Days Of Our Lives Soap Opera

Daytime television in America would not be the same without its soaps. The long running Days of our Lives soap opera is one of the most popular and continues to grip audiences with its dramatic storylines and is watched by people of all ages. The NBC show first aired in 1965, beginning with half hour episodes and moving to hour-long episodes when ten years had passed. The show is filmed in Burbank, California but the story is set in a fictional town in the mid-West called Salem.

The show's plots center around two main families, the Bradys and the Hortons. The part of Alice Horton is still played by original cast member, Frances Reid, who appeared in the very first episode. Plots involve romantic complications, including love triangles, and mysterious situations. The drama is sometimes punctuated with humor too. Continuity is provided by Executive Producer, Ken Corday, who is the son of husband and wife Betty and Ted Corday, co-creators of the Days of our Lives soap opera.

The familiar theme and opening image of sand falling through an hourglass is seen in many countries outside of the United States. The show is syndicated in the UK and several European countries and in Australia and New Zealand. The writers have been praised for introducing controversial issues in the 1970s, not tackled in other soaps at the time, such as interracial relationships. The Days of our Lives soap opera and its cast have won several awards over the years. It was voted Best Drama in the Daytime Emmy Awards for 1978. The late Macdonald Carey won Best Actor in 1974 and 1975 for his role as Dr Tom Horton and Susan Flannery, as Laura Horton, won Best Actress in 1975. There have been other trophies won for Soap Opera Digest Awards and People Choice Awards.

The soap was in the peculiar position of being featured in another hit show when it was brought into the storyline for Friends. Matt LeBlanc's character, Joey Tribbiani, takes a major role in the Days of our Lives soap opera. He plays brilliant neurosurgeon, Dr Drake Ramoray, and several scenes depicting the soap opera set are filmed. Other actual cast members of the soap appear alongside LeBlanc. The Friends show depicts the soap, having bizarre plots and melodramatic scenes. All this is done with good humor and affection for the real Days of our Lives soap opera. One cultural icon paid tribute to another.

Summary

Days of Our Lives soap opera began its long history in 1965. The story is about two familys, the Bradys and the Hortons. There are the usual drama pieces with love, hate, revenge, and forgiveness one would expect from the show. It has won numerous awards for Best Drama, Best Actor, Best Actress, Soap Opera Digest Award, and People Choice Awards.

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