r- o - ‘ he ^ *“■ "5 > c cq o- o -o «-= o—c: ■ daytime soaps, nighttime The 'soap' business is 'big' business The longest running daytime opera business managers and By BONNIE LANGFORD television drama, "Search for public relations directors, but and LAURI REESE Tomorrow," began broadcast­ sponsors also use the tech­ Staff Writer ing in 1951 and still is being nique. "A soap opera is a kind of televised today. "Come, try out for a part with sandwich, whose recipe is sim­ Few radio shows were ever Greg on 'All My Children'," ple enough, although it took converted into a television was a popular cry in Texas dur­ years to compound. Between show, but "Guiding Light" was ing the Christmas holidays. thick slices of advertising, the one serial which made the Laurence Lau, who plays Greg spread twelve minutes of dia­ transition from radio to tele­ Nelson, then was on tour in logue, add predicament, vil­ vision successfully. Texas. He hit malls, nightclubs, lainy and female suffering in Soap operas have thrived and and even made KTRK's "Good equal measure, throw in a dash their audiences have grown in Morning, Houston." of nobility, sprinkle with tears, phenomenal numbers in the A spokeswoman for the show season with organ music, cover past 30 years, but the serial for­ said that they did not know he with a rich announcer sauce mat itself is nothing new. It was was coming until the day be­ and serve five times a week." used successfully by Greeks fore. James Thurber. and Romans in their myths, "ABC's publicity department Almost 40 years ago, Thurber and novelists such as Charles called us and asked if he could (novelist) wrote the perfect rec­ Dickens used the serial format appear," she said. "So we ipe for one of the most endur­ in their writings. worked in an interview with ing forms of entertainment — Today's soaps are such "big him." the soap. business" that an entire indus­ The soap craze is so profitable Serials, or soap operas, were try has been developed to han­ that other businesses are jump­ born almost as early as radio it­ dle soap opera related merchan­ ing on the band wagon. self. They caught on quickly dise. Out of it has come fan "D" magazine, which is Dal­ with the housewife because clubs, magazines, books, news­ las' answer to "Texas Monthly," they provided escape from a letters, nightshirts, T-shirts, had Susan Lucci, better known dreary home life. Soaps pro­ buttons, plaques and bumper to her fans as Erica Kane, grac­ vided fantasies about being a stickers. ing the cover of their January is­ "backstage wife," or being fa­ For a mere $1.95 plus tax, the sue. She was their pick for "the mous, or even being rich. loyal soap opera fan can send best of the worst." Was it an in­ Soaps caught on quickly with for the "Who's Who in Daytime terview with Lucci? No, not sponsors because they captured TV" magazine, which comes much of one. It was only a small a receptive audience at a low complete with 324 true life sto­ piece in the front explaining cost. It took only a few un­ ries. why they picked her as the known actors and actresses Or perhaps more appealing cover —supposedly "because who could read a script, some­ might be the "General Hospital she personified the best of the one to write the script and a Magazine" which includes a worst." vivid imagination on the audi­ Tony Geary color centerfold. Even legitimate actors and ac­ ence's part. Then there are talent polls for tresses are clamoring to get The announcer's job was eas­ the fans who know they could soap roles, when before, the ier back then, all he had to do do a better job of script writing soaps only were a starting gate was introduce the product that than the person presently doing for a real acting job. sponsored the show — "Proctor it. By writing to Talent Poll, Many big name stars, like and Gamble White Laundry Dept. 2, Soap Opera Stars, 355 Dustin Hoffman, Tony Randall Soap! For cleaner, whiter Lexington Ave., New York, N. and Susan Sarandon, got their clothes — brings you — 'Rose­ Y., 10017, fans can let the writ­ big break on daytime TV. War­ mary!'" — and then introduce ers and producers know what ren Beatty, Jack Lemmon, Dyan the show. Companies such as plot twists and turns they Cannon and Richard Thomas Proctor and Gamble owned the would like to see. Or by writing also worked on soap operas at soap operas then, and have to the same address, fans can one time or another. So did found it profitable to keep this tell the producers who the best Dick Van Patten, Robby Benson format with shows like "The actress or actor is, or even what and Glynnis O'Conner. Guiding Light" and "The Edge the best serial is. of Night." But the soaps don't just sit Now, actresses like Elizabeth The first serial was broadcast back and wait for mail — going Taylor and Carol Burnett are in 1946 and was planned for a on tour is a popular form of ad­ making guest appearances on limited run only. vertising carried out by soap the daytime shows. ~o - U ^ w U.