NBC lays off entire 'Days of our Lives' cast

Like sands through the hourglass … so goes the cast of “Days of our Lives.”

But it looks like the hourglass has been busted. By NBC.

Every actor on the show, one of television’s last remaining soap operas, has been released from their contract, TVLine reports.

The site said the show is set to go on “indefinite hiatus at month’s end.”

It’s not a good sign at all for the future of the show, which has not formally been cancelled. TVLine reports that Sony Pictures and NBC are currently in negotiations to renew the show that debuted in 1965.

Variety reports a person with ties to “Days” said the show is ahead of schedule and the break was planned to give cast members time off for the holiday season.

A show insider told TVLine that “Days” shoots about eight months in advance, so there are enough episodes already done to last through Summer 2020. If the show is picked up for a 56th season, filming would resume sometime in March, TVLine reports.

Chandler Massey, who plays Will Horton on the series, tried reassuring fans that this is not the dreaded news that it seems to be.

We’re not being cancelled. We are pausing production because we are so far ahead of schedule (and it saves us $). Days will still air during the entire hiatus, so you won’t miss anything!

— Chandler Massey (@ChandlerMassey) November 12, 2019

“Days of our Lives” has aired more than 13,700 episodes in its 55 seasons.

Neither Sony nor the show’s production company, Corday Productions, returned requests for comment to TVLine.