Instruct: Given a question, retrieve passages that can help answer the question.
Query: Who is the current lead of Days of Our Lives?
On November 30, 2014, NBC launched a new logo for "Days of Our Lives" at the 2014 Hollywood Christmas Parade, in celebration of the series' fiftieth anniversary On February 11, 2016, NBC renewed "Days of Our Lives" for one-year, with the option of an additional year. In January 2017, while discussion the potential of a renewal for the soap, NBC chairman Bob Greenblatt stated: "We don’t make a decision for another couple months. [...] But I don’t think it’s over yet." In February 2017, NBC officially renewed "Days of Our Lives" for an additional year. Jennifer Salke, President of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement: "We feel so privileged to be able to continue the remarkable legacy of "Days of our Lives". [...] We thank [exec producer] Ken Corday and his team for their incredible accomplishments and look forward to all the stories from Salem that will continue to unfold." In March 2018, NBC announced their decision to renew "Days of Our Lives" through fall 2019. In January 2019, NBC renewed the serial through September 2020. In a statement, NBC Entertainment said: "With writing that manages to weave together Salem's iconic characters with current realities, Ken Corday and his team have ushered the show's legacy into a new era that resonates with both longtime and new viewers."
Following her 1985 departure from "SNL", Louis-Dreyfus appeared in several films, including the Woody Allen-directed "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986); "Soul Man" (1986), starring C. Thomas Howell; and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989), in which she starred alongside fellow "SNL" alum Chevy Chase. In 1987, Louis-Dreyfus appeared in the NBC sitcom pilot "The Art of Being Nick", an intended spin-off from "Family Ties" starring Scott Valentine. When the pilot did not make it to series, Louis-Dreyfus was retained by producer Gary David Goldberg for a role on his new sitcom "Day by Day", as the sarcastic and materialistic neighbor, Eileen Swift. Premiering in early 1988, "Day by Day" aired for two seasons on NBC before being cancelled.In the early 1990s, Louis-Dreyfus became famous for the role of Elaine Benes on NBC's "Seinfeld". She played the role for nine seasons, appearing in all but three episodes. One of the episodes that she did not appear in was the inaugural pilot episode, "The Seinfeld Chronicles", because her character was not initially intended to be a part of the series. It was only after the first episode that NBC executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David add a woman to the cast. It was revealed in the commentary on the DVD package that the addition of a female character was the condition for commissioning the show. Louis-Dreyfus won the role over several other actresses who would also eventually enjoy their own TV success, including Patricia Heaton, Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Mullally.
The main characters are: Ted Mosby, a romantic searching for "The One"; Barney Stinson, a womanizer; Robin Scherbatsky, a journalist who moved to New York in 2005; and Marshall Eriksen and Lily Aldrin, a long-term couple. Although the show is based around The Mother, her first appearance is not until the season eight finale.
In February 2011, Isaacs was cast in the role of Michael Britten, the central character of the series. Gordon summarized the character: "He's a guy who goes to sleep, wakes up, he's with his wife, goes to sleep, wakes up, and he's with his son. And so—and he's a cop who sees clues and details that crossover from one world to the next, and he uses that insight to solve crimes." "[The main character] was somebody that you couldn't decide if you liked or hated, and I think that [Michael]'s dilemma is something that we're not only sympathetic for, but somehow we want him to win." Producers of the show initially approached Michaela McManus to play Hannah Britten. However, Laura Allen was cast instead; McManus obtained the role of Tara (for which Allen originally auditioned).
In May 1980, "Guiding Light" won its first Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in a Daytime Drama, although many were surprised the departing Michael Zaslow did not win the award for Outstanding Achievement as a Lead Actor for playing Roger Thorpe. (The scene that won the Emmy was Zaslow's "hall of mirrors" sequence with Lenore Kasdorf.)
The final episode aired on January 13, 2012, with villainess Allison Perkins (Barbara Garrick) narrating her views about the people of Llanview. During the last minutes of the episode, Todd Manning (Howarth) is put under arrest for the murder of twin brother Victor Lord, Jr. (Trevor St. John). The show ends with the discovery that Victor Lord, Jr. is still alive and has been kidnapped by Perkins. Perkins closes the 43-year-old soap opera by throwing the script of "One Life to Live" at Victor saying to him: "But why spoil what happens next. You of all people should know things are rarely what they appear". The decision to conclude "One Life to Live" with an open-ended story is because the serial was supposed to continue on another network at the time the last scenes were taped (see section below).
In Australia, "The Young and the Restless" airs after "Days of Our Lives" on Arena. It previously aired on the Nine Network from April 1, 1974 to February 23, 2007, before joining the W line-up on April 2, 2007, to August 17, 2012, On July 20, 2012, it was announced that the show would move to Arena on August 20, 2012, after W rebranded as SoHo. Episodes are approximately one week behind those airing in the US at present.
