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SOAP OPERAS FROM RADIO TO TELEVISION

The Rise of the Soap Opera

Gilbert Seldes writes that "the daytime serial was the great invention of radio." Three "women's serial dramas"—daily radio programs intended for an audience of women, featuring a stable cast and a melodramatic, domestic story which advanced slowly-—premiered in 1931. The three were "Clara, Lu and Em"; "The Goldbergs"; and "Myrt and Marge." The shows, in the beginning only fifteen minutes long, soon became a staple on radio. By 1939 the number of shows had grown to sixty-one. In 1950 the four television networks—NBC, CBS, ABC, and Du Mont—devoted seventy-five hours per week to daytime serials.

Importance of the Sponsor

From the early years of the serials, most were sponsored by soap manufacturers who were interested in advertising their products to women. The daytime serials became so associated with the sponsors that in 1939 some wag coined the term soap opera to describe them. Humorist James Thurber memorably described the fifteen-minute radio serial formula:

Between thick slices of advertising, spread twelve minutes of dialogue, add predicament, villainy, and female suffering in equal measure, throw in a dash of nobility, sprinkle with tears, season with organ music, cover with a rich announcer sauce, and serve five times a week.

Unsure of Success

With the advent of commercial television in the 1950s, network executives doubted the possibilities for the television success of soap operas. Many did not believe that women would sit and watch the same melodrama they previously listened to while performing housework. Once again had the networks had misgauged the response of the audience.

Soapmakers Bonanza

The sponsors, however, realized the potential of television. They knew that exclusive sponsorship of the daytime programs enhanced their ability to sell products. They thought that television would be a bonanza. Procter and Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive were the two most important sponsors of soap operas. Procter and Gamble quickly exploited what it saw as the great advertising potential of television. In 1951 the company formed its own television production company to produce soap operas. Procter and Gamble's large stake in soap-opera production contributed much to its rise by 1954 to be the largest television advertiser. From $7.2 million in 1951 Procter and Gamble's television advertising budget rose to $23.7 million in 1954.

On Television

The soap opera made the switch from radio to television in the 1950s with ease. In 1950, the year that CBS introduced the first television serial, "The First Hundred Years," there were twenty-seven such serials on the radio. In February 1954 there were seven soaps on television. The television soaps quickly matched and even exceeded the audience of their radio counterparts. The television version of "Guiding Light" was watched in 3.75 million homes in 1954 and ranked fourth among daytime programs. The radio version of the same soap was also ranked fourth among daytime radio programs, yet was listened to in only 2.7 million homes. The shows were televised live daily and were initially fifteen minutes long; late in the decade most soaps expanded to thirty minutes. The time slots for the shows were from 12 noon to 2 P.M. and from 4 P.M. to 5 P.M.

Stubborn Radio Success

Despite the increasing emphasis on television soap operas, radio serials continued to be popular through the middle of the decade. In 1952 the five toprated radio soap operas were on CBS. The list included "The Romance of Helen Trent," "Our Gal Sunday," "Ma Perkins," "The Guiding Light," and "Big Sister." The audience for the shows in 1952 reached as high as 4 million viewers. But both networks and advertisers quickly realized that the radio soaps were a dying breed. From a high of thirty-five programs on the air in 1952, the number fell to twenty-six in 1955. After 1955 the number of programs on radio dwindled, until by the 1959-1960 season there were only eight on the air: one on NBC and seven on CBS. At the end of that season NBC canceled its remaining soap, and CBS canceled one. CBS closed its radio soap shop in November 1960.

Enduring Soap Opera

Soap operas became the longest running shows on television and also the most profitable. "The Guiding Light" premiered on CBS in 1952 and remains on the air in 1993. "Search for Tomorrow," which premiered on CBS in 1951, continued on the network until 1982 and then on NBC until 1986. The relatively low costs of producing the shows and their high ratings ensured their popularity with the sponsors. The melodramatic stories of interpersonal relationships have led to an enduring popularity of the soap opera, regardless of the medium.