Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

The cast of Young Widder Brown.
"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: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to 45-minute episodes each weekday. Up until this point, One Life to Live had aired right after General Hospital, but would air before GH  for the remainder of its run on ABC (January 13, 2012).

1976: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) accused his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham), of neglecting her son, Jamie Frame (Bobby Doran).

1985: On Santa Barbara, Barnaby "Brick" Wallace (Richard Eden) and Amy Perkins (Kerry Sherman) held a crossbow on Jerry Lee (Joel Crothers) and Jack Lee (also Joel Crothers), with both men claiming to be Jack. Julia Wainwright arrived and kissed them both to figure out who was the real Jack. Later, Jerry and Jack battled in a sword duel.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

The cast of Young Widder Brown.

"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: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to 45-minute episodes each weekday. Up until this point, One Life to Live had aired right after General Hospital, but would air before GH  for the remainder of its run on ABC (January 13, 2012).

1976: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) accused his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham), of neglecting her son, Jamie Frame (Bobby Doran).

1985: On Santa Barbara, Barnaby "Brick" Wallace (Richard Eden) and Amy Perkins (Kerry Sherman) held a crossbow on Jerry Lee (Joel Crothers) and Jack Lee (also Joel Crothers), with both men claiming to be Jack. Julia Wainwright arrived and kissed them both to figure out who was the real Jack. Later, Jerry and Jack battled in a sword duel.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

The cast of Young Widder Brown.

"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: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to 45-minute episodes each weekday. Up until this point, One Life to Live had aired right after General Hospital, but would air before GH  for the remainder of its run on ABC (January 13, 2012).

1976: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) accused his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham), of neglecting her son, Jamie Frame (Bobby Doran).

1985: On Santa Barbara, Barnaby "Brick" Wallace (Richard Eden) and Amy Perkins (Kerry Sherman) held a crossbow on Jerry Lee (Joel Crothers) and Jack Lee (also Joel Crothers), with both men claiming to be Jack. Julia Wainwright arrived and kissed them both to figure out who was the real Jack. Later, Jerry and Jack battled in a sword duel.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

The cast of Young Widder Brown.

"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: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to 45-minute episodes each weekday. Up until this point, One Life to Live had aired right after General Hospital, but would air before GH  for the remainder of its run on ABC (January 13, 2012).

1976: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) accused his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham), of neglecting her son, Jamie Frame (Bobby Doran).

1985: On Santa Barbara, Barnaby "Brick" Wallace (Richard Eden) and Amy Perkins (Kerry Sherman) held a crossbow on Jerry Lee (Joel Crothers) and Jack Lee (also Joel Crothers), with both men claiming to be Jack. Julia Wainwright arrived and kissed them both to figure out who was the real Jack. Later, Jerry and Jack battled in a sword duel.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

The cast of Young Widder Brown.

"History never looks like history when you are living through it."
― John W. Gardner

"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: Young Widder Brown premiered on NBC Radio. The popular Frank and Anne Hummert radio soap opera told the story of young Ellen Brown, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonville. The show ran for nearly 18 years, until June 22, 1956.

1972: On As the World Turns, Tom Hughes (Peter Galman) and Carol Deming (Rita McLaughlin) were married. The wedding was shot on location at the Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Riverdale, New York.

1976: One Life to Live and General Hospital each expanded to 45 minutes. Up until this point, One Life to Live had aired right after General Hospital, but would air before GH  for the remainder of its run on ABC (January 13, 2012).

1976: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) accused his wife, Rachel (Victoria Wyndham), of neglecting her son, Jamie Frame (Bobby Doran).

1985: On Santa Barbara, Barnaby "Brick" Wallace (Richard Eden) and Amy Perkins (Kerry Sherman) held a crossbow on Jerry Lee (Joel Crothers) and Jack Lee (also Joel Crothers), with both men claiming to be Jack. Julia Wainwright arrived and kissed them both to figure out who was the real Jack. Later, Jerry and Jack battled in a sword duel.

The Story Behind the Selfie by Nelson Aspen

Photo courtesy of Nelson Aspen

I've interviewed Julianne Moore before and made a point before the cameras rolled to mention my own early career in the world of soaps so that we could quickly compare notes about our mutual degrees of separation...and there are many! As I write at length in my new book, "My Prime Time" (coming in June 2014), Julianne is an exciting example of why 50+ is nothing to be frightened of: Fabulous on every level, at the top of her game and more beautiful and in command than at any time previously (Not uncommon for those of us who happily hit the Half-Century Mark, as you'll read in my book).

