Days of Our Lives’ Beyond Salem: Everything We Know — and Everything We Suspect, Too!
Thursday, September 2nd, 2021
The new soap serves up mystery, romance and adventure on Peacock.
Days of Our Lives created quite the stir last month when they announced their Beyond Salem spinoff. Now, whether you’re looking to find out what it’s about, who’s in it, when it will air or how to watch, we’ve got you covered!
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What It Is, When It Airs
Beyond Salem is a five-episode limited series written by Days headwriter Ron Carlivai and his crew. According to Entertainment Weekly, episodes, which will only be available on Peacock (more on that in a moment), will drop Monday, September 6 through Friday, September 10. As the title implies, much of the action will take place in far-flung environs as several Salemites find themselves doing a bit of traveling for various reasons.
Who’ll be going where? Well, Ben and Ciara head to New Orleans for a little romance, while John and Marlena jet off to Zurich. Closer to home, Chad decides to visit Will and Sonny (who earlier this year relocated to Phoenix, Arizona), while Abe, Paulina, Lani and Eli seek out a little fun in the sun down in Miami.
As seen in the Beyond Salem promo, the story begins with our heroes spread out around the globe but they’re soon united by the search for stolen gems which could threaten the future of both their loved ones and their hometown. (Get more spoilers here.)
Who’s Returning
Where there’s mystery, you’ll usually find the ISA… and in this case, the crime-fighting organization will be represented by Billie Reed. And yes, that means Lisa Rinna (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) will be on the case.
But Rinna’s won’t be the only familiar face making a return. Among those slated to appear are Charles Shaughnessy (Shane), Thaao Penghlis (Tony), Leann Hunley (Anna), Christie Clark (Carrie), Austin Peck (Austin), Greg Rikaart (Leo) and Chandler Massey (Will). Viewers can also expect Zachary Atticus Tinker (ex-Fenmore, The Young and the Restless) to take over as Sonny from Freddie Smith, who previously shared he would not be returning to the NBC soap. And while he won’t be playing a returning character, The Young and the Restless alum Peter Porte has joined the cast as an ISA agent.
One unexpected return is that of Eileen Davidson, who confirmed to Soap Opera Network that she is playing Kristen (most recently embodied by Stacy Haiduk) in the limited series. As for whether or not she’ll be reprising her other Days of Our Lives alter egos, like Sister Mary Moira, Davidson said, “You’ll have to watch, but I mean it would be sad to miss an opportunity to actually be able to bring out the other girls, you know what I’m saying?”
Days harkening back to its 80s roots of love and adventure seems like enough reason to tune in but after seeing Penghlis’ fun behind-the-scenes shots, we’re all the more excited, especially as he teased, “These beautiful women can be such trouble. You won’t believe what they’re up to.”
How You Can Watch
The limited series will only be available in the U.S. via NBC’s steaming app, Peacock. Earlier this year, NBC made Peacock the exclusive home to Days of Our Lives second-run viewings. In the past, the soap had been available via the NBC app, NBC.com and other venues. But as of July 6, Peacock became the exclusive streaming home of the serial and, by extension, its spinoff.
More: Soap star shares shocking scam details
The good news is that signing up for Peacock is easy and free. There are, of course, options which allow access to exclusive and premium content ($4.99 a month), as well as an option to watch most shows and movies without commercials ($9.99 a month). For more info or to create your Peacock account, click here.
Per ET Canada, Canadian fans will be able to watch Beyond Salem on STACKTV and the Global TV App beginning September 6, with episodes to eventually air on W Network.
Will you be tuning in to Beyond Salem? What are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments and then relive Days’ long history of love and romance in the gallery below, jam-packed with photos of past supercouples (and a few not-so-super).
