'Days of Our Lives' renewed through 2016

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- NBC says it has extended its long-running U.S. daytime drama "Days of Our Lives" for an additional two years.

The show, which will remain on the air until at least September 2016, will celebrate its 50th year on television in November 2015.

The extension was announced Wednesday by Jennifer Salke, president of NBC Entertainment.

"'Days of Our Lives' continues to be a fan favorite for the daytime audience and we are thrilled to keep it going through its 50th season," Salke said in a statement. "'Days' has shown year-to-year increases in key female demographics and remains both relevant and fresh creatively due to the hard work of the producers, writers, cast and crew who have worked tirelessly to make 'Days' the ratings success it is today."

"Having won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama, 'Days of Our Lives' continues to deliver on its legacy of quality storytelling," said Steve Kent, senior executive vice president of programming for Sony Pictures Television. "We appreciate NBC's continued support and are excited to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary with our generations of dedicated fans."

"We are thrilled to continue being a part of the NBC family and to have the support of our incredible network and studio executives who work tirelessly to allow us to continue telling our stories and share the 'Days' legacy with our devoted family of fans," said Ken Corday, executive producer "Days of Our Lives."