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list of radio soap operas

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{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2015}}

Radio daytime drama serials were broadcast for decades, and some expanded to television. These dramas are often referred to as "soaps", a shortening from "soap opera". That term stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Lever Brothers as sponsors and producers.{{cite web |url=http://proctergambleproductions.com/ |title=PGP |website=proctergambleproductions.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517114758/http://proctergambleproductions.com/ |archive-date=17 May 2008 |url-status=dead}} These early radio serials were broadcast in weekday daytime slots when mostly housewives would be able to listen; thus the shows were aimed at and consumed by a predominantly female audience.Bowles, p. 118

class="wikitable sortable"
Show

!Region/country

!Began

!Ended

!Creator

!{{abbr|Ref.|References}}

Adopted DaughterUnited States19391941Jettabee Anne Hopkins
The Affairs of Dr Gentry19571959{{cite book

|title= The Encyclopedia of American Radio: An A-Z Guide to Radio from Jack Benny to Howard Stern

|first= Ronald W.

|last= Lackmann

|publisher= Facts On File

|year= 2000

|isbn= 0-8160-4137-7

|url= https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofam00lack

}}

Against the StormUnited States19391952Sandra Michael
Amanda of Honeymoon HillUnited States19401946Frank and Anne Hummert
The ArchersUnited Kingdom1951presentGodfrey Baseley
Arnold Grimm's DaughterUnited States19371942Margaret Sangster
Aunt Jenny's Real Life StoriesUnited States19371955
Aunt MaryUnited States19421951Leigh and Virginia Crosby & Gil South
Bachelor's ChildrenUnited States19351946Bess Flynn
Backstage WifeUnited States19351959Frank and Anne Hummert
Barry Cameron19451946Richard, Leonard, and Peggy Blake
Betty and BobUnited States19321940Frank and Anne Hummert
Big SisterUnited States19361952Julian Funt, Carl Bixby, Bob Newman and Bill Sweets
Blue HillsAustralia19491976Gwen Meredith
Bob and Victoria19471947Lee and Virginia Crosby & Gil South
Brave TomorrowUnited States19431944Ruth Adams Knight
Brenda CurtisUnited States19391940Ken Roberts
Bright HorizonUnited States19411945James and Elizabeth Hart, John M. Young, Ted Maxwell, Stuart Hawkins, and Kathleen Norris
The Brighter DayUnited States19481956Irna Phillips
The Carters of Elm StreetUnited States19391940Mona Kent
Central CityUnited States19381941Frank and Anne Hummert
The ColcloughsUnited Kingdom1991
2016		1993
present		Mike Hopwood
CitizensUnited Kingdom19871991BBC
City SoapUnited Kingdom20052008Preston Fm
Clara, Lu, and EmUnited States19301942Louise Starkey, Isobel Carothers and Helen King
College RoadIreland20092009MightyStudent
Dan Harding's WifeUnited States19361938Ken Robinson
David HarumUnited States19361950Frank and Anne Hummert
Doc Barclay's DaughtersUnited States19391940Frank and Anne Hummert
The Doctor's WifeUnited States19521956Manya Starr
Family SkeletonUnited States19531954Carlton E. Morse
Front Line FamilyUnited Kingdom / Canada19411948
Front Page FarrellUnited States19411954Frank and Anne Hummert
Girl AloneUnited States19351941Fayette Krum
The GoldbergsUnited States19291950Gertrude Berg
The Guiding LightUnited States19371956 The radio show The Guiding Light was dropped in 1956 in favor of the television version, which premiered in 1952 and ended in 2009.Irna Phillips
HelpmateUnited States19411944Frank and Anne Hummert
Her Honor, Nancy James19381939
Hilltop House1937, 19481941, 1957Edward Wolf{{cite book

|title= On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-time Radio

|last= Dunning

|first= John

|publisher= Oxford University Press

|location= United States

|year= 1998

|pages= [https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/14 14, 17]

|isbn= 0-19-507678-8

|url= https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/14

}}{{cite magazine | title = Soapland III - Sculptors in Ivory | magazine = The New Yorker | date = 12 June 1948 | first = James | last = Thurber | pages = 48–58| url = http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1948/06/12/1948_06_12_048_TNY_CARDS_000215886 | access-date = 11 July 2012}}

