The Soap Opera Paradigm is an engaging look at the pervasive use of daytime soap opera storytelling techniques in most television program genres, from prime time soap operas and reality shows to the nightly news, coverage of political campaigns, and sports programming. Drawing from a wealth of research, James Wittebols shows how programming techniques have changed over time and what roles media concentration and commercial influences have played in these changes. Visit our website for sample chapters!

A comprehensive survey of the history, the means of production, the content and the impact on audiences of soap operas. A sociologist and a specialist in women's studies combine to review the content of soap operas, and the way in which they are produced. How have the themes of soap operas changed with social convention? How do these massively popular serials aimed at a female audience portray women at work and at home? The impact of soap opera on its audience, the different varieties of soap operas, and the differences in structure, content, and commercial purpose between soap operas and prime time television are also discussed. `Cantor and Pingree have performed an important service by bringing together and analyzing a va

From "Ma Perkins" and "One Man's Family" in the 1930s to "All My Children" in the 1980s, the soap opera has capture the imagination of millions of American men and women of all ages. In Speaking of Soap Operas, Robert Allen undertakes a reexaminati

This reference work contains exhaustive histories of 31 of network radio's most durable soap operas on the air between 1930 and 1960. The soap operas covered are Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories, Backstage Wife, Big Sister, The Brighter Day, David Harum, Front Page Farrell, The Guiding Light, Hilltop House, Just Plain Bill, Life Can Be Beautiful, The Light of the World, Lora Lawton, Lorenzo Jones, Ma Perkins, One Man's Family, Our Gal Sunday, Pepper Young's Family, Perry Mason, Portia Faces Life, The Right to Happiness, Road of Life, The Romance of Helen Trent, Rosemary, The Second Mrs. Burton, Stella Dallas, This Is Nora Drake, Today's Children, Wendy Warren and the News, When a Girl Marries, Young Doctor Malone, and Young Widder Brown. Included for each series are the drama's theme and story line, an in-depth focus on the major characters, and a listing of producers, directors, writers, announcers, casts, sponsors, ratings, and broadcast dates, times and networks. Profiles of 158 actors, actresses, creators and others who figured prominently in a serial's success are also provided.

SEX ON SOAPS looks at love and lust on television daytime dramas. It's a must read for any soap fan, student of the genre, or anyone interested in the presentation of sexual content on television. SEX ON SOAPS is divided into four sections and includes an interactive table of contents so you can easily maneuver to desired section or subsection. SECTION 1 - SEX ON SOAPS Enjoying the dual role of soap fan and soap researcher, Matthew W. Grant earned his degree in Mass Communications after completing his thesis, Sex On Soaps which includes original soap opera viewer research and analysis looking at sex on daytime soap operas. This material examines how sex and its ramifications are presented on daytime television, how men and women perceive sex on soaps differently, and how they think this portrayal affects them. Text in this section of the book utilizes inline citations to the comprehensive soap opera bibliography which contains over 50 sources including soap opera books, media websites, communications journals, and episodes of network soap operas. An annotated version of the original Sex On Soaps Viewer Survey is included in its entirety. The original version was compiled in 1992. This revised edition includes additional material added in 2006 and 2011. SECTION 2 - SOAP OPERAS: SILLY SUDS OR SOCIAL CONSCIENCE? Does your GUIDING LIGHT come from your television screen? Do your friends think your PASSIONS for soap operas are overwhelming? This essay takes a look at soap opera morality, soap medical storylines, and the way daytime dramas tackle social issues. It concludes with the value of soap operas to society and illustrates why it's perfectly acceptable to fill your afternoons with some LOVING and let those wonderful soap operas take you away to ANOTHER WORLD. SECTION 3 - DAYTIME SOAPS TRIVIA Discover fun facts about your favorite daytime soaps, past and present. Find out the answers to questions such as: Which two soap operas premiered on the same day and went off the air on the same day? Which real life twins played the same role (of a character who wasn't a twin) on the same soap opera at different times? Which actor, actress, and soap opera won the first Daytime Emmy Awards? How many times was Susan Lucci of ALL MY CHILDREN nominated as Outstanding Lead Actress before she won her first Daytime Emmy? Which four NBC soap operas were cancelled on New Year's Eve? Who convinced Elizabeth Taylor to guest star at Luke & Laura's GENERAL HOSPITAL wedding? How? Which DAYS OF OUR LIVES actress's mother was once the headwriter of the show? Which actress from THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS had her real-life face-lift broadcast during the show? SECTION 4 - WELCOME TO SLATERS FALLS Find out who comes out on top when a dirty cop pulls over a take-no-prisoners bitch on a deserted country road in this bonus short story featuring a crossover storyline with characters from Matthew W. Grant's novels Secrets Of Slaters Falls and Welcome To Northbridge.

An engaging, in-depth look at the myriad pleasures of the soap opera fan.

The period from 1925 to 1960 was the heyday of the American Radio Soap Opera. In addition to being part of popular culture, the soap opera had important commercial aspects as well that were not only related to their production, but also to the desperate need to sell products or perish. Both sides of this story are traced in this comprehensive compendium. The dictionary section, made up of more than 500 cross-referenced entries, provides brief vignettes of the more popular and also less well-known 'soaps,' among them Back Stage Wife, Our Gal Sunday, Pepper Young's Family and The Guiding Light. Other entries evoke those who brought these programs to life: the actors, announcers, scriptwriters, networks, and even the sponsors. Nor are the basic themes, the stock characters and the gimmick, forgotten. The book's introduction defines the soap opera, examines the span of the radio serial, reviews its origins and its demise, and focuses on the character types that made up its denizens. The chronology outlines the period and the bibliography offers further reading. Together, these elements make a comprehensive reference work that researchers will find invaluable long into the future.

Soap operas have captured loyal, often lifelong viewers since the first American daytime serial debuted in 1949. In this collection of 29 new and five classic essays and recollections, authors and soap opera insiders delve into the passion for television melodrama that compels viewers to "tune in tomorrow." The contributors include iconic soap star Thorsten Kaye, journalist Leigh Montville, authors Elinor Lipman and Ann Hood, and editors of Soaps in Depth magazine. They explore the soap phenomenon from a range of perspectives and consider the appeal of a venerable genre in which, as novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard observes, "everyone's life was more depressing than mine."