"As The World Turns" To End 54-Year Run

(AP)  CBS canceled "As the World Turns" on Tuesday, putting the company that coined the phrase "soap operas" out of the business of making daytime dramas for the first time in 76 years.

"As the World Turns" has been on the air since 1956 and televised its 13,661st episode Tuesday. Its last episode will be next September, the network said.

It's the second daytime drama CBS has canceled in a year, after "Guiding Light." Both shows were produced by a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, the company for which the term "soap operas" was created because it used the shows to hawk products like Ivory soap and Duz laundry detergent.

Daytime dramas have been fading as a genre for years with more women joining the work force and the increased number of channels offering alternatives like news, talk, reality and game shows. In tough economic times, paying casts, producers and writers proved prohibitive to networks when there were cheaper alternatives.

The cancellation will leave CBS with only two daytime dramas: "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and Beautiful."

Through the years, actors Marisa Tomei, Meg Ryan, Parker Posey and James Earl Jones have appeared on "As the World Turns." The show follows families in the Illinois town of Oakdale.

"It's a hell of a Christmas present," said actress Eileen Fulton, who will mark 50 years playing the character Lisa Grimaldi on the show. Her character has been through nine marriages and Fulton was hoping for a 10th before the signoff.

"I'm just very sad," she said. "I'm sad for all of the people who work out there in Brooklyn (where the show is filmed). We're a family. I hate to be split up. It's like a divorce."

Brian Cahill, senior vice president and managing director of the P&G subsidiary TeleNext Media Inc., said the company is actively seeking a new outlet to carry the show.

TeleNext said the same thing about "Guiding Light," which went off the air in September, but has been unable to find a new home. Keeping the show alive online has been discussed, but that's an alternative where cost may prove prohibitive.

Procter & Gamble first began producing soap operas in 1933 with the radio show "Ma Perkins," and has made a total of 20 such programs in its history.



CBS is a division of CBS Corp.

[Angelinab]

As the World Turns is a stoopid soap. I'm glad it's cancelled...The bold and the beautiful should be 86-ed next. A total waist of time...

[caliente_y_nicky]

FIRST AND FOREMOST THE ONLY REASON I CREATETED THIS DAM ACCOUNT WAS BUCZ I AM PISSED OF I AM 23 YRS OLD AND I HAVE BEEN WATCHING AS THE WORLD TURNS SINCE I WAS 8 SO YOU DO THE MATH Y WOULD U CANCEL THIS SHOW WHEN IT TEACHES SO MUCH IT THOUGHT ME TO NOT GIVE UP ON THE ONE THING THAT MAKES THE WORLD GOES AROUND WHICH IS LOVE I HAVE 3 KIDS TWO DIFFERENT BABY FATHERS AND I THOUGHT I WEOULD NEVER FIND A MAN THAT WOULD WANT ME I WAS OFTEN DOWN AND DEPRESSED AND THE ONE THING THAT USED TO LIFT ME UP WAS THIS SHOW U JUST CANCELED MOST PLP R AT WORK WHEN IT COMES ON AND I AM SURE IF U CALLED ALL THE CABLE COMPANIES THEY WOULD AGREE AND CONFORM THAT THIS SHOW IS SET ON ALOT OF HOME DVR I FELL IN LOVE WITH EACH CHARACTER AND THERE STRUGLES AND HOW SOMEONE WAS ALWAYS THERE TO LIFT U UP SO Y R U PUTTING THEM DOWN I AM AFRICAN AMERICAN AND OUT OF ALL THE SOAPS OUT THERE AS THE WORLD TURNS IS MY FAVORITE AND I WAS CRUSHED WHEN I FOUND OUT I CAN NO LONGER WATCH IT SO TO CBS YOU GUYS SUCK LIKE SERIOUSLY BUC MONEY MAKES UR WORLD GO AROUND AND NOW U HAVE 54 YRS OF FANS WHO R VERY PISSED U COULD OF GIVEN US THE TRUE LOYAL FANS ONE MORE YEAR TO AT LEAST LET THEM WRAPPED IT UP BUT WHEN YOU ARE MONEY HUNGRY I GUESS AS MUCH YOU DONT CARE WHO GETS HURT AND I AM ONE OF THEM SO EVEN THOUGH I CANT CURSE I CAN STICK MY MIDDLE FINGER AT U AND U WOULD STILL GET THE SAME MESSAGE....................P.S FIRST AND LAST TIME I WILL BE USING THIS ACCOUNT

[kimberlydiam]

I've watched this show since I was a young girl, with Meg Ryan on it, I always enjoyed it. I think it is sad to see it go, it may not have been the best show on TV, but it was a special show to some of us, and to say that the people were bad actors and such, you could have always turned the channel and not watched it. I know a lot of elderly people who enjoyed it, I won't watch CBS anymore I will catch the Y&R oon soap net at night, I can't believe it is gone, I turned it on last week to watch and the price is right was on, no on twice a day not at my house. I wish you would reconsider it. But I'm sure you don't really care what the little people think

[vsgraves]

Thank you ekucrew. What is wrong with these people. When I did watch soaps I would turn the sattion when ATWT came on. The soap storylines suck, they had some of the worst actors, and worst looking actors. Those actors over-acted badly lol. The posters who are begging them to put this soap back on are obviously the only ones who watched and missed the part about the ratings dipped badly. I was surprised it lasted as long as it did because it sucked so bad.

