I represent the first generation who, when we were born, the television was now a permanent fixture in our homes. When I was born people had breakfast with Barbara Walters, dinner with Walter Cronkite, and slept with Johnny Carson.
Read the full "Pre-ramble"
In soaps, people come back from the dead all the time,
to the point where death is just a bus stop.
-Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary
born Tony Dean Geary
May 29, 1947 – December 14, 2025
His career spanned more than five decades. Geary's career began in episodic television. He appeared as a guest on several primetime series and transitioned into a career predominantly in thesoap operagenre. His first soap role was David Lockhart (1971–1972) onBright Promise(1969–1972), and he later joinedThe Young and the Restlessas George Curtis. His breakout role came in 1978 when he joined the cast ofGeneral HospitalasLuke Spencer. For his work as Luke, Geary went on to earn a record eightDaytime Emmy AwardsforOutstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Seriesprior to his retirement.
GMA expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday
edition on January 3, 1993. The Sunday edition was later canceled in 1999;
weekend editions returned on both Saturdays and Sundays on September 4, 2004.
The weekday program airs from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. in all U.S. time
zones (live in the Eastern Time Zone and on tape delay elsewhere
across the country); the Saturday and Sunday editions are one hour long and is
transmitted to ABC's stations live at 7:00 a.m. Eastern Time, although
stations in some markets air
the weekend broadcasts either one hour earlier or later than the 7:00 a.m.
slot. A third hour of the weekday broadcast aired from 2007 to 2008,
exclusively on ABC News Now.
The program features news,
interviews, weather forecasts, special-interest stories, and feature segments
such as "Pop News" (featuring pop culture and
entertainment news, and viral videos),
the "GMA Heat Index" (featuring a mix of entertainment, lifestyle and
human-interest stories) and "Play of the Day" (featuring a selected
viral video or television program clip). It is produced by ABC News and
broadcasts from the Times Square
Studios in New York City's Times Square district.
The primary anchors are Robin Roberts, George
Stephanopoulos and Lara Spencer,
along with newsreader Amy Robach,
social media anchor Tony Reali and
weather anchor Ginger Zee.
Good Morning America has been the most watched morning show in total
viewers and key demos each year since Summer 2012. GMA generally
placed second in the ratings, behind NBC's Today from 1995 to 2012. It
overtook its rival for a period from the early to mid-1980s with anchors David
Hartman and Joan Lunden,
from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s with Charles Gibson and
Lunden, and in April 2012 with Roberts and Stephanopoulos.
Good Morning America won the first three Daytime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Morning Program",
sharing the inaugural 2007 award with Today and winning the
2008 and 2009 awards outright.
November 4, 1950
Marjorie Armstrong
“Markie” Post is born.
Best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine
Sullivan on the NBCsitcomNight Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti
Hartman on the CBSsitcomHearts Afire from 1992 to 1995. Post died aged 70 at her home in Los Angeles, on August 7, 2021; she had been suffering from cancer.
Poppin' Fresh, more widely known as the Pillsbury
Doughboy, is an advertising icon and mascot of the Pillsbury Company, appearing in many of their commercials. Many
commercials from 1965 until 2004 (returned in 2009 to 2011 and 2013 in a Geico Commercial)
conclude with a human finger poking the Doughboy's stomach. The Doughboy
responds when his stomach is poked by giggling (Hoo-Hoo!, or earlier on,
a slight giggle "hee hee").
The show had its origins in a
November 1975 American television movie entitled The New, Original
Wonder Woman starring Carter. It followed a 1974 TV movie
entitled Wonder Woman starring blond actress Cathy Lee Crosby, who neither resembled the super-hero character nor exhibited any
apparent super-human powers. (John D. F. Black wrote and produced the 1974 TV movie.) In this second movie, set
during World War II and produced by Douglas S. Cramer and Wilford Lloyd "W.L." Baumes, who were working from
a script by Stanley Ralph Ross, Carter as Wonder Woman matched the original comic
book character. Its success led the ABC
television network to order two
more one-hour episodes which aired in April 1976. That success led ABC to order
an additional 11 episodes which the network aired weekly (for the most part)
during the first half of the 1976–77 television season. The episodes ran on Wednesday
nights between October 1976 and February 1977.
