 |
| Susan Trustman starred as Pat Matthews on Anolther World in 1964. |
Long before daytime soap operas became known for supercouples, shocking paternity reveals and elaborate back-from-the-dead stories, they were tackling some of the most controversial social issues of their time.
One of the most significant—and often overlooked—examples came in 1964, when Another World became the first television program to feature an abortion storyline.
>!-- more -->More than six decades later, the story of Pat Matthews remains an important part of television and soap opera history.
Pat Matthews' Illegal Abortion
In 1964, Another World followed Pat Matthews as she traveled to New York with her boyfriend, Tom Baxter, played by Nicholas Pryor, to undergo an illegal abortion.
This was decades before abortion became constitutionally protected in the United States and at a time when the procedure was illegal in most states. By bringing the subject to daytime television, Another World ventured into territory that was virtually unprecedented for the medium.
The storyline was written by two of daytime's most influential writers, Irna Phillips and Bill Bell, under executive producer Allen Potter.
But the abortion was only the beginning of Pat's story.
Following the procedure, Pat developed an infection that left her unable to have children. Devastated by the news, she confronted Tom, hoping for comfort and reassurance.
Instead, she learned that he had never loved her and had never intended to marry her.
Overcome with rage, Pat shot Tom.
She was subsequently put on trial for murder—but was acquitted.
In the aftermath of the ordeal, Pat fell in love with her attorney, John Randolph. He ultimately became the love of her life.
Another World Revisits Pat's Fertility
Soap operas have never been particularly fond of permanent obstacles, and Pat's infertility proved to be no exception.
Six years after the original abortion storyline, Another World revisited the issue. In 1970, Pat's sterility was reversed through what the show described as "corrective surgery."
She subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to twins, Marianne and Michael.
Interestingly, that storyline also aired during the first week of September, creating a September anniversary connection to one of the most groundbreaking stories in Another World history.
 |
| Actors Jacqueline Courtney, Vera Allen and Susan Trustman portrayed the Matthews family on Another World when it premiered in 1964. |
Robert Cenedella was head writer at the time, with Lyle B. Hill serving as executive producer.
Erica Kane's Historic Abortion on All My Children
Another World opened the door, but nearly a decade would pass before another major daytime soap opera made abortion a central part of a character's story.
In 1973, All My Children featured Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci, having an abortion following the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision.
The storyline was written by Agnes Nixon, one of daytime television's greatest innovators and a writer who was never afraid to use her soap operas to explore controversial social issues.
Erica's abortion became an important part of the character's history—and one of Nixon's accomplishments of which she was particularly proud.
For many years, it remained a landmark moment in daytime television.
Then, more than three decades later, it was rewritten.
A Piece of Soap Opera History Is Rewritten
In 2005, All My Children head writer Megan McTavish revisited Erica's history and revealed that Erica had not actually gone through with the abortion.
Instead, viewers learned that the child Erica had supposedly aborted was actually her daughter Kendall Hart, who had been given up for adoption.
The controversial retcon effectively erased Erica's 1973 abortion storyline from the show's history.
For longtime All My Children fans, it was more than simply another soap opera plot twist. It rewrote a story that had been recognized as an important moment in daytime television history.
Daytime's Long History of Tackling Difficult Issues
The stories told by Another World and All My Children were very different, and both were products of the eras in which they were created.
But they shared something important: daytime soap operas were willing to go places other forms of television often avoided.
In 1964, Pat Matthews' illegal abortion was part of a story involving secrecy, unwanted pregnancy, infertility, murder and redemption. Nearly a decade later, Erica Kane's abortion reflected a dramatically different America following Roe v. Wade.
Whatever one's personal views on abortion, there is no denying the significance of these storylines in television history.
Soap operas have always been at their best when they hold up a mirror to the world around them. Long before social media, streaming television and today's endless political debates, daytime drama was putting difficult subjects into America's living rooms—one episode at a time.
And sometimes, those stories became history themselves.
