Days Of Our Lives, which streams on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform, is going on an unplanned hiatus. A rep for Peacock confirmed to Deadline that production on the long-running daytime drama has been suspended. For the moment, it’s for one week, I hear. DoOL, which is dark this week, was slated to resume filming July 31. It will not remain dark until at least Aug.7.
The decision comes in the wake of Deadline’s report earlier this week about the misconduct investigation against longtime co-executive producer/director Albert Alarr and its aftermath. As Deadline reported, about 30-40 people — primarily women — were interviewed in the investigation, which probed accusations of inappropriate comments and physical contact, including groping and forceful kissing, and revealed a toxic environment on the show that allegedly had been fostered by Alarr for years.
Conducted by DoOL distributor Sony Pictures Television, the investigation concluded with a report the studio delivered to series’ producer Corday Prods. The results were not shared with the staff; as Deadline reported, Alarr received a written warning and was asked to undergo training.
Beyond that, he remained in his co-EP and director roles, sparking outrage among cast and crew aware of the allegations and the investigation. That has continued after Deadline’s story made the investigation public. Alarr was scheduled to direct his regular Friday episode next week, according to a grid sent to the staff that further upset those impacted, I hear.
No reason for the unexpected production hiatus has been given. The pause is expected to allow the entities involved in DoOL to examine the situation before it further escalates.
UPDATE: “Corday Productions can confirm the one-week hiatus extension,” the company said in a statement to Deadline. Sony TV declined comment.
As we reported, Alarr’s presence on the set has been scaled back over the past couple of months, though it is unclear whether it is due to the investigation or the writers strike, which has shifted some of Alarr’s attention to keeping scripts being generated after a number of WGA members walked off. (Daytime dramas continue to produce scripts during a writers strike using fi-core WGA writers or temporary non-union writers, with some series producers in Alarr’s role also known to pitch in. Alarr’s wife started writing on the show in March.)
“Corday Productions engaged Sony Pictures Television, which distributes Days of our Lives, to conduct an impartial investigation into this matter,” the production company said in a statement to Deadline earlier this week. “After a two-month investigation, the independent investigator produced a report with its findings. Based on those findings, Corday Productions has taken a series of actions designed to ensure a safe and respectful work environment.”
Content Source: deadline.com