Is John Black Really Dead?

"Days of our Lives" star Drake Hogestyn will sign autographs at the Peoria Rivermen hockey game on Saturday. The Peoria Journal Star asked him about the recent death of his character, John Black.

So you are officially off "Days" now, right?
"No, I'm not actually. Let's just say my contract officially is up at the end of December. All soaps are trying to find their legs in today's market, and the death of John Black sure shook up our show. We had a spike in numbers, that's what they were after. According to our owner, he said never say never on "Days of Our Lives." I've been there almost 22 years, and it's the first time the character has met his demise. He's come close several times. ...

All of daytime is struggling right now, we're trying to get numbers, looking for quick fixes and shocking the fans, like in the case of John Black's death."