When we were to meet again for the release of her new film Carrie, a lot had transpired. AS THE WORLD TURNS was celebrating its final anniversary before Cancellation and she made her memorable cameo return as "Frannie Hughes," convinced by her pal Noelle Beck (Lily) that it would be a fun and nostalgic moment. Was it ever! As Executive Producer Christopher Goutman told me, Julianne made it easy and seamless...and her on-screen sister/cousin, Colleen Zenk (Barbara) confirmed that it was all as warm and familiar as if an actual prodigal child were coming home for a party.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

On this date in...

1938: YOUNG WIDDER BROWN, from Frank and Anne Hummert, premiered on NBC Radio. It told the story of young Ellen, a 30 year old mother, who struggled to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonsville.  The popular radio soap opera ran until June 22, 1956.

1976: ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL each expanded to 45 minutes. Up until this point, OLTL aired after GH, but moved to the timeslot before GH and remained there way until OLTL left ABC in 2013.

1976: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mac (Douglass Watson) accused Rachel (Victoria Wyndham) of neglecting Jamie (Bobby Doran).

EXCLUSIVE: SoapClassics Releases 10-Episode AS THE WORLD TURNS DVD "The Wedding of Bob & Kim"

SoapClassics has released a brand new AS THE WORLD TURNS DVD, "The Wedding of Bob & Kim." This collection features 10 consecutive episodes from April 1985 leading up to Bob (Don Hastings) and Kim's (Kathryn Hays) wedding at the Oakdale Botanical Garden (which was really the Brooklyn Botanical Garden).  Bob and Kim were recently named to the We Love Soaps' 50 Greatest Soap Couples of All-Time list.  

Among the Hughes family highlights in this collection: Nancy's (Helen Wagner) recent return from Arizona; Penny (Rosemary Prinz) and Don (Conard Fowkes) surprising Bob on the morning of the wedding; and the debut of Julianne Moore as Frannie.

But there are many other stories and characters featured including Craig's (Scott Bryce) relationship with Lucinda (Elizabeth Hubbard) and reunion with Sierra (Finn Carter); John (Larry Bryggman) and Lisa (Eileen Fulton) dealing with their ex's getting married; the younger set (featuring Marisa Tomei and Christian LeBlanc); and a very early appearance of Hal Munson (Benjamin Hendrickson).

Fans have been wanting to see a story play out over consecutive episodes and this new DVD set makes it easy to jump right into the story and follow along.   Below is a list of the 10 episodes appearing on the DVD:

Today in Soap Opera History (July 26)

On this date in...

1938: YOUNG WIDDER BROWN, from Frank and Anne Hummert, premiered on NBC Radio. The show told the story of young Ellen, a 30 year old mother, who struggles to raise her children without the small town mentality that came with living in Simpsonsville.

1972: On AS THE WORLD TURNS, Tom Hughes married Carol Deming.

1976: ONE LIFE TO LIVE and GENERAL HOSPITAL each expanded to 45 minutes. Up until this point, OLTL aired after GH, but starting on this day OLTL aired first and it remained that way until OLTL went off the air in 2012.

1976: On ANOTHER WORLD, Mac (Douglass Watson) accused Rachel (Victoria Wyndham) of neglecting Jamie (Bobby Doran).

50 Greatest Soap Couples: #31 Bob & Kim From AS THE WORLD TURNS

COUPLE: Bob Hughes & Kim Reynolds
SHOW: AS THE WORLD TURNS
RANK: 31
PLAYED BY:
Bob: Don Hastings
Kim: Kathryn Hays
YEARS: 1972-2010

STORY:
Nancy Hughes wanted her son Bob to reunite with Lisa (Eileen Fulton) in 1972 but the popular doctor ended up dating Jennifer Ryan (Gillian Spencer) instead.  Jennifer's sister, Kim, was a former lounger singer who dated John but was enamored with Bob.  When Bob attended a medical conference in Florida he was shocked to see Kim there performing "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" (with Bobby Short on piano) which immediately made him smitted.  Kim had plotted to be there while Bob thought it was just a coincidence.  The two of them made love but when they returned to Oakdale Jennifer revealed she was pregnant.  Bob and Jennifer decided to be together for the sake of the baby  unaware that Bob had also impregnated Kim!  John Dixon (Larry Bryggman) used the opportunity to convince Kim to elope with him to Las Vegas.  Kim would later develop complications during a snowstorm that required surgery.  When she awoke John told her she had lost the baby.