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Image: NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
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<p>… and for decades, these were the two that it took: the late Frances Reid and MacDonald Carey as Alice and Tom Horton.</p>
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<p>Never mind how it ended <em>and</em> ended <em>and</em> ended again between these two; this is the way we like to remember Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) and Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) — as happy as they were on the day of their first wedding.</p>
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<p>… or was it just the early days in the romance of Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon)? Nothing, it seemed, could come between them. Nothing <em>except</em>…</p>
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<p>New Austin — Austin Peck — same old chemistry. Whew.</p>
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<p>In 1966, Diane Hunter (Coleen Gray) did her best to assure daughter Susan (Denise Alexander) that bows were <em>sure</em> to come back in fashion. One day. Maybe.</p>
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<p>All Lucas Roberts (Bryan R. Dattilo) is missing in this late-1990s portrait is the other members of his dreamy boy band.</p>
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<p>Nothing could stand in the way of Joshua Fallon (Scott Palmer) marrying Jessica Fallon (Jean Bruce Scott). Well, unless you count her relationship with the Salem Strangler and her alternate personality.</p>
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<p>In 1992, Robert Kelker-Kelly wasn’t just a new beau for Dr. Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell), he was a new Bo Brady for us all.</p>
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<p>Eh, it was really more of a crowd for a jealous Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson), girlfriend Abigail Deveraux (then Kate Mansi) and her true love, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn), in 2015.</p>
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<p>Looking back, gamblin’ man Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) and sad songstress Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) probably would’ve been better off as strangers.</p>
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<p>If only the late, great Joseph Mascolo’s Stefano DiMera could rise yet again…</p>
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<p>In the mid-1970s, David Banning (Richard Guthrie) and Valerie Grant (then Tina Andrews) — aka Eli Grant’s parents — became <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ first interracial couple.</p>
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<p>In 2004, Mickey Horton (the late John Ingle) was torn between naughty Bonnie Lockhart (Judi Evans) and nice wife Maggie (Suzanne Rogers).</p>
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<p>Billie Reed (Lisa Rinna) and Bo (Kelker-Kelly here) were as fond of one another as <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/real-life-soap-scandals-photos/" target="_blank">their portrayers infamously weren’t</a>.</p>
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<p>Sister Mary Moira was but <em>one</em> of the secondary characters that former headwriter James E. Reilly created for <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ original Kristen DiMera, Eileen Davidson.</p>
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<p>Nothin’ to see here. Just Hope and Bo (Reckell again) sharing a warm moment while chilling in 1996.</p>
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<p>In 2003, somebody just needed to tell Belle Black (Kirsten Storms; now Maxie, <em>General Hospital</em>), Cassie Brady (Alexis Thorpe), Rex Brady (Eric Winter) and Mimi Lockhart (Farah Faith) that the camera was over here. Over <em>here</em>, kids.</p>
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<p>There’s really no other way to describe the tortured relationship between Carly and Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino, who married his leading lady in 1997).</p>
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<p>Well, at least Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney) was happy anytime she and Austin (Peck here) were together. He, on the other hand, was generally ambivalent. At <em>best</em>. Maybe it shows?</p>
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<p>Despite his checkered past and despite how brightly her halo glowed, Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves) discovered that they were perfect for one another.</p>
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<p>They say that when couples have been together for a while, they start to look alike. Or is it <em>dress</em> alike? Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth Hayes) and husband Doug (real-life spouse Bill Hayes) might be able to shed some light on this subject.</p>
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<p>For some reason, EJ DiMera (James Scott) and sometime missus Sami looked as if we were interrupting them during this 2006 bedroom shoot. We’ll just let ourselves out…</p>
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<p>John Black (Drake Hogestyn) turns his bedroom eyes up to “seduce.”</p>
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<p>In 1986, sometime stripper Pete Jannings (Michael Leon) married Melissa Horton (Lisa Trusel) in a double-wedding ceremony with her adoptive parents, Mickey (then the late John Clarke) and Maggie.</p>
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<p>Shawn Brady (then Jason Cook) and Belle (then Storms) were just whippersnappers when they fell in love.</p>
