Johannesburg - Stefano, Marlena and John Black have risen from the TV ashes and are back on SABC3.
There was a nationwide outcry when the SABC announced earlier this year that the popular American soapie Days of Our Lives had been cut to make way for more local shows.
The last episode of Days was on Wednesday, June 20.
But the soapie has quietly been snuck back onto the TV schedule after viewers threatened to boycott the channel.
A happy @THEDEVCHEV tweeted: “Just heard great news! Day of Our Lives is rising like a phoenix again on SABC3 from 22 August.”
But the show is not where it used to be, and you’ll have to be a diehard fan, and a night-owl, if you want to catch your favourite soapie. Days will be broadcast on weekdays at 11.30pm.
This appears to be the only solution since the SABC has when sticking to its 80 percent local content strategy but still giving in to complaints from angry soapie fans.
SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he needed prime-time slots for local content.
People became upset when not only Days of Our Lives but popular reality shows Survivo r and The Amazing Race were also canned.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago was not available on Thursday to comment on the Days of Our Lives comeback, but the SABC3 marketing team forwarded an updated TV schedule to the media, with the soapie in the weekday slot of 11.30pm.
No explanation was give and it’s not clear whether Survivor and The Amazing Race will follow suit.
After reports of the soapie’s return, Afternoon Express fell victim to viewers’ attacks, due to the fact that “suckspresso” (as one viewer called it) replaced Days in the 5pm slot.
Larochelle le Roux wrote: “#bringbackdays #bringbackdays we don't care about suckspresso, we want Days!”
Fans don’t have to worry, as Days will pick up right where it left off, so you won’t miss anything.
Everyone is still panicking after the shooting at Salem University Hospital and Marlena still hasn’t told John whether she wants to reconcile with him.