Connect with us

Breaking News

12

EXCLUSIVE: Retro TV Drops 181 New Episodes of ‘The Doctors’ from 1980, Reveals Final Two Years No Longer In Existence

By Michael Fairman

Published

on

Courtesy/Retro TV

What has been a work-in-progress to deliver more episodes from the archives of the beloved NBC soap opera, The Doctors, has become a reality! Retro TV has brought back to life the remaining episodes, and they are now available to binge watch starting today, July 11th on-demand via the It’s Real Good TV app.

The new episodes are from 1980, and begin on January 1st of that year all the way through September 30th; comprising 181 episodes. In addition, these new episodes will air on Saturdays beginning July 29th from 2-4PM ET/PT for those who want to watch via Retro TV.

Some of the greatest names in ‘Doctors’ history can be seen in the 1980 episodes including: Kim Zimmer as Nola Dancy Aldrich, Alec Baldwin as Billy Aldrich, David Canary as cult leader ‘Far Wind’, Jada Rowland as Carolee Aldrich, David O’Brien as Dr. Steve Aldrich, Jennifer Houlton as Greta Powers, and of course, James Pritchett as Dr. Matt Powers.

Photo: RetroTV

While there is good news to report, there is also some bad news. After acquiring the footage from Colgate’s warehouses, and through a complex digitization process to salvage the episodes, the Retro TV executives and production team discovered that although they had been told the tapes they were receiving were dated up through 1982 and The Doctors final season, it turned out Colgate no longer was in possession of those tapes.

After exhaustive research and discussions with the Colgate team, it could only be determined that those tapes were reused by NBC back in the day and thus, the beloved final two years of The Doctors no longer exist.

Photo: Retro TV

Joel Wertman, President of Retro TV, shared: “At that time the tapes were considered more valuable than the content on them and it truly is a shame. I’m very proud that our small team at Retro TV has been able to digitize and preserve the episodes on the remaining tapes. The Doctors is a quintessential series to the history of soap operas, and we knew bringing the digitization process in-house was going to be challenging, but also very important.”

To look at the behind the scenes of how Retro TV’s digitization process (to save the 181 episodes of The Doctors) came to fruition, check it out in the video at the bottom of this post, entitled “From Tape to Screen’.  Taking you on the journey are: Joel Wertman, Carol Waffel (Caption Specialist, Retro TV), Stacy Newman (Vice-President of Development, Retro TV) and Brad Cotter (Digital Media Manager, Retro TV).

Photo: Retro TV

Set in the fictional New England city of Madison and Hope Memorial hospital, The Doctors ran on NBC from 1963 to 1982, earning 187 Daytime Emmy Award nominations along the way. Notable cast members included: Elizabeth Hubbard, Anna Stuart, Gerald Gordon, Ellen Burstyn and Kathleen Turner and many others. Retro TV has been running episodes beginning from 1967 and now through 1980.

To find Retro TV in your area go here  Fans can also keep up with all things Hope Memorial on The Doctors official Facebook and Instagram accounts, plus on Twitter here.

Be on the lookout for tune-in information for a special livestream on The Michael Fairman Channel featuring some of the 1980 cast members in the coming days.

So, excited to see the 1980 episodes of The Doctors? Sad to hear, try as they might, the final two years of The Doctors are gone? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

12 Comments

12 Comments
oldest
newest

I know many have been waiting for the next round of episodes, so congratulations to RetroTV for getting 181 new episodes out. As for the final two years, that is a damn shame. Though, Colleen Zenk did warn us this also happened for <i>As the World Turns</i>. So sad. Shame.

Glad to finally get an answer and to see more episodes. I knew NBC owned it in Oct 1980 and was wondering if that was the problem. I Hope some of the pre- Dec 1967 tapes still exist and we can get them. Hopefully some private citizens have those episodes on Tape and maybe they can make a deal

Will it be possible to get the rest in a written summary so we can find out the end of the story? And will you be putting another soap opera on like Another World?

Those last two years include a brief (six months or so) period with Harding Lemay as head writer; I was looking forward to seeing those episodes and am really sorry to hear they don’t exist, after all.

But what a gift it has been, as a whole, to have so much of the run preserved. I’m so grateful to the team that undertook to digitize and restore the remaining episodes so we could see them!

And so far it’s all free. A bit annoying to navigate but so what. I paid for Watch The Doctors app until it ended. Then this app took over and didn’t work as well for the pay part but now it’s free and hopefully stays that way. I do have Retro Tv with Spectrum so i tape every day but now i can see episodes i missed too.

Last edited 3 years ago by davlestev1

I am going so slowly through these episodes- I am still in 1967! I love them so much- the quality of writing and acting is amazing! Will we ever get Another World in this format? Hate that we won’t get the final two years, though

I’m not buying that the last two years of the Doctors have been erased. By 1980 nothing was being erased anymore. I believe either NBC doesn’t want to sell them or their asking price is too high for RETRO tv to pay, or there is some issue with the rights for them to be re aired again. They were never at the Colgate vault to begin with because Colgate didn’t own the show anymore. So the fact that they didn’t come with the October 1980-December 1982 episodes all along should not be a shock at all now.

