CTVA US - Daytime Drama serials  - Soap Operas

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 US Anthology  -  US Primetime Drama  -  US Daytime DramaUK Drama (live/taped)UK Drama (filmed)
US Mystery Movie series   - US Mini Series   -  US TV Movies   US Radio Drama
U.S. tv Daytime Drama 
Daytime Soap Operas/ Serials/Comedies  - 
US Daytime Game Shows


Miss Susan
NBC (broadcast "Live" from Philadelphia)
Produced & Directed by Kenneth Buckridge
Written by William Kendal Clarke
US Daytime daily serial (15 min)(12Mar51- 28Dec51)
Cast:
Susan Peters
Mark Roberts
Robert McQueeney
Katherine Grill
Natalie Priest
Jon Lormer

Search For Tomorrow
CBS (3Sep51-26Mar82)
NBC (29Mar82-26Dec86)
Created by Roy Winsor
US Daytime daily serial

Dave And Charley
NBC
US Daytime Comedy series (7Jan52-28Mar52)(15 min)
Starring:
Cliff Arquette as Charley Weaver
Dave Willock as himself

 The Guiding Light (tv version)
CBS Television
Created by Irna Phillips (began on radio from 1937)
US Daytime daily serial (30Jun52 - )

Three Steps to Heaven
NBC (3Aug53-31Dec54)
Produced by Adrian Samish
Written by Irving Vendig
US Daytime daily serial

Valiant Lady (tv version)
CBS Television
Broadcast Live from New York
Created by Frank and Ann Hummert (ran on radio from 1938 to 1952)
Produced by Carl Green, Written by Charles Elwyn, Directed by Herb Kenwith
US Daytime daily serial (15min) (12Oct53-16Aug57)
Starring
Nancy Coleman
Flora Campbell
Jerome Cowan

The Brighter Day (tv version)
 CBS Television
Created by Irna Phillips (began on radio from 1948-56)
From New York (up to 1961) / From Hollywood (from 1961)
US Daytime daily serial (4Jan54 - 28Sep62)
(15 min) (late Afternoon) (early episodes)
(25 min) (late Morning) (from 18Jun62)
The Secret Storm
CBS Television
Created by Roy Winsor (previously created "Search for Tomorrow")
Produced by Gloria Monty (majority of episodes)
Produced by Joe Manetta (later episodes)
US Daytime daily serial (1Feb54 - 8Feb74)
Initially 15 min (expanded to 30 min in 1962)

One Man's Family
NBC Television
US Daytime daily serial (1Mar54-1Apr55)
Began on radio in 1932

Portia Faces Life aka The Inner Flame (tv version)
CBS Television
US Daytime Daily serial 5Apr54- 1Jul55
Began on radio in 1940 and came to television 14 yrs later
Cast:
Frances Reid/ Fran Carlon as Portia Blake Manning (successful Attorney)
Karl Swenson / Donald Woods as Walter Manning her husband
Charles Taylor as Dick Manning (their son)
Ginger MacManus / Renne Jarrett as Shirley Manning (their daughter)
and
Patrick O'Neal as Carl (Portia's brother)

A Time To Live
NBC (Broadcast from Chicago)
US Daytime daily serial (5Jul54-31Dec54)(15 min)
Cast:
Pat Sully
Larry Kerr

The Greatest Gift
NBC Television
US Daytime daily serial (30Aug54 - 1Jul55)
Cast:
Phillip Foster as Dr. Phil Stone
Anne Burr as Dr. Eve Allen
with
Janet Ward as Fran (Eve's sister)
Gene Peterson as Ned
Henry Barnard
Joe Draper
Marion Russell
and Jack Klugman
Premise:
Dr Phil Stone returned to his home town of Ridgeton after the Korean War to take over the practice
of his late uncle.

Modern Romances
NBC
US Daytime daily serial (15 min) (4Oct54 - 19Sep58)
Host & Narrator: Martha Scott, Mel Brandt
Stories adapted from the "Modern Romances" magazine.

 Road of Life (tv version)
CBS Television
Created by Irna Phillips (on radio from 1937-59)
Produced by John Egan
US Daytime serial 13Dec54-1Jul55
The Road of Life 1/3 (1955)
The Road of Life 2/3 (1955)
The Road of Life 3/3 (1955)
Narrated by Nelson Case
Cast:
Don MacLaughlin as Dr. Jim Brent (surgeon)
Barbara Becker as Sybill Fuller
Virginia Dwyer as Jocelyn Brent
Harry Holcombe as Malcolm Overton
Charles Dingle as Conrad Overton
Elizabeth Lawrence as Francie Brent
Bill Lipton as John Brent
John Larkin as Frank Dana
Dorothy Sands as Aunt Reggie

Matinee Theater
NBC
US Daytime Anthology  (1955 -58)

Matinee Theater (NBC)(1955-58) "live" daytime daily Dramatic Anthology Series  - episode guide

A Date With Life
NBC
US Daytime serial (10Oct55-29Jun56) (15 min)

 

As The World Turns
CBS
Created by Irna Philllips
US Daytime serial  (2Apr56 - )
Premiered the same day as "The Edge of Night"

