How Well Do You Know All My Children?

By: Carolyn Brooks Fleming
Estimated Completion Time
6 min
How Well Do You Know All My Children?
Image: The Movie DB

About This Quiz

Do you consider Erica Kane to be one of the most important characters to ever grace a television screen? Remember which beloved teen star played the role of Kendall Hart? Did you have more fun watching the wedding of Cliff and Nina, or of Jenny and Greg, than you did at any real-life wedding you've attended? If so, you might have what it takes to ace this "All My Children" quiz!

Soap operas have been around since the 1930s, when soap manufacturing companies sponsored over-the-top melodramatic radio programs to hook bored housewives. The growth of television over the next few decades only increased the popularity of these programs. By the '70s, when "All My Children" premiered on ABC, an estimated 35 million Americans were tuning in to watch at least one soap each day. Even as the popularity of the genre ebbed and flowed over time, "All My Children" held strong, and ultimately stayed in production for a staggering 43 years.

With well over 10,000 episodes on the books, the show stopped at pretty much nothing to keep viewers tuning in to see what the residents of Pine Valley were up to. There was Erica Kane, evoking the "Don't you know who I am?" defense against an attacking grizzly bear, an evil doctor distributing a drug that caused a local sex craze, Erica's secret daughter showing up, Natalie getting stuck in that well, and of course, Jesse dying - then coming back to life 20 years later.

The series also touched on some real-life issues, like a 1973 abortion and Bianca coming out as gay in 2000.

Think you remember all the daytime drama from this series? Prove it with this quiz!

Let's start this quiz off with an obvious but difficult question: Can you name the husbands of Erica Kane, in order?
Jeff Martin, Phillip Brent, Tom Cudahy, Adam Chandler, Mike Roy, Jeremy Hunter, Travis Montgomery, Adam Chandler (again), Jackson Montgomery, Dimitri Marick, Jackson Montgomery (again).
Jeff Martin, Phillip Brent, Tom Cudahy, Adam Chandler, Chris Stamp, Travis Montgomery, Jeremy Hunter, Adam Chandler (again), David Hayward, Travis Montgomery, Jackson Montgomery.
Jeff Martin, Tom Cudahy, Phillip Brent, Adam Chandler, Mike Roy, Jeremy Hunter, Travis Montgomery (twice), Adam Chandler (again), Dimitri Marick (twice), Jackson Montgomery.
Jeff Martin, Phillip Brent, Tom Cudahy, Adam Chandler, Mike Roy, Travis Montgomery (twice), Adam Chandler (again), Dimitri Marick (twice), Jackson Montgomery.
Erica's full name could arguably be Erica Kane Martin Brent Cudahy Chandler Roy Montgomery Montgomery Chandler Marick Marick Montgomery. However, Erica's first divorce from Adam Chandler was not properly executed, so her subsequent marriages to Mike Roy and Travis Montgomery were invalid. Her second marriage to Adam was a renewal of vows.

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In the poem written by Agnes Nixon, creator of "AMC," what is the line just before the final, "You are All My Children"?
"I am your mother and"
"The Great and the Least,"
"In Sickness and in Health,"
"In Tragedy and Triumph,"
Agnes Nixon meant that we are all God's children.

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Who played the role of Kendall Hart, Erica Kane's daughter, from 1993 to 1995?
Rebecca Budig.
Alicia Minshew.
Sarah Michelle Gellar.
Sarah Michelle Gellar portrayed Kendall Hart from 1993 to 1995, then Alicia Minshew resurrected the character in 2002. Gellar returned to "AMC" in a cameo role during its TV finale, playing a character who could see vampires, as a nod to her starring role in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer."
Lauren Holly.

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Which "AMC" characters were editor-in-chief of "Tempo" magazine?
Hayley Vaughan Santos, Phoebe Wallingford, and Erica Kane.
Barbara Montgomery, Erica Kane, and Babe Carey Chandler.
Barbara Montgomery, Edmund Grey, and Noah Keefer.
Erica Kane, Brooke English, Edmund Grey, and Barbara Montgomery.
Erica Kane, Brooke English, Edmund Grey, and Barbara Montgomery all served as editor-in-chief. Brooke English also hosted a talk show, "Talk Tempo."

