Today in Soap Opera History (April 1)

1963: The Doctors premiered on NBC, while General Hospital
made its debut on ABC.

"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...

1963: NBC premiered a new daytime drama, The Doctors, created by the Orin Tovrov. The Doctors did not start as a serial; it began as a "half-hour anthology series of medical dramas, set in the large metropolitan Hope Memorial Hospital, and with the four principals alternating daily in the lead role, according to NBC's original announcement. The roles were Dr. William Scott (played by Jock Gaynor), Dr. Jerry Chandler (portrayed by Richard Roat), Dr. Elizabeth Hayes (played by Margot Moser) and Rev. Samuel Shafer, a hospital chaplain (played by Fred J. Scollay).

Later in the first season, Herb Kenwith and Paul Lammers became the directors. After nine months, The Doctors shifted to a continuing story line, and by 1965, James Pritchett was portraying Dr. Matt Powers, chief of staff at Hope Hospital, and Elizabeth Hubbard was playing Dr. Althea Davis, chief of the Outpatient Clinic. Pritchett did a single performance during The Doctors' one-story-a-week phase, on June 20, 1963. "I played a corporation president running away and having a broken back that brought me to the hospital." He returned to The Doctors on July 9, 1963 as Dr. Matt Powers when the serial was still was still a one-story-a-week show.

The Doctors would remain on the air until December 31, 1982. Repeats from 1971 are currently airing on Retro TV.

1963: General Hospital, created by Frank and Doris Hursley, premiered on ABC. Read a flashback article recapping the first 12 years of stories here. Original cast members John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy) and Emily McLaughlin (Nurse Jessie Brewer) remained with the show for decades. GH was scheduled in the 1 p.m. ET timeslot which was a half hour that CBS gave to local affiliates (a break between The Guiding Light and top-rated As the World Turns).

Today in Soap Opera History (April 1)

1963: The Doctors premiered on NBC, while General Hospital
made its debut on ABC.

"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...

1963: NBC premiered a new daytime drama, The Doctors, created by the Orin Tovrov. The Doctors did not start as a serial; it began as a "half-hour anthology series of medical dramas, set in the large metropolitan Hope Memorial Hospital, and with the four principals alternating daily in the lead role, according to NBC's original announcement. The roles were Dr. William Scott (played by Jock Gaynor), Dr. Jerry Chandler (portrayed by Richard Roat), Dr. Elizabeth Hayes (played by Margot Moser) and Rev. Samuel Shafer, a hospital chaplain (played by Fred J. Scollay).

Later in the first season, Herb Kenwith and Paul Lammers became the directors. After nine months, The Doctors shifted to a continuing story line, and by 1965, James Pritchett was portraying Dr. Matt Powers, chief of staff at Hope Hospital, and Elizabeth Hubbard was playing Dr. Althea Davis, chief of the Outpatient Clinic. Pritchett did a single performance during The Doctors' one-story-a-week phase, on June 20, 1963. "I played a corporation president running away and having a broken back that brought me to the hospital." He returned to The Doctors on July 9, 1963 as Dr. Matt Powers when the serial was still was still a one-story-a-week show.

The Doctors would remain on the air until December 31, 1982. Repeats from 1971 are currently airing on Retro TV.

1963: General Hospital, created by Frank and Doris Hursley, premiered on ABC. Read a flashback article recapping the first 12 years of stories here. Original cast members John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy) and Emily McLaughlin (Nurse Jessie Brewer) remained with the show for decades. GH was scheduled in the 1 p.m. ET timeslot which was a half hour that CBS gave to local affiliates (a break between The Guiding Light and top-rated As the World Turns).

Peter Hansen Dead at 95

Emmy Award-winning General Hospital actor Peter Hansen died on Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Santa Clarita, California. He was 95.

Hansen played the character of attorney Lee Baldwin off and on the iconic ABC soap opera between 1965 and as late as 2004. In 1997, he also played the character on the spin-off series, Port Charles. He was nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in 1974 and 1979 for his work on General Hospital

He retired from acting soon after his 2004 appearance on General Hospital, when Lee and Gail Baldwin paid their respects at Lila Quartermaine's funeral.

Peter Franklin Hansen was born December 5, 1921, in Oakland, California. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he joined the Pasadena Playhouse. By the 1950s, he was signed by Paramount. His film credits included supporting roles in Branded (1950), When Worlds Collide (1951), and The Savage (1952).

