![‘As the World Turns’ premiered 70 years ago on April 2, 1956, and for over five decades, viewers fell in love with the residents of Oakdale, Illinois.When The Guiding Light successfully transferred from radio to television in 1952, Irna Phillips, the genre’s most influential figure, pitched an unheard-of 30-minute TV soap opera to Proctor and Gamble. She understood the value of the novel medium, but it took P&G some convincing to move forward with the show at CBS. When it premiered on the same day as The Edge of Night, ATWT “revolutionized the approach to serial drama by concentrating on leisurely, visual emphasis on character in lieu of action. It was an approach perfectly suited to television. There were long conversations, more close-ups, flawed “good” characters, and ambiguous dialogue that had viewers guessing what was happening under the surface, and why.”The show originally centered on the Hugheses and Lowells, with “Good morning, dear,” uttered as the first line by Helen Wagner’s Nancy. “Family feuds, affairs, and divorce among many other narratives made for exciting and emotional viewing for fans” that catapulted ATWT into daytime’s highest-rated show from 1959-78. An historical moment occurred on November 22, 1963 at 1:40pm EST when a live broadcast was interrupted by a news report after President Kennedy was shot in his motorcade in Dallas.Characters were considered second family to viewers, and Eileen Fulton’s Lisa was the ultimate villainess. So convincing in her role, people chastised and even slapped her in public and she was the focus of daytime’s first primetime spinoff, Our Private World (‘65). The show was heavily referenced and parodied on other shows, and expanded to an hour in 1975. Freshening to lively storylines in competition with modern soaps, the Snyders, Stewarts, Walshes, Montgomerys, and Munsons were introduced and supercouples over the years included Jeff/Penny, Bob/Kim, Holden/Lily, Steve/Betsy, Tom/Margo, Jack/Carly, and the first gay couple, Luke/Noah. The winner of four Daytime Drama Emmys, a total of 13,858 episodes aired until September 17, 2010, with Don Hastings’ Bob closing 54 years with the final line, “Good night.”]()
‘As the World Turns’ premiered 70 years ago on April 2, 1956, and for over five decades, viewers fell in love with the residents of Oakdale, Illinois.
When The Guiding Light successfully transferred from radio to television in 1952, Irna Phillips, the genre’s most influential figure, pitched an unheard-of 30-minute TV soap opera to Proctor and Gamble. She understood the value of the novel medium, but it took P&G some convincing to move forward with the show at CBS. When it premiered on the same day as The Edge of Night, ATWT “revolutionized the approach to serial drama by concentrating on leisurely, visual emphasis on character in lieu of action. It was an approach perfectly suited to television. There were long conversations, more close-ups, flawed “good” characters, and ambiguous dialogue that had viewers guessing what was happening under the surface, and why.”
The show originally centered on the Hugheses and Lowells, with “Good morning, dear,” uttered as the first line by Helen Wagner’s Nancy. “Family feuds, affairs, and divorce among many other narratives made for exciting and emotional viewing for fans” that catapulted ATWT into daytime’s highest-rated show from 1959-78. An historical moment occurred on November 22, 1963 at 1:40pm EST when a live broadcast was interrupted by a news report after President Kennedy was shot in his motorcade in Dallas.
Characters were considered second family to viewers, and Eileen Fulton’s Lisa was the ultimate villainess. So convincing in her role, people chastised and even slapped her in public and she was the focus of daytime’s first primetime spinoff, Our Private World (‘65). The show was heavily referenced and parodied on other shows, and expanded to an hour in 1975. Freshening to lively storylines in competition with modern soaps, the Snyders, Stewarts, Walshes, Montgomerys, and Munsons were introduced and supercouples over the years included Jeff/Penny, Bob/Kim, Holden/Lily, Steve/Betsy, Tom/Margo, Jack/Carly, and the first gay couple, Luke/Noah. The winner of four Daytime Drama Emmys, a total of 13,858 episodes aired until September 17, 2010, with Don Hastings’ Bob closing 54 years with the final line, “Good night.”
