Today in Soap Opera History (July 21)

1972: Victoria Wyndham debuted as Rachel on Another World.
1980: Edge of Night's Kelly had competition for Jody.
1986: As the World Turns' Nancy mourned her husband.
1987: Days of our Lives' welcomed a new Jack.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

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

On this date in...

1962: Actor Les Damon died at age 54. His soap roles included Ed Palmerlee in The Edge of Night, Jim Lowell in As the World Turns, and Bruce Banning on The Guiding Light.

1965: On General Hospital, Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin) filled Mike Costello in on the latest developments with Angie.

Today in Soap Opera History (July 20)

1966: Dark Shadows' David was angry with his father. 1984: Guiding Light's Josh and Reva got heated in the hot tub. 1988: Days of our Lives' Salemites through Kayla a surprise shower. 2010: One Life to Live's Viki plotted to reunite David and Dorian.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

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

On this date in...

1965: On General Hospital, Angie Weeks (Jana Taylor) asked Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin) for advice.

1966: On Dark Shadows, David Collins (David Henesy) told Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) that he hated his father, Roger (Louis Edmonds).

Interview Revisited: Larkin Malloy on the Nelson Aspen 'Where Are They Now Tour' (2010)

Serial Scoop Now is back! Look for brand new content in the coming months as well as interviews from my personal archive. Some have been offline for years while others will include never before seen material. Kicking things off is a video interview from March 2010 with Emmy-nominated Edge of Night actor Larkin Malloy, who passed away in 2016. The interview was conducted by Nelson Aspen as part of his "Where Are They Now Tour" series for We Love Soaps.

Malloy, who came in at #45 on the We Love Soaps 50 Greatest Soap Actors of All Time list, played Sky Whitney on Edge of Night, Kyle Sampson on Guiding Light, Travis Montgomery on All My Children and Clay Alden on Loving. He also had a memorable guest run as Dr. Weston on As the World Turns.

The complete interview has been offline for a decade. Watch it below.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 23)

"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...

1978: On Another World, Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham) cut off Jamie's (Tim Holcomb) allowance after finding out he had married Blaine Ewing (Laura Malone).

1981: On General Hospital, the residents of Port Charles wanted Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) to have a big wedding.

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.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 9)

"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...

1957: On The Right to Happiness, Nurse Helen Mason (Ruth Newton) reported overhearing a racketeer's confession of drugging her patient which broke the defense of the fraudulent insurance claim case.

1967: On Dark Shadows, Dave Woodard (Peter Turgeon) told Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) that he discovered the "original" Barnabas Collins had a sister named Sarah. He then revealed he met and walked with Sarah (Sharon Smyth) in the mausoleum.

'Guiding Light' Favorite Mary Kay Adams: "The World Doesn't Respond To Me Like It Used To"

Mary Kay Adams

Actress Mary Kay Adams was a daytime sensation as India von Halkein on Guiding Light, a role she created in 1984.

Now a sign language interpreter, Adams is quoted on the humans of new york website about learning to accept the changes that come with growing older, and embracing her new life.

You can read what she said below.

The world doesn’t respond to me like it used to. Throughout my life I had learned to anticipate a certain pattern of focus and friendliness. And I never realized how much of that was based on my youth and physical appearance. I thought it was because of my energy and personality. But I’ve had to accept that a woman becomes less and less visible as she ages. It begins to fade in your 40’s, and drops off in your 50’s. You have a harder time holding people’s attention. The conversations become less about you, and more about the transaction. It used to really bother me. I would feel abandoned or ignored. But I’ve grown out of it. There’s a certain grace to letting go of the need for attention. I was an actor for most of my life. I was all about getting attention. But now I’m working as a sign language interpreter, which I love. Because it isn’t about me at all.

Photo Credit: Brandon Stanton

Guiding Light Alum Tom Pelphrey Joins Netflix Series.

Tom Pelphrey (ex-Jonathan, GL) has been cast in the new Marvel Netflix series Iron Fist, according to Variety.

Pelphrey will portray Ward Meachum, and Jessica Stroup (ex-Silver, 90210) will play his sister, Joy.

Stroup and Pelphrey are the final two series regulars to be cast in Marvel’s Iron Fist.

