The soap is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday since November 8, Bell , who would depart the series in to focus full-time on The Young and the Restless , which he created for CBS in The series is set in Illinois , in the fictional city of Salem, and primarily focuses on two groups โ the Brady and the Horton families. The actress Frances Reid who played the matriarch of the Horton family, Alice Horton , remained with the show from its inception until her death in ; her last, formal appearance had occurred in December Due to the series' success, daily episodes were expanded from 30 minutes to 60 minutes on April 21, As of November , Days of Our Lives has been renewed through The soap celebrated its 15,th episode on December 2, The Cordays and Bell combined the "hospital soap" idea with the tradition of centering a series on a family, by making the show about a family of doctors, including one who worked in a mental hospital.
Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia in contrast to shows such as As the World Turns and its portrayal of "real American contemporary families. In the s, the show branched out into supernatural storylines, which critics immediately panned, as it was seen as a departure from more realistic storylines for which the show had originally become known.
However, these storylines did have the desired effect, making Days of Our Lives the most-watched daytime soap among young and middle-aged women, also becoming one of NBC's five most profitable shows in any time slot.
In addition to receiving critical acclaim in print journalism, the series has won many awards, including a Daytime Emmy for Best Drama in and [ 30 ] and a Writers Guild of America, East Award for Best Drama in and Tom Horton won Best Actor in [ 32 ] and As with all other network programming, Days of Our Lives ' ratings have declined somewhat since the s.
The month renewal was down from its previous renewal, which was for five years. The show made somewhat of a comeback in , with ratings increasing as the year progressed.