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<p>Hey, how come when Shawn and Belle grew up — and began being played by Brandon Beemer and Martha Madison — they remained just as pretty as they always were? That hardly seems fair.</p>
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<p>Lucas would stop at nothing to prove to people that there was nothing up his sleeve. Including eschewing sleeves altogether.</p>
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<p>Sure, they were troublemakers to the core, but Vivian Alamain (Louise Sorel) and Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston) certainly showed us a devil of a good time.</p>
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<p>In an early publicity shot, Reid strikes such a pensive pose, you’d swear she was auditioning for <em>Dark Shadows</em>.</p>
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<p>In 2015, Chad, Stefano and Tony — or was that André (Thaao Penghlis, either way)? — managed to fit three generatuons of DiMeras into one frame.</p>
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<p>We get why the Bradys — Shawn (the late Frank Parker) and Caroline (the late Peggy McCay) — would be together in this 1996 promotional photo. But sweet Maggie and the dastardly Stefano? Mystifying.</p>
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<p>Tom tried to reach Susan, but her troubles were usually so great, even his wise words couldn’t help. She was probably daydreaming about her old bows. “They’re coming back in style,” she told herself.</p>
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<p>Abe Carver (James Reynolds) made the last days of lost love Lexie (Renée Jones) ones that she — and “oui” — would always remember.</p>
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<p>Unless you know Mark Valley, who spelled usual portrayer Ashford in the role from 1994-97. Then OK, you <em>might</em> know Jack. (Don’t get us started on Steve Wilder, though.)</p>
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<p>Doug gave only the subtlest of signs to gold digger Lee DuMonde (the late Brenda Benet) that was he was <em>slightly</em> more into Julie. Do ya think she noticed?</p>
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<p>There would be no pulling focus from Lucas in 1999. Not at <em>this</em> photo shoot, anyhow.</p>
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<p><em>Days of Our Lives</em> vet Alfonso may have left the building, but we’ll always have our memories of her iconic character. And also amazing images like this one. What <em>was</em> up there? Cobweb? Good lighting? We can’t help but wonder.</p>
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<p>Given the history between Sami, Austin (Peck here, as if you didn’t know), Lucas and Carrie, this <em>had</em> to be one of the more fraught double dates in history.</p>
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<p>When John married Isabella Toscano (Staci Greason) in 1992, he thought that it was for keeps. If only, pal. If only.</p>
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<p>If this wasn’t Jack and Jennifer’s engagement photo, it should’ve been. For real, yo.</p>
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<p>As this 2013 scene shot suggests, mercurial Kristen (original flavor Davidson) had a tendency to go off half-cocked.</p>
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<p>So frosty a presence is Vivian that she gives herself the chills even in a sweater. Now <em>that’s</em> cold.</p>
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<p>Austin (Peck again) and half-sibling rival Lucas never failed to make a splash when they tried dipping into the same dating pool a, um, <em>toe</em>.</p>
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<p>After solving the Salem Stalker case, Roman Brady (then Wayne Northrop) made a missus of Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) in 1983.</p>
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<p>In the early 1990s, Kelker-Kelly’s do-gooder had it bad for both Hope and Billie. Can ya blame him?</p>
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<p>By 2018, Ben had totally sold <em>Days of Our Lives</em>’ audience on his feelings for Ciara Brady (Victoria Konefal).</p>
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<p>Unbeknownst to them, back in 2001, Philip Kiriakis (Jay Kenneth Johnson), Chloe Lane (Nadia Bjorlin), Shawn Brady (Cook) and Belle (Storms) were <em>actually</em> looking at seaweed; they’d been in the sun for a long time.</p>
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<p>In 1995, Marlena ran afoul of a demon that was even more troublesome than Kristen. Maybe you heard a little something about it?</p>
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<p>Foolishly, the first doctor who treated Marlena for possession had just prescribed Visine.</p>
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<p>In the grip of an otherworldly fiend, Marlena seemed seriously opposed to letting John — or <em>anyone</em> — borrow her office supplies.</p>
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<p>We’d love to say that we didn’t know what possessed her. But c’mon, we knew. We <em>all</em> knew.</p>
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<p>In the end, Kristen (still Davidson) didn’t have a prayer of holding onto John.</p>
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<p>“Her!” cried Kristen. “There are too many pictures of her and her damn possession in this photo album!” Fine. We’ll move on.</p>
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<p>Nope. This is just about normal for Doug and Julie. They dance cheek to cheek even when standing still.</p>
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