As the World Turns
As the World Turns (otherwise known as ATWT) is a soap opera
that airs each day on the CBS network. On December 8th, 2009,
the network decided that it would not renew the show. The
final episode is slated to air on September 17th, 2010. As
of now, ATWT is the longest running daytime drama (since Guiding
Light was canceled).
ATWT is set in the fictional Illinois town of Oakdale, and
it had its debut on April 2nd, 1956 as a half-hour show. Prior
to this, all daytime dramas were only fifteen minutes long.
ATWT and The Edge of Night share the distinction of being
the first half-hour-long soap operas. At first, people didn’t
really care for the half-hour format, but as the show’s
second year progressed, ratings picked up. Ten million people
watched it every day from 1958 to 1978. ATWT was created by
Irna Phillips, as a companion show to her other drama Guiding
Light.
Much like Guiding Light, ATWT favored character study over
melodramatic moments. The professional and personal lives
of Oakdale’s lawyers and doctors play an integral role
to the progression of the show, and the expanded show length
allowed writers to introduce a few main characters instead
of just focusing on the trials and tribulations of one person.
ATWT actress Helen Wagner (playing the part of Nancy Hughes)
is in the Guinness Book of World Records with Mike Wallace
as the oldest person on television. That honor belonged to
Frances Reid until her death on February 3, 2010. Wagner also
holds the record for the longest amount of time playing a
single character on a show, although her time hasn’t
been uninterrupted. She was let go for six months due to internal
conflict, and she also left the series in the 80s because
she felt that the writers weren’t giving the veteran
characters enough attention. She has been on the show continuously
since 1985.
There have been character crossovers between ATWT and other
soaps. After the 1999 cancellation of Another World, characters
Jake and Victoria McKinnon and Cass Winthrop crossed over
to ATWT. Victoria was soon killed off, Jake was killed off
in 2002, and Cass was a recurring character until 2003.
ATWT has seen its share of changes, but at its heart, it
has stayed much the same. It still focuses on the private
and public lives of a few main characters. Hopefully, the
show’s producers can find another outlet to continue
airing this classic show.
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