Wonder Woman achieved solid ratings on ABC during its first
season, but the network was reluctant to renew the series for another
season. Wonder Woman was a period piece, and as such, it was
more expensive to produce than a series set in the present day. Also, ABC
thought that the 1940s setting limited possible storylines, with the major
villains being Nazis. ABC did not renew the series, so Jerry Lieder,
then-president of Warner Bros. Television, went to CBS with the notion of shifting the series to the
present-day 1970s, which would cost less to produce and allow for more creative
storylines. Unlike 20th Century
Fox Television's Batman, the series was produced without having a theatrical
feature film in the middle of its production. In addition, none of the villains
had recurring appearances. CBS agreed and picked up the show in 1977, and it
continued for another two seasons.
She was the tenth of 18
children (children who included siblings and fellow actresses Estelle Evans and Rosanna Carter).
Rolle
is best known for her television role as Florida Evans, the character she played
on two 1970s sitcoms. The character was
introduced as Maude Findlay's housekeeper on Maude, and was spun off in the show's second
season into Good
Times,
a show about Florida's family. Rolle was nominated in 1975 for the Best Actress
in a Musical/Comedy Golden Globe Award for her role in Good Times. Rolle was 19 years older
than the actor (John
Amos) who
played her husband James Evans. The James Evans character was only added after
Esther Rolle fought hard for a father figure and husband to be added to the
show. Rolle had fought for the father character on the show, more relevant
themes and scripts and was unhappy when the success of Jimmie Walker's character, J.J. Evans,
took the show in what she thought was a frivolous direction. John Amos agreed
with Rolle about Walker's character and was fired from the show after the third
season ended. Later on, in a stand-off with Good Times producer Norman Lear, Rolle also quit when her
contract ended. Although the show continued without her for the fifth season,
she returned for the show's final season. In 1979 she won an Emmy for her role in Summer of My German Soldier, a made-for-television
movie.
Among
her guest star roles was one on The Incredible Hulk in an episode entitled
"Behind the Wheel" where she played a taxicab business owner. In
the 1990s, Rolle was a surprise guest on RuPaul's VH-1 talk show. Her Maude co-star Bea Arthur was the guest, and
Rolle was brought out to surprise Arthur. The two had not seen each other in
years, Arthur said, and embraced warmly. Rolle also appeared in a series
of psychic hotline TV commercials
in the 1990s. "Tell them Esther sent you," was her trademark line.
Rolle
died on November 17, 1998 in Culver City, California, from complications of diabetes, nine days after her 78th
birthday. Her body was flown back to her hometown ofPompano Beach, Florida. A devout Methodist, Rolle requested that her
funeral be held at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The family
requested that any flower donations be sent to such organizations as the
African American Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, The Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach, Florida, The Black Academy
of Arts and Letters in Dallas, Texas, The Jenesse Center in Los Angeles, and
Marcus Garvey Elementary and Junior High School in Los Angeles.
November 8, 1965
Days of our Lives first aired on November 8, 1965.
The series was created by husband-and-wife team Ted Corday
and Betty Corday along with Irna Phillips
in 1964, and many of the first stories were written by William J. Bell.
The original title sequence voiced by MacDonald Carey
is still used to this day. The series expanded from 30 minutes to a full hour
on April 21, 1975. The co-creator and original executive producer, Ted Corday,
was only at the helm for eight months before dying of cancer in 1966. His
widow, Betty, was named executive producer upon his death. She
continued in that role, with the help of H. Wesley Kenney and Al Rabin as supervising producers, before she semi-retired in
1985. When Mrs. Corday semi-retired in 1985, and later died in 1987, her son,
Ken, became executive producer and took over the full-time, day-to-day running
of the show, a title he still holds today.
When Days of our Lives
debuted the cast consisted of seven main characters (Tom Horton, Alice Horton,
Mickey Horton, Marie Horton,
Julie Olson,
Tony Merritt, and Craig Merritt). The series first focused on its core family,
the Hortons. Several other families have been added to the cast, and many of
them still appear on the show. Frances Reid
the matriarch of the series' Horton family remained with the show from its
inception to her death on February 3, 2010.
The Cordays and Bell combined the "hospital soap" idea with the
tradition of centering a series on a family, by making the show about a family
of doctors, including one who worked in a mental hospital. Storylines in the
show follow the lives of middle and upper-class professionals in Salem, a middle-America town, with the
usual threads of love, marriage, divorce, and family life, plus the medical
storylines and character studies of individuals with psychological problems.
Former executive producer Al Rabin took pride in the characters' passion, saying
that the characters were not shy about "sharing what's in their gut."
Critics originally praised the show for its non-reliance on nostalgia and its
portrayal of "real American contemporary families." By the 1970s,
critics deemed Days to be the most daring daytime drama, leading the way in
using themes other shows of the period would not dare touch, such as artificial insemination and interracial romance. The January 12, 1976
cover of Time magazine featured Days of our Lives' Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes, the first daytime actors
to ever appear on its cover. The Hayeses themselves were a couple whose
onscreen and real-life romance (they met on the series in 1970 and married in
1974) was widely covered by both the soap opera magazines and the mainstream press.
