With the Writers Guild of America strike finally over, head writer Ron Carlivati’s fresh material for Days of Our Lives will begin airing on May 31. Unlike many other soap operas that film mere weeks ahead of air dates, DOOL has a unique schedule that shoots seven months in advance. This difference meant stories written by replacement writers continued to air even after Carlivati and his team resumed duties in October.
Carlivati’s Return to Screenwriting
Carlivati notes the challenge this delay posed: The other shows were able to put it behind them quicker
. He recounts feeling anxious for his episodes to start airing again. Due to the advanced shooting schedule, by the time the strike began in May 2023, they had already completed scripts through Thanksgiving.
No Road Map
I think some people think that I left some sort of road map that these people were following, and that is really not true
, Carlivati clarifies. He mentions how timelines around holidays worked for replacement writers initially but eventually required major story advancements from January to May — during which he had no involvement.
Learning from Past Strikes
Drawing on his experiences from a previous strike during his tenure as head writer at One Life to Live, Carlivati discussed the challenges and techniques he employed post-strike. I lived through a strike in 2008…I essentially came in and just played off everything that was happening and tried to start steering the ship relatively quickly back to my vision of the show
.
Unresolved Storylines
After reviewing the 120 episodes he missed, Carlivati expressed relief seeing unresolved storylines he started: Sloan secretly raising Eric and Nicole’s baby, Alex taking Victor’s heir spot over Xander, among others. These storylines still offered plenty for him to resolve upon his return.
Narrative Continuation
Carlivati mentions enjoying the opportunity to bring closure to these arcs: I was sort of hoping that the big things that we had laid in would be stuff that I would get to play off when I got back…and for the most part, I get to do it
. He addresses specific developments like Eric finding out about his daughter and resolving tension between Sloan and Nicole.
Transition Episode Hints
The return episode is likely to contain deliberate cues marking the transition back: I did want to make it clear…that the writers were back and there was a change happening
. Events like Maggie Horton’s marriage and outing Theresa will indeed show notable twists and turns.
Looking Ahead
Focusing on significant milestones ahead, Carlivati reveals efforts toward marking DOOL’s upcoming momentous events: We’re already writing into the 60th year [in 2025], but as far as this year, we have the 15,000th episode coming up in November
. This milestone will also address Bill Hayes’s passing with his character Doug Williams’ emotional send-off episode.
The storyline planned aims at honoring both Bill Hayes and his character while celebrating DOOL’s legacy: I think it’s what Bill would have wanted. I know it’s what Susan [Seaforth Hayes] wanted…we brought back a lot of people to honor Doug
.
A Big Thanks to Fans
Carlivati concludes by thanking loyal fans for their dedication citing especially recent shifts like moving the show exclusively to Peacock: I’m just very excited to be back and there is a lot of great story coming up. If you’re watching, keep watching, and if you’ve dipped out a little bit, it’s a great time to dip back in.
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