We Love Soaps TV Compilation: Drake Hogestyn Interviews 2011-2012

We Love Soaps TV sat down with longtime Days of our Lives star Drake Hogestyn (John Black) for three interviews in 2011 and 2012 on the set and at fan events. Check out all three in this compilation video that also includes Days legends Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) and James Reynolds (Abe Carver).

Today in Soap Opera History (May 30)

1995: The exorcism of Days of our Lives' Marlena began.
1997: General Hospital's Monica wanted to shoot Pierce.
2001: All My Children's Anna heard her daughter's voice.
2006: Days of our Lives' Sami met EJ DiMera.

"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...

1938: Radio soap opera Joyce Jordan, M.D. debuted on the Mutual Network. Elspeth Eric was the original actress to play Joyce, who worked at Heights Hospital. Other cast members during the show's run included Bill Johnstone and Agnes Moorehead. Note: Three decades later Elspeth Eric appeared on The Secret Storm then joined the Another World writing team from 1969 to 1971.

Today in Soap Opera History (May 24)

1982: Days of our Lives' Salem Strangler "killed" Marlena.
1999: Pop group 98 Degrees sang on As the World Turns.
1999: The final episode of Melrose Place aired on FOX.
2005: Cassie Newman died on The Young and the Restless.

"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...

1966: "Mame" opened on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theater. The show featured Frankie Michaels, the youngest Tony winner ever, who had been playing Tom Hughes on As the World Turns the previous two years. Michaels, who had just turned 11 when the show closed, passed away in April 2016 at age 60.

1978: Actor Barry Atwater, who played Dr. John Prentice on General Hospital in its early years, died at age 60.

1982: On Days of our Lives, the Salem Strangler murdered Dr. Marlena Evans. Actress Deidre Hall took phone calls at the NBC offices from angry fans outraged over the character's death. One call was from a nurse at a psychiatric hospital who told Hall she had to give patients tranquilizers because they were so upset over Marlena's fate. In a twist, the victim turned out to actually be Marlena's twin sister, Samantha, meaning Marlena survived. Two years later, Marlena named one of her twins (Sami) after her late sister.

The clip below is from when Don Craig (Jed Allan) discussed Marlena was actually alive.

Jed Allan Dead at 84

Jed Allan, known for his roles on soap operas Days of our Lives and Santa Barbara, died Saturday in Palm Desert, CA. He was 84.

His son Rick Brown wrote on Facebook, "so sorry to post the very sad news of my father's passing tonight. He died peacefully and was surrounded by his family and loved so much by us and so many others."

Allan spent many years working on daytime dramas, starting with the role of Ace Hubbard on Love of Life in 1964. He then played Paul Britton on The Secret storm from 1964-1965. He joined Days of our Lives in 1971 as attorney Don Craig, and played the role until April 17, 1985.

"My fondest memory is of the time when Marlena and I got together when she first came on the show," Allan said of his Days experience. "We had a great rapport and great comedy sense. Those five years were quite wonderful, and stand out as one of those better times in my career."

Deidre Hall, who still plays Dr. Marlena Evans, poignantly shared her thoughts on Allan's passing.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 31)

1968: Joan Crawford aired for the final time on The Secret Storm.
1980: Edge of Night's Clown Puppet killer was lurking.
1985: Capitol's Leanne collapsed.
1985: Santa Barbara's C.C. remained on life support.

"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...

1968: On Dark Shadows, Mrs. Johnson (Clarice Blackburn) walked in while Joe (Joel Crothers) was trying to kill Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) so Joe ran off. Elizabeth (Joan Bennett) and Roger (Louis Edmonds) found Joe in the Collins mausoleum and brought him back to Collinwood where he addmitted that he tried to kill Barnabas, and said he would try again.

1968: Joan Crawford finished a four-episode stint on The Secret Storm as Joan Borman Kane, substituting for her sick daughter, Christina Crawford.

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

Today in Soap Opera History (September 23)

1978: Gary and Valene Ewing returned to Dallas.
1984: Primetime soap Paper Dolls premiered on ABC.
1986: One Life to Live's Jessica Buchanan was born.
2011: All My Children aired for the final time on ABC.

"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...

1942: On radio soap opera Clara, Lu & Em, Clara (Fran Allison) was sick.

1969: On The Doctors, Mike Powers (Peter Burnell) picked up Julie Forrest (Ginger Gerlach) at the train station, and brought her to his parent's home. Julie told Matt (James Pritchett) and Maggie (Lydia Bruce) about her upbringing.

1975: On Ryan's Hope, Jillian Coleridge (Nancy Addision) encountered Delia Reid Ryan (Ilene Kristen) at Frank's campaign headquarters and refused to give in to Delia's demand that she give up on the campaign.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 22)

1972: Search for Tomorrow's Jo and Tony were married.
1977: Days of our Lives' Marlena was locked in a sanitarium.
1997: General Hospital's Brenda was left at the altar.
1998: Y&R's Drucilla surprised Neil and Victoria.

"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...

1955: On British radio soap opera The Archers, Grace died in the Brookfield stables.

1972: On Search for Tomorrow, Joanne Tate (Mary Stuart) married Dr. Tony Vincente (Anthony George).

Thanks to Susan for sending in the item above.

1977: On Days of our Lives, Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) was trapped in the sanitarium, mistaken for her twin sister, Samantha.

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

Today in Soap Opera History (June 21)

1976: Deidre Hall debuted on Days of our Lives.
1984: Guiding Light's Billy was out to destroy Reva.
1993: Days' Lucas and Sami went on their first date.
All My Children's Erica got emotional with her friends.

"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...

1952: The first television version of One Man's Family aired for the final time. The once-a-week primetime take-off of the popular radio soap opera was brought back to TV in 1954 as a daily afternoon serial.

1966: Edward Mallory debuted as Bill Horton on Days of our Lives.

1976: Deidre Hall debuted as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of our Lives. In the episode, Mickey Horton (John Clarke) was in a sanitarium and Marlena as the psychiatrist that treated him.

The closing credits in the clip below are from an episode shortly after Hall's arrival.

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