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]

Show Region/country Began Ended Creator Ref.
Adopted DaughterUnited States19391941Jettabee Anne Hopkins
The Affairs of Dr Gentry19571959[3]
Against the StormUnited States19391952Sandra Michael[3]
Amanda of Honeymoon HillUnited States19401946Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
The ArchersUnited Kingdom1951presentGodfrey Baseley
Arnold Grimm's DaughterUnited States19371942Margaret Sangster[4]
Aunt Jenny's Real Life StoriesUnited States19371955[4]
Aunt MaryUnited States19421951Leigh and Virginia Crosby & Gil South[3]
Bachelor's ChildrenUnited States19351946Bess Flynn[3]
Backstage WifeUnited States19351959Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
Barry Cameron19451946Richard, Leonard, and Peggy Blake
Betty and BobUnited States19321940Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
Big SisterUnited States19361952Julian Funt, Carl Bixby, Bob Newman and Bill Sweets[3]
Blue HillsAustralia19491976Gwen Meredith
Bob and Victoria19471947Lee and Virginia Crosby & Gil South[4]
Brave TomorrowUnited States19431944Ruth Adams Knight[4]
Brenda CurtisUnited States19391940Ken Roberts[4]
Bright HorizonUnited States19411945James and Elizabeth Hart, John M. Young, Ted Maxwell, Stuart Hawkins, and Kathleen Norris[3]
The Brighter DayUnited States19481956Irna Phillips[3]
The Carters of Elm StreetUnited States19391940Mona Kent[4]
Central CityUnited States19381941Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
The ColcloughsUnited Kingdom1991
2016		1993
present		Mike Hopwood
CitizensUnited Kingdom19871991BBC
City SoapUnited Kingdom20052008Preston Fm
Clara, Lu, and EmUnited States19301942Louise Starkey, Isobel Carothers and Helen King[3]
College RoadIreland20092009MightyStudent[3]
Dan Harding's WifeUnited States19361938Ken Robinson[3]
David HarumUnited States19361950Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
Doc Barclay's DaughtersUnited States19391940Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
The Doctor's Wife19521956
Family SkeletonUnited States19531954Carlton E. Morse
Front Line FamilyUnited Kingdom / Canada19411948
Front Page FarrellUnited States19411954Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
Girl AloneUnited States19351941Fayette Krum[3]
The GoldbergsUnited States19291950Gertrude Berg[4]
The Guiding LightUnited States19371956 [5]Irna Phillips[3]
HelpmateUnited States19411944Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
Her Honor, Nancy James19381939[4]
Hilltop House1937, 19481941, 1957Edward Wolf[4][6]
Home of the BraveUnited States19411941[4]: 326-327 
Into the Light19411942Larry Bearson[4]
Jane ArdenUnited States19381939[4]
John's Other Wife19361942Frank and Anne Hummert[4]
Joyce Jordan, M.D.United States19381956[3]
Judy and JaneUnited States19321935Frank and Anne Hummert[4]
Just Plain BillUnited States19321955Frank and Anne Hummert[4]
Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy19401942Gertrude Berg and Chester McCracken[4]
Kitty FoyleUnited States19421944[3]
Kitty Keene, IncorporatedUnited States19371941Day Keene and Lester Huntly
The Life and Love of Dr. Susan19391939Edith Meiser[4]
Life Begins19401941[4]
Life Can Be BeautifulUnited States19381954Don Becker and Carl Bixby[4]
Life of Mary Sothern19341938Don Becker[4]
The Light of the WorldUnited States19401950[3]
Linda's First Love1939ca. 1950[4]
Lone Journey19401952Sandra Michael[4]
Lonely WomenUnited States19421943Irna Phillips
Lora LawtonUnited States19431950[3]
Lorenzo JonesUnited States19371955[3]
Ma PerkinsUnited States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert[3]
MatysiakowiePoland1956presentJerzy Janicki
Mrs Dale's DiaryUnited Kingdom19481969Jonqil Antony
My True StoryUnited States19431956Margaret Sangster[3]
Myrt and MargeUnited States19311942Myrtle Vail[3]
NewarkersUnited Kingdom20132013Radio Newark
The O'NeillsUnited States19351943[3]
One Man's FamilyUnited States19321959Carlton E. Morse[3]
Our Gal SundayUnited States19361959[3]
Painted DreamsUnited States19301943Irna Phillips[7]
Penny For Your Thoughts United Kingdom 2018 present Marion Hartley (Script) Brian Curtis (Producer) on Vectis Radio (104.6FM & www.vectisradio.com)
Pepper Young's FamilyUnited States19321959Elaine Sterne Carrington[3]
Perry MasonUnited States19431955Erle Stanley Gardner[3]
Portia Faces LifeUnited States19401952[3]
Pretty Kitty KellyUnited States19371940[3]
The Right to HappinessUnited States19391960Irna Phillips[3]
The Road of LifeUnited States19371959Irna Phillips[3]
The Romance of Helen TrentUnited States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert[4]
RosemaryUnited States19441955Elaine Sterne Carrington[3]
The Second Mrs. BurtonUnited States19461960[3]
Silver StreetUnited Kingdom20042010
Sounds of the CityUnited States19731975Shauneille Perry[8]
Staying Well in CamberwellUnited States20112011Cheryl L. Davis [9][10][11]
Stella DallasUnited States19371955[3]
The Story of Mary MarlinUnited States19351952[3]
The Strange Romance of Evelyn WintersUnited States19441952[3]
This Is Nora DrakeUnited States19471959[3]
Today's ChildrenUnited States19331938Irna Phillips[3]
Today's Children (second series)United States19431950Irna Phillips (Dialogue by Virginia Cooke)[3]
Valiant LadyUnited States19381952[3]
Waggoners' WalkUnited Kingdom19691980
We Love and LearnUnited States19421956[3]
Wendy Warren and the NewsUnited States19471958[3]
WestwayUnited Kingdom19972005
When a Girl MarriesUnited States19391957Elaine Sterne Carrington[3]
The Woman in My HouseUnited States19511959[3]
Woman in WhiteUnited States19381948[3]
A Woman of AmericaUnited States19431945[3]
You Me NowNew Zealand20102012Radio New Zealand and All The Way Home Productions[3]
Young Doctor MaloneUnited States19391960Irna Phillips[3]
Young Widder BrownUnited States19381956Frank Hummert and Anne Hummert[3]
Your Family and MineUnited 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. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
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