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 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.

Watch the Final Episode of 'The Edge of Night' From 30 Years Ago Today

The Edge of Night cast.

Long-running daytime soap opera The Edge of Night ended on December 28, 1984. The final episode finished a 9 year run on ABC, which followed 19 and a half years on CBS starting on April 2, 1956.

"I would probably still be playing Raven if the show had stayed on the air," actress Sharon Gabet told Serial Scoop in a recent interview. "I loved her and I loved the cast and crew."

Gabet also told us about life on the set at the end.

"It was a sad and melancholy time. Many in the cast were unhappy with the story lines that came with the writer change and we went from that to cancellation. There's nothing worse for an actor with a good job to hear it's over."

Watch the The Edge of Night series finale below:

The Sharon Gabet Interview: A Journey From 'The Edge of Night' to Understanding 'Spiritual Magic'

Sharon Rose Gabet

Sharon Rose Gabet played one of the most memorable characters in the history of daytime television when she starred as Raven Alexander in ABC's The Edge of Night. Taking on the role in 1977, Ms. Gabet brought Raven to life for more than seven years, until the show's final episode aired on December 28, 1984. Viewers watched Raven's journey through a series of broken relationships, becoming a mother, and a supercouple pairing with Larkin Malloy's Sky Whitney. In addition to her mesmerizing two-time Emmy nominated portrayal of Raven on Edge, Ms. Gabet starred in NBC's Another World and ABC's One Life to Live. She's also followed a fascinating career path which includes writing two books, "From the Raven to the Dove" and "Spiritual Magic."

As we approach the 30th anniversary of the end of The Edge of Night, Serial Scoop will be featuring some of the beloved actors, characters and stories from the 28-year history of the series. We start with the life and career of Sharon Rose Gabet. Read our exclusive interview below:

SERIAL SCOOP: From 1977 to 1984, you played one of the most iconic characters of The Edge of Night's 28 year run, Raven Alexander Jamison Swift Whitney Whitney. Did I forget any of her last names?
SHARON GABET: I usually include Devereaux between the Whitneys to add to the fun. I know it was a fake marriage, but I still had a wedding, a dress and the full deal.

Bob Hastings Dead at 89

Bob Hastings. Photo Credit: Sue Coflin/Max Photos

Actor Robert "Bob" Francis Hastings, Sr. died on June 30. He was 89 and had battled pancreatic cancer for 15 years.

Hastings got his show business start in radio after WWII as the voice of Archie Andrews in the show of the same name (a spin-off of the Archie Comics series) on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Hastings made the transition to television smoothly in 1949 in early galactic-action series like Captain Video and His Video Rangers and Atom Squad. His first recurring role was as a lieutenant on The Phil Silvers Show.

Most of his career has been spent in television, and he's notable for roles such as Captain Binghamton's yes-man Lieutenant Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy, one of the two Tommy Kelsey's on All in the Family, and Captain Burt Ramsey on General Hospital (1979-1986).

Among his other television roles was Barney in The Edge of Night and Ed Foyle in Kitty Foyle.

Hastings has also done much voice work, including playing The Raven on The Munsters, Superboy on the The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure cartoons in the 1960s and, in recent years, the voice of Commissioner Gordon on the animated Batman: The Animated Series cartoons.

"I miss him. He was a great guy," younger brother Don Hastings, who long portrayed Dr. Bob Hughes on the soap As the World Turns, told the Burbank Leader. "He was a good father and husband."

He is also survived by his wife, Joan, and four children.

Watch a memorable scene between Bob Hastings and Tristan Rogers on General Hospital below: