These interesting facts have to do with the history and production of the show. (Additional facts on actors and characters can be found on the fascinating facts pages for Salem and its actors.)
Irna Phillips, one of the founders of daytime drama and Days, was the one who penned "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives." The title of the show reportedly came from a passage in the bible.
On daytime TV, only Guiding Light (begun 1952), As the World Turns (1956) and General Hospital (1963) are older than Days.
The most watched episode of Days in its 32 years on the air was the show that aired on July 25, 1988. In that episode, Steve and Kayla were married.
The character of Franco Kelly was originally supposed to be an Irishman named Sean Kelly. After the show cast Victor Alfieri, the Irish thing obviously wouldn't work, so his name was changed to Gino, after Kristian Alfonso's son. The name was then changed again, perhaps to spare Kristian from playing out romantic scenes with a guy named after her kid.
Robin Jacobs, a devout Jew, named her son Jeremy Michael, after his father. In the Jewish religion, it is disrespectful to name a child after a living person - you are only supposed to name your children after dead people. Robin herself was named after her aunt who had died in the holocaust. The folks at Days didn't do their research on this one!
In
the beginning, the eldest Horton son was named Dan Horton, sometimes
referred to as Danny by Alice. From the first episode, it was implied
that something tragic had happened while in the military. He had been
shipped overseas where something had happened to him. Frances Reid
always played it as if he had been killed, but Dan's fate was never
specifically mentioned. Dan had left behind his wife Kitty and,
surprisingly, a son named Bobby! Kitty and Bobby were living in
Denver. Around Thanksgiving, Kitty wrote to Alice telling her that
Bobby had starred as Squanto in the second grade's Thanksgiving play.
Dan and Bobby ceased to exist in 1967 when Bill Bell took over and
wrote the characters of Tommy and Sandy Horton.
Sheri
Anderson, former headwriter of Days, named Calliope and Eugene, as
well as Billie Holliday Reed. Calliope was named after a friend of
hers, who was a bit wacky. The character was patterned after Cyndi
Lauper originally. Sheri's middle name is Jean, which was used for
Samantha Gene Brady. Eric Brady was named for the shock value of
"Eric" since it was uncle Eric Brady who had molested Kimberly.
To create the special mirror that put John into a trance, Days spent nearly $2,500. The Art Director, Wade Battley purchased a two-way mirror like those used in police lineups and put it in an ornate, god-lacquered picture frame. To produce the swirling light effect, a motorized mechanism was built for the back of the mirror that involved a light fixture and two perforated discs, which turned like a pinwheel.
The shell ring Jack gave Jennifer on the island following the cruise of deception was an actual seashell that the Days special effects team drilled a hole through.
Production designer Chip Dox explained the tricks of TV grave digging, which he employed when Kristen, Vivian and Ivan exhumed Peter's casket. The first time the trio starts to dig, they're at ground level, then they're up to their knees, and, finally, up to their chests. They were on a "scissors lift" inside a hole in the stage floor in which there's a "sandbox full of dirt", Dox says. The "grave" gets deeper as the lift is lowered electrically. DAYS has also used the hole as a lower staircase and a trap door. As for securing the slightly rusty casket, one crew member joked that they got it "at a Back to Ghoul sale."
One thing's for sure: when Stefano drinks from his apertiff glass, it's not alcohol, according to Days set designer Daniel Exiewicz. "We do buy booze, but we pour it out and replace it with colored water," he explains. Exiewicz sats that the bottles that the line bar shelves almost always contain colored water. However, for scenes where actors are supposed to be drinking, they often use tastier substitutes. The champagne toast at John and Marlena's reception? Sparkling cider. The decanter of bourbon at the DiMera Mansion? Ice tea. And Vivian's beloved martinis? Mineral water and an olive, of course. According to Exiewicz, the designers try to be as realistic as possible, but like any work environment, it simply isn't a good idea to have booze hanging around. "We do quite a few bar scenes on the show," he notes. "If we used the real thing, we'd have to do a lot of retakes."
