The Lookback : Soaps from the past Part II

The Flashback  Soap Operas 

Since our last post was so , successful we are doing it again , Soap Operas from the past part II.


1  The . Edge Of Night
        The Edge of Night is a memorable soap Opera  , it started on CBS in 1956.  It was supposed to a  daytime version of Perry Mason.  Originally the Mason creator was on board but as all projects go ... the network wanted something to spice it up.  The creator didn't like the ideas of making his character be well a soap so, he pulled out.   (Don't worry though , Perry Mason did end up on TV in 1957). Then the retooled idea became what became The Edge of Night. This soap was different  it focused on crime and mystery.  With crime  you had storylines follow  the cops  , district attenornies , gangsters, blackmailers , bad politicians . amnesia (it was a soap after all) ,marriage, murder, divorces , and more .  Viewers found the show interesting at the start , and because it had lots of crime it had a lot of males watching , unusual for soaps ( Men love to see gangsters and murders , oh my )  and it also came on at 4:30 Eastern. In 1963 it was moved to 3:30 Eastern  where it stayed and did well , beating ABC  and NBC.   But when Proctor and Gamble ( Busy scamps aren't they?) , the producers for the show, insisted that their shows air in a block  it was moved to 2:30 Eastern in 1972.  The ratings dropped , probably because all the teens and men weren't home to watch it now.
     
     Finally, a King size box of Tide what will they think up next?
      In 1975, after NBC decided  to expand a couple soaps to an hour , CBS wanted to the same thing. So they picked , As The World Turns . But as As the World Turns aired at 1:30 Eastern , CBS couldn't air it starting at 1 Eastern, due to some stations having newscasts (for some reason, I mean really) , and the original 4:30 slot for Edge was not open either so ... guess what had to be axed?  ( Guiding Light?)    Proctor and Gamble   found a savoir though , ABC , ABC wanted the show.  The Final CBS episode was November 28th ,1975  and moved to ABC December 1st 1975.  It aired at 4:00 Eastern  (close to original earlier times of 4:30 and 3:30 )  and 12:00 in the West (wait the West got it first?)    The problem with the time though was many viewers weren't able to see the program because their station  would replace the program with something else (that's just rude , local station, rude).    In 1983 , P&G dismissed long time  headwriter  , Henry Slesar ,  the new head writer couldn't help downing ratings.  ABC  and P&G announced the Edge of Night would end in 1984. In true soap style it ended with a cliff hanger.


   The..... Edge......of .... Nighhhhht    / P&G/ Youtube

2.  Loving
    From the creator of "One Life to Live" and "All My Children" , Agnes Nixon  and also an actor named Douglas Marland , was a new soap for the 80's called "Loving".    Loving  took place in a fake place in Pennsylvania called Corinth .  This soap was trying get back to basics of the soap genre with a focus on romance. (Thus the name)  Loving premiered in a two hour prime time movie on June 26, 1983.  The original focus was two families , Tthe Donovans and The Aldens. Issues in the show were  alcoholism, post-traumatic stress of Vietnam vets.  Loving  didn't have high ratings  Random story lines  came into the show, such as  addictions of  cough syrup.


  Sometimes Ironic title     Youtbe/ ABC
   The series lasted over 10 years but in 1995 , ABC wanted to end it  and so the show went out big , with a serial killer who  killed a bunch of characters and a character killing a lot of characters.  (Not very loving , is it?)  In November of 1995 the series ended.

3. Sunset Beach
    NBC daytime was looking to spruce up it's line up so a new soap was made in 1996 to premiere in the new year of 1997.  Sunset Beach was produced  by Aaron Spelling. It was the first daytime soap created by Spelling Entertainment.  NBC was looking for younger viewers  (isn't everyone?) as a way to get more viewers to the soap genre . The series  had traditional  storylines or supernatural ones (why not?)   It had an evil twin storyline , disappearances, murders and cheating, (more to list too, it's a soap remember)   As with most soaps from the past , it ended in 1999 due to low ratings it couldn't capture enough viewers for NBC's happiness. (Maybe  NBC wasn't young enough?)
 Wait! there's more....  Channel 5 in the UK  wanted to save the show, the soap was popular in the UK (rare for a U.S Soap) they were even willing to partially fund it, but NBC didn't feel interested. (Wonder what have happened if 5 said they were willing to fund the whole thing)
 
   yep, that's it      Youtube/nbc

4,Love of Life
   From the creator of "Search for Tomorrow" there was another soap (He was seeing another soap ,I thought he loved Search for Tomorrow, shame on you ,Roy) , there was   Love of Life a series that premiered 3 weeks  after "Search for Tomorrow"in 1951 on CBS.  It was owned by American Home Products. For the first few years , like many soaps it was 15 minutes in length it became popular and expanded to 30 minutes in 1958.   The Original plot line was good versus evil ; a good sister, Vanessa  Dale, and bad Sister , Meg Dale.    Meg was eventually phased out of the program  and changed fictional locations. ( Just like real life)  The series became about  Vanessa and her marriage  and to make it more interesting , they brought back the first husband who was killed off earlier in the soap.(well not very well)



    Love of Life   yep .   Youtube/CBS

 Meg and her son did return in the 70's to help the ratings and the original good vs bad theme returned.  But   now the series  was losing viewers and CBS tried alot to keep it, even moving it to 4:00 Eastern , but it was over. It ended with a cliff hanger in 1980.