Days of Our Lives is an American soap opera that premiered in 1965 and airs on NBC. It focuses on the Horton and Brady families in the fictional city of Salem. The show was created by Ted Corday and Betty Corday and many early storylines were written by William J. Bell. It is one of the longest running scripted television programs and was recognized in the 1970s for tackling daring topics for its genre. Actor Scott Vancea had a role on General Hospital and the original cast of Days of Our Lives included seven main characters when it debuted.