DAYS constructed a rock wall approximately 15- to 20- feet in height to simulate the Grand Canyon during the 1997 Jennifer kidnapping storyline. Steve Wilder did his own stunts with the wall, climbing up and down several times and falling from the top of the rock wall to the bags below.
In December 1997, when Peter came face to face with a wild beast, it was a 300-plus-pound tiger. When the animal was out of the cage, a stuntman took over. The DAYS set was cleared during the exciting tiger-wrestling scenes. Cameras rolled without stopping for the entire two hours the big cats were on the set to capture the looks, moves and responses needed. (You can't get a tiger to take cues very easily!) The two tigers were contracted from Birds and Animals Limited, and handler/stuntman Rick Glassy played Brooks' double. Ever wonder what happens to soap family photographs when a relative is recast? With a little cut and paste, they're as good as new, says Tom Trout, head of props for DAYS. "When Marie Horton, played by Maree Cheatham, came back, I had to cut and paste her head over Lanna Saunders (the previous actress to play Marie) in a group shot. Another time Trout had to cut and paste Robert Kelker-Kelly's head on a wedding shot of Bo and Hope when Kelker-Kelly's Bo was looking at old photos of scenes with Peter Reckell in the role. Of course, now that Reckell's reprised the role, it's a matter of re-pasting Reckell over Kelker-Kelly "Thank "Thank heaven for color copy machines," Trout says. We just run upstairs to the Jay Leno production offices and knock out what we need!"
Between Vivian and Ivan's tranquilizers and the "special" drugs given to Laura, there's a lot of pill-popping going on in Salem these days. Ever wonder what the Days actors are really taking? Tic Tacs and Tylenol, according to Jamie Lyn Bauer (Laura). "I usually swallow Tylenol when I'm on my regular 'drugs'," she says. "But we switch to Tic Tacs when I'm on my 'mild tranquilizers'." Bauer says that the Tylenol adds realism and is mild enough where she can take one or two a day and it won't bother her. However, Ivan and Vivian pop so many pills, they use a safer alternative: Candy. Now the entire cast will probably want their characters to develop addictions.
Though a role on the nation's No. 2 soap is certainly cause for celebration, Julianne Morris (Swamp Girl) has barely been distinguishable from the woods that surround her since assuming her role as Swamp Girl. Between the camera angles, the wig and the swamp-mud makeup that so effectively obscure her, one would never know just how beautiful Morris is. And that swamp mud can be pretty nasty stuff, says makeup artist Gail Brubaker. "First we were using something called Clean Dirt, but it started being absorbed into Julianne's skin, leaving her splotchy," says Brubaker. "The petroluem bases made it hard for her to wash it off, too. So I made a compound out of black-base pancake makeup and added tan and mixed it up until I got something that looked real dirty. Then I slopped it on her and sprayed her with glycerine water so it looks gooey, yet she can remove it easily." (Soap Opera Magazine)
The missing link to Gina's true identity was an engraved gold bracelet. The simple, but significant, inscription on the back seemed to say it all--"To Hope, with all my love, Bo." Days costume designer Richard Bloore purchased four identical gold-tone bracelets, all with the same inscription, from Nordstrom's department store in Glendale, California. The engraving ended up costing twice as much as the bracelet itself, bringing the price for each to $93.
Mike Horton is the saint of Salem: The friendly doc is always helping others and lately, he's been especially supportive of Carrie. When conversation finally turned away from Carrie and Austin's relationship, Mike confessed that his own life seems to be in a rut. Ms. Brady suggested that her friend do something impulsive. "I have always wanted a red, two-seater sports car," Horton admitted. So, on a whim, he purchased a 1959 Corvette convertible - and the red and white classic is just what the doctor ordered. Everyone, from Jennifer to Mickey, is getting a kick out of Mike's new set of wheels. A mint condition '59 corvette convertible sells for around $30,000 - $40,000.
Carly's engagement ring and wedding band, a total of 2.2 carats, were purchased for $25 and $22 respectively at a small shop in Hollywood.