In June 2009, actress Patricia Mauceri (a performer on the series since 1995) was replaced in her role as Latin matriarch Carlotta Vega, reportedly after voicing personal religious objections to a planned storyline in which Carlotta would be supportive of a gay relationship.On July 7, 2011, ABC announced that it had licensed the rights to "One Life to Live" and "All My Children" to television, film and music production company Prospect Park, allowing both series to continue producing new first-run episodes beyond the conclusion of their television runs on ABC, with the series moving to a new Hulu-style online channel currently in development by Prospect Park; as a result of the company's acquisition of the two soap operas, "One Life to Live" and "All My Children", would become the first soap operas to transition their first-run broadcasts from traditional television to internet television.
"General Hospital" is an American television soap opera, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the serial premiered on April 1, 1963. The longest-running cast member is Leslie Charleson, who has portrayed Dr. Monica Quartermaine since August 17, 1977, also making her one of the longest-tenured actors in American soap operas. Former cast member Rachel Ames was previously the series' longest-running cast member, portraying Audrey Hardy from 1964 to 2007, and making guest appearances in 2009 and 2013, the latter for the series' fiftieth anniversary. Ames made a special appearance on October 30, 2015. Actors Genie Francis and Kin Shriner, who portray Laura Spencer and Scott Baldwin, are the second and third longest-running cast members, having joined "General Hospital" in February and August 1977, respectively. Actress Jacklyn Zeman — who portrays Bobbie Spencer — is the fourth longest-running cast member, joining the serial in December 1977. Actress Jane Elliot, who joined the serial in June 1978 as Tracy Quartermaine, is the fifth longest-running cast member, joining "General Hospital" in June 1978 until her departure in May 2017. Former cast member Anthony Geary, who portrayed Luke Spencer, was the sixth longest-running cast member, having joined "General Hospital" in November 1978. The following list is of cast members who are currently on the show: the main and recurring cast members, or those who are debuting, departing or returning to the series.
"The Bold and the Beautiful" is an American television soap opera, created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. It first aired on March 23, 1987. Currently, John McCook (Eric Forrester) and Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke Logan) are the two longest-running cast members, having appeared on the show when it first aired. The following list is of cast members who are currently on the show: the main cast and recurring, or who are upcoming, returning or departing from the series.
The following are characters who first appeared, or returned, in the BBC soap opera "EastEnders" during 2010 listed by order of first appearance. Executive producer Diederick Santer left "EastEnders" on 26 February 2010, handing over to Bryan Kirkwood, who fully took control from 1 March 2010.
The CW announced on their official website that Chad Michael Murray will return as Lucas Scott for a guest appearance. Lucas returns to Tree Hill when Haley reaches out to him for help. Murray later revealed he will return for one episode. He will appear in the seventh episode of the season. Murray revealed in an interview his reasons for returning, "The fans have loved this show and rooted for every character throughout its run. I know how important Luke's return is for our fans and wanted to give them one last ‘Lucas Scott’ moment. Luke's return is for them." Former Desperate Housewives actor Richard Burgi, has been cast as Brooke's father, in a recurring role. Allison Munn and Scott Holroyd will return during season nine as Miss Lauren and David Fletcher, respectively. They will return as a couple, and she will be carrying his child. "Devin McGee"—who portrayed Brooke's attacker and Quentin's murderer, Xavier Daniels during season six—will also return during the season. James Lafferty has signed on for one extra episode, which will be the series finale. Bevin Prince will return as Bevin Mirskey in the series finale. Antwon Tanner will also be a part of the final episode.
The current leaders are Senators Mitch McConnell (R) from Kentucky and Chuck Schumer (D) from New York. The current Assistant Leaders/Whips are Senators John Thune (R) from South Dakota and Dick Durbin (D) from Illinois.
Keeping Up with the Kardashians (often abbreviated KUWTK) is an American reality television series that airs on the E! cable network. The show focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian–Jenner blended family. Its premise originated with Ryan Seacrest, who also serves as an executive producer. The series debuted on October 14, 2007 and has subsequently become one of the longest-running reality television series in the country. The fifteenth season premiered on August 5, 2018.
Oates began working on the ITV soap opera "Emmerdale" in early 2010 as a story editor, under then-producer, Gavin Blyth. Oates edited various storylines for the show, including Aaron Livesy (Danny Miller) assisting the suicide of his boyfriend, Jackson Walsh (Marc Silcock), which won the British Soap Award for Best Storyline in 2012. Oates held a key role in the soap's fortieth anniversary celebrations and said that she was "proud" to be involved. Oates left her position at "Emmerdale" in 2012, having worked on the show for two and a half years. Reflecting on Oates' work on the show as story editor, John Whiston, the creative director of ITV soaps, commented, "Kate swept into Emmerdale a couple of years ago with a deadly combination of determination and brio. She soon proved her worth to the show, working on stories that ranged from the extremely tough to the light and funny."
In the latter part of 1989, "EastEnders" acquired a new executive producer named Michael Ferguson, who took over from Mike Gibbon. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's "The Bill" – a hard-hitting, gritty and successful police drama, which seemed to be challenging "EastEnders" in providing a realistic vision of modern life in London. Due to his success on "The Bill", Peter Cregeen, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of "EastEnders".
