Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

1979: The Edge of Night's Trent arrived in Monticello.
1985: Santa Barbara's Augusta crashed into Brick and Janice.
1990: Knots Landing's Danny wanted to hurt Gary.
2001: MTV aired the final episode of Spyder Games.

"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...

1948: On radio soap opera Claudia, Claudia (Patricia Ryan) and David (Richad Kollmar) Naughton spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On Another World, Bill Matthews declared to his mother, Liz (Audra Lindley): "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On As the World Turns, Kim Stewart (Kathryn Hays) and the Stewart family dealt with the aftermath of Dan's death, while Melinda Gray (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) turned to her sister, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk), for comfort after Beau told her in a letter he was never coming back to Oakdale.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

1979: The Edge of Night's Trent arrived in Monticello.
1985: Santa Barbara's Augusta crashed into Brick and Janice.
1990: Knots Landing's Danny wanted to hurt Gary.
2001: MTV aired the final episode of Spyder Games.

"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...

1948: On radio soap opera Claudia, Claudia (Patricia Ryan) and David (Richad Kollmar) Naughton spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On Another World, Bill Matthews declared to his mother, Liz (Audra Lindley): "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On As the World Turns, Kim Stewart (Kathryn Hays) and the Stewart family dealt with the aftermath of Dan's death, while Melinda Gray (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) turned to her sister, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk), for comfort after Beau told her in a letter he was never coming back to Oakdale.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

1979: The Edge of Night's Trent arrived in Monticello.
1985: Santa Barbara's Augusta crashed into Brick and Janice.
1990: Knots Landing's Danny wanted to hurt Gary.
2001: MTV aired the final episode of Spyder Games.

"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...

1948: On radio soap opera Claudia, Claudia (Patricia Ryan) and David (Richad Kollmar) Naughton spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On Another World, Bill Matthews declared to his mother, Liz (Audra Lindley): "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On As the World Turns, Kim Stewart (Kathryn Hays) and the Stewart family dealt with the aftermath of Dan's death, while Melinda Gray (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) turned to her sister, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk), for comfort after Beau told her in a letter he was never coming back to Oakdale.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

1979: The Edge of Night's Trent arrived in Monticello.
1985: Santa Barbara's Augusta crashed into Brick and Janice.
1990: Knots Landing's Danny wanted to hurt Gary.
2001: MTV aired the final episode of Spyder Games.

"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...

1948: On radio soap opera Claudia, Claudia (Patricia Ryan) and David (Richad Kollmar) Naughton spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On Another World, Bill Matthews declared to his mother, Liz (Audra Lindley): "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On As the World Turns, Kim Stewart (Kathryn Hays) and the Stewart family dealt with the aftermath of Dan's death, while Melinda Gray (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) turned to her sister, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk), for comfort after Beau told her in a letter he was never coming back to Oakdale.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

1979: EON's Trent arrived in Monticello. 1985: GH's Bobbie had
to admit she was snooping in Laurelton. 1990: KL's Danny
wanted to hurt Gary. 2001: MTV's SPYDER GAMES ended its run.

"In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind."
― Edmund Burke

"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...

1948: On radio soap opera CLAUDIA, Claudia and David spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On ANOTHER WORLD, Bill declared to Liz (Audra Lindley): "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On AS THE WORLD TURNS, Kim (Kathryn Hays) and the Stewart family dealt with the aftermath of Dan's death, while Melinda (Ariane Munker, now Ariana Chase) turned to her sister, Barbara (Colleen Zenk), for comfort after Beau told her in a letter he was never coming back to Oakdale.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

Dr. Joyce Brothers turns 84 today. She appeared as herself in multiple
soap operas including ONE LIFE TO LIVE in March 1972

On this date in...

1920: Legendary actress Frances Heflin was born in Oklahoma City. She is best remembered for her role as Mona, Erica's mother, on ALL MY CHILDREN. She died on June 1, 1994.

1948: On radio soap opera CLAUDIA, Claudia and David spent an evening at home.

1952: The first commercial UHF television station in the world, KPTV, began broadcasting in Portland, Oregon on channel 27.

1968: On ANOTHER WORLD, Bill declared to Liz: "As far as I'm concerned, I have no mother."

1979: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Trent Archer, the man set to play the devil in Mansion of the Damned, arrived.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 20)

On this date in...

1920: Legendary actress Frances Heflin was born in Oklahoma City. She is best remembered for her role as Mona, Erica's mother, on ALL MY CHILDREN. She died on June 1, 1994.

1999: On ONE LIFE TO LIVE, Kelly and Brian went to Dorian's cabin.