Today in Soap Opera History (September 28)

1981 — General Hospital was featured on the cover of Newsweek.
1989 — Knots Landing debuted a new opening sequence.
1994 — All My Children's Kendall overdosed. 
1996 — Nancy Lee Grahn debuted as Alexis on General Hospital.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1962: CBS aired the final episode of daytime soap opera The Brighter Day. The show was created for NBC Radio by Irna Phillips in 1948. The television version premiered on January 4, 1954, and the episodes ran on both TV and radio for 2 years. The Brighter Day was originally set in Three Rivers until a move to New Hope in 1953.

1962: NBC aired the final episode of Our Five Daughters, a daytime soap which starred silent film icon Esther Ralston as Helen Lee, the mother of five young women including Jacqueline Courtney's Ann (pictured, upper right).

1979: On As the World Turns, Grant Colman (James Douglas) told his wife, Lisa (Eileen Fulton), that he changed his mind and was now prepared to give her a quick divorce so she could marry Bennett Hadley (Doug Higgins).

1981: The Newsweek cover story called General Hospital "TV's Hottest Show." Below is an excerpt:

It's not just the viewers who need their soap. With advertising rates that average $26,000 for a 30-second spot--and production costs that are a fraction of prime-time levels--"GH" earns something on the order of $1 million a week in profit for ABC. By comparison, even as big a prime-time hit as "Dallas" brings the network only about half as much in weekly profit. Indeed, for all the networks, no other single programing arena is more important than the afternoon serials. The thirteen regular soaps broadcast daily by ABC, CBS and NBC bring in upwards of $700 million a year in advertising revenue--roughly one-sixth the networks' total ad income.

1981: On General Hospital, Bennie (George Brenlin) wanted Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) to go into business with him.



1984: Marcy Walker made her first appearance as Eden Capwell on Santa Barbara.



1987: On Ryan's Hope, Delia (Ilene Kristen) fantasized about discrediting Ben Shelby (James Wlcek) in court.



1989: The 11th season of Knots Landing premiered on CBS. The show debuted a new opening designed by Castle Bryant Johnsen which showcased the cul-de-sac houses and skyscrapers representing Los Angeles as sandcastles. It was the only version of the opening without pictures of the cast.



1990: On Days of our Lives, the mystery man was revealed to be Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino). Although Lawrence's voice was heard on several episodes since September 11, 1990, this was the first time his face was revealed on air.

1994: On All My Children, Kendall Hart (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was brought into the hospital after she overdosed on pills.



1996: Nancy Lee Grahn debuted as Alexis Davis on General Hospital.



2006: The U.S. version of Ugly Betty premiered on ABC, starring America Ferrera as Betty.



2006: Brandon Beemer debuted as Shawn Brady in Days of our Lives.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS

Rudolph Walker (Patrick Trueman, EastEnders) - 86
Joel Higgins (ex-Bruce, Search for Tomorrow; ex-Paul, One Life to Live) - 82
Susan Walters (Diane, The Young and the Restless; ex-Natalie, Teen Wolf; ex-Diane, The Young and the Restless; ex-Lorna, Loving) - 62
Steve Blackman (WWE Raw; WWE Smackdown) - 62
Janeane Garofalo (ex-Louise, The West Wing) - 61
Mira Sorvino (ex-Julie, Guiding Light; ex-Sophia, Swans Crossing) - 58
Naomi Watts (ex-Julie, Home and Away) - 57
Todd Rotondi (ex-Bryant, As the World Turns) - 51
Lucas Bryant (ex-Nathan, Haven) - 47
Melissa Claire Egan (ex-Chelsea, The Young and the Restless; ex-Annie, All My Children) - 44
Kirsten Prout (ex-Char, The Lying Game) - 35