'Days of our Lives' Hits 20-Month Ratings High

Days of Our Lives has generated its most-watched week in 20 months, averaging 2.721 million viewers for the daytime ratings week of November 2-6, best for Days since the week of February 17-21, 2014 (2.836 million) during the Sochi Olympics.

For the week of November 2-6, Days (0.87 rating, 6 share among women 18-49, 0.52 rating among women 18-34) ranked #4 among network daytime series in the women 18-49 demographic, #6 in the women 18-34 race and #9 in total viewers, according to “live plus same day” viewing data from Nielsen Media Research.

Week to week, Days grew +10% in women 18-49 (0.87 vs. 0.79 for the week of October 26-30) and +11% in women 18-34 (0.52 vs. 0.47).

Versus the same week last year, Days was up +15% in total viewers (2.721 million vs. 2.373 million for the week of November 3-7, 2014), up +49% in women 18-34 (0.52 vs. 0.35), up +6% in women 18-49 (0.87 vs. 0.82) and up +12% in women 25-54 (1.18 vs. 1.05).



In “most current” results for the 2015-16 season thus far, Days ranks #5 among network daytime series in both the women 18-49 and women 18-34 demos.

'Days of our Lives' Artifacts Donated to Smithsonian's National Museum of American History (Photos/Audio)

Diedre Hall, Greg Meng, Susan Seaforth-Hayes and ceremony host Tippi
Hedren with items from Days of our Lives. Photo Credit: Lisa England

On Wednesday, November 4, 2015, The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History added artifacts that reflect the contributions of daytime television programming to the national entertainment collection in a ceremony that continues an ongoing partnership with the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS).

The donation from NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, which is marking 50 years on the air, included show scripts, original art and other memorabilia, including sets of Horton family Christmas ornaments and a pledge of the iconic hourglass that opens each episode. Actresses Deidre Hall (Dr. Marlena Evans) and Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) and Executive Producer Greg Meng, who wrote a book about the show's 50th anniversary, presented the objects.

The ceremony continued a collecting initiative established in 2013 between the National Museum of American History and NATAS to help the museum tell the story of daytime television.

“Since its advent in the 1940s, television has become integral to American culture,” said John Gray, director of the museum. “By adding the contributions of daytime television to our collections, we are recognizing television's influence on everyday life and capacity to explore national values such as democracy, opportunity and innovation.”

50 Years of 'Days of our Lives': The Hortons and The Bradys (Video)

Macdonald Carey and Frances Reid as Dr. Tom and Alice Horton.

NBC has posted a special Days of our Lives 50th anniversary video that looks back at Tom (Macdonald Carey) and Alice Horton (Frances Reid), and Shawn (Frank Parker) and Caroline Brady (Peggy McCay).

Watch the two-minute clip below: