We Love Soaps

The results are in from the We Love Soaps"Soap of the Week" poll for November 27-December 1, 2017. ABC's General Hospital was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 44th week in a row.

NBC's Days of our Lives was a close second, followed by CBS'The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' Will & Sonny. GH's Roger Howarth (Franco) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Note: The next Soap of the Week poll will go live on Saturday, December 2.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	General Hospital (ABC)	1	307
2	Days of our Lives (NBC)	2	404
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	157
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	180

General Hospital's Roger Howarth (Franco Baldwin) was voted Favorite Actor for the week.

RANK	ACTOR	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Roger Howarth (Franco), GH	2	96
2	Chandler Massey (Will), Days	3	47
3	Steve Burton (Jason), GH	1	6
4	Ryan Paevey (Nathan), GH	8	2
5	Freddie Smith (Sonny), Days	7	57
6	Drake Hogestyn (John), Days	5	213
7	Billy Miller (Jason), GH	6	11
8	Michael Easton (Finn), GH	15	74
9	Scott Clifton (Liam), B&B	14	2
10	Christopher Sean (Paul), Days	-	0
11	Darin Brooks (Wyatt), B&B	4	12
12	Maurice Benard (Sonny), GH	12	0
13	Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Days	-	0
14	Don Diamont (Bill), B&B	10	54
15	Matt Cohen (Griffin), GH	-	0

General Hospital's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth Webber) was voted Favorite Actress for the sixth week in a row.

RANK	ACTRESS	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), GH	1	77
2	Deidre Hall (Marlena), Days	3	230
3	Alison Sweeney (Sami), Days	2	112
4	Kirsten Storms (Maxie), GH	9	9
5	Camila Banus (Gabi), Days	8	0
6	Maura West (Ava), GH	10	0
7	Ashley Jones (Parker), GH	4	5
8	Kristian Alfonso (Hope), Days	-	0
9	Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy), B&B	7	0
10	Brytni Sarpy (Valerie), GH	14	0
11	Kelly Monaco (Sam), GH	5	24
12	Marci Miller (Abby), Days	6	17
13	Judi Evans (Adrienne), Days	-	0
14	Eileen Davidson (Susan), Days	12	6
15	Marla Adams (Dina), Y&R	-	0

The Favorite Couple for the week was Will & Sonny from Days of our Lives.

RANK	COUPLE	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Will & Sonny, Days	3	119
2	Elizabeth & Jason, GH	2	5
3	Franco & Elizabeth, GH	1	54
4	Nathan & Maxie, GH	7	4
5	John & Marlena, Days	5	229
6	Parker & Kristina, GH	4	17
7	Will & Paul, Days	-	0
8	Paul & Sonny, Days	11	1
9	Valerie & Curtis, GH	12	0
10	Rafe & Hope, Days	-	0
11	Steffy & Liam, B&B	14	0
12	Steffy & Bill, B&B	10	0
13	Chad & Abby, Days	8	15
14	Jason & Sam, GH	6	2
15	Brooke & Ridge, B&B	-	0

What's happening on General Hospital during the week of November December 18-22, 2017? Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out.

Monday, December 18
Jason puts it all out there; Carly feels terrible for her friend; Sam lashes out.

Tuesday, December 19
Drew and Jason share a common goal; Drew gets the reassurance he needs; Griffin apologizes.

Wednesday, December 20
Laura asks a favor of Lulu; Alexis infuriates Molly; Nelle gets a break.

Thursday, December 21
Laura hopes for the best; Jason pays his respect; Franco receives a mysterious note.

Friday, December 22
Michael pours his heart out; Carly has a plan; Laura gets a surprise.

RELATED:
- Soap of the Week Poll (December 11-15, 2017)

1975: Delia took action to save her marriage on Ryan's Hope.
1979: Deer hunters shot at Deborah on The Edge of Night.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel (Don Stewart) apologized to Brick.
2006: One Life to Live's Blair worried about her baby.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1946: DuMont Television Network aired the final episode of the first network TV soap opera, Faraway Hill. The show, created by David P. Lewis, premiered two and a half months earlier on October 2nd.

1967: On The Doctors, when Dr. Matt Powers (James Pritchett) told Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) that she had violated the "morals clause" in her contract by becoming pregnant, Althea railed against a system that didn't hold the father of the baby equally accountable.

1975: On Ryan's Hope, Delia (Ilene Kristen) interrupted Frank's (Michael Hawkins) meeting with the district leaders and announced she was to blame for their issues. As the group debated what to do, Charley spoke out in support of Frank. Frank confronted Delia about her actions and just as he was about to inform her that their marriage was over, Charley walked in to tell them Delia saved the day for Frank, which made Frank realize he was trapped in his marriage with Delia.

1979: On Guiding Light, Mike Bauer (Don Stewart) told Barbara Thorpe (Barbara Berjer) that it was possible Roger Thorpe was back in Springfield.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1979: On The Edge of Night, two hunters shot at Deborah (Frances Fisher) in the woods thinking she was a deer.

