As The World Turns
Remember and Watch: Four Years Ago Today AS THE WORLD TURNS Aired Its Final Episode!
Courtesy/CBS
It’s hard for us to fathom that it has been four years since we saw the town of Oakdale, and the indelible characters and beloved actors who comprised the final cast of the iconic series, As the World Turns.
The CBS soap ended its run on September 17th, 2010 and now four years later, many in the cast have gone on to new roles on other network soaps, some are continuing to perform and finding success in original web series, and still others are hitting the Broadway stage and can be seen in feature films, and Primetime television.
How to wrap-up a 54-year-old soap was going to be one of the hardest things the writing team would have to do. They chose to do it via an “Our Town” type vehicle narrated by long standing cast member, Don Hastings (Dr. Bob Hughes). And as Bob was retiring from his medical practice, others in the community were settling down with their new families, new loves in their lives, or rekindling old ones.
Courtesy/CBS
The two scenes that get us to this day, in this reach for the hankies final, were the final scenes between Holden (Jon Hensley) and Lily (Noelle Beck), where while talking about Lucinda (Elizabeth Hubbard) and John (Larry Bryggman) getting another shot at love, were really talking about themselves.
Jon Hensley gave one of the most touching performances of his soap career in this episode. And although, Luke (Van Hansis) was the one character left romantically alone, after the untimely death of Reid Oliver (Eric Sheffer Stevens), the moment where he listened to Reid’s heart beating inside Chris Hughes’ (Daniel Cosgrove) chest, was another stand-out.
There was a lot to take in on this final episode and you can watch it below with a box of Kleenex handy! And on this day, do you miss ATWT? Share your thoughts below!
I miss it and many others: AW, E.O.N., S.B., Passions, Peyton Place, DS, OLTL,…too many to list!!!
Remembering the last scene …in Dr.Bob Hughes office, him shutting the light and the “world” globe lit up and “turned”! Boy did I CRY!!!
I bet had Helen Wagner(Nancy) hadnt past away a few months earlier she wouldve been in the last scene…Nancy said the opening line: ‘Good morning, dear,’ to husband Chris Hughes in the very first episode…if Nancy had been in the very last scene im certain she wouldve been shown in bed and smiling lovingly at a framed picture of her late husband Chris on the night stand next to her bed, said ‘Goodnite, dear!’ then turned off the lamp…fade to black!
I, too, shed some tears that day. Beautiful closer.
Still miss it, but miss Guiding Light more.
I LOVED ATWT! I was so sad when it went off the air. But at the same time, after losing AW and GL, I was growing numb to it all. I have said it before and will continue to do so, soap actors are the hardest working actors in the business. They get one shot, rarely two, to get it right and they deliver day in and day out. The ATWT cast were outstanding!
When Helen Wagner died, my hope that she would utter the last words, as she did the first, were dashed. However, having Don Hastings say them was a huge plus. I still remember the Hughes, the Snyders, the Ryans, the Stewarts and Walshes; the whole gang in Oakdale with great fondness and miss them terribly.
I am so happy that so many of them are working to this day in other venues. Best wishes to them all!
I SO miss this show!!! I wonder if it was still on, what Jack and Carly would be up to?? Uggh I miss Craig and Rosanna, Dusty and Lucy, I personally loved the Molly/Holden/Lily triangle……I hated when Holden slept with Carly!!!! and poor Luke, hopefully he’s out in LA with Noah!!!!!
I still miss this show,It’s really sad that they would take this off the air only to be replaced by mindless chatter. I can honestly say that I can’t remember the last time I watched afternoon T.V. It was a nice little break in the day to spend time in Oakdale. Thanks for posting the video.
I miss Guiding Light and Another World more than ATWT.
Do I miss ATWT? Gosh, yes! It still saddens me that there are no more daily visits to Oakdale. I still mourn the loss of this legacy daytime drama/broadcast pioneer program. I still harbor a hope that some entity will resurrect ATWT in a back-to-basics 30-minute format but I am sure that will ever remain a pipe dream.
