As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light. With 13,763 hours of cumulative narrative, As the World Turns has the longest total running time of any television show. In terms of continuous run of production, As the World Turns at 54 years holds the fourth-longest run of any daytime network soap opera on American television, surpassed only by General Hospital, Guiding Light, and Days of Our Lives. As the World Turns was produced for its first 43 years in Manhattan and in Brooklyn from 2000 until 2010.
Irna Phillips was an American scriptwriter, screenwriter, casting agent and actress. She is best remembered for pioneering a format of the daytime soap opera in the United States geared specifically toward women. Phillips created, produced, and wrote several radio and television daytime serials throughout her career, including Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and Another World. She was also a mentor to several other pioneers of the American daytime soap opera, including Agnes Nixon, William J. Bell and Ted Corday.
Barbara Ryan is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera As the World Turns. In the early 1970s, Barbara was played by a succession of actresses, but the actress most associated with the role is Colleen Zenk, who played her since September 1, 1978. She is portrayed as a heroine who experienced many tragedies, mostly at the hands of her controlling ex-husband, the villainous James Stenbeck. Barbara is the daughter of Jennifer Sullivan.
Donald Francis Michael Hastings is an American television actor, singer, and writer. He is best known for his 50-year role as Dr. Robert "Bob" Hughes on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. For his work on As the World Turns, Hastings received an Editor's Award at the Soap Opera Digest Awards in 1998 and a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In the 1940s, he appeared on Broadway in I Remember Mama, On Whitman Avenue, A Young Man's Fancy, and Summer and Smoke. He also starred as the Video Ranger on DuMont's Captain Video and His Video Rangers and as Jack Lane on the CBS soap opera The Edge of Night.
Lisa Grimaldi is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera, As the World Turns. The character was portrayed by Eileen Fulton for 50 years from May 1960, until the last episode aired in September 2010, with Fulton becoming one of the longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States. Lisa is considered to be the first soap "vixen" and was one half of the first ever super couple, Bob and Lisa Hughes.
Nancy Hughes McClosky is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Portrayed by Helen Wagner for 54 years from the soap's inception in 1956 until 2010. Nancy served as the core family's and, by extension, the town's matriarch.
Gwen Norbeck Munson is a fictional character from the American CBS soap opera As the World Turns. She was introduced on March 30, 2005, and was portrayed by Jennifer Landon until April 4, 2008, and again in 2010. Landon won three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Younger Actress in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Originally shown to be a poor, emancipated minor, Gwen has risen to become a strong woman with a tough exterior, but when under pressure, the uncertainty of her life prevails.
Susan Stewart is a fictional character from the defunct American soap opera As the World Turns. While several actresses have played Susan, the role is most identified with Marie Masters, who played Susan for most of the character's run. Masters stepped into the role on October 18, 1968. Susan was at the center of several stories until the character left the show in 1979, before returning in 1986. Susan was known for her dysfunctional personality and scheming nature. A reformed alcoholic and respected physician, she played a supporting role in later years offering advice to her two daughters, Alison and Emily, who inherited their mother's penchant for controversy and trouble.
Hal Munson is a fictional character that appeared on the American soap opera As the World Turns. He was played by Benjamin Hendrickson from 1985 to 2004 and 2005 to 2006.
John Dixon M.D. is a fictional character on the American TV soap opera, As the World Turns. He was portrayed by Larry Bryggman from July 18, 1969 until December 14, 2004. Dixon is a cardiologist at Oakdale Memorial Hospital where he is also Chief and Acting Chief of Staff at Memorial Hospital. Though the character stopped appearing in 2004, when Bryggman left the show, no mention was made of his having left town. However, after Larry Bryggman returned to the show on August 27, 2010, Bob Hughes mentioned that Dixon had been at Johns Hopkins. The character remained on the show for its final month, appearing in the last episode in September 2010.
Robert Hughes M.D. is a fictional character on the American soap opera As the World Turns. Bob was played by actor Don Hastings from October 1960 until the series' final episode on September 17, 2010. Actors Bobby Alford and Ronnie Welch played Bob previously between 1956 and 1960.
Alison Stewart is a fictional character from As the World Turns, an American soap opera on the CBS network. Created by head writers Juliet Law Packer and Richard Backus, and introduced by executive producer Laurence Caso, the character was portrayed by several child actors, including Sarah Hyland. In 2002, the role was rapidly aged when Jessica Dunphy was cast in the role; she remained in the role until her exit in 2005. In 2007, the character briefly crossed over to The Young and the Restless with actress Marnie Schulenburg in the role, who would continue her portrayal on As the World Turns until the series finale in 2010.
Emily Stewart is a fictional character from As the World Turns, an American soap opera on the CBS network. She has been portrayed by Kelley Menighan Hensley since July 1992. Ten years later, the actress received her first Daytime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress. The character briefly appeared on the CBS soap, The Young and the Restless in March 2007, asking Amber Moore about information on her sister and biological daughter, Alison Stewart.
Stavares "Steve" Andropoulos and Elizabeth "Betsy" Stewart Andropoulos are fictional characters and a super couple from the American soap opera As the World Turns, which aired for almost 54 years before being canceled due to low ratings. Steve was portrayed by actor Frank Runyeon and Betsy was portrayed by both actress Meg Ryan and actress Lindsay Frost. The fictional couple wed on May 30, 1984; the episode attracted 20 million viewers making it the second highest-rated hour in American soap opera history.
Christopher Robert "Chris" Hughes II M.D. is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The role was most notably portrayed by Bailey Chase from 2003 to 2005, Dylan Bruce from 2007 to 2008 and two-time Emmy nominee Daniel Cosgrove in 2010.
Frances Jennifer "Frannie" Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns played by several actresses from 1973 to 1992. Frannie was most notably portrayed by future Academy Award winner Julianne Moore, from April 2, 1985, to May 1988 and April 5, 2010.
Margo Hughes is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera As the World Turns, a show about working life in the fictional town of Oakdale. She was first played by Margaret Colin, and then by Hillary B. Smith for six years. However the actress most recognized for the role is Ellen Dolan, who played the character from December 18, 1989 until 2010, with a break from January 1993 to June 1994.
Ellen Lowell is a fictional character from the American daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She was portrayed by Wendy Drew from the series first episode on April 2, 1956 until September 1960 and by Patricia Bruder from December 1960 until November 1998.
Penny Hughes is a fictional character from the daytime drama As the World Turns. She is one of the core cast members. Prinz herself described the character as "America’s sweetheart at the time".
As the World Turns is a long-running soap opera television series that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Its fictional world has a long and involved history.
