ABC got some soap fans’ hopes up when they teased the possibility that cancelled shows “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” could get a second life — or third life, if you count their short-lived online revivals in 2013. But they’re not the only shows that are greatly missed by daytime TV lovers. CBS, for instance, only has two soaps left on the air, “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless.” What former soaps from the network would you most like to see return to the airwaves. scroll down to vote in our poll at the bottom of this post.
The CBS daytime lineup was actually stable for decades. Only two other dramas were part of the network’s stable of soaps in the last 30 years: “As the World Turns” and “Guiding Light.” Both shows survived well into the 21st century, but they eventually succumbed to the ratings pressures of the modern TV landscape. “GL” was the first to go in September 2009, followed by “ATWT” in September 2010.
The loss of “GL” arguably stung more — it was the longest-running soap opera in history. It ran for so long, in fact, that it predated television. It was created by Irna Phillips in 1937 as a radio program before it began airing on television in 1952. Set in the town of Springfield, it lasted 57 years, which made it TV’s longest-running drama, just ahead of “General Hospital,” which is still on the air and has lasted for 56 years and counting. Over the course of its run “GL” won three Daytime Emmys for Best Drama Series (1980, 1982, 2007).
Phillips also created “ATWT,” which was set in the fictional city of Oakdale, Illinois, and ran for a whopping 54 years (1956-2010). It won four Emmys for Best Drama Series (1987, 1991, 2001, 2003), which makes it the third most awarded show of all time, behind 13-time winner “GH” and 9-time champ “Y&R.”
Before “GL” and “ATWT,” the last CBS soap to get the axe was “Capitol,” a politically-themed soap that ran for five years before it was cancelled in 1987 to make way for “B&B.” Certainly a political soap opera would make for a timely reboot in the era of Donald Trump, though it’s hard to imagine fictional political intrigues that measure up to reality. It may be the only soap opera where you could say that truth is stranger than fiction.
Be sure to make your Daytime Emmy predictions so that Hollywood insiders can see how their shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions until nominees are announced on March 20. And join in the fierce debate over the 2019 Daytime Emmys taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our daytime TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