One of the longest-running storylines involved the rape of Mickey
Horton's wife Laura by Mickey's brother Bill.
Laura confides in her father-in-law Dr. Tom, and the two agree that her husband
Mickey should never know. The secret, involving the true parentage of Michael
Horton (a product of the rape) and Mickey's subsequent health issues as a
result of the revelation, spanned episodes from 1968 to 1975. The storyline was
the first to bring the show to prominence, and put it near the top of the Nielsen
daytime ratings. Another love triangle, between lounge singer Doug Williams, Tom and Alice's
daughter Addie, and Addie's own daughter, Julie,
proved to be very popular around the same time. The storyline culminated in the
death of Addie in 1974 and the marriage of Doug and Julie in 1976.
In the 1980s, the Brady and DiMera
families were introduced, and their rivalry quickly cemented their places as
core families in Salem beside the Hortons. Around the same time, with the help
of head writers Sheri Anderson, Thom Racina,
and Leah
Laiman, action/adventure storylines and supercouples
such as Bo
and Hope, Shane and Kimberly, and Patch
and Kayla reinvigorated the show, previously focused primarily on the domestic
troubles of the Hortons.
November 8, 2010
Conan premiered
on TBS.
Describing
itself as a traditional late-night talk show, Conan draws its
comedy from recent news stories, political figures and prominent celebrities,
as well as aspects of the show itself. The show typically opens with a monologue from
Conan O'Brien relating to recent headlines and frequently features exchanges
with his sidekick, Andy Richter,
and members of the audience. The next segment is devoted to a celebrity
interview, with guests ranging from actors and musicians to media personalities
and political figures. The show then closes with either a musical or comedy
performance.
On
TBS, Conan airs Monday through Thursday beginning at
11:00 p.m. eastern time. Comedian and actor Andy Richter continues
his role as sidekick to O'Brien, and as the show's announcer. Conan's long-time
house band continues with the host under the new moniker Jimmy
Vivino and the Basic Cable Band,
with Max Weinberg being replaced as bandleader by guitarist Jimmy Vivino and
as drummer by regular substitute James Wormworth,
both of whom regularly substituted for Weinberg during his brief departures.
Wayne Northrop portrayed chauffeurMichael CulhaneonDynastyfrom the pilot episode, "Oil" (1981), until the season one finale, "The Testimony" (1981).He returned in the seventh season premiere "The Victory" (1986),and left again in the 1987 episode "The Sublet".
Northrop is best known as Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives, a character he played from 1981–1984, and again from 1991–1994. He next portrayed Rex Stanton on Port Charles from 1997 to 1998. In August 2005, Northrop returned to Days as a new character named Dr. Alex North.
Donald Drake Hogestyn September 29, 1953 – September 28, 2024
Drake Hogestyn was drafted by two professional baseball organizations: the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees. Hogestyn signed with the Yankees and played third base for one of their farm teams until he was injured in 1977. He began his acting career by entering aColumbia Picturestalent search that included 75,000 people.
Hogestyn was among the 30 selected, and his first starring role was on the prime time seriesSeven Brides for Seven Brothers.
After a few minor roles (one as Kort, leader of the Micro Workers in the episode 'Princess Metra' on the 80s television seriesOtherworld), Hogestyn joined the cast ofDays of our Livesin 1986. He initially played a mystery man referred to simply as "The Pawn." However, it was soon revealed The Pawn was the presumed deadRoman Brady. Hogestyn quickly became a fan favorite and enjoyed many pairings, the most popular of which was with longtime co-star Deidre Hall. In 1998, while starring onDays,Shelley Longenlisted Hogestyn to join her for the upcoming seriesKelly, Kelly. He was set to star in both until the filming of the pilot episode ofKelly, Kellyconflicted with his schedule onDays, and the role went toRobert Hays.
In 1991,Wayne Northropagreed to return toDaysto reprise his role of Roman. In order to keep both actors on the show, Drake's story wasretconned, and his past was rewritten. Despite this change, Hogestyn remained one of the show's most popular actors. The pairing ofJohn Black and Marlena Evans(Deidre Hall) is one of the show's enduringsupercouples.
When the king gets depressed, he doesn't call for his wife or the cook. He turns to the little man with the pointed hat and says to the court jester "make me laugh". And I am that court jester.