Hansen played numerous roles on television, including Science Fiction Theatre, The Adventures of Jim Bowie, Simon & Simon, Gomer Pyle: USMC, and How the West Was Won. He also memorably played the guy who courted all three of the stars on The Golden Girls, and the CEO who owned the bar on Cheers. Other daytime roles included Peter Morrison on Ben Jerrod.

Hansen was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Florence "Betty," who died in 1993. He is survived by his longtime companion, Barbara Wenzel; a son, the Rev. Canon Peter Falconer Hansen; a daughter, Gretchen Hansen Chartier; three grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

Today in Soap Opera History (April 1)

1963: The Doctors premiered on NBC, while General Hospital
made its debut on ABC.

"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...

1963: NBC premiered a new daytime drama, The Doctors, created by the Orin Tovrov. The Doctors did not start as a serial; it began as a "half-hour anthology series of medical dramas, set in the large metropolitan Hope Memorial Hospital, and with the four principals alternating daily in the lead role, according to NBC's original announcement. The roles were Dr. William Scott (played by Jock Gaynor), Dr. Jerry Chandler (portrayed by Richard Roat), Dr. Elizabeth Hayes (played by Margot Moser) and Rev. Samuel Shafer, a hospital chaplain (played by Fred J. Scollay).

Later in the first season, Herb Kenwith and Paul Lammers became the directors. After nine months, The Doctors shifted to a continuing story line, and by 1965, James Pritchett was portraying Dr. Matt Powers, chief of staff at Hope Hospital, and Elizabeth Hubbard was playing Dr. Althea Davis, chief of the Outpatient Clinic. Pritchett did a single performance during The Doctors' one-story-a-week phase, on June 20, 1963. "I played a corporation president running away and having a broken back that brought me to the hospital." He returned to The Doctors on July 9, 1963 as Dr. Matt Powers when the serial was still was still a one-story-a-week show.

The Doctors would remain on the air until December 31, 1982. Repeats from 1971 are currently airing on Retro TV.

1963: General Hospital, created by Frank and Doris Hursley, premiered on ABC. Read a flashback article recapping the first 12 years of stories here. Original cast members John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy) and Emily McLaughlin (Nurse Jessie Brewer) remained with the show for decades. GH was scheduled in the 1 p.m. ET timeslot which was a half hour that CBS gave to local affiliates (a break between The Guiding Light and top-rated As the World Turns).

Longtime 'Another World' Star Michael M. Ryan Dead at 87

Michael M. Ryan debuted on NBC soap opera Another World during
the show's first year on the air.

Actor Michael M. Ryan, who played John Randolph on NBC soap opera Another World during the show's first 15 years, passed away March 1 at K.C. Hospice House. He was 87.

Ryan was born in Wichita, Kansas on March 19, 1929. He attended St. James grade school and Lillis High School, then enlisted in the United States Navy. He later graduated from St. Benedictine College, and received a degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown.

After college, Ryan went to New York to study acting with Stella Adler. He performed Shakespeare at Central Park, and went on to play numerous roles on stage and screen. His film credits included Tootsie, Hamlet, The Strangler and Body Heat.

On April 1, 1963, Ryan took on the title role of new NBC daytime drama Ben Jerrod. The show lasted just under three months.

Today in Soap Opera History (April 1)

1963: The Doctors premiered on NBC, while General Hospital
made its debut on ABC.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"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: NBC premiered a new daytime drama, The Doctors, created by the Orin Tovrov. The Doctors did not start as a serial; it began as a "half-hour anthology series of medical dramas, set in the large metropolitan Hope Memorial Hospital, and with the four principals alternating daily in the lead role, according to NBC's original announcement. The roles were Dr. William Scott (played by Jock Gaynor), Dr. Jerry Chandler (portrayed by Richard Roat), Dr. Elizabeth Hayes (played by Margot Moser) and Rev. Samuel Shafer, a hospital chaplain (played by Fred J. Scollay).

Later in the first season, Herb Kenwith and Paul Lammers became the directors. After nine months, The Doctors shifted to a continuing story line, and by 1965, James Pritchett was portraying Dr. Matt Powers, chief of staff at Hope Hospital, and Elizabeth Hubbard was playing Dr. Althea Davis, chief of the Outpatient Clinic. Pritchett did a single performance during The Doctors' one-story-a-week phase, on June 20, 1963. "I played a corporation president running away and having a broken back that brought me to the hospital." He returned to The Doctors on July 9, 1963 as Dr. Matt Powers when the serial was still was still a one-story-a-week show.

