1. Luke & Laura's wedding-GH 1981

2. BJ's heart-GH 1994

3. Marlena's possession-DOOL 1995

4. Bert's diagnosis-GL 1962

5. Karen's testimony-OLTL 1979

6. Katherine's facelift-Y&R 1984

7. Erica's abortion-AMC 1973

8. Jeff's death in car crash-ATWT 1962

9. Viki's out-of-body experience-OLTL 1987

10. Reva's dip in the fountain-GL 1985

11. Lisa hitsOakdale-ATWT 1960

12. Roger rapes Holly-GL 1979

13. Carla is black-OLTL 1969

14. Tracy withhold's Edward's heart meds-GH 1980

15. Bianca comes out to Erica-AMC-2000

16. The Salem strangler "kills" Marlena-DOOL 1982

17. Robin is diagnosed with HIV-GH 1995

18. Nola's movie fantasies-GL 1981

19. Margo euthanizess Casey-ATWT 1990

20. Marlena is a serial killer-DOOL 2004

21. The Susan-Kristen craziness-DOOL 1997

22. David Kimble's KILLER forehead-Y&R 1991

23. Lucy Coe isc a secret ho-GH 1986

24. Maureen dies-GL 1993

25. Maeve sings "Danny Boy" RH 1989

26. Mona's funeral-AMC 1994

27. Marty is gang raped-OLTL 1993

28. Barnabas Collins is a vampire-DS 1967

29. Caleb Morley is a vampire-PC 2001

30. Felicia's intervention-AW 1992

31. Andrea's trial-SFT 1968

32. Rachel kills Janice-AW 1981

33. Doug elopes with Addie-DOOL 1972

34. Cliff & Nina's wedding-AMC 1980

35. Stephanie succumbs to cancer-B&B 2012

36. Sloane faces the firing squad-Capitol 1987

37. Jenny dies by jet ski-AMC 1984

38. Ridge is not a Forrester-B&B 2001

39. Nancy & Mike break up-EON 1976

40. Adam is murdered-EON 1977

41. Cindy loses her battle with AIDS-AMC 1989

42. Tina's wedding screw-up-OLTL 1988

43. Caroline's death-B&B 1990

44. Bo & Hope go on the run-DOOL 1984

45. Timmy the doll becomes a real boy-PSNS 2002

46. Reva is cloned-GL 1998

47. Tad the Cad beds Marian-AMC 1983

48. Mary is murdered by the Mob-RH 1979

49. The AIDS quilt visits Llanview-OLTL 1992

50. Doug stalks Kim-ATWT 1986

51. JR fires gun during Pine Valley Party-AMC 2011

52. Janet pushes Natalie down a well-AMC 1991

53. Ryan & Vicky reunite in heaven-AW 1997

54. Joan Crawford fills in as joan Kane-TSS 1968

55. Vincent gets pregnant by his own father-PSNS 2007

56. Luke & Noah kiss-ATWT 2007

57. Bob trysts with Susan-ATWT 1990

58. Mary is killed by the big C-SB 1986

59. Luke rapes Laura-GH 1979

60. Jo has soaps' first pregnancy-SFT 1956

I thought Marland left because he didn't want Luke and Laura to be together because Luke raped her, which led to his departure.

We Love Soaps posted last year an article from 1981 talking about the future of Luke & Laura after their then upcoming wedding. Pat Falken Smith was interviewed and she talks about being responsible for the rape story. She also trashes the Ice Princess storyline that was written while she and her writing staff were on strike. Smith's comments are towards the end of the article.

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2011/11/lukelaura.html

I remember a tvguide.ca interview with Sheri Anderson where she said that the Ice Princess storyline was originally supposed to be about stolen diamonds, not a weather machine.

We Love Soaps posted last year an article from 1981 talking about the future of Luke & Laura after their then upcoming wedding. Pat Falken Smith was interviewed and she talks about being responsible for the rape story. She also trashes the Ice Princess storyline that was written while she and her writing staff were on strike. Smith's comments are towards the end of the article.

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2011/11/lukelaura.html

I remember a tvguide.ca interview with Sheri Anderson where she said that the Ice Princess storyline was originally supposed to be about stolen diamonds, not a weather machine.

I never heard anything about Pat Smith except that Gloria Monty hated her. I don't even know the specs! Anyway, I am shoked at how blunt she is about raping Laura:

Ms. Smith has been writing DAYS OF OUR LIVES for years when producer Gloria Monty brought her over to help overhaul GENERAL HOSPITAL. "So Laura had just married Scotty," she recalls, "and everybody was married and everybody was happy, and I said, 'Listen, thanks a lot, leaving me all this happiness.' And the thing to do was immediately get Laura unhappy. So we raped her.

So if Marland wasn't responsible for the rape why did he and Monty fight? Did they not fight and I got that wrong? I was under the impression he did not want them to fall in love and that was the begining of the Monty/Marland feud.

Y&R

Nikki's shooting (1998)

Jill and Katherine revealed as mother and daughter (2003)

Cassie's death (2005)

B&B

Taylor's death (2002)

Brooke's rape (2007)

Storm's suicide/Katie's heart transplant (2008)

By my count P&G was represented 18 out of 60 times, and if you want to include 1976 EON as something not quite an ABC soap, it is 20 times. That seems pretty respectful considering shows like SFT have been off the air quite a long time.