CLASSIC CLIP: Bob & Kim in AS THE WORLD TURNS

Bob and Kim sang to each other ("And I Love You So") at their wedding reception in 1985. Watch the clip below:

CLASSIC CLIP: Bob & Kim in AS THE WORLD TURNS

Bob and Kim nearly were destroyed by his affair with Susan, but tried to work out their problems in therapy. Watch the clip below:

CLASSIC CLIP: Bob & Kim in AS THE WORLD TURNS

Julianne Moore returned to AS THE WORLD TURNS in 2010 as Kim and Bob celebrated their 25th anniversary. Watch the clip below:

CLASSIC CLIP: Don Hastings & Kathryn Hays Honored For AS THE WORLD TURNS

Don Hastings and Kathryn Hays were honored for their work on AS THE WORLD TURNS with a special Editor's Award at the 1998 Soap Opera Digest Awards. Presenters Jon and Kelley Hensley called them the "foundation" of AS THE WORLD TURNS. Watch the clip below:

Kathryn Hays: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part Four

In Parts One, Two, and Three of our interview with enlightened talent Kathryn Hays, she traced how her spiritual development impacted her acting, her early work on STAR TREK, the ups and downs of Kim Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS, as well as how she fought for Kim over the past 38 years.  In the final part below, Hay shares her thoughts on the losses of Helen Wagner and AS THE WORLD TURNS, and offers advice on how to cope with painful losses. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: One of the things daytime soaps have traditionally been able to do is offer comfort and stability in a world that is changing and unpredictable. 
Kathryn Hays: That is what they did.  It’s hard to let it go.  It suddenly dawned on me that by September 17th I was one month into my 39th year on the show.  [Pause] We had a cast party at a restaurant before the last week of shooting.  Just the actors, the crew, a close family party.  Almost without exception, people talked about their gratitude for the job, and how they loved this job.  They talked about how much of a family we were, and what it meant to work together for so many years.  Then we talked about the process of the show.  You might have worked that day and added some bit to what was shot that day, or what was put together.  In some way you felt you added a little bit to the show and you went home feeling like a million bucks.  No one goes to work envisioning doing a bad job.  It was with such genuine joy in whatever we were doing.  Everyone gave their very best. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I would like to talk with you about Helen Wagner.
Kathryn Hays: Oh bless.  She was a pistol.  And remained that to the end.  I saw her a couple days before she passed on and she was still herself.  She knew how she wanted to be.  She was definitely an original.  She loved her job, loved her position, and loved her character.  Even at the end, when she was in the hospital, she knew she had a call to appear on the show the following week.  She asked the doctor if they could get her well enough to be there for her call. 

Kathryn Hays: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part Three

In Parts One and Two of our exclusive interview with Kathryn Hays, the divinely inspiring actress spoke of her spiritual growth in her early career, her historical role on STAR TREK, accidentally angering Irna Phillips, and stirring up trouble on AS THE WORLD TURNS in the early 1970s.  In Part Three below, Hays shares her thoughts on the controversial marital rape storyline between John and Kim, how she had to fight for Kim these past 38 years, and who came up with "Kiddo".

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You portrayed Kim for 38 years.  Over that time there were some different writers who came in and took core characters in wildly different directions.  But there were many things about Kim that remained solid and consistent.  Her temperament, her vocabulary.  Whenever Kim called someone “Kiddo,” the world was a better place
Kathryn Hays: [Laughs] I got a note from someone recently thanking me for my work.  He said the word “Kiddo,” “Toots,” and “Pal,” would be part of his vocabulary the rest of his life.  Those were the things that would come out of me.  They were absolutely my words.

Kathryn Hays: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part Two

In Part One of our rare interview with the phenomenally talented (and underrated) Kathryn Hays, the actress discussed her drive to entertain others growing up, and the spiritual lessons she learned in order to survive as an artist.  In Part Two below, she discusses her primetime work prior to AS THE WORLD TURNS, including a historical appearance on the original STAR TREK, how she angered Irna Phillips, and Kim's classic rivalry with Susan.  

