‘Days of Our Lives’ New Episodes on Hold Amid Tokyo Olympics 2021

Days of Our Lives will be taking a break for the next two weeks thanks to NBC‘s daytime coverage of the Tokyo Olympics. No new episodes of the long-running daytime soap will air from Friday, July 23 to Friday, Aug. 6. Even the Brady, Horton, and DiMera families need to take a break from the drama in Salem to root for Team USA.

New episodes of Days of Our Lives will return on NBC stations nationwide on Monday, Aug. 9, picking up right where the story left off on July 22. As Soaps.com points out, there were several cliffhangers at the end of this week’s episodes. Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal) was kidnapped by Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson). EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel) learned that Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) had an affair.

This week, Days of Our Lives fans also learned that Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean will appear on the show. “There is a certain daytime TV show that my grandmother and I used to watch growing up. I’ll drop a couple of hints – Bo, Hope, Patch. Ring a bell?” McLean teased in a TikTok video, name-dropping some of Days‘ best-known characters. “Your’s truly is making a guest appearance on this show right here. Oh my god, I’m freaking out. So exciting. I hope made you proud grandma.” Sources told Deadline the singer will only star in one episode. The Jeffersons star Marla Gibbs was also cast as Paulina’s (Jackee Harry) mother and will make her first appearance in the Aug. 17 episode.

After some concern that Days of Our Lives might be nearing its end, NBC finally renewed the show for 57th and 58th seasons in May after extensive talks between the network and series producer Sony Pictures Television. The deal will keep the show on the air through 2023. The series has been airing almost non-stop since 1965 and is one of only four remaining daytime soaps. (The others are ABC’s General Hospital and the CBS shows The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless.)

“After more than 55 years of bringing drama, adventure, and romance to screens around the world, we are thrilled and honored to carry on the Days of our Lives legacy for another two years,” Days of Our Lives executive producer Ken Corday said in May. “We are thankful to NBC for their enduring commitment to the show and grateful to continue this wonderful journey with our fans for years to come.”