All My Children

All My Children is an US soap opera which has been broadcast Monday through Friday on the ABC TV network since January 5, 1970. Originally a half-hour in length, the show moved to an hour in 1977. The show has taped over nine thousand episodes, with the 9,000th episode having aired on December 16, 2004. It is videotaped at one of ABC's television studios in New York City (sometimes mistakenly labeled as the "ABC Television Center," of which there is no confined nucleus in New York City).

History

In the early 1960s Agnes Nixon, then head writer for The Guiding Light, tried to sell a property called All My Children to NBC, then CBS, then NBC again through the auspices of sponsor Procter & Gamble. Despite her Guiding Light success and sponsor support, it was not until the start of 1970 that her brainchild finally aired.

Related Topics:
1960s - The Guiding Light - NBC - CBS - Procter & Gamble

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Agnes Nixon strived to create a soap that was topical, and could illustrate social issues to the audience. She wanted all this while also injecting regular humor into the script, something that had not been tried by other soap writers before. To keep the action more real, she allowed the audience to locate her fictional "Pine Valley" on a map: situated just outside of Philadelphia, it was a mere hour-long train ride from New York City.

Related Topics:
Philadelphia - New York City

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From 1970 and into the ?80s, the show was either written by Agnes Nixon herself or by her protégé, Wisner Washam. He was groomed by Nixon to take the reins in the ?80s while she focused on other endeavors, like creating and launching Loving in 1983. Lorraine Broderick and Margaret DePriest also had brief stints as head writers in the ?80s.

Related Topics:
Wisner Washam - Loving - 1983 - Lorraine Broderick - Margaret DePriest

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The show's first action took place around several families and characters. Phoebe Tyler, who fashioned herself as "Queen of Pine Valley", was the definition of a rich snob. There was also single mother Mona Kane and her prima donna daughter, Erica. Contrasting this was the stable Martin Family, who have long been thought of as the symbolic foundation of All My Children.

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If Phoebe was the "Queen of Pine Valley" than Susan Lucci's Erica Kane was definitely the "Princess". Erica Kane's first scene in Pine Valley will live in infamy. She riled out to her mother everything she was looking for in a husband, establishing her ambition and her knack for rich men. But deep inside, Erica was nursing the scares of the abandonment by her father, successful film director Eric Kane. At the same time, her father's life in Hollywood was the driving force for her longing to leave Pine Valley. Destined to break up the young romance of classmates Tara Martin (Karen Lynn Gorney) and Phil Brent (Richard Hatch), Erica found out that Phil was not Ruth's son, but the son of Amy (Rosemary Prinz). In a selfish attempt to break up Phil and Tara, she told everyone the truth.

Related Topics:
Susan Lucci - Erica Kane - Rosemary Prinz

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All My Children?s first success was its telling of young love. ABC wanted a soap opera that would bring in young viewers, and slowly the program was accomplishing just that.

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The show?s ratings did not start out strong, however. In its first year on the air, it ranked #17 out of 19 soaps. Despite this, its audience was building with each passing year, which kept both Agnes Nixon and ABC happy.

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The show was unique for its use of the Vietnam War. Before All My Children debuted no show, let alone daytime soap, had discussed the war in any depth. There was the character of Phoebe, a conservative, and Amy, a free-spirited liberal, both butting heads over the war, with Amy often leading protests around Pine Valley. When the character of Amy left, Ruth took over as the anti-war voice. Her early ?70s protest speech won Mary Fickett the first ever Emmy Award given to a soap performer back in 1972.

Related Topics:
Vietnam War - Mary Fickett - Emmy Award - 1972

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In 1973 Erica made the decision to have an abortion. What made the abortion extra-controversial was Erica's reason for doing it. She wasn't having it done because her health was in jeopardy, but because she didn't want to gain weight and lose her modeling job. The abortion story got much media attention, especially since Roe v. Wade had been decided just a few months before the story began airing. Erica developed a potentially fatal infection after having the abortion, and the switch-boards at ABC lit up with calls from doctors and nurses, offering their medical opinions on how best to treat the character's case. The controversy didn?t hurt ratings, which rose from 8.2 to 9.1.

Related Topics:
1973 - Roe v. Wade

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Phoebe's husband Charles had gotten close to Mona Kane (Frances Heflin), Erica's mother and his secretary at the hospital. The two fell in love and Charles divorced Phoebe, even though she tried to blackmail Mona and even faked paralysis. In the end, Phoebe was left a drunken divorcée and Mona Kane became the new Mrs. Tyler. This ordeal started the longtime Phoebe/Mona rivalry.

