Days of Our Lives Message Board

There are yet more backstage changes afoot at Days of Our Lives. The show’s co-executive producer, Janet Drucker, has announced her imminent retirement, with her last day with the show slated for May 2, 2025. DAYS has named Noel Maxam, who currently serves as senior producer, to succeed her, saying in a press release that Maxam “will seamlessly step into the co-executive producer role.”

Drucker assumed the role of co-executive producer back in 2023, receiving a promotion from her long-held role of coordinating producer, when the show parted ways with Co-Executive Producer Albert Alaar, who had been accused of improper on-set conduct, sparking a behind-the-scenes investigation and later, a lawsuit filed by former DAYS star Arianne Zucker (ex-Nicole).

At the start of her career at DAYS over four decades ago, Drucker served as a prodution associate, and over the years, she has been part of a production team that earned three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Daytime Drama. Drucker is only the fourth woman to hold the co-executive producer title in the show’s history.

“It has been an honor and the pleasure of a lifetime to make my mark in Salem over the past 41 years,” Drucker said in a statement. “I will forever consider this show and everyone involved my second home, but it is time for me to focus on my family.”

Maxam, himself the recipient of multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for his work as a director, was originally a writer on As the World Turns, then a producer/director at Young and Restless. In 2008, he first joined the DAYS team, and previously served as the show’s co-executive producer from 2011-12.

Said Executive Producer Ken Corday in a statement: “Janet began her career with us as a production associate and steadily rose through the ranks, becoming an integral part of our leadership team. She has been a guiding presence behind the scenes, and her positive influence has left a lasting legacy. We thank her deeply for her dedication, talent, and heart.”

Corday went on to voice his confidence in Maxam, noting, “Noel brings with him an exceptional blend of creative vision, technical expertise, and leadership experience. His deep understanding of the genre and steady hand behind the scenes make him the ideal choice to help lead us forward.”

Last July, the show made another key behind-the-scenes change, replacing its head writer, Ron Carlivati, with the team of Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford. Because of DAYS’s advanced shooting schedule, their material has yet to hit the airwaves — but will in the near future.