The sands through the hourglass of Days Of Our Lives set to continue into season 56

The announcement last week that the Days Of Our Lives actors had all been released from their contracts was an ominous sign for soap fans. The 55-year-old show’s future seemed uncertain, but today there’s good news for Marlena and John ’shippers. Variety announces that it looks like there will be a Days season 56 after all, cautioning, “the deal for the new season is not done yet but all signs point to it being closed soon.” Thank goodness, because where would we be without our afternoon stories about Salem residents the Bradys and Hortons? Hopefully they’ll all be able to sign new contracts.

There was a previous sign that DOOL may be pivoting in a new digital direction. Variety reported that new online series Last Blast Reunion will be available on the DOOL App Nov. 29. Last Blast Reunion will unsurprisingly cater to the soap’s younger fans, who reunite in New York around the pointedly named .Com Cafe. Says Variety, the “streaming series will bring nine beloved characters from the 2000 season of the NBC daytime drama back together for a special Salem High class reunion.” Those characters include Shawn Douglas Brady (offspring of Bo and Hope) and Belle Black (offspring of Marlene and John), with another “fan favorite” also in the mix. LBR will be churned out weekly in seven-to-10-minute segments, which may sound strange until you consider that the very first soaps appeared on radio in 15-minute episodes. Since the genre’s 1980s “Luke and Laura” heyday though, today there are only four soaps left on the air: Days, The Young And The Restless and The Bold And The Beautiful on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC.