About the DAYS News Archives
Days of our Lives-related news from 2008
It's impossible to keep up with all of the twists and turns from the world of soaps. Luckily, Soap Central has archived all the Days of our Lives news from 2008.
Here are the news stories posted on Soap Central during 2008 that focus on Days of our Lives or past and present DAYS performers. To read any of the articles listed below, simply click on the appropriate link. To access articles from other years, click here.
January 2008
Amid a budget crunch and stories being penned by replacement writers comes word that
Julie Pinson (
Billie Reed) will exit Days of our Lives. The actress will last air in the next few weeks.
January 2008
C'mon get happy! Oscar winner Shirley Jones has signed on for a short-term Days of our Lives appearance. The actress will played the presumed dead Colleen Brady. Her appearance is slated to run through the February Sweeps period.
January 2008
Another daytime veteran is returning to daytime television. Emmy-nominated Tamara Braun has joined the cast of NBC's Days of our Lives, Soap Central has learned. The actress appeared previously as Carly Corinthos on General Hospital.
February 2008
Heads may be rolling in front of the camera and behind the scenes at Days of our Lives, but the reports of one actress' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Now,
Lauren Koslow (
Kate Roberts) is speaking out about her "firing" from the NBC soap.
February 2008
Shawn Christian (ex-
Mike Kasnoff,
As the World Turns) has landed the role of a newly cast doctor on Days of our Lives. The NBC soap just edged out As the World Turns in signing the actor. The actor first airs in March.
February 2008
The pre-nominations for this year's Daytime Emmys have now been announced. From this list will come this year's winners. In a rule change, shows may now have up to three nominees in any given category.
March 2008
Arianne Zuker will return to Days of our Lives in April. The actress exited the show in 2006, ending an eight-year stay in Salem. During her time away from the show, the actress developed a line of jewelry.
April 2008
Julie Pinson, a veteran of West Coast soaps Port Charles, Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless, is headed to New York. The actress has landed a recurring role on As the World Turns. Pinson will be reunited with two co-stars, one of whom she will share a romantic past. Pinson debuts in May.
April 2008
Lauren Koslow made headlines earlier this year when reports that she had been fired flooded Internet message boards. Now the actress is making headlines for helping to clean up the planet. Koslow and co-star Arianne Zuker will be featured in Los Angeles' Eco-Fair event held at Universal Studios Hollywood.
April 2008
The first post-writers' strike episode of Days of our Lives aired on Wednesday, April 23rd. That episode confirms the show's new writing team. Former head writer Dena Higley is once again back at the helm. Higley's most recent daytime gig was as head writer of One Life to Live.
April 2008
Days of our Lives will get a visit from another NBC personality best known for his work after dark. The Tonight Show's "Ross the Intern" will appear in an episode next month. Known as Ross Mathews in real life, Mathews will appear in scenes with a jealous Sami Brady.
April 2008
Kevin Spirtas (ex-
Craig Wesley, Days of our Lives) has signed on to play a mysterious new role on One Life to Live. Spirtas' new character will figure into the return of Tina Lord. Spirtas debuts in June.
May 2008
Former Days of our Lives star
Jason Cook (ex-
Shawn Douglas Brady) will join the cast of General Hospital in June. In Port Charles he will reunite with the actress that played his on-screen DAYS love interest:
Kirsten Storms (ex-
Belle Black). Is a "Shelle" reunion in the works? Cook appeared on DAYS from 1999 through 2006.
June 2008
There will be one more beautiful woman in Salem this month as Miss USA Crystle Stewart puts in appearance on Days of our Lives. The beauty queen will play herself and promote her platform as Miss USA. The appearance also serves to promote the Miss Universe contest which will air later this year on NBC.
June 2008
The Bold and the Beautiful continues to infuse new characters into its storylines, though based on past successes it is too soon to tell if viewers will care about these new faces. The latest addition is former DAYS hunk Brandon Beemer. Beemer has already reported to work, but will not hit the airwaves until July.
