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Less than a year after celebrating its 50th anniversary, Days of Our Lives is set to celebrate another milestone today: 13,000 episodes. Glamour was invited to cover the celebration with an exclusive interview with executive producer Ken Corday (whose parents, Ted and Betty Corday, created the daytime drama) and with on-set photos (check back for those later). That's not all: The cast will also travel to Nashville, Tennessee on August 27 for a Q+A and talent signing—a city that Corday lauds for its passionate fan base.
But first, it's time to celebrate in the fictional town of Salem. Many familiar faces will be returning for the epic milestone—and there will be surprising new storylines later this year. "We are a family, and the show reflects that with the families on the show," says Corday. "It's a great, great honor to be able to thank everybody [on set] and recognize everyone's contributions." Of course, celebrations are fun and all, but we know you're dying to find out what's to come in Salem and which fan favorites are returning. Here, Corday fills us in on what to expect and how the show is upping its game before next month's Olympics.
Glamour: Congrats on 13,000 episodes! Go ahead, pick a favorite. [Laughs]
Ken Corday: Impossible! [Laughs] There have been so many great ones. My favorite thing about it is that it’s constantly changing.
Glamour: How do you watch the show? Have you already seen it by the time it airs or do you watch it at night when you get home?
Ken: I can’t watch it when it airs because I’m working and there are too many distractions happening. I go home and watch it at night top to bottom by myself. Sometimes I’ll see rough cuts before they air if there’s something big to look at, but I do like to watch the show every day with commercials.
Glamour: Days celebrated 50 years in November and now you're coming up on 13,000 episodes. What would your parents say about this incredible achievement?
Ken: They would be flabbergasted. My father unfortunately passed away before the show was a year old, and he didn’t expect it to go more than a few years, which is why he convinced Macdonald Carey and Frances Reid to sign on in the first place, so they could go back to doing theater. My mom and dad would be extremely proud. They would both be over the moon.
Glamour: How much cake do you eat on the set for the celebration?
Ken: Well, to be honest, I’ve had celiac disease all my life, so I’m not supposed to eat cake or anything with wheat in it. We don’t have a gluten-free cake, but I will always have a couple bites of the cake because you have to have a bite for good luck. I'm superstitious.
Glamour: As soon as the cake cutting ceremony is over, we'll post exclusive photos in this article. What's it like being together with this legendary cast?
Ken: Trying to get the cast and crew behind that cake is always a real trick. It’s really incredible. Such a honor. And then they put the cherry on top last week because the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce is giving me a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year. [Ed. Note: Deidre Hall just got her star earlier this summer. Click here for those photos].
Glamour: Congratulations! They'll have to close down Hollywood Blvd. I'd imagine every possible actor will turn out for that one.
Ken: Thanks. They'll have to get bleacher [seating] instead of chairs. [Laughs] That will be a big day.
Glamour: So many fan favorites will be returning soon, including Patsy Pease (Kimberly) and Charles Shaughnessy (Shane). What can you reveal about their storyline?
Ken: They don’t start airing until after Christmas. We are really way, way ahead, and we’re going to try and get closer to air time, but we do eight shows a week, so…I’m thrilled, but especially those two did not miss a beat walking on the stage. It was like they never left. Charlie had been gone longer than Patsy because she has made a few appearances at weddings, funerals, bar mitzvahs, etc. Charlie’s transition was seamless. It’s a good story. It’s interwoven with Hope’s story, and it’s great. There are more surprise returns from the past to come. Leann Hunley (Anna) will be back in Salem [as well].
Glamour: Are these long-term appearances or short ones?
Ken: You know, they come in for two or three months and then they go away and then they come back, and there’s a little mystery cloaked in it. We’ll even see some other characters that were as popular in the past, but I can’t let that one out of the bag.
Glamour: And we should note there are more returns to come, outside of already reported return appearances from Matthew Ashford (Jack), Jaime Lyn Bauer (Laura), and others.
Ken: Yes.
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Glamour: Drake Hogestyn (John) had a terrible fall in a freak accident in early May. Any update on how he's doing?
Ken: We wish Drake the best and hope to see him back on set soon.
Glamour: Rafe and Hope have sizzling chemistry, but their road to be together has not been easy. What can you preview for Rope fans?
Ken: The fans are clamoring for Rafe and Hope to be together, and we know that, but we don’t want to get there instantly. Aidan’s reappearance was a big hiccup in that, but we’ll get there.
Glamour: Melissa Reeves and Billy Flynn had some incredible scenes together last week. What can you preview for Jennifer and Chad?
Ken: Stay tuned on that one. We have a new Abby, and she’s wonderful. There was a lot of great chemistry with Kate Mansi and Billy Flynn, and he’s wonderful. The proof will be in the pudding. We’ll see [the new Abby] air after Christmas.
Glamour: What storyline are you most excited for fans to see?
Ken: There are two: the one with Chad and Abigail and JJ and Gabi. They are very vibrant and good actors, the young future of the show. I’m very excited about the story Nicole will have coming up with Chloe and Deimos and with Brady and another huge return from the past. Again, a big surprise, and a great part of Nicole’s past and life experience in Salem. It’s a baby story, and those seem to work well for us.
Glamour: Is there one that will shock the audience most?
Ken: I think that will. Who’s baby is it will be a shocker.
Glamour: And the teens?
Ken: The teens continue to be the teens, and I think we have pushed the envelope with them initially by having them on the air a lot around the time we hit 50. They’ve taken more of a side stage role, not backstage, but side stage, to players that have more impact. Not to say they don’t, but they have to earn their bars.
Glamour: Olivia Rose Keegan—a.k.a. Claire Brady—is such a find.
Ken: Yeah, she’s very vibrant; she’s wonderful. The camera loves her. It also loves the other three too. We’ve got a great Theo, Ciara, etc. They’re all great buddies in real life too.
Glamour: The Olympics will interrupt Days for a couple weeks until it returns at the end of August. I'd say a cliffhanger is in order, right?
Ken: We’ll certainly end on a cliffhanger. We’ll come back with a real bang.
Days of Our Lives airs weekdays on NBC. Come back to this post later today for all the exclusive on-set photos.
Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/days-of-our-lives-celebrates-13000-episodes-with-exclusive-photos
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