We don't generally delve into the realm of soap operas at Cinema Retro, but when a show concludes a broadcast run of 54 consecutive years, then- as they said of Willy Lohman in
Death of a Salesman - "Attention must be paid."
As the World Turns has been canceled by CBS- marking the end of TV's longest running soaper. The current version bears little resemblance to the series my doddering old Aunt Lily was obsessed with when I was growing up in the 1960s. Back then, the series centered on rather mundane scandals. Today, the series deals with gay couples, abortion and sordid sex scandals. Perhaps audiences have been desensitized by the overwhelming number or real life scandals that even script writers can't match. (Who on earth could top the Tiger