Pelphrey was last seen in Banshee, which ended its run after 4 seasons on Cinemax.

Wounded Eagle Flying: The Joseph Breen Story

Joseph Breen

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, actor Joe Breen became a familiar face on daytime soap operas with starring roles as Paul Slavinsky on Loving, Will Jeffries in Guiding Light and Scott Eldridge on As the World Turns.

In 1993 he was fired from As the World Turns after the news surfaced in the National Enquirer that he was HIV-positive.

Breen is now working on telling his story in the film Wounded Eagle Flying. He introduces the project with the following:

My name is Joseph Breen, and I was born in Westchester, NY in 1958. I'm an actor and a singer, a father and a husband, a brother and a son, and a man living with AIDS.

Before my diagnosis I had much success working in television in NYC, including starring roles in three different daytime soap operas, and also singing and acting in the theater world. Then my story took a dramatic turn when I became infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. My life, my entire world, changed forever.

Thirty years on, I'm asking and reflecting on how I got from there to here, how I can make sense of the lost years. Mine is a story of survival which I'd like to share so that others can take heart and know that even wounded eagles can learn to fly again.

On this site you'll find a short video which will put you on the inside of my journey of survival -- from diagnosis to learning how to paraglide off the Alps. Yes, paraglide off the Alps! And a proposal of what the full-length documentary, when complete, will reveal not only about my journey with this illness, first hand, but also my journey back to gratitude.

My intention is to 'fly high' above my fears and illusions about illness, about life and about death, and to share my story with others.

To find out more about Wounded Eagle Flying or to donate, visit http://www.woundedeagleflying.com. You can watch the trailer here (use password shalamar).

'Guiding Light' Stars Beth Chamberlin and Tina Sloan Reunite for Michael O'Leary Play, Directed by Grant Aleksander

Michael O'Leary

Longtime Guiding Light actor Michael O'Leary (Dr. Rick Bauer) will be reuniting with a a few beloved former co-stars in his new one act play, "Breathing Under Dirt," next month. "Breathing Under Dirt" will premiere at the Manhattan Repertory Theater in mid-March.

The One Act festival production will feature O'Leary, along with Beth Chamberlin (Beth Raines) and Tina Sloan (Lillian Raines) in lead roles. Sloan and Chamberlin play mother and daughter once again in the period piece, set in the 1950s, with a relationship full of resentment.

The play will be directed by another veteran Guiding Light star, Grant Aleksander (Phillip Spaulding).

"Breathing Under Dirt" is about reaching forgiveness and reconciliation while we still have life. A heart can be healed when we accept the limitations of ourselves and others

Location:
Manhattan Repertory Theater
303 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036

Performance Schedule:
March 16, 17, 18 and 19. 6-9 p.m. Finals for the competition will be March 31 and April 1 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Tickets:
Tickets can be reserved at mrtreserve@gmail.com and are $20.00 dollars. You pay at the door. The house is small (around 48 seats) so tickets are limited.

Soap Worlds Collide at New Web Series Cast Gathering in New York

Anne Howard, Stephen Schnetzer, Colleen Zenk, Anna Holbrook, Ryan Brown and Nelson Aspen.

It was Six Degrees of Soap Stars this week when actors from Another World, As the World Turns and Guiding Light came together for a gathering of cast members from the upcoming Nelson Aspen-Janet Iacobuzio web series, shooting a series of promos and title shots.

Stay tuned to Serial Scoop for updates and announcements on this exciting new project as they become available. In the meantime, let's look at the many soap lives of this talented group.

Anne Howard is best known to fans of daytime drama for her portrayal of Nicole Love on Another World, and Kimberly Brady on Days of our Lives. Her many post-soap opera credits include primetime serials Desperate Housewives, Nip/Tuck and Private Practice, and she has become a host/spokesperson extraordinaire for a number of companies.

Anne Howard, Stephen Schnetzer, Colleen Zenk, Anna Holbrook
and Ryan Brown will appear in Nelson Aspen's upcoming
web series.

Stephen Schnetzer played Days of our Lives' Steven Olson and One Life to Live's Marcello Salta before taking on his signature role as Cass Winthrop on Another World from 1982 to 1999. He later crossed the character over to both As the World Turns and Guiding Light. Schnetzer was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1990 for his work on Another World. He played "Dr. Cass Winthrop" (same name, different character) on two episodes of Homeland in 2013, and recently reunited with former Another World co-star Alice Barrett in an episode of The Following.