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In what fictional town did "All My Children" take place?
Pine Valley, Pennsylvania.
The fictional town of Pine Valley was modeled on an actual place, Rosemont, a suburb of Philadelphia. For a long time it was unclear which state Pine Valley was located in, but eventual clues, including Mona Tyler's luggage tag, specified Pennsylvania.
Stamford, Connecticut.
Rosemont, Pennsylvania.
Llanview, Pennsylvania.

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Opal Gardner, the biological mother of Tad Martin, ran what sort of business?
The Serving Spoon, a catering business.
The Glamorama, a beauty salon.
Opal was a talented beautician at the Glamorama, but she once intentionally dyed Tina Benson's hair blue because they were both interested in the same man.
Lacey's department store.
The Valley Inn Restaurant.

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In what year did "All My Children" debut?
1969.
1981.
1965.
1970.
The show aired on ABC from January 5, 1970, to September 23, 2011. Later it had a short run on The Online Network, from April 29, 2013, to September 2, 2013.

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What story did Palmer Cortlandt concoct in an attempt to end the relationship between his daughter, Nina, and Dr. Cliff Warner?
Palmer told Cliff that Nina had been cheating on him.
Palmer told Nina that she couldn't have children, and she should not share that burden with Cliff.
Palmer told Nina that Cliff had been cheating on her.
Palmer told Nina she was going blind, due to her diabetes, even though he knew treatment was available.
When Nina learned that surgery could prevent her from going blind, she confronted her father, had the surgery, and married Cliff. Nina did not know at the time that Monique Jonvil, in attendance at the wedding, was actually her mother.

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In the soap opera world's first storyline involving homosexuality, who did Devon McFadden fall in love with?
Bianca Montgomery, daughter of Erica Kane.
Lynn Carson, her psychiatrist.
The role of Lynn Carson was played by Donna Pescow, who appeared in "Saturday Night Fever" and starred in her own primetime show, "Angie."
Jenny Gardner, sister of Tad Martin.
Angie Baxter, her doctor.

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What famous entertainer played a small recurring role on "AMC" as Verla Grubbs, the illegitimate daughter of Langley Wallingford?
Cher.
Mary Tyler Moore.
Carol Burnett.
While Carol Burnett was shooting a scene at "AMC," the celebrated actress Elizabeth Taylor pranked her, appearing in the shot as a cleaning woman with a mop.
Toni Tennille.

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Ruth Warrick, who played Phoebe Wallingford on "AMC," also appeared in what iconic film?
"Citizen Kane."
Ruth Warrick made her film debut in "Citizen Kane," the Orson Welles masterpiece released in 1941.
"The Godfather."
"It's a Wonderful Life."
"Casablanca."

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In the soap-opera world, what is SORAS?
Stars of Ridiculous Amnesiac Storylines.
Soap Opera Romance and Style.
Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome.
SORAS is a well-known acronym for Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome. In the case of "All My Children," Erica was originally born in 1955, and her daughter Kendall was conceived as a result of rape in the year 1970. Over time, Kendall's birth year was changed to 1976 and Erica's birth year was changed to 1962. This is only one of many examples of SORAS - writers often played fast and loose with the past in order to create compelling new stories.
Spawning Outrageous Relatives and Siblings.

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Which famous morning talk show host got her start on "All My Children"?
Kelly Ripa.
Kelly Ripa, co-host of "Live!" with various partners, got her first big break with the role of Hayley Vaughan, the troubled punk/goth daughter of Adam Chandler.
Kathie Lee Gifford.
Whoopi Goldberg.
Robin Roberts.

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What started the ongoing rivalry between Brooke English and Erica Kane?
They were running competing cosmetics companies.
They often competed for the same modeling assignments.
They were both in love with Adam Chandler.
They were both in love with Tom Cudahy.
Tom ultimately chose to marry Erica, but their marriage ended when he found out she was taking birth control pills.