God bless Oakdale and all the actors, technicians, writers, directors, producers and craftsmen who entertained and enlightened us for so long. I, for one, am forever grateful.
It has only been four years– seem like it has been gone longer than that. Perhaps I feel like that since that last couple years of the show was only a shadow of the great soap it once was. I missed it but I miss Another World more– that show went off in 1999, so it has been fifteen years and I see by posts here I am not the only fan who hasn’t forgotten what a wonderful place Bay City was— still have their final show on VCR tape– and still have a working VCR– maybe I will dig out that tape this week and watch it since Mr. Fairman has gotten me all nostalgic for my old soaps
This is the one I miss the most.
This one should have been saved. It was the number one show from the 58/59 season through 1978. Only YR has been number one for more years.
Sooooo much history wasted, and its ratings hadn’t tanked for so long that it couldn’t have been reversed, similar to what happened with GH about two years ago.
Such a shame.
AMEN!! I totally agree.
Of all the shows (including the ones still on the air!!), ATWT was the one with the most going for it —- tons of history, still anchored by the original family, and with numerous actors who had remained with the show for decades.
It really was a shame what happened to ATWT. It was a death by a million “cuts” of bad decisions —- focusing on new characters while treating the core, veterans as nothing but breathing props; failing to recognize the importance of some veteran actors (Larry Bryggman; Martha Byrne) and letting them leave the show with little or no effort to keep them; the few attempts to use the history of the show in plots were incompetent; and uninteresting writing.
I really have a hard time putting a lot of faith into Y&R these days when Jean Passanante, the head writer during ATWT’s dying years, is working on the show. I have a low opinion of her writing talent due to what she gave us on ATWT.
I really miss what ATWT was for decades. Of course, I don’t include its last 5-10 years in that group. Moreover, I miss seeing Eileen Fulton, Don Hastings, Kathryn Hayes, and Elizabeth Hubbard on television. I watched them for years and, with the cancellation, they simply vanished (probably due to retirement). Even a site likes this rarely mentions any of them and gives us no updates. I’m dreading the day that I see a news item that one of them has passed away.
Barbara, like a lot of folks I started watching with my Grandma when she took care of us growing up. She watched religiously until the late 70’s when she said it got too “sexy”!
My favorite years were the mid/late 80’s when Douglas Marland took over writing and refocused the show on the vets. I did like his introduction of the Snyders.
It really had become a bit of a mess by the time it ended, but it could have been refocused again with the right writers.
I’m nervous about Jean P on YR as well, however, recently just this year I’ve noticed a return of some of YR’s trademarks, so I hope that means Angela McD and Margot Wain are watching closely. Too bad no one did that for ATWT…
I grew up watching As The World Turns with my Mom. I really miss it!
I never watched ATWT..
I do feel their was a great heartache when it ended, for its’ fans..
The death of soap is very personal..
Long live the remaining 4 soaps!!
Very dark day. Although I was no fan of nuLily and nuCraig, having Larry Bryggman back those final weeks was spectacular! So many wonderful actors I grew up with: Marie Masters (Susan), Kathryn Hays (Kim), Don Hastings (Bob), and Eileen Fulton (Lisa). The show still had life in it and I thought the crop of younger actors was particularly good (Billy Magnussen, Van Hansis, etc.). Like everyone, I took this show for granted — I assumed it would always be there when I would decide to revisit it, like so many times in the past — but not having it there still leaves a void. The surviving soaps simply don’t fill it.
How I miss this show.It brought back so many memories and It made me cry again
As the World Turns ending was devastating. It was truly my favourite soap opera, and still is to this very day. Christmas and Thanksgiving without the Hughes and Snyders is just not right. The coming out story of Luke Snyder (Van Hansis) helped me during a time I was dealing with being outed by my peers, etc. The show, its writers and stars helped me through such a difficult time, and allowed me to escape for an hour of truly magnificent programming. I only wish CBS could’ve given the show another year, or that another network had picked up it.
