Are you a soap opera fan searching for interesting facts about this extraordinary genre? Check out the list of longest-running shows here!
Longest Running Top 10 TV Soap Operas
Since the beginning of the 20th century, television has been one of the most popular ways of having fun or relaxing. It distracts people from a daily routine and directly communicates with the audience. Different genres can be found on TV programs, and one of the most lasting ones are soap operas. This genre has been kicked-off in the 1930s as a radio program while it moved on the TV screens in the ’50s. Their touching dramas, melodramatic domestic situations, and sophisticated humor have been attracting the audience for decades. In this article, we are going to present to you ten longest-running TV soap operas of all time.
Guiding Light
TV soap opera that holds the record as the longest-running one by the episode count is the American daytime TV drama, Guiding Light. Its radio serial started in 1937, while the show debuted on television in 1952, and after 15,762 episodes, it stopped running in 2009. This soap opera won 106 different awards after being nominated 450 times.
General Hospital
General Hospital is the show that started at the beginning of the ’60s, or to be more precise, in 1963. It is an ongoing TV show that counts 58 seasons and 14,544 episodes. It is the longest-running American soap opera in production, and it is also listed in the Guinness World Records. The current running time of a single episode is 60 minutes, and this TV soap opera still attracts a massive audience.
Days of Our Life
Days of Our Life sits on the third spot of the longest-running soap operas with 13,876 broadcasted episodes. The show was aired in 1965, and since then, the spectators can enjoy its episodes nearly every weekday. It is an ongoing TV show that focuses on the Hortons and the Bradys families located in the town of Salem. It is one of the most awarded soap operas with 226 prizes won.
As the World Turns
Another American soap opera is listed in our top ten longest-running shows. Its episode counter stopped at 13,858 and after 54 seasons of being broadcasted. As the World Runs soap opera hit the TV screens for the first time in 1956, while it stopped running in 2010.
The Young and the Restless
This is another ongoing TV soap opera that has been premiered back in 1973. It currently sits in the 5th place with 11,932 episodes broadcasted so far, but since it has been running for 47 seasons, it may go up the scale in the time to come. The Young and the Restless is one of the most popular soap operas as it has been awarded 279 times so far.
One Life to Live
Unlike the previous show on our list, One Life to Live won’t have the chance to move up the standings. It was finished in 2012 after 45 seasons on air and 11,136 broadcasted episodes. The audience had the opportunity to enjoy the stories based around the Lord family in an hour-long episode.
All My Children
All My Children sits on the 7th spot on the list of the longest-running soap operas with 10,755 episodes that were broadcasted on TV screens. The show was premiered in 1970, and its final episode was aired in 2011. The show managed to pick up 190 prizes during the 42-season long project.
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is the first non-American soap opera in the top ten list. It is a British TV show that has been on the air for 60 seasons. In February 2020, it reached a landmark of 10,000 episodes, while the counter is currently at the number of 10,068. It’s one of the most famous soap operas of all time, the longest-running TV show of all time in terms of the season count. Coronation street is still running, and it keeps attracting millions of spectators with each episode.
Search for Tomorrow
It is another American soap opera that managed to take its place on this list. After 35 seasons and 9,130 broadcasted episodes, Search for Tomorrow sits in the 9th place. It was premiered in 1951, while the final episode was taped back in 1986.
Another World
After being premiered back in 1964, Another World taped a total of 8,891 episodes. In its 35-season long broadcasting period, this TV show managed to win 43 awards before its final episode in 1999. Unlike the majority of other soap operas, Another World focuses on more exotic melodramas between families of different classes in the fictional town of Bay City.
In case you want to find other interesting facts about soap operas, you don’t need to spend more time searching for it. Just dive into the detailed infographic shown below, and enjoy!
(source: slots.info)
