Bridget Dobson and Jerome Dobson were writers for American soap operas and created the NBC soap opera Santa Barbara in 1984. The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... For other uses, see NBC (disambiguation). ... Santa Barbara was an American soap opera which ran on NBC for 2137 episodes from July 30, 1984 to January 15, 1993. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Bridget Dobson is the daughter of General Hospital creators Frank Hursley and Doris Hursley. Bridget and Jerome married in 1961. Bridget began writing for General Hospital in the early 1970s and Jerome joined her soon after. General Hospital is the longest-running daytime soap opera on the American ABC television network, and is also the longest-running soap opera produced in Hollywood (having been taped at the Prospect Avenue ABC Television Center West and Sunset-Gower Studios). ... Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902–February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898–May 5, 1984) were a husband-and-wife team who wrote American soap operas. ... Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902–February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898–May 5, 1984) were a husband-and-wife team who wrote American soap operas. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ...

In 1975 the Dobsons were hired as the head writers for the long running CBS soap opera Guiding Light. They spent the rest of the 1970's at Guiding Light were they created the rich, upper class Spaulding family in 1977 and wrote the infamous storyline of Holly Thorpe's rape by her own husband Roger Thorpe in 1979. The Dobsons would later go on to become the head writers of another Procter and Gamble soap opera, As The World Turns were they created the infamous character of James Stenbeck and also paired the characters of Tom and Margo. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... For other uses, see CBS (disambiguation). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Procter & Gamble Co. ... As the World Turns (ATWT) is the second longest-running American television soap opera, airing each weekday on CBS. It debuted on Monday, April 2, 1956 at 1:30 in the afternoon. ... Thomas Tom Hughes and Margo Montgomery Hughes are a fictional supercouple on the American CBS soap opera As The World Turns. ...

In 1984 NBC debuted Santa Barbara were Bridget and Jerome Dobson had creative control of the show's storylines until they were locked out of Santa Barbara's NBC offices in 1988 after the Dobson's repeated attempts to fire Santa Barbara's then head writer, Anne Howard Bailey. The Dobson's filed a $53 million lawsuit against NBC and New World Television (the company that owned Santa Barbara). They would later settle out of court. The Dobsons returned to Santa Barbara to try to save the series in 1991. NBC cancelled Santa Barbara in 1993. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...