FOX should’ve given both ATWT and Guiding Light second lives; it would’ve given them an edge to becoming a major network. Alas, everything happens for very specific reasons. I’ll always miss Oakdale and the drama of it all.
I watched As the World Turns from my childhood. There are many fond memories of watching that show with my aunt , sister , and cousin. As Bob Hope would say ,”Thanks for the Memories”.
I don’t think I realised how much I miss until you posted this
One of my earliest memories was that black and white globe spinning around the television. I actually flew home to watch the final episode with my mother! Such a shame it’s gone.
I miss ATWT the most. Today is 5 years for Guiding Light.
Thank you for posting this! So much of our culture and history were tied to that show. I still cannot believe its not on the air and that this country has settled for these silly talk shows!
Sept 17, 2010 is a date that I remember like a birthday or anniversary. What a sad day for ATWT viewers. I still miss Oakdale and it’s residents . . . when I see past episodes, it brings up so many memories about what was happening at that time in my life and stirs up so many feelings. I wish the cast members the best of luck, but find it difficult to see them in other roles since ATWT. In my mind/heart, they’ll always be their Oakdale characters. If I had one TV wish, it would be to see ATWT on my screen again. With the holidays coming up, wouldn’t it be wonderful to see one of those iconic holiday shows with the entire cast showing up at the Hughes’ to hear Bob’s blessing?
I would like to see As The World Turns come back , I miss watching it everyday .
I Also Miss Guiding Light , would like both shows to come back
I miss it and the guilding light wish they would bring them back cant believe they cancled them and left bold and the beautiful on.
It’s a terrible loss for daytime tv to not have atwt and guiding light especially as the work turns Ive watched y&ra as the world turns and guiding light since I was a child
I never had the chance to watch the last episode, (work) I just watched it today and oh how I miss As the world turns, I started watching it when I was young because my mom would have it on…. My favorite daytime show
Funny, the other day I was thinking about being snowed in , wrapped up in a snuggy blanket like I did on snow days in high school, getting caught up on stories I got to see in the summer. I too miss the Christmas and thanksgiving activities on the show. I began watching with Mom, (it was her favorite ) I can r remember Bob marrying Lisa, and Penny and Jeff. So it was like taking friends away.. so sad. Oh well.
Oh, Judy, you could have written this for me. My Mom watched this show from the early sixties to the last episode, and my sister and I watched it when we could, more on than off. I miss the characters, and the people who played them. I hope they are all well. I wish I could thank them all for a story well told. Kim (Kathryn), you are my model of grace and class for my 60’s and beyond.
As The World Turns
ATWT Alum Martha Byrne Pays Tribute to Eileen Fulton: “The Original Soap Star Who Paved the Way for the Likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans”
Tributes and remembrances are pouring in for the the late Eileen Fulton, who passed away on July 14th at the age of 91. Fulton broke the soap opera mold back in the early 60’s when she was cast to play Lisa Miller on As the World Turns, who would turn out to be the first villiainess, vixen, and homewrecker of daytime television.
Fans of the soap loved to love to hate her for how she destroyed many lives in her quests to nab a husband; especially one she had set her sights set on. In fact, Lisa was married 8 times during the history of the show. Fulton was with ATWT on and off until the final year of the show in 2010.
Martha Byrne, who has been Fulton’s castmate for a time (Bryne played Lily Snyder from 1985 to 1989 and then again from 1993-2008 where she also played Rose D’Angelo), took to her account on x to share her thoughts on what Eileen meant to the genre, and also spoke on how Fulton handled not being as front and center on the soap operas as the years went by.
Photo: JPI
“What can I say about Eileen Fulton. The original soap star who paved the road for the likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans,” began Bryne. “Since Eileen started on ATWT when the show was live, there aren’t enough pieces of history for us to truly grasp the enormity of her stardom and presence in the entertainment business. I remember being so impressed that she was a writer. The best part was she would use real stories from behind the scenes and change the names. Maybe that was her way of giving the audience a wink to include them even more.”
