“Days Of Our Lives” fans who feared their favorite soap opera would be on the chopping block to make room for an incoming Megyn Kelly show may have a little less to worry about, because Emmy-winning daytime drama writer Ron Carlivati has signed on as the soap’s new headwriter.
The 51-year-old soap returned from a short hiatus Monday with the big news that the veteran scribe is replacing co-headwriter Dena Hugley, TheWrap has learned.
The show’s other co-headwriter, Ryan Quan, will now be a creative consultant, along with Sheri Anderson Thomas, who won an Emmy in 1976 as a member of the “Days” writing team and another one for her work as a writer on “Santa Barbara” in 1984.
“We look forward to the fresh and compelling stories these changes will bring to Salem,” the show said in a statement.
Carlivati confirmed his new job on Twitter, writing, “Like Sands Through the Hourglass … #Honored #Excited #Grateful #GuessIHaveToGetBackToWork”
Like Sands Through the Hourglass… #Honored #Excited #Grateful #GuessIHaveToGetBackToWork https://t.co/qgPT7or1FV
— Ron Carlivati (@carlivatiron) January 24, 2017
“Days Of Our Lives” fans panicked when NBC announced that Megyn Kelly would leave Fox News for a new role at NBC News in a deal that includes hosting a daytime talk show and a new Sunday night magazine series. A Jan. 6 story on People further fanned their fears that the soap would be cancelled and a Kelly project would fill the time slot.
Carlivati is one of the most seasoned writers in soaps, having been a writer on ABC’s now-defunct “One Life To Live” from 2002-2007 as its head writer from 2007 till its 2012 cancellation. He then moved on to “General Hospital,” where he remained from 2012-2015.
He’s been nominated for five Daytime Emmy Awards (winning one) and nine Writers Guild Awards (winning one).