The Doctors would remain on the air until December 31, 1982. Repeats from 1971 are currently airing on Retro TV.

1963: General Hospital, created by Frank and Doris Hursley, premiered on ABC. Read a flashback article recapping the first 12 years of stories here. Original cast members John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy) and Emily McLaughlin (Nurse Jessie Brewer) remained with the show for decades. GH was scheduled in the 1 p.m. ET timeslot which was a half hour that CBS gave to local affiliates (a break between The Guiding Light and top-rated As the World Turns).

FLASHBACK: A Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas - 1947 to 1977 (Part 4)

Patricia Allison and Jacqueline Courtney starred in Our Five Daughters
as Barbara and Ann Lee.

A Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas

The Soap Box
Vol. III No. 10 September 1978
by John Genovese

(continued from Part 3)

1959
Two anthology serials made their appearances this year. One was For Better or Worse, seen on CBS from June 29, 1959 to June 24, 1960, which presented one marital case a week from the files of the show's narrator, sociology professor James A. Peterson. Produced by John Guedel (Art Linkletter's House Party) and directed by Hal Cooper (Maude), it proved that anthology doesn't work in the daytime.

NBC attempted The House on High Street which was based on juvenile cases and starred Philip Abbott as probation officer John Collier. It began September 29, 1959 and ended February 5, 1960.

1960
Nobody had tried a daytime serial about a drifter until Full Circle, a CBS failure with Robert Fortier as traveler Gary Donovan who came to a Maryland town. Dyan (then Diane) Cannon, John McNamara, Jean Byron and Byron Foulger (the late father of General Hospital's Rachel Ames) were supporters. Born: June 27, 1960. Died: March 1, 1961.

Catching Up With Denise Alexander: The PRETTY Interview, Part 1

Legendary actress Denise Alexander performed in over 2500 radio shows in New York starting at age 6, and was part of the transition from radio to television 60 years ago. In the 1950s she appeared in numerous primetime shows as a teenager, and in 1960 made her television soap debut on the West Coast in THE CLEAR HORIZON. Following a stint on BEN JERROD she was cast in the breakthrough role of Susan Hunter Martin on DAYS OF OUR LIVES. In 1973 GENERAL HOSPITAL was able to sign her to a contract as Lesley Webber, a role she's played on and off ever since. Earlier this year she was named on of the 50 Greatest Soap Actress of All-Time by our panel of critics. In 2010 she's part of another transition, from television to the internet, as she will be guest starring on the upcoming second season of the hilarious web series PRETTY. In this exclusive multi-part interview with WE LOVE SOAPS TV, Alexander shares memories from her remarkable career, discusses the future of entertainment on the web, and previews her web series debut.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You were involved in the industry when it was transitioning from radio to TV.
Denise Alexander: At the tail end of it. I got to do a little bit of everything.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I compare that to what's happening now with the web. A lot of people are doing a lot of different types of shows and experimenting.
Denise Alexander: That's the fun of it. That's why I'm involved with PRETTY. My dear friend Steve [Silverman, creator of PRETTY] asked if I would like to come and play and it's really a kick. I never thought about it as a kid. There was television, there was radio, I did theater, I did everything there was to to do, and it seemed natural. Now when I look back I think, "How lucky was I," because a lot of people didn't have those experiences. Here I am now because of Steve. And this is really such a baby form of entertainment.

Happy 47th Anniversary GENERAL HOSPITAL

Three new serials debuted on April 1, 1963, GENERAL HOSPITAL on ABC and BEN JERROD and THE DOCTORS on NBC. BEN JERROD was short-lived, THE DOCTORS went off the air in 1982, but GH is still going strong today. Here's a look back at the 30th Anniversary special from 1993 which paid tribute to the show.