Home of the BraveUnited States19411941{{r|dunning|page1=326-327}}
Into the Light19411942Larry Bearson
Jane ArdenUnited States19381939
John's Other Wife19361942Frank and Anne Hummert
Joyce Jordan, M.D.United States19381956
Judy and JaneUnited States19321935Frank and Anne Hummert
Just Plain BillUnited States19321955Frank and Anne Hummert
Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy19401942Gertrude Berg and Chester McCracken
Kitty FoyleUnited States19421944
Kitty Keene, IncorporatedUnited States19371941Day Keene and Lester Huntly
The Life and Love of Dr. Susan19391939Edith Meiser
Life Begins19401941
Life Can Be BeautifulUnited States19381954Don Becker and Carl Bixby
Life of Mary Sothern19341938Don Becker
The Light of the WorldUnited States19401950
Linda's First Love1939ca. 1950
Lone Journey19401952Sandra Michael
Lonely WomenUnited States19421943Irna Phillips
Lora LawtonUnited States19431950
Lorenzo JonesUnited States19371955
Ma PerkinsUnited States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert
MatysiakowiePoland1956presentJerzy Janicki
Mrs Dale's DiaryUnited Kingdom19481969Jonqil Antony
My True StoryUnited States19431956Margaret Sangster
Myrt and MargeUnited States19311942Myrtle Vail
NewarkersUnited Kingdom20132013Radio Newark
The O'NeillsUnited States19351943
One Man's FamilyUnited States19321959Carlton E. Morse
Our Gal SundayUnited States19361959
Painted DreamsUnited States19301943Irna Phillips{{cite book

|title= Frank and Anne Hummert's radio factory: the programs and personalities of broadcasting's most prolific producers

|first= Jim

|last= Cox

|publisher= McFarland

|year= 2003

}}

Penny For Your Thoughts

|United Kingdom

|2018

|present

|Marion Hartley (Script) Brian Curtis (Producer) on Vectis Radio (104.6FM & www.vectisradio.com)

|

Pepper Young's FamilyUnited States19321959Elaine Sterne Carrington
Perry MasonUnited States19431955Erle Stanley Gardner
Portia Faces LifeUnited States19401952
Pretty Kitty KellyUnited States19371940
The Right to HappinessUnited States19391960Irna Phillips
The Road of LifeUnited States19371959Irna Phillips
The Romance of Helen TrentUnited States19331960Frank and Anne Hummert
RosemaryUnited States19441955Elaine Sterne Carrington
The Second Mrs. BurtonUnited States19461960
Silver StreetUnited Kingdom20042010
Sounds of the CityUnited States19731975Shauneille Perry{{cite news |last1=Bellafante |first1=Ginia |title=He Set the Template for Black Media |agency=The New York Times |date=24 October 2021}}
Staying Well in CamberwellUnited States 2011 2011Cheryl L. Davis {{cite web|url=http://cldplay.com/2011/12/radio-drama-staying-well-in-camberwell/|title=Cheryl L. Davis|work=cldplay.com|access-date=February 27, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.camberwellstories.org/|title=Staying Well in Camberwell|work=Staying Well in Camberwell|access-date=February 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150227192053/http://www.camberwellstories.org/|archive-date=February 27, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|url=http://blog.al.com/living-news/2011/09/local_radio_soap_operas_addres.html|title=Local radio soap operas address Alabama's health problems in true soapy fashion|work=AL.com|access-date=February 27, 2015}}
Stella DallasUnited States19371955
The Story of Mary MarlinUnited States19351952
The Strange Romance of Evelyn WintersUnited States19441952
This Is Nora DrakeUnited States19471959
Today's ChildrenUnited States19331938Irna Phillips
Today's Children (second series)United States19431950Irna Phillips (Dialogue by Virginia Cooke)
Valiant LadyUnited States19381952
Waggoners' WalkUnited Kingdom19691980
We Love and LearnUnited States19421956
Wendy Warren and the NewsUnited States19471958
WestwayUnited Kingdom19972005
When a Girl MarriesUnited States19391957Elaine Sterne Carrington
The Woman in My HouseUnited States19511959
Woman in WhiteUnited States19381948
A Woman of AmericaUnited States19431945
You Me NowNew Zealand20102012Radio New Zealand and All The Way Home Productions
Young Doctor MaloneUnited States19391960Irna Phillips
Young Widder BrownUnited States19381956Frank Hummert and Anne Hummert
Your Family and MineUnited States19381940

References

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radio Soaps, List of}}

Soap

Category:American radio soap operas

Category:Radio-related lists