We Love Soaps

Ron Carlivati & Jamey Giddens to Write All My Children Lifetime Movies

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 17:55:04 +0000

The creative team behind Lifetime's planned All My Children reunion movies is coming into focus.

According to an exclusive report from Daytime Confidential, veteran soap opera writers Ron Carlivati and Jamey Giddens have been tapped to write the first of two planned All My Children television movies. Primetime writer Leo Richardson has written the second installment.

The movies are being developed by former All My Children stars Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos through their Milojo production company in partnership with the estate of the late Agnes Nixon and veteran producer Andrew Stearn.

Daytime Confidential reports that the films will revisit Pine Valley and center on legendary characters Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and Dr. Maria Santos Gray (Eva LaRue), picking up years after ABC canceled the iconic daytime drama in 2011. Fans can also expect an update on the popular Santos family.

Carlivati is one of daytime television's most accomplished writers, having served as head writer of One Life to Live, General Hospital, and Days of our Lives. Giddens was recently named co-head writer of The Young and the Restless after previously writing for Days of our Lives and Beyond the Gates.

The announcement marks another major step forward for the long-awaited All My Children revival, which has generated significant excitement among fans since Ripa and Consuelos revealed they were working to bring Pine Valley back to television.

Alison Sweeney, Christie Clark, Bryan Dattilo & Chandler Massey Returning to 'Days of our Lives'

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:29:19 +0000

Days of Our Lives is joining the latest viral social media trend with a playful new video teasing the return of fan favorites Alison Sweeney (Sami Brady) and Christie Clark (Carrie Brady).

Inspired by the dramatic style of Netflix documentary promos that have taken over social media, the Peacock soap shared a clip captioned, "Getting ready to film a Brady family documentary."

In the video, Clark takes her seat before Sweeney storms in wearing a characteristically irritated expression, instantly evoking the decades-long rivalry between Carrie and Sami.

The teaser then flashes the message: "See what's going down, June 2027."

The fun doesn't stop there. Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) also appears, delivering the perfect punchline:

"Some things never change."

Considering Sami and Carrie's history, it's hard to argue with that.

Bryan Dattilo (Lucas Horton) and Chandler Massey (Will Horton) are also returning. Look for all four actors to appear starting in June 2027.

Watch the teaser below.

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A post shared by Days of our Lives (@dayspeacock)

Lucas Adams andTamara Braun Exit The Young and the Restless

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:21:23 +0000

The Young and the Restless is writing Noah Newman and Sienna Bacall out of Genoa City less than a year after the arrivals of Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun.

On the August 3 episode, Noah told Sharon (Sharon Case) and Mariah (Camryn Grimes) that he and Sienna were leaving for Los Angeles to get away from Sienna's ex, Matt Clark (Roger Howarth).

Although the move was presented as temporary, the show's weekly preview hinted at a longer absence. Before leaving, Noah names Danny Romalotti (Michael Damian) to oversee his nightclub, The Shadow Room.

Adams debuted as Noah on November 4, 2025, becoming the latest actor to play the son of Nick (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon. He previously portrayed Tripp Johnson on Days of Our Lives. Braun, who played Tripp's mother, Ava Vitali, on Days, joined Y&R as Sienna on October 14, 2025. Adams was on contract, while Braun appeared in a recurring role.

The exit was written under outgoing head writer Josh Griffith. Whether Noah and Sienna return to Genoa City will likely be decided by the show's new co-head writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O'Connor, who officially take over the writing reins this week.

Watch Brenda Dickson's Final Scene as Jill on 'Young and the Restless'

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 10:04:03 +0000

Today we're remembering Brenda Dickson, the original Jill Foster Abbott on The Young and the Restless.

Watch Brenda's final scene, which aired on June 24, 1987, before Jess Walton stepped into the iconic role and began her legendary run as Jill.

Who remembers watching Dickson as Jill?

Jamey Giddens and Dan O'Connor Named New Head Writers of The Young and the Restless

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 09:54:58 +0000

The Young and the Restless has found its new head writing team.

Jamey Giddens and Dan O'Connor have been tapped to succeed Josh Griffith as co-head writers of the long-running CBS daytime drama. The news was first reported by TV Insider.

The series has been searching for a new head writer since Griffith stepped down from the position in June, just weeks after relinquishing his role as executive producer.

Both Giddens and O'Connor bring extensive daytime television experience to Genoa City.

A lifelong soap opera fan, Giddens became co-owner of Daytime Confidential in 2007, where he gained recognition as a writer and podcaster covering the daytime industry. He later created the primetime serial Ambitions, which aired on OWN from 2019 to 2020.

Giddens joined the Days of Our Lives writing staff in 2020 as a breakdown writer, earning both Daytime Emmy and Writers Guild of America Awards during his five-year tenure. He also contributed to the Peacock limited series Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem.

In 2025, Giddens moved to CBS's Beyond the Gates as a breakdown writer. He is currently nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards this year—one as part of the Days of Our Lives writing team and another for his work on Beyond the Gates.

O'Connor's daytime career began at One Life to Live, where he worked as a writers' assistant before advancing to continuity script supervisor and later script writer. Following the ABC soap's cancellation in 2012, he joined the writing staff of General Hospital. In 2019, he was promoted to co-head writer alongside Chris Van Etten, a position he held until 2024.

Like Giddens, O'Connor is an award-winning writer, having received both Daytime Emmy and Writers Guild honors for his work on General Hospital.

According to TV Insider, the Y&R cast and crew have already been informed of the leadership change, with Giddens and O'Connor expected to officially begin their new roles next week.

Griffith had served as The Young and the Restless head writer since 2019. He added executive producer responsibilities in 2023 before Sally McDonald joined him as co-executive producer in 2025. Earlier this year, McDonald became the show's sole executive producer after Griffith stepped away from producing to focus exclusively on writing. His departure from the series has not yet been publicly addressed.

From the We Love Soaps Archives

Longtime We Love Soaps readers may remember that Jamey Giddens joined us as a co-host on an episode of We Love Soaps TV in April 2010. Watch the interview below.

5 Forgotten 1980s Soap Operas You Can't Watch Today

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:47:03 +0000

From CBS late-night experiments to Showtime originals and ambitious syndicated dramas, these forgotten serials pushed the boundaries of television—and then seemingly vanished.

For every Dallas, Dynasty, and General Hospital, there were ambitious soap operas that disappeared almost as quickly as they arrived. Some pushed creative boundaries. Others experimented with new formats, while a few were simply ahead of their time. Today, most survive only in promotional clips, scattered recordings, or fading memories. After hearing actor Michael Sabatino mention the obscure series Behind the Screen on the We’re Knot Done Yet podcast, I wondered how many other forgotten soaps from the era had slipped through the cracks. Here are five fascinating series that deserve another look.

Some lasted only a few months, others a full season, but all have one thing in common: they’re remarkably difficult to watch today.

Behind the Screen

October 9, 1981 - January 8, 1982 (13 episodes)
Aired Fridays on CBS at 11:30 PM ET/PT

Created by David Jacobs, creator of Dallas and Knots Landing, Behind the Screen was a CBS late-night series that followed the on- and off-camera lives of the people who work in a daytime serial called Generations.

Following a one-hour premiere, the series settled into weekly 35-minute episodes. The first episode introduces Janine Claire Willow (Janine Turner), a glamorous soap star whose personal life is controlled by her manipulative cousin and manager (Mel Ferrer) and her disabled mother (Joanne Linville), while fellow actor Nick Landers (Michael Sabatino) resents working in daytime television.

The show began to take shape about a year-and-a-half ago when Bob Daly, then president of CBS Entertainment, asked Jacobs and Lee Rich, president of Lorimar Productions, to come up with a late-night strip show.

“We couldn’t agree on a budget,” said Jacobs. “Then Bob Daly left CBS and it seemed to die. I didn’t want to do it. I felt I’d done enough serialized drama. And this was out-and-out serialized drama. But it was on tape rather than film and I felt I ought to learn tape.”

“I didn’t study the soaps,” Jacobs said. “I didn’t want to have the long scenes or the pace of a soap.”

“Behind the Screen deals with Hollywood,” he said, “which has plenty of sex. But it still doesn’t need the sexiness that Dallas had in the first six months. I like sexy stuff but I think the emphasis will be on the story. It’ll be more provocative than titillating.”

Jacobs said he is going to have fun with the soap within the soap. “For one thing,” he said, “it is going to make absolutely no sense. No one will be able to figure out what’s going on.”

The original plan was to present the show three times a week, but they settled on one night each week (Fridays).

The series cast also included Joshua Bryant, Loyita Chapel, Bruce Fairbairn, Debbi Morgan, Lew Palter and Catherine Parks.

I was able to uncover only a handful of promotional spots while researching the series. Whether complete episodes still exist remains unclear.

A New Day in Eden

December 1982 - Summer 1983 (66 episodes)
Aired Fridays on Showtime at 11:30 PM ET/PT

If CBS experimented with late-night drama, Showtime was willing to push the envelope even further.

A New Day in Eden dramatized the business and romantic problems of the people of Eden, a city that had fallen into urban decay in 1970. That led to the arrival of the American Urban Renewal Investment Corporation (AURIC), a huge conglomerate which sank billions of dollars into Eden as a “test city,” hoping that if revitalization succeeded, the corporation could then sell their expertise to other decayed cities.

When viewers first arrive in Eden—12 years after AURIC’s takeover—they find a gleaming, prosperous metropolis watched over by the corporation, a presence creator Douglas Marland compared to Orwell’s “Big Brother.” Marland insisted the real story was about the lives of the people of Eden, who come from all walks of life: presidents of industry, business executives, college students and factory workers.