Colleen Zenk spent 32 years playing sweet-heroine-turned-mother-from-hell Barbara Ryan on As the World Turns, earning three Emmy nominations, critical acclaim and a huge fan following along the way. She has been working non-stop on stage, TV, film and web series since ATWT went off the air in 2010, including the Indie Series Award-nominated role of Agnes Snead in Western drama Thurston.

Anna Holbrook has appeared on One Life to Live and All My Children but is best known for her Emmy-winning work as Sharlene Frame Hudson (and her alter Sharly) on Another World. In 2008, she played the wife of former Another World co-star Kale Browne in an episode of a radio soap opera I wrote and produced, Scripts & Scruples.

Ryan Brown starred as legacy characters Bill Lewis on Guiding Light and Billy Abbott on The Young and the Restless. Since his soap days, Brown has become a successful author and photographer.

Denise Pence and Nelson Aspen

Nelson Aspen played Albert Prange on Search for Tomorrow, and then moved to the production side of daytime drama, working on the staffs of every East Coast based serial drama, doing everything from casting to writing. He is currently an international entertainment reporter, who appears on the popular Australian morning show Sunrise.

Denise Pence is still remembered fondly for her run as Nurse Katie Parker on Guiding Light from 1977 to 1985. She has been active in the theater community since her soap days, including her heralded work with The Rehearsal Club.

EXCLUSIVE: Alice Barrett on Reuniting with Stephen Schnetzer and Working with Kevin Bacon on Tonight's Episode of 'The Following'

Alice Barrett and Stephen Schnetzer on The Following.

Former Another World co-stars Alice Barrett and Stephen Schnetzer, who played beloved couple Frankie Frame and Cass Winthrop on the classic NBC soap, reunite on the Monday, April 13 episode of The Following, airing at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FOX.

In the episode, titled "Flesh & Blood," the FBI closes in on a suspect whom they believe to be the culprit behind the latest murders, but Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon) believes the killer is still out there, leading him to dig deeper into dangerous territory. Meanwhile, Joe Carroll (James Purefoy) undergoes evaluation in the days leading up to his execution and a new threat tries to cover his tracks.

Schenetzer is playing Dr. Malcom Tower and Barrett is playing Jan Tower. Dr. Tower is Gwen's (Zuleikha Robinson) boss, and Jan is his wife. Gwen schedules a dinner with Ryan and the Powers so Ryan can meet her boss.

"It was in every way an enjoyable experience, especially since working with Stephen was, as they say, like riding a bike," Barrett tells Serial Scoop. "We were comfortable with each other, our gracious hosts on set, Kevin and Zuleikha, and the crew immediately."

The actress enjoyed working with The Following lead Kevin Bacon, who started his career on the daytime soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Guiding Light.

"Kevin was surprisingly talkative, given how much work he has to do every day" Barrett shares. "We talked a lot about soaps, as Kevin started his career on Guiding Light. We joked about our soap niches. If I remember correctly, Kevin's was 'teenage drunk,' Stephen's was of course, 'Cassanova' and mine I think might have been most original, 'psychic private investigator.' "

Barrett would love to work with Schnetzer again.

"I can only say that nothing would make me happier than to work with Stephen again on a regular basis," she says. "I think we do it well."

World AIDS Day: Remembering Those We Lost

World AIDS Day is held on 1 December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died.

Around 100,000 are currently living with HIV in the UK and globally an estimated 34 million people have HIV. More than 35 million people have died from the virus, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history.

Today, many scientific advances have been made in HIV treatment, there are laws to protect people living with HIV and we understand so much more about the condition. But despite this, people do not know the facts about how to protect themselves and others from HIV, and stigma and discrimination remain a reality for many people living with HIV. World AIDS Day is important as it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away – there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education.

Below is an alphabetical list of the talented artists from the world of soaps and serials who lost their lives due to complications from the AIDS virus.