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: I want to ask you about your pre-WORLD TURNS career.  You had at least 50 primetime appearances prior to joining the show. 
Kathryn Hays: A lot of guest starring appearances.  It was a great time to begin a career.  It was when the guest stars on the primetime shows were almost always women.  The running star would be a man.  The main storyline would be a very rich part to play.   I love that I got to do all those shows.  They were a lot of fun.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: One of your most memorable guest star episodes, for which you received an Emmy nomination, was for STAR TREK ("The Empath" 1968).
Kathryn Hays: [Laughs] Yes. That was an amazing experience. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: You played a mute alien (Gem) who could heal people.
Kathryn Hays: I’ve often thought that was an interesting role for me to play.  I loved playing that.  It was technically very interesting.  That show was fascinating to work on from a technical point of view.  It was so different from a regular show. 

Kathryn Hays: The We Love Soaps Interview, Part One

Kathryn Hays delighted and fascinated us for 38 years in her complex and compelling role as Kim Hughes on AS THE WORLD TURNS.  Despite limited screen time in recent years, she never failed to entertain and enlighten her audience, and could speak volumes with one single "Kiddo." But who is this underrated talent, and how has she navigated the highs and lows of portraying Kim?  You'll learn these answers and more in this rare interview.

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: It is so delightful to speak with you!  Your work on AS THE WORLD TURNS has touched my life and so many millions as well.  I would like to start by asking you some questions about your career prior to starting on the show.  You started doing theater at a very young age.  Has acting always been your passion?
Kathryn Hays: Yes, I came that way.  I’m serious.  That is always what I wanted to.  Even as a very little girl, I was always into pretending and making things up.  I was an only child.  In those years we didn’t have television, so I learned to play by myself.  I remember pretending that I was on stage dancing or singing.  I didn’t catch the bug, I just always had it.  It’s not like I thought about growing up and making a living of it. 

WE LOVE SOAPS TV: Did your family listen to a lot of radio?
Kathryn Hays: They did.  When I was about four or five years old, I remember my mother being very annoyed with me because I didn’t want to go outside and play in the middle of the day. I would rather listen to the soaps on the radio.  I could recite the schedule of the shows on the radio.  That had completely faded from my thoughts by the time I started on the show (AS THE WORLD TURNS).  It wasn’t until years later I remembered how I just lived by those stories on the radio.  GRAND CENTRAL STATION was the name of one of the Saturday stories I looked forward to.  I was just glued to that radio.  It developed your ability to use your imagination because you were just listening.  Once I started going to school and learning to read I would have my nose in a book all the time.  Then my mother would still try to get me to go outside and play [laughs].  I loved the books that were long, the ongoing stories.  You’d get caught in a story, the people became friends in your mind.  I loved how they evolved and grew and changed.  It was the perfect medium for me.

CLASSIC ATWT Photo of the Day: Kim and Nick

Following Dan's death, Kim was wooed by and eventually married hot headed Nick Andropolous, who opened at a Greek restaurant in Oakdale called "The Plaka." Nick was played by Michael Forest, who worked opposite Kathryn Hays. After two years, Nick died of a heart attack.

Nick's brother Steve followed him to town, and some AS THE WORLD TURNS magic ensued when Steve was paired with Betsy, Kim's stepdaughter. When Lindsay Frost replaced Meg Ryan as Betsy, the magic seemed to fizzle and both Steve and Betsy were gone before the end of the 1980s, never to return as ongoing characters.

Given her strong links to Kim, Craig and Emily, it seemed to me that the character of Betsy easily could have been brought back into the story at anytime, and I could never understand why we never saw her again. Ditto for the long absent Frannie Hughes and Andy Dixon. What other important characters could, and should, have been brought back into the story at some point?

CLASSIC ATWT Photo fo the Day: Kim, Dan & Susan

After giving birth to Emily and divorcing Dan to marry Bruce Baxter, Susan found herself unhappy in the marriage and divorced Bruce. Thereafter, Susan spent the rest of the 1970s on AS THE WORLD TURNS trying to win Dan back. But Dan had turned his attentions to Kim, who was trying to escape her loveless marriage to John after giving birth to Andy.

John and Susan, however, stopped at nothing to keep Dan and Kim apart. Kim had left John but lost her memory as a result of an injury incurred in a windstorm, and John convinced her that she should return to him. Kim ultimately regained her memory, and left an answering machine message for Dan telling him that she remembered that she loved him. However, Susan stole the tape and Dan didn't get the message. True love won out, and Dan and Kim ultimately married, but their happiness was short-lived as Dan died of a brain tumor in 1979.