List of radio soap operas

Last updated

Radio daytime drama serials were broadcast for decades, and some expanded to television. These dramas are often referred to as "soaps", a shortening from "soap opera". That term stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Lever Brothers as sponsors [1] and producers. [2] These early radio serials were broadcast in weekday daytime slots when mostly housewives would be able to listen; thus the shows were aimed at and consumed by a predominantly female audience. [1]

ShowRegion/countryBeganEndedCreatorRef.
Adopted Daughter United States19391941Jettabee Anne Hopkins
The Affairs of Dr Gentry 19571959 [3]
Against the Storm United States19391952 Sandra Michael [3]
Amanda of Honeymoon Hill United States19401946 Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
The Archers United Kingdom1951presentGodfrey Baseley
Arnold Grimm's Daughter United States19371942 Margaret Sangster [4]
Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories United States19371955 [4]
Aunt Mary United States19421951Leigh and Virginia Crosby & Gil South [3]
Bachelor's Children United States19351946 Bess Flynn [3]
Backstage Wife United States19351959Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Barry Cameron 19451946Richard, Leonard, and Peggy Blake
Betty and Bob United States19321940Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Big Sister United States19361952Julian Funt, Carl Bixby, Bob Newman and Bill Sweets [3]
Blue Hills Australia19491976 Gwen Meredith
Bob and Victoria 19471947Lee and Virginia Crosby & Gil South [4]
Brave Tomorrow United States19431944Ruth Adams Knight [4]
Brenda Curtis United States19391940 Ken Roberts [4]
Bright Horizon United States19411945James and Elizabeth Hart, John M. Young, Ted Maxwell, Stuart Hawkins, and Kathleen Norris [3]
The Brighter Day United States19481956 Irna Phillips [3]
The Carters of Elm Street United States19391940Mona Kent [4]
Central City United States19381941Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
The Colcloughs United Kingdom1991
2016
1993
present
Mike Hopwood
Citizens United Kingdom19871991BBC
City Soap United Kingdom20052008Preston Fm
Clara, Lu, and Em United States19301942Louise Starkey, Isobel Carothers and Helen King [3]
College Road Ireland20092009MightyStudent [3]
Dan Harding's Wife United States19361938Ken Robinson [3]
David Harum United States19361950Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Doc Barclay's Daughters United States19391940Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
The Doctor's Wife United States19521956 Manya Starr
Family Skeleton United States19531954 Carlton E. Morse
Front Line Family United Kingdom / Canada19411948
Front Page Farrell United States19411954Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Girl Alone United States19351941Fayette Krum [3]
The Goldbergs United States19291950 Gertrude Berg [4]
The Guiding Light United States19371956 [5] Irna Phillips [3]
Helpmate United States19411944Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Her Honor, Nancy James 19381939 [4]
Hilltop House 1937, 19481941, 1957Edward Wolf [4] [6]
Home of the Brave United States19411941 [4] :326-327
Into the Light 19411942Larry Bearson [4]
Jane Arden United States19381939 [4]
John's Other Wife 19361942Frank and Anne Hummert [4]
Joyce Jordan, M.D. United States19381956 [3]
Judy and Jane United States19321935Frank and Anne Hummert [4]
Just Plain Bill United States19321955Frank and Anne Hummert [4]
Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy 19401942Gertrude Berg and Chester McCracken [4]
Kitty Foyle United States19421944 [3]
Kitty Keene, Incorporated United States19371941Day Keene and Lester Huntly
The Life and Love of Dr. Susan 19391939 Edith Meiser [4]
Life Begins 19401941 [4]
Life Can Be Beautiful United States19381954Don Becker and Carl Bixby [4]
Life of Mary Sothern 19341938Don Becker [4]
The Light of the World United States19401950 [3]
Linda's First Love 1939ca. 1950 [4]
Lone Journey 19401952Sandra Michael [4]
Lonely Women United States19421943Irna Phillips
Lora Lawton United States19431950 [3]
Lorenzo Jones United States19371955 [3]
Ma Perkins United States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert [3]
Matysiakowie Poland1956presentJerzy Janicki
Mrs Dale's Diary United Kingdom19481969Jonqil Antony
My True Story United States19431956 Margaret Sangster [3]
Myrt and Marge United States19311942 Myrtle Vail [3]
Newarkers United Kingdom20132013Radio Newark
The O'Neills United States19351943 [3]
One Man's Family United States19321959 Carlton E. Morse [3]
Our Gal Sunday United States19361959 [3]
Painted Dreams United States19301943Irna Phillips [7]
Penny For Your ThoughtsUnited Kingdom2018presentMarion Hartley (Script) Brian Curtis (Producer) on Vectis Radio (104.6FM & www.vectisradio.com)
Pepper Young's Family United States19321959 Elaine Sterne Carrington [3]
Perry Mason United States19431955 Erle Stanley Gardner [3]
Portia Faces Life United States19401952 [3]
Pretty Kitty Kelly United States19371940 [3]
The Right to Happiness United States19391960Irna Phillips [3]
The Road of Life United States19371959Irna Phillips [3]
The Romance of Helen Trent United States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert [4]
Rosemary United States19441955Elaine Sterne Carrington [3]
The Second Mrs. Burton United States19461960 [3]
Silver Street United Kingdom20042010
Sounds of the City United States19731975 Shauneille Perry [8]
Staying Well in CamberwellUnited States20112011Cheryl L. Davis [9] [10] [11]
Stella Dallas United States19371955 [3]
The Story of Mary Marlin United States19351952 [3]
The Strange Romance of Evelyn Winters United States19441952 [3]
This Is Nora Drake United States19471959 [3]
Today's Children United States19331938Irna Phillips [3]
Today's Children (second series)United States19431950Irna Phillips (Dialogue by Virginia Cooke) [3]
Valiant Lady United States19381952 [3]
Waggoners' Walk United Kingdom19691980
We Love and Learn United States19421956 [3]
Wendy Warren and the News United States19471958 [3]
Westway United Kingdom19972005
When a Girl Marries United States19391957Elaine Sterne Carrington [3]
The Woman in My House United States19511959 [3]
Woman in White United States19381948 [3]
A Woman of America United States19431945 [3]
You Me Now New Zealand20102012 Radio New Zealand and All The Way Home Productions [3]
Young Doctor Malone United States19391960Irna Phillips [3]
Young Widder Brown United States19381956Frank Hummert and Anne Hummert [3]
Your Family and Mine United States19381940 [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Bowles, p. 118
  2. "PGP". proctergambleproductions.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 Lackmann, Ronald W. (2000). The Encyclopedia of American Radio: An A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny to Howard Stern. Facts On File. ISBN   0-8160-4137-7.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-time Radio. United States: Oxford University Press. pp.  14, 17. ISBN   0-19-507678-8.
  5. The radio show The Guiding Light was dropped in 1956 in favor of the television version, which premiered in 1952 and ended in 2009.
  6. Thurber, James (June 12, 1948). "Soapland III - Sculptors in Ivory". The New Yorker. pp. 48–58. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  7. Cox, Jim (2003). Frank and Anne Hummert's radio factory: the programs and personalities of broadcasting's most prolific producers. McFarland.
  8. Bellafante, Ginia (October 24, 2021). "He Set the Template for Black Media". The New York Times.
  9. "Cheryl L. Davis". cldplay.com. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  10. "Staying Well in Camberwell". Staying Well in Camberwell. Archived from the original on February 27, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  11. "Local radio soap operas address Alabama's health problems in true soapy fashion". AL.com. September 8, 2011. Retrieved February 27, 2015.