Agnes Nixon

Arguably the single most influential force in the daytime soap opera medium, Agnes Nixon was a protégé of the genre's creator, the legendary Irna Phillips, and was herself a celebrated creator, writer, producer and packager of daytime dramas. Not only a pioneer of the genre, Nixon forever changed the face of daytime TV by infusing a mosaic of ethnic and religious faces, infusing humor and tackling potent social issues, such as abortion and AIDS. Among the more memorable characters she created over her decades-long career were two of the genre's best known and beloved female leads: Erica Kane (Susan Lucci) of "All My Children" (ABC, 1970-2011) and Victoria Lord Buchanan (Erika Slezak) of "One Life to Live" (ABC, 1968-2012). Among the other shows she created or co-created were "As the World Turns" (CBS, 1956-2010), "Search for Tomorrow" (CBS, 1951-1982; NBC, 1982-86), "Loving" (ABC, 1983-1995) and "The City" (ABC, 1995-97), as well as writing for "The Guiding Light" (CBS, 1952-2009) and "Another World" (NBC, 1964-1999). Among Nixon's countless honors were five Daytime Emmys, five Writers Guild Awards and a Daytime Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award. A gifted writer who revolutionized the genre in which she worked, Agnes Nixon was one of the most influential people in the history of television and without a doubt "The Queen of the Modern Soap Opera."