I have a confession to make: my real name is Shawn Brady. I was born before the Brady family was introduced in the 1980s, I was not named after Shawn Sr. or Jr. However, I have felt like an important part of the Brady family since watching Days of Our Lives in 1985.
Full Disclosure: I am Co-Founder/Co-Editor-in-Chief of Soap Cities (SC) and Co-Head of Save Our Soaps group (SOS) Soap Fans United (Twitter: @soapfansunited1).
Megyn Kelly’s News Show
Today, we in the soap community got encouraging news when it was reported the third hour of the Today Show, aka Today’s Take with Al Roker and Tamron Hall, is being cancelled to make room for Megyn Kelly’s new untitled daytime show as part of her multi-million-dollar contract with NBC. For now, Days is safe. Whew!
So, as Days fans, what can you do to ensure NBC does not cancel the soap and give that prime 1-2pm slot back to the affiliates for a cheap syndicated court or talk show? Read on!
Our Suggestions
I think it’s a good idea to contact NBC and Sony Pictures Entertainment (aka SPE) and let them know you support Days. Just a quick call, followed by a short letter letting them know you are hoping for the speedy renewal for Days. I wouldn’t bother contacting Days directly because the renewal decision is primarily in the hands of NBC and Sony. The time is now to begin the lobbying effort, especially since NBC Execs are making what I consider to be vague comments about the future of the show:
In a recent Deadline article, NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt made no secret that Days of Our Lives is right now in the cancellation bubble. “As they age, these shows diminish, there is a lot of delayed viewing and very little linear viewing anymore; you have to keep looking at that,” he said.
NBC Entertainment President Jennifer Salke was more encouraging but still equivocal. “We hope that the show comes back,” she said of Days.
Never forget ABC and ABC Daytime Chief Brian Frons reassured folks like Susan Lucci All My Children (AMC) was safe moments before it was canceled. One Life To Live (OLTL) was cancelled with AMC without any warning. The time to show support is before a cancellation announcement.
#SaveDays Checklist:
1) Call NBC at (818) 840-4444. Keep the call short and sweet. Tell them how much you love Days and can’t wait for it to be renewed!
2) Send snail mail to:
Robert Greenblatt
NBC Entertainment Chairman
5750 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Jill Carmen
NBC Entertainment Publicity
100 Universal City Plaza Bldg 1360, 3rd FL
Universal City, CA 91608
Zack Van Amburg
SPE President
10202 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
Steve Kent
SPE Senior Exec VP
10202 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
3) Write a quick note via NBC’s website:
http://www.nbc.com/contact-us
4) Tweet NBC at:
@NBC
5) Facebook and write NBC at:
6) Thanks to an anoymous source, we were able to dig up all the emails of the top brass at NBC and Sony. Make sure you make yourselves heard! I recommend directly emailing those who have a star by their name and cc’ing the rest.
NBC:
*Robert Greenblatt, NBC Entertainment Chair: rsgreenblatt@nbcuni.com
*Jennifer Salke, NBC Entertainment President: Jennifer.Salke@nbcuni.com
Steve Burke, CEO of NBC Universal: sburke@nbcuni.com
Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman of NBC Universal: meyer.meyer@nbcuni.com
Matt Bond, Chairman, Content Distribution: matt.bond@nbcuni.com
Bonnie Hammer, NBC Universal Cable: bonnie.hammer@nbcuni.com
Adam Miller, Executive Vice President: adam.miller@nbcuni.com
Jeff Shell, Universal Filmed Entertainment Group: jeff.shell@nbcuni.com
Jill Carmen, NBC Entertainment Publicity: Jill.Carmen@nbcuni.com
SONY:
*Zack Van Amburg, President, SPE: Zack_Van_Amburg@spe.sony.com
*Steve Kent, Senior Exec VP, SPE: steve_kent@spe.sony.com
7) Watch Days!
One of the best and most fun things you can do is to always watch Days – especially if you have a Nielsen Box. Watch, even if you do not, because you love the show! Networks are paying attention to and making note of all viewing habits including: watching live, DVR plus delayed viewing, on-demand, downloading episodes, and purchasing from iTunes.
Our Advice to the Networks
Daytime’s Confidential’s Jamey Giddens says, “If Sony/Corday, NBC, CBS, the Bells and Disney-ABC ever begin to see their daytime soap operas as billion-dollar legacy brands in the same way, Disney views their Marvel and Stars Wars franchises, daytime soaps could live on in in perpetuity.”
We at SC will continue to post any news about the future of Days as soon as it breaks! We will also have more suggestions for actions you can take as the opportunity arises.
Give us your input in the comment section below. Check back with Soap Cities for more Days spoilers, recaps, news, and fun! Follow us on Twitter at @soapcities, on Instagram at @soapcities, and come chat with us in our Facebook group. Catch “Days of Our Lives” weekdays on NBC.
Discussion4 Comments
Please do not cancel my all time favorite show on NBC. I wasc20 yrs., old when DOOL began its long running venture and continue to watch it everyday. I am now 72 and 99% disabled and only look forward to seeing DOOL daily. There would nothing to look forward to if you take it away. Please do just one thing for the thousands of faithful lifetime audience to this show and keep it on the air. It is only on for 1 hour and day and it puts a smile on so many faces for those of us faithfuls who really have nothing else to look forward to but the storylines that this show keeps us hanging onto and puts a smile on peoples faces and helps us to respect and appreciate NBC for truly caring about their dedicated and committed audiences.. Thank very much NBC for always being their for us.. I personally can honestly say I remember when NBC began as a network station and because of folks like me who has always been loyal to NBC you are able to continue to be the leading network contender that you are. I love the NBC Network and I love DOOL.. Thank you for listening… MW
Thank you for this story. I will gladly follow these steps to keep Days on the air!
I have ben watching Days since it started. Please do not take this away from all of us.
It is great show.
We love our DOOL – please don’t take it away!