1965-2002: As
“Days of Our Lives” turns 37, please take a few moments to reminisce with me
about some facts, some of my favorite memories and moments in Salem’s history, and my special tribute to those
no longer with us…Facts: "Days
of Our Lives" premiered 37
years ago on November 8, 1965. Since that time, the series has aired 9,430
episodes, plus 3 primetime specials (One Stormy Night,
Night Sins, and Winter Heat)…survived 32 competing daytime dramas, which have
been cancelled... the series has amassed 24 Emmy awards and a record 15 wins as best soap in the Soap Opera
Digest awards…the United States has went through 8 presidents...Cast
Grows Up: 15 of the current 34 contract castmembers weren't born
yet...Kristian Alfonso, Lisa Rinna and Kevin Spirtas
were toddlers...Matthew Ashford, Drake Hogestyn, Renee Jones, Lauren Koslow, and
Peter Reckell were in elementary school...Tanya Boyd, Patrika Darbo, Deidre Hall and James Reynolds were
in high school...of the remaining 7 adults at the time, two have
remained with the show since its debut, Frances Reid (Alice) and John Clarke
(Mickey)...Days Is Born: TV
Guide issued this statement marking its debut: "Macdonald Carey stars as Dr. Thomas Horton,
professor of medicine in a New England college town. Also
stars: Frances Reid as Horton's wife, Marie Cheatham as their engaged daughter,
John Clarke as their son Mickey, David McLean
as attorney Craig Merritt and Charla Doherty as Julie Olson."...Rest
In Peace: as time has passed, many people close to "Days"
have passed on, including its creator Ted Corday, his wife/executive producer
Betty Corday; series star Macdonald Carey (Alice’s husband, Tom Horton, the true spirit of Salem as many people
have said); Charla Doherty (the first Julie, who tragically died at an
early age in the 1980s); Christopher Stone (Bill Horton of the 80s and 90s;
married to ET’s Dee Wallace Stone), Nancy Parsons (Mary
Brooke who stole infant Will from Sami; the loveable grump from the Ziploc
commercials), Eric Christmas (the delightful Father Francis
who warned John that evil had come to Salem in the form of a possessed Marlena),
James Luisi (the hated Duke Johnson, Steve
and Adrienne’s father who last appeared in some comic dreams of Jack’s), Avery
Schreiber (the comedian who played Lawrence Alamain’s father Leopold), Joy Garrett (the wonderful Jo Johnson,
who died too young at 47 of liver failure), Ray Stricklyn (who played
both Howard Hawkins and, later, a judge), Pat Falken Smith (the
headwriter who created the Brady family), Stanley Brock (Howie, who stood in for Hope during her marriage to Larry), Brenda Benet (Lee
Dumonde/actor Bill Bixby’s wife, who tragically took her own life), Robert
Alda (father of Alan and Antony, who played Stuart Whyland in Maggie’s pregnancy
storyline), Jason Bernard (father to Renee Jones’
first character in Salem, Nikki Wade), Mary Frann (Bob Newhart’s wife in
“Newhart”/Amanda Peters on “Days), Patricia Huston (original castmember who played Julie’s mother Addie), Robert Knapp
(original castmember who played Julie’s father Ben), John Lupton
(Alice and Tom’s son, Tommy), Tommy Boyce (co-creator of the theme song), Frank
Pacelli (longtime director of the 60s and 70s),
David McLean (original castmember who played Craig Merritt), Ed Prentiss (the
original announcer who said “Like sands through the
hourglass), Richard Guthrie (David Banning), Mark Tapscott (Bob Anderson), Nancy
Wickwire (Phyllis Anderson), Susan Oliver (1970s
Laura Horton), K.T. Stevens (Helen Martin)…Family Names: so
many families have come and gone as the Hortons, Bradys, Kiriakis, Walkers, Wesleys and Reeds have survived…no longer in Salem
include the Alamains, Andersons, Bannings, Bradfords, Chandlers, Colvilles, Corellis, Donovans, Grants, Johnsons, Kositcheks,
Lombards, McIntyres, Merritts, Ramirezes, Reibers, and Scofields…Husband & Wife: many
people have met and married on Days, including Susan & Bill Hayes
(Doug/Julie), Michael Sabatino & Crystal Chappell (Lawrence/Carly), Kyle Lowder &
Arianne Zuker (Brady/Nicole), Robert Kelker-Kelly & Miriam Parrish (Bo