Related Topics:
Frances Heflin - Paralysis

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When Eileen Letchworth, who played Margo Flax, was contemplating a facelift, she talked it over with Agnes Nixon. Not only was Letchwoth going to need time off, she was going to look significantly different when she returned to the show. Nixon approved and worked the facelift into a storyline. Margo wanted to impress the somewhat younger Paul Martin (William Mooney). Margo?s facelift in 1974 was one of the first major storylines on television discussing cosmetic surgery and it?s psychological effects.

Related Topics:
Eileen Letchworth - Margo Flax - William Mooney - 1974

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In 1976 the character of Brooke showed up on her Aunt Phoebe's doorstep and soon after clashed with Erica over Tom Cudahy. Since then, Brooke has feasted on many of Erica's left-over men. Also, in 1976 was the introduction of fan favorite Myrtle Lum Fargate (Eileen Herlie).

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By the late ?70s the show had risen to the top of the ratings.

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A new addition in 1979 was the arrival of aristocratic Palmer Cortlandt, his somewhat creepy housekeeper Myra, and his overprotected daughter Nina, who, to Palmer's chagrin, caught the fancy of Dr. Cliff Warner. Palmer did everything in his power to break up the couple, included telling Nina she was going blind due to her diabetes. Palmer teamed up with Cliff's past flame, nurse Sybil Thorne, who confronted Cliff about fathering her son on the day of his first wedding to Nina. But this was temporary, because Sybil was murdered by Sean Cudahy. During the murder trial, Nina was astonished to learn that her mother, Daisy Cortlandt, whom she believed to be dead, was in fact alive and living in Pine Valley as ?Monique Jonville?. To complete everyone's shock, Myra acknowledged that Daisy was her daughter.

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During this time supercouples, like Cliff and Nina, dominated the screen. The show also found memorable villains in Billy Clyde Tuggle and Ray Gardner.

Related Topics:
Supercouples - Cliff and Nina - Billy Clyde Tuggle - Ray Gardner

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The early '80s is considered by many to have been a golden period for the show. Younger characters, such as Jenny and Greg (Kim Delaney and Laurence Lau), Liza (Marcy Walker), Jesse and Angie (Darnell Williams and Debbi Morgan) and a now-grown-up Tad Martin (Michael E. Knight), who was now legally Ruth and Joe's son, entered the scene and drew large followings.

Related Topics:
Jenny and Greg - Kim Delaney - Laurence Lau - Marcy Walker - Jesse and Angie - Darnell Williams - Debbi Morgan - Tad Martin - Michael E. Knight

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The storyline involving Liza plotting to win Greg back after he left her for Jenny was a huge fan favorite, as was the Jenny/Greg supercouple. The aforementioned Jesse and Angie made history as daytime's first African-American supercouple. Last but not least the legend of "Tad the Cad" was born when Tad Martin took Liza Colby's virginity, then simultaneously began having sex with her mother, socialite Marian Colby.

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Jenny and Jesse's summer in New York City is considered a classic. The story was so well received that it allowed the program to reach #1 in the ratings for 10 weeks during the summer of 1982, beating out General Hospital.

Related Topics:
New York City - General Hospital

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On the not-so-younger side, Jenny and Tad's birthmother Opal (Dorothy Lyman) was also added to the canvas, where she opened the Glamorama salon and spa. Opal greatly showcased All My Children?s attempt, and what many feel as a success, at humor and satire. Powerful businessman Adam Chandler (David Canary) and his twin brother Stuart arrived in town and became frontburner characters.

Related Topics:
Dorothy Lyman - Adam Chandler - David Canary

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The character of Erica began to take on a larger-than-life role by the '80s. This was evident with her writing an autobiography, "Raising Kane", and turning it into a motion picture. When her presumed half-sister accused her of murdering Kent Bogard, her former lover and boss, she went on the run fleeing to the Hollywood Hills. She did this all while posing as a nun. Many remember her forest encounter with a grizzly bear after she escaped a kidnapping attempt made by Adam. The character would go on to marry over 10 times (with her most recent wedding taking place in June 2005).

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The show made their first attempt at tackling the taboo topic of homosexuality in 1983. Tricia Pursley played the confused Devon McFadden who believed she was falling in love with her psychiatrist, Lynn Carson (played by Donna Pescow). Lynn admitted to being a lesbian, and Devon admitted her crush. Other soaps and television shows had done stories hinting at bisexuality, but never homosexuality, much less with women.

Related Topics:
Tricia Pursley - Donna Pescow - Bisexuality - Homosexuality

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The show intelligently tackled the issue of drug use when Mark LaMura's character, Mark Dalton, became addicted to cocaine after years of casual use. His sister, Erica staged an intervention with his friends to have him confront his problems. They practiced a "tough love" policy that had Mark admit to the addiction. The informative episode showed how to hold an intervention, and the stages to go through for a successful confrontation.

