CBS says goodbye to "As The World Turns".

[TroyG]

After 54 years on the air, Dr Hughes(Don Hastings)closed the show by saying "Good Night", and walked quietly out of the office, leaving an illuminated spinning globe as it fades out to black. What a classic scene. There a lot of fans who followed "ATWT", through many generations and It was BOTH CBS & TeleNext to end this show on a very high note.

"ATWT"'s replacement, "The Talk with Julie Chen", won't be making its debut on Monday; CBS will fill that hole with "TPIR" reruns beginning This Week, and on The Week of October 4th, and "LMAD" reruns will take over on the weeks of Sept. 27th and Oct. 11th.

On that note, quote R.E.M.: "It's the End of The World as we know it..."

 

[KML0224]

This is a mistake if you ask me. We do NOT need another version of The View. My mother watched ATWT since she was 16 and this broke her heart.

 

[imhomerjay]

Whether or not the new show catches on is one issue; killing off a low-rated, older-skewing expensive show isn't a business mistake though.

 

[bpatrick]

Which is exactly why Procter & Gamble had no success finding
a taker for either "ATWT" or "Guiding Light" (a year ago). BTW,
for the first time since 1933 P&G does not have one of its own
soaps on the air, but then again, both "ATWT" and "GL" had been
losing money for years.

However, I have to differ about the finale. As I said on the
"Best & Worst Series Endings" thread on Classic TV, I was underwhelmed
by "ATWT"'s ending. Perhaps if I had been a regular viewer I might feel
as I know many do: sad. I still think "GL" set the standard for soap
endings: the picnic in the park which brought back many former regulars,
Josh and Reva's exit to go on "an adventure," even the montage of openings,
the poem that once introduced the show, the announcer saying "And now,
'The Guiding Light'." I'd like to have seen some of that on "ATWT" instead
of simply having Dr. Bob introducing segments with the various characters
and turning out the light at the end, although the spinning globe was
a nice--if predictable--touch.

It does sadden me a little to know that the six shows which defined "soap
opera" for me when I was young are all gone now: "ATWT," "GL," "Search
For Tomorrow," "Edge Of Night," "Love Of Life," and "Secret Storm." But
like sands through the hourglass, the world turns on...
or something like that.

 

[brian4]

I'll check their website, but does anyone know if CBS Evening News did a story/report saying Friday was ATWT's last day?

 

[briancraig]

I thought the last episode was pretty good. Not being a regular viewer of the show, I didn't know who all the characters were but it appeared that they wrapped up all the stories and gave the various couples/families happy endings. I was also glad to see John Dixon return for the last episode.


Bob deserved to have the last scene since he has been on the show since 1960. He was on the day the show was interrupted by Walter Cronkite with the tragic news that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

I am much sadder to see ATWT go away than Guiding Light. ATWT had a lot more characters that were tied to its history than GL. I don't think anyone on GL in the final years dated back before the 1980s, but ATWT not only had Bob, but Lisa who has been on since about 1960. Dr. Susan has been on since the late 1960's, Bob's wife Kim has been on since 1972 and Barbara since 1978. Nancy was still a regular until her death this year and she was in the very first scene in 1956.

Again, not being a viewer I have no idea if the older actors appeared very often but I think they were all still on contract to the end.

 

[Zur]

I'll check their website, but does anyone know if CBS Evening News did a story/report saying Friday was ATWT's last day?

Yes they did a 10 second report on it. Very short and if I didn't know that it was being canceled, I would of had no idea what it was about. It just showed someone walking out the door. Not knowing who is who on that show, I assume it's Bob from previous posts

 

[Dighton Rockhead]

It does sadden me a little to know that the six shows which defined "soap opera" for me when I was young are all gone now: "ATWT," "GL," "Search
For Tomorrow," "Edge Of Night," "Love Of Life," and "Secret Storm." But
like sands through the hourglass, the world turns on...
or something like that.

It was really an "open secret" that P&G had wanted "OUT" of the soap biz for quite some time, and now they finally have what they want.