# 2/Jamie), and Melissa & Scott Reeves (Jennifer/Jake)…Memories: the
yearly hanging of the Horton ornaments…Alice’s doughnuts…amnesiac Tommy falling in love with sister Marie, causing her
to become a nun…Time Magazine's cover story of Doug & Julie’s
wedding…Maggie meeting amnesiac Marty Hansen (aka Mickey Horton)…the interracial
romance of David and Valerie…twins Marlena
and Samantha (and Hattie)…the Salem Strangler…policeman Roman Brady meets and
protects Marlena…Bo & Hope in New Orleans…Bo & Hope’s location wedding in England…Justin &
Adrienne’s location wedding in Greece…Caroline’s affair with Victor…the zaniness of Calliope and Eugene (and their dog’s
wedding)…Kayla’s hearing returning for her wedding to
Patch…Charlayne Woodard (Desiree) singing a perfect version of “O
Holy Night”, Christmas 1991…ISA’s Shane Donovan, Miss Peach and Chief
Tarrington…everyone’s favorite maitre d’, Dave…Hope’s “death” during the
Cruise of Deception…Stefano’s replacement villain, Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino)…the 25th anniversary with many
flashbacks of old friends while many were stuck in Lawrence’s unnamed
country…Jack (who regains his voice just in time) & Jennifer’s location wild
west wedding and fantasy sequences…Jack & Jennifer’s location scenes in LA, seeing Mac Carey’s Hollywood Walk of
Fame star…Jo’s green tuna noodle casserole…Brian & Ginger
(Robert Mailhouse & Roberta Leighton), and their dogs Fluffy &
Sugar…Marlena’s reappearance to John on the foggy pier…the on-location Mexican mystery with the two Roman’s…Isabella’s death scene
in John’s arms…Stella (the great Elaine Bromka) feeding Marlena
thanksgiving dinner in a pit…Lynn Herring (Lisanne)’s brief stop in Salem
starting by running into Wayne Northrop (Roman I) in drag…Kimberly's multiple personalities, Lacey and Clare...Brady
Fish Market becomes Brady Pub…Sami shooting Alan Harris (Paul Kersey)
in a most unfortunate place…the loveable partners in crime, Vivian and Ivan (the
always great Louise Sorel and Ivan G’Vera)…Carrie getting burned by Austin’s boxing promoter…Marlena’s
possession…Tom Horton’s death with Bill Hayes singing Mac’s
favorite song “Danny Boy”…DiMera spelled backwards = Aremid, with its
riddle-speaking Parrot Man, and veiled Lady in White…the Fancy Face…Peter Reckell saying “I’m back” as Bo returns from a
short trip (and he returns from a 3-year break)…characters disappearing with no explanation (Don Craig, Wendy
Reardon, Neil Curtis, Marcus Hunter, Jonah Carver)…Nick Benedict’s yearly appearances from beyond the grave as Curtis Reed…Lucas
sleeping with---Sami…Joe Mascolo’s brilliant performance as Salem’s most-hated citizen, Stefano DiMera…Maison Blanche
trip introduces Tanya Boyd as Celeste…Kate’s year-long trip on a fishing boat, thanks to Vivian…Blondie’s aka
Wings…baby Belle being returned to Marlena in church on Christmas Eve…Shenanigans…Eileen Davidson portraying 5 characters in one scene,
leaving her mark as the delightful Susan Banks, who married
the equally funny Edmund (Adam Caine)…the 4th of July get together with everyone
from the cast dancing together…Josh Taylor’s return as Chris (oops, Roman)…Lisa Linde’s great performance as
crazy nurse Ali…Patrika Darbo’s song & dance number as Nancy
while being drugged by Ali…the never-ending DiMera/Brady feud…the Horton
Center…the quick childhoods of Shawn-Douglas, Brady,
Belle, and Philip…Chez Vous…Steve Blackwood creating a handyman and turning him
into one of Salem’s favorite servants, Bart…John & Marlena’s Hawaiian honeymoon…the 35th anniversary with
few commercials and Frances Reid addressing the camera as
herself at the end…Maggie buys Tuscany…Mickey wins a case…everyone saying “cook”
instead of “the cook”…Kurt digging up Gina’s
body…Alice’s Restaurant…Swamp Girl becomes Princess Greta…Austin & Greta’s
odd trip to Paris into another dimension…tropical island paradise ending with Paul’s murder…Kiriakis
mansion burns down…Brady and Chloe’s Sound of Music and Silent Night duets…the out-of-character Christmas tribute from last
year…Farah Fath’s debut as the loveable Mimi…Tony’s return as the
head of the DiMera legacy…Cassie and Rex arriving quite unusually…37 years have
come and gone. Here’s to another 37. Happy Birthday, Days!