About
"I think that a really good daytime serial soap reflects what's happening. That's certainly what we're trying to do when we want people to examine their prejudices and so on, but I also that think we do more than that -- we reflect changes, too. When mothers marched for peace in 1970 in 'All My Children,' we were copying the marches that there had already been. It works both ways."
In her two-and-a-half-hour interview, Agnes Nixon (1927-2016) discusses her love of reading and writing. She recalls attending Northwestern University and changing her focus from acting to writing. She talks of getting hired by legendary Irna Phillips to write for the soap opera Woman in White shortly after graduating college. She tells of moving to New York and writing for anthology dramas Robert Montgomery Presents and Hallmark Hall of Fame and writing for the early soap Search for Tomorrow. Nixon then details working for Irna Phillips on Guiding Light and co-creating As the World Turns with Phillips and Ted Corday. She then talks of creating and writing the successful soap operas All My Children, One Life to Live and Loving. She touches on casting for the programs (including casting Susan Lucci as "Erica Kane"), hiring writers and crafting popular storylines. Connie Passalacqua conducted the interview on October 21, 1997 in New York, NY.
Highlights
Agnes Nixon on coming up with the title of All My Children
Agnes Nixon on creating the character "Erica Kane" on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on the influence of sponsor Procter & Gamble on Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on television as a teaching tool
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On her early years and influences; on growing up in Nashville; on radio programs she enjoyed as a child; on wanting to be a writer and attending Northwestern University
On meeting soap opera creator Irna Phillips; on her difficult relationship with her father; on writing for radio serial dramas
On transitioning to television and writing for anthology series (including Robert Montgomery Presents); on being a female television writer
Chapter 2
On writing for live television; on adapting books for teleplays on early television; on her literary influences; on seeing productions she wrote performed live
On writing for the daytime serial Search for Tomorrow; on writing for Irna Phillips on Guiding Light; on writing socially relevant stories and people underestimating the largely female audience of soap operas
On collaborating with Irna Phillips on the creation of As the World Turns; on the differences between writing a thirty-minute and fifteen-minute program
Chapter 3
On the rapid pace of soap opera production; on leaving Guiding Light to take over Another World
On creating All My Children but not getting it on the air right away; on creating One Life to Live; on how One Life to Live differed from other soap operas on at the time; on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
On socially relevant storylines on One Life to Live; on early soap demographics and using her own experiences as fodder for storylines
On the creation of All My Children and how it reflected its era; on the title and setting of the show
Chapter 4
On how the process of writing soap operas evolved throughout her career
On the character of "Erica Kane" (played by Susan Lucci) on All My Children; on humor on the show, the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character, and production on the show; on working with ABC's Michael Eisner
On writing the miniseries The Manions of America starring Pierce Brosnan
On co-creating Loving; on keeping All My Children fresh over the years; on the competition soaps face; on then-current projects and favorite storylines over the years
Chapter 5
On the role of soap operas in modern culture; on the term "soap opera"
On her thoughts on people with whom she's worked
Shows
All My Children
Agnes Nixon on creating All My Children
Agnes Nixon on creating All My Children (contd.) but not getting it on the air on CBS as planned
Agnes Nixon on creating One Life to Live and then reviving All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the creation of All My Children and how it reflected its era
Agnes Nixon on coming up with the title of All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the Pine Valley setting of All My Children
Agnes Nixon on creating the character "Erica Kane" on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the humor and characters on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on production on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on keeping All My Children fresh over the years
Another World
Agnes Nixon on feeling stifled by sponsor Procter & Gamble on Another World and One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on leaving Guiding Light to take over Another World; on popular storylines on the soap opera
Agnes Nixon on turning Another World around, making the show successful, and getting asked to work for ABC
As the World Turns
Agnes Nixon on collaborating with Irna Phillips on the creation of thirty-minute As the World Turns
Agnes Nixon on the focus of As the World Turns and creating the world of Oakdale
Agnes Nixon on the differences between writing for a thirty-minute show (As the World Turns) and a fifteen-minute show
Agnes Nixon on the success of As the World Turns
Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on writing for the television and radio versions of Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on the format and challenges of Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on the influence of sponsor Procter & Gamble on Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on wanting to write socially relevant stories for soap operas -- writing her first cancer story for Guiding Light and getting resistance from sponsor Procter & Gamble
Agnes Nixon on people underestimating the largely female audience of soap operas
Agnes Nixon on her tenure writing for Guiding Light
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Agnes Nixon on writing for Hallmark Hall of Fame and the challenges of working in live dramas
Loving
Agnes Nixon on co-creating Loving with Douglas Marland
Manions of America, The
Agnes Nixon on writing the six-hour ABC miniseries The Manions of America
One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on feeling stifled by sponsor Procter & Gamble on Another World and One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on creating One Life to Live and then reviving All My Children
Agnes Nixon on how One Life to Live differed from other soap operas on at the time and how the show was socially relevant
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on a socially relevant storyline about drug addiction on One Life to Live
Robert Montgomery Presents
Agnes Nixon on writing an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents starring Jackie Cooper
Search For Tomorrow
Agnes Nixon on her thirteen weeks writing for Search for Tomorrow
Topics
Anthology Drama
Agnes Nixon on writing for the Golden Age anthology dramas
Censorship / Standards & Practices
Agnes Nixon on wanting to write socially relevant stories for soap operas -- writing her first cancer story for Guiding Light and getting resistance from sponsor Procter & Gamble
Creative Influences and Inspiration
Agnes Nixon on her literary influences
Fame and Celebrity
Agnes Nixon on the fan mail for All My Children
Historic Events and Social Change
Agnes Nixon on a topical story about the Vietnam War on All My Children
LGBTQIA+
Agnes Nixon on the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character on All My Children
Representation on Television
Agnes Nixon on being one of the only women to write for the Golden Age anthology dramas
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
Agnes Nixon on the then-recent (1997) introduction of a gay character on All My Children
Television Industry
Agnes Nixon on sponsor reaction to soap operas moving from radio to television
Agnes Nixon on wanting to write socially relevant stories for soap operas -- writing her first cancer story for Guiding Light and getting resistance from sponsor Procter & Gamble
Agnes Nixon on the fan mail for All My Children
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Agnes Nixon on writing for the Golden Age anthology dramas
Underrepresented Voices
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
Vietnam War
Agnes Nixon on a topical story about the Vietnam War on All My Children
War
Agnes Nixon on a topical story about the Vietnam War on All My Children
Women
Agnes Nixon on being one of the only women to write for the Golden Age anthology dramas
Professions
Show Creators
Agnes Nixon on creating One Life to Live and then reviving All My Children
Writers
Agnes Nixon on using her own experiences and dreams as material for her soap opera writing
Agnes Nixon on how the process of writing soap operas evolved throughout her career
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Agnes Nixon on writing an episode of Robert Montgomery Presents starring Jackie Cooper
Daytime/Primetime Serials
Agnes Nixon on collaborating with Irna Phillips on the creation of As the World Turns; on the differences between writing a thirty-minute and fifteen-minute program
Agnes Nixon on writing for the television and radio versions of Guiding Light
Agnes Nixon on the creation of All My Children and how it reflected its era; on the title and setting of the show
Agnes Nixon on creating One Life to Live; on topical storylines on the show
Agnes Nixon on how the process of writing soap operas evolved throughout her career
Agnes Nixon on creating the character "Erica Kane" on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on the humor, characters, and production on All My Children
People
William Bell
Agnes Nixon on William Bell
Fred Coe
Agnes Nixon on working with Fred Coe
Ted Corday
Agnes Nixon on Ted Corday, director and co-creator of As the World Turns
Michael Eisner
Agnes Nixon on working with ABC's Michael Eisner
Eileen Fulton
Agnes Nixon on Eileen Fulton
Don Hastings
Agnes Nixon on Don Hastings
Ellen Holly
Agnes Nixon on the groundbreaking "Carla Gray" storyline on One Life to Live
Susan Lucci
Agnes Nixon on the character "Erica Kane" (played by Susan Lucci) on All My Children
Agnes Nixon on Susan Lucci
Douglas Marland
Agnes Nixon on co-creating Loving with Douglas Marland
Agnes Nixon on Douglas Marland
Irna Phillips
Agnes Nixon on getting an interview with soap opera creator Irna Phillips
Agnes Nixon on what she had heard about soap opera creator Irna Phillips prior to meeting her; on her first impression upon meeting her
Agnes Nixon on collaborating with Irna Phillips on the creation of As the World Turns
Agnes Nixon on Irna Phillips as a force in television
Agnes Nixon on the focus of As the World Turns and creating the world of Oakdale
Agnes Nixon on Irna Phillips wanting to write socially relevant stories for soap operas
Agnes Nixon on working with Irna Phillips
Doris Quinlan
Agnes Nixon on producer Doris Quinlan
Erika Slezak
Agnes Nixon on Erika Slezak
Robin Strasser
Agnes Nixon on Robin Strasser
Ruth Warrick
Agnes Nixon on Ruth Warrick