Not buying this either! It’s just an excuse they are throwing at us because it’s to expensive or don’t have the copyrights. Please don’t lie!

Last edited 3 years ago by Max Schewalje

I can only hope you’re right. But I thought it was by 1982 the networks took archiving more seriously.

Steven Blechman, the more I think about it the more I *do* believe you’re *right.* I just finished watching the last known “surviving” episode of the 80’s “The Doctors” last weekend and what you said about NBC Universal greedily withholding the last two years of the show seems to ring true, since it bought to my mind a similar situation involving NBC Universal and Retro TV in 2016.

That year NBC Universal bought out DreamWorks Classics, which owns, among others, the animated Filmation shows (“The Archie Show” and the original “Sabrina” series, for instance), “Mr. Magoo,” and “Lassie.” Retro aired those shows up until NBC got their greedy hands on said series and began *hoarding* them. Now the only genuine animated shows Retro runs on Saturday mornings are “The Houndcats” and “The Barkleys” (both DePatie-Freleng shows), but the network has been running those two shows ad infinitum since 2016, mostly because it appears the copyrights on said shows expired and are now in the public domain. So we can also thank (sarcastically speaking) NBC Universal for that greedy move.

If you wish to write NBC Universal to express your displeasure with their hoarding of “The Doctors” and/or the DreamWorks library, the New York address is 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10003. NBC Universal is a division of the Comcast Corporation; I know Comcast’s main headquarters are in Philadelphia, but I don’t know their exact address offhand. You’ll most likely have to Google it.

In the meantime, good luck if you choose to write (but *don’t* expect an answer). But let’s also hope that the other “lost” “Doctors” episodes from 1980-1982 will resurface in some way soon. It’d be great to see how the storylines up to that point get resolved.

I never heard of Doctors..
never heard of Retro TV ..
I see some are excited about it, enjoy! 🙂

13 years is more than any of the other older soaps …..better than nothing..

Breaking News

Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco Welcome Baby Girl, Philomena into the World

Published

on

By

Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco

Congratulations are in order for three-time Emmy winner, Tom Pelphrey (ex-GL and ATWT) and his fiancée Big Bang Theory star, Kaley Cuoco! The couple welcomed their second baby daughter together on October 12, and revealed they named the little bundle of joy, Philomena Carmine Bobby Pelphrey.

Tom and Kaley shared the news via their Instagram accounts on Wednesday with some adorable baby pics. Cuoco captioned the photo“🎀Philomena Carmine Bobby Pelphrey🎀. 💖10/12/26💖. There are no words to describe this feeling once again. What a blessing.

Cuoco added, “We are so grateful for the crazy wild up and down journey that brought us to our little Philo! Family officially complete 😭Time to bring Matilda’s baby home! 😂💕”

Tom Pelphrey and Kaley Cuoco

Photo: KCuoco IG

BABY MAKES FOUR

Next, Kaley shared her love for the father of her children, exclaiming, “Tom Pelphrey, life exploded the minute we met, and the gifts keep coming. I love you forever , girl daddy! 💘.”

Philomena now joins big sister, Matilda mwho was born in 2023, as part of the Pelphrey/Cuoco family! Tom and Kaley began dating in 2022 and became engaged in 2024.

Daytime fans first saw the talented actor on Guiding Light as Jonathan Randall, the son of Reva Shayne (Kim Zimmer). Tom won two Daytime Emmys for his memorable performances during his run from 2004-2009.

He later played Mick Dante on As the World Turns from 2009-2010, before heading to work in primetime and motion pictures. Last month, Pelphrey one the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in HBO’s Task.

TOM PELPHREY CELEBRATES EMMY WIN AND NEW DAUGHTER WITHIN A MONTH OF EACH OTHER

After winning his Emmy, the expectant dad told E! News, “We’re both so excited. Our daughter’s excited. We’ll see how it goes when it actually gets there.” Tom added, “The things that are new and the things that feel like not a big deal this time. But mom and baby are healthy, so God willing, that keeps up, and we’re thrilled,” added the actor.

Pelphrey took to his own Instagram and said on the birth of his second daughter, “Philomena Carmine Bobby Pelphrey. Another miracle. Welcome to our family youngest queen!  Kaley you showed up in every way as a partner and a mom even when you weren’t feeling your best- you’re a CHAMPION. The girls and I would be lost without you. Thank God for the gift of this family and these girls.”

Jumping in to the comment thread to congratulate Tom and Kaley were Beyond the Gates star Ashley Jones (Heather), Dave Annabelle, Martha Plimpton, Alyssa Milano and many more.

Share your congrats and well-wishes to Tom, Kaley, Matilda and their new addition to the family, little Philomena via the comment section below.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kaley Cuoco (@kaleycuoco)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tom Pelphrey (@tommypelphrey)

Continue Reading

Breaking News

2026 Daytime Emmys Gold & Silver Circle Inductees: Francesca James, Patrika Darbo and Meredith Vieira Among Those Being Honored

Published

on

By

Daytime Emmy Gold & Silver Inductees

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced on Thursday, October 8, the 2026 Gold & Silver Circle Inductees who will be celebrated at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, October 30.

This year’s honor roll features industry professionals that have made contributions across daytime television, including daytime dramas, talk shows, comedy, and more.

The Gold inductees include: Meredith Vieira (former c0-host of The View, journalist and EP and CEO, Meredith Vieira Productions),Patrika Darbo (ex-Nancy, Days of our Lives and Shirley, The Bold and the Beautiful, soon to be seen reprising her role of Shirley on Y&R), three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Francesca James (ex-Kitty/Kelly, All My Children, and ex-Marcy Wade, One Life to Live, plus director and/or producer at All My Children, General Hospital, Loving, Santa Barbara et al), and finally Byron Allen (Founder, Chairman & CEO Allen Media Group).

It should be noted that Vieira made guest appearances on both All My Children and General Hospital throughout her career. On GH, she played madam Bree Flanders in 2003 and 2012. She also appeared as a wedding planner on All My Children back in 2001.

Photo: NATAS

The Silver inductees are: Stephen Brown (VP Programming and Development, Fox Television Stations)  and Rubin Ervin (Announcer/Warm-Up Host for Family Feud, The Bachelor and more).The Gold and Silver Circle Society Inductees are deemed by NATAS as “exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and brightest in the industry.”

In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS shared, “This year’s Gold & Silver honorees are recognized for their continued exceptional contributions to our television industry. We are proud to honor a class of honorees from diverse career paths across many daytime genres. Their impact is evident in programming every day, inspiring generations and enriching the lives of countless viewers.”

MORE ON THE 53RD ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMYS

NATAS previously announced that soap opera icon Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during this year’s ceremonies.

The 2026 Daytime Emmys will be held at the historic Hollywood Palladium and will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.

The annual awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.

The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be a single ceremony in 2026, produced by NATAS Productions. Adam Sharp and Lara Gates are executive producers, with Leon Knoles returning to direct for a fifth straight year. Rachel Schwartz serves as Head of Daytime, and the firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP, provides accounting services for the competition.

So, what do you think of this year’s Gold & Silver Inductees? Happy to see some of the names that will be recognized on October 30? Who in the future who has had enduring contributions to daytime television or the soap opera genre, would you like to see receive these honors in years to come? Let us know via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

Breaking News

Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62

Published

on

By

Robert Kelker-Kelly

Robert Kelker-Kelly, who became prominent as a one of the leading men in soap operas back in the late 80s and 90s has died at the age of 62. TMZ first reported the news of Robert’s passing on Saturday, October 3 at his home in St. Peters, Missouri.

According to the St. Peters police report, officers responded to call at around 8:16 pm about an unconscious man who was not breathing, as paramedics and other EMS were en route. Kelker-Kelly had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event.

Officers and paramedics administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful in reviving Kelker-Kelly. The cause of his death is still unknown and under investigation.

Robert Kelker-Kelly

Photo: NBC

Daytime fans first saw Robert back in 1987 when he was cast as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the role for three year suntil 1990. Two years later, he took over the role of Bo Brady on Days of our Lives replacing Peter Reckell, who at that time decided to leave the show.

As Bo, Kelker-Kelly was major in story playing opposite the likes of: Crystal Chappell as Dr. Carly Manning, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. When Peter Reckell returned to his signature role in 1995, Kelker-Kelly left the show.

Next, Robert returned to his original stomping grounds at Another World but this time as race car driver, Bobby Reno who was actually Dr. Shane Roberts. His second AW stint lasted from 1996-1998.

Robert Kelker-Kelly, GH

Photo: ABC

Eventually, the actor would begin his run as the evil Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital in 2001, then make returns in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, he briefly returned as Stavros as part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, and made one last appearance in 2014.

Robert has also became a professional pilot full from 2003 to 2015 and had been married to former Days of our Lives star, Miriam Parrish (ex-Jamie Caldwell) from 1997-2011, but the couple divorced in 2011. Since that time, he has not remarried.

Recently, Robert was back in the news when Lisa Rinna talked about her time working with her former Days of our Lives co-star in her recently released memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.

Rinna shared on her then on-screen love interest, “Behind the scenes, we hated each other. Remember when Kathy Hilton said I was the biggest bully in Hollywood? Not true. Not even close! I have legit stories about the real bullies in this town. Robert Kelker-Kelly is one of those bullies.”

The former Billie Reed and reality star even punctuated that with, “He made my life a living hell on the set of DAYS, He was horrible to me, I’d go so far as to say verbally abusive. He was passive-aggressive, manipulative and played weird mind games.”

Besides his role in the soaps, Kelker-Kelly appeared on primetime on Touched by an Angel and Rescue 77 , and played Bo in the Days of our Lives specials Night Sins and Winter Heat in the early 90s.

Michael Fairman TV will provide further updates as they become available on the death of Robert Kelker-Kelly.

Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Robert Kelker-Kelly via the comment section below and let us know of all his daytime roles, which was your favorite.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Heather Tom

The Bold and the Beautiful

Airdate: 7-24-2026

Popular

12
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x