As the story opens Bryan Lewis (Jim McMullan), the president of Eden’s largest industry, Lewis Electronics, finds the stability of both his company and his city threatened when John Collier (Steve Carlson), a troubleshooter from AURIC, arrives to measure the progress of Eden and its people.

The power struggles and business machinations served as a backdrop for racier activities: an older woman-younger man romance, a deflowing in a barn, father-daughter incest, and a rash of rapes, murders, and mayhem on the local college campus.

Having just left his head writing job at Guiding Light, veteran soap scribe Marland was intrigued by the opportunity.

“I was fascinated by the fact that it was new - and it was cable. Network had been there and was well established long before I came along. This is the first time I have a chance to get in on the ground floor.”

The show thrived on the taboo, showcasing bodies and a combination of sex and violence, including a sexual assault in a shower, and one storyline featured a woman seducing her romantic rival.

Marland explained that Eden moved much faster than a daytime soap.

“People can talk like people really talk, especially the young people. They can call a spade a spade. You can use words like ‘screw’ and ‘ballbreaker’ and ‘shit’ if you want to, and there are times when you do. We had a chance to establish a style of shadows and dissolves which are much more erotic, because not seeing is still much more exciting.”

Despite its controversy and the fact that the cast included Steve Carlson, Jane Elliot (fresh from her run as Tracy on General Hospital & Carrie on Guiding Light), and Lara Parker (famous as the witch Angelique on the cult Dark Shadows) and that it was produced and sometimes directed by daytime veteran Susan Flannery, A New Day in Eden only lasted 66 episodes.

In our 2009 interview with Flannery, the Emmy-winning actress reflected on working as a producer on Eden.

My producing partners, Michael Jaffe and Gary Hoffman, did New Day in Eden. It was the first soap sold to cable. It was Oak Communications. They wanted us to continue with more seasons. My partner Michael said he didn’t want to do it . I said to him, ‘Are you nuts?’ But he didn’t want to do it so we didn’t do it.”

The show’s racier scenes made it too hot for network TV but perfect for Showtime.

That’s how they sold it. But there was never really any nudity. It was always delicately shot. You know who got his first job there? Jack Wagner.

Flannery would have preferred the show to have continued production. “It was a money maker,” she revealed.

Only a single episode has surfaced on YouTube. The fate of the remaining 65 episodes remains a mystery.

Rituals

September 10, 1984 - September 6, 1985 (260 episodes)
Aired in syndication at various day and night times around the country

Cable wasn’t the only place trying new ideas. Syndication also got into the soap business with one of the decade’s most ambitious launches.

Rituals was developed by Gene Palumbo, Clifford Campion, Joyce Corrington and John William Corrington for Lorimar, and was based on a novel by Charlene Keel. The show focused on power struggles between the wealthy Chapin and Gallagher families in the fictional college town of Wingfield, Virginia.

Lorimar hoped Rituals would become the first successful syndicated daily soap, giving stations an alternative to the network serials.

The drama began with the death of matriarch Katherine Chapin, triggering a battle for her vast estate.

The ensemble featured former James Bond star George Lazenby, General Hospital favorite Kin Shriner, future Days of our Lives actress Mary Beth Evans, current Beyond the Gates star Jon Lindstrom, and Philece Sampler.

Rituals was a high-stakes venture, as one of the first made-for-syndication soap operas. At the time, many industry observers believed Rituals could open the door for a new generation of syndicated daily dramas.

Despite its star-studded cast and lavish production, it was cancelled in July 1985 following the May sweeps. The final episode was taped on July 1, 1985, and aired that September. The show aired in France and Brazil through 1990.

Some archival footage and promotional clips are available online but few complete episodes. Unless a forgotten tape collection surfaces, the series remains inaccessible to modern audiences.

Loving Friends and Perfect Couples

January 4, 1983 - November 8, 1983 (80 episodes)
Originally aired late nights on Canadian pay network First Choice then multiple weeknights at 11:00 PM on Showtime

Created by David Jacobs, Loving Friends and Perfect Couples was billed as an “adult” soap opera, including unedited nudity, profanity and simulated sex, and was ultimately a parody of soap operas similar to Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. In the United States, the series aired simultaneously on subscription television service ONTV and pay cable network Showtime until December 1983, after which U.S. broadcasts ceased.

Produced by Global Television for Lorimar Productions and Showtime, the series consisted of 80 half-hour episodes exploring intimate relationships, role-playing, and erotic themes among a group of friends and couples. Originally broadcast on the Canadian pay TV service First Choice, it was one of the earliest soap operas to incorporate explicit content, making it one of the boldest soap experiments of the decade.

Loving Friends and Perfect Couples centers on David, an unemployed architect struggling with financial difficulties and emotional turmoil as he attempts to establish a ménage à trois involving his wife and another woman in their shared living arrangement. This central plot explores the tensions arising from job loss, unconventional relationship dynamics, and the strains of group living among friends and couples.

The show included storylines about open marriages, threesomes, and personal fantasies in a contemporary urban setting.

The ensemble included Mimi Kuzyk as David’s ex-wife, Lisa Howard as Melissa, Lori Hallier as Ann, veteran soap actor Tom Hallick as Jasper, plus Ross Petty and future soap stars Cali Timmons and Jack Wagner.

To justify his investment in soaps at the time, Greg Nathanson, Senior Vice President for Showtime Entertainment - the major distributor of cable soaps - pointed out the popularity of the serial format in both television and publishing, where the success of the romantic novel had reached unprecedented proportions. “The time is right for an adult serial on pay television,” he said.

Jacobs found it easier to be real on cable.

“In cable you can create characters who change in a realistic and interesting way. On network television, this is not always possible. In Loving Friends our characters don’t pull the sheets up to their chins. When two people are making love in bed, let the sheet fall where it may.”

Today, the series remains largely unavailable through official channels, with no releases on home video, DVD, or major streaming platforms. Complete archives or episode guides are incomplete, limiting access to scattered fan-preserved materials online.

Lone Star Bar and Grill

June 15, 1983 - November 8, 1983 (at least 12 episodes, total number unconfirmed)
Aired on Showtime, Thursdays at 9 PM then Fridays at 6 PM

Created by veteran daytime soap writer Pat Falken-Smith and her producing partner Brad Radnitz, The Lone Star Bar and Grill was not a traditional soap opera. Contemporary reviewers described it as a “country-western soap opera musical series.” The show was shot on location in Houston.

Falken-Smith said what they were going for was a new genre.

“It’s a departure. It has core characters in the bar - the owners and the people who work there - but each episode is feature film length. Each one has an ending for that particular episode but ongoing characters. Each segment is resolved, yet there are unresolved elements in it. So in that sense, I suppose it would be more like Dynasty.”

In the first episode a jealous husband fantasizes what his wife is doing in a hot tub with his best friend. Falken-Smith says the scenes are in good taste.

“In reality, we intercut his fantasy with the fact that he and his wife are, actually sitting in a hot tub and she’s crying about how their marriage isn’t working out. So we’re getting the sexuality without it being reality and we’re doing it in a ballet sequence, like they did in The Blue Lagoon. It will be beautiful to look at; it won’t be overt sex.”

The Lone Star Bar and Grill is owned by Buddy Tyler (Mayf Nutter), returning home after a 6-month recuperation from a car accident. Following his accident, Buddy uses a wheelchair, is impotent, and—perhaps most devastating to him—believes he has lost the ability to sing. By the second episode, Buddy had turned to a mistress for comfort.

In addition to Nutter, the cast featured a mix of actors and musical performers, including Penny Bennett as Alma, Lindsay Bloom as Pam, Kevin Cooney as Mark, Blue Deckert as Dave, Maggie Egan as Sally, Galen Everhart as Mary Beth, Nik Hagler as Buck, Bonnie Isaac as Mattie, Dianna K. Hill as Candy, Cliff Osmond as Cal, Kent Perkins as Clete, Jeannine Riley as Arlene, Chuck Winters as Duke.

Several contemporary reports suggested The Lone Star Bar and Grill performed well for Showtime before a change in network leadership ended the experiment after one season.

There’s one promo on YouTube for the series, and a partial premiere episode at the Internet Archive. Today, the series exists largely as a curiosity, with only promotional material and scattered clips surviving online.

Why Aren’t These Soaps Available Today?

Despite loyal fan followings, many series from the 1980s remain unavailable to stream or purchase. The obstacle is rarely a lack of interest. Instead, it is a tangle of legal and financial hurdles: unclear rights after decades of corporate mergers, expensive music and talent clearances, and licensing agreements that must be renegotiated for modern distribution. In other cases, master tapes have been lost or damaged, making restoration difficult—or impossible.

Ultimately, it comes down to economics. Studios must weigh the cost of clearing rights and preparing a series for release against its potential audience. For niche titles, including many soap operas, the numbers often do not justify the expense.

Whether lost because of tangled rights issues, missing master tapes, or simple economics, these series represent a fascinating and overlooked chapter of television history. They remind us that the soap opera genre was far more adventurous than many viewers realize, extending well beyond traditional daytime television into cable, syndication, and late-night programming. Perhaps one day these forgotten serials will be restored, rediscovered, and appreciated by a new generation of fans.

Roger Newcomb is a New York–based producer, writer, and media entrepreneur. He is the founder and executive producer of the Indie Series Awards and publisher of We Love Soaps. He’s also executive producer/host of interview series We Love Soaps TV and history show Soap Opera Time Capsule.

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Y&R's Jill Tried to Stop a Wedding in 2003

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 10:08:00 +0000

Remember this unforgettable race to the altar?