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Which "AMC" child mysteriously vanished and no one noticed?
Billy Cudahy.
Bobby Martin.
Bobby Martin, the youngest son of Dr. Joe Martin, was sent upstairs to get skis. That's the last anyone ever saw of him or spoke of him, although years later Opal Gardner Cortlandt found a skeleton with a pair of skis in the Martin's attic!
Olivia Chandler.
Lulu Kane.

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Which "All My Children" star was the first soap opera actress to win a Daytime Emmy?
Ruth Warrick.
Rosemary Prinz.
Mary Fickett.
Mary Fickett played Ruth Parker Brent Martin, the matriarch of the Martin family. She won the Emmy in 1973, for her character's passionate protests against the Vietnam War.
Susan Lucci.

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Which "All My Children" character swapped his stillborn baby with an abandoned newborn?
Palmer Cortlandt.
Dimitri Marick.
Jesse Hubbard.
Jesse wanted to spare his wife, Angie, from the pain of grieving for her stillborn baby. Jesse thought he could get away with this scheme because Angie was temporarily blind. The couple named their living baby Lucy, while Jesse secretly mourned the loss of their biological child, which he named Ellie.
Adam Chandler.

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What do these pairs of "AMC" characters have in common: Natalie Marlowe and Janet "From Another Planet" Green; Cindy Parker and Karen Parker; Mary Frances "Frankie" Stone and Maggie Stone?
They are mothers and daughters.
They are cousins.
They are assumed names used to help characters live double lives.
They are twins.
They are all twins, of course, but the most famous twins on "AMC" were Adam and Stuart Chandler. One way to tell those two apart, even when gentle Stuart tried to impersonate his stern brother, was Stuart's inability to keep his collar points tucked in.

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What small town did Pete and Dixie Cooney come from?
Pigeon Hollow, West Virginia.
Pete Cooney took on a more sophisticated persona and changed his name to Palmer Cortlandt.
Bluebell, Alabama.
Mayberry, North Carolina.
Smallville, Kansas.

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Who was Zarf?
A male rock star who was secretly transitioning to female.
Zarf befriended Bianca Montgomery, who understood his need to start a new life as a woman named Zoe. Jeffrey Carlson, who played the role of Zarf, has frequently appeared on Broadway.
Dixie Martin's pet name for her husband, Tad.
Nina Cortlandt's cat.
An old friend of Myrtle Fargate, from her days as a "carnie."

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What nickname did Hayley Vaughan have for her Uncle Trevor?
Uncle Scrooge.
Tinkerbell.
Uncle Kracker.
Uncle Porkchop.
Hayley called him Uncle Porkchop and Trevor called her Tinkerbell. No rhyme or reason, but very cute.

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What was the name of the cosmetics company founded by Kendall Hart, Greenlee Smythe, Liza Colby, Simone Torres, and Mia Saunders?
Fusion.
They started out by concocting a lipstick recipe at Kendall's house, to fulfill an order from Lacey's department store.
Enchantment.
Kane.
Glamorama.

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Dr. David Hayward and his wife, Anna Devane, named their daughter in honor of whom?
Erica Kane.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias, the greatest female golfer of all time.
David's half brother, Leo du Pres.
Leo du Pres was presumed dead at the time, after he fell from the edge of a waterfall. The baby was named Leora.
David's mother, Lora.

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Which "AMC" character was killed in a jet ski explosion?
Dottie Thornton.
Jenny Gardner.
enny's jealous ex had sabotaged the jet ski in an attempt to kill her boyfriend, Greg Nelson, but Jenny boarded the jet ski instead of Greg.
Hillary Wilson.
Liza Colby.

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Who was kidnapped during a tornado in Pine Valley?
David Hayward's daughter, Leora.
David Hayward.
Dixie Cooney.
Ryan Lavery's daughter, Emma.
Ryan Lavery's daughter, Emma, was kidnapped and taken to Puerto Rico as part of a plot by the baby's mother, Annie McDermott, to win Ryan back from Greenlee Smythe.

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What are the names of Kendall Hart Lang Slater's two children?
Spike Slater and Ian Lavery.
Spike and Ian Slater.
Ryan Lavery and Ian Slater.
Spike Lavery and Ian Slater.
Spike's father is Ryan Lavery; Ian's father is Zach Slater. On a side note, Kendall opened a club in Pine Valley called ConFusion, and musical guests included Rihanna and Mary J. Blige.

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Which "All My Children" couple had four wedding ceremonies?
Ryan Lavery and Kendall Hart.
Dr. Cliff Warner and Nina Cortlandt.
Cliff and Nina ultimately survived relationship interference, not only from her possessive father, but also from many jealous suitors, including Sean Cudahy, Sybil Thorne, Steve Jacobi, Devon McFadden, Amy Stone, Zach Grayson, Liza Colby, Benny Sago, and Angie Hubbard. Whew!
Adam Chandler and Erica Kane.
Ryan Lavery and Greenlee Smythe.

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Which "All My Children" character helped Red Kilgren, who may or may not be Santa Claus?
Opal Gardner.
Stuart Chandler.
Hayley Vaughan.
Myrtle Fargate.
Myrtle Fargate was a colorful character, whose occupations included telling fortunes in a traveling carnival, running a boarding house, and operating a clothing store called The Boutique.

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In 1978 "AMC" became the first American soap to shoot abroad, in Saint Croix, for what plot development?
Kendall Hart's search for nightclub talent.
Tom Cudahy and Erica Kane's honeymoon.
Footage of Tom and Erica's honeymoon, including horseback riding, was shot with a then-new technique called steady-cam.
Dixie Cooney's attempt to make everyone believe she was dead.
Adam Chandler's international business venture.

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Which "All My Children" character was diagnosed with AIDS?
Devon McFadden.
Bianca Montgomery.
Nina Cortlandt.
Cindy Parker.
Cindy Parker later married Stuart Chandler, who adopted her son, Scott. Stuart promised to raise Scott after Cindy passed away.

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Susan Lucci is the only cast member who remained with "AMC" for its entire televised run, from the first episode to the finale. Which actor came closest to matching Lucci's record?
Ruth Warrick, who played Phoebe Tyler Wallingford.
Michael E. Knight, who played Tad Martin.
Ray MacDonnell, who played Joe Martin.
Ray MacDonnell, an original cast member, retired from the show in 2009, but he subsequently made guest appearances and returned for the TV finale.
James Mitchell, who played Palmer Cortlandt.

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What romantic trait do "AMC" actors Mark Consuelos, John Callahan, and Justin Bruening have in common?
They all met their real-life wives on "All My Children."
Mark Consuelos (Mateo Santos) married Kelly Ripa (Hayley Vaughan), John Callahan (Edmund Grey) married Eva LaRue (Dr. Maria Santos Grey), and Justin Bruening (Jamie Martin) married Alexa Havins (Babe Carey Chandler).
They write and publish poetry.
They all played Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet."
They occasionally perform together as a musical trio, singing love ballads.

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Which "AMC" character suffered from anorexia?
Cindy Parker.
Bianca Montgomery.
Bianca went through a great deal of trauma, including being torn between her mother, Erica Kane, and her father, Travis Montgomery.
Nina Cortlandt.
Dixie Cooney.

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In what year did Susan Lucci win her first Emmy Award for her role as Erica Kane on "All My Children?"
1978.
1998.
1999.
She was nominated for an Emmy as outstanding lead actress in a drama series every year from 1978 to 1998, without a win. The situation became a running joke until she finally won in 1999.
Never.

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Which "AMC" character got romantic while wearing a chicken suit?
Tad Martin.
Tad Martin proposed to Dixie Cooney while wearing a chicken suit, looking silly but lovable. The scene was a callback to the days when they first met and enjoyed eating chicken fingers together.
Trevor Dillon.
Stuart Chandler.
J.R. Chandler.

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