Days of Our Lives Officially Renewed at NBC - Which Cast Members Are Returning?

Days of Our Lives has been locked in for another season at NBC.

The network has announced that the veteran soap opera will return for a 56th season.

Executive producer Ken Corday said in a statement that “we are excited to continue delivering compelling stories to our loyal family of fans into this new decade.”

“Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives” is the show’s now-classic voiceover opening, accompanied by the image of an hourglass."

“We are most grateful to NBC for their enduring faith in the future of Days of our Lives, and we are excited to continue delivering compelling stories to our loyal family of fans into this new decade,” Corday said today when the renewal was made official.

“From our incredibly loyal fan base to our wonderful writers, cast and crew, the enthusiasm for Days never wavers,” said Bruce Evans, EVP, Current Programming, NBC Entertainment.

“We’re thrilled to bring viewers another season of a show that has cemented its place in television history and touches all generations.”

Added Steve Kent, Senior EVP, Programming, Sony Pictures Television: “Ken Corday and his team continue to build on the legacy of quality storytelling and intriguing characters that connect with audiences of all ages. We are thrilled that viewers in the U.S. and around the world will be able to enjoy the award-winning Days of our Lives for another season.”

The news comes months after the entire cast were released from their contracts with Corday Productions, leading many to believe the sand was about to run out of the hourglass on the glass.

While fans worried about the fate of the series, the show's leading lady Kristian Alfonso took to Instagram to quell the fears.

“Today is Tuesday, November 12th, and we are still here, and we are not going anywhere,” Alfonso shared.

“You heard it here first, folks. Don’t listen to the news, always — especially that report.”

The series also needs to negotiate new deals with the returning cast members. There's no telling who might be let go as a result of this whole scenario.

But when the cast contracts were nixed, many figured it was a cost-saving move because the cast would be put on new deals if the series was renewed.

More details will come out about that in due course, but given that the series will be entering production in March, we shouldn't have long to find out about who's coming back.

What do you think of the renewal decision?

Hit the comments below.