The Origin of Soap Operas in the Windy City
Host SCOTT SIMON:
Time for some stories!
(TV SHOW SOUNDBYTE FROM 'DAYS OF OUR LIVES')
SIMON: Has soap opera character Mickey Horton found his way back home or is he still lost like sand through the hourglass? Will Hope still love Bo Brady once she learns his father isn't Mr. Brady or even Irish? The enigmatic Stefano DiMera is dead, alive, dead, alive... or so we think. The archaic yet fascinating world of daytime dramas has kept viewers hooked for generations.
NATALIE MOORE, BYLINE (HOST AND WRITER OF MAKING podcast):
I'm all about "All My Children," Channel 7!
SIMON: Can you do the theme for us?
MOORE: (Vocalizing) That sounds terrible!
SIMON: Welcome to the new season of Making podcast and this episode - Soaps Without End, diving into the history, impact, and legacy of soap operas. Let's chat with our host, Natalie Moore.
MOORE: Thanks for having me!
SIMON: Now, let's turn back the clock to the city of broad shoulders and the beginning of soap operas - Chicago.
MOORE: Soap operas started on radio in 1930 on WGN, and some executive approached a woman named Irna Phillips asking her to write a daily scripted series. Its title was 'Painted Dreams.'
(TV SHOW SOUNDBYTE FROM 'PAINTED DREAMS')
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As Character) Daughter of Maida White Roberts held on suspicion of murder. They don't say why.
MOORE: As for television, the first soap opera to make the transition was 'The Guiding Light,' which premiered in 1952 and ran for an impressive 72 years until 2009.
SIMON: Unlike modern series, with their finite 8-episode seasons and mandatory summer breaks, soap operas have no reruns and have just kept going since their serial beginnings.
MOORE: Absolutely! That's what makes them so unique and addictive.
SIMON: Soaps, much like Jack Benny and Edward R. Murrow, helped create network television.
MOORE: They did, and the stigma surrounding soap operas as lowbrow entertainment has kept them from receiving the recognition they deserve. However, I argue that soaps were often ahead of prime time TV in tackling difficult social issues.
SIMON: Give us an example for abortion.
MOORE: As you might know, "Maude" is often attributed as the first TV show to feature an abortion. But it was actually soap opera 'Another World' in 1964 and 'All My Children' in 1971 that addressed this topic before "Maude" aired in the 1970s. Note that Erica Kane, a central character on 'All My Children,' embodied this controversy due to her vixen persona not fitting the contemporary postured-woman-in-need-of-abortion stereotype.
(TV SHOW SOUNDBYTE FROM 'ALL MY CHILDREN')
EDEN RIEGEL: (As Bianca Montgomery) Do you love me now?
SUSAN LUCCI: (As Erica Kane) Bianca.
RIEGEL: (As Bianca Montgomery) I'm gay.
SIMON: Speaking of the much-discussed topic of homosexuality, Natalie, let's talk about Bianca Montgomery from 'All My Children.'
MOORE: Erica Kane's daughter, Bianca Montgomery, was a core family character, having been born on screen in 1988. In 2000, Bianca confessed her homosexuality, which resonated with viewers and even inspired friends coming out to their families.
SIMON: Natalie, let's also touch upon how soap operas portrayed Black characters.
MOORE: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee appeared on 'The Guiding Light,' but the network refused to allow stories surrounding segregation. Agnes Nixon, another soap opera legend, introduced race storylines when she started writing 'One Life to Live' in 1968. Black characters have been in soap operas for a long time, but they have often occupied secondary roles. However, the recent introduction of a Black core family on 'Beyond The Gates' signals a promising change.
SIMON: What about other intriguing storytelling elements that have captivated TV audiences, like the various relationships, evil twins, and amnesia?
MOORE: Soap operas lure viewers with their over-the-top storytelling and fantastical elements - twins, amnesia, serial killers, clones, aliens, and even zombies. While some may consider these elements a departure from reality, they are fundamental aspects of the genre's campy appeal. Take, for example, Marlena's Devil possession on 'Days of Our Lives,' a polarizing yet beloved moment that marked a new level of dramatics for the genre.
SIMON: Natalie, you're an esteemed journalist, but I know you still enjoy soaps, right?
MOORE: Yeah, I do. This admiration for soap operas fueled my passion for this project. I was even able to catch yesterday's episode of 'General Hospital' while cooking dinner this morning.
SIMON: Thank you for your time, Natalie Moore. Don't worry; I won't cast your evil twin possessed by the devil in this interview.
MOORE: (Laughs) Thank you, Scott.
[END TRANSCRIPT]
In the 1930s, radio dramas such as 'Painted Dreams' paved the way for early television soap operas. The long-running series 'The Guiding Light' and 'All My Children' notably helped shape network television, engaging audiences with multi-faceted characters and tackling social issues ahead of prime-time TV. With our host, Natalie Moore, we explore the controversial stories related to topics like abortion and homosexuality that soap operas dared to address, and the diverse representation of Black characters over the years. While often considered low-brow entertainment, soap operas remain a fascination due to their campy, captivating narratives with epic twists and dramatic arcs.
- Radio dramas, such as 'Painted Dreams', marked the beginning of television soap operas in the 1930s.
- 'The Guiding Light' and 'All My Children', which ran for impressively long periods, played a significant role in shaping network television.
- Soap operas like 'All My Children' were among the first to address controversial topics like abortion before prime-time TV.
- Though stereotypes often categorized soap operas as low-brow entertainment, they continue to captivate audiences with their campy, dramatic storylines and intriguing twists.