1980: On Another World, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham) gave birth to a 7 and 1/2 pound baby boy. She told Tracy and Russ she was going to name him Matthew after them and the Matthews family, and his last name would be Cory. Rachel was in prison at the time for murdering Mitch Blake and initially wanted Tracy and Russ to raise the baby, fathered by Mitch. She changed her mind after Mac told her he wanted to raise Matthew to keep the family together.

Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.

1981: On Guiding Light, Nola Reardon (Lisa Brown) charmed Quinton McCord (Michael Tylo) during her first ever airplane flight, on a trip they took to San Francisco.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1985: On Santa Barbara, Lionel (temporarily played by longtime Guiding Light star Don Stewart) apologized to Brick for his role in making Augusta think Brick was her enemy. Later, Lionel asked Dylan Hartley (Page Moseley) to give Brick a job, while Brick and Amy looked for Brick's birth records.

1987: On Days of our Lives, Eve (Charlotte Ross) told Kim (Patsy Pease) she planned on being close to her little brother, Andrew, and the new baby girl. Kim suggested they go to family counseling to work out their issues. Meanwhile, when Gabrielle (Karen Moncrieff) and Shane (Charles Shaughnessy) talked about Eve. Gabrielle accidentally mentioneds Shropshire, making Shane wonder how she knew about it.

1987: On All My Children, Jesse Hubbard (Darnell Williams) shared his fears about AIDS with his wife, Dr. Angie Hubbard, (Debbi Morgan). Meanwhile, Cindy Parker (Ellen Wheeler) prayed for strength when it became clear she may have been exposed to the AIDS virus.

1987: On Another World, Dr. Jamie Frame (Laurence Lau) told Chad Rollo (Barbara Bush) and Scott LaSalle (Hank Cheyne) that Chad's sister, Dawn Rollo (Barbara Bush), had AIDS. Dawn had a car accident five years earlier, and needed a blood transfusion. Dawn and Chad's mother donated blood because she had the same rare blood type as Dawn. The mother, who was formerly a prostitute, died a few months before Dawn's diagnosis. Note: Dawn Rollo was the first character on soaps to be diagnosed with AIDS. A few weeks later, All My Children's Cindy Park (Ellen Wheeler) was also confirmed to have AIDS.

1989: On Another World, a mystery man carried an unconscious Rachel (Victoria Wyndham) into the E.R.

1995: On Days of our Lives, John Blake (Drake Hogestyn) saw the Woman in White in his cell. Note: Stephanie Cameron debuted as Jennifer Horton Deveraux in this episode.

2006: On One Life to Live, Blair (Kassie DePaiva) begged "Todd" (Trevor St. John) to save her baby as she was being rushed into surgery.

2006: On The Young and the Restless, trapped in an elevator during an ice storm, Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) begged Jack (Peter Bergman) to save her baby (Summer) as her contractions started coming faster.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

2007: On General Hospital, Maxie (Kirsten Storms) was devastated over Georgie's death, and Mac (John J. York) told Robin (Kimberly McCullough) about the murder.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Gillian Spencer (ex-Jennifer, As the World Turns; ex-Daisy, All My Children; ex-Lyn, The Edge of Night; ex-Leora, The Secret Storm; ex-Robin, Guiding Light, ex-Victoria, One Life to Live; Former Writer, Guiding Light; Days of our Lives; General Hospital; Another World; All My Children; As the World Turns) - 77
Ray Liotta (ex-Joey, Another World) - 62
Brad Pitt (ex-Chris, Another World; ex-Randy, Dallas) - 53
Steve Austin (ex-WWE) - 52
Shawn Christian (ex-Daniel, Days of our Lives; Brandon, Venice; ex-Mike, As the World Turns; ex-Ross, One Life to Live) - 50
Rachel Griffiths (ex-Sarah, Brothers & Sisters; ex-Brenda, Six Feet Under) - 48
Casper Van Dien (ex-Ty, One Life to Live) - 48
Lucy Deakins (ex-Lily, As the World Turns) - 45
Katie Holmes (ex-Joey, Dawson's Creek) - 38
Josh Dallas (Prince Charming, Once Upon A Time) - 35
Matt Palazzolo (Brooke, Bloomers) - 32
Ashley Benson (Hannah, Pretty Little Liars; ex-Mia, Eastwick; ex-Abby, Days of our Lives) - 27
Bridgit Mendler (ex-General Hospital) - 24

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

It is time to vote in our new Soap of the Week reader poll! Vote for the daytime drama, actor, actress and couple that were your favorites this week. In the last poll, General Hospital was voted the favorite show by our readers for the 44th consecutive week. General Hospital's Roger Howarth (Franco) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were favorite actor and actress, and Days of our Lives' Will & Sonny were favorite couple.