Today we're revisiting a classic The Young and the Restless moment from June 2003. Determined to stop Billy and Mac's wedding, John and Jill Abbott hit an unexpected roadblock on the way to the ceremony.

But this was Jill Abbott we're talking about.

Played brilliantly by Jess Walton, Jill kicked off her high heels and sprinted the rest of the way on foot in one of the show's most memorable moments. Unfortunately, even that wasn't enough—she arrived just after Billy and Mac had already said "I do."

Relive one of Jill's most determined (and entertaining) wedding crashes below!

Were you watching Y&R in 2003? Share your memories in the comments!

Karlton T. Clay's 'The Loved and the Heartless' Continues Award-Winning Run as Creator Nears 500-Episode Milestone

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 22:17:27 +0000

Independent soap opera pioneer Karlton T. Clay continues to expand his ever-growing slate of original dramas with The Loved and the Heartless, his 17th web series and one of his most acclaimed productions to date.

Created, written, produced, directed, and showrun by Clay, The Loved and the Heartless is a fast-paced micro-drama that proves compelling soap storytelling doesn't require hour-long episodes. Each installment runs less than 10 minutes while delivering the romance, betrayal, and cliffhangers fans expect from the genre.

The series follows a group of characters whose lives are intertwined by love, heartbreak, and unexpected twists. Ashley (Caranita "Bird" Harrelson) and Raheem (Mar'Ques Woolford) appear to have found a comfortable rhythm in their casual relationship until Ashley's former flame, played by Carlos Hall, unexpectedly returns, threatening to upend everything. The ensemble cast also includes Shantelle Wheeler, Ash Williams, Jackie Harrington III, Shatareia Stokes, and Clay himself.

Rather than traditional seasons, The Loved and the Heartless is divided into "chapters." Three chapters, totaling 40 episodes, are currently available on YouTube, with production already underway on Chapter 4. Clay is also developing a crossover spin-off, The Royal and the Righteous.

The series has earned widespread recognition on the festival circuit. Among its honors are Best Drama at the 2025 NYC Web Fest, Best Web Series at the 2026 Virginia Black Film Festival, and Best Screenplay at the 2026 LA Web Fest. The production has also received awards for Best Ensemble, Best Director, and Best Poster at the 2025 British Web Awards, while Mar'Ques Woolford earned Best Actor honors at the 2025 Hollywood Series Awards.

Festival selections have included the 2025 NYC Web Fest, the 2026 Virginia Black Film Festival, and the 2026 LA Web Fest, underscoring the series' growing reputation within the independent television community.

Clay produces the series through Victory Productions, the company he founded in 2003 following his battle with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Over the past two decades, he has become one of the most prolific creators in the web soap genre, developing 17 original series.

With the upcoming release of The Loved and the Heartless Chapter 4, Clay will reach an extraordinary career milestone: writing, producing, and directing 500 episodes across his body of work. That total includes his animated project, KARLTON'S WORLD: The Animated Series, which was recently selected for the 2026 BronzeLens Film Festival in Atlanta.

For a creator who has consistently championed independent serialized storytelling, the milestone represents another significant achievement in a career dedicated to expanding the possibilities of the web soap format.

Love of Life's Lost Finale Week: Betsy Lived — And This Is What Happened Next

noreply@blogger.com (We Love Soaps) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:10:45 +0000

The End of Love of Life, Part 2: What Happened After Betsy Collapsed?

For 45 years, fans wondered if Betsy lived. Ann Marcus's final outlines — on file at the University of Wyoming — reveal what was supposed to happen next.

By Michael Poirier
Contributing Writer, We Love Soaps Insider

In Part One, we left Love of Life on February 1, 1980, with Betsy Harper collapsing on the witness stand and no resolution in sight.

Love of Life’s Betsy Harper, played by Margo McKenna, was on the witness stand in the show’s final episode on February 1, 1980.

But the story didn’t actually end there.

Fellow historian Mark Faulkner noticed something while looking through Ann Marcus’s papers: Marcus’s script outlines for Love of Life went past the last episode that aired, continuing through the following week.

The collection is on file at the American Heritage Center at the University of Wyoming. I ordered copies of those outlines, which they provide for a fee, and read through them to see what came next.

What I found is fascinating not just for what was planned, but for how much changed at the last minute. Even though Marcus said the scripts would play out as written, there were a number of revisions in the final two episodes.

Here is what the outlines show — and what changed by airtime:

What changed before the finale:

Andrew was cut. The character of Andrew was cut entirely from the January 31st episode. In the outline, he is furious that Betsy left her hospital bed to testify.
Betsy’s testimony was condensed. Her testimony was originally supposed to be spread over two days. By taping, it was combined into the finale on February 1st.
Betsy became more certain. In the outline, Betsy isn’t sure she recalls a snake. By airtime, she is much more confident about what happened in the boat.
The jury reaction was softened. The outline notes that the jury clearly doesn’t believe her. That detail was excised by tape day.
The Ray / Hal / Arlene fight was moved up. The fight between Ray and Hal in front of Arlene only starts on Friday in the outlines and continues the following Monday. By airtime, the full confrontation plays out on Friday. The outlines also don’t include Ray’s line that he “really cares” about Arlene. That was added on set.

So what would have happened the next week?

The Outline for the Week of February 4, 1980

Betsy lived.

Her test results come back fine. Her collapse was a simple case of exhaustion.

Mia and Elliott commiserate over dinner. Mia is definitely feeling remorse and Elliott is genuinely concerned for Betsy’s health. However, he is still determined to send Ben to prison. When Mia interrupts him, he reminds her that they still have a deal and promises he’ll recommend that Ben only serve a short sentence.

By the end of the week, Betsy is ready to testify again. She is steadier and more resolute on the stand. But Elliott gets her to admit she only recalls the events from a dream. Bruce and Elliott then give their final summations to the jury.

Meg and Tom

Meg is worried about what will happen to Ben, but she is desperate to hold onto the much younger Tom. In a scene following Betsy’s collapse, however, she projects confidence with her sister Van.

Meg and Tom’s plan is to get married, especially now that she has dropped the malpractice lawsuit against Liane. But after making sure Betsy is okay at the hospital, Tom takes Liane home.

Liane still hasn’t let on that she’s regained feeling in her legs, but they’re not strong enough for her to walk. Meg is upset when she learns from Bruce that Tom took Liane home. She confronts him, but he doesn’t let on that he and Liane kissed. She tells him she loves him but doesn’t want any strings attached. He clearly does, but has yet to tell her that he and Meg are engaged to be married.

Arlene, Ray, and Hal

Arlene is distraught that she can’t convince Ray that the baby is really his. She tells Dr. Graham and her mother Carrie that she has decided she wants an abortion. Carrie is horrified that it has gone this far and insists that she and Arlene go away on a vacation so Arlene can relax and think it over. Arlene says she doesn’t want to see Ray again.

Amy’s Secret

Amy still hasn’t played her cards and revealed to Bruce that she is his daughter, or that her mother ended up in a mental institution — something for which she blames Bruce.

Her confidant Joel knows her secret and constantly puts the moves on her. Amy, however, has feelings for Steve. She finally shares a kiss with him after making him dinner. One complication: Steve is very fond of Bruce and Van. If only he knew what Amy was really up to.

Kim and Tran

Kim is packing for her and Tran’s trip to see a dying Jean. Tony agrees to drop them off at the airport and pick them up. Kim has to remind Tran that Tony isn’t going with them.

Is There More?

Absolutely.

As associate producer Paul Sladkus told a reporter as the show wrapped, “What do I do with all this stuff? We have a future storyline for six months.”

Is that also in the Marcus collection? Perhaps.

There is a miscellaneous file in the archive that contains story projections, conference notes, and other material. One day, myself or some other researcher may search through that folder to see if any of the projections go beyond February 1st.

For now, we finally know: Betsy lived, the trial continued, and Rosehill was supposed to go on.

Native New Englander Mike Poirier has written for numerous maritime journals and national newspapers. His research and memorabilia collection can be seen in many liner books and TV specials, including Erik Larson’s best seller, “Dead Wake”. He also co-authored, “Into the Danger Zone” with Tad Fitch.

Classic Soap Opera Videos, Interviews & Playlists

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 01:58:51 +0000

For nearly two decades, We Love Soaps has built an extensive library of original video content while also preserving some of the best classic soap opera footage we've discovered along the way.

We're currently updating our YouTube channel, organizing interviews, rare clips, retrospectives, and original programming into easy-to-browse playlists. We're also expanding our collection of classic daytime soap opera content, with a wealth of new Another World videos recently added—and much more on the way.

You'll also find complete episodes of our original series, including We Love Soaps TV, Serial Scoop Now, Soap Opera Time Capsule, and our special The Ellen Holly Story.

Below are links to some of our most-watched playlists. Whether you're revisiting old favorites or discovering something new, there's plenty to explore.

>!-- more -->

Episodes & Clips Playlists (by show)

Promos, Music & Montages Playlists

Soap Opera Promos & Advertisements
Soap Opera Musical Guest Stars

Interviews Playlists (by show)

All My Children
As the World Turns
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
Guiding Light
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless

Awards Hub Playlists

Daytime Emmys Red Carpet & Press Room
Soap Opera Musical Guest Stars

How CBS Killed Love of Life: The Time Slot Change That Ended a 28-Year Soap

noreply@blogger.com (We Love Soaps) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 23:03:35 +0000

The End of Love of Life: How CBS Canceled a Daytime Institution

Network politics, a brutal time-slot change, and a last-minute creative revival couldn't save one of daytime's longest-running soaps.