The Edge Of Night
CBS (2Apr56-28Nov75)
ABC (1Dec75-28Dec84)
Created by Irving Vendig
US Daytime serial (Original Time Slot 4:30pm)
Premiered the same day as "As The World Turns"

Hotel Cosmopolitan
CBS
US Daytime serial (episodic) (19Aug57-11Apr58)

Hosted by Donald Woods (as himself)

Set in a New York hotel "The Cosmopolitan".  Replaced "Valiant Lady"

Kitty Foyle
NBC
US Daytime serial (13Jan58-27Jun58)
Derived from the Story by Christopher Morley
Cast:
Kathleen Murray as Kitty Foyle
Judy Lewis as Molly Scharf
Billy Redfield
Ralph Dunne as Kitty's father
Ginger McManus
Marie Worsham
Lee Bergere
Patty Duke (11 years old)
About an Irish secretary from Philadelphia who fell for a wealthy man.
It started on radio in 1942.

Today Is Ours
NBC
US Daytime serial (30min)(30Jun58-26Dec58)
Cast:
Patricia Benoit
Patrick O'Neal
Peter Lazar
Joyce Lear
(sequel "Young Doctor Malone")

From These Roots
NBC
US Daytime serial (30min)(30Jun58-29Dec61)

Created by Frank Povo
Produced by Paul Lammers
Directed by Don Wallace

Day In Court
ABC
US Daytime Courtroom Drama series (13Oct58 - 24Jun65)

Young Dr. Malone
NBC
US Daytime serial (30min)(29Dec58-29Mar63)
(sequel to "Today is Ours")

 The House On High Street
NBC tv
Taped in New York
Directed by Lela Swift
Written by Jim Elward
US Daytime serial 28Sep59-5Feb60
One of the first daytime serials to be videotaped. "The House on High Street" presented 3-to-5 part
stories about divorce and juvenile delinquency, ostensibly based on actual case histories.
starring
Philip Abbott as John Collier, caseworker

Road To Reality
ABC
US Daytime serial (17Oct60-31Mar61)
Starring:
John Beal as Psychoanalyst Dr. Lewis
Setting: Therapy Group

General Hospital
ABC
Created by Doris and Frank Hursley
US Daytime Medical Drama serial (1Apr63 - )
Premiered the same day as NBC's "The Doctors"

The Doctors
NBC
Created by Orin Tovrov
US Daytime Medical Drama serial/ anthology series (1Apr63 - )
Premiered the same day as ABC's "General Hospital"

Another World
NBC
Created by Irna Phillips
US Daytime serial (4May64 -
(Spin-offs "Somerset" & it's spin-off "Texas")

The Young Marrieds
ABC
US Daytime serial (5Oct64-25Mar66)

Moment Of Truth
NBC
Produced in Toronto
US Daytime serial (30 min) (4 Jan65 to 5Nov65)
After a 10 month run it was replaced by "Days Of Our Lives".

Never Too Young
ABC
US Daytime Drama serial (late afternoon) (27Sep65-24Jun66)
Aimed at a teenage audience.
It's successor was "Dark Shadows"

The Nurses
ABC
US Daytime Medical Drama serial (27Sep65-31Mar67)
Base on the Prime Time Drama series of the same title.

Days Of Our Lives
NBC
Created by Irna Phillips, Ted Corsay, Allan Chase
US Daytime serial (8Nov65 - )

Dark Shadow
NBC
US Daytime serial (27Jun66-2Apr71)
(Replaced "Never too Young")
 

One Life To Live
ABC
Created by Agnes Nixon (also created "All My Children")
US Daytime serial (15Jul68 - )

Hidden Faces
NBC
US Daytime serial 30Dec68-27Jun69
Short-lived Daytime serial which NBC scheduled against CBS's "As The World Turns"
Cast:
Conrad Fowkes as Arthur Adams (lawyer)
Gretchen Walther as Dr. Katherine Walker (ex-surgeon/ accidentally killed a patient)
Stephen Joyce
Rita Gam
Tony LoBianco
Nat Polen

Where The Heart Is
CBS
US Daytime serial (8Sep69-23Mar73)(30min)
Replaced by "The Young and The Restless" (26Mar73)

All My Children
ABC
Created by Agnes Nixon (also created "One Life to Live")
US Daytime serial 5-Jan-1970 -

Somerset
NBC
US Daytime serial (30Mar70-31Dec76)
Spin-off from "Another World"

The Young And The Restless
CBS
Created by William Bell & Lee Phillip Bell
US Daytime serial (26Mar73 - )
Replaced "Where The Heart Is"

Ryan's Hope
ABC
US Daytime serial (7Jul75-13Jan89)

Texas
NBC
US Daytime serial (4Aug80-31Dec82)
Spin-off from  "Somerset" &  "Another World"

Santa Barbara
NBC
US Daytime serial (60 min)(30Jul84- )
 

The Bold And The Beautiful
CBS
Created by William Bell & Lee Phillip Bell
US Daytime serial (23Mar87 - )
 

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