You can vote for your favorites below (one vote per person per day). This week's poll closes on Thursday, December 21 at 4 p.m. ET.

RELATED:
- Jamie Lynn Bauer Returning to 'Days of our Lives' For At Least One Episode in 2018
- Arianne Zucker on Donald Trump Tape: "How Do You Apologize for Something and Renege on It?"
- 'LA to Vegas' Premieres January 2 on FOX, Stars 'The Bold and the Beautiful' Alum Kim Matula
- Kelly Thiebaud Returning to 'General Hospital' for a December Visit

Annika Noelle has joined the cast of CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful as the new Hope Logan, a role most recently played by Kim Matula.

Noelle told Soap Opera Digest that she was in the dark about who she would be playing when she first auditioned.

"Going in, you do your research about the show and I was able to figure out a bit, based on who I was doing my chemistry reads with, who this might be," she reveals. "I did a chemistry read first with Scott Clifton [Liam] and then another with Katherine Kelly Lang [Brooke]. I was thrilled because Hope has a real joie de vivre about her. She sees the glass as half-full and even though she has been through hardship, she doesn’t let that drag her down, and I think that’s a wonderful quality."

Noelle is scheduled to make her first appearance as Hope on January 8.

1967: The Doctors' Althea turned in her resignation.
1997: General Hospital's Helena returned to Port Charles.
2008: All My Children celebrated the life of Myrtle Fargate.
2011: One Life to Live's Roxy dreamed about Fraternity Row.

Y&R's Jack and Phyllis arrive at the hospital,
and Jack hands baby Summer to Nick.

2006: On The Young and the Restless, in the elevator Phyllis grabbed scissors from her purse and hysterically told Jack to cut her open to save her baby. Suddenly her water broke. She finally got cell service and called Nick, telling him that the baby was on the way. Phyllis got a huge contraction and pushed the baby's legs out. With one last big effort, she managed to get her baby out. Phyllis hugged her new daughter (Summer Newman) and thanked Jack for delivering her baby.

2008:All My Children aired a special episode dedicated to the late Eileen Herlie, who played Myrtle Fargate on the show for many years.

2011: On One Life to Live, Roxy Balsom (Ilene Kristen) had a dream about her favorite soap opera, Fraternity Row, after hearing about the show's cancellation.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Cicely Tyson (ex-Martha, The Guiding Light) - 94
Aki Aleong (ex-Mr. Wu, General Hospital) - 83
Sam Kelly (ex-Bob, Coronation Street; ex-Graham, Doctors) - 73
Christopher Goutman (ex-Marc, Search for Tomorrow; ex-Matt, The Edge of Night; ex-George/Dr. Kirkland, Texas; Former Executive Producer, Another World; As the World Turns; Former Director, All My Children; Another World; As the World Turns; Guiding Light; One Life to Live; The Edge of Night; The Young and the Restless; Days of our Lives) - 65
Alice Barrett (ex-Frankie/Anne, Another World; ex-Dr. Morrison, One Life to Live) - 61
Mike Lookinland (ex-Bobby, The Bradys) - 57
Scott Cohen (ex-Ray, One Life to Live; ex-Max, Gilmore Girls) - 56
Jennifer Beals (ex-Bette, The L Word) - 54
Will Kempe (ex-Ian, One Life to Live; ex-Donovan, All My Children) - 54
Amy Locane (ex-Sandy, Melrose Place) - 46
Alyssa Milano (ex-Savannah, Mistresses; ex-Jennifer, Melrose Place) - 45
Rosa Blasi (ex-Fernanda, General Hospital; ex-Ronnie, Make It or Break It; ex-The Bold and the Beautiful) - 45
A.J. Lamas (ex-Rafi, As the World Turns) - 33

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

Former Days of our Lives actress Heather North died on November 30. She was 71.

North passed away at her home in Studio City after a long illness, family friend Jodie Mann confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

Her husband, H. Wesley Kenney, the Emmy Award-winning producer and director of daytime soap operas, died in January 2015.

North and Kenney had met on the set of Days of our Lives and were married in 1971. She had played Sandy Horton from 1967-1972 on the NBC daytime serial.

A native of Pasadena, North also starred as Kurt Russell's love interest in Disney's The Barefoot Executive (1971), about a chimpanzee who can predict which TV shows will be a success on the air.

North was the longtime voice of the danger-prone Daphne Blake on TV's Scooby-Doo. She was first heard as Daphne in September 1970 on the second-season opener of the CBS/Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning hit Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (Stefanianna Christopherson had voiced Daphne during the first season.)

North then returned for The New Scooby-Doo Movies in 1972-73 and in many other incarnations of the cartoon through 2003.

North also appeared on such TV shows as Mr. Novak, Gidget, The Fugitive, The Monkees, My Three Sons and Adam-12; on the big screen in Git! (1965) and I Love My Wife (1970); and on Broadway in the short-lived 1967 comedy "The Girl in the Freudian Slip."