CBS soap opera Love of Life ended on February 1, 1980, after Betsy Harper collapsed on the witness stand.

By Michael Poirier
Contributing Writer, We Love Soaps Insider

For more than 45 years, Love of Life fans have wondered what happened after Betsy Harper collapsed on the witness stand.

When CBS aired its final episode on February 1, 1980, viewers were left with one of daytime’s most memorable unresolved cliffhangers and no indication the story would ever continue.It was a cruel ending for a show that had been a CBS staple since its premiere on September 24, 1951. Created by Roy Winsor, Love of Life survived cast changes, sponsor shifts, and network regime changes, and for most of its run, it pulled respectable ratings. As late as 1975 and 1976, it was beating General Hospital and One Life to Live.

Then the ground shifted under all of daytime.

The Hour Expansion Squeeze

In 1975, soaps began expanding from 30 minutes to 60, leaving less room on the afternoon schedule. Rumors swirled in 1978 that Search for Tomorrow would be the one to go to an hour.

Creator William J. Bell said CBS had been pressuring him to expand The Young and the Restless. He, producer John Conboy, and senior writer Kay Alden were united in resisting.

Love of Life was already vulnerable. By 1977, it had slipped into the bottom three in the Nielsens. By October 1978, it was dead last.

Longtime producer Jean Arley and associate producer Tom DeVilliers were fired. CBS brought in Cathy Abbi, who had been on the production staff of The Young and the Restless. She immediately upgraded the production. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent on new sets designed to rival the show she had just left.

Behind the scenes, the writing was also faltering. The press zeroed in on head writer Jean Holloway, arguing she was in over her head. Her sole focus was a new character, Bambi Brewster, with longtime favorites reduced to reacting to her. Veteran scribe Ann Marcus was set to take over just as CBS made its next move.

The Fatal Time Slot Change

CBS Daytime executive Mike Ogiens decided to rearrange the lineup in a way that would prove fatal to Winsor’s soap.

Love of Life would move from its longtime home at 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The impact was immediate. The show had been cleared by an average of 181 affiliates in its late-morning slot. Starting the week of April 23, 1979, 40 affiliates dropped it altogether. Ratings fell from a 5.5 to a 4.4. The next week, they collapsed to a 3.3.

Many observers have long wondered whether the move was also designed to increase pressure on Bill Bell to expand The Young and the Restless. The timing certainly fueled that perception. Just two months after Love of Life was moved, CBS announced that Y&R would go to an hour.

As Bell later remembered, even as he continued to resist, the network told him his show was going to an hour with or without him.

Y&R producer John Conboy spoke candidly to the press about their trepidation:

“I have very ambivalent feelings about the show’s going to an hour, because so far I have not seen a show that went to an hour work as well… We’re all looking for the panacea of how to do an hour. It’s a drain on writers and producers.”

Back at Love of Life, the cast and crew were furious. Associate producer Paul Sladkus called Ogiens’ decision a mistake.

“A soap builds an audience. It becomes a habit which viewers plan their day around. To totally change the time slot is deadly. Also we’re not preceded by a soap.”

The Marcus Revival

What happened next is often overlooked. Ann Marcus, whose credits included Love Is a Many Splendored Thing, Search for Tomorrow, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Days of Our Lives, re-energized Love of Life.

She returned the focus to longtime characters like Van, Bruce, Ben, Meg, Betsy, and Arlene, while amping up the drama with complex villains like Mia and Elliott. Exciting new characters like Liane and Amy, played by a young Dana Delany, gave viewers of all ages something to watch.

Journalist Lynda Hirsch praised the turnaround, noting: “A day on Love of Life is comparable to what was once a week on that show.”

When the soap celebrated its 28th anniversary in September 1979, cast and crew past and present gathered. John Aniston, Jessica Walter, Nancy Marchand, and Beatrice Straight were among the alumni who returned. Producer Cathy Abbi ended her speech with what sounded like a public appeal to CBS: “There has been 28 years of Love of Life, and we have a lot more love to give.” Christopher Reeve, who played Ben from 1974 to 1976, also dropped by the set to catch up with old friends.

The Last Story

Marcus planned a story that would play through the final episode. She looked back on how it evolved in her autobiography Whistling Girl:

“I concocted a story paying homage to Theodore Dreiser’s novel, An American Tragedy. Or was it the movie I paid homage to called A Place in the Sun, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift?”

Producer Abbi arranged a location shoot at Lake Tiorati in Harriman State Park to facilitate the story.

“When a script calls for running through leaves, or boating and water scenes, it’s time to head for the real thing. We believe our audience enjoys the location scenes from time to time. We do too.”

The story: Elliott Lang, played by Ted LePlat, raped his estranged wife Betsy, played by Margo McKenna, leading to a pregnancy. Betsy and her former husband Ben Harper, played by Chandler Hill Harben, reconciled and planned to reunite. Ben’s former lover Mia Marriott, played by Veleka Gray, conspired with Elliott to keep them apart.

Mia called Betsy at the Crestline lake house to taunt her that Ben could never accept another man’s child. Distraught, Betsy ran past Ben toward the lake. Seeing a rowboat, she got in to find a place to think. Ben followed and they agreed to talk.

As he rowed, he noticed a snake slithering from under her seat and wrapping around her body. He told her to stay still as he tried to remove it with an oar. In a panic, she fell overboard. She lost the baby.

Elliott then claimed Ben had attacked Betsy and intentionally hit her, demanding Ben be charged with murder for the unborn child. Betsy, suffering memory loss about the incident in the boat, couldn’t corroborate Ben’s story.

There was one bright spot that December: the Christmas wedding of Van and Meg’s widowed mother Sarah to Professor Timothy McCauley.

Shortly after it aired, CBS lowered the boom. Love of Life was canceled.

The Final Days

Abbi was told on Sunday, January 6, 1980, that the last episode would air February 1. She pulled out her phone book and began calling the cast and crew. Longtime director Larry Auerbach helped by reaching out to actors including Ron Tomme, who played Bruce. Audrey Peters, who had played heroine Van since 1959, was on vacation in Florida when they phoned her with the bad news.

Head writer Ann Marcus was livid and immediately contacted CBS executives.

“Mike Ogiens and I went round on this. He wanted everything tidied up. But we didn’t have enough notice so we’ve left things kind of hanging… I hope they get a lot of angry calls about it. Isn’t that mean of me?”

Confronted by the press about the cancellation, Ogiens conceded that “maybe” his scheduling decision had something to do with it, but pointed out the soap was in a “three-year decline.”

The final tape day was January 24. Several people were sick with colds, and W.T. Martin missed the last few days of shooting, leaving his character Hal to be played by multiple actors.

CBS News came to the set to film the cast and crew on the last day. Audrey Peters, sitting in the makeup chair, got emotional talking to the reporter. In a follow-up interview she said:

“I have nothing to do right now. I’m sitting in a courtroom, not opening my mouth on camera. It’s kind of frustrating. Maybe it’s good because if I had a heavy scene, I might break down.”

Tudi Wiggins, who played her TV sister Meg, waxed poetic about the situation:

“Love of Life, to me, is a lady and she’s going away at 28, and that’s very sad. No matter what’s been done to her, she’s been loved. What is wonderful is she’s leaving as a lady.”

Should the show have given Audrey Peters the last line? Personally, I think so. They could have had Van, holding Bruce, looking at Betsy on the witness stand and saying, “She has to be okay. She has such a love of life.”

In the end, the credits rolled over longtime director Larry Auerbach walking past the sets of fictional Rosehill for the last time and closing the door to Studio 41.

“It’s awful,” he said. “I put it on the air and I’m taking it off.”

“We’ll Be Together Again” played in the background during his final stroll. Search for Tomorrow ended in December 1986 with the same song. Roy Winsor, who created both soaps, died shortly afterward on May 31, 1987.

The irony of canceling Love of Life so Y&R could become an hour? Y&R’s ratings sank. In 1979, it frequently ranked number one. The following year, not only were ABC’s soaps beating it, but CBS’s Guiding Light and As the World Turns were often outperforming it as well.

But the story didn’t actually end when the credits rolled on February 1, 1980.

While researching the series, fellow historian Mark Faulkner discovered that Ann Marcus’s story outlines extended beyond the final broadcast. I obtained copies from the University of Wyoming, where Marcus’s papers are archived, and they reveal — for the first time — what would have happened next.

In Part Two, we’ll finally answer the question Love of Life fans have been asking for more than 45 years: Did Betsy survive? What became of Ben, Mia, Elliott, Van, Meg, Amy, Arlene, and the rest of Rosehill?

Native New Englander Mike Poirier has written for numerous maritime journals and national newspapers. His research and memorabilia collection can be seen in many liner books and TV specials, including Erik Larson’s best seller, “Dead Wake”. He also co-authored, “Into the Danger Zone” with Tad Fitch.

This Week in Soap Opera History: July 12-18

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 18:04:43 +0000

"This Week in Soap Opera History" is a curated video roundup celebrating the milestones, debuts, cliffhangers, weddings, and unforgettable twists that aired during this same week across the decades.

This week features the premiere of One Life to Live, the debut of Y&R's Cricket, the weddings of Guiding Light's Josh & Reva and B&B's Nick and Bridget, the 1986 Daytime Emmys, and much more.

Watch the full highlights below:

Daytime Emmy Awards Nominations: Y&R Leds the Pack with 18, BTG earns 15

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 23:54:52 +0000

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has announced the nominees for the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. The ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.

The Young and the Restless leads all daytime series with 18 nominations, followed by Beyond the Gates with 15 and General Hospital with 13. All are nominated for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series along with Days of our Lives, which has eight nominations. The Bold and the Beautiful, which did not receve a Drama Series nod, has seven.

Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates CBS
Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
General Hospital ABC
The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY NBC
The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures
The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Live with Kelly and Mark Disney Entertainment Distribution
TODAY with Jenna & Friends NBC
The View ABC

Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Entertainment Tonight CBS Media Ventures
Extra Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]

Outstanding Culinary Instructional Series
Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen Outdoor Channel [Intuitive Content]
Be My Guest with Ina Garten Food Network [Pacific Productions]
Delicious Miss Brown Food Network [FRANK.]
Magnolia Table: At The Farm Magnolia Network [Blind Nil]
Pati’s Mexican Table PBS [Mexican Table LLC | Early Light Media]

Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series
America The Bountiful PBS [Credo Nonfiction]
Best Ever Food Review Show Best Ever Food Review Show on YouTube
Fork & Hammer American Public Television [Susie Films]
Lucky Chow PBS [Lucky Rice]
Savor The City TV-One [Powerhouse Productions]

Outstanding Legal / Courtroom Series
Caught in Providence Debmar-Mercury
Divorce Court FOX
Justice For The People with Judge Milian Entertainment Studios
Mathis Court with Judge Mathis Entertainment Studios

Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program
Expedition Unknown Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]
Long Way Home Apple [Long Way Productions]
The Lovely Lemurs of Madagascar Pets.TV [Allen Media Group]
Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross Roku [Joy Mill Entertainment | Story Syndicate | Artists First]
Superskilled with Eva zu Beck National Geographic

Outstanding Instructional / How-To Program
Ask This Old House PBS | Roku [This Old House Productions]
Fixer Upper: Colorado Mountain House Magnolia Network [Blind Nil]
Home Town Takeover HGTV [RTR Media Inc.]
The Last Wright: Building the Final Home Design of America’s Greatest Architect Magnolia Network [One Traveler | All 3 Media | A | Miziker Entertainment]
This Old House PBS | Roku [This Old House Productions]

Outstanding Lifestyle Program
A Different Breed InkBlot Narratives [Purina Films]
George to the Rescue NBC
With Love, Meghan Netflix [Sony Pictures Television | Archewell Productions]
The Motherhood Hallmark Channel | Hallmark+ [Scout Productions | Deep Blue Productions]
The Wizard of Paws BYUtv [Nomadica Films | The Dodo | Vox Media Studios]

Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood An Entertainment Tonight Special CBS Media Ventures
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter The Hollywood Reporter [IFC]
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors CNN Digital | Variety
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors PBS
Working in the Theatre AmericanTheatreWing.org

Outstanding Daytime Special
Critics Choice 2nd Annual Celebration of LBGTQ+ Cinema & Television Here TV
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Disney Yellow Shoes Studios | Film 45 | EverWonder Studio]
Living Proof Hulu [The DIVA Foundation | Shivelight LLC | Zables & Associates]
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]
Unleashing Hope: The Power of Service Dogs for Children with Autism Hulu [NY27 Productions | Shivelight LLC | Zables & Associates]

Outstanding Daytime Short Form Program
Catalyst LinkedIn News
Glam Through The Ages KeyTV Network
Most-Ordered Eater
The Path with Ryan Roslansky LinkedIn News
Stand Up and Do Something with Michael Jr.
BYUtv [Monument Pictures]

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Stacy Haiduk as Kristen DiMera for Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
Karla Mosley as Dani Dupree for Beyond the Gates CBS
Michelle Stafford as Phyllis Summers for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Heather Tom as Katie Logan for The Bold and the Beautiful CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
Tamara Tunie as Anita Williams Dupree for Beyond the Gates CBS

Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Eric Braeden as Victor Newman for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Steve Burton as Jason Morgan for General Hospital ABC
Scott Clifton as Liam Spencer for The Bold and the Beautiful CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
Thorsten Kaye as Ridge Forrester for The Bold and the Beautiful CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
Christian Jules LeBlanc as Michael Baldwin for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress
Linsey Godfrey as Sarah Horton for Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
Camryn Grimes as Mariah Copeland for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Beth Maitland as Traci Abbott for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Trisha Mann-Grant as Leslie Thomas for Beyond the Gates CBS
Amanda Setton as Brook Lynn Quartermaine for General Hospital ABC

Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Daytime Drama Series: Actor
Sean Dominic as Nate Hastings for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Timon Kyle Durrett as Bill Hamilton for Beyond the Gates CBS
Michael Graziadei as Daniel Romalotti for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Roger Howarth as Matt Clark for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
Mike Manning as Bradley “Smitty” Smith for Beyond the Gates CBS
Lawrence Saint-Victor as Carter Walton for The Bold and the Beautiful CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]

Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner as Emma Scorpio-Drake for General Hospital ABC
Al Calderon as Javier Hernandez for Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
Alice Halsey as Rachel Black for Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
Giovanni Mazza as Gio Palmieri for General Hospital ABC
Ambyr Michelle as Eva Thomas for Beyond the Gates CBS
Arielle Prepetit as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne for Beyond the Gates CBS

Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke as June Hughes for Beyond the Gates CBS
Jeff Kober as Cyrus Renault for General Hospital ABC
Eva LaRue as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez for General Hospital ABC
Christopher Sean as Paul Narita for Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
Ray Wise as Ian Ward for The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro for The View ABC
Kelly Clarkson for The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Tamron Hall for Tamron Hall Disney Entertainment Distribution
Jennifer Hudson for The Jennifer Hudson Show Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
Sherri Shepherd for Sherri Debmar-Mercury

Outstanding Culinary Host
Kardea Brown for Delicious Miss Brown Food Network [FRANK.]
Danielle Chang for Lucky Chow PBS [Lucky Rice]
Ina Garten for Be My Guest with Ina Garten Food Network [Pacific Productions]
Pati Jinich for Pati’s Mexican Table PBS [Mexican Table LLC | Early Light Media]
Andrew Zimmern for Andrew Zimmern’s Wild Game Kitchen Outdoor Channel [Intuitive Content]

Outstanding Daytime – Daily
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour for Extra Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner for Entertainment Tonight CBS Media Ventures
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez for Access Hollywood NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Star Jones & Corey Jovan for Divorce Court FOX

Outstanding Daytime Personality – Non-Daily
Joy Behar, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro for The Weekend View ABC News Live
Derrick Campana for The Wizard of Paws BYUtv [Nomadica Films | The Dodo | Vox Media Studios]
Giada De Laurentiis for Giada in My Kitchen Prime Video [Butternut]
Keke Palmer for Glam Through The Ages KeyTV Network
Joseph Rosendo for Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out PBS | Joseph Rosendo Presents
Eva zu Beck for Superskilled with Eva zu Beck National Geographic

Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates CBS
The Bold and the Beautiful CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
General Hospital ABC

Outstanding Writing for a Daytime Non-Fiction Series
Ask This Old House “Thank You Roger Cook” PBS | Roku [This Old House Productions]
Expedition Unknown “Searching for World War II’s Lost Hero” Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]
Joseph Rosendo’s Steppin’ Out “Cuba” PBS [Joseph Rosendo Presents]
Lucky Chow “Made in Taiwan” PBS [Lucky Rice]
This Old House “Asheville Rebuilds” PBS | Roku [This Old House Productions]

Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of our Lives Peacock [Corday Productions, Inc. | Sony Pictures Television]
General Hospital ABC
The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Non-Studio Non-Fiction Series
A Different Breed “The Season Begins” InkBlot Narratives [Purina Films]
Let Frankie Cook “Pasta From Scratch” Tastemade [Linguine Pictures]
Samantha Brown’s Places To Love “Crystal Coast of North Carolina” PBS [Samantha Brown Media]
Superskilled with Eva zu Beck “How I Survived a Trek Through the Desert Alone” National Geographic
The Wizard of Paws “Buster’s New Kicks” BYUtv [Nomadica Films | The Dodo | Vox Media Studios]

Outstanding Directing for a Daytime Studio Non-Fiction Series
Craft Roundtables – Editors IndieWire.com
The Drew Barrymore Show Episode 5127 CBS Media Ventures
Entertainment Tonight Episode 45.7 CBS
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
TODAY with Jenna & Friends “Hoda-Bration” NBC

Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates Episode 103 CBS
Have Guitar Will Travel World “The Shetland Sound” PBS [Have Guitar Will Travel World, LLC]
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Let Frankie Cook “Getting the Band Back Together” Tastemade [Linguine Pictures]
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]

Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates Episode 104 CBS
The Bold and the Beautiful Episode 9511 CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Disney Yellow Shoes Studios | Film 45 | EverWonder Studio]
The Jennifer Hudson Show Episode 4041 Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]

Outstanding Cinematography or Camerawork for a Daytime Program
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade ABC [Disney Yellow Shoes Studios | Film 45 | EverWonder Studio]
France Made with Love PBS [Symbio Studios]
General Hospital Episode 15719 ABC
Long Way Home “Lost in Lapland” Apple [Long Way Productions]
Superskilled with Eva zu Beck “They Climb in Skirts… I Tried to Keep Up” National Geographic
TrueSouth “Ocean Springs, MS” ESPN | ABC | SEC Network [Bluefoot Entertainment]

Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Non-Studio Program
A Different Breed “The Season Begins” InkBlot Narratives [Purina Films]
Expedition Unknown “Great Pyramid Secrets Revealed” Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]
King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch “Ken-ichiwa!” Netflix [Wheelhouse’s Spoke Studios | Omaha Productions | Full Day Productions]
Long Way Home “Deep in the Forest” Apple [Long Way Productions]
The Wizard of Paws “Buster’s New Kicks” BYUtv [Nomadica Films | Vox Media Studios | The Dodo]

