A soap opera, daytime drama, or soap for short, is typically a long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers. The term was preceded by "horse opera", a derogatory term for low-budget Westerns.
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light. With 13,763 hours of cumulative narrative, As the World Turns has the longest total running time of any television show. In terms of continuous run of production, As the World Turns at 54 years holds the fourth-longest run of any daytime network soap opera on American television, surpassed only by General Hospital, Guiding Light, and Days of Our Lives. As the World Turns was produced for its first 43 years in Manhattan and in Brooklyn from 2000 until 2010.
Irna Phillips was an American scriptwriter, screenwriter, casting agent and actress. She is best remembered for pioneering a format of the daytime soap opera in the United States geared specifically toward women. Phillips created, produced, and wrote several radio and television daytime serials throughout her career, including Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and Another World. She was also a mentor to several other pioneers of the American daytime soap opera, including Agnes Nixon, William J. Bell and Ted Corday.
Helen Losee Wagner was an American actress.
Frances Reid was an American dramatic actress. Reid acted on television for nearly all of the second half of the 20th century. Her career continued into the early 2000s.
Raymond Francis Meagher is an Australian actor, who has appeared in Australian film and television since the mid-1970s. He is notable as the longest continuing performer in an Australian television role, portraying Alf Stewart on Home and Away, having played the role since the first episode in 1988. Meagher won a Gold Logie Award for his role in Home and Away in 2010 and has currently played the role of Alf for over 35 years.
Douglas Marland was an American writer, known for his work as the head writer of several soap operas.
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series that aired on the DuMont Television Network and was the first series of its genre on American television.
Lisa Grimaldi is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera, As the World Turns. The character was portrayed by Eileen Fulton for 50 years from May 1960, until the last episode aired in September 2010, with Fulton becoming one of the longest-serving soap opera actors in the United States. Lisa is considered to be the first soap "vixen" and was one half of the first ever super couple, Bob and Lisa Hughes.
Nancy Hughes McClosky is a fictional character from the CBS Daytime soap opera As the World Turns. Portrayed by Helen Wagner for 54 years from the soap's inception in 1956 until 2010. Nancy served as the core family's and, by extension, the town's matriarch.
James Turner Pritchett Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Dr. Matt Powers on the soap opera The Doctors. For his role as Powers, he won the Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actor in 1978.
Robert Francis Hastings was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of Lt. Elroy Carpenter on McHale's Navy and voicing Commissioner James Gordon in the DC Animated Universe.
Kim Sullivan Hughes is a fictional character on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The character was portrayed by Kathryn Hays continuously from 1972. Kim was created by soap opera legend Irna Phillips and was based on Irna's own personality. She soon became one of As the World Turns's most popular characters. First appearing in August 1972, the actress become the fourth longest serving cast member on the show after Helen Wagner, Don Hastings, and Eileen Fulton when the show finished on air on September 17, 2010.
Christopher Robert "Chris" Hughes II M.D. is a fictional character from the CBS soap opera As the World Turns. The role was most notably portrayed by Bailey Chase from 2003 to 2005, Dylan Bruce from 2007 to 2008 and two-time Emmy nominee Daniel Cosgrove in 2010.
Dylan Bruce is a Canadian actor known for his roles as Chris Hughes on the CBS daytime soap opera As the World Turns and Paul Dierden on BBC America and Space's Orphan Black.
Ellen Lowell is a fictional character from the American daytime soap opera As the World Turns. She was portrayed by Wendy Drew from the series first episode on April 2, 1956 until September 1960 and by Patricia Bruder from December 1960 until November 1998.
Valiant Lady is an American soap opera which ran daily on CBS radio and television from October 12, 1953, to August 16, 1957, at 12:00 PM (EST). The show's title was taken from a 1930s radio soap opera about a young woman struggling through life but is otherwise very different. Like many early soap operas, the show was broadcast live from CBS Studio 57 in Manhattan.
William Patrick Roache is an English actor, best known for playing Ken Barlow in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Roache is the longest-serving cast member in Coronation Street having appeared in the show continuously since its very first broadcast on 9 December 1960. He is listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-serving television star in a continuous role.
Kitty Foyle is an American old-time radio and television soap opera originally aired during the 1940s and 1950s that was based on the 1940 film of the same name starring Ginger Rogers. Kitty Foyle was created by soap opera mogul Irna Phillips of Guiding Light fame and produced by daytime radio monarchs Frank and Anne Hummert of Helen Trent recognition. The program originally starred Julie Stevens in the title role of Kitty Foyle on radio. On television, the title role was portrayed by Kathleen Murray.