Survivors include her son Kevin and daughter-in-law Stephanie; stepdaughter Nina and her husband Brent; stepson Wes and his wife Leslie; and granddaughter Jocelyn. Another stepdaughter, Kara, died just a week ago.

A memorial service is set for 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday at First Christian Church in Studio City.

1982: The Doctors' Kit and Mike were stranded during a snow storm.
1985: Lujack's spirit visited Beth on Guiding Light. 1996: All
My Children's Adam and Liza were married. 2007: General
Hospital Dillon returned and found out about Georgie's death.

Jacqueline Courtney

2010: Actress Jacqueline Courtney died at age 64. She was best known for her role as beloved heroine Alice Matthews in Another World from 1964 to 1975, returning in 1984-1985 and visiting in 1989. Her other soap roles included Pat Ashley in One Life to Live (where she re-teamed with former AW co-star George Reinholt), Diane Winston in Loving and Ann Lee in Our Five Daughters. She also appeared in The Edge of Night and The Doctors.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Karen Moncrieff (ex-Gabrielle, Days of our Lives; ex-Patricia, Guiding Light; ex-Michelle, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Cassandra, Santa Barbara) - 54
Iqbal Theba (ex-Principal Figgins, Glee) - 54
Bob Morley (ex-Bellamy, The 100; ex-Aidan, Neighbours; ex-Drew, Home and Away) - 33
Tommy Savas (ex-Dashiell, State of Affairs; ex-Young Sonny, General Hospital) - 33
Vanya Asher (ex-Ethan, Scandal) - 32
Allan Hyde (ex-Godric, True Blood) - 28
Hunter Gomez (Joey, Proper Manors) - 26
Jillian Rose Reed (ex-Tamara, Awkward) - 26

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

1981: GH's Laura was offered the "Miss Star Eyes" job.
1982: Barrington and Burgess plotted on Capitol.
1987: GL's Johnny saw it snow. 2007: A dollhouse came
to life on ATWT.

Larry Bryggman

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Jane Fonda (ex-Leona, The Newsroom) - 80
Larry Bryggman (ex-John, As the World Turns) - 79
Danielle von Zerneck (ex-Lou, General Hospital) - 52
Kiefer Sutherland (ex-Jack, 24) - 51
Michelle Hurd (ex-Jacklyn, Devious Maids; ex-Dana, Another World; ex-Laurel, Gossip Girl) - 51
Glenn Fitzgerald (ex-Brian, Dirty Sexy Money) - 46
Roy Jackson (ex-Tim, Days of our Lives) - 39
Tamieka Chavis (Mia, Anacostia)
Steven Yeun (Glenn, The Walking Dead) - 34

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

1955: Love of Life's Van wanted to adopt Carol.
1986: Search for Tomorrow's Jo had a dream.
2000: All My Children's Bianca came out to Erica.
2008: ATWT's Lucinda didn't know Brian wanted her grandson.

Elizabeth Hubbard (Eva, Anacostia; ex-Althea, The Doctors; ex-Lucinda, As the World Turns; ex-Sair, Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden; ex-Estelle, One Life to Live; ex-Carol, The Edge of Night; ex-Anne, The Guiding Light) - 84
Hector Elizondo (ex-Carlos, Grey's Anatomy; ex-Vicento, The Edge of Night; Waiter, The Doctors) - 81
Dan Martin (ex-Brad, The Bold and the Beautiful) - 66
Lauralee Bell (Christine, The Young and the Restless) - 49
Amanda Baker (ex-Babe, All My Children; ex-Jolene, General Hospital: Night Shift) - 38
Chris Carmack (Will, Nashville) - 35
Brooke Nevin (ex-Brooke, Imaginary Bitches) - 35
Alinne Moraes (ex-Monica, Como uma Onda) - 35

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

1981: GH's Rick and Lesley were married. 1987: GL's Amanda
returned to Springfield. 1988: RH's Sister Mary Joel made
a decision about her future. 2002: Y&R's Brittany was
advised by a homeless woman named Sylvia.

Irna Phillips

1973: Legendary soap opera creator and writer Irna Phillips died at age 72. Here are some of her career highlights:

Speech and Drama Teacher (1924–30); Radio Creator, Writer, Painted Dreams (1930–32), Today's Children (1932–38), The Guiding Light (1937–56), The Road of Life (1937–59), The Woman in White (1938–48), The Right to Happiness (1939–60), The Brighter Day (1948–56); Television Creator, Writer, The Guiding Light(1952–58); Co-creator, Writer, As the World Turns (1956–70; 1972–73), Another World (1964–66); Co-creator, Days of our Lives (1965)

1976: On All My Children, Tara (Karen Lynn Gorney) had a heart-to-heart chat with Ruth (Mary Fickett) before her wedding to Phil.

