The world is no longer turning. At least that's how it feels for the countless fans of 'As the World Turns.'

The historic soap opera ends its 54-year run today. Legendary serial queen Irna Phillips created the ground-breaking drama, which debuted on April 2, 1956, on CBS. As times changed, so did the show, but the family unit was always at the core of the beloved series.

"'ATWT' was a trailblazer," reflected Emmy-winning writer-producer Jonathan Reiner, who spent seven years at Soap Opera Weekly. "It was one of the first half-hour shows and used hallmarks and techniques that the genre became famous for, such as the lingering close-up, exposition over coffee, a greater depth of character so that we knew motivations. This was all thanks to Irna Phillips, writer Bill Bell and director Ted Corday."

In the show's early days, young heroines like Penny Hughes and Ellen Lowell struggled to find love and fulfillment. Penny and Jeff fought against their parents to get to the altar, becoming the genre's first "supercouple" in the process. Fans were devastated when soon after their wedding, Jeff died in a car accident that left Penny with amnesia.

While Penny was immensely popular, it was Eileen Fulton's willful Lisa who arguably emerged as the show's most dynamic character. She was spun off into her own primetime soap 'Our Private World' in 1965. It was short-lived and she returned to the show a year later.

Phillips passed away in 1973, but the show managed to hold onto its number one status until 1978. (The show went to an hour in 1975.)

'ATWT' enjoyed a tremendous creative resurgence in the mid-'80s under the team of beloved head writer Douglas Marland and executive producer Robert Calhoun. A book could be written on Marland's stories alone, but his highlights include re-establishing the Hughes family as the show's core characters by giving newlyweds Bob and Kim front-burner tales; turning Barbara Ryan into the town bitch; and introducing the Snyder clan.

Kim's stalker turned out to be step-daughter Frannie's (Julianne Moore) murdering fiance Douglas Cummings, played by Emmy-winner John Wesley Shipp.

Don Hastings -- aka Dr. Bob Hughes from 1960 to the finale -- says CBS asked Marland to keep his popular character on the show and make someone else be the killer. "Doug said, 'No, if I do that then the story doesn't work.' Nobody told Doug how to write and he didn't tell them how to produce. [Doug's tenure] was probably the best time that I had on the show. There were also good times early on with Irna and Ted," Hastings said.

In 1986, Marland used the show's 30th anniversary as a tie-in with the on-air celebration of Chris and Nancy Hughes' 50th anniversary. He invited several past cast members back and upon seeing the dynamic Marie Masters' portrayal of Susan, he kept her around. Marland re-ignited the Kim/Susan feud (which dated back to the '70s) by having Bob have a one-night stand with Susan. In a rare instance, Marland sped up the inevitable Bob/Kim reconciliation at the request of Kathryn Hays (Kim.) "Doug told me that Kathy [Hays] was really upset," Hastings recalled. "It was supposed to be a much longer story."



Marland had an embarrassment of riches when it came to actors/characters, especially his leading ladies. The rivalry between Colleen Zenk's Barbara and Hillary B. Smith's Margo was rooted in character and history. Their confrontational scenes were classic Marland and shown as an example of his stellar work at the 1986 Daytime Emmys.

But the jewel in the crown was Elizabeth Hubbard's Lucinda Walsh, a dynamic, neurotic soul who gave new meaning to the phrase "helicopter mother." Hubbard plays every scene with gusto, passion and intelligence. Marland gave Lucinda a posse (lawyer Ambrose, secretary Jane, butler Matthew) to help establish her wealth and power. The scribe once said that he loved using Lucinda in a show's prologue because it guaranteed getting the episode off to a great start.

"Doug was very special," Hubbard said. "I knew him a bit personally. A lot of writers are afraid of actors, but Doug was very sociable with us. He invited me to his house in the country. His love for the kids and romance [on our show] was nice. He was very fond of actors."

Hubbard shared a dynamic chemistry with two of her leading men: Larry Bryggman (Dr. John Dixon) and Scott Bryce (Craig Montgomery) ."I just love Scott and he loves me," Hubbard said. "We had so much fun playing together. Whenever anything would go dull Scotty would play that he was my therapist. It was wonderful. Nobody knew but us."

Hubbard, a multiple Daytime Emmy nominee for her role as Lucinda, was known for her ad-libs, which kept newcomers on their toes and always entertained the audience.

"They gave me a third butler, who was about 14 years old," the actress recalled. "They let me improvise during a party scene and I said, 'By the way, my new butler came with the pizza -- and he stays!'"

Marland wrote romance, mystery and tackled social issues with a passion. He added a gay male (Hank Elliot) to the canvas and told stories involving Alzheimer's, interracial romance, HIV and mercy killing. His stories won 'ATWT' two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series (1987, 1991), but Marland himself never won the writing statue for his time at 'ATWT.' The scribe's sudden passing in 1993 dealt the cast and company an enormous blow, both personally and professionally.

The show struggled through the rest of the '90s with a series of head writers that failed to recapture the show's magic. However, one standout storyline during this era was Lisa suing John for malpractice and his subsequent humiliation of her at their fake engagement party.

In 2000, newcomer Hogan Sheffer joined as head writer and returned it to its former creative glory. "Doug was champagne at the Rainbow Room and Hogan's the guy you have a beer with, but they are similar in their passion for this medium," says Martha Byrne, who played Lily and her twin Rose.

In a classy move, Oscar nominee Julianne Moore (Frannie/Sabrina) returned to the show last spring for a guest spot. "We're all so very proud of her," Hastings said. "She's got it all and has kept her sanity, too."

'ATWT' often invited musical guests on the show as well, like Whitney Huston in the '80s and more recently, Cyndi Lauper.

But despite valiant efforts, ratings continued to decline. CBS announced last December that 'ATWT' would air for the final time in September 2010. Sadly, that day has come. Head writer Jean Passanante and executive producer Christopher Goutman were at the helm for the finale. They brought back some past favorites -- Gwen and Will, Rosanna and Sierra -- but fans hoped that Martha Byrne would return as Lily for the finale.

"That [possibility] came up," Passanante said. "The decision was made that the show would continue with [her successor, Noelle Beck]." Did not having Byrne as Lily affect how the scribe wrote the final scenes between star-crossed lovers Holden and Lily? "In subtle ways," she noted. "You're always writing to the actor to some extent."

The show's greatest gift to veteran viewers in its final weeks was the return of Bryggman's John at Hubbard's suggestion. "I'm glad that Lucinda won't go off being despicable," Hubbard said. "Lucinda came on [in 1984] to make John smile, and now he's come back to make her smile."

Other conclusions include Jack and Carly's remarriage; Dusty being revealed as the father of Janet's baby's; a memorial episode for Nancy (original cast member Helen Wagner passed away in May, just weeks before the show's finale was taped); and the shocking death of Dr. Reid Oliver (played by newcomer Eric Sheffer Stevens).


'ATWT' is the last of the Procter & Gamble soaps to leave the airwaves. The show made references to other axed suders 'Guiding Light' and 'Another World' by incorporating their respective locales, Springfield and Bay City, into some final scripts. But after today, all that viewers are going to have are memories.

"And Youtube.com," said Byrne. "Thank God for that."

Check out Holden and Lily's wedding:

"Society is changing," said Hubbard. "We're losing something that was really a cornerstone of American culture."

"It boiled down to generations of people who loved each other -- births, deaths, weddings, young love, all those fundamentals," Passanante said. "It was wonderful to be a part of something that had such a long run."

"The viewers will miss us," Hastings added. "And we're going to miss them."