Today in Soap Opera History (January 8)

1975: Ryan's Hope's Pat comforted Delia with a song.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel fell off a train and had his ID stolen.
2008: Days of our Lives' EJ found John in Stefano's basement.
2014: Guy Wilson made his first appearance as Will on Days.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different 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...

1937: Clara, Lu & Em actress Isobel Carothers died suddenly at age 37. Clara, Lu, and Em was radio's first network daytime soap opera, beginning June 16, 1930 over WGN-AM Chicago, Illinois. It moved to the Blue Network in 1931 and later NBC.

The show began as a Northwestern University sorority sketch by Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Their friends suggested they go on the radio, so the trio approached WGN and did their first shows for no pay.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 8)

1975: Ryan's Hope's Pat comforted Delia with a song.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel fell off a train and had his ID stolen.
2008: Days of our Lives' EJ found John in Stefano's basement.
2014: Guy Wilson made his first appearance as Will on Days.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"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...

1937: Clara, Lu & Em actress Isobel Carothers died suddenly at age 37. Clara, Lu, and Em was radio's first network daytime soap opera, beginning June 16, 1930 over WGN-AM Chicago, Illinois. It moved to the Blue Network in 1931 and later NBC.

The show began as a Northwestern University sorority sketch by Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Their friends suggested they go on the radio, so the trio approached WGN and did their first shows for no pay.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 8)

1975: Ryan's Hope's Pat comforted Delia with a song.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel fell off a train and had his ID stolen.
2008: Days of our Lives' EJ found John in Stefano's basement.
2014: Guy Wilson made his first appearance as Will on Days.

"More and more, I tend to read history. I often find it more up to date than the daily newspapers."
― Joe Murray

"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...

1937: Clara, Lu & Em actress Isobel Carothers died suddenly at age 37. Clara, Lu, and Em was radio's first network daytime soap opera, beginning June 16, 1930 over WGN-AM Chicago, Illinois. It moved to the Blue Network in 1931 and later NBC.

The show began as a Northwestern University sorority sketch by Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Their friends suggested they go on the radio, so the trio approached WGN and did their first shows for no pay.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 8)

1975: Ryan's Hope's Pat comforted Delia with a song.
1985: Santa Barbara's Lionel fell off a train and had his ID stolen.
2008: Days of our Lives' EJ found John in Stefano's basement.
2014: Guy Wilson made his first appearance as Will on Days.

"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...

1937: Clara, Lu & Em actress Isobel Carothers died suddenly at age 37. Clara, Lu, and Em was radio's first network daytime soap opera, beginning June 16, 1930 over WGN-AM Chicago, Illinois. It moved to the Blue Network in 1931 and later NBC.

The show began as a Northwestern University sorority sketch by Louise Starkey (Clara), Isobel Carothers (Lu) and Helen King (Em). Their friends suggested they go on the radio, so the trio approached WGN and did their first shows for no pay.

Soap of the Week Poll Results (October 19-23, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted the favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for October 19-23, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 38th week in a row.

CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful was second followed by ABC's General Hospital.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Deidre Hall (Marlena) were voted Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	289
2	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	83
3	General Hospital (ABC)	2	209
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	149

Soap of the Week Poll Results (October 12-16, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted the favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for October 12-16, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 37th week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Deidre Hall (Marlena) were voted Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	288
2	General Hospital (ABC)	3	208
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	2	82
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	149

Soap of the Week Poll Results (October 5-9, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for October 5-9, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 36th week in a row.

CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful was second followed by ABC's General Hospital.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Deidre Hall (Marlena) were voted Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	287
2	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	2	81
3	General Hospital (ABC)	3	207
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	149

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (October 12-16, 2015)

Sami and Lucas are devastated after learning Will was murdered.

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of October 12-16, 2015.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, October 12
Sami (Alison Sweeney) returns to Salem; the murder of Will Horton affects Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Rafe (Galen Gering) personally; Chad (Billy Flynn) realizes who has been framing him; Will's (Guy Wilson) message makes Sonny (Freddie Smith) decide to go home.

Alison Sweeney on Will's Exit from 'Days of our Lives': "I Think It's A Big Mistake"

Alison Sweeney opened up to Soap Opera Digest's Stephanie Sloane in a revealing new interview about her return to Days of our Lives as Sami Brady, and her feelings about the exit storyline for Sami's son, Will Horton (Guy Wilson). Sweeney returns to the soap on Monday, October 12.

[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD]

Sami comes home after Will becomes the third victim of the Necktie Killer, Salem's latest serial murderer who has already strangled Serena Mason and Paige Larson. Viewers know that Ben Rogers (Robert Scott Wilson) is the killer but no one in Salem has figured it out yet.

"Completely honestly, I was angry," Sweeney tells Digest. "I felt betrayed and hurt they were doing it. I had a crazy reaction that I didn't want to do it and I didn't want to go be part of it because I was upset. And then I felt like I went through the five stages of grief."

Sweeney thinks killing Will, a legacy character, is "a big mistake."

"I am sorry they did it but, of course, I had to go there and mourn," explains Sweeney, normally a company person who supports the show's decisions. "I think there are other ways they could have handled it. It breaks my heart that there is no Will anymore. There have been a lot of storylines that I haven't agreed with, but I always understood the motive behind them and the value of getting the audience riled up. But this particular story point is something that I just don't agree with and I didn't from the moment they told me. And I don't understand why they did it."