1977: On Search for Tomorrow, Joanne (Mary Stuart) Bruce Carson (Joel Higgins) sang "Come Christmas Day."

1981: Search for Tomorrow debuted a new opening title sequence, which ran until February 25, 1986.

1981: On General Hospital, Rick (Chris Robinson) and Lesley (Denise Alexander) were married.

Thanks to Tricia for sending in the item above.

1983: On Search for Tomorrow, Sunny Adamson (Marcia McCabe) and Hogan McCleary (David Forsyth) toasted Christmas with two milk cartons followed by a special closing with "O Holy Night" playing in the background.

1983: On As the World Turns, much of Oakdale gathered at Ellen and David Stewart's house for a Christmas celebration.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1986: On All My Children, after hearing about Adam Chandler's job offer to Brooke English (Julia Barr), Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) accused Brooke of always following in her footsteps. "You've never had a dream of your own," Erica said, during an entertaining tirade.

1987: On Guiding Light, Amanda's (Kathleen Cullen) return surprised Ross (Jerry verDorn).

1988: On Ryan's Hope, Jack (Michael Levin) and Ryan (Yasmine Bleeth) tried to come to terms with Sister Mary Joel's decision to remain in the order.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the item above.

1988: On All My Children, Phoebe Wallingford thought no one was coming for Christmas, but ended up with a houseful of guests and a surprise visit from Chuck Tyler (Richard Van Vleet).

1988: On General Hospital, Sean (John Reilly) and Tiffany (Sharon Wyatt) were married.

Thanks to Tricia for sending in the item above.

Also in the episode, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) panicked when her husband Tony Jones was rushed to hospital without having him sign their lucrative divorce agreement. Meanwhile, Bobbie Meyer (Jacklyn Zeman) was in surgery with Tony and Lucy threatened to take BJ against Tony's wishes.

Thanks to Stuart for sending in the item above.

1992: On The Young and the Restless, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) had a Christmas Eve warning for Victor Newman (Eric Braeden).

1992: On All My Children, Opal Cortlandt (Jill Larson) gave birth to a baby boy, Petey.

1993: On As the World Turns, Lily Grimaldi (Martha Byrne) told Holden Snyder (Jon Hensley) the kiss they shared at the pond never should have happened. "It was a mistake," Lily said. "Then how come you kissed me back?" asked Holden.

Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1994: On Days of our Lives, a possessed Marlena (Deidre Hall) levitated over her bed.

1994: On As the World Turns, Holden (Jon Hensley) impressed Tracy by teaching J.R., her deaf son, a holiday song in sign language and performing it with the church choir. Lily (Martha Byrne) was there to see it and it made her reminisce about Holden. When Lily returned home, she lied to Damian (Paolo Seganti) about where she had been.

1999: Legendary casting director Betty Rea (Guiding Light, As the World Turns) died at age 82.

2002:The Jefferson's star Isabel Sanford made a guest appearance on The Young and the Restless, the final TV role before her 2004 death. Sanford played Silvia, a homeless woman that gave Brittany (Lauren Woodland) advice about the importance of family and told her to call her parents.

2003: Actor George Pentecost died at age 64. He played Tony the Tuna on Another World off and on from 1984 to 1995.

2005: Cady McClain returned to All My Children after a three year absence when Dixie Cooney Martin was revealed to be alive.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

2009: On All My Children, the presumed dead Greenlee (Rebecca Budig) turned out to be alive in a Massachusetts clinic under David's care.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

2011: On General Hospital, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Lulu (Julie Marie Berman) were married.

Also in the episode, Jonathan Jackson aired for the final time playing Lucky Spencer as a series regular. He returned to GH in 2015 for a handful of episodes during Anthony Geary's (Luke) exit storyline.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Robert Lee Jarvis (ex-Diver, Days of our Lives) - 86
Don Frabotta (ex-Dave, Days of our Lives) - 76
Susan Lucci (Genevieve, Devious Maids; ex-Erica, All My Children) - 71
John Callahan (ex-Mackenzie, The Bay; Dr. Baker/ex-Artie, Days of our Lives; ex-Edmund, All My Children; ex-Craig, Santa Barbara; ex-Leo, General Hospital) - 64
Allison Argo (ex-Cindy, Search for Tomorrow; ex-Robin, The Bold and the Beautiful) - 64
Joan Severance (ex-Leona, Masters of Sex) - 59
Martha Byrne (Alexis, Anacostia; ex-Catherine, Gotham; ex-Janice, Pretty; ex-Andrea, General Hospital; ex-Lily/Rose, As the World Turns) - 48
Robert Benvenisti (ex-Kevin, Days of our Lives) - 44
Amanda Gunnarson (ex-Stephanie, Days of our Lives) - 28
Jessica Gunnarson (ex-Stephanie, Days of our Lives) - 28

CBS Daytime exec turned soap opera producer Paul Rauch was born 84 years ago today. He passed away on December 10, 2012.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

Family and friends gather to celebrate Christmas on As the
World Turns (1965), Guiding Light (1979), General Hospital
(1982) and The Young and the Restless (1992).