The whole economic model for soap operas had changed so radically since the days of network radio, when the shows were 15 minutes long, and consisted of literally nothing more than actors reading thier lines into microphones.....the huge profit margins from shows like "The Guiding Light" on NBC Red, and "Ma Perkins" on CBS were prime examples.

Then....the 80's and 90's happened....LOL. By this time, virtually all the shows were an hour long, and all sorts of expensive production values came into the picture, including costly location shooting......THEN.....the whole economic dynamic started to slowly fall apart. And that's to say NOTHING about the changing demographics and habits of viewers, including the necessity of millions of women to enter the workforce.

You're right though.....it WAS those six shows...... "ATWT," "GL," "Search
For Tomorrow," "Edge Of Night," "Love Of Life," and "Secret Storm." ......that basically set the standard, and daytime fans everywhere have Irna Phillips and Roy Winsor to thank.

Thank you both!

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

I'll check their website, but does anyone know if CBS Evening News did a story/report saying Friday was ATWT's last day?

Yes they did a 10 second report on it. Very short and if I didn't know that it was being canceled, I would of had no idea what it was about. It just showed someone walking out the door. Not knowing who is who on that show, I assume it's Bob from previous posts

There was also a mention of ATWT's last episode on CBS Radio's morning newscast (at least at the 6AM report) Friday morning--using the original organ ATWT theme as a teaser to the story.

 

[brian4]

I'll check their website, but does anyone know if CBS Evening News did a story/report saying Friday was ATWT's last day?

Yes they did a 10 second report on it. Very short and if I didn't know that it was being canceled, I would of had no idea what it was about. It just showed someone walking out the door. Not knowing who is who on that show, I assume it's Bob from previous posts

There was also a mention of ATWT's last episode on CBS Radio's morning newscast (at least at the 6AM report) Friday morning--using the original organ ATWT theme as a teaser to the story.

Around the 17:40 mark, Katie Couric does about a short report on ATWT last day. It was Bob turning out the light and mentioned how Helen Wagner holds the record for playing the same character for the longest amount of time.

I'm not sure if a Phoenix radio station carries CBS Radio News.

 

[easttxtv]

The Early Show did a small segment about it Friday also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iao03vMtdM

It's too bad Helen Wagner (Nancy) didn't live long enough to appear in the finale, assuredly to deliver the final lines (just as she had the first line in the debut ep); 'Bob' would've had to be the next logical choice. I didn't think beforehand about the possibility of Bob retiring and he and Kim leaving town as a focus for the last show. ATWT actually made time in it's third- and second-to-last-weeks on the air to reference Springfield (the Guiding Light setting) once and Bay City (where Another World took place) several times; with the passing of ATWT, there will be no more opportunities to revisit any of the P&G soap towns, as the remaining soaps have no historic ties to them. Sad.

 

[azumanga]

...with the passing of ATWT, there will be no more opportunities to revisit any of the P&G soap towns, as the remaining soaps have no historic ties to them. Sad.

Furthermore, according to this Classic TV thread, even reliving them will be out of the question.

 

[Starbucks]

Whether or not the new show catches on is one issue; killing off a low-rated, older-skewing expensive show isn't a business mistake though.

Gomer Gomer Gomer.......what did I tell you over a year ago when several of these long running soaps and daytime running network shows were fading. It's a different world as it turns...and you keep telling me diversity has nothing to do about it. Yes you will see more shows like the View ( because that's what's hot and reaches a diverse audience along with syndication. NOW GET OFF OF THAT SOFA, AND PLAY YOUR ORGAN!

 

[bpatrick]

It does sadden me a little to know that the six shows which defined "soap opera" for me when I was young are all gone now: "ATWT," "GL," "Search
For Tomorrow," "Edge Of Night," "Love Of Life," and "Secret Storm." But
like sands through the hourglass, the world turns on...
or something like that.

It was really an "open secret" that P&G had wanted "OUT" of the soap biz for quite some time, and now they finally have what they want.

