In July 2024, Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford have been named co-head writers of Days of Our Lives, a present that has performed a significant position in every of their lives for many years. On Wednesday, April 23, the fabric they started writing final 12 months will lastly begin airing. Right here, the duo unveils their plans for Salem, teases what’s forward story-wise, and a lot extra.
How would you describe Salem below your imaginative and prescient?
Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford: Days is, at the start, a present about household and love/romance. We gained’t completely abandon the fantastical sorts of plots Days has grow to be recognized for, however human relationships might be on the basis of all the tales we inform.
What was your first order of enterprise whenever you took over?
Cwikly and Ford: The primary activity we got was addressing the months-long absence of John Black [Drake Hogestyn, who passed away in September 2024 from pancreatic cancer] from the canvas. Whereas we needed John to have a heroic and significant exit, we wrote the story with the fervent hope that Drake would be capable to return sometime.
John had already been off the canvas for over 9 months, and there have been solely so many missions the person may very well be on. His household and associates in Salem, particularly Marlena [Evans, Deidre Hall], have been kind of caught ready for him. Realizing he would possibly by no means come again, whereas praying he would, we wanted to craft an exit that honored John, Drake, and the followers.
How do you’re employed collectively? What’s your collaboration fashion?
Ford: Paula and I’ve recognized one another for greater than twenty years. She is without doubt one of the most big-hearted and beneficiant individuals I’ve ever met. When it comes to our working relationship, we’ve got very comparable concepts about what we wish to see on the air. I’m the “huge concepts” individual, and he or she is the “particulars” and “fix-it” individual. Whereas our kinds are completely different, they’re complementary, and I may by no means do that job with out her.
Cwikly: We stay on reverse coasts, and spend hours on the telephone collectively daily. It’s wonderful how usually we independently have the identical ideas. However, on the similar time, there are situations the place I’ve been caught on one thing eternally, and he or she says one factor that has me smacking myself on the brow and saying, “In fact!” On this style, the job by no means ends. As quickly as you end a present, there’s one other one. I say it’s just like the Lucy within the chocolate manufacturing unit episode [“Job Switching” from I Love Lucy]. The conveyor belt by no means stops. I like Jeanne Marie, and I like working along with her. She makes me higher daily. And I may by no means do that with out her.
Trying on the canvas, which characters and households did you’re feeling wanted some love whenever you began?
Cwikly and Ford: We needed to deliver extra Hortons again to the canvas, give significant story to the beloved vets, and flesh out our youthful forged to present Salem a real multigenerational attraction.
Each of you might have deep, longtime ties to Days. How do you’re feeling your previous affiliation with the present informs your present writing?
Ford: I’ve been a fan of the present for the reason that supercouple period, and I nonetheless contemplate myself a fan at the start. I moved to L.A. after school with the only real aim of writing for Days of Our Lives. I’ve held each job on the writing workers. Figuring out how these positions interface with each other and with manufacturing is unquestionably an asset when it comes to guaranteeing that issues perform as easily as potential.
Cwikly: Whereas I took a distinct path than Jeanne Marie, that is the place I all the time needed to be. I fell in love with the style in my early teenagers and determined I needed to jot down for a cleaning soap, however dwelling in a small city in Pennsylvania [Canonsburg], I had no thought how one can get there. I got here up by native TV, then varied community jobs. Days was the primary present I did the promos for, it was my first present as a community programming government, my second cleaning soap writing job, and first head writing job, so it has all the time held a particular place in my coronary heart. I’ll be eternally grateful to Ken [Corday, executive producer] for this chance to return. Like Jeanne Marie, I used to be a fan first. I’m making an attempt to recollect my earliest recollections of watching the present. I do know I used to be watching when Marlena was married to Don [Craig, Jed Allan]. I keep in mind Roman [Brady, then-Wayne Northrop] coming to guard Marlena in the course of the Salem Strangler story, and keep in mind the Brady pub being a fish market. I keep in mind the tales I cherished to observe, which very a lot inform the tales I wish to inform.
What does it imply to you to be writing the present’s 60th anniversary season and exhibits?
