Here is a rundown of the soapy entries that made the list.
45 GENERAL HOSPITAL "LUKE & LAURA'S WEDDING" 11/16/1981
The nuptials of Lucas Lorenzo Spencer (Anthony Geary) and Laura Webber Baldwin (Genie Francis) drew 30 million viewers and a 52 share of the audience - a daytime record that stands today. "It's outstanding that the wedding continues to garner so much interest - it certainly impacted my life in a big way," says Geary, who's still with the soap 27 years later (Francis does sporadic guest stints). "For all its idyllic romance, the relationship of Luke and Laura was hot and complicatd and messy - let's not forget the whole thing started with a rape," Geary says. "Back then we really challenged the audience. Nowadays we're too concerned with keeping people comfortable."
55 DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES "ONE WONDERFUL DAY" 5/22/2005
The 2005 season finale gave viewers everything they wanted - and a new mystery, to boot. Mary Alice's suicide was explained, and another death - the shocking murder of Bree's husband, Rex - set the stage for Season 2. "It was really one massive punch after another after a yearlong setup," says creator Marc Cherry. And keeping the story lines hush-hush wasn't a problem. "Rex's death wasn't in the script," Cherry says. "We put it in the episode through postproduction."
63 GREY'S ANATOMY "LOSING MY RELIGION" 5/15/2006
Capping a three-episode arc, this Season 2 finale hit an emotional peak with the tragic death of cardiac patient Denny Dquette (Jeffey Dean Morgan) that would haunt Izzie (Katherine Heigl) for seasons to come.
69 DALLAS "A HOUSE DIVIDED" 3/21/1980
An amoral oilman is shot and America spends its summer wondering whodunit. Thus was born the cliff-hanger.
85 MELROSE PLACE "THE BITCH IS BACK" 4/27/1994
Only downside to Kimberly's return from the dead? The MODELS, INC. spin-off it launched.
97 MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN "CHICKEN SOUP" 3/4/1976
Feed a cold, drown a neighbor? The original desperate housewife unwitting served a lethal bowl of soup to a neighbor whose appetizer had been Seconal and whiskey - all at a time when passing out the brother just wasn't done on polite TV.
I tend to look back on historical shows with great fondness so I'm probably biased, but I would rank the DALLAS episode much higher. It was one of the most talked about television episodes of my lifetime.
Also making the Top 100 were two of my personal non-soap faves - CHARLIE'S ANGELS "Angels in Chains" at 79, and THE BRADY BUNCH classic, "The Subject was Noses," at 100.
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