As the World Turns facts for kids
Quick facts for kids As the World Turns |
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| Genre | Soap opera |
| Created by | Irna Phillips |
| Written by | Jean Passanante and Lloyd Gold |
| Directed by | See below |
| Starring | Series cast |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 54 |
| No. of episodes | 13,858 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
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| Producer(s) | See below |
| Running time | 30 minutes (1956–75) 60 minutes (1975–2010) |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | April 2, 1956 – September 17, 2010 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
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As the World Turns (also known as ATWT) was a popular American soap opera that aired on CBS. It ran for 54 years, from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Created by Irna Phillips, As the World Turns was like a sister show to her other famous soap opera, Guiding Light.
With over 13,763 hours of story, As the World Turns holds the record for the longest total running time of any TV show. It's also the fourth-longest running daytime soap opera in American TV history. For most of its run, the show was made in Manhattan and later in Brooklyn.
The show was set in the made-up town of Oakdale, Illinois. When it started, it was one of the first TV shows to be 30 minutes long, as most shows before it were only 15 minutes. At first, not many people watched, but it quickly became very popular. By 1958, it was the number one daytime show! It stayed at the top for over 12 years straight. The show switched to color TV on August 21, 1967, and became an hour long in 1975. At its peak, about ten million people watched it every day. Actors like Helen Wagner, Don MacLaughlin, Don Hastings, and Eileen Fulton became very well-known.
As the World Turns reached its 10,000th episode on May 12, 1995, and celebrated its 50th birthday on April 2, 2006. In 2009, it became the last soap opera made by Procter & Gamble for CBS. Sadly, on December 8, 2009, CBS announced the show would be ending because not enough people were watching. The very last episode aired on September 17, 2010, after almost 54 years.
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The Story and Its Characters
As the World Turns was created by Irna Phillips, who was famous for writing radio soap operas in the 1930s. She liked to focus on how characters grew and felt, rather than just dramatic events. Her shows, including Guiding Light, often featured professionals like doctors, lawyers, and religious leaders. Phillips once wrote that the show was about "the cycle of life," showing how things change over time.
The show followed the lives of families, especially those with doctors and lawyers. These characters and their jobs were always important to As the World Turns. Because the show was 30 minutes long (longer than older radio shows), Phillips could tell stories about several families at once.
The show was known for its slow, detailed storytelling. New characters were added carefully, usually connected to the main Hughes family. This made the show seem quite traditional. However, it also made history by showing a gay male character in 1988.
Show Highlights and Achievements
As the World Turns made its debut on April 2, 1956. It was the first daytime TV drama to be 30 minutes long. Before this, all daytime dramas were only 15 minutes.
In 1975, it was also the first CBS show to become 60 minutes long. The show was the number one daytime drama in the United States from 1958 until 1978. As the World Turns won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series four times: in 1987, 1991, 2001, and 2003.
Helen Wagner
The very first words spoken on As the World Turns were "Good morning, dear." These words were said by the character Nancy Hughes, played by actress Helen Wagner.
Helen Wagner was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records for playing the same role on TV for the longest time. She played Nancy Hughes for many years, even though she took breaks sometimes. Nancy Hughes's character passed away in the show just two weeks before the series ended. The show's creators had hoped Helen Wagner would say the very last words of the final episode, just as she said the first words of the first episode.
Character Crossovers
Sometimes, characters from As the World Turns would appear on other TV shows, and characters from other shows would visit Oakdale. This is called a "crossover."
- In 1962, a character named Mitchell Dru from another show, The Brighter Day, came to Oakdale. He later moved to a new show called Another World, which was actually planned to be a spin-off from As the World Turns.
- In 1965, a popular character named Lisa Miller Hughes from As the World Turns got her own spin-off show called Our Private World. Even though that show didn't last long, Lisa returned to As the World Turns, and years later, it was revealed she had a son during her time away.
- From 1999 to 2003, after Another World ended, some of its characters, like Cass, Lila, Jake, and Victoria, came to Oakdale and joined As the World Turns for a while.
