Today in Soap Opera History (October 22)

"The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1968: On Dark Shadows, Joe Haskell (Joel Crothers) stabbed himself with a letter opener after Angelique (Lara Parker) told him that he bored her and wanted him to go.

1973: On The Doctors, Dr. Matt Powers (James Pritchett) reassured Dr. Althea Davis (Elizabeth Hubbard) while Dr. Nick Bellini (Gerald Gordon) performed surgery on her daughter, Penny.

ION Movie 'Back to Christmas' Premieres December 20, Stars Kelly Overton, Michael Muhney

Back to Christmas premieres December 20 on ION starring Kelly Overton and Michael Muhney.

Back to Christmas, an ION Television original holiday movie, will premiere Saturday December 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The film stars Kelly Overton and Michael Muhney. The cast includes Jonathan Patrick Moore, Jennifer Elise Cox, Moses Jacob Storm, Gloria Loring and Mark Hutter.

Saddened about spending another Christmas alone, Ali (Overton) meets Ginny, a quirky and spunky woman, at a diner on Christmas Eve. Ali tells Ginny that she was to be married on New Year's Eve last year, but over the course of the holidays she and her fiancé, Cameron Connor (Muhney), unexpectedly split. When Ali explains that she would do everything differently if she could go back in time, Ginny tells her that "sometimes people do get second chances." The following morning, Ali wakes up to find herself transported back to that Christmas before her planned wedding. While she sets out to avoid the mistakes of her past, she learns that changing the course of history is no easy task.

Watch a sneak preview of Back to Christmas below: