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| 1980: Edge of Night's Elliot testified at Draper's trial. 1986: Days' Savannah was stabbed. 1996: AMC's Jason had a memory from the day Laurel was shot. 2006: GH's Courtney died. |
― Henri Louis Bergson
"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...
1947: On radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful, Hank and Dolly came to visit the downcast Chichi (Alice Reinheart).
1949: John Haggart's television soap opera A Woman to Remember premiered on the Dumont network. The main focus of the soap-within-a-soap series was the backstage drama of a radio serial. Radio soap opera star Christine Baker (Patricia Wheel) was the central heroine who had to spend much of her time dealing with malicious Carol Winstead (Joan Catlin), who fought against her both at work and in Christine's relationship with Steve Hammond (John Raby).
1968:"I am an unmarried woman and became pregnant..." So began Dr Althea Davis's (Elizabeth Hubbard) testimony to the board of directors at Hope Memorial Hospital on The Doctors.
Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.
1978: Eddie Moran debuted as Danny Wolek on One Life to Live.
1980: On The Edge of Night, Cliff (Ernie Townsend) called Deborah (Frances Fisher) and Elliot (Lee Godardt) to the witness stand at Draper's (Tony Craig) trial.
1986: On Days of our Lives, Savannah Wilder (Shannon Tweed) was stabbed at the hospital.
1991: On Another World, Frankie Frame (Alice Barrett) tracked down a very much alive Kathleen McKinnon Winthrop (Julie Osburn) in Texas.
1995: On Another World, Bunny Eberhardt (Marcia McCabe) -- having intercepted a bag full of money delivered to Jake McKinnon (Tom Eplin) from Vicky Hudson -- threatened to kill Paulina (Judi Evans) and Jake (Tom Eplin), who had been tied up with rope; Lorna Devon emerged from her bedroom, dazed and hung over, having learned from a news report that Grant Harrison had been shot and his house was on fire; Felicia Gallant (Linda Dano) told daughter Lorna not to go home or she might be arrested; police detective Ryan Harrison wipes fingerprints off the gun found at the scene of his brother's shooting; Amanda Cory Harrison -- trapped inside the inferno -- was saved by Evan Frame and momentarily regained her ability to walk; burning beams collapsed on Evan just as he carried Amanda to safety; just as Eberhardt was about to shoot Paulina, Jake broke free and struck her down; much to Eberhardt's horror, Jake and Paulina learned that her first name was Bunny; Paulina stopped Jake from killing Bunny and he called the police to pick her up.
1996: On All My Children, Jason Sheffield (Richard Roland) remembered having a handgun just as Laurel was shot.
1996: On Guiding Light, Blake (Elzabeth Keifer) and Rick (Michael O'Leary) spent the evening getting drunk and wallowing in self-pity; Annie told Vanessa that she was going to Cross Creek to find Josh and Reva; Reva informed Josh she was ready to sign the divorce papers, but then made another attempt to keep him by her side; Matt confessed his past to Ross in order to stop him from becoming involved with Amanda Spaulding; Rick put Blake in her bed and wound up staying there himself; and Annie visited Marah, who ran away after Annie left.
1997: Heather Tom briefly departed her role as Victoria Newman on The Young and the Restless.
Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.
2005: NBC aired the 10,000th episode of Days of our Lives.
2006: On General Hospital, Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis) flatlined and died before telling Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher) the truth about her son, making her another casualty of the encephalitis outbreak that plagued Port Charles.
Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.
2011: The 2nd Annual Indie Soap Awards were held at Alvin Ailey Studios in New York, hosted by Martha Byrne. Diary of a Single Mom was named Indie Soap of the Year.
2012: The 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards were held at New World Stages in New York. Ragged Isle was named Best Web Series (Drama) while Pretty was named Best Web Series (Comedy).
Celebrating a birthday today are:
Tyne Daly (ex-Caroline, General Hospital) - 70
Christine Ebersole (ex-Maxie, One Life to Live; ex-Lily, Ryan's Hope) - 63
Kelsey Grammer (ex-Dr. Canard, Another World) - 60
Jack Coleman (Daniel, Scandal; ex-Bill, The Vampire Diaries; ex-Steven, Dynasty; ex-Jake, Days of our Lives) - 58
Christopher Atkins (ex-Peter, Dallas) - 55
William Baldwin (ex-William, Gossip Girl; ex-Gordon, Parenthood; ex-Patrick, Dirty Sexy Money) - 53
Bronwen Booth (ex-Andrea, One Life to Live) - 52
Jennifer Love Hewitt (ex-Sarah, Party of Five) - 37
Ashley Greene (ex-Amanda, Pan Am; ex-Renata, Desire) - 29
Corbin Bleu (ex-Jeffrey, One Life to Live) - 27
Sophie Turner (Sansa, Game of Thrones) - 20
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 Live + Same Day daytime ratings are in for February 8-12, 2016. The Young and the Restless was up +3% from a week ago (5.01m from 4.87m) and +2% from a year ago (from 4.89m). The Bold and the Beautiful increased +3% from last week (3.74m from 3.64m) and +1% from last year (from 3.72m).
Longtime Guiding Light actor Michael O'Leary (Dr. Rick Bauer) will be reuniting with a a few beloved former co-stars in his new one act play, "Breathing Under Dirt," next month. "Breathing Under Dirt" will premiere at the Manhattan Repertory Theater in mid-March. 
