Did your mother, grandma watch soap operas?

applecruncher

applecruncher

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(Sorry if that sounds sexist, but by far most soap viewers back in the day were female.)

They called them “stories”. “Time for my stories.” :)

I remember sitting on the floor helping grandma snap green beans and listening to the stories on the radio (she didn’t have a TV).

My mother liked them, and she watched depending on her work schedule. My aunt also liked them, but a couple other aunts were too busy with their careers/jobs.

I remember Guiding Light, As the World Turns, Secret Storm, Edge of Night, General Hospital (Jessie & Dr. Hardy), and Love of Life.

Later came Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Another World, All My Children, One Life to Live. Then Young and Restless, Bold and the Beautiful.

I used my VCR in the 80s to tape General Hospital (and Oprah) while I was at work.

I think the only soaps still on are Y&R, B&B, and GH.
 

My paternal granny definitely didn't...and neither did my mother . My mum always thought they were rubbish . I never actually saw an episode of any of our very long running Soaps until I was married and had my own TV..
 
No one in my immediate family. But my aunt was a stay at home mom and when I visited during summer, there she was sitting and watching her favorites every afternoon. A male friend loved Coronation Street and watched it faithfully every Saturday morning, but I never acquired a taste for that one or any soap, they seem a bit too melodramatic
 

I remember once when an uncle was home for a long time recuperating from serious surgery. They had a small TV in the bedroom, and my aunt said she came home from work early and he was watching the "stories" but turned if off soon as he relized she was home. ;)

My brothers said soaps were mainly people in hospitals who were supposed to be working but stood around asking each other "does he love her? Is she in love with him?"
 
I lived with my grandmother when I was in grammar school, before tv. When I went home for lunch my aunt would be ironing and listening to the soap opera Stella Dallas, on the radio. My grandmother's English was not proficient enough to follow it.
When I was a teenager, living with my mother and father, the tv never went on....until late afternoon. So I was not even aware there were soap operas. We were one of the first to have tv in my town. My 12 cousins would silently come into the living room and turn on Howdydoody and Captain Kangaroo. Sat on the floor without uttering a word, turned the tv off...leaving as quietly as they came in, after the children's shows were over.
Sad that most children of this era are not as well behaved as they were then.
Nostalgia prompted me to search for a radio clip of this soap opera. Ohhhh ! ! ! so dramatic :D

https://ia801407.us.archive.org/4/items/StellaDallas-theEgyptianMummy/Sd_theEgyptianMummy1.mp3
 
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We didn't get TV in Broken Hill untill about 1968 the year my grandmother passed away .my parents didn't get a TV until they shifted to SA in 1970 however very few people I knew bought their TV s they rented them..many didn't bother getting a TV when they were first available in BH as we had to pay a licence to have a TV on top of having a licence to have a radio

licences, but subsequently abolished them:
[h=3]AustraliaEdit[/h]Radio licence fees were introduced in Australia in the 1920s to fund the first privately owned broadcasters which were not permitted to sell advertising. With the formation of the government-owned Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932 the licence fees were used to fund ABC broadcasts while the privately owned stations were permitted to seek revenue from advertising and sponsorship. Television licence fees were also introduced in 1956 when the ABC began TV transmissions. All licence fees were abolished in 1974 by the Australian Labor Party government led by Gough Whitlam on the basis that the near-universality of television and radio services meant that public funding was a fairer method of providing revenue for government-owned radio and television broadcasters.[SUP][77][/SUP] The ABC has since then been funded by government grants, now totalling around A$1.13 billion a year, and its own commercial activities (merchandising, overseas sale of programmes, etc.).
In 1964 the Australian Television Licence cost £6; the fine for not having a licence was £100. The licence was issued on a punch card.
 
applecruncher said:
Wow, never heard of this.
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I have added a little about the licences ,AC remember we had pounds shillings and pence back then, and 6 pounds was allot of money to find for a licence...on top a a radio licence which I don't remember the cost but it was more than likely about the same as TV ...many including my grandparents used Their hide their radio during the day as we had inspectors who would visit without notice and ears drop to see if you had a radio ,you would be fined if you didn't have a licence
 
Applecruncher, you made me smile. :sentimental: My mother always said, 'it's time for my stories'. As a kid I would just block them out and go about my play. The ones I recall her watching daily were Search for Tomorrow, Guiding Light, Secret Storm and As the World Turns. I'm complete opposite, I never liked any soap operas, never watch at all.
 
SB, have you seen the movie "The Help?" Sissy Spacek character says "Shhh, I'm watchin' my story!"

I've watched youtube videos of the early episodes of some of these. :laugh:

 
I guess they weren't soap operas, but remember coming home from school to find Robert Q. Lewis, or Queen for a Day on. imp
 
Wow! Just how old am I? Everyone is talking about their mothers and grandmothers. My wife watched them regularly when she was home raising the kids, as did her women friends in the neighborhood, and yes, she did refer to them as "my stories". Thanks for the memory from happier days. The best thing about them was that the plot moved along so slowly, she could miss a few days without missing a beat.:laugh:
 
I remember my mom watching Queen for a Day, and I was the one with tears in my eyes. :eek: Also, Michael Anthony the Millionaire.
 
Underock1 said:
Wow! Just how old am I? Everyone is talking about their mothers and grandmothers. My wife watched them regularly when she was home raising the kids, as did her women friends in the neighborhood, and yes, she did refer to them as "my stories". Thanks for the memory from happier days. The best thing about them was that the plot moved along so slowly, she could miss a few days without missing a beat.:laugh:
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In the 50s and 60s many of our grandmothers and mothers were not always employed fulltime outside the home; i.e., they could spend time watching some of the “stories” during the day. However, later, 70s and beyond college students watched them and some even scheduled classes around their favorite soap. I also heard that guys would sometimes watch/get hooked.
 
Oh yes... My Mom's "story" was definitely "As the World Turns" I remember the Hughes' Nancy.. Bob... Lisa, who was married to Bob and was the trouble maker.. I got hooked on it during the summers when I was out on summer vacation..
 
applecruncher said:
In the 50s and 60s many of our grandmothers and mothers were not always employed fulltime outside the home; i.e., they could spend time watching some of the “stories” during the day. However, later, 70s and beyond college students watched them and some even scheduled classes around their favorite soap. I also heard that guys would sometimes watch/get hooked.
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Being a senior, and this being a senior forum, I tend to think of everyone on here as being my contemporary. Turns out a number of you could be my children! :laugh:
 
I loved Queen For A Day and I remember Bob Barker's Truth or Consequences. I am remembering correctly aren't I? Was that Bob Barker? And was the host of Queen For a Day Jack Parr?

Anyway, back to the original question. I don't think my mom watched soaps. We were more of a radio family and I only saw a bit of TV at my aunt's house. After I got married I watched soaps for a good 10 or 15 years but haven't since then. I think in the early years the housewives wore dresses didn't they? Almost like Beaver Clever's mom did. :) The soaps filled a lot of lonely hours for a lot of people. The only person I know now who watches any soaps is the cranky old man (88 or 89) who lives down on the corner. My husband said he won't come out of his house to visit (they sit in his shop door and watch cars ago by) during the times his favorite soap is on.
 
We used to listen to serials on the old mantle radio one I remember was called White Koolies not even certain if spelling is correct it was so long ago ..( I was in my teens at the time ) that was our only entrainment ,apart from spending hours playing cards
 
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