If you try to sit down and binge every single one of the Days of Our Lives seasons, you’re going to need about 700 days of straight, no-sleep viewing. Seriously. We’re talking over 14,000 episodes. Since November 8, 1965, this show has been the weird, dramatic, and sometimes supernatural heartbeat of NBC—and now Peacock. It’s a massive, sprawling mess of DNA tests, demonic possessions, and people coming back from the dead. Honestly, it’s beautiful.
Most TV shows celebrate a tenth anniversary like it’s a miracle. Days just blew past its 60th year like it was nothing. But how do you even categorize "seasons" for a show that never actually stops filming? Unlike a Netflix series where you get ten episodes and wait eighteen months, the residents of Salem have been working every single weekday for decades.
The Evolution of Days of Our Lives Seasons and the Peacock Shift
The biggest shock in the history of the show wasn't a Stefano DiMera plot twist. It was the move to Peacock. For 57 years, the show lived on broadcast TV. Then, in September 2022, everything changed. Season 58 became the first full season to exist entirely on a streaming platform.
People were livid. My grandmother literally thought her TV was broken. But the move actually saved the show. Broadcast TV is dying, and by moving Days of Our Lives seasons to Peacock, the writers got a bit more freedom. The dialogue got a tiny bit saltier. The production values stayed high because they weren't fighting for a mid-afternoon time slot against local news or talk shows.
If you look at the season numbering now, it’s mostly a technicality for the crew and the Emmy voters. To the fans, it’s just one long, continuous thread of insanity.
Why the 1980s and 90s Defined Everything
You can’t talk about the legacy of the show without looking back at the "supercouple" era. This was peak soap opera. We’re talking about Bo and Hope. Patch and Kayla. Marlena and John. These weren't just characters; they were icons. Season 20 through Season 30 probably represent the gold standard of daytime television.
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The ratings were astronomical back then. Why? Because the pacing was relentless. One week you’re at a high school prom, and the next, you’re being held hostage by an international criminal mastermind on a private island. It was unpredictable. Today’s seasons try to capture that lightning in a bottle, but the 80s had a specific kind of shoulder-pad-wearing magic that’s hard to replicate.
The Weirdness of Season 30: The Possession
We have to talk about 1995. This was Season 30. This is the year Marlena Evans got possessed by the devil.
A lot of "serious" critics hated it. They thought it ruined the realism of the show. But guess what? It’s the most famous storyline in the history of Days of Our Lives seasons. People who never watched soaps knew about the levitating bed and the glowing eyes. It was a massive risk. Head writer James E. Reilly basically decided that if the show was going to survive, it had to be weirder than everything else on TV.
And it worked. It worked so well that they actually did a sequel to the possession storyline in Season 57 (2021-2022). Seeing an older Marlena grapple with the devil again was a meta-nod to the fans who had been there thirty years prior. It’s that kind of continuity that keeps people subscribed to Peacock.
Breaking Down the Cast Rotations
One thing that confuses new viewers is how the seasons handle the cast. In a normal show, if a lead actor leaves, the show is usually over. In Salem? They just recast. Or they kill the character off and bring them back two seasons later as a long-lost twin.
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- Deidre Hall (Marlena): She’s the queen. She’s been there since 1976.
- Drake Hogestyn (John Black): His passing in 2024 left a massive hole in the show, marking a somber transition for Season 60.
- The Soras Effect: Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome. One season a kid is five years old, the next season they come home from "boarding school" as a 19-year-old underwear model. It’s a staple of the genre.
Looking at the Production Schedule
The way they film these seasons is actually insane. They usually film six months in advance. This means when you’re watching a Christmas episode, the actors were probably sweating in 90-degree heat back in June.
This creates some weird logistics. If a major news event happens, the show can’t react to it for half a year. But it also means the show is incredibly stable. While other shows were shutting down during various strikes or budget crises, Days usually has a massive "bank" of episodes ready to go. This "buffer" is why Days of Our Lives seasons feel so consistent. They aren't writing week-to-week; they are planning massive arcs that span hundreds of episodes.
Is the Show Still Relevant in 2026?
Honestly, yeah.
In a world of 8-episode seasons that take two years to produce, there is something comforting about a show that is just there every day. It’s like a utility. You have water, electricity, and the Hortons. The show has transitioned into a "legacy brand." It’s not trying to win over every teenager on TikTok; it’s serving a dedicated fanbase that has been loyal for half a century.
But they aren't just playing the hits. Recent seasons have been much more inclusive. We’ve seen groundbreaking LGBTQ+ storylines with characters like Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis (the show's first gay wedding happened in 2014, Season 49). They’ve modernized without losing the "camp" factor that makes soaps fun.
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How to Actually Watch the Seasons Chronologically
You can’t.
I mean, technically you could, but most of the early episodes from the 60s and 70s are lost or locked away in vaults. Unlike Grey's Anatomy, you can't just start at Season 1, Episode 1 on a weekend whim.
If you want to get into Days of Our Lives seasons now, the best way is to just jump in. Pick a Monday and start. Within two weeks, you’ll figure out who hates who, who’s cheating on who, and who’s currently a ghost. The show is designed to be "jump-in-able." They use flashbacks constantly to remind you of what happened three seasons ago.
The Future of Salem
With Season 60 and beyond, the budget is the big question. Streaming doesn't pay the same way that 1980s pharmaceutical commercials did. We’ve seen some sets get recycled and the cast get trimmed down. But the writing remains sharp. Ron Carlivati, the current head writer, knows exactly how to balance the old-school romance with the "holy crap" moments that go viral.
The show survived the transition from black and white to color. It survived the transition from 30 minutes to an hour (which happened in 1975). It survived the jump from NBC to Peacock. Salem isn't going anywhere.
Next Steps for the Dedicated Viewer:
- Check the Peacock Archives: They usually keep the last few seasons available. If you're behind, start at the beginning of the current calendar year to catch the major arcs.
- Follow the Cast on Social Media: Because the show tapes so far in advance, the actors often drop hints about which "season" they are currently working on, which helps you track upcoming returns.
- Use a Soap Wiki: When a character mentions a "Staircase Incident" from 1982, look it up. The deep lore is what makes the current seasons rewarding.
- Watch the Spin-offs: Beyond Salem is a limited series format that feels like a high-budget version of the main show. It's the best way to see legacy characters who aren't on the daily grind anymore.