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1965: On As the World Turns, Ellen Stewart (Patricia Bruder) told her husband, David (Henderson Forsythe), about a Christmas long ago when she was pregnant. Their conversation was interrupted by Paul (Edmund Gaynes) and Dan (Jeffrey Rowland), who opened a gift from his grandmother. Later, David told Ellen he already knew about her child.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) found Joe Haskell (Joel Crothers) had been attacked by the werewolf and took him back to Collinwood. Later, Chris Jennings (Donald Briscoe) turned into a werewolf in front of Joe. Joe shot the werewolf with a gun, but it did not kill him.

1971: On Another World, in their kitchen, Jim and Mary Matthews prepared for the holidays. While Jim marveled at how how Mary was able to organize everything for large family parties, she reminded him that she had 30 years of experience doing so. They discussed how much it meant to them to have their family over for Christmas Eve. Later, when the guests arrived, Jim advised John not to let his growing work responsibilities take priority over Pat and the twins. Russ' date, Dr. Paula McCray, told everyone that she grew up in boarding schools and always missed out on family gatherings like this one. Steven and Alice discussed her pregnancy, their relationship, and Steve's seeing Jamie...and Rachel. Everyone gathered to sing Christmas carols.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, the Ryan's celebrated Christmas. Mary Ryan (Kate Mulgrew) placed the star on the tree while the family sang "We Three Kings." Meanwhile, a wheelchair-bound Jack Fenelli (Michael Levin) had a meltdown leading Mary's father, Johnny (Bernard Barrow), to blurt out, "Dammit, Jack. You ought to get down on your knees and thank God Mary is carrying this child, because it's the only one you'll ever have!"

1979: On Guiding Light, Ed Bauer (Mart Hulswitt) read the story of the first Christmas to the children at Cedars Hospital. Later, family and friends gathered at church where Mike Bauer (Don Stewart) sang "O Come All Ye Faithful,""Joy To The World" and "The First Noel."

1979: On The Edge of Night, it was Christmas Eve in Monticello. Miles (Joel Crothers) realized that Mrs Corey was Nola Madisson.

1982: On Search for Tomorrow, Keith wondered why Andy was so remorseful and unhappy on Christmas Eve. Andy's mood grew worse when Wendy (Lisa Peluso) dropped by and gave him a book of poetry as a present. At Stephanie's (Maree Cheatham) Christmas Eve party, Brian and Martin (John Aniston) discussed Brian's new job at the television station. And at Joanne's (Mary Stuart) party, everyone was rehearsing Christmas carols until Joanne lead everyone in a special, traditional Christmas song. In the meantime, Stephanie listed her New Year's resolutions to Martin as her party began to thin out. Later in the night, Andy caught Stu (Larry Haines) bringing over presents to the house, and he read from the book of poetry Andy just received.

1982: Helene Udy debuted as Frannie Hughes on As the World Turns, just in time for Frannie's birthday. Elsewhere, David and Ellen were remarried and Dee was suspected in the "death" of John Dixon.

1982: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) read a Christmas story to his daughter, Amanda, and then he and his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wydham), reminisced about their first Christmas on the estate.

1982: On General Hospital, Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) read the annual Christmas story to the kids.

1985: On As the World Turns, the Hughes family and close friends celebrated Christmas Eve and Frannie's (Julianne Moore) birthday. Even a mysterious gift could not dampen the mood as carolers arrived to serenade the group.

1986: On Search for Tomorrow, Jo (Mary Stuart) wondered why things couldn't be like they were in her dream.

1992: On The Young and the Restless, Nicholas Newman (John Nelson-Alden) was excited to receive a soccer ball and a battery-operated car for Christmas. Nick's father, Victor (Eric Braeden), watched his family celebrate the holiday from outside the window at the ranch.

1992: On As the World Turns, Margo Hughes (Ellen Dolan) got the results of her HIV test. Lily (Heather Rattray) left town.

1996: On One Life to Live, Todd Manning (Roger Howarth) wanted to see Blair Cramer (Kassie DePaiva) and baby Starr at Christmas.

1999:The Young and the Restless added actor names to its opening theme sequence.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the clip above.

2002:Paul Rauch's final episode as executive producer of Guiding Light aired.

2002: On As the World Turns, Natalie Snyder was born.

2003: On Guiding Light, Blake (Elizabeth Keifer) threw a Christmas Eve party for Mel, Rick, Holly and Edmund, during which she and Ross (Jerry verDorn) were married.

2003: On The Bold and the Beautiful, the Forresters sang "Joy to the World" at their family Christmas celebration.

