Earlier this month, “Santa Barbara” co-creator and co-head writer Bridget Dobson died. She was 85 years old. Dobson was the daughter of the late Frank and Doris Hursley, co-creators of “General Hospital.” She had been married to her husband Jerome Dobson since 1961. Together, they co-created “Santa Barbara” for NBC, which aired from 1984 to 1993 and won three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series (1988, 1989, 1990).
In a social media post following the news of Dobson’s death, “General Hospital” star Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) shared her sentiments about working with the veteran soap opera writer on “Santa Barbara,” where Grahn portrayed Julia Wainwright Capwell and won her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (tie with Debbi Morgan from “All My Children”).
On Instagram, Grahn said, “Bridget Dobson and her husband Jerry hired me to play the most curious, absorbing, complex, inspiring, character of my career.
“Realizing the role of Julia Wainwright, having the privilege of feeling my way through this beautifully constructed character’s relationship with herself and others was life altering for me. It advanced me as an actress and a woman. It introduced 140 some countries to me and me to them and it set the path to a career that has so far lasted 38 yrs. The effect just one person can have on your life is quite extraordinary. Rest in greatness, Bridget and thank you.”
Also remembering Dobson was A Martinez, who portrayed Cruz Castillo on the soap opposite Marcy Walker, who portrayed Eden Capwell. In a post on Facebook, Martinez stated, “Bridget and her husband Jerry eventually ascended into the realm of legend. As is always the case with great writers who will not be denied, their obsession to build their own world –– and share it ––delivered emotional medicine for years to millions of people around the world, and the power of that medicine lingers to this day. Thank you, Bridget. May a warm wind carry you always.” In 1990, Martinez won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Cruz on “Santa Barbara.”
NBC/Everett Collection
Lane Davies, who played Mason Capwell, love interest to Grahn’s Julia, said on Instagram, “Bridget was possessed of an indomitable spirit, irrepressible creativity, and a truly wicked sense of humor. Together with her husband of 60-plus years, Jerry, she gave us some of the most memorable moments and characters in the history of Daytime Television. She will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to have known her.”
NBC/Everett Collection
In addition to “Santa Barbara,” Dobson worked as a writer and later as co-head writer of “General Hospital,” working alongside her husband. After exiting the writer’s room at the ABC soap in 1975, the Dobsons would later take over writing duties for “Guiding Light” and finally “As The World Turns” before the two made plans to retire in the early 1980s. Incidentally, before that could happen, NBC reached out to the Dobsons, asking them to create a brand new daytime soap opera that they would own and have full creative control over.
“NBC-TV called to ask if we were to own a show, if we were to be in complete charge of every creative aspect of a show, from sets and costumes and hairstyles and music to every minute detail of the production, acting and writing, would we be willing to work again? Nobody in history had ever been asked this question. Not before and not since,” Dobson said in an interview published by a “Santa Barbara” blog dedicated to the history of “Santa Barbara” created by Pierpaolo Dongiovanni, a close friend of the Dobsons, who was the first to announce the news of Dobson’s passing.