Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"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...

1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad (Alice Reinheart, and later Teri Keane), a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and a hiding place from Gyp Mendoza (Waldemar Kappel, and later Paul Stewart), the town racketeer. The kindly old book dealer, Papa David Solomon (Ralph Locke), would soon become one of the great philosophers of daytime radio. Carol became "Chichi" and was installed on a pallet in the back room as the old man's ward. Fifteen years later, she was still there. The show was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"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 Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad (Alice Reinheart, and later Teri Keane), a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and a hiding place from Gyp Mendoza (Waldemar Kappel, and later Paul Stewart), the town racketeer. The kindly old book dealer, Papa David Solomon (Ralph Locke), would soon become one of the great philosophers of daytime radio. Carol became "Chichi" and was installed on a pallet in the back room as the old man's ward. Fifteen years later, she was still there. The show was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"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...

1938: Radio soap opera Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad (Alice Reinheart, and later Teri Keane), a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and a hiding place from Gyp Mendoza (Waldemar Kappel, and later Paul Stewart), the town racketeer. The kindly old book dealer, Papa David Solomon (Ralph Locke), would soon become one of the great philosophers of daytime radio. Carol became "Chichi" and was installed on a pallet in the back room as the old man's ward. Fifteen years later, she was still there. The show was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"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 Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad (Alice Reinheart, and later Teri Keane), a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and a hiding place from Gyp Mendoza (Waldemar Kappel, and later Paul Stewart), the town racketeer. The kindly old book dealer, Papa David Solomon (Ralph Locke), would soon become one of the great philosophers of daytime radio. Carol became "Chichi" and was installed on a pallet in the back room as the old man's ward. Fifteen years later, she was still there. The show was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father, James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"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 Life Can Be Beautiful premiered on CBS, starting a successful 16-year run. Life Can Be Beautiful quickly became known to radio insiders by its initials, and widely referred to as "Elsie Beebe." It was the story of Carol Conrad (Alice Reinheart, and later Teri Keane), a disadvantaged child who--still in her teens--ran into the Slightly Read Bookshop seeking shelter and a hiding place from Gyp Mendoza (Waldemar Kappel, and later Paul Stewart), the town racketeer. The kindly old book dealer, Papa David Solomon (Ralph Locke), would soon become one of the great philosophers of daytime radio. Carol became "Chichi" and was installed on a pallet in the back room as the old man's ward. Fifteen years later, she was still there. The show was billed as "an inspiring message of faith drawn from life."

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: Search for Tomorrow's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law.
1980: General Hospital's Monica faced a divorce decision.
1989: As the World Turns Paul shot his father., James Stenbeck.
2008: Hollyoaks' John Paul found Kieron's body.

"To believe what has not occurred in history will not occur at all, is to argue disbelief in the dignity of man."
- Mahatma Gandhi

"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...

1960: On Search for Tomorrow, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

1960: SFT's Alison dealt with her mother-in-law. 1989: ATWT's
Paul shot his father. 1990: Y&R's Traci returned home. 2008: GH's
Robin wasn't accepting Patrick's proposal.

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach."
― Aldous Huxley

"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...

1960: On SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, after talking things over with Joanne (Mary Stuart), Alison (Anne Pearson) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws, the Metcalfs, who came over for dinner.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 5)

On this date in...

1960: On SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, Alison (Anne Pearson, who was also part of the original cast of VALIANT LADY) endured an uncomfortable evening with her in-laws. Watch below.