- Since 2005, some characters have also moved between As the World Turns and The Young and the Restless, which are both on CBS. This was special because the shows were made by different companies.
President Kennedy's Assassination
On November 22, 1963, As the World Turns was being broadcast live. About ten minutes into the show, a "CBS News Bulletin" suddenly appeared on screen. News anchor Walter Cronkite then reported that shots had been fired at President John F. Kennedy's motorcade in Dallas, Texas.
Here is a bulletin from CBS News: in Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting. More details just arrived. These details about the same as previously: President Kennedy shot today just as his motorcade left downtown Dallas. Mrs. Kennedy jumped up and grabbed Mr. Kennedy, she called, 'Oh no!'. The motorcade sped on. United Press says that the wounds for President Kennedy perhaps could be fatal. Repeating, a bulletin from CBS News: President Kennedy has been shot by a 'would-be assassin' in Dallas, Texas. Stay tuned to CBS News for further details.
After this first report, CBS went back to As the World Turns. The actors were performing live and didn't know what was happening. But during a commercial break, the news bulletin came back, and Walter Cronkite continued to report on the situation. Once the episode ended, the cast was finally told the shocking news.
As the World Turns was the last regular TV show to be broadcast on a major U.S. network for the next four days. All networks focused on the news of the assassination, the funeral, and the change of power to President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Show's Journey on TV
As the World Turns was the top-rated soap opera for 20 years, from 1958 to 1978. It was so popular that other networks struggled to compete with it in its time slot.
In 1975, other soap operas like Another World and Days of Our Lives expanded to an hour long. CBS then decided to make As the World Turns an hour long too, starting on December 1, 1975. This meant some other shows had to move or be canceled to make space.
Over the years, the show's time slot changed a few times. From March 23, 1987, until its final episode in September 2010, it aired at 2:00 PM (1:00 PM Central/Pacific time).
The End of an Era
On December 8, 2009, CBS officially announced that As the World Turns would not be renewed. The very last episode was filmed on June 23, 2010, and aired on September 17, 2010. In the final scene, Bob Hughes, one of the main characters, said the show's last line, "Good night," as he left Oakdale Memorial Hospital. Then, the famous globe from the show's opening credits began to spin one last time before the screen faded out.
Ratings Over the Years
As the World Turns held the record for being the number one American daytime soap opera for 20 years (1958-1978). This record was later broken by The Young and the Restless.
Here's a look at some of its top years:
| Year(s) | Household rating |
|---|---|
| 1958–1959 | 9.8 |
| 1959–1960 | 9.9 |
| 1960–1961 | 10.4 |
| 1961–1962 | 11.9 |
| 1962–1963 | 13.7 |
| 1963–1964 | 15.4 |
| 1964–1965 | 14.5 |
| 1965–1966 | 13.9 |
| 1966–1967 | 12.7 |
| 1967–1968 | 13.6 |
| 1968–1969 | 13.8 |
| 1969–1970 | 13.6 |
| 1970–1971 | 12.4 |
| 1971–1972 | 11.1 |
| 1972–1973 | 10.6 |
| 1973–1974 | 9.7 (tied with Days of Our Lives and Another World) |
| 1974–1975 | 10.8 |
| 1975–1976 | 9.4 |
| 1976–1977 | 9.9 |
| 1977–1978 | 8.6 (tied with Another World) |
Main Crew
This section lists some of the important people who worked behind the scenes to create As the World Turns.
Executive Producers
These people were in charge of the whole show.
| Duration | Name |
|---|---|
| 1956–1965 | Ted Corday |
| 1965–1971 | Mary Harris |
| February 1971 – June 1973 | Fred Bartholomew |
| June 1973 – December 1978 | Joe Willmore |
| December 1978 – 1980 | Joe Rothenberger |
| 1980 – October 1981 | Fred Bartholomew |
| October 1981 – October 1984 | Mary-Ellis Bunim |
| October 1984 – October 1988 | Robert Calhoun |
| October 1988 – May 1995 | Laurence Caso |
| May 1995 – November 8, 1996 | John Valente |
| November 11, 1996 – June 4, 1999 | Felicia Minei Behr |
| June 7, 1999 – September 17, 2010 | Christopher Goutman |
Head Writers
These people were in charge of the show's storylines and scripts.