Photo: CBS
Bryne went to share, “She (Eileen) loved her fans and she had many. I went to her one woman shows and the place was always packed. As the years went on and her role wasn’t as prominent as it had been she took it with class. I never heard her complain as many did who were frustrated they didn’t have a storyline. She was always a class act and a true pro who knew a storyline or another opportunity was only around the corner. She knew her value and was secure in herself. A national treasure who shaped the entire industry. Thank you Eileen. I’m sure there was a pink feather boa waiting for you just inside the pearly gates.”
So, what did you think about the sentiments shared by Martha on the legendary Eileen Fulton? Would you agree, as we have previously noted, that Lisa as played by Eileen, was really the prototype for all soap opera “bad girls” to follow? Did you appreciate the fact that while having a more diminished role over the last few decades of ATWT, Eileen took it in stride? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
What can I say about Eileen Fulton. The original soap star who paved the road for the likes of a Susan Lucci or Andrea Evans. Since Eileen started on ATWT when the show was live there aren’t enough pieces of history for us to truly grasp the enormity of her stardom and presence… pic.twitter.com/bN3skb2Rws
— Martha Byrne (@MarthaByrne10) July 20, 2025
The iconic Eileen Fulton, who was daytime’s first bad girl as Lisa Miller on As the World Turns, has died at the age of 91. According to the obituary on her passing, Fulton died earlier this week on July 14th in Asheville, North Carolina, after a period of declining health.
Fulton was born Margaret Elizabeth McLarty in Asheville on September 13, 1933. After studying acting in New York City, she changed her name to Eileen Fulton, when in 1960 she was cast in the film, Girl of the Night, co-starring with Anne Francis.
Eileen would change the face of daytime drama when in 1960 she was cast as the disruptor to the family dynamic, Lisa Miller, on the CBS soap opera. Throughout her ATWT run, the character of Lisa would eventually be married eight times to: Bob Hughes (1960–1964), John Eldridge (1965–1967), Michael Shea (1969–1970), Grant Coleman (1975–1979) ,Whit McColl (1982–1984), Earl Mitchell (1986–1987), Eduardo Grimaldi (1994–1995), and Martin Chedwyn (1996).
Photo: CBS
ATWT historians know that Lisa’s full name by the time the series went off the air in 2010 was: Lisa Miller Hughes Eldridge Shea Colman McColl Mitchell Grimaldi Chedwyn. Fulton played the role with only brief interruptions until the show was cancelled that year making her one of the longest-running tenured soap opera actors in US history. Other performers who took on the role of Lisa in Fulton’s absence included: Jane Powell, Maeve McGuire, Pamela King, Betsy Von Furstenberg, Lynn Rogers and Carmen Duncan.
Throughout her time on ATWT, it was Fulton’s eagerness to play Lisa as a villainess that contributed to the character’s popularity and therefore its longevity. She was inducted into the Soap Opera Hall of Fame in 1998 and was awarded a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In addition, in 1988, Fulton received her first-ever Daytime Emmy Award nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series.
The legendary star was also infamous for the grandmother clause she inserted into her contract that guaranteed she would never have to play a grandmother on the soap. In an interview with the LA Times in 2000 she shared, “At that time, grandmothers had no romance at all – and I wasn’t about to let that happen to me.” At some point, this all changed and she became OK with the idea of grandmother-hood. At one point, ATWT fans were so angry at the manipulative villainess played by Fulton that she had to employ a bodyguard to protect her.
Photo: CBS
When Futon stepped away from the show, at one point, she left to star in ATWT”s 1965 spinoff Our Private World, which aired Wednesday and Friday nights on CBS. In the story, Lisa had fled Oakdale after dumping Bob to move to Chicago, where she wed the wealthy John Eldridge (Nicolas Coster, who later would play Eduardo Grimaldi). Our Private World was canceled after four months on the air, and Fulton went back to As the World Turns in 1966.