Related Topics:
Mark LaMura - Mark Dalton

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Controversy hit in 1987 with the arrival of Cindy Parker (Ellen Wheeler), who would later fall in love with Stuart Chandler (David Canary). The character was revealed to have AIDS. Through visits by Dr. Angie Hubbard, the show educated the public on how the disease was spread and how to prevent it. Cindy had contracted HIV from her husband, Fred, who contracted it from sharing needles for drug use. Cindy would be attacked by a vigilante hate group led by her niece Skye Chandler (Robin Christopher). The tragedy of the attack showed the extremes of violence that was occurring everyday to victims of the disease.

Related Topics:
1987 - Ellen Wheeler - Stuart Chandler - David Canary - AIDS - HIV - Robin Christopher

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By 1989, ABC wanted changes at All My Children. The show wasn't a disaster, still pulling in respectable ratings, but many felt that the program had lost its unique sense of humor. Agnes Nixon and Wisner Washam, who had both written the show since the '70s, were faced with a merry-go-round of executive producers, starting in the mid-'80s when producer Jacqueline Babbin left. Battles for creative control often ensued, many times leading to an uneven product. Efforts were made to bring the show back to the glory days of the late ?70s and early ?80s. This would mean adding a mixture of both social issues and also the intelligent satire that the show had been known for.

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ABC hired Felicia Minei Behr as the new executive producer in early 1989. Having been a producer on Ryan's Hope, Behr was familiar with All My Children, having been a crew member dating back to 1970. Behr welcomed the input of both Nixon and Washam. In the eyes of Agnes Nixon, the show finally had a stable executive producer. She put Michael E. Knight, who had recently returned to the show after a leave of 3 years, on the frontburner. Behr worked with Nixon and Washam, crafting a baby storyline involving the characters of Adam, Brooke, Tad, and Dixie (who was introduced in late 1988). The tale provided an unexpected love story between the characters of Tad and Dixie (Cady McClain), with whom Behr saw much chemistry between.

Related Topics:
Felicia Minei Behr - Ryan's Hope - 1988 - Cady McClain

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All My Children received the 'Best Show of 1989' honor from Soap Opera Digest, with the Chandler baby tale being voted as 'Most Intriguing Story'.

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By this time the show also found a hit couple in Cecily and Nico (played by Rosa Nevin and Maurice Benard).

Related Topics:
Rosa Nevin - Maurice Benard

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ABC was pleased with Behr; Agnes Nixon was as well, and decided her creation was safe in the hands of the new producer. The program was faced with many actor defections during this time, including longtime favorites such as Peter Bergman, Taylor Miller, and Debbi Morgan, but Behr countered his by bringing back other favorite characters from the past -- Opal (this time played by Jill Larson) and Billy Clyde Tuggle (the former pimp who first made his big splash in the '70s). Behr also helped craft a story re-exploring Erica's father, Eric. It was revealed he had faked his own death. In a comical twist, Erica found him working as a clown in a traveling circus.

Related Topics:
Peter Bergman - Taylor Miller - Debbi Morgan - Jill Larson

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At the time of Behr's hiring in early 1989, the show usually ranked around #4 in the ratings, by 1990 the show had inched up to the #3 spot. Around this time Nixon decided she could go into semi-retirment. She continued to be with All My Children, but wanted to take a step back from the grueling day-to-day task of being a head writer. After Washam followed suit soon after, it was decided that a new head writer was needed. Associate writer Lorraine Broderick had ocasionaly stepped in to head write for the show, but ABC decided on Megan McTavish, who had been on the writing team since 1987. She was quickly promoted as the fulltime head writer in the early '90s.

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McTavish and Behr proved to be a powerful duo, crafting stories that received praise from both the soap magazines and from fans.

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The numbers began to inch up even more, and by the 1991-1992 season, All My Children had regained the #2 position in the ratings.

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Stories such as Molly's leukemia, Ceara?s incest, Mona?s lung cancer, and Deconstruction (a story about racism), were all praised in the soap magazines for their social conscience. Other storylines included the 'Who Killed Will?' mystery, Willow Lake Acres (a both humorous and serious tale about the plight of the elderly in a fraudulent nursing home), and a tornado that rocked Pine Valley. Kendall (Sarah Michelle Gellar), who was revealed to be the product of a rape that happened to Erica on her fourteenth birthday, was a major rewrite, but still a popular story in the eyes of many. The Santos, Frye, and Keefer families were introduced during this time as well.

Related Topics:
Leukemia - Incest - Lung cancer - Sarah Michelle Gellar

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Tad, who had fallen from an exploding bridge in 1990, was last seen hitching a ride out of town. The people of Pine Valley thought he was dead, but the audience knew he?d be back. In fact, Tad and Dixie were now so popular that their near encounter in early 1993 allowed the show to beat the #1 rated The Young and the Restless during the 1:00-1:30PM timeslot. For the week, the show scored an 8.7 rating, nearly reaching #1. The show had other couples with large followings during this time: Erica and Dimitri (Michael Nader), Trevor (James Kiberd) and Natalie (Kate Collins), and Hayley (Kelly Ripa) and Brian (Matt Borlenghi) (just to name a few).