Days recently constructed the new set for the Empress Express storyline at a cost of approximately $25,000 - $30,000. Ms. Faversham's house cost a pretty penny, too. Decorating a standard set runs about $3,000. Ms. F's house went to $6,000 or more - for the furniture only! This set was remodeled from the Chez Vous set, and construction costs ran about $15,000. All in all, Ms. F's main room, with conversation area, foyer and corridor cost around $21,000!!!
Many years ago when the Bradys were supposed to believe that Drake Hogestyn was Roman (he's a half foot taller than Wayne Northrop), the actors couldn't help but laugh at the idea. They developed "The Vo-dee-oh-doe family." "They're so stupid, you can pass anything by them," says Patsy Pease. The "Vo-dee-oh-do family" was reunited for Bo and Hope's near wedding, when Kim had to tell John that he'd always be her brother. The actors were hard-pressed to keep a straight face during the scene.
"I
remember the time when there were two Romans running around in Salem.
I had a line in the script: 'I've got to go check with the Romans.'
It was ridiculous. How could you keep a straight face?" -- Charles
Shaughnessy (Shane)
Over the years there have been many ideas for Days spin-offs. In the early 1990s, Ken Corday tried to sell a Hawaiian-based soap that would use Tom Horton Jr. as the crossover character linking the two shows. That was the fourth attempt at a Days spinoff. In the 1970s, NBC considered spinning Doug and Julie off into their own show. In the early 1980s, there were rumblings of a Brady-oriented spinoff, with Deidre Hall and Wayne Northrop as the main characters. In 1988, NBC did more than dabble with a spinoff. This show would have utilized the talents of Arleen Sorkin and John deLancie as Calliope and Eugene. The show would have transplanted the couple to Sunnyside Queens, the blue-collar N.Y. neighborhood where Calliope had grown up. The show had two different working titles, Keeping up with the Joneses and Sunnyside Up. The show never made it due to the writers strike, then the changing of the guard at NBC. By then it was too late because Generations had premiered and there was no longer room for another soap. The fifth attempt was in 1994-95 when James Reilly created a bible for "Manhattan Lives," which would transplant Marlena to New York. Due to his contract with Corday Productions, this show never went any farther.
Kevin Costner was brought into read for a Days producer in 1981. The show didn't think he had the right "look" for the character. They cast Jack Coleman in the role of Jake Kositchek instead. Can you imagine Kevin as the Salem Strangler?
When Carly and Victor were married, it was originally planned that they would consummate their marriage on their wedding night. Days changed its mind just days before the story was set to tape, thus leaving Bo and Carly fans a little bit happier about the nuptials that they were already none-too-thrilled about.
Arleen Sorkin (Calliope) often pitched storylines for other Days characters to the writers on the show. One of her ideas was that Alice would find out that she and Tom weren't really married. She also collaborated on the fairy tale episodes that aired in 1989.
During the late 70s and early 80s, Days underwent a radical overhaul. The cast refers to this time as the "Valentine's Day Massacre" because 14 characters were eliminated. They included: Bob Anderson, Brooke Hamilton, Margo Horton, Linda Anderson, Phyllis Curtis, Robert LeClair, Laura Horton, and Bill Horton. During this same six month period, nine new characters were added.
Drake
Hogestyn recounts an interesting occurrence after Macdonald Carey's
death...
Drake: We had a scene one time on the show
where Frances was saying goodbye to Tom, and she went over and put
her arm around the chair where he sat and said "I'll miss you, Tom"
and she walked away. At that moment, this blue light appeared in his
chair I was in the makeup room, watching the sene along with my
castmates, and we looked at the monitor and we saw this blue light.
First we didn't know how to react. We thought they were using a
special effect in remembrance. I walked out onto the set, and the
directors and the producers were all standing there with the camera
men asking each other "What happened? did you catch a flare?" they
replayed the tape again. It wasn't a special effect. No one planned
it Our take on that is that it was Mac stopping by to say hello. To
this day it hasn't been solved. Very interesting! True story.
