brooke Hamilton
5. Marlena Evans (three times)
6. Anna Brady
7. Roman Brady (three times)
8. Stefano DiMera (eight times, see below)
9. Emma Donovan
10. Petrov
11. Britta Englund
12. Kimberly Brady
13. Diana Colville
14. Orion Hawk
15. Nick Corelli
16. Cal Winters
17. Eugene Bradford
18. Shane Donovan
19. Marina Toscano
20. Arthur Downey
21. Ernesto Toscano
22. Anjelica Deveraux
23. Alexander Kiriakis
24. Howard Hawkins II
25. Victor Kiriakis
26. Forrest Alamain (John Black)
27. Nicholas Alamain
28. Curtis Reed
29. Carly Manning
30. Vivian Alamain
31. Laura Horton
32. Hope Brady
33. Kate Roberts
34. Peter Blake
35. Jennifer Horton
36. Gina Von Amberg
How many times has Stefano "died"?
At last count, he died 8 times.
1. Died of a stroke in prison (1983)
2. Died when his car plunged into the Salem River (1984)
3. Died when Marlena shot him, making him fall into a fire (1985)
4. Died when falling into a fire in Mexico (1991)
5. Died when his car exploded and plunged into the river (1994)
6. Died during a hurricane while trying to get away on a rowboat (1994)
7. Died when his plane exploded (1996)
8. Died during an explosion in the Paris tunnels (1996)
Who are Stefano's known children?
1. Tony DiMera (originally not his son, rewritten history.) (deceased)
2. Renée DuMonde (deceased)
3. Megan Hathaway (deceased)
4. Benji Hawk (in Europe)
5. Kristen Blake (adopted; in a dungeon in a far away island)
6. Peter Blake (adopted; in prison)
7. Lexie Carver (still in Salem)
8. Elvis Banks (in England)
Why does Stefano hate the Brady family? They've never explained it!
Stefano's animosity toward the Brady family is not as mysterious as
most people think. During Stefano's first run in Salem, Roman Brady was
responsible for uncovering his criminal activities and sending him to
prison. Because of that, Stefano developed a hatred toward Roman. As
Stefano sought revenge against him, a feud began between the two of
them that seemingly ended with Roman's death at Stefano's hands. The
entire Brady family, in particular Bo Brady and Marlena Evans,
naturally felt a hatred for Stefano and tried to seek revenge. That is
when the feud stopped being just between Roman and Stefano, and spread
onto the rest of the family. The recent storyline that suggested a
long-ago feud between the Bradys and the DiMeras from Ireland is
a jarring history rewrite and the bastard child of an idle brain.
What country did Lawrence Alamain come from?
Lawrence's country, popularly called by fans "Alamania", was never
given a name. It was supposed to be in Europe. Taking into account its
arid, mountainous terrain, scattered with palm trees and boasting a
somewhat tropical climate, it is safe to assume that it was located on
the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Also taking into account the strong
French qualities of the Alamain family (not to mention that "Alamain"
is a French name), it is logical to conclude that Lawrence's country
was none other than France. Specifically, the area around the Alamain
villa matches the terrain between Nîmes and Avignon on the Côte d'Azur.
At one point there was a vague reference to Gen. Rommel and "desert tanks", leading
many to believe that the country was on or near Africa. However, the reference was
too vague to draw this conclusion and could very well be applied to France.
Why the show left the Alamains' nationality in doubt is anyone's guess.
In later years, comments made by Vivian shot the whole France theory out of the water.
But it was still a good guess! :)
Whatever happened to those four Marlena look-alikes that Stefano had in 1995?
Those four Marlenas were each sent to different cities in the United
States to sabotage the police's search for Marlena, whom Stefano had
kidnapped and was keeping in Salem. All four Marlena look-alikes were
arrested less than two days later.
Who exactly is Gina?
When Hope was found to be alive at Maison Blanche, she had amnesia
and thought her name was Gina. Recently, it has been revealed that Hope
was programmed by Stefano DiMera to pretend to be a certain Princess
Gina Von Amberg, who looked very much like Hope. As Gina, Hope would
infiltrate Europe's elite circle and create art forgeries for Stefano.
Why did Melissa Reeves (Jennifer Deveraux) leave the show?
Melissa said that she wanted to have time to raise a family. However,
there have been constant rumors that she'd been having an affair
with her co-star, Jason Brooks (Peter Blake), and her husband,
Scott Reeves (Ryan McNeil, "The Young and the Restless") found out.
Did Kristian Alfonso (Hope Brady) get breast implants? Is she anorexic?
The question should be, "Why should we care?" What Kristian does with
her body concerns nobody but herself.
Did Eileen Davidson (Kristen Blake) use to be a man?
The urban legend of Days of Our Lives! I shouldn't even fuel
this absurd rumor by addressing it, but it has to stop. Many things
have contributed to this rumor, including a tabloid article and a
Donahue interview with Eileen's former co-star from Y&R, Eric Braeden;
an interview that DOES NOT exist, yet a friend of a friend of their
mother's cousin's nephew's godson's baby-sitter's sister swears
she saw. Please. Everyone from Phil Donahue to Eric Braeden to Eileen
herself has proclaimed this rumor a pure fabrication of the fans so...
STOP THE INSANITY!!
Where is Shawn and Caroline's adopted kid, Max Brady?
That's a good question. In 1992, they sent him away to summer camp.
Maybe they forgot to pick him up?
Speaking of forgotten children, what's that story about Tommy Horton?
The story is that, in 1972, Tommy went upstairs to his room. He did
not come back down until 1977. Keep in mind that Tommy, however, was
a full-grown adult.
Did Krista Allen (Billie #2) or Kevin Spirtas (Craig Wesley) ever do pornos?
No. They, along with a myriad of other Days stars and alumni (and most
soap opera actors), have appeared in erotic movies. Actors don't have
sexual intercourse of any kind in those films. So no, they haven't done
pornos. Let it go.
Have *any* Days actors appeared in pornographic movies?
Yes, but you won't find their names here. I'm not about to do such an
extreme disservice to those actors, who are trying to steer away from
that image. Moving on...
Sources consulted in the Making of this FAQ
Biracree, Tom. Soap Opera Mania: Love, Lust and Lies from Your Favorite
Daytime Dramas. New York: Prentice Hall.
Russell, Maureen. Days of Our Lives: A Complete History of the Long-Running
Soap Opera. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co. 1995.
Schemering, Christopher. The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York: Ballantine
Books, 1988.
Waggett, Gerard J. The Soap Opera Encyclopedia. New York: HarperPaperback,
1997.
Also, a special thanks to Midge for correcting the information on
Hodgkin's Disease.
and of course, Beth Porchey's Days of Our Lives Page, J. Hindo, and the many
curious fans who inspired me to write this FAQ.
© 1998-2001. All rights reserved.