Happy Birthday, All My Children

TWIT would like to wish a happy belated birthday to the best soap opera on daytime television, "All My Children."  AMC turned 37 years old this past Friday.  I'm a fairly new fan of AMC; I've only been watching it for about four years, while I know people who have been watching it since the first episode aired back in 1970.  I started watching it when my cousin's son auditioned for a part on the soap in the spring of 2003.  He didn't get the part, but I can at least brag that he auditioned for "All My Children."

For 37 years, “All My Children” has established itself as the leader in daytime dramas as one that educates through entertaining. Over the past three decades, viewers have watched the characters deal with both social and personal issues including abortion, HIV and AIDS, substance abuse, eating disorders and many more. "All My Children"  made television history as the first daytime drama to incorporate a lesbian character (Bianca Montgomery, our beloved Erica Kane's daughter).  The writers  pushed the envelope even more a few years later when another historic moment was made when the show aired daytime televisions first same sex kiss between two women.   The show continues to be cutting edge with another controversial storyline currently going on.  In a storyline unusual evecn for a soap opera, "All My Children" has introduced a transgender character who is beginning to make the transition from a man to a woman.

Through 37 successful years, the program has maintained its popularity and continues to be one of daytime’s most compelling dramas. “All My Children” took home the 1998 Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, the third time the show received this top honor, having also garnered the award in 1994 and 1992. In 2004 the show also received its third consecutive Emmy Award for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series Writing, its third Writers Guild Award and its third GLAAD Media Award in April of 2004.

The soap was created by Agnes Nixon, and premiered on ABC on January 5, 1970, as a half-hour show; seven years later it expanded to an hour. TWIT would like to congragulate executive producre Julie Hanan Carruthers, and head writer Megan McTavish , and directors  Conal O’Brien, Casey Childs and Angela Tessinari on a job well done.