THE GOOD OLD ‘DAYS’

King of the Soaps Bill Hayes is returning to his throne on “Days of Our Lives”--in the role of Doug Williams that he created in 1970 and abandoned two years ago. (Air date for the royal return: about April 1.)

Hayes and wife, Susan Seaforth Hayes, who played his soap wife, Julie Williams, were known as the King and Queen of Soaps. They shocked their fans when they jointly quit (she now toils on “The Young and the Restless”).

Hayes told us that he left the show because the writers were putting more and more emphasis on characters under 25--and there are reports that this has been turning off many fans. Noted Hayes, who’s 60, “It’s my understanding that the show went too far with its younger story lines.”

With vets Suzanne Rogers and Robert Clary likewise rejoining the cast, NBC’s highest-rated soap will be much like the good old “Days.”