Louis-Dreyfus was interested in the role of Susan Mayer on "Desperate Housewives", the role that ultimately went to Teri Hatcher. Instead, Louis-Dreyfus scored a recurring guest role as the deceitful prosecutor and love interest of Michael Bluth on the Emmy-winning comedy "Arrested Development", from 2004 to 2005.
In July 2010, Shepherd's casting as Michael Moon, the cousin of Alfie Moon, in "EastEnders" was announced. He made his first appearance on 1 October 2010. In May 2011, Shepherd was nominated in the Best Soap Newcomer category at the 2011 TV Choice Awards for his portrayal of Michael. In March 2013, Shepherd announced that he would be leaving "EastEnders" later that year. Shepherd's final storyline surrounded Michael's plan to murder his wife Janine Butcher. Michael's last episode was on 1 November 2013, when he was killed by Janine. Shepherd left the show to explore new roles.
Alfie Moon is played by Shane Richie. The character originally appeared in the soap opera "EastEnders" from 2002 to 2005, and 2010 to 2016. Before his departure from "EastEnders", he discovers he has a mass on his brain. Of Alfie's part in "Redwater", Richie said, "Alfie's journey is to help his wife find her son but at the same time he has his own dark secret which he's keeping." Richie later said, "For the first time in 15 years, [Alfie] questions himself as a father, a husband and as a life, it feels like it's coming to an end for him. [...] Alfie starts getting hallucinations and one in particular is quite harrowing."
In the latter part of 1989 "EastEnders" acquired a new executive producer named Michael Ferguson, who took over from Mike Gibbon. Ferguson had previously been a producer on ITV's "The Bill" – a hard-hitting, gritty and successful police drama, which seemed to be challenging "EastEnders" in providing a realistic vision of modern life in London. Due to his success on "The Bill", Peter Cregeen, the Head of Series at the BBC, poached Ferguson to become executive producer of "EastEnders".
As of 2010, "The Young and the Restless" has managed over 1,000 consecutive weeks in the #1 spot for daytime dramas. On the week ending April 6, 2012, "The Young and the Restless" was watched by a new low of an average of 3,960,000 viewers for the week, beating its previous low of 4.209 million in October 2011, as well as being the only week to date below 4 million viewers. Currently, the show is still the most-watched daytime drama; and for the season 2011–12, has a household rating of 3.5, and 1.5 for the Women 18–49 demographic. As of 2008, the Tuesday episodes of "The Young and the Restless" on average is the most-watched daytime drama showing.
He is most recognized today as the voice who recites the epigraph each day before the program begins: "Like sands through the hourglass, so are the "Days of Our Lives"." From 1966 to 1994 he would also intone, "This is Macdonald Carey, and these are the "Days of Our Lives"." (After Carey's death, the producers, out of respect for Carey's family, decided not to use the first part of the opening tagline.) At each intermission, his voice also says "We will return for the second half of "Days of Our Lives" in just a moment". Since the Horton family is still regarded as the core of "Days of our Lives", his memory has been allowed to remain imprinted on the show by leaving the voice-overs intact. He also served as voice-over for the very first PBS ident, in which he said "This is PBS ... the Public Broadcasting Service."
Joey Johnson is a fictional character from "Days of Our Lives", an American soap opera on the NBC network, currently portrayed by James Lastovic. Introduced in 2008, Joey was created by head writers Dena Higley and Victor Gialanella as the youngest child of supercouple, Steve "Patch" Johnson and Kayla Brady (Stephen Nichols and Mary Beth Evans). The role was originated by siblings Brody and Jonas—who vacated the role in 2009 when the character was written out. Child actor, Jadon Wells appeared in the role of Joey on a recurring basis from 2012 to 2014. In 2015, the character was rapidly aged to 16 when Lastovic stepped into the role. Joey returns having skipped out on boarding school suffering from abandonment issues. It is later revealed that Joey has secretly been conspiring with Ava Vitali (Tamara Braun) to orchestrate Patch and Kayla's reunion. Unbeknownst to Joey, Ava is his father's ex-lover and has caused quite a bit of trouble for Kayla and the rest of the Brady family.
In October 2014, it was announced that Sean had joined the cast of "Days of Our Lives" as a contract cast member. His character, pro baseball player Paul Narita, comes out as gay and becomes involved in a love triangle with supercouple Will Horton and Sonny Kiriakis, and is the illegitimate son of longtime character John Black.
Sean currently voices lead character Kazuda Xiono in the animated series "Star Wars Resistance".
Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia (in contrast to shows such as "As the World Turns") and its portrayal of "real American contemporary families." By the 1970s, critics deemed "Days of Our Lives" to be the most daring daytime drama, leading the way in using themes other shows of the period would not dare touch, such as artificial insemination and interracial romance. The January 12, 1976 cover of "Time" magazine featured "Days of Our Lives" Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, the only daytime actors ever to appear on its cover. The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose on-screen and real-life romance (they met on the series in 1970 and married in 1974) was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.