Outstanding Editing for a Daytime Studio Program
Craft Roundtables – Editors IndieWire.com
The Drew Barrymore Show Episode 5137 CBS Media Ventures
Extra Extra at the Emmys Warner Bros. Television Group [Telepictures]
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 Universal Television

Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Prerecorded Daytime Program
Bare Feet with Mickela Mallozzi “Wild Atlantic Way North, Ireland” PBS [Sauce & Liver Productions, LLC]
Dream of Europe “London Part 1 with Abbey Road Studios” PBS [Dream of Italy Productions, LLC]
Expedition Unknown “The Man-Eating Lions of Kenya” Discovery Channel [Ping Pong Productions]
Forever Young with Dr. Pablo Prichard “Wheel Of Age” NBC [Hearst Media Production Group | Agency X]
Long Way Home “Lost in Lapland” Apple [Long Way Productions]

Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Daytime Program
The Bold and the Beautiful Episode 9658 CBS [Bell-Phillip TV Productions, Inc.]
The Jennifer Hudson Show Episode 4039 Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5007 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]
The Young and the Restless Episode 13260 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Lighting Direction for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates Episode 104 CBS
General Hospital Episode 15624 ABC
The Jennifer Hudson Show Episode 4010 Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 6169 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]

Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design for a Daytime Program
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Live with Kelly and Mark Episode 250414 Disney Entertainment Distribution
The View Episode 6280 ABC
The Young and the Restless Episode 13145 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
The Young and the Restless Episode 13244 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Costume Design / Styling for a Daytime Program
The Jennifer Hudson Show Episode 4140 Warner Bros. Television [Telepictures]
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade NBC | Peacock [Done & Dusted]
The Young and the Restless Episode 13149 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]
The Young and the Restless Episode 13273 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates Episode 103 CBS
General Hospital Episode 15719 ABC
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033 NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
The Young and the Restless Episode 13273 CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates CBS
General Hospital ABC
The Young and the Restless CBS [Sony Pictures Television]

Outstanding Main Title and Graphic Design for a Daytime Program
The Drew Barrymore Show CBS Media Ventures
The Kelly Clarkson Show NBCUniversal Syndication Studios
Tamron Hall Disney Entertainment Distribution

Scott Bryce, Beloved 'As the World Turns' Star, Dies at 68

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 18:11:30 +0000

Actor Scott Bryce was nominated for two Daytime Emy Awards for his work on As the World Turns.

Scott Bryce, the Emmy-nominated actor whose unforgettable portrayal of Craig Montgomery made him one of As the World Turns' most popular leading men, died Sunday, July 12, following a battle with esophageal and stomach cancer. He was 68.

The news was confirmed by Bryce's longtime friend Lucie Arnaz, daughter of television icons Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.

"A wonderful actor, a beautiful man and a terrific husband and father, Scott Bryce passed tonight," Arnaz wrote in a Facebook tribute. "I am going to miss his eyes, his smile, his wit, his brain, his intelligence, his talent, his bravery, his laugh and his hugs."

She also offered her condolences to Bryce's wife, Jodi Stevens, whom he married in 2003, and their son, Jackson.

"Dearest Jodi, dear Jackson, he's watching over you now from a place of pure joy and will always be your guide. But I hate these goodbyes. Rest in peace, you marvelous, magnificent man."

Bryce first appeared as Craig Montgomery in 1982, quickly transforming the ambitious businessman into one of As the World Turns' most compelling and complex characters. Whether Craig was scheming for power, fighting for love, or seeking redemption, Bryce brought undeniable charisma and emotional depth to every performance.

He portrayed Craig from 1982 to 1991, returned from 1993 to 1994, and made a final run in the role from 2007 to 2008. His work earned Daytime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1986 and 1987.

Meg Ryan as Betsy Stewart and Scott Bryce as Craig Montgomery on As the World Turns.

While Bryce will always be remembered by daytime fans for his years in Oakdale, his career extended far beyond soaps. He appeared in numerous primetime series, including The Facts of Life, Blue Bloods, 30 Rock, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Sex and the City, showcasing his versatility across television.

In 2025, Bryce revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal and stomach cancer. Speaking on The Locher Room, he said he was initially reluctant to share his diagnosis publicly until his wife encouraged him to do so in the hope that his experience might help others facing similar battles.

At We Love Soaps, we had the privilege of interviewing Scott Bryce in 2014. Off camera, he was every bit as engaging as the characters he portrayed—intelligent, funny, candid, and deeply appreciative of the fans who followed his work throughout the years.

Scott Bryce leaves behind a body of work that spans decades, but for soap opera fans, he will forever be remembered as the definitive Craig Montgomery. His performances continue to inspire, and his legacy will live on through the stories he helped tell.

We invite you to revisit our 2014 conversation with Scott Bryce above as we celebrate the life and career of a truly gifted actor.

7 Memorable Soap Opera Theme Songs With Lyrics

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:02:10 +0000

Peabo Bryson (left) sappeared on One Life to Live to sing the show's theme song, while Gary Morris and Crystal Gayle performed the Another World theme.

For decades, soap opera theme songs did more than open the show—they set the mood, told a story, and became part of fans' daily routines. While most daytime dramas relied on instrumental themes, a handful featured songs with memorable lyrics that stayed with viewers long after the credits rolled.

Back when networks regularly aired full closing credits, fans could actually hear the complete versions of these songs and sing along. Some even became part of the shows themselves. On Another World, Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris performed "(You Take Me Away To) Another World," while The Young and the Restless featured Gina Roma singing a vocal version of the show's iconic theme, based on "Nadia's Theme."

Below are some of our favorite soap opera theme songs with lyrics. We've included classic television performances along with fan-posted videos so a new generation can discover them—and longtime viewers can relive the memories.

Did we include your favorite? Let us know in the comments, and tell us which soap theme still gives you chills when you hear it.

The Young and the Restless - "Nadia's Theme"

Memorable lyric: Gone, dreams of the past, gone with a love that moved too fast

One Life to Live - "One Life To Live"

Memorable lyric: I'll give you tomorrow, let me be the one to share it with. And each day that follows, 'cause we only have one life to live

The Edge of Night - "The Edge of Night"

Memorable lyric: The Edge of Night, half dark, half light

Search for Tomorrow - "Search for Tomorrow"

Memorable lyric: Be it pleasure or sorrow, we'll search for tomorrow.

Passions - "Breathe"

Memorable lyric: Breathe in breathe out, you keep me alive, you are my fire, my passions for life

Another World - "(You Take Me Away To) Another World"

Memorable lyric:You are my way (you are my way) to another world, you are the one that lets me fly so high, you are the rain when my spirits run dry

Guiding Light- "Hold On To Love"

Memorable lyric: Hold on to love, cause love is all that we need, and love will find a way if we just hold on

Guiding Light - "Only Love"

Memorable lyric: Everybody clings to sex like soap on a rope

UPDATE:

A reader reminded us about the theme song from Never Too Young, the 1964-1966 daytime soap starring Tony Dow from Leave it to Beaver. You can watch and listen below.

Never Too Young - "Never Too Young"

Memorable lyric: Say you'll be my girl and we'll show the world we're never too young

Today in Soap Opera History: July 13

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:04:27 +0000

1983: All My Children's Tad returned to Pine Valley. 1990: Days of our Lives' Hope "died" in an explosion.
1999: As the World Turns' Jack gave Carly a compass. 2009: The Young and the Restless' Phillip revealed he was gay.

On this day in...

1965: On Another World, Lee Randolph (Gaye Huston) wasn't happy when Dr. Lewis said she could go home at the end of the week.

1966: On The Guiding Light, Leslie Bauer (Lynne Adams) accused her husband, Ed (Robert Gentry), of becoming a "cold blooded cynic" to help soothe his anger of his father's drinking.

1982: Renee Jones taped her first episode as Nikki Wade in Days of our Lives, a part she played until 1983. She left the show in 2012 after many years playing a different role, Lexie Carver.

1983: On All My Children, Tad Martin (Michael E. Knight) returned to Pine Valley and caught up with his mother, Opal (Dorothy Lyman).

1989: At the end of that day's Guiding Light episode, Grant Aleksander (Phillip) did a voice over to go along with the "Christopher Bernau In Memoriam" image displayed before closing credits. Bernau had died on June 14, 1989, at age 49.

1990: On Days of our Lives, Hope Brady (Kristian Alfonso) and Ernesto Toscano (Eric Mason) vanished, and were presumed dead, following an electrical explosion.

1994: On Guiding Light, Jenna Bradshaw (Fiona Hutchison) took a home pregnancy test.

1999: On As the World Turns, at the boathouse, Jack Snyder (Michael Park) gave Carly Tenney (Maura West) a compass so she could always find her way back to him.

2000: Burt Douglas, who played Jim Fisk on Days of our Lives in its first year, died at age 69.

2005: Mark Raffety aired for the final time as Darcy Tyler in Australian soap Neighbours.

2006: Red Buttons, who played Al Baker on Knots Landing, died at age 87.

2009: On The Young and the Restless, a returned-from-the-dead Phillip Chancellor (Thom Bierdz) revealed to his family that he gay.

2013: Glee star Cory Monteith died at age 31.

