Jennifer Aniston to DAYS? A new deal with NBC? Rubbish ratings? Ken Corday spills all

Ken Corday, executive producer of Days of our Lives, opens up about the new deal he's trying to secure with NBC, what fans can expect from the upcoming time jump storyline, and whether or not it's true that Jennifer Aniston will soon be appearing in Salem for John Aniston's (Victor Kiriakis) retirement.

Many crazy things are afoot at Days of our Lives, and lucky for fans, the NBC soap opera's executive producer, Ken Corday, is spilling all the dirt.

In a recent interview with MediaWeek, the TV producer took rumors of the series' upcoming time jump storyline head-on, spilling some previously unknown details about the risky writing move.

"Let's just say that the Friday cliffhanger is so gobsmacking, we are now trying to figure out how we can possibly top it for our 55th anniversary next year," Corday teases, adding that the time jump storyline will allow the show's writers to go forwards and backwards in time -- much like they do on NBC's This Is Us -- and that the move is also a chance to "bring back a few characters to the show."

Rumors are already swirling that Bo may be one of those characters, but Corday dismisses the gossip, sharing that portrayer Peter Reckell "is happily settled in Indiana and not coming back to Hollywood."

And what about the rumor that Jennifer Aniston will be appearing on DAYS for a storyline that will usher her father, John Aniston (Victor Kiriakis), off the canvas? Corday promises that John "is not leaving," but his famous daughter could come to Salem at some point in the future. "We are always talking to Jennifer, so you never know."

During the MediaWeek interview, Corday also spoke about DAYS' ratings and how the Nielsen numbers aren't always what they seem. As Soap Central previously reported, the soap opera continuously comes in last place when compared to the ratings for all of the network daytime dramas, though it has overtaken General Hospital a couple of times since former GH and One Life to Live head writer Ron Carlivati came on board.

"Nielsen meters don't take in single parent homes, college dorms, or jails," Corday explains of why he thinks DAYS is performing better than many people might think.

Meanwhile, "DAYS is the most watched show on the NBC website, and that includes all their primetime shows," the exec reveals, adding, "We are now at the table renegotiating for a better deal because the production company gains no revenue from that."

With NBC's new streaming service, The Peacock, launching next April, many fans have been wondering if classic DAYS episodes will be included. Unfortunately, Corday doesn't have the official answer but says, "If they are smart, they will do Greatest Weddings or Best Comebacks because we have a huge back catalogue."

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For more from Corday, including why he supports head writer Ron Carlivati's "outlandish" stories and why the producer wants to take the soap opera to Australia, check out MediaWeek's full article here.

What are your thoughts on Ken Corday's latest interview regarding DAYS? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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