Bonnie and Hattie went from friends to enemies thanks to Body & Soul, the soap-within-a-soap on Days of Our Lives.
Body & Soul has been an interesting experiment. From the very beginning, it was a very risky storyline that audiences could easily fall for or run from. Days of Our Lives fans have met the soap opera reboot with mixed reviews. Now, two of the show’s legendary actresses have provided an honest heads-up that the soap-within-a-soap may not be long for this world after all.
It has always been unclear how long B&S-related storylines and episodes would continue. Now, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel (at least for those who are ready to see the end of B&S). But first, right around this year’s Day of DAYS Fan Celebration, which took place earlier this month, Peacock announced it had renewed DAYS for a 61st season. This is an amazing and overwhelming achievement. The Emmy-winning daytime drama will run at least until September 2026.
READ THIS: Will Johnny and Chanel survive Body & Soul?
Unfortunately, Body & Soul may not make it to the end of 2025. Who knows, it may not even make it to the end of 2024. Soap legends Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie) recently responded to soap journalist Michael Fairman’s question about the show’s storyline on the Day of DAYS red carpet.
He asked them their thoughts on Body & Soul, whether it was fun to do, and Hall admitted, “Body and Soul is done, and I think that’s what sent Ron (Carlivati) away.” Seaforth Hayes added, “We had some laughs…and some cringes with Body and Soul. And now we’re back to telling the story of perhaps real people in real situations.”
Back in July, it was announced that Carlivati was out, and the team of Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford was announced as the new head writers. Ever since, much of the DAYS-related news has involved big returns. For example, Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell have returned as one of soapdom’s most popular super couples of all time, Hope and Bo Brady.
Body & Soul was introduced under the Ron Carlivati head writing regime. B&S was initially a show an amnesiac Abe binged religiously when he was out of the hospital and living with a woman who had kidnapped him. Many of the actors in this legendary fake soap looked like some of Salem’s best and brightest.
In 2024, Abe (sans amnesia) and Kate (Lauren Koslow) decided to revive the canceled series. They moved the production to Salem, where they cast roles with Salem residents like Hattie (Deidre Hall), Bonnie (Judi Evans), Alex (Robert Scott Wilson), and Chanel (Raven Bowens). During any given week, entire DAYS episodes were devoted to getting B&S off the ground. There were casting auditions, and Abe (James Reynolds) and Kate hired Leo Stark (Greg Rikaart) as the head writer. They even scouted locations that could double as B&S sets.
READ THIS: 5 Easter Body & Soul Easter Eggs.
Plus, the operation provided behind-the-scenes drama. Alex and Chanel, who play star-crossed soulmates Faith & Arrow, started off as enemies but quickly developed a friendship. Unfortunately, Chanel’s husband, Johnny (Carson Boatman), let his jealousy get in the way. What resulted were some classic soap tropes, including him possibly sleeping with Nancy Wesley’s (Patrika Darbo) youngest daughter because he thought Chanel and Alex had had sex in one of the hospital sets. He was wrong.
No word on when the B&S storyline will fade to black forever. Soap Hub will keep you updated.
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