Three events took place in daytime 50 years ago today. First, ABC finally started an early-morning show, "A.M. America," with Bill Beutel and Stephanie Edwards. The show did not catch on, and in November the format changed to 'Good Morning America." Later that morning "Wheel of Fortune" debuted on NBC, with Chuck Woolery (R.I.P.) as host and Susan Stafford turning the letters. Pat Sajak would replace Woolery in December 1981 following a dispute with Merv over how much of a raise he would get; Vanna became letter-turner during 1982. That afternoon, 'Another World" became the first soap to go to an hour; today only "Bold and the Beautiful" is 30 minutes.
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Red-letter day January 6, 1975
- Thread starter bpatrick
- Start date
No. The cast and crew have always preferred the half-hour format; they can work a normal 9-5 day as a rule rather than the 12-14 hour days common on hour soaps.
The soaps that expanded from 30 minutes to an hour:
Another World (expanded to 90 minutes briefly in 1979-80)
Days of Our Lives
As the World Turns
All My Children
Guiding Light
The Young and the Restless
NOTE: One Life to Live and General Hospital expanded to 45 minutes each in July 1976, then to an hour each in January 1978.
The soaps that debuted as hour soaps:
Texas
Santa Barbara
Sunset Beach
Passions
Beyond the Gates (when it debuts 2/24/25)
The soaps that expanded from 30 minutes to an hour:
Another World (expanded to 90 minutes briefly in 1979-80)
Days of Our Lives
As the World Turns
All My Children
Guiding Light
The Young and the Restless
NOTE: One Life to Live and General Hospital expanded to 45 minutes each in July 1976, then to an hour each in January 1978.
The soaps that debuted as hour soaps:
Texas
Santa Barbara
Sunset Beach
Passions
Beyond the Gates (when it debuts 2/24/25)
I know Y&R expanded to an hour due to another soap (Love of Life) getting cancelled, why did the rest expand?
Another World was NBC's top-rated soap in 1975 and the network had problems at 3:30; How to Survive a Marriage had gone nowhere against One Life to Live on ABC and Match Game on CBS. As the World Turns expanded to fill the gap left when CBS canceled Edge of Night (which moved to ABC) and Guiding Light moved from 2 PM to 2:30. The others, I think, were more about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery. Fred Silverman hedged a little by expanding OLTL and GH to 45 minutes each in 1976, but they both expanded to an hour in 1978.
To think of it, Another World and Wheel of Fortune (first with Chuck Woolery, then later on Pat Sajak) were 2 of NBC's longest running daytime shows, along with Concentration with Hugh Downs or Bob Clayton (I'll count the 87-91 run with Alex Trebek too), Days of Our Lives and The Doctors.
In the 80s, a lot of stations would pass on anything not named Wheel Of Fortune, Days Of Our Lives or Another World (WYFF pretty much cleared the entire schedule expect for NewsCenter4 at noon in place of Super Password in Asheville). WYFF didn't clear Santa Barbara at first, but when a show with Sarah Purcell (can't remember the show) was canceled, 4 picked up Santa Barbara.
I remember when they launched "A.M. America" -- in particular, I recall the jingles that they use to promote it, that went something like "How do you wake up America? We've got a better way!"
As it turns out, few thought that they had a better way, which is why it lasted less than a year.
I remember that show. It was called "America," and was a talk/magazine show similar to "Hour Magazine." And you're right that Channel 4 began carrying "Santa Barbara" when "America" was canceled.
You have a great memory! Here's that promo:
And here's a closed-circuit preview of the show:
Last edited:
And that better way- was bringing in David Hartman, and the rest is history. Hartman was the best morning show host in my opinion along with his successor, Joan Lunden (who brought the same style when she took over in 87, paired with Charles Gibson, plucked from the Congressional beat at ABC News).
Joan actually came in in 1980 as David Hartman’s co-host
If I remember correctly, Sandy Hill was the first co-host. And on especially newsy mornings, Hartman took over and Hill disappeared.
Here's a 1978 edition of GMA with the original hosts:
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