When Eileen received her Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004, she was part of a group of actors who also received the honor that year including: her ATWT co-stars, Don Hastings and Helen Wagner, plus Ruth Warrick, Frances Reid, John Clarke, Ray MacDonnell, Don Hastings, Jeanne Cooper, and Rachel Ames.
Photo: JPI
For a time early in her career, Fulton not only was appearing in As The World Turns, which at that time was broadcast live, she was simultaneously appearing on Broadway in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and off-Broadway in the long-running musical The Fantasticks.
Fulton performed her cabaret act for many years in venues around New York and Los Angeles. In 1970, she co-authored her first autobiography, How My World Turns. In 1995 she co-authored a second autobiography, As My World Still Turns, to celebrate her 35th anniversary on As the World Turns. She also authored a series of mystery novels. In 2019, Eileen retired from show business and moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Photo: JPI
She is survived by her brother, Charles Furman McLarty (Karen) of Black Mountain; niece Katherine Morris (David) and their children, Everly Ann Morris and Easton Lane Morris of Fort Mill, S.C.; and sister-in-law Chris Page McLarty of Camden, Maine. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her brother, James Fulton McLarty.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Eileen Fulton via the comment section below, but first check out this classic early scene from ATWT featuring Fulton as Lisa, and the 2004 Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award presentation.
As The World Turns
ATWT Alum Tala Ashe Scores Tony Award Nomination; OLTL Alum Jonathan Groff and ‘Glee’ Favorite Darren Criss Also Receive Nods
Nominations for the 78th annual Tony Awards were announced Thursday morning honoring the best in the recent Broadway season.
The awards will be presented on June 8th live from Radio City Music Hall live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, a Tony winner for The Color Purple, hosting the show.
While musicals Buena Vista Social Club, Maybe Happy Ending and Death Becomes Her topped the nominations with 10 each, the list of Hollywood names and former soap opera alums who will be part of Broadway’s bigges makes it interesting drama for Broadway’s biggest nights.
Photo: JPI
In addition, there were big time snubs including: Denzel Washington, Jake Gyllenhaal and Kieran Culkin, who failed to make the nominations list, while other big names including: George Clooney are in the running.
Soap fans should take note that Tala Ashe (ex-Ameera Ali-Aziz, As the World Turns – 2007) scored her first-ever Tony nomination in the Best Featured Actress in a play category for her performance in English. The play takes place in an Iranian classroom where four adult students and their teacher leapfrog through a linguistic playground, this is a funny, stunning triumph about the universal foibles of language and miscommunication.
Photo: JPI
On As the World Turns, Ashe’s Ameera became involved with Luke and Noah, after she fled Iraq when her mother died, after her protector, Noah’s father, the Colonel, was reassigned and imprisoned. Once in Oakdale, when he heard her sad story, Noah (Jake Silbermann) agreed to a marriage of convenience, upsetting then boyfriend Luke Snyder (Van Hansis).
Once again, Tony Award winner, Jonathan Groff (ex-Henry Mackler, One Life to Live -2007) had scored another nomination. This year for his star turn as Bobby Darin in the new musical, Just in Time. Groff is competing in the category alongside former Glee star, Darren Criss, who is nominated for his work as a retired robot in Maybe Happy Ending.
Photo: JPI
Interestingly enough, Jeb Brown who is nominated in the Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Dead Outlaw, was formerly the bandmate of Beyond the Gates and General Hospital star, Jon Lindstrom.
Audra McDonald made Tony history scoring her record-setting 11th overall nomination, this year for her starring role in the musical revival of Gypsy. However, she will face-off with former Pussycat Dolls singer, Nicole Scherzinger, who plays Norma Desmond in the latest adaption of Sunset Boulevard, where she is getting all the raves this Broadway season.
Photo: JPI
You can check out the full 78th annual Tony Award nominations here.
So, remember Tala from ATWT as Ameera? Jonathan from OLTL as Henry? Who do you think should take home a Tony Award next month in the Big Apple? Comment below.
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