Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on December 31st: 
Somerset (1976), Texas (1982), The Doctors (1982) and Sunset Beach (1999).

"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...

1965: On Scarlett Hill, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.

Note: Scarlett Hill, a daytime serial about the residents of a hotel in Scarlett Hill, New York, originally ran in Canada from 1962-1964. This episode is from the show's first syndicated run in the United States.

1972: On The Edge of Night, Adam Drake (Don May) ran through the streets of Manhattan in an attempt to find and propose marriage to Nicole Travis (Maeve McGuire) by midnight.

1976: NBC aired the final episode of the Another World spin-off Somerset after a six year run. The show was canceled to make room for another P&G soap, Lovers & Friends.

1980: On Another World, as the party guests counted down to the New Year, an intoxicated Pat Randolph (Beverly Penberthy) collapsed just as Philip Lyons (Robert Gentry) proposed. The Brady Bunch star Christopher Knight made his first appearance as Leigh Hobson.



Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.

Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on
December 31st: Somerset (1976), Texas (1982),
The Doctors (1982) and Sunset Beach (1999).

"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...

1965: On Scarlett Hill, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.

Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on
December 31st: Somerset (1976), Texas (1982), The
Doctors (1982) and Sunset Beach (1999).

"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...

1965: On Scarlett Hill, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.

Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on
December 31st: Somerset (1976), Texas (1982), The
Doctors (1982) and Sunset Beach (1999).

"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...

1965: On Scarlett Hill, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.

FLASHBACK: A Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas - 1947 to 1977 (Part 8 of 8)

Y&R's original cast in 1973 included Tom Hallick (right) as Brad Eliot.

A Complete, Concise Yearly History of TV Soap Operas

The Soap Box
Vol. III No. 10 September 1978
by John Genovese

(continued from Part 7)

1973
When CBS axed Where the Heart Is and Splendored Thing, it was able to premiere a project that had been in the works for a long time. On March 26, The Young and the Restless appeared to revolutionize the business with its young, beautiful cast, romantic fairytale storylines, and top-flight production values from Television City in Hollywood. Creator William J. Bell and producer John Conboy made household idols of Trish Stewart, William Gray Espy, James Houghton, Tom Hallick and Janice Lynde, all of whom have since departed. The show, still the intense and sensuous story of the middle class Brooks family and the dirt-poor Foster clan of Genoa City, Wisconsin, still claims Robert Colbert (Stuart Brooks), Julianna McCarthy (Liz Foster) and Brenda Dickson (Jill Foster) from its originals.

Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on
December 31st: Somerset (1976), Texas (1982), The
Doctors (1982) and Sunset Beach (1999).

"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...

1965: On Scarlett Hill, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.

Today in Soap Opera History (December 31)

Four NBC daytime soap operas aired for the final time on
December 31st: SOMERSET (1976), TEXAS (1982), THE
DOCTORS (1982) and SUNSET BEACH (1999).

"The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see."
- Winston Churchill

"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...

1965: On SCARLETT HILL, Kate (Beth Lockerbie) and Pearl discussed their fears that Ruth was only marrying Mr. Quill for his money. Sheila became extremely rude to Pearl when Pearl tried to show her pictures of the five-year-old she was about to adopt. Sheila revealed a bit of her tragic life to Stan. Ruth openly admitted to Kate that she was only getting married for the money, knowing there was nothing Kate could do to stop her, and Ruth discovered the recording device Pearl planted in the hopes of catching the avaricious woman's plans on tape.