Daytime Firsts

[Faulkner]

We know that Erica Kane had TV’s first legal abortion (later undone) on AMC in 1973.

 

Bianca and Lena shared daytime’s first same-sex romantic kiss on AMC in 2003.

 

Rex Ingram is said to be daytime’s first black actor to appear as a series regular on a daytime soap (as Victor Graham on The Brighter Day in 1962, albeit for only two weeks before the show’s cancellation).

 

What were some other historic firsts on soaps? What was the first baby switch or “back from the dead” storyline?

 

 

 

 

 

[Khan]

 

Which was another daytime first, if you think about it.

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I'm not sure, but wasn't Reese and Bianca daytime's first same-sex wedding?

[SoapDope]

I read the first erotic scene was on Y&R in 1974. Lorie Brooks took a hot steamy shower with Jed Andrews (Tom Selleck). Nude bodies were partially visible through the glass doors. 

 

I remember it being said that the first time the word Bitc* was said on daytime was also on Y&R. Leslie screamed it at Lorie right before the commercial break after taunting her in the mental hospital.

 

Jennifer Brooks on Y&R had a mastectomy in 1975, but I don't know if it was the very first on daytime, but was one of the earliest. 

 

Lisa on ATWT was the first to have a phantom fetus.

 

Bill Bauer had a heart transplant on GL in 1968.

 

Bert Bauer had uterine cancer on GL in 1962.

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Meg Baldwin on GH had a mastectomy in the late 60's. I think that was the first.

 

First clone Reva/Dolly GL

 

First alien visitor Casey GH

[SFK]

I was going to add that the first transracial recasting was Mia Korf to Kassie DePaiva, but I think it happened first on LIAMST? It would happen again with Keesha on Y&R.

 

(No offense to the recast actresses, but I find this practice absolutely egregious. For another thread.)

[Paul Raven]

LIAMST simply dropped the character of Mia played by Nancy Tsueh and focused on other female cast members.

 

First real life pregnancy written into the story

Mary Stuart as Jo on SFT.

That child was later killed off.

 

First back from the dead

I think Paul Raven on Love of Life was the first character to actually die 'onscreen' (he was in a plane crash) and then return to the story years later (as Matt Corby) to then be revealed to be Van's first husband.

[watson71]

In 1964, Another World was the first soap opera to depict an illegal abortion when Pat Matthews had one at the urging of her boyfriend who she later murdered.

 

AW as the first soap opera to do a crossover in 1966, with the characters of Mike and Hope Bauer from Guiding Light, which was also created by Irna Phillips, coming from Springfield to Bay City. 

 

After an episode in 1974 which aired for 60 minutes did well in viewer popularity, it was decided to make AW a one-hour show, beginning in early January 1975. This led to other soaps (as well as game show The Price Is Right) expanding to 60-minute lengths as well. At one point, AW expanded to 90 minutes (March 1979), but eventually returned to the hour-long format in August 1980, where it remained until the show was cancelled in 1999.

 

AW 's Missy Matthews, Ricky Matthews, Sam Lucas, and Lahoma Lucas, relocated to Somerset in 1970.  Somerset would air until 1976. 

 

On August 4, 1980, NBC aired AW's second spin-off Texas by having Another World characters relocate to Houston and launched the hour long serial Texas, which was the first soap opera to debut in the 60 minute format.  Following the premiere of Texas, Another World was shortened from 90 minutes to 60 minutes, and aired in the time slot directly preceding its spin-off series.

 

Another World's theme song charted on the Billboard record charts, "(You Take Me Away to) Another World" by Crystal Gayle and Gary Morris was a top 5 Country song on the charts, as well as being nominated for a Grammy Award in 1988.

 

[SteelCity]

When was the first catfight?!

[soapfan770]

 

Actually while AW still holds the record I believe Mitchell Dru was first, having been on The Brighter Day before coming to AW. At some point Dru was on ATWT as well. 

[Bright Eyes]

First interacial kiss was on DAYS between David Banning and Valerie Grant in 1975/6

[SoapDope]

On Y&R in 1973, Chris Brooks was brutally raped onscreen by George Curtis (played by Anthony Geary). I read it was the first time that a rape was played out onscreen instead of a fade out and then later implied with dialogue. 

 

I think Vicki Lord on OLTL was the first character to have been sexually abused by her father. 

 

Some say Lisa on ATWT was daytimes first Bitc*. Millions of viewers loved to hate Lisa and tuned in to see what she would do next.

 

 

[DRW50]

 

I think that may have been Lily Slater on Loving. Or Angel Lange on ATWT.

[Khan]

 

And even then, it happened much too soon for then-HW Pat Falken Smith's taste.  IIRC, the producer (Al Rabin?  Jack Herzberg?  Wes Kenney?) forced the kiss before PFS felt the characters OR the audience were ready for it.  Subsequently, Smith always blamed the ultimate failure of David and Valerie's romance on that kiss.

 

Yes, I think Lily Slater was daytime's first incest/child molestation victim.  But Angel Lange's story was probably closer to the kind that Douglas Marland WANTED to tell originally w/ Lily, before ABC intervened.

 

 

It had to have been after "Dynasty" took off.  I mean, I KNOW I'm probably wrong, but I can't see any soaps from the '70's indulging in that kind of behavior, lol.

 

Two (possible) firsts:

 

1. When Michael Storm succeeded his brother, James, as OLTL's Dr. Larry Wolek, Agnes Nixon had Larry suffer massive burns in a fire, which then required extensive surgery.  That might have been daytime's first "plastic surgery for a recast" story.

 

2. Bringing Francesca James back to AMC as the late Kitty Shea's long-lost twin sister, Kelly Cole, might have been the first story of its kind as well.

[Faulkner]

Was Azure C. on The City the first transgender character on daytime? I know we’ve had Zarf (AMC) and Maya (B&B) since then.

[Khan]

 

I think Azure was the first, but Zarf/Zoe might have been the first pre-op transgender?  I dunno.  I sorta wish they had cast someone to play that particular character, post-op, instead of writing off Zarf/Zoe, never to be seen or heard from again.