Procter & Gamble completed its corporate objective today. They got out of the soap opera business by killing off their remaining show, “As the World Turns.” The show has been cancelled by CBS, which is code for: “P&G pulled the plug.” The show has been on CBS since April 1956.
P&G’s second to last show, “Guiding Light,” left the air on September 18th. The writing was on the wall.
The killing of “As the World Turns” began 18 months ago when the company refused to negotiate the contract of its star, Martha Byrne. Byrne had been with the show for 25 years, was a mother in her late 30s, and the perfect demographic for the show. Losing her meant losing audience, and so the show did: tremendous drops in their numbers followed. But that, it seems, was the plan.
“As the World Turns” was always the Cadillac of soaps. Until the last couple of years it was always the best written, acted and produced show. It went through a huge Renaissance from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s under writer-producer Douglas Marland, who knew and respected the genre.
The shows boasts more than a dozen “vets” who’ve been with it for years including Don Hastings, Helen Wagner, Eileen Fulton, and Kathryn Hays. New York theater star Larry Bryggman played Dr. John Dixon for three decades until his character faded out several years ago. The show also launched lots of stars including Julianne Moore, Meg Ryan, Marisa Tomei, Parker Posey, Steven Weber, and Dana Delany. Even hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill got her start on “World Turns.”
CBS replaced “Guiding Light” with a game show, which is cheaper to produce. They’ll probably do the same with “World Turns.” By doing so, they’ve helped P&G–which once boasted at least seven shows– destroy a genre. P&G certainly is vulnerable to the ire of fans against their products, but the downside is probably minimal. The sad thing is, after half a century in the business, they never took their legacy or the product seriously.
December 8th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
That reason I watch Univision and Telumundo soaps better storylines
December 8th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Oh, that’s so sad. I’ve watched As the World Turns since my babysitter let me sneak and watch it at age 4. That was over 30 years ago. It will be the end of an institution.
December 8th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Great column Roger totally agree and it’s such a shame there will only be 6 soaps left in 9 months.
December 8th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
This news makes me very sad. My mom started watching ATWT when I was a young girl, and for many years it was something we enjoyed together.
December 8th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
It come to a time maybe all soap be cancel I hear Days might be in danger too at NBC
December 8th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I would like to see some of the stars and theater actors who got their breaks on As The World Turns and other soaps, speak up for the genre. The soaps provide better entertainment then most of the prime time shows and the thought that ATWT will be replaced by another crappy game show or talk show demonstrates just how lazy and money hungry the networks have become. Pretty sad.
December 9th, 2009 at 10:30 am
The Doctors TV Show that replaced Guiding Light is a wonderful show. However, I miss the show terribly. That said, why in the world would NBC put a quack like “Dr. Oz” on . . . because he’s Oprah’s buddy? I won’t miss Oprah on her show and neither will numerous others. I think they both should head back to “Oz”. They deserve each other!
December 9th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Good riddance to bad rubbish. The plot lines are absurd, the acting is terrible.
December 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
As someone who watched the show when she was on it, it was very nice to hear Julianne Moore talk on The View today about how much she still loved ATWT and the actors on it, how much fun she had on the show, and how sad she was to hear it was canceled. Would like to hear similar comments from Meg Ryan and Marissa Tomei.