2004: On Guiding Light, Zach Spaulding received a present -- a butterfly -- which his father had arranged for delivery before his death. The insect escaped from its case and set "the butterfly effect" in motion: a series of events where the fate of one character directly affects a stranger, and then another. The chain resulted in a reunion between estranged sisters Reva Shayne Lewis (Kim Zimmer) and Cassie Winslow (Laura Wright); Bill Lewis found the victimized Olivia Spencer (Crystal Chappell) in Ravenwood Asylum; Harley Davidson Cooper had a romantic rendezvous with old flame Gus Aitoro; and a one-of-a-kind moment between Lizzie Spaulding, Coop Cooper and Lizzie's antler-clad dog, Roxie.

2012: Actor Charles Durning, who originated the role of Gil McGowan on Another World in 1972, died at age 89.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Loretta Fury (ex-Amelia, Days of our Lives) - 95
Neil Vipond (ex-Henry, Days of our Lives) - 88
Sharon Farrell (ex-Geraldine, Broken at Love; ex-Flo, The Young and the Restless; ex-Cherry, Rituals) - 76
Peter Galman (ex-Tom, As the World Turns; ex-Lou, One Life to Live; ex-Douglas, Another World) - 72
Arlene Banas (ex-Chelsea, Days of our Lives; ex-Sharen, The Colbys) - 71
Patrice Chanel (ex-Gail/Joan, Days of our Lives) - 67
Lee Daniels (Creator and Executive Producer, Empire; Creator and Executive Producer, Star) - 58
Eva Tamargo (Celene, The Haves and the Have Nots; ex-Arianna, Más Sabe el Diablo; ex-Pilar, Passions) - 56
Mark Valley (ex-Jack, Days of our Lives; ex-Father Pete, Another World; ex-Robert, Pasadena; ex-John, Fringe) - 52
Ricky Martin (ex-Miguel, General Hospital) - 46
Michael Raymond-James (Neal, Once Upon A Time; ex-Rene, True Blood) - 39
Ana Brenda Contreras (ex-Veronica, Unforgivable; ex-Maricruz, Corazón Indomable; ex-Ana Paula, La Que No Podia Amar; ex-Aurora, Teresa; ex-Maura, Sortilegio) - 31

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

Family and friends gather to celebrate Christmas on The Doctors
(1967), Guiding Light (1979), General Hospital (1981),
EastEnders (1986), Search for Tomorrow (1986),
All My Children (1986) As the World Turns (1995),
Another World (1996) and Days of our Lives (2001).

1966: SFT's Joanne and Stu celebrated Christmas with family and
friends. 1986: In the final scene of Search for Tomorrow,
Stu asked, "What is it, Jo? What is it you're searching for?"
Jo's reply: "Tomorrow. And I can't wait."

1979: Primetime soap opera Knots Landing premiered on CBS.
2002: Days of our Lives' Chloe learned Craig was her father.
2004: All My Children's Bianca was reunited with baby Miranda.

1984: The final episode of The Edge of Night aired on ABC.

1967: Days of our Lives' Mickey and Laura were married.
1975: Another World's Marianne had an abortion.
1982: KVIK hosted a telethon on Texas.
1995: General Hospital's Ned found Jason unconscious.

Theo Goetz

1972:The Guiding Light star Theo Goetz (born in 1894) died at age 78. He was beloved as Papa Bauer, a role he assumed on radio in the late 1940s, transitioned to television in 1952 and played until his death. The show aired a funeral for him two months later where one grandson (Ed) spoke and another sang (Mike).

1975: On Another World, Michael Randolph (Lionel Johnston) and his girlfriend Glenda Toland (Maia Danziger) arranged for Michael's twin sister, Marianne (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) to have an abortion. Marianne had been deserted by her lover, Chris Pierson (Stephen Yates), when she revealed her pregnancy to him. Michael and Glenda, who had once undergone an abortion herself, made the arrangements for Marianne in New York. The twins' mother, Pat Randolph (Beverly Penberthy), was haunted by her own young pregnancy and tried to stop the event, but failed. Pat would withhold Marianne's abortion from her husband, John (Michael Ryan), which helped ruin the couple's long-term marriage.

Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.

1977: On One Life to Live, on their tropical honeymoon, Brad Vernon's (Jameson Parker) eyes were already straying to another woman when his wife Jenny (Kathy Glass) briefly left their restaurant table.

Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.

1982: On Texas, a KVIK telethon showcased local Houston talent including Lurlene Walker (Tina Johnson), Justin and Gregory (Linden) Marshall (Jerry Lanning and Damion Scheller), Allison Linden (Terri Garber), Vivien Gorrow (Gretchen Oehler), T.J. Canfield (David Forsyth), Paige Marshall (Lisby Larson) and Billy Joe Wright (John McCafferty).

1984: Actress Indus Arthur died at age 43 after battling skin cancer. She played Brooke Bentley on General Hospital from 1970 to 1973. Near the end of her life, Arthur entertained as a singer and harpist in clubs like the Scripture Gardens Coffee House in Venice, California.

