AMP in the post
According to Vulture, NBC pioneered the soap opera genre 73 years ago when it debuted These Are My Children in 1949.
The news has broken social media with outraged fans venting spleen that DOOL is the latest big name program to become paid subscriber fare only–Thursday Night Football and ABC’s Dancing With the Stars will switch to streaming this fall.
Days of our Lives spoilers: DOOL Fans Are Outraged
Still, according to industry analysts, the move to Peacock is not without precedent. The show, produced by Corday Prods. in association with Sony Pictures Television, has been threatened with cancellation several times over the past 15 years and the show has launched a DOOL spin-off on Peacock. So, despite the stark news, soap fans will not be shocked about the switch.
DOOL is routinely the lowest ratings grab among the four remaining network daytime dramas. As such NBC honchos have made noises about the cost to produce the show and fans have come to expect the news of a renewal of the show with bated breath.
DOOL spoilers: DOOL Will Soon Be On Peacock
AMP in the post
Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said of the decision, “This programming shift benefits both Peacock and NBC and is reflective of our broader strategy to utilize our portfolio to maximize reach and strengthen engagement with viewers.”
He added, “With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fan base on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers.”
Days of our Lives spoilers: What Will Replace the NBC Sudser?
The next question fans will have is, what will NBC schedule in place of DOOL? Soap fans who wish to tune in to the same time slot will find that a new one-hour news program, NBC News Daily, will air with hosts Kate Snow, Aaron Gilchrist, Vicky Nguyen, and Morgan Radford.
NBC’s decision to ditch DOOL means there will be only three daytime soaps on American broadcast TV come this fall: ABC’s General Hospital and CBS’s The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.
AMP in the post
The genre dominated the airwaves from the mid-1960s until the early 1990s, when the broadcast of the O.J. Simpson murder trial preempted soaps.
The genre never regained its footing, but what the daytime audience lacks in numbers it more than makes up for in loyalty. Cleary NBCU/Peacock execs hope that the fanbase follows the sudser to Peacock. Now tell us, DOOL fans, what are your thoughts on the switch and do you plan to pay to watch your favorite soap on Peacock?
Be sure to catch up on everything happening with DOOL right now. Come back here often for Days of our Lives spoilers, news, and updates.