(from a SoapCity Chat, November 1998)
Deidre Hall recounts another story regarding Mac's l"ife after death"...
Some people are persuaded that the stage is still visited by Mac Carey. In fact, last year when we shot the Christmas episode, we were working in the Horton living room. When the scene was completed, all the lights were turned off and we moved to a different set. As I walked back towards my dressing room, I realized there was still a light on Mac's picture on the mantle. As I stopped dead in my tracks, I realized our prop master and lighting director were both standing there also scratching their heads. There was no place in the studio for that beam of light to have come from. True story. It happened a number of times, it was really spooky. (TVGEN chat, November 1998)
Billy Hufsey was told by the producers to cut his hair. He didn't, and the next thing he knew, he was out of a job. His popularity with the audience led to his almost immediate rehiring. Soon after that, he finally cut his hair.
When Hope went on her adventure on the Empress Express, she changed her appearance to fit the role of Princess Gina. "The blonde streaks were my idea," says Kristian Alfonso (Hope), "because I want to change her physicality (Gina) instead of just trying to play this other character. Eventually, I will wind up being three characters basically trapped in one body. We needed options, so I could switch back and forth to the other characters." Kristian says, "Now I'm getting into this other character and she will be sharper, more La Femme Nikita. We're coming up with different ideas all the time. Also, her speech changes, her enunciation and her speech pattern, words that she uses. I'm trying to make each character individual, although they are the same person." Interesting, eh?
While Jack and Jennifer Deveraux were honeymooning in Los Angeles, Days shot some scenes on location, showing Jack and Jennifer visiting many of the tourist spots. In one of those scenes on Hollywood Boulevard, Jack and Jennifer came upon Macdonald Carey's (Tom Horton on the show) star the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The characters paused for a moment and gave each other a puzzled look, then shook their heads, as if to say, "no, it couldn't be him."
Elaborate
Sets The Salem Place set continues to be the only permanent outdoor set on a daytime soap. The set was built next to the Guest Relations entrance at NBC. The set includes stores such as Johnny Angels (a 50s diner), Salem Hair Design and Ballistix, as well as a movie theater.
The Rome set that will be used this summer for 2-3 months cost more than $100,000 to create. It still is cheaper than going to Italy, but not quite as fun. Salem Place, adjacent to the Guest Relations entrance at NBC, has become an elaborate villa in Rome. Created over a two-week period, the exteriors of shops like Ballistix, Johnny Angles, and other mall areas are encased in an outer shell wall that has stucco and paint, windows and doors of its own. The former buildings are totally unrecognizable. There's a separate, large arbor of beautiful wisteria, too.
Days debuted the Paris set on Friday, July 12, 1996. They referred to it as the City of Lights. Viewers get their first glimpse of the Parisian cafe and newsstand, which is only the tip of this brand-new dazzling scenic iceberg. (Total cost to build: $80,000) "What makes this set unusual is that most sets are 180 degrees [in view], but this one is almost 360 degrees, so the cameras can move around [to shoot from different angles]," a DAYS spokesperson tells us. "It's really unique and different, and absolutely gorgeous." The new set takes center stage for at least the next month, and will figure prominently in the show's upcoming Bastille Day celebration (French Independence Day). (Thanks to Lauren for this info).
The
soap ALL-STARS who were on hand for Greta's Coronation weren't the
only "guest" with impressive credits. This set was used for Greta's
Coronation during Soap ALL-STAR Week on Days of our Lives! However, I
bet you didn't know that this set began its ornate life as the
backdrop of a very famous, Oscar nominated movie. Can you guess which
movie the following set pieces were used in?
It's the Von Trapp family home from
The Sound of Music. This large set actually took up
half of Stage 4 at NBC's Burbank studios. The rented set was
so authentic that the plaster on the set pieces actually
began to crumble. Can you imagine if the Von Trapp Family
met the Von Amburg Family?