June 2008
Hundreds of thousands of American parents have a child with autism. On June 24th, a Days of Our Lives storyline sent
Lexie and
Abe Carver (played by Renee Jones and James Reynolds) into a tailspin with the news that their three-year-old son, Theo, is autistic.
July 2008
Everyone knows that you can't keep a good soap opera villain down... at least not for too long. DAYS's Stefano DiMera has proved the adage true time and time again -- and he'll do so one more time beginning next month. A little more than a month since parting ways, DAYS and actor Joseph Mascolo have kissed and made up.
July 2008
Soap fans are trained to believe that the best drama happens on-screen every Monday through Friday. In actuality, some of the juiciest scandals seem to happen off-screen -- behind-the-scenes. The latest such incident took place backstage last week at Days of our Lives. The show's head writer is said to have walked off or, if you listen to setside sources, was pushed out by other show execs.
August 2008
Soap fans are trained to believe that the best drama happens on-screen every Monday through Friday. In actuality, some of the juiciest scandals seem to happen off-screen -- behind-the-scenes. The latest such incident took place backstage last week at Days of our Lives. The show's head writer is said to have walked off or, if you listen to setside sources, was pushed out by other show execs.
August 2008
Ashley Abbott is coming home to Genoa City -- and it's not just for the holidays. Emmy-nominated for her work on Days of our Lives, Eileen Davidson returns to Y&R on a full-time basis at the end of September. Davidson originated the role of Ashley in 1982. For the past year-and-a-half she has appeared on the Y&R spinoff, The Bold and the Beautiful.
September 2008
It looks like Bianca Montgomery has undergone some life changes while in Paris over the last year. When she returns to Pine Valley in October, Bianca will bring with her a new girlfriend. The woman, named Reese, will be played by Emmy-nominated former General Hospital star Tamara Braun. Braun recently wrapped up a Days of our Lives gig.
September 2008
Days of our Lives has apparently found its passion. Make that its Passions. Soap Central has learned that the NBC soap has hired former Passions stars, Galen Gering and Eric Martsolf. One actor will take on a new role, while the other gets a chance to put his spin on an already-created character.
September 2008
Less than one year into her four-year Days of our Lives contract, Kristen Renton (Morgan Hollingsworth) finds herself without a job. The actress joined the NBC soap just last year and wasn't supposed to be with the show for more than a week or two. Renton bows out of DAYS this week.
October 2008
The soap opera world has lost another of its big talents. Legendary head writer James E. Reilly died this weekend. The scribe, who most recently wrote for Days of our Lives and Passions, was 60.
October 2008
It's another case of look-alikes in Salem. Veteran soap opera actor John Callahan returns to Days of our Lives next month, but it will not be in the role that he previously played back in 1989. Callahan is known for his long-running role on All My Children, as well as for work on General Hospital and Santa Barbara.
November 2008
In the months ahead, Philip Kiriakis may have a new face. Jay Kenneth Johnson has walked away from his role on Days of our Lives -- and rumors hint that he may be the first in a long line of exits. The actor returned to DAYS in 2007 after a four-year break from the show. The actor was, however, forced to return to work just a few days after abruptly leaving because he was still under contract to the NBC soap.
November 2008
Days of our Lives will continue to air on NBC until 2010. The news is a welcome relief to fans of the 43-year-old soap who had feared that the show would come to an end as early as next year. The elation, however, is tempered by news that some significant budget slashing is in the works. In fact, two of the show's biggest stars have been fired as a result of the belt-tightening. Rumor has it that more pink slips will be issued in the weeks ahead
November 2008
First, the good news: Days of our Lives will continue to air on NBC through at least the summer of 2010. The bad news is that many of the stars viewers have come to think of as family might not be around by them. In a stunning decision, DAYS execs have decided to fire Diedre Hall (Marlena) and Drake Hogestyn (John). Combined, the pair has been with Days of our Lives for nearly 50 years.