Today's Birthdays

Patrick Stewart (ex-Fire Officer, Coronation Street) - 86
Carmen Thomas (ex-Hillary, All My Children; ex-Karen, Melrose Place) - 59
Robert Gant (ex-David, The Young and the Restless; ex-Ben, Queer as Folk) - 58
Amy Stewart (ex-Helen, Undressed) - 53
Kenny Johnson (Caleb, Bates Motel) - 53
John Colella (ex-Don, Vampire Mob)
Ashley Scott (ex-Mary, UnREAL) - 49
Philip Barantini (ex-Danny, Doctors) - 46
Michael Mando (Nacho, Better Call Saul) - 45
Steven R. McQueen (Jeremy, The Vampire Diaries) - 38
Colton Haynes (Roy, Arrow; ex-Jack, American Horror Story; ex-Jackson, Teen Wolf; ex-Brett, The Gates; ex-Jesse, Melrose Place; ex-Alexander, Privileged) - 38
Matthew Arnett (ex-Devin, Gossip Boy) - 37
Dylan Patton (ex-Will, Days of our Lives) - 34
Hayley Erin (ex-Kiki, General Hospital; ex-Abby, The Young and the Restless) - 32

'Days of our Lives' Weekly Preview: July 13-17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 06:12:00 +0000

This week on Days of our Lives, "as old secrets surface, everything begins to unravel."

We know EJ steps up his game against Kristen on Monday. Watch the sneak peek video below to see what else is coming up.

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‘General Hospital’ Preview: July 13-17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:38:57 +0000

What's coming up on General Hospital next week? Check out the daily spoilers below to find out.

Monday, July 13
Jason returns to Port Charles; Anna receives a warning; Laura's choice appalls Tracy; Britt makes an accusation; Carly is caught off-guard.

Tuesday, July 14
Jason explains his actions; Kai becomes privy to shocking information; Jordan strikes out; Elizabeth stands her ground; Valentin is suspicious.

Wednesday, July 15
Anna seeks answers; Josslyn reveals a secret; Nina and Brennan plot their next move; Curtis voices his gratitude; Gio and Trina get big news.

Thursday, July 16
Emma and Gio discuss their future; Obrecht lashes out; Anna interrogates Britt; Isaiah interrupts Portia and Curtis; Cody delivers difficult news.

Friday, July 17
Carly draws a boundary with Sonny; Valentin makes his feelings clear; Trina and Josslyn clear the air; Lulu cautions Ethan; Nina opens up to Brennan.

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- Dean Geyer Joins 'General Hospital' as Tristan Roberts
- Soap Opera Time Capsule Premiere Looks at Daytime TV in March 1981
- Remembering Randy Mantooth: An Unpublished Interview with the 'Loving' Star

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

‘Bold and the Beautiful’ Preview: July 13-17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:17:01 +0000

The Logan versus Forrester Creations battle is heating up on The Bold and the Beautiful. Check out the daily spoilers below for a sneak peek at what's coming up next week.

Monday, July 13
Will turns to Bill for guidance; Sheila pleads with Finn for another chance.

Tuesday, July 14
Daphne receives devastating news; Jessica encourages Dylan to make her move.

Wednesday, July 15
Will is consumed by regret over not being honest with Electra; Steffy offers Daphne comfort and support.

Thursday, July 16
Ridge and Eric hope the latest couture showing will shift attention away from Logan; Will attempts to get through to Electra; Carter and Daphne's marriage is tested like never before.

Friday, July 17
Steffy and Finn find themselves at a defining crossroads; Eric draws a hard line, demanding Will stay away from his family; the women at Bikini try to help Will move on.

RELATED:
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- Remembering Randy Mantooth: An Unpublished Interview with the 'Loving' Star

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

'The Young and the Restless' Spoilers: July 13-17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:14:00 +0000
What's coming up next week on The Young and the Restless?

Check out the day-to-day spoilers below to get a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Monday, July 13
Diane sits vigil at Jack's bedside; Lauren reminisces with Ashley and Traci; Billy commiserates with Kyle.

Tuesday, July 14
Victor gives Kyle a warning shot; Sally accuses Adam and Chelsea of sabotaging her company; Nikki struggles with her new condition.

Wednesday, July 15
Victor accuses Nikki of betrayal; Jack and Diane find their way back to each other; Kyle bargains with Patty.

Thursday, July 16
Victor plays hardball with Spectra-Charles; Victoria and Claire honor Cole's memory; Nikki is concerned about Nick's sobriety.

Friday, July 17
Victor and Nikki agree to a fresh start; Lily and Nate worry about Devon; Matt Clark causes problems for Noah and Sienna.

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- Remembering Randy Mantooth: An Unpublished Interview with the 'Loving' Star

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

'Beyond the Gates' Spoilers: July 13-17, 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 19:42:54 +0000
What's coming up next week on Beyond the Gates?

Check out the day-to-day spoilers below to get a glimpse of what’s ahead.

Monday, July 13
Bill is rushed to the hospital; Andre and Dani try to get on the same page; Chelsea's proposition does not sit well with Kat; Nicole worries her daughter's latest decision was made for all the wrong reasons.

Tuesday, July 14
Dani gets a call that causes her to make an impromptu visit; Chelsea, Naomi and Madison present a united front; Hayley's advice causes Tomas to clash with Naomi; Ted is flabbergasted by Kat's recent actions.

Wednesday, July 15
Doug's final words startle Joey; Deanna sets a dastardly plan in motion; Jacob accompanies Naomi to her oncology appointment with Monica; Hayley and Randy plot to accelerate their con.

Thursday, July 16
Smitty and Martin recall this time last year when their marriage hit the skids; Naomi updates her cousins on her health status; Vanessa, Joey and Deanna have a tense dinner; Pamela bolsters a guilt-ridden Dani.

Friday, July 17
Leslie's announcement induces panic; Joey has a proposition for Vanessa; Deanna seeks some much-needed advice from those she trusts; one family celebrates their shared wins while a set of siblings compete with each other.

RELATED:
- First Look: Genoa City Comes to Fairmont Crest in Historic Y&R–Beyond the Gates Crossover
- 'Beyond the Gates' Renewed Through 2027-2028 Season
- 3 Favorite Things That Happened on 'Beyond the Gates' This Week
- Soap Opera Time Capsule Premiere Looks at Daytime TV in March 1981
- We Love Soaps Insider Article: Did the Way Soaps Were Covered in 1981 Help Create Record Viewership?

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

This Week in Soap Opera History: July 5-11

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:45:46 +0000

"This Week in Soap Opera History" is a curated video roundup celebrating the milestones, debuts, cliffhangers, weddings, and unforgettable twists that aired during this same week across the decades.

This week features the premieres of Ryan's Hope, Passions and Melrose Place; the weddings of General Hospital's Laura and Scott and Days of our Lives' John and Marlena; and much more.

Watch the full highlights below:

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

Exclusive: The Randy Mantooth Interview - Remembering a Beloved Daytime Leading Man

noreply@blogger.com (We Love Soaps) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 13:36:51 +0000

By Michael Poirier
Guest Contributor, We Love Soaps Insider
Randy Mantooth first came to national prominence as paramedic John Gage on the classic NBC series Emergency!, becoming one of television’s most recognizable leading men. Throughout his career, he made memorable appearances on series including Murder, She Wrote, McCloud, Charlie’s Angels, Dallas, and many others.
Beloved actor Randy Mantooth reflected on his years starring as Alex Masters on Loving and The City, sharing memories of the cast he considered family.

For daytime television fans, however, Mantooth will always be remembered as Alex Masters on Loving. Introduced in 1988 as the long-lost heir to the prominent Alden family, Alex was eventually revealed to be an imposter. What could have been a short-lived storyline instead evolved into one of the show’s most popular characters, thanks to Mantooth’s warmth, charisma, and effortless chemistry with the cast.
After leaving Loving in 1990 and making a brief stop at General Hospital, Mantooth returned to Agnes Nixon’s soap in 1993. He remained through the series finale and continued playing Alex when Loving was reinvented as The City. Following that show’s cancellation, he joined As the World Turns as Hal Munson, succeeding Ben Hendrickson, and later made his final daytime appearance on One Life to Live.
Following Randy Mantooth’s passing on July 9, tributes have poured in from friends, former castmates, and fans celebrating a career that spanned more than five decades. While millions first knew him as paramedic John Gage on Emergency!, daytime audiences embraced him as Alex Masters on Loving and The City, and he became one of the genre’s most beloved leading men.

I had the privilege of speaking with Mantooth years ago about his soap opera days, and the conversation revealed exactly the kind of man so many remembered—thoughtful, gracious, funny, and deeply appreciative of the daytime community. His affection for the genre and the people who made it was unmistakable. The interview below is being published for the first time.

The daytime television world has lost one of its most memorable leading men. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and the countless fans who loved his work.

How would you describe your overall experience on Loving?
I’m really amazed, first off, that people remember the show. But I have to tell you, I loved doing that show. I loved Loving, and I loved doing The City. You know, I did those shows for about the same amount of time that I did Emergency!
Lisa Peluso starred as Ava opposite Randolph Mantooth’s Alex on Loving.

Ava was Alex’s most memorable romance. You worked opposite both Roya Megnot and Lisa Peluso. What was it like working with them?
Roya was the Ava I auditioned with for the role of Alex Masters. She was a firebrand! She was only about five feet tall, maybe five-one, but she packed a wallop into that little body. She had so much energy, and you really had to stay on your toes to keep up with her in front of the camera.
I also became very close with Lisa Peluso, who was the second Ava. She played my wife longer than my real wife did!” he laughed. “I just loved Lisa. We worked so well together. She’s beautiful, incredibly smart, and very talented. I still miss talking with her every day. She lives in New Jersey now, and I’m out here in California, so we don’t get to talk often, but every now and then we’ll catch up on the phone.

