Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark
Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on GH.
1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.
2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode.

"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...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1953: On The Guiding Light, Meta Bauer White prepared for the worst.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark
Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on GH.
1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.
2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli

"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...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1953: On The Guiding Light, Meta Bauer White prepared for the worst.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark
Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on GH.
1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.
2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode.

"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...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1953: On The Guiding Light, Meta Bauer White prepared for the worst.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark
Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on GH.
1998: One Life to Live's Téa tried to figure out Todd.
2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode.

"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...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1953: On The Guiding Light, Meta Bauer White prepared for the worst.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original Dark
Shadows. 1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones on GH.
1998: OLTL's Téa tried to figure out Todd, a year after her debut.
2006: Passions aired a Bollywood episode.

"A page of history is worth a pound of logic."
― Oliver Wendell Holmes

"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...

1931: Clara, Lu & Em shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1971: Jonathan Frid made his final appearance as Barnabas Collins on the ABC daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. The episode was also the last time viewers saw Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Flora Collins, Julia Hoffman, Timothy Eliot Stokes, Angelique, Leticia Faye, Desmond Collins and Lamar Trask in the original series.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

1971: The last appearance of Barnabas Collins on the original
DARK SHADOWS.  1984: Jack Wagner debuted as Frisco Jones.
1998: OLTL's Téa tried to figure out Todd, a year after her debut.
2006: PASSIONS aired its Bollywood episode.

"Maybe if people started to listen, history would stop repeating itself."
- Lily Tomlin

"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...

1931: CLARA, LU & EM shifted from WGN to the NBC Blue Network, one of the earliest radio soap operas. Listen to the episode here.

1971: Jonathan Frid made his final appearance as Barnabas Collins on the ABC daytime soap opera DARK SHADOWS. The episode was also the last time viewers saw Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Flora Collins, Julia Hoffman, Timothy Eliot Stokes, Angelique, Leticia Faye, Desmond Collins and Lamar Trask in the original series.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

On this date in...

1972: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Nancy invited Martha to Vic and Laurie's engagement party.

1983: Actor Robert Christian died of AIDS-related complications in New York City at age 43. Christian had roles on ALL MY CHILDREN and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, but his biggest soap role was as Bob Morgan on ANOTHER WORLD.

1984: On ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Simon said goodbye to Cassie.

Today in Soap Opera History (January 27)

On this date in...

1972: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Nancy called Martha with an invitation to Vic and Laurie's engagement party.

1983: Actor Robert Christian died of AIDS-related complications on January 27, 1983 in New York City at age 43. Christian had roles on ALL MY CHILDREN and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, but his biggest soap role was as Bob Morgan on ANOTHER WORLD.

1984: On ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Simon came to say goodbye to Cassie.

World AIDS Day Tribute: Robert Christian (1939–1983) -- 'Another World,' 'All My Children,' 'Search for Tomorrow'

On World AIDS Day we pay tribute to some of the actors from the soap opera community who lost their lives to the disease.

Robert Christian (also known as Bob and Bobby) was born in Los Angeles on December 27, 1939. He died of AIDS-related complications on January 27, 1983 in New York City at age 43.

Christian had roles on All My Children and Search for Tomorrow, but his biggest soap role was as Bob Morgan on Another World. He played Bob from January to December in 1982. Bob was married to Henrietta but fell in love with Quinn. He died of a gunshot wound at the video arcade.

Christian last aired a month before he passed away.