Ford: I keep in mind watching the 25th anniversary season once I was in school and by no means dreamed I’d be part of Salem for the 30th, 40th, 50th, and 60th. It’s a privilege to be writing these episodes, but additionally fairly formidable to be stewards of a present with a lot wealthy historical past.
Cwikly: It was an absolute honor — and completely terrifying on the similar time, questioning if I may do it justice. Due to the present’s accelerated manufacturing schedule, we wrote the 60th anniversary week pretty early in our tenure. These exhibits have been taped in the beginning of this 12 months. I’m solely sorry it’ll nonetheless be some time earlier than you get to see them. We bought to deliver again some previous faces and relive traditional moments within the present’s historical past. In fact, you by no means have sufficient time to incorporate all the things and everybody you need.
What can we count on within the lead-up to the large milestone?
Cwikly and Ford: We’ll see the fallout from EJ’s [DiMera, Dan Feuerriegel] capturing; ripple results from the shifting dynamics inside the Kiriakis and DiMera clans; an emotional tribute to John Black; and the return of Bo [Brady, Peter Reckell]/Hope [Williams Brady, Kristian Alfonso].
What are you able to tease in regards to the precise 60th celebration?
Cwikly and Ford: There might be a gala celebration with the return of many acquainted faces, resulting in a brand new umbrella story that takes us into the New Yr.
How are you feeling as your episodes are about to start out airing?
Cwikly and Ford: Excited and nervous. We’re grateful for the assist and collaboration of Ken, Janet [Spellman Drucker, co-executive producer], the manufacturing workforce, and the Peacock executives who give a lot care and a focus to the present.
Do you might have a message for the followers?
Cwikly and Ford: We’re followers, too. We’re writing for you, and we wish to hear from you.
Story-wise, right here’s what to anticipate within the months forward!
The tip of John Black’s story
“It was very onerous [to write]. Everybody on the present, together with us, cherished John and Drake. They have been each Superman, and this was not speculated to occur. Logistically, it was troublesome as a result of it was our first main story. It was an emotionally fraught state of affairs that concerned quite a few variables past our management. At the beginning, we needed to respect Drake’s legacy and everybody who cherished him.”
Marlena’s grief over John
“Marlena might be very busy within the coming months as a mom, grandmother, psychiatrist, and good friend. She has endorsed many sufferers on grief and has clearly skilled loss herself, however shedding John forces her to re-explore who she is with out him.”
DiMera and Titan
“The enterprise story primarily serves as a backdrop to the complicated household dynamics, with Xander [Kiriakis, Paul Telfer]/Philip’s [Kiriakis, John-Paul Lavoisier] fraught relationship taking part in a central position.”
Bo Brady and Hope Williams Brady’s return
“Bo/Hope’s earlier exit story couldn’t be executed as initially deliberate, and we felt we wanted to present them — and their followers — the decision they deserved.”
The fallout of EJ DiMera’s capturing
“This story was completely poised to take off after we took over. There are various viable suspects with means, motive and alternative. There might be a trial in the summertime that includes many characters on the canvas.”
Stephanie Johnson (Abigail Klein) and Alex Kiriakis’ (Robert Scott Wilson) romance
“We are going to see their courtship, and Alex will assist Stephanie discover a new aspect of herself.”
Belle Black (Martha Madison) and EJ’s relationship
“Belle is aware of EJ is poisonous, however she will’t appear to avoid him…”
Gwen Rizczech’s (Emily O’Brien) return
“Gwen’s return was within the works earlier than we have been employed. We love Emily O’Brien and assume Gwen can fire up a whole lot of mischief in Salem.”
Arianna Horton’s (Marissa Reyes) comeback
“Arianna is a Brady, a Horton and a Hernandez, so we have been wanting to have her again on the canvas to spherical out the teenager scene. We additionally love seeing the maternal aspect of Gabi [Hernandez, Cherie Jimenez].”
New Rachel Black (Alice Halsey)
“We can not say sufficient good issues about Alice Halsey. She is proficient past her years and has been a unbelievable addition.”
Days of our Lives, Streaming on Peacock