Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

Ted Corday

"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...

1966: Producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58. Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing at The Guiding Light and As the World Turns. In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of Days of our Lives, Paradise Bay and Morning Star. Days continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, 1966, three weeks before Corday's death.

1968: On Another World, as he sat on the porch drinking lemonade with Jim and Mary Matthews, Steve Frame (George Reinholt) remembered how he had run five lemonade stands when he was eight, then said he probably bought the Bay City Bengals football team to compensate for never having had time for games.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

Ted Corday

"History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies."
- Alexis de Tocqueville

"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...

1966: Producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58. Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing at The Guiding Light and As the World Turns. In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of Days of our Lives, Paradise Bay and Morning Star. Days continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, 1966, three weeks before Corday's death.

1968: On Another World, as he sat on the porch drinking lemonade with Jim and Mary, Steve (George Reinholt) remembered how he had run five lemonade stands when he was eight, then said he probably bought the Bay City Bengals to compensate for never having had time for games.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

On this date in...

1966: Producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58. Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing at THE GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS. In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, PARADISE BAY and MORNING STAR. DAYS continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, 1966, three weeks before Corday's death.

1979: On ANOTHER WORLD, Cecile (Susan Keith) forgave Elena but would not take Dennis back.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 23)

On this date in...

1966: Legendary producer and director Ted Corday died at age 58.  Corday moved from Broadway to radio dramas to television directing THE GUIDING LIGHT and AS THE WORLD TURNS.  In 1965 NBC asked Corday to create three new daytime soap operas leading to the premieres of DAYS OF OUR LIVES, PARADISE BAY and MORNING STAR.    DAYS continues to this day while the other two shows were went off the air July 1, three weeks before Corday's death.

1979: On ANOTHER WORLD, Cecile (Susan Keith) forgave Elena but would not take Dennis back.