[vsgraves]

You people CAN"T BE SERIOUS! Guiding Light and As the World turned were the worst Soaps. Awful story lines, actors over acted...or just could not act. Some of these same actors are now showing up on other soaps making them bad. I used to watch soaps a lot, but they got so awful. I was so tired of Reeva coming back from the dead, and Marrying everyone's husband. That soap needed to go. They ran out of storylines years ago. ATWT should have been gone too. Same old stupid storylines, and same has been characters. Thank god I don't have to see Marco the detective anymore. The Y&R is getting to be a bore too. Nicki looks terrible and Victor's speach is getting worst and worst. As for the B&B I have had it with these storylines. It's always about Brook and Ridge. Eric has been through an entire family of women and Brook is a ***** having babies with every man in the story...sickning and just nasty. Who writes this stuff? Now I see why some of these actors can only make it in soaps ..they cannot act at all. My suggestion to all these retirees and old people who miss these shows and who think they dictate everything in the world today...GET used to cable or satlelite tv. Regular tv sucks. Nothing on except a bunch of reality shows, news shows, games shows, and talk tv. That is all regular tv is. Those sitcoms really suck. Besides watching the local news, I never watch regular tv because nothing is worth watching except when the football games are on locally. CBS did me and all younger viewers a favor. We are tired of these overpaid non-actors and these stupid over the top storylines. If you want to still see these couldn't make it in to the silver screen actors...watch lifetime network or Soapnet. They make movies with these sorry actors. Thank god the Snider family is gone. You people missing this crap must be crazy. Thank you CBS for canceling these soaps and cancel the rest of them as well. To Ellien Ford/ Lisa... RETIRE and Merry Christmas. Finally CBS has come to their sences and got rid of these old shows. These old viewers need to watch Dr. Oz so they can learn how to take care of themselves. It's free health advise he is giving out and stop watching soap opras. Real men don't watch this crap anyway. Nor do real women with any kind of life.

[Euki2010]

CBS I am so disappointed in you. The only thing left is Y & R. I will continue to watch this one show on your CBS Network when you finally go insane and oust it as well I will be done with you and your counter parts. After all I have cable and I choose to watch CBS because of the soaps I have watch since I was a little girl with my father. I am not the only one that was watching the SOAPS on CBS. My father is 79 years old. He is basically home bound due to his many illnesses all he has is his Television. These Soaps your so quick to rip from our lives was all that some people had. Y & R is NOW the ONLY thing keeping me with CBS. Like I said if you oust Y & R I am completely gone. I will never watch anything else on your network or counter networks. You have done loyal views wrong. My dad watched those shows the whole time they were on the air. I have been watching them for 30 years. Since I was 5 years old. I am distraught.I am sad, very sad.

[shelly_bell]

You have truly made a big mistake CBS !!!!!! You are really about to loose alot of you biggest viewers. I started watching the soaps with my grandmother when i was a little girl and i really feel like they are a part of my life & you are wrong in thinking that the new generation dosen't watch and enjoy them as well - My daughter who is 14(years old) and her friends also enjoy watching them. You have truly broken alot of hearts with this nonsense !!!!!! Nobody wants to see Sharon Osborn's ugly self or hear that irritating voice of hers. What are you people thinking about ?????? could never be your faithful viewers or you wouldn't keep doing this to us !!!!!!

[petloverx06]

i just watched the last viewing of as the world turns...and am still crying .... i cant believe ill never see them again after 65 years.....first with guiding light and now oakdale.......
and i just found out what you are replacing this with.....i cant believe it....a sharon osbourne talk show....do you think we are a bunch of imbeciles to watch something like that....she is really beneath us......you insult my intelligence.....i will never ever watch her program...she is bad enough on her have you got talent show with her insults...i dont need to see her do more harm.....

well this is goodbye cbs....as i will never ever watch anything you put on again....as much as i like the night programs....i have resoved missing them cant be worse than missing my 2 favorite soaps that i have watch since i was a kid....and im 67 years old....
i hope your station goes under.....

[ashley2775]

I have been watching As The World Turns since I was big enough to watch tv with my grandmother. It was the 1 hour a day where she would actually sit and watch tv. I know its just a tv show, but over the years the characters have become a part of my life. Like my grandmother I make it a point to sit down and watch at 1:00 or dvr the show. As silly as it may seem I feel like I lost a friend today and I will truly miss each character on the show. I will most definitely not be watching CBS daytime television. It's a disappointment and a big mistake to take this show off the air. I am glad my grandmother is not alive to see this.

[SuziQ91]

I will not have CBS turned on ever again first Guiding Light Now As the world turns.. CBS you lost a very Loyal watcher of 39 years I'm through with the heart ache of seeing Great shows be dismissed But you keep the tramp show Known as The Bold & The Beautiful. Well I hope your whole station Tanks