(Photos and info courtesy daysofourlives.com)
A
set undressed... A former Days' character was found here… all
washed up.
Did you guess the frozen canal behind Bo & Hope's house?
If so, you guessed correctly. This large set actually took up half of
Stage 4 at NBC's Burbank studios. The rink had to be prepped for an
entire weekend and then dressed extensively before your Days'
favorites could ice skate and discover the frozen Marlo's corpse.
(Photos and info courtesy daysofourlives.com)
Location Shoots
1984--New Orleans, Louisiana
This was Days' first location shoot outside of
California. Everyone traveled to N.O. for the prism storyline.
Characters: Bo Brady, Hope Williams, Maxwell Hathaway, Megan
Hathaway, Howie Hoffstedder, Alice Horton
1984--Miami, Florida
Bo and Hope went to the stadium where the
Dolphins play.
Characters: Kim Brady, Shane Donovan, Victor
Kiriakis, Bo Brady, Hope Williams
1985--London, England
The dragon storyline took place here, as did Bo
and Hope's wedding.
Characters: Emma Donovan, Bo Brady, Hope Williams, Kim Brady,
Shane Donovan, the Dragon
1986--Kern River (actually West Virginia)
John Black's identity search took him (and
Marlena) to West Virginia. The scenes where they rafted down
the wild river were shot at the Kern River, which is actually on the
West Coast.
Characters: John Black, Marlena Evans, Kimberly Brady, Shane
Donovan, Victor Kiriakis, Bo Brady, Hope Williams
1987--Nafleon, Greece
Justin and Adrienne's wedding brought them to
the city, as well as the saga of the computer disk.
Characters: Justin Kiriakis, Adrienne Johnson, Victor
Kiriakis, Serena Colville, Diana Colville, Roman Brady
1989--Charleston, South Carolina
Steve and Kayla live Emily and Gideon's
fantasies. Marcus tries to uncover the secrets surrounding an
explosion at a church that he witnessed as a child.
Characters: Steve and Kayla Johnson (and Emily and Gideon),
Marcus Hunter, Gail Carson
1990--Malibu, California
A few episode's worth of exteriors were filmed
at a large villa in Malibu, which served as Lawrence's villa in
Europe during the earthquake storyline. Bo and Carly had scenes
outside of the villa, as did a few others.
Characters: Jennifer Horton, Alice Horton, Lawrence Alamain,
Frankie Brady, Carly Manning, Bo Brady, Leopold Alamain, Gregory
(there were others who were in this storyline, but were never seen
outside the villa and were not on location)
1991--Los Angeles, California
Jack and Jennifer's wedding and honeymoon.
While their wedding was on location at Universal Studios in
Hollywood, it was supposed to be a location in Salem, the Salem
Arena. The couple did honeymoon in LA.
Characters: Jack Deveraux, Jennifer Horton, Eve Donovan, Hawk
Hawkins, Desiree McCall, plus all the Salemites who attended or
participated in the wedding.
1991--Chichen Itza and Cancun, Mexico
Marlena, Roman and Roman search for their
missing years. Bo and Carly also have a symbolic wedding
Characters: Bo Brady, Carly Manning, Marlena Evans, Roman
Brady, Roman Brady II (John Black), Isabella Toscano, Lawrence
Alamain, Gretchen Lindquist
It took actors Peter Reckell and Crystal Chappel five hours to shoot the scene at the top of the Mayan Pyramid in Chichen Itza, Mexico. They had to climb 91 narrow steps without looking down. (Retakes must have been hell.) (From SOD)
1993--Los Angeles, California
Billie followed Bo, who was working on the case of the parking lot shooter, to LA. They stayed at the Ritz Carlton and went for a shopping spree along Rodeo Drive.
Characters: Bo Brady, Billie Reed
1998--Venice Beach, California
Eric and Nicole are in LA for a Titan photo shoot. Many scenes were shot inside, but they spent a couple of days at Venice Beach, having fun, seeing the sights, etc.
