How to Watch Days of Our Lives, the Addictive Soap That Only Says ‘Hey, That’s Going Too Far’ When It’s About to Go Even Farther!

If you’re someone who does a lot of online streaming, you may already have Days of Our Lives on your watch list. The former NBC soap, which premiered on November 8, 1965, streams exclusively on Peacock five days a week and take viewers into the sometimes — wait a minute, more-often-than-not — crazy town of Salem, IL.

What Is Days of Our Lives About?

When one enters the town of Salem, IL., they are sure to run into a DiMera or two, or a Horton or a Black or a Kiriakis or a Brady, as those are the major families that dominate the show. From the siblings trying to compete for a head spot at DiMera Enterprises, to who’s serving up drinks at the Brady’s Pub, there is no shortage of drama…

And if you’re in need of care, Dr. Marlena Evans is always around for a hypnosis session and Salem University Hospital is open 24 hours a day, where emergency surgeries are performed and DNA tests are rigged. Plus, Statesville Prison has become the one-stop shop for housing various residents after facing a run-in with the Salem P.D.

What Are the Stories Like?

Not only does the show feature the love-in-the-afternoon elements of all soaps, such as romance, affairs and family drama, Days of Our Lives has been known to add some paranormal aspects into the mix with such storylines like Marlena’s (Deidre Hall) possession, which first took place in 1994 and was later resurrected in 2021. There has also been serial-killer arcs, like when Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson) was The Necktie Killer, a killer who was reformed and accepted back in society — one who even became close friends with one of his back-from-the-dead victims.

And speaking of back from the dead… When someone dies in Salem, it’s always best to take a trip to the island of Melaswen, where many people have been stashed until their shocking reappearances at a later date.

Who Is in Days of Our Lives?

The cast of Days of Our Lives has surely had many in and out of its revolving door, but we can’t talk about the show without bringing up such characters as Marlena, John Black (Drake Hogestyn), EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel), Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols), Kayla Johnson (Mary Beth Evans), Julie Williams (Susan Seaforth-Hayes) and Abe Carver (James Reynolds), as well as past favorites, including Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney), Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso), Bo Brady (Peter Reckell), Will Horton (Chandler Massey), Victor Kiriakis (the late John Aniston), Stefano DiMera (the late Joseph Mascolo) and Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes).

Then there were some past faves who went on to do other things like Supernatural’s Jensen Ackles, who played Eric Brady, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Lisa Rinna, who appeared as Billie Reed, and it goes without saying that Sweeney has really made a name for herself as one of Hallmark’s biggest stars.

What If I Miss an Episode?

Unlike other soaps that first air on TV, Days of Our Lives is only available online so there’s no need to set a DVR. Just surf on over to Peacock and you’ll never miss a beat — or a lie, a paternity test switcheroo, an affair or any of the drama that consumes Salem on any given day. However, if want to read about the daily goings-on, Soaps.com invites you to look at our in-depth recaps, posted each day. And don’t miss our rants and raves that go up on Fridays in our weekly Soapbox column.