'Days of Our Lives' once aired daytime TV history's boldest scene — and not everyone was on board
Soap opera 'Days of Our Lives' first streamed on NBC in 1965, it later moved to the Peacock network and completed the fete of achieving 60 seasons with the 100th episode that aired on January 10. The plotline chronicles couples hiding scandals with tempting twists and turns in the make-believe town of Salem. As per People, in October 2022 the daytime soap aired mature sexual content for the first time leaving viewers divided on the internet. The October 6th episode showcased characters Allie Horton, Chanel Dupree, and Alex Kiriakis — engaging in a consensual threesome.
"I'm so behind on Days of Our Lives but I'm glad they are pushing the boundaries. The first threesome on Daytime television. That's pretty groundbreaking," a fan expressed on X. "Threesome on daytime. Excellent. What's next? Swinging? Someone digs up some old Days tapes to see what the show is about. Certainly not porn. This is not what we signed up to watch," an online user criticized. "The day I decide to watch Days Of Our Lives at 6 am there is a threesome scene," another fan vocalized contempt.
Threesome on daytime. Excellent. What's next? Swinging? Someone dig up some old Days tapes to see what the show is about. Certainly not porn. This is not what we signed up to watch
— Estie (@estiew2002) October 10, 2022
"@DaysPeacock DAYS of our Lives is disgusting now!! I have watched for over 40 years -I didn’t know it could get any more disgusting but now they have young people having threesomes! No wonder our country spiraling out of control," a viewer slammed. "Hopefully the last. That episode was downright disgusting and ruined the integrity of the show," an X user chimed. However, few of the online users sided with the bold theme, "OMG Days of our Lives. That was hot!" a viewer praised the show's content. "You should regret missing that, cuz that ride was awesome," another fan agreed.
Experimenting sexually is nothing to be ashamed of. Grow up it’s not that big a a deal
— Naya Muhammad (@NayaBLorde) October 11, 2022
"Experimenting sexually is nothing to be ashamed of. Grow up it’s not that big a a deal," a netizen pointed out. The show's explicit plotline showcased Allie and Chanel in a same-sex relationship. Allie's character identified as bisexual while Chanel identified herself as sexually fluid, viewers debated that the mature content was experimented with because of the show's recent network swap. 'Days of Our Lives' switched to Peacock from NBC on Sept. 12 of the same year.
As per Deadline, in 2023 the popular soap was indefinitely suspended after reports of a toxic work environment surfaced from the sets. Co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr was accused of inappropriate behavior resulting in several female employees being interviewed. According to reports, Alarr was charged with making offensive remarks and engaging in coerced physical contact, such as kissing and groping. The disgraced producer was later subjected to a written warning and therapy, however, he wasn't suspended from his production duties which further irked the staff.
In a lengthy press statement sent to the publication, the production house stated, “Corday Productions engaged Sony Pictures Television, which distributes Days of our Lives, to conduct an impartial investigation into this matter. After a two-month investigation, the independent investigator produced a report with its findings. Based on those findings, Corday Productions has taken a series of actions designed to ensure a safe and respectful work environment.” Alarr was later fired and replaced by executive television producer Janet Drucker.