| Duration | Name |
|---|---|
| 1956–1965 | Irna Phillips |
| 1965–1966 | Irna Phillips and William J. Bell |
| 1966–February 9, 1970 | Katherine Babecki |
| February 10, 1970 – 1970 | Joe Kane and Ralph Ellis |
| 1970 | Winifred Wolfe |
| 1970 | Katherine L. Phillips |
| 1971 | Winifred Wolfe and Warren Swanson |
| 1971 – January 1972 | Warren Swanson, Elizabeth Tillman, and John Boruff |
| January 1972 – July 1973 | David Lesan and Irna Phillips |
| July 1973 – December 1978 | Robert Soderberg and Edith Sommer |
| December 1978 – November 6, 1979 | Ralph Ellis and Eugenie Hunt |
| November 7, 1979 – January 4, 1980 | Douglas Marland |
| January 7, 1980 – April 1981 | Bridget and Jerome Dobson |
| April – August 1981 | Paul Roberts |
| August 1981 – January 1982 | Tom King and K.C. Collier |
| January 1982 – May 20, 1983 | Bridget and Jerome Dobson |
| May 23, 1983 – December 1983 | Caroline Franz and John Saffron |
| December 1983 – April 1984 | John Saffron |
| April – November 1984 | Tom King and Millee Taggart |
| November 1984 – April 1985 | Cynthia Benjamin and Susan Bedsow Horgan |
| April 1985 – November 1985 | Susan Bedsow Horgan |
| November 1985 – April 1993 | Douglas Marland (died) (Robert Calhoun during 1988 WGA strike) |
| April 1993 – January 1995 | Juliet Law Packer and Richard Backus |
| January 1995 | Juliet Law Packer, Garin Wolf and Richard Culliton |
| January 1995 - January 31, 1996 | Richard Culliton |
| February 1996 – December 1996 | Stephen Black and Henry Stern |
| December 1996 – May 1997 | Stephen Demorest, Mel Brez and Addie Walsh |
| May 1997 – fall 1997 | Jessica Klein |
| Fall 1997 | Stephen Demorest, Mel Brez and Addie Walsh |
| December 1997– February 1998 | Addie Walsh |
| February 1998 – June 1999 | Lorraine Broderick, Hal Corley and Addie Walsh (co-headwriters) |
| June 1999 – June 12, 2000 | Leah Laiman and Carolyn Culliton (co-headwriter) |
| June 13, 2000 – July 13, 2001 | Hogan Sheffer, Carolyn Culliton, Hal Corley and Stephen Demorest (co-headwriters) |
| July 16, 2001 – September 2002 | Hogan Sheffer, Jean Passanante and Carolyn Culliton |
| September 2002 – May 24, 2005 | Hogan Sheffer and Jean Passanante |
| May 25, 2005 – October 17, 2007 | Jean Passanante, Leah Laiman and Christopher Whitesell |
| October 2007 – January 24, 2008 | Jean Passanante and Leah Laiman |
| January 25, 2008 – April 17, 2008 | Christopher Goutman (2007 WGA strike) |
| April 18, 2008 - October 5, 2009 | Jean Passanante and Leah Laiman |
| October 6, 2009 - June 4, 2010 | Jean Passanante and David Kreizman |
| June 7 - September 17, 2010 | Jean Passanante and Lloyd Gold |
International Broadcast
As the World Turns was shown in many countries around the world:
- In South Africa, it aired on SABC2.
- In Canada, it was shown on ONtv and Global Television Network.
- In Jamaica, it aired on Television Jamaica.
- In Belize, it was seen on Great Belize Television.
- In New Zealand, it aired on TVNZ 1.
- In Australia, it was shown on Network Ten.
- In the Netherlands, As The World Turns was very popular and aired for over 20 years. It was the most-watched daytime soap opera there from 1989 until it ended. Some of the actors even visited the Netherlands for a "Farewell ATWT" event.
