Friday, October 16, 2015

Today in Soap Opera History (October 16)

1972: Emmerdale Farm premiered. 1985: ATWT's Holden
introduced himself as Lucinda's new stable master.
1985: Theo died on Days of our Lives. 1992: Days' Isabella died.
"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"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...

1939: Irna Phillips' The Right to Happiness, a spinoff of popular radio soap opera The Guiding Light, premiered on the NBC Blue Network. The show initially focused on the character Rose Kransky from Guiding Light but eventually Carolyn Allen (played first by Eloise Kummer and then Claudia Morgan) took center stage. Carolyn remained the central character of the program (eventually becoming the most-married radio soap opera heroine, with four husbands) until the series ended on November 25, 1960, the day that network radio soap operas died.

1958: On The Edge of Night, Virigina Dalton (Cathleen Cordell) called her husband, Peter (Stephen Elliott), a fool and a liar when he fretted following a brutal cross examination by Mike Karr on the witness stand.



Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1972: British soap opera Emmerdale Farm premiered on ITV.  Created by Kevin Laffan, Emmerdale Farm was broadcast during daytime afternoons until moving to early evening in 1978. The show has been known simply as Emmerdale since 1989.



1973: On Another World, while listening to the audio tape of Steve and Alice, Iris (Beverlee McKinsey) said, "Oh, turn it off, Louise. I've had all I can take of that sentimental pair."

1974: The BBC's Welsh-language soap opera Pobol y Cwm premiered. The show was initially broadcast on BBC Wales TV before the arrival of the Welsh language channel S4C in 1982. For a short period it was also shown on BBC Two across the UK with English subtitles, while viewers in the Netherlands also watched with Dutch subtitles in 1991. While the series is currently broadcast five nights a week, the number of episodes will be reduced to four nights a week in the new year because of budget cuts at S4C.

1979: On As the World Turns, Marcia (Cynthia Bostick) was convinced Melinda was the woman with Doug. Meanwhile, cutout eyes in a painting followed Lisa (Eileen Fulton) at The Willows.



1985: Rusty Cundieff aired for the final time as Theo Carver in Days of our Lives. Theo was shot and killed by Richard Cates (Rod Arrants) and died in his brother Abe's (James Reynolds) arms. Abe's son, Theo (Terrell Ransom Jr.), was named in honor of his late uncle.



1985: On As the World Turns, Lily (Martha Byrne) instantly disliked Holden (Jon Hensley) when she and Dusty (Brian Bloom) met him at the stables.



1986: On Another World, Donna Love (Anna Stuart) tried to convince Michael Hudson (Kale Browne) she was choosing his father, Reginald (John Considine), over him.



1987: On General Hospital, Duke (Ian Buchanan) gave Anna (Finola Hughes) a luckenbooth brooch, a traditional Scottish love token given to brides before they get married.



1991: Joseph Gallison aired for the final time as Neil Curtis in Days of our Lives.



1992: On Days of our Lives, Isabella Toscano Black (Staci Greason) died. Greason debuted in the role three years earlier on October 16, 1989.



1996: Actress Gertrude Flynn died at age 87. She played Anna Sawyer in early episodes of Days of our Lives.

1997: Actress Audra Lindley died at age 79. She played Liz Matthews on Another World from 1964-1969. Her other daytime roles included Barbara Barnett in The Edge of Night, Sue Knowles in Search for Tomorrow and Laura Tompkins in From These Roots. She went on to play Helen Roper in the ABC comedy Three's Company and its spin-off, The Ropers.

2001: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Dominguez (Paulo Benedeti) questioned his doctor about how his HIV would impact his relationship with Kristen Forrester (Tracy Melchior).

2001: Smallville premiered on The WB.

2008: On The Young and the Restless, Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei) admitted to Colleen Carlton (Tammin Sursok) that he still loved Amber Moore (Adrienne Frantz).

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Lenka Peterson (ex-Marie/Helen, Another World; ex-Martha, A Flame in the Wind; ex-Nurse Grady, Ryan's Hope) - 90
Michael Tylo (ex-Quint, Guiding Light; ex-Matt, All My Children; ex-Charlie, General Hospital; ex-Blade, The Young and the Restless; ex-Sherman, The Bold and the Beautiful) - 67
Martha Smith (ex-Sandy, Days of our Lives) - 63
Ellen Dolan (Bag Lady, Empire; ex-Margo, As the World Turns; ex-Maureen, Guiding Light) - 59
David 'Shark' Fralick (ex-Larry, The Young and the Restless) - 53
Pamela Bach-Hasselhoff (ex-Mari Jo, The Young and the Restless) - 52
Missy Hyatt (WCW) - 52
Paul Sparks (ex-Mickey, Boardwalk Empire) - 44
Kellie Martin (ex-Nicole, Army Wives) - 40
Jeremy Jackson (ex-Young Derek, Santa Barbara; ex-Kevin, DTLA) - 35
Brea Grant (Bri, EastSiders; ex-Daphne, Heroes; ex-Jean, Friday Night Lights) - 34
Colton Shires (ex-Will, GCB; ex-Little Ethan, Passions) - 19

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email [email protected].

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