5 Apr : CBS is pulling the plug on the soap opera "Guiding Light" after a 72-year run that predates television, the show a victim of the economy and changedviewing habits.The final episode will air on 18th September.
The Guinness Book of World Records has cited it as the longest-running television drama.It began as a 15-minute serial on NBC Radio on 25th January 1937 and debuted on CBS TV in 1952, focusing on the fictional town of Springfield and the Spaulding, Lewis and Cooper families.
“For many of us, it was the first show we everWatched”, said Lynn Leahey, editorial director of Soap OperaDigest. “It really is heartbreaking to seesomething like this go away."
Procter & Gamble Productions, which makes the show,informed cast and crew on Wednesday at separate sets in New York and New Jersey.The company is not giving up on the story and will explore different ways to keep it going after September,a spokeswoman said.
Soap operas are facing a slow decline in popularity, primarily because many of the women who made up their loyal audiences are working and can find the communal experience that their favorite soaps once gave them elsewhere.
"Guiding Light" had the lowest ratings of the eight daytime dramas on the air.When it leaves, CBS and ABC will have three weekday soap operas each and NBC will have one.