1986:Wordplay, the game show that replaced Search for Tomorrow, debuted to strong ratings on NBC. The show faded quickly and was canceled less than nine months later.

1986: On Santa Barbara, Tori (Kristen Meadows) returned to Santa Barbara to see Mason (Lane Davies) after her agent stole all her money.

1987: On Ryan's Hope, Maeve (Helen Gallagher) and Johnny (Bernard Barrow) fought when she demanded Dakota (Christopher Durham) move out. By the end of the episode, Johnny declared, "If he goes, I go."

1992: Ariana Chase debuted as Kimberly Brady in Days of our Lives, a role she would play for six months.

1995: On General Hospital, Ned (Wally Kurth) found Jason (Steve Burton) lying unconscious after being thrown from a car driven by a drunk AJ (Sean Kanan).

1997: On Port Charles, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) used her sex appeal to bait Rex (Wayne Northrop). "Rex, you'll never know what hit you," Lucy told herself.

1997: On General Hospital, Carly (Sarah Joy Brown) gave birth to a baby born, Michael Corinthos.

2002: Actor Ralph Clanton died at age 88. His soap roles included Jasper Delaney on Another World and Somerset, and William Collins in Search for Tomorrow.

2003: Actor Earl Hindman, who played Bob Reid in Ryan's Hope during its entire run (1975-1989), died at age 61 after a battle with lung cancer.

2004: Actor William Boyett died at age 77. His soap roles included Fred Eckert in General Hospital and Walter Edmonson in The Young and the Restless.

2006: On Days of our Lives, Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso) gave birth to a baby girl, Ciara Alice Brady.

Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above .

2008: Hayley Erin debuted as Abby Carlton on The Young and the Restless.

2010: Daniel Cosgrove returned to All My Children as Scott Chandler.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Jon Voight (Mickey, Ray Donovan; ex-Clint, Lone Star) - 79
Ted Danson (ex-Mitch, The Doctors; ex-Ted, Somerset) - 70
Patricia Clarkson (ex-Sarah, Six Feet Under) - 58
Sandra Nelson (ex-Phyllis, The Young and the Restless) - 55
David Fumero (Mike, Power; ex-Cristian, One Life to Live) - 45
Jude Law (ex-Nathan, Families) - 45
Jason-Shane Scott (ex-Brad, The Bay; ex-Will, One Life to Live; ex-Chad, The Young and the Restless) - 41
Alison Brie (ex-Trudy, Mad Men) - 35
Dylan Minnette (ex-Rex. Awake; ex-David, Lost) - 21
Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick (ex-Will, Guiding Light) - 19

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email editor@welovesoaps.com.

The Nielsen ratings are in for the week of December 11-15, 2017. Same-day repeats of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless made the cable Top 150 on Friday.

Date	Total Viewers	Adults 18-49 Rating	Rank Among Cable Programs
Monday, December 11	300,000	0.05	149th
Tuesday, December 12	307,000	0.05	147th
Wednesday, December 13	-	-	Not in Top 150
Thursday, December 14	-	-	Not in Top 150
Friday, December 15	484,000	0.05	143rd

The Bold and the Beautiful did not make the cable Top 150 during the week.

The Nielsen ratings are in for the week of December 18-22, 2017. Same-day repeats of CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless did not make the cable Top 150 during the week.

The Bold and the Beautiful made the cable Top 150 on Friday.

Date	Total Viewers	Adults 18-49 Rating	Rank Among Cable Programs
Monday, December 18/td>	-	-	Not in Top 150
Tuesday, December 19	-	-	Not in Top 150
Wednesday, December 20	-	-	Not in Top 150
Thursday, December 21	-	-	Not in Top 150
Friday, December 22	242,000	0.04	145th

1968: NBC daytime soap Hidden Faces premiered. 1983: Guiding
Light's Phillip and Beth spent New Year's Eve in New York.
2002: The "Surrender" arc began on Port Charles. 2003: One
Life to Live's Dorian visited All My Children's Pine Valley.

Soap of the Week Results (November 27-December 1, 2017): 'General Hospital' Voted Favorite for 44th Week in a Row

'General Hospital' Spoilers (December 18-22, 2017)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 18)

Soap of the Week Poll (December 11-15, 2017)

Annika Noelle Joins 'The Bold and the Beautiful' as Hope Logan

Today in Soap Opera History (December 19)

Heather North Dead at 71

Today in Soap Opera History (December 20)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 21)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 22)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 23)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 24)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 25)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 26)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 27)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 28)

Today in Soap Opera History (December 29)

Pop TV Nielsen Ratings: 'Young and the Restless' Made Cable Top 150 on Friday

Pop TV Nielsen Ratings: 'Bold and the Beautiful' Made Cable Top 150 on Friday

Today in Soap Opera History (December 30)