Ben Archibek (Neil Curtis, Days of our Lives)
January 6, 1943 – October 21, 1993 (age 50)

Amanda Blake (Julianna Stanhower, The Edge of Night)
February 20, 1929 – August 16, 1989 (age 60)

Bill Beyers (Wally McCandless, Capitol)

March 17, 1955 – May 29, 1992 (age 37)

Christopher Bernau (Philip Todd, Dark Shadows; Alan Spaulding, Guiding Light)

June 2, 1940 – June 14, 1989 (age 49)

Robert Christian (Bob Morgan, Another World; Dr. Colby, All My Children; Lieutenant Frank, Search for Tomorrow)
December 27, 1939 – January 27, 1983 (age 43)

Keith Christopher (Wyatt Sanders, Guiding Light; HIV+ gay man, Another World)
April 27, 1957 – February 23, 1998 (age 40)

Michael Zaslow Remembered

Michael Zaslow

Emmy Award-winning actor Michael Zaslow mesmerized audiences as Roger Thorpe on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light for many years. He also starred as a victim of Lou Gehrig's disease on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, and struggled with the illness in real life. He died on Sunday, December 6, 1998, after a courageous public battle with ALS. He was 54.

Note: There are conflicting reports about Mr. Zaslow's age, but according to The New York Times and a tribute at the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Awards, he would have turned 70 today.

Mr. Zaslow won a Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Lead Actor in 1994 for his portrayal of the villainous Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light, a role he played at various times over the course of 27 years. He was dismissed from the show in April 1997, some eight months after the early symptoms of his illness caused his speech to slur.

In May 1998, Mr. Zaslow appeared on One Life to Live, reprising his role as the pianist David Renaldi, which he had played from 1983 to 1986. When Lou Gehrig's disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, was diagnosed in late 1997, he incorporated the degenerative nervous-system disorder into the life of his character to raise awareness about it.

Mr. Zaslow's early roles included Dick Hart on CBS' Search for Tomorrow and Dr. Peter Chernak on Love Is a Many Splendored Thing. He also guest-starred on a number of other television shows, including Barnaby Jones, Law & Order, and the 1966 premiere of Star Trek. Mr. Zaslow's Broadway credits included "Fiddler on the Roof," "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Boccaccio."

There is much more I could say about Michael Zaslow. His performances made me laugh and cry, scared me silly as a kid when his Roger Thorpe dressed as a clown at the Cedars Hospital charity bazaar, kept me on the edge of my seat countless times and, in the final year, he educated me about ALS.

In honor of Mr. Zaslow's birthday, below is the beautiful remembrance shown at the 1999 Soap Opera Digest Awards, as well as "Roger Thorpe: The Scandal Years," a 1994 VHS release featuring the best of Roger Thorpe on Guiding Light.

Stephen Schnetzer and Alexandra Neil Played Parent's of Murder Victim in 'Forever'

Former soap stars Stephen Schnetzer and Alexandra appeared in ABC's Forever on Tuesday night.

Stephen Schnetzer, who starred for over 16 years as Cass Winthrop on NBC soap opera Another World, was a guest performer on Tuesday night's episode of Forever on ABC. Schnetzer, who also starred in Days of our Lives and One Life to Live, brought the character of Cass to As the World Turns and Guiding Light following the cancellation of Another World. Also appearing was Alexandra Neil, who starred in many daytime dramas, including Guiding Light, Texas, Search for Tomorrow and Another World.

Crystal Hunt Being Sued: The Assault 'Might Have Killed My Future Baby'

Crystal Hunt is being sued by Elizabeth Nam nearly a year after their bar brawl.

Just days after receiving there years probation in a felony assault case, former Guiding Light and One Life to Live actress Crystal Hunt is being sued.

Last December, the actress was charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon after a bar brawl turned bloody as she shattered a water glass on Elizabeth Nam's face. And according to new court documents, Nam is suing Hunt saying that the assault destroyed any chance she had for reproducing.

In the court documents, obtained by TMZ, Elizabeth explains she had been "actively searching for a mate" adding "the assault might have killed my future baby, due to my biological clock ticking."

In other words, the scars on her face combined with the emotional trauma have left her undesirable to men.

Nam is insisting that Crystal be put behind bars, while TMZ reports probation officials are recommending she serve 6 months in jail, enroll in an anger management program and pay her victim restitution.