The whole economic model for soap operas had changed so radically since the days of network radio, when the shows were 15 minutes long, and consisted of literally nothing more than actors reading thier lines into microphones.....the huge profit margins from shows like "The Guiding Light" on NBC Red, and "Ma Perkins" on CBS were prime examples.

Then....the 80's and 90's happened....LOL. By this time, virtually all the shows were an hour long, and all sorts of expensive production values came into the picture, including costly location shooting......THEN.....the whole economic dynamic started to slowly fall apart. And that's to say NOTHING about the changing demographics and habits of viewers, including the necessity of millions of women to enter the workforce.

You're right though.....it WAS those six shows...... "ATWT," "GL," "Search
For Tomorrow," "Edge Of Night," "Love Of Life," and "Secret Storm." ......that basically set the standard, and daytime fans everywhere have Irna Phillips and Roy Winsor to thank.

Thank you both!

And don't forget Irving Vendig, who took the "Perry Mason" daytime radio soap and transformed it into "Edge Of Night" when Erle Stanley Gardner decided he didn't want to do the television "Mason" as a soap. Of course, "Edge" was not really a traditional soap; its emphasis was on crime and courtroom drama, and its lead character was male: Mike Karr (played successively by John Larkin, Larry Hugo, and Forrest Compton--the last perhaps as well known as Col. Gray on "Gomer Pyle, USMC"). But I stand by what I say; "Edge" was one of the six that defined "soap opera" for me in my younger days, given that other soaps have incorporated those elements; I mean, is "General Hospital" a medical soap or a crime drama?

 

[imhomerjay]

Has Days of our Lives ventured into the non-traditional path over the years with some of the more 'supernatural' elements? I've never seen it, but from what I read it's had some pretty wild plots, even by daytime drama standards.

 

[easttxtv]

Both GH and Days have strayed from their original families/focuses in the last several years.

Gloria Monty might have saved GH from cancellation years ago, but the result was a lot less Hardy family and the hospital, a lot more over the top adventure, plus mob influence in recent years to the point that some call the show 'Sonny's Hospital' (for the big crime guy of the show), and don't forget the on again/off again medical condition of Laura (meaning, TIIC don't want to put Genie Francis on a high $$ contract)...apparently influenced by Helena Cassidine (the character once played to high camp levels by one Elizabeth Taylor--she being the reason Luke & Laura got married in 1981 instead of the writers putting it off till later). The show's 10,000th ep actually revolved around Audrey Hardy and her years of service to the hospital, complete with classic b&w clips of her and Steve; it looked more like the GH of old than it had in many MANY years.

Meanwhile, in Salem, sadly, the show Days has become isn't nearly as watchable as in its earlier years. Starting in the early 1980s, the Horton family has seen less and less airtime and representation, while dumb crime/serial killing sprees/far-off misadventures have largely taken their place. Stefano and Tony have lived and died probably more than James Stenbeck (ATWT) and Roger Thorpe (GL) have combined. Yes, there are Horton-DiMera connections/no, there's not. Yes, there's another secret tunnel from Doug's Place to the DiMera Mansion/no, there's not. UGH, UGH!!! Bill Bell kept viewers glued to storylines for YEARS at a time on Days, without a single devil possession, killing spree, implanted data chip, or other outlandish plot-driven excuse. The only Days ep in recent years I've made time to watch was Alice's funeral, which, oddly, aired on the 11th anniversary of the Another World finale (coincidental, but jarring to those who have been fans of both shows), and not surprisingly, could have been done MUCH better. Marie (played by the character's original portrayer, Maree Cheatham; and by the time of the funeral episode, the only actor representing the original 1965 cast) was there, but was given NO LINES, none!! In the whole ep! The ending reference to Frances Reid's passing before the credits lasted about a millisecond--NBC was in a big hurry to get to that promo for the next whatever show that pushes the credits out to the far margins.

The conditions of these 2 shows are another reason the passing of ATWT is sad. Oh, and the oldest 2 soaps on now? Ummm, yeah, GH and Days.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I'm afraid the "Marlena is possessed" episodes were some of the best in the last 20 years. How else would we have seen John Black as a priest?