RELATED:
- Guy Wilson on His 'Days of our Lives' Exit: "It Was All Purely Business"
- Nageen Mustafa After Call With 'Days of our Lives' Stars Alison Sweeney and James Scott: "This Is My Lucky Day!"
- 'Days of our Lives' Couple EJ & Sami Reunited on 'Last Week Tonight'
- Peggy McCay Continues to Shine on 'Days of our Lives' and It's Time She Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys

Guy Wilson on His 'Days of our Lives' Exit: "It Was All Purely Business"

Guy Wilson

Guy Wilson spoke to Soap Opera Digest about leaving Days of our Lives and the role of Will Horton. He says being let go was "more about giving the show a total overall facelift in general."

[WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD]

Will Horton becomes the third victim of Necktie Killer.

"All the characters who have fallen victim to the serial killer, none of it had to do with problems with the actor or personality," Wilson explains. "It was all purely business, and it was all in an effort to revitalize the show and create story space to bring back some iconic characters like Bo and Patch."

Wilson says "the writers elected to move away from the storyline I was in and refocus on the storylines that were really popular for this show in years past."

The actor believes "all things come to a close" but was "sad to know that this wonderful period in my career was coming to a close."

RELATED:
- Alison Sweeney on Will's Exit from 'Days of our Lives': "I Think It's A Big Mistake"
- Nageen Mustafa After Call With 'Days of our Lives' Stars Alison Sweeney and James Scott: "This Is My Lucky Day!"
- 'Days of our Lives' Couple EJ & Sami Reunited on 'Last Week Tonight'
- Peggy McCay Continues to Shine on 'Days of our Lives' and It's Time She Received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Daytime Emmys

Soap of the Week Poll Results (September 28-October 2, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week by our readers.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 28-October 2, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 35th week in a row.

CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful was second followed by ABC's General Hospital.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Deidre Hall (Marlena) were voted Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	286
2	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	80
3	General Hospital (ABC)	2	206
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	149

'Days of our Lives' Spoilers (October 5-9, 2015)

Victor and Roman convince Kayla to use the experimental drug on Caroline.

Check out the day-to-day spoilers and a sneak peek video below to find out what's happening on Days of our Lives during the week of October 5th.

[SPOILER ALERT]

Monday, October 5
Steve (Stephen Nichols) finds danger as he searches for clues to Bo's (Peter Reckell) whereabouts; Bo works to keep the truth from his captors; Victor (John Aniston) and Roman (Josh Taylor) urge Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) to let the experimental drug to be used on Caroline (Peggy McCay); Rafe (Galen Gering) confronts Eduardo (A Martinez).

Soap of the Week Poll Results (September 21-25, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 21-25, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 34th week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and The Bold and the Beautfiul's Linsey Godfrey (Caroline) were voted Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	285
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	205
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	3	79
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	4	149

Soap of the Week Poll Results (September 14-18, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 14-18, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 33rd week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	284
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	204
3	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	78
4	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	149

Guy Wilson Leaving 'Days of our Lives' and the Role of Will Horton; Freddie Smith to Make Brief Return

Guy Wilson

Serial Scoop's Michael Goldberg has confirmed that Guy Wilson will be leaving Days of our Lives and the role of Will Horton.

[SPOILER ALERT]

It appears that Days is killing off the character instead of just having Will leave town. You'll have to tune in to see how he goes out. Does Will become a victim of the Necktie Killer? Look for Freddie Smith to briefly return as Will's husband, Sonny Kiriakis.

Wilson debuted on Days in January 2014, replacing three-time Emmy winner Chandler Massey in the role of Sami Brady's firstborn child.

Soap of the Week Poll Results (September 7-11, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for September 7-11, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 32nd week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	283
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	203
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	149
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	77

Soap of the Week Poll Results (August 31-September 4, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 31-September 4, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 31st week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	282
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	202
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	148
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	77

Soap of the Week Poll Results (August 24-28, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 24-28, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 30th week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	281
2	General Hospital (ABC)	3	201
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	2	147
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	77

Soap of the Week Poll Results (August 17-21, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 17-21, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 29th week in a row.

CBS' The Young and the Restless was second followed by ABC's General Hospital.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	280
2	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	146
3	General Hospital (ABC)	2	200
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	77

Soap of the Week Poll Results (August 10-14, 2015)

Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera of the week.

The results are in from the We Love Soaps "Soap of the Week" poll for August 10-14, 2015. NBC's Days of our Lives was voted favorite soap opera by our readers for the 28th week in a row.

ABC's General Hospital was second followed by CBS' The Young and the Restless.

The Favorite Couple this week was Days of our Lives' John & Marlena. Days' Drake Hogestyn (John) and Days of our Lives' Deidre Hall (Marlena) repeated as Favorite Actor and Favorite Actress.

Check out the complete show ranking below as well as the favorite couples, actors and actresses.

RANK	SHOW	LAST WEEK	TOP 3
1	Days of our Lives (NBC)	1	279
2	General Hospital (ABC)	2	199
3	The Young and the Restless (CBS)	3	145
4	The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS)	4	77