I was very glad to see two moments from Edge of Night on the list, my all-time favorite soap. However, the revelation of Josie on the witness stand (type in Edge of Night 1976 on YouTube and the episode pops up) should have been there. How Louise Shaffer was not nominated that year as Best Supporting Actress is a crime.

I never heard anything about Pat Smith except that Gloria Monty hated her. I don't even know the specs! Anyway, I am shoked at how blunt she is about raping Laura:

Ms. Smith has been writing DAYS OF OUR LIVES for years when producer Gloria Monty brought her over to help overhaul GENERAL HOSPITAL. "So Laura had just married Scotty," she recalls, "and everybody was married and everybody was happy, and I said, 'Listen, thanks a lot, leaving me all this happiness.' And the thing to do was immediately get Laura unhappy. So we raped her.

So if Marland wasn't responsible for the rape why did he and Monty fight? Did they not fight and I got that wrong? I was under the impression he did not want them to fall in love and that was the begining of the Monty/Marland feud.

From some interviews that I've read with Pat Falken Smith, she does come off very blunt, opinionated, and at times politically incorrect. In regards to her first stint as head writer on GH, Smith doesn't seem to get a lot of proper credit for her work and is often mistakenly credited for the infusion of action/adventure storylines, which occurred during the 1981 writers' strike and after she quit.

I know she was responsible for Alan/Monica/Rick, AJ's paternity, and Luke & Laura on the run.

I was looking over Michael Logan's list and 14) Tracy withholding Edward's medication was also during Smith's 1st stint as head writer. Future Days HW Sheri Anderson wrote the script for part 1, and Scott Hale wrote part 2 of those episodes.

This is from Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3cIaiB4IL8

Here's part of a famous episode from Smith's tenure as head writer where Alan tries to back out of his 1st plan to murder Rick and Monica because he's afraid that he might get caught.

A 1985 SOD interview with Douglas Marland was posted here a while back where he talks about why he left General Hospital. Apparently Monty wanted him to move to California, and he declined. Marland's had plans for a tragic romance between Luke and Laura before the character was to be killed off. Had he stayed with the show, he would have factored in Luke's growing popularity and changed the ending. Here's the interview,

http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/25492-douglas-marland-interview/

In the book, Screen Couple Chemistry: The Power of 2 by Martha Nochimson, it was mentioned that Luke was supposed to die in Laura's arms. After Luke's death, Laura would reunite with Scott.

I don't know the details of the problems that Douglas Marland and Pat Falken Smith both had with Gloria Monty, but I get the impression that one of the issues was creative freedom. Smith would return to GH as head writer 2 more times.

Edited June 28, 201312 yr by Gino24

From some interviews that I've read with Pat Falken Smith, she does come off very blunt, opinionated, and at times politically incorrect. In regards to her first stint as head writer on GH, Smith doesn't seem to get a lot of proper credit for her work and is often mistakenly credited for the infusion of action/adventure storylines, which occurred during the 1981 writers' strike and after she quit.

I know she was responsible for Alan/Monica/Rick, AJ's paternity, and Luke & Laura on the run.

I was looking over Michael Logan's list and 14) Tracy withholding Edward's medication was also during Smith's 1st stint as head writer. Future Days HW Sheri Anderson wrote the script for part 1, and Scott Hale wrote part 2 of those episodes.

This is from Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3cIaiB4IL8

Here's part of a famous episode from Smith's tenure as head writer where Alan tries to back out of his 1st plan to murder Rick and Monica because he's afraid that he might get caught.

A 1985 SOD interview with Douglas Marland was posted here a while back where he talks about why he left General Hospital. Apparently Monty wanted him to move to California, and he declined. Marland's had plans for a tragic romance between Luke and Laura before the character was to be killed off. Had he stayed with the show, he would have factored in Luke's growing popularity and changed the ending. Here's the interview,

http://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/25492-douglas-marland-interview/

In the book, Screen Couple Chemistry: The Power of 2 by Martha Nochimson, it was mentioned that Luke was supposed to die in Laura's arms. After Luke's death, Laura would reunite with Scott.

I don't know the details of the problems that Douglas Marland and Pat Falken Smith both had with Gloria Monty, but I get the impression that one of the issues was creative freedom. Smith would return to GH as head writer 2 more times.

Thanks. You are very knowledgeable.

I was looking over Michael Logan's list and 14) Tracy withholding Edward's medication was also during Smith's 1st stint as head writer. Future Days HW Sheri Anderson wrote the script for part 1, and Scott Hale wrote part 2 of those episodes.

I believe Linda Patterson on Days did the same thing (or fantasized about doing it) to her first husband, Jim Phillips, when he was in the hospital. This was during one of the times Linda was trying to pass off Melissa as Mickey's daughter and Jim was threatening to tell Mickey the truth that he was Melissa's father. This would have been around 1974/1975 when Mickey had amnesia. Pat Falken Smith wrote for Days at that time. Sheri Anderson possibly could also have been a scriptwriter on Days then.

oh man I wish he'd had the chance to kill off Luke