You shared wonderful chemistry with Christine Tudor, who played Gwyneth. What made working with her so special?
Oh, Christine Tudor—what a professional! I loved being around Christine. She was always full of fun and had such a sassy personality.
We’d get the scripts, and I’d constantly rewrite my dialogue because sometimes the way soaps were written just drove me crazy. I’d think, ‘I would never say that.’ Most of us changed our lines here and there.
But not Christine.
She would read every single line exactly as it appeared on the page and absolutely nail it every time. We’d all look at her and wonder, ‘How do you do that?’ My hat was always off to her. She was incredibly impressive.

Wesley Addy and Augusta Dabney played your parents—and later your allies. What was it like working with such accomplished actors?
I loved both of them. Wesley had such an incredible résumé before he ever came to Loving. He’d worked with Paul Newman and so many legendary actors, and then I got to trade scenes with him. He played my father—or my quasi-father, since Alex turned out to be an imposter! Only on a soap can you get away with something like that.
And Augusta... I just adored her. She lived up in Dobbs Ferry, and I remember visiting her beautiful home. She was such a delightful woman. When she passed away, it was heartbreaking for all of us. The same was true when Wesley died. I really loved working with both of them.

What are your thoughts on Loving‘s controversial serial killer storyline?
Honestly, I thought they were going to kill me!
I didn’t really like the way they handled it because many of those actors had been on the show much longer than I had. Their characters were just unceremoniously killed off, and that didn’t sit well with me.
I even thought, ‘If they’re going to kill me off, that’s okay, because I don’t really want to do the show without these people anymore.’ But they kept me around—and made it worth my while to stay.

Did you enjoy making the transition to The City?
At first I thought, ‘Okay, let’s see what The City is all about.’ And honestly, I ended up liking it.
There were only a handful of us who transferred over from Loving. There were lots of new faces, but when you’re working with people every day, you quickly get to know them.

How different was the transition behind the scenes?
It was pretty drastic. Everything was different—the shooting style, the sets, the locations, even the roaming cameras.
But we’re actors. That’s what we’re paid to do. Whether it’s difficult or not, you adapt and you do the work.
A few years before speaking with Randy, I interviewed Lisa LoCicero, who played Jocelyn and became Alex’s final great love on The City. Her memories of working with Randy perfectly capture the joy he brought to the set and to the people around him.

Read what she had to say on We Love Soaps Insider.

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

Today in Soap Opera History: July 12

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:48:35 +0000

1982: Guiding Light's Justin deal with the Jackie's death. 1991: Days of our Lives' Frankie and Eve left Salem.
2007: One Life to Live's Jessica and Nash were married. 2010: On ABC.com's What If, Erica Kane met Sonny Corinthos.

On this day in...
1966: On The Guiding Light, Ed (Robert Gentry) found Bill (Ed Bryce) drunk at a bar.

1966: On Dark Shadows, Roger (Louis Edmonds) encountered Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) on Widows' Hill and told her the story of its legend and history. Meanwhile, Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) tried to learn what is troubling her father, Sam (David Ford).

1973: On The Doctors, Penny Davis (Julia Duffy) daydreamed about Dr. Mike Powers.

1982: On Guiding Light, word spread around Springfield that Jackie Marler had died in a plane crash. Sara worried about Carrie's (Jane Elliot) mental state.

1991: On Coronation Street, aware of her new husband's manipulations, Jackie Ingram Baldwin (Shirin Taylor) pulled a shotgun on Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs).

1991: Charlotte Ross aired for the final time as Eve Donovan on Days of our Lives. Eve left town with Frankie, played by Billy Warlock who also left the show at the time. Warlock returned for another run in 2005. The character of Eve returned in 2014, played by Kassie DePaiva.

2006: Benjamin Hendrickson appeared for the final time as Hal Munson in As the World Turns. In the episode, Hal agreed to let Parker to move back in with Carly (Maura West), and the Munson family toasted Jennifer, who had just died.

2007: On One Life to Live, Jessica (Bree Williamson) and Nash (Forbes March) were married.

2007: General Hospital: Night Shift, a nighttime spin-off of the daytime soap, premiered on SOAPnet.

2009: Indie Series Award-winning web series Empire premiered. During the show's four season run, former daytime favorites Tina Sloan, Orlagh Cassidy, Yvonne Perry, Lauren B. Martin and Ellen Dolan were among the cast. Read our interview with creators Greg Turner and Brian Hewson conducted a month before the show premiered here.

2010: ABC.com premiered the first What If... episodes. The Emmy Award-winning web series, directed by Frank Valentini, mashed up characters from All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital.

All My Children's Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) and General Hospital's Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) meet: When Sonny's plan to use Erica as an alibi goes awry, his claustrophobia gets the best of both of them. (“Sonny and Erica: Love in a Time of Claustrophobia”).

All My Children's Ryan Lavery (Cameron Mathison) and General Hospital's Carly Jacks (Laura Wright): Carly gives Ryan a refresher course on how to channel his inner bad boy.(“Ryan & Carly: How to be Bad”).

One Life to Live's Todd Manning (Trevor St. John) and General Hospital's Damian Spinelli (Bradford Anderson): Spinelli's fear of flying frustrates Todd to no end and unexpectedly changes their flight plan. (“Todd & Spinelli: Fear of Flying”).

Today's Birthdays
Joseph Whipp (ex-Marty, General Hospital; ex-Charles, Generations) - 85
Socorro Santiago (ex-Isabella, All My Children) - 75
Mel Harris (ex-Sylvia, Saints & Sinners; ex-Hope, Thirtysomething) - 70
Tonya Lee Williams (ex-Olivia, The Young and the Restless) - 68
Rolonda Watts (ex-Cameron, Days of our Lives, ex-Julia, The Bold and the Beautiful) - 67
Judi Evans (Bonnie/ex-Adrienne, Days of our Lives; ex-Maeve, As the World Turns; ex-Paulina, Another World; ex-Beth, Guiding Light) - 62
Cheyenne Jackson (ex-Dustin, Glee) - 51
Anna Friel (ex-Beth, Brookside; ex-Poppy, Emmerdale; ex-Belinda, Coronation Street) - 50
Michelle Rodriguez (ex-Ana Lucia, Lost) - 48
Kristen Connolly (ex-Jamie, Zoo; Lena, The Whispers; Christina, House of Cards; ex-Josie, As the World Turns; ex-Jolene, Guiding Light) - 46
Natalie Martinez (ex-Michelle, Fashion House) - 42

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email welovesoapsvideo@gmail.com.
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Randolph Mantooth Dies at 80

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Newcomb) — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:48:00 +0000

Actor Randolph Mantooth, beloved for his role as firefighter-paramedic Johnny Gage on the hit 1970s NBC series Emergency!, has died. He was 80.

Mantooth died on July 9 at a hospice facility in Ventura, California, following a long battle with cancer, his brother Donald confirmed. He was first diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015.

Born in Sacramento, California, Mantooth studied at Santa Barbara City College before earning a scholarship to New York's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After joining Universal as a contract player, he found stardom in 1972 when he was cast in Emergency!, which ran for six seasons. In a 2013 interview, he joked that he had no idea what a paramedic was when he landed the role because the profession was still relatively new.

After Emergency!, Mantooth enjoyed a successful daytime television career. He portrayed Clay Alden and Alex Masters on Loving from 1987-90 and 1993-95, and played Richard Halifax on General Hospital from 1992-93. He also appeared on The City, As the World Turns and One Life to Live.

His television credits also included Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Dallas, Criminal Minds and Sons of Anarchy, and he performed extensively in regional theater and Off-Broadway productions.

Beyond acting, Mantooth became a passionate advocate for firefighters and paramedics, dedicating much of his later life to honoring first responders. His family noted that his final documentary, Into the Unknown, celebrates the experiences of emergency medical professionals.

Mantooth remained close to his Emergency! castmates throughout his life, with co-star Kevin Tighe serving as best man at his second wedding in 2002.

He is survived by his wife, Kristen, his brother Donald and his sister Tonya.

RELATED:
- Exclusive: The Randy Mantooth Interview - Remembering a Beloved Daytime Leading Man

If you enjoyed this post please visit our website for more.

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Roger Newcomb is a New York–based producer, writer, and media entrepreneur. He is the founder and executive producer of the Indie Series Awards and publisher of We Love Soaps. He’s also executive producer/host of interview series We Love Soaps TV and history show Soap Opera Time Capsule.

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On this day in...

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This Week in Soap Opera History: July 5-11

Exclusive: The Randy Mantooth Interview - Remembering a Beloved Daytime Leading Man

How would you describe your overall experience on Loving?

Ava was Alex’s most memorable romance. You worked opposite both Roya Megnot and Lisa Peluso. What was it like working with them?

You shared wonderful chemistry with Christine Tudor, who played Gwyneth. What made working with her so special?

Wesley Addy and Augusta Dabney played your parents—and later your allies. What was it like working with such accomplished actors?

What are your thoughts on Loving‘s controversial serial killer storyline?

Did you enjoy making the transition to The City?

How different was the transition behind the scenes?

Today in Soap Opera History: July 12

On this day in...

Today's Birthdays

Randolph Mantooth Dies at 80

Soap Opera Promos & Advertisements
Soap Opera Musical Guest Stars

All My Children
As the World Turns
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of our Lives
General Hospital
Guiding Light
One Life to Live
The Young and the Restless

Daytime Emmys Red Carpet & Press Room
Soap Opera Musical Guest Stars

**How would you describe your overall experience on Loving?**

**What are your thoughts on Loving‘s controversial serial killer storyline?**

**Did you enjoy making the transition to The City?**