MEGYN KELLY’S EXIT FROM FOX NEWS FOR A NEW DAYTIME SHOW ON NBC HAD DAYS OF OUR LIVES FANS GROANING. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE BELOVED SOAP?
The daytime schedule is already filled with syndicated shows on most of NBC’s affiliates. The network confirmed the show will run Monday through Friday, but the time has not been determined yet. Something has to give way. Will it be DOOL?
A Hollywood Reporter article isn’t giving much reassurance to fans either. While the daily entertainment trade paper stated that the 9 a.m. hour of Today was always a possibility, “the 1 p.m. [hour], when the Soap Days of Our Lives currently airs, is more likely.”
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To add insult to injury, the New York City market will be shifting DOOL to the 12 p.m. hour beginning Monday, Jan. 16. This changes the viewership habits of longtime fans who have become accustomed to the 1 p.m. time slot.
DOOL was on the brink of cancellation last year until it received a one-season renewal last February. There is a second-season option that NBC can utilize, but will they now that Kelly has been brought into the fold? The show hasn't been a ratings bonanza for NBC for years and has been struggling against the three remaining soaps.
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Kelly was the most discussed journalist from the 2016 presidential campaign. Her frequent sparring with President-elect Donald Trump made for constant headlines and a hotly contested bidding war for Kelly, whose Fox News contract was up for renewal.
Soap viewers know that their favorite shows often get juggled around to make room for new daytime talk shows. This happened in 2012 when ABC shifted General Hospital for Katie Couric’s now-canceled series. Is there enough room on the schedule for NBC to do something similar for DOOL?
While no premiere date has been announced for Kelly’s show, keep your eyes peeled for an NBC announcement on DOOL’s fate. We are crossing our fingers for all of the residents of Salem.
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