 

[bpatrick]

The Early Show did a small segment about it Friday also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iao03vMtdM

It's too bad Helen Wagner (Nancy) didn't live long enough to appear in the finale, assuredly to deliver the final lines (just as she had the first line in the debut ep); 'Bob' would've had to be the next logical choice. I didn't think beforehand about the possibility of Bob retiring and he and Kim leaving town as a focus for the last show. ATWT actually made time in it's third- and second-to-last-weeks on the air to reference Springfield (the Guiding Light setting) once and Bay City (where Another World took place) several times; with the passing of ATWT, there will be no more opportunities to revisit any of the P&G soap towns, as the remaining soaps have no historic ties to them. Sad.

It's not generally known, but "Another World" was intended as a spinoff from "As The World Turns." Irna Phillips, thinking that "AW" was going to be on CBS, had planned to introduce the Matthews family on "ATWT," where they would spend a few weeks in Oakdale before moving to Bay City. But when CBS passed (they must have figured the "classic six" soaps I named earlier were enough) and NBC bought "AW", that plan had to be shelved, so "AW" opened cold with the Matthews clan in Bay City.
"AW" did have at least one tie-in with "GL": Mike Bauer went from Springfield to Bay City to defend a character who was on trial. I would like to have seen a crossover between "ATWT" and "GL," and don't understand why it never happened, especially when "Y&R" and "B&B" on CBS, and the three ABC soaps, have done it on several occasions.

 

[Tim from Springfield IL]

The Early Show did a small segment about it Friday also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iao03vMtdM

It's too bad Helen Wagner (Nancy) didn't live long enough to appear in the finale, assuredly to deliver the final lines (just as she had the first line in the debut ep); 'Bob' would've had to be the next logical choice. I didn't think beforehand about the possibility of Bob retiring and he and Kim leaving town as a focus for the last show. ATWT actually made time in it's third- and second-to-last-weeks on the air to reference Springfield (the Guiding Light setting) once and Bay City (where Another World took place) several times; with the passing of ATWT, there will be no more opportunities to revisit any of the P&G soap towns, as the remaining soaps have no historic ties to them. Sad.

It's not generally known, but "Another World" was intended as a spinoff from "As The World Turns." Irna Phillips, thinking that "AW" was going to be on CBS, had planned to introduce the Matthews family on "ATWT," where they would spend a few weeks in Oakdale before moving to Bay City. But when CBS passed (they must have figured the "classic six" soaps I named earlier were enough) and NBC bought "AW", that plan had to be shelved, so "AW" opened cold with the Matthews clan in Bay City.
"AW" did have at least one tie-in with "GL": Mike Bauer went from Springfield to Bay City to defend a character who was on trial. I would like to have seen a crossover between "ATWT" and "GL," and don't understand why it never happened, especially when "Y&R" and "B&B" on CBS, and the three ABC soaps, have done it on several occasions.

I thought the reason why AW did not air on CBS was that there was simply no room on the daytime schedule as of 1964 for it (without bumping another popular daytime show)--this was at the time the one-two punch (during 1:30/2PM EST) of ATWT and "Password" aired back-to-back on CBS daytime and was at their ratings peak. Thus AW to NBC.

 

[bpatrick]

It is. CBS's 2-3:30 PM (ET) block at the time was "Password,"
"Art Linkletter's House Party," and "To Tell The Truth," all doing
well, and it's pretty obvious that CBS saw no reason to drop any of them and
add another soap. However, that would change when Fred Silverman
dropped "Password" for "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing," put "Guiding
Light" (now expanded from 15 to 30 minutes) in Linkletter's slot and move
him to 4 PM, and replace "To Tell The Truth" with "Secret Storm" ("Search
For Tomorrow," although it stayed at 12:30, also went from 15 to 30 minutes).
But by then, "AW" was entrenched on NBC, and no way he would have gotten
it for CBS.