Related Topics:
1990 - 1993 - The Young and the Restless - Michael Nader - James Kiberd - Kate Collins - Kelly Ripa - Matt Borlenghi

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Most fans consider the early '90s to have been a second golden period for the show, often comparing it to the late '70s and early '80s.

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By 1995 it was rumored that Behr and McTavish were having conflicts about storylines and the direction the show would take. After the O.J. Simpson trial pre-empted daytime television programs throughout late 1994 and into 1995, many soaps saw their ratings decline, and All My Children was no different. When Megan McTavish was fired from her head writing post in the spring, former show writer Lorraine Broderick stepped in to helm the writing duties. Her tenure received mixed reviews from fans and critics. Her biggest successes, in the opinion of many, were Erica's drug addiction story (with the character receiving treatment at the Betty Ford Center), and also the story of a gay high school boy and his history teacher. With the ratings still stagnant, ABC fired longtime executive producer Felicia Minei Behr, and brought in Francesca James (who had previously acted on the show as twins Kitty and Kelly). The storylines now included a voodoo arch with the popular Noah and Julia (Keith Hamilton Cobb and Sydney Penny), a supernatural plot featuring the ?real? Santa Claus, and finally a baby kidnapping story involving Erica. These stories were widely unpopular with critics and the audience.

Related Topics:
O.J. Simpson - Betty Ford Center - Francesca James - Noah and Julia - Keith Hamilton Cobb - Sydney Penny

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Broderick was fired in late 1997 when McTavish was brought back as head writer. Her first major story was about the anorexia epidemic. The character of Bianca, Erica?s young daughter, was checked into a facility to treat the disease. Like Broderick, however, McTavish?s later tales became unpopular with fans and critics. This was surprising considering her earlier successes with the show. Some speculated that Felicia Minei Behr was responsible for most of the early '90s success. By 1998 the show, yet again, got a new executive producer . Jean Dadario Burke was hired, taking over from Francesca James. She would become known to many speculating fans as a weak producer with little vision. Cady McClain, who had left the show as Dixie in 1996, returned to the delight of her fans, but other storylines -- involving ghosts, poison tattoos, Nazi art, and a sperm switch -- were all busts. By the start of 1999, with All My Children being voted as the 'Worst of 1998' by Soap Opera Digest magazine, McTavish was once again fired.

Related Topics:
1997 - Anorexia - Jean Dadario Burke - Cady McClain - 1996

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As ratings began to fall in the late '90s ABC convinced Agnes Nixon to make a brief return. Many long-running actors, such as Michael Nader, James Kiberd, and Robin Mattson, left their roles, arguably leaving huge gaps in the show's landscape. Nixon decided to write a story that would breathe new life into the show and be socially relevant at the same time. This resulted in the revelation that Erica Kane's daughter Bianca was a lesbian. She admitted the truth to her mother in December 2000. Despite the many flaws during this period, the show found mild success in the pairings of newcomers, Ryan (Cameron Mathison) and Gillian (Esta TerBlanche), as well as Leo (Josh Duhamel) and Greenlee (Rebecca Budig).

Related Topics:
Michael Nader - James Kiberd - Robin Mattson - Erica Kane - Lesbian - 2000 - Cameron Mathison - Esta TerBlanche - Josh Duhamel - Rebecca Budig

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After even more staff turnover in recent years, Megan McTavish, who wrote the show for most of the '90s, again returned. Her storylines began airing in July 2003, which included the rape of Bianca. The story was controversial, but was hailed by many soap columnists as the return of character-driven storytelling, which had been ignored under the tenures of Jean Passanante, Richard Culliton, Gordon Rayfield and Anna Cascio.

Related Topics:
July - 2003 - Jean Passanante - Richard Culliton - Gordon Rayfield - Anna Cascio

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Gone upon McTavish's latest return was Jean Dadario Burke as executive producer, being replaced with Julie Hanan Carruthers (of Port Charles fame).

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Recently, the show wrapped up a year-long 'babyswitch' storyline. The story crossed over to another ABC soap, One Life to Live as characters from that show were incorporated into the drama. Many disliked the story, but it still proved a ratings success. In late 2004 the show rose to the #2 position in the ratings ? the first time that?s happened since September 1995.

Related Topics:
One Life to Live - September

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McTavish's latest stint as head writer has currently left many fans divided, but many believe the audience will have to wait and see where this particular tenure places in the overall history of the show.

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