Characters: Eric Brady, Nicole, Jay
1999--Hawaii
John and Marlena went to Hawaii for their honeymoon, following their July wedding. It was here that Hope (who was Gina at the time) kidnapped John and had sex with him on the sub.
Characters: John Black, Marlena Evans, Hope/Gina, Stefano DiMera
2001--Malibu,
California
The teens filmed several scenes in the California area that were supposed to be beach scenes at an island off Puerto Rico.
Backstage Secrets
Al Rabin, who was Days of Our Lives' supervising executive producer for many years (including the golden age of Bo and Hope,) was known for his feisty, but fatherly style. Rabin actually kept a desk drawer stocked with toys, so the show could properly entertain the children of cast and crew members who visited the studio. (From SOD)
If an actor at Days of our Lives receives the famed 'face' cake (which depicts his or her face) upon his departure from the show, this indicates that the departing actor or actress is welcome to return.
On Oprah on July 17, 1997, Julia Roberts admitted that she suffers from the same affliction many of us do--she's a Days addict. Oprah asked Julia's best friend what were some of the things she and Julia did when they were in high school. Julia responded by saying that they would watch 'soaps' and eat Cheetos. Then Oprah asked them "what 'soaps', (pause) Days of our Lives?" Julia said "yeah, Days of Our Lives." They apparently still watch it today, still loving every minute of it.
Monica Lewinsky is apparently a Days fan.
"Full House" star Candace Cameron (DJ) asmits she is a "Days of our Lives addict." She likes to visit Days' pages to get the scoop on things. Her favorite actress on Days is Eileen Davidson.
Rock Hudson was a Bo and Hope fan,
Cary Grant was a fan of Marlena's. He even sent Deidre a fan letter.
LeAnn Rimes is a Days fan and was excited to appear on the show in 1997.
Recasts
Viewers have seen six Samis, five Erics (Jensen Ackles, who began in 1997, is the first adult Eric), five Lexies, five Hopes and five Lauras (including Susan Flannery, now B&B's Stephanie, from 1966-75). But if you want diversity - paging Dr. Mike Horton. There have been 14 Mikes. Is 14 the magic number? Roark Critchlow, who assumed the role in '94, probably hopes so. Prior to Critchlow, Mike was embodied by actors like Wesley Eure (1974 - 81) and prime-time Pretender Michael T. Weiss (1985 - 90). (From SOD)
More
Facts
Days has received over 100 Emmy nominations
Days used the same "clock ticking" theme for JT's "real time" departure episode in 2002 that was used for Sami's execution in 1999.
Deidre Hall and Wayne Northrop appeared on the cover of TV Guide in August 1983
Sunday, March 17, 2002 the "Weakest Link" on NBC featured the hottest soap stars from NBC's popular soaps "Days of Our Lives" and "Passions." The eight soap celebrities include: from "Days of Our Lives," Jason Cook (Shawn Brady), Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady), Matt Cedeno (Brandon Walker) and James Reynolds (Abe Carver) and from "Passions," Josh Ryan Evans (Timmy), Galen Gering (Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald), McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan Crane) and Lindsay Korman (Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald).
On SoapTalk on October 24, 2002, Lisa Rinna revealed that nearly everyone on Days uses cue cards.
Days/Star Trek connection
The following Days actors also appeared on Star Trek
1) John de Lancie (Eugene Bradford, 1982-86) as Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager.
2) Jonathan Frakes (Jared McCallister, 1986-87) was, of course, Commander Will Riker on ST:TNG
3) Michael Dorn had a small part in 1986 as "Jimmy" (a role I have no recollection of) and later starred with Frakes as Lt. Worf in ST:TNG, and later in the same role on ST:DSN
4) But did you also know that Louise Sorel was the main character in an episode from Star Trek, the original series? In the episode called "Requiem For Methuselah", an incredibly stunning Sorel (she was gorgeous!) played Reyna Kapec. Unbeknownst to the crew (and after Kirk and Reyna had their mandatory Star Trek flirtation), it was revealed that she was actually an android, and she basically short-circuited and "died".