Hunt's lawyer told TMZ Nam was wasted at the time of the confrontation and threatened Hunt repeatedly by shouting, "You're dead!" He added, anyone who would talk about killing an unconceived future child "has likely got some psychological issues."

RELATED:
* 'Queens of Drama' Coming to POP in 2015, Starring Lindsay Hartley, Crystal Hunt, Vanessa Marcil, Chrystee Pharris & Hunter Tylo

'General Hospital' Star Roger Howarth to Recur in 'The Flash' as Mason Bridge

General Hospital star Roger Howarth has joined the cast of CW's The Flash in a recurring role, Deadline reports. He'll portray investigative journalist Mason Bridge, boss to Iris (Candice Patton).

Mason will oversee aspiring journo Iris West as he digs into the truth about disgraced S.T.A.R. Labs honcho Dr. Harrison Wells aka Barry Allen’s mentor. He first airs in Episode 11.

The Flash star Jesse L. Martin is godfather to Howarth's son, Julian. The actors met playing recurring roles (Keith and Jory) on Guiding Light in the early 1990s and later shared scenes on One Life to Live, when Howarth's Todd tried to hire Martin's Quincy at The Sun.

Howarth's previous primetime TV credits include Californication, Dawson's Creek and Prey.

The Flash airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on The CW.

Former 'Guiding Light' and 'One Life to Live' Star Crystal Hunt Sentenced to Three Years Probation in Bar Assault Case

Crystal Hunt was sentenced to three years of probation on Friday.

Former One Life to Live and Guiding Light actress Crystal Hunt was sentenced Friday to three years of probation for flinging a glass in a woman's face.

Hunt pleaded no contest to the charge of felony assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury stemming from the December 13 incident at a West Hollywood bar, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

'Saturday Night Live' Uses Old Soap Photos on 'Forgotten TV Gems' Set

On last weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live on NBC, Keanan Thompson hosted a sketch titled "Forgotten TV Gems" whose set used several photos from classic daytime soap operas. The forgotten gem was a faux classic TV show called "Supportive Women," starring characters played by Cecily Strong and Sarah Silverman. While the photos used had nothing to do with the sketch, it was cool to see the faces of Laura and Luke Spencer (Genie Francis and Anthony Geary, General Hospital), Brooke English and Erica Kane (Julia Barr and Susan Lucci, All My Children), Victor Newman (Eric Braeden, The Young and the Restless), Hope and Bo Brady (Kristian Alfonso and Peter Reckell, Days of our Lives), Margo and Tom Hughes (Margaret Colin and Justin Deas, As the World Turns), Alan Spaulding and Mike Bauer (Christopher Bernau and Don Stewart, Guiding Light), the Capwells from Santa Barbara and more.

Watch the sketch below:

'Serial Scoop Now' #1: 'Weight' New York City VIP Party & Screening with Martha Byrne, Daryn Strauss, Elizabeth Hubbard, Michael Park & Anne Sayre

The stars of Daytime TV came out to support Martha Byrne and Daryn Strauss at a screening of
comedy series Weight in New York City. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

On Wednesday, October 8, Serial Scoop Now attended the very first screening of comedy series Weight in New York City. Two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Martha Byrne (As the World Turns, Gotham, Crisis) stars as Claire, a woman who returns to her family a hundred pounds lighter after appearing for three months on a reality show. Written by WGA Award nominee Daryn Strauss (Downsized), Weight is smart, funny, dramatic and relatable, receiving loud bursts of laughter throughout the entire screening.

In our premiere episode, Serial Scoop Now host Michael Goldberg dishes with Byrne and Strauss about Weight, and catches up with Byrne's former As the World Turns co-stars, Michael Park, Anne Sayre, and Elizabeth Hubbard. Hubbard is currently winning over a whole new generation fans who are riveted by her portrayal of Dr. Althea Davis in The Doctors reruns on Retro TV.

"I'm very inspired by the things that make people act totally crazy," Strauss tells SSN. "I wrote a series called Downsized not too long ago and it was about how money makes people act crazy and desperate and do really crazy things. Weight is another one of those things. When weight is involved, people act a little nuts."

Watch below:



For more on Weight, visit weighttheseries.com.