Today in Soap Opera History (May 13)

1993: CBS aired the final episodes of Knots Landing.
1994: GH's Miguel pulled an injured BJ out of a bus crash.
2010: Emmerdale's Aaron revealed he was gay on the witness stand.
2011: Roger Howarth returned to One Life to Live.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent 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: On Another World, Pat Matthews (Susan Trustman) told her mother, Mary (Virginia Dwyer), that her brother, Russ, resented their sister, Alice, for being a honor student when he will be forced to go to summer school.

1982: On The Edge of Night, Smiley Wilson (Frank Gorshin), dressed as a biker, tried to steal money from from Raven Whitney (Frank Gorshin) but she outsmarted him.

Today in Soap Opera History (November 22)

1963: A live episode of ATWT was interrupted by JFK news.
1984: Days of our Lives' Tony battled lookalike Andre.
1985: General Hospital's Anna and Robin reunited.
2007: A turkey dealt with two witches on Passions.

"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...

1963: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. The clip below features Walter Cronkite breaking into the live broadcast of As the World Turns at 1:40 p.m. ET to deliver the news that shots had been fired at President John F. Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas, with first reports indicating the president was seriously wounded. The news came too quickly for cameras to be ready. The third interruption of that day's As the World Turns episode was when the non-stop CBS News coverage began.

Today in Soap Opera History (November 21)

1980: Dallas' Sue Ellen remembered Kristin shot J.R.
1988: Santa Barbra's Julia stopped her wedding to "Mason".
1989: Another World's Sharlene and John married.
1995: One Life to Live's Todd was shot in Ireland.

"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...

1938: Radio soap opera Central City premiered on NBC Blue. The Blackett-Sample-Hummert serial told the story of a blue-collar manufacturing hub of 50,000 denizens. Elspeth Eric starred as Emily Olson with Van Heflin as Bob Shellenberger. Heflin was eventually replaced by Myron McCormick.

1957: On The Edge of Night, Billy Harper (Pud Flanagan) accidentally overheard Mary's (Anne Sargeant) confession that he was not Roger's son.

1977: On Guiding Light, unwilling to burden Ben McFarren (Stephen Yates) with her impending blindness, Eve Stapleton (Janet Grey) postponed their Thanksgiving wedding.

Soap of the Week Results (October 8-12, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' the Favorite for 13th Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for October 8-12, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the 13th consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Chandler Massey (Will) and GH's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	424
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	327
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	189
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	171

Soap of the Week Results (September 10-14, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' the Favorite for 12th Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 10-14, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the 12th consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Chandler Massey (Will) and GH's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	423
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	326
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	171
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	188

Soap of the Week Results (September 3-7, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' the Favorite for 11th Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 3-7, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the 11th consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	422
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	325
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	170
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	188

Soap of the Week Results (August 20-24, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Extends Winning Streak to 10

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 20-24, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the 10th consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Robert Scott Wilson (Ben) and GH's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	421
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	324
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	188
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	169

Soap of the Week Results (August 6-10, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Tops Poll for 9th Straight Week

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 6-10, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the ninth consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	420
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	323
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	169
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	187

Soap of the Week Results (July 23-27, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Tops Poll for 8th Straight Week

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for July 23-27, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the eighth consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	419
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	322
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	168
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	187

Soap of the Week Results (July 16-20, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Tops Poll for 7th Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for July 16-20, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the seventh consecutive week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	418
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	321
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	167
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	187

Soap of the Week Results (July 9-13, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Winning Streak Extends to 6 Weeks

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for July 9-13, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the sixth week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Robert Scott Wilson (Ben) and GH's Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	417
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	320
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	166
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	187

Soap of the Week Results (July 2-6, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Tops Poll for 5th Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for July 2-6, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the fifth week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Freddie Smith (Sonny) and Camila Banus (Gabi) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	416
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	319
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	187
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	165

Soap of the Week Results (June 25-29, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Tops Poll for Fourth Week in a Row

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for June 25-29, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the fourth week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Freddie Smith (Sonny) and Camila Banus (Gabi) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	415
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	318
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	165
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	186

Soap of the Week Results (June 18-22, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Winning Streak Extends to 3

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for June 18-22, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the third week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. Days' Chandler Massey (Will) and Camila Banus (Gabi) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	415
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	318
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	165
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	186

Soap of the Week Results (April 23-27, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Remains on Top

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for April 23-27, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the second week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	414
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	317
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	186
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	164

Today in Soap Opera History (May 13)

1993: CBS aired the final episodes of Knots Landing.
1994: GH's Miguel pulled an injured BJ out of a bus crash.
2010: Emmerdale's Aaron revealed he was gay on the witness stand.
2011: Roger Howarth returned to One Life to Live.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"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: On Another World, Pat Matthews (Susan Trustman) told her mother, Mary (Virginia Dwyer), that her brother, Russ, resented their sister, Alice, for being a honor student when he will be forced to go to summer school.

1982: On The Edge of Night, Smiley Wilson (Frank Gorshin), dressed as a biker, tried to steal money from from Raven Whitney (Frank Gorshin) but she outsmarted him.

Soap of the Week Results (April 16-20, 2018): 'Days of our Lives' Takes the Top Spot

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for April 16-20, 2018. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera for the week.

ABC's General Hospital came in second, followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	2	413
2	General Hospital (ABC)	1	316
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	185
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	163

Soap of the Week Results (March 12-16, 2018): 'General Hospital' Tops Poll for Fourth Week

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for March 12-16, 2018. ABC's General Hospital was voted favorite soap opera for the fourth week in a row.

NBC's Days of our Lives came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	General Hospital (ABC)	1	315
2	Days of our Lives (NBC)	2	412
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	163
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	184

Soap of the Week Results (February 26-March 2, 2018): 'General Hospital' Tops Poll for Third Week

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for February 26-March 2, 2018. ABC's General Hospital was voted favorite soap opera for the third week in a row.

NBC's Days of our Lives came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	General Hospital (ABC)	1	314
2	Days of our Lives (NBC)	2	411
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	162
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	183

Soap of the Week Results (February 19-23, 2018): 'General Hospital' on Top Again

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for February 19-23, 2018. ABC's General Hospital was voted favorite soap opera for the second week in a row.

NBC's Days of our Lives came in second, followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days' Will & Sonny. GH's Steve Burton (Jason) and Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) were Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show rankings below as well as the Top 15 favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	General Hospital (ABC)	1	313
2	Days of our Lives (NBC)	2	410
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	161
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	183