— Richard Simmons, Men's Health
Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons July 12, 1948 – July 13, 2024
Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1970s, Simmons worked as themaître d'hôtelat Derek's, a restaurant inBeverly Hills.He developed an interest in fitness. Exercise studios of the day favored the already fit customer, so little help was available for those who needed to gain fitness from an otherwise unhealthy state. He established gyms, and his interest in fitness helped him lose 123 lb (56 kg).
He later opened his own exercise studio, originally called The Anatomy Asylum, where emphasis was placed on healthy eating in proper portions and enjoyable exercise in a supportive atmosphere. The business originally included asalad barrestaurant called Ruffage, a pun on the wordroughage(dietary fiber), though it was eventually removed as the focus of The Anatomy Asylum shifted solely to exercise.Later renamed "Slimmons", the establishment continued operations in Beverly Hills and Simmons taught motivational classes andaerobicsthroughout the week.Slimmons closed in November 2016.Slimmons' success led to Simmons' own television seriesThe Richard Simmons Showwhich aired from 1980 to 1984 and earned him multiple Emmy awards.Rising interest inaerobicsduring the 1980s led to the popularization of Simmons' line of fitness videos, particularly hisSweatin' to the Oldiesseries which became one of the most popular videos during the decade.
In 2010, Simmons stated he had kept off his own 100+ pound (45kg) weight loss for 42 years, had been helping others lose weight for 35 years, and that in the course of his fitness career, had helped humanity lose approximately 12million pounds (5.5 million kg).Simmons used the Internet as a method of outreach by running his own membership-based website and also had official pages on numerous social-networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and YouTube.
Positive viewer reactions landed Simmons a recurring role as himself in the ABC network soap opera General Hospital over a 4-year period. This, as well as being in shopping malls, where he taught exercise classes, led to further media attention. In the early 1980s, Simmons hosted two shows – Slim Cookin and the Emmy Award-winning talk show The Richard Simmons Show, in which he focused on personal health, fitness, exercise, and healthy cooking. The Richard Simmons Show drew thousands of exercise enthusiasts, including SAG/AFTRA actress Lucrecia Sarita Russo, who reportedly transported an entire bus filled with women from Pam's Figure Tique for a lively workout on the show.
He was a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. While he resolved at one point to refuse future involvement after Stern repeatedly insulted him, he returned to the show several times; his last appearance coming in 2013.
Simmons was also a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) and the Late Show with David Letterman (CBS).On November 22, 2000, they had a falling out after an incident on that night's show. Simmons (while dressed as a turkey) grabbed Letterman as if to hug or kiss him, and Letterman responded by spraying Simmons with a fire extinguisher which caused Simmons to have a severe asthma attack.Simmons did not appear on the Letterman show for six years, finally returning on November 29, 2006. During that time, Letterman once again set Simmons up for a prank. While Simmons was demonstrating a steamer branded with his name, Letterman insisted on placing a tray under the steamer which Simmons did not believe belonged there. When Simmons turned the steamer on, something in the tray exploded and caught fire, sending Simmons running for his life. Despite the scare, Simmons took the incident in fairly good nature, even joking that he "felt like Michael Jackson" (referring to a mishap where Jackson's hair was accidentally set on fire by pyrotechnics while filming a Pepsi commercial).
He also featured in television advertisements for Sprint, Yoplait, and Herbal Essence shampoos. In late 2007, he was in a This is SportsCenter commercial on ESPN as the show's "conditioning coach". In Canada, Simmons was in an advertisement for Simmons mattresses. The mattress company hired the exercise celebrity because of the similarity in name, and for his appeal to the company's target audience of women over 35. Beyond this, no further business partnership existed between them.
In the Rocko's Modern Life episode "No Pain, No Gain", Simmons voiced an exercise trainer bearing his animated likeness, leading a class filled with large, anthropomorphic animals.
In 2011, Simmons starred in "Fit to Fly with Richard Simmons", an Air New Zealand inflight safety briefing video modeled after his aerobic workouts.
He is featured heavily in the film clip of "Hawker Boat" by Tobacco, taken from the album F***** Up Friends.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Simmons's YouTube channel was updated with archival exercise videos (recorded before his decision to withdraw from public life) to help people stay fit at home. A spokesperson said the move was motivated by "an overwhelming request for Richard to return in some way as a comfort", and added that "Richard is very touched by the outreach".
In January 2024, an as-yet untitled biopic about Simmons, starring Pauly Shore, was announced. Simmons stated on Facebook, "I have never given my permission for this movie."In April 2024, he said he was discussing giving his approval for a different biopic.
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