50 Greatest Soap Actresses: #43 Denise Alexander

NAME: Denise Alexander
RANK: 43
SOAP ROLES: Lesley Webber, GENERAL HOSPITAL (1973-1984, 1996-present off and on); Sister Beatrice, SUNSET BEACH (1997-1998); Mary McKinnon, ANOTHER WORLD (1986-1989); Susan Hunter, DAYS OF OUR LIVES (1966-1973); Emily Sanders, BEN JERROD (1963-1964); Lois Adams, THE CLEAR HORIZON (1960-1962)

AWARDS:
1976 Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series

COMMENTS FROM THE PANEL:
Thom Racina: (who wrote for Alexander on GH and AW) Denise had a motherly warmth that made you truly believe she was Laura's mother, someone we loved and respected, but what really blew me away personally is that she was also sexy and so compelling in her own love story. Oh, the glory days! On top of that, you could not find a more wonderful human being.

FLASHBACK: Tide Turns in Soaper Outlook 1963

Tide Turns in Soaper Outlook

By Cecil Smith
Los Angeles Times
April 1, 1963

Three new soap operas take the air today (no, no, this is NOT an April Fool joke on the nation!), and I was wondering if there were any major changes in the old soaper. So I dropped by NBC in Burbank where one of the new serials, BEN JERROD, was in rehearsal.

It was a nostalgic visit because this was the studio where the noblest experiment in daytime television history once held forth, the distinguished MATINEE THEATER. Actually JERROD and companion soaper out of New York, THE DOCTORS, are replacing another NBC daytime experiment, THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, and attempte to bring "Tonight" out in the daylight. It was a pretty noble try, too - an intelligent, articulate, stimulating hour that the housewives conscientously avoided.

Joe Hardy, who produces JERROD for the Ben Winsor organization, a prolific maker of daytime serials (LOVE OF THE LIFE. SECRET STORM) said he thought Griffin's hour was a splendid daytime show. I asked why it failed.

Joe shrugged. "I think the daytime viewer needs a hook," he said. "She won't stop her work to watch just a show - no matter how good - but she will pause if she's involved in a story to see what happens, how the plot unfolds. Griffin had no hook."

Continue reading...

Hardy says there have been enormous changes in soap opera - particularly in the writing. "Check the scripts of LOVE OF LIFE in 1951. There's a world of differnce in the ones we do today. We don't write down to the audience - I don't think you can anymore. And we deal with serious adult and controversial themes.

"For instance, when all that fuss was raised last year when THE DEFENDERS did its abortion story ("The Benefactor"), we were doing an abortion story on LOVE OF LIFE. We didn't have a complaint."

First Color Soap Opera

BEN JERROD is the first soap opera to be done in color. Another - and more shocking - innovaation is that it has no organ music. It's musical bridges are handled (and quite effectively) by a guitar and percussion instruments. But a soap without that ever-lamenting organ! Times have changed.

The setting of BEN JERROD is a small New England town, to which Ben, a successful corporation lawyer, has returned because he wants to be closely involved with people, rather than faceless corporate bodies. He immediately gets invovled in a murder - these soaps don't fool arond, boy!

Playing Ben is a handsome lad from the New York stage, Michael Ryan; Jeanne Baird is his girl Agnes, and the inevitable father figure, elderly Judge Abbott, is played by the splendid character actor Addison Richards.

Although Hardy says name actors, or stars, are not important in serials - the audience identifies with the character, not the actor - at least one well-known performer seems to turn up in eveyr soaper. Fred Scollay, for example, is in THE DOCTORS, and John Beradino, the onetime ballplayer, is the central figure on ABC's new serial, GENERAL HOSPITAL.

Serial Appeal is Universal

The soap opera concept seems universal. In England, CORONATION STREET, a twice-a-week serial, is the top show on television - it is said that Queen Elizabeth is an avid fan. The Spanish station here, KMEX, does a daily serial produced in Mexico City. The difference is the Mexican stories end after eight or 10 weeks and a new story with a new cast begins.

"Actually, we do the same," said Hardy, "except tha tour central characters don't change. This murder story on JERROD will last about 10 weeks, then we'll pick up another story, a land fraud case. Then another, each one of a different kind of case."

The crews taping BEN JERROD are already deeply involved in the plot. They keep asking Hardy who the murderer is. But he won't tell.

Happy 46th Anniversary GENERAL HOSPITAL (and Others)

Three new serials debuted on April 1, 1963, GENERAL HOSPITAL on ABC and BEN JERROD and THE DOCTORS on NBC. BEN JERROD was short-lived, THE DOCTORS went off the air in 1982, but GH is still going strong today. Here's a look back at the 30th Anniversary special from 1993 which paid tribute to the show.