Reaching a Critical Mass

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Soap Operas

As they had been in radio, soap operas that made the transition to television appeared exclusively in the daytime. “Peyton Place” (ABC, 1964–1969) was the first exception, a successful experiment that brought the daytime soap opera model—multiple installments each week, an enormous ensemble cast of regulars, no summer replacements, and no reruns—to prime time. Based on Grace Metalious's popular novel, which had been made into a movie in 1957, “Peyton Place” premiered amid much fanfare. It was telecast twice a week, on Tuesdays ...