InTurn Reality Show
In 2006, CBS created a reality show called InTurn. The winner of this show would get a 13-week acting job on As the World Turns. The first winner was Alex Charak, who played a character named Elwood Hoffman.
CBS made a second season of InTurn 2 in 2007. This time, more people could join, and there were nine contestants. The winner was Ryan Serhant, who played Evan Walsh IV on the show. A third season, Inturn 3, aired in 2008.
Awards and Recognitions
As the World Turns won many awards during its long run.
Writers Guild of America Awards
- 2007 "Best Daytime Serial"
Daytime Emmy Awards
As the World Turns won 43 Daytime Emmys! Here are some of them:
For the Show
- 1987 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1991 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 1993 "Outstanding Directing Team"
- 1999 "Outstanding Original Song" (tied with General Hospital)
- 2001 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 2001 "Outstanding Writing Team"
- 2002 "Outstanding Writing Team"
- 2003 "Outstanding Drama Series"
- 2004 "Outstanding Writing Team"
- 2005 "Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series"
- 2005 "Outstanding Writing Team"
- 2007 "Outstanding Directing Team"
For Individuals
Many actors and actresses won awards for their roles:
- 1984 "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Justin Deas (Tom Hughes)
- 1984 "Outstanding Lead Actor" Larry Bryggman (Dr. John Dixon)
- 1985 "Outstanding Juvenile Male" Brian Bloom (Dusty Donovan)
- 1986 "Outstanding Supporting Actor" John Wesley Shipp (Doug Cummings)
- 1987 "Outstanding Ingenue" Martha Byrne (Lily Walsh)
- 1987 "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Gregg Marx (Tom Hughes)
- 1987 "Outstanding Lead Actor" Larry Bryggman (Dr. John Dixon)
- 1988 "Outstanding Ingenue" Julianne Moore (Frannie Hughes/Sabrina Hughes)
- 1990 "Outstanding Juvenile Male" Andrew Kavovit (Paul Ryan)
- 2001 "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Lesli Kay (Molly Conlan)
- 2001 "Outstanding Lead Actress" Martha Byrne (Lily Walsh Snyder/Rose D'Angelo)
- 2003 "Outstanding Supporting Actor" Benjamin Hendrickson (Hal Munson)
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" Eileen Fulton (Lisa Grimaldi)
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" Don Hastings (Bob Hughes)
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement Award" Helen Wagner (Nancy Hughes)
- 2004 "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Cady McClain (Rosanna Cabot)
- 2006 "Outstanding Younger Actress" Jennifer Landon (Gwen Norbeck Munson)
- 2007 "Outstanding Younger Actress" Jennifer Landon (Gwen Norbeck Munson)
- 2007 "Outstanding Lead Actress" Maura West (Carly Tenney Snyder)
- 2008 "Outstanding Younger Actress" Jennifer Landon (Gwen Norbeck Munson)
- 2010 "Outstanding Supporting Actress" Julie Pinson (Janet Ciccone Snyder)
- 2010 "Outstanding Lead Actress" Maura West (Carly Tenney Snyder)
- 2010 "Outstanding Lead Actor" Michael Park (Jack Snyder)
- 2011 "Outstanding Lead Actor" Michael Park (Jack Snyder)
Other Awards
In 2010, As the World Turns was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for "Outstanding Daily Drama."
American Daytime TV Firsts
- In 1988, the show made history by introducing the first openly gay male character on American daytime TV, Hank Elliot.
- In 2007, characters Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer shared the first kiss between two gay male characters on American daytime TV. They became the first gay male couple on American daytime television.
DVD Releases
In 2011, some episodes of As the World Turns were released on DVD for the first time.
- A four-DVD collection featured 20 selected episodes from 1979 to 2010.
- A Christmas in Oakdale DVD included five Christmas episodes from different years.
- Other collections focused on popular couples like Carly and Jack, and Holden and Lily.
- A "Farewell to Oakdale" set included the final 10 episodes of the series.
- There was also a special online-only DVD set for the wedding of Bob and Kim.
See Also
- History of As the World Turns
- List of longest-running United States television series
