Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time.

"The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time.

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time.

"More and more, I tend to read history. I often find it more up to date than the daily newspapers."
― Joe Murray

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC.
1988: Santa Barbara's Eden Capwell was raped.
2009: Guiding Light's Alan Spaulding died.
2010: As the World Turns' Carly and Jack married one last time.

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

Peyton Place premiered on ABC 50 years ago today.

"Prepare for the unknown by studying how others in the past have coped with the unforeseeable and the unpredictable."
George S. Patton

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera Peyton Place premiered on ABC. Based upon the 1956 novel of the same name by Grace Metalious, the series was preceded by a 1957 film adaptation. Peyton Place ran for 514 total episodes with the series finale airing on June 2, 1969.

In the first episode, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) arrived from New York City to set up practice in town. Newspaper editor Matthew Swain (Warner Anderson) told him people usually tried to get away from towns like Peyton Place, not move to them. Matthew's cousin Allison MacKenzie (Mia Farrow), a close friend of classmate Norman Harrington (Christopher Connelly), fell in love with his older brother, Rodney (Ryan O'Neal) as they shared their first kiss. At the end of the episode, Allison's mother, Constance (Dorothy Malone), made it clear she disapproved of her daughter's relationship with Rodney.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

"History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future."
― Robert Penn Warren

"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...

1964: Primetime soap opera PEYTON PLACE premiered on ABC. It ran until June 2, 1969 producing 514 total episodes.

1981: On ANOTHER WORLD, Jamie (Richard Bekins) consulted with Brian on a quick divorce from Cecile (Nancy Frangione).

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

On this date in...

1964: Primetime soap opera PEYTON PLACE premiered on ABC. It ran until June 2, 1969 producing 514 total episodes.

1966: On ANOTHER WORLD, Dr. Bolton treated Missy for appendicitis.

1999: Jacob Young aired for the final time as Rick Forrester on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 15)

On this date in...

1964: Primetime soap PEYTON PLACE premiered on ABC. It ran until June 2, 1969 producing 514 total episodes.

1999: Jacob Young aired for the final time as Rick Forrester on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. On Monday, September 26, he returns to the role he left 12 years earlier.