When All My Children debuted in 1970, Agnes Nixon (creator and executive head writer) couldn't have foreseen that, more than two decades later, her brainchild would be as fresh and youthful as ever. While AMC successfully spins tales about people of all ages, one of the show's greatest glories has been showcasing the agonies and the ecstasies of Pine Valley's younger generation.

From Phil and Tara to Brian and Hayley, All My Children has created a legacy of vibrant romance. The circumstances vary with each era, but the exhilaration of young love is as heady today as it was in 1970. And outside forces (often adults) still menace couples who struggle to stay together despite intimidating obstacles.

The first pair to set off sensation was Phillip Brent and Tara Martin (Richard Hatch and Karen Lynn Gorney), star-crossed teens separated by a distant conflict. "At the beginning, there was the Vietnam War, so the story of Tara and Phillip was a reflection of the time,"observes Nixon. "They showed the vulnerabilities, insecurities and ingenuousness of the young."

According to Karen Lynn Gorney, the network initially resisted the storyline, in which Phil was drafted and reported missing in action while Tara was home discovering her pregnancy. "The writing was superb, and the dialogue was great," Gorney recalls. "Agnes is psychic. She picks up deep things from actors and writes it for their characters. I was vulnerable, and so was Tara. She was a people-pleaser who had to be loved and I was like that."

With the advent of the women's movement, Gorney's mail became critical as Tara waffled between her husband, Chuch, and the man she loved, who returned from the dead. "They said, 'How can you be like this? Take a few cues from Erika!' They made Erika out to be a bitch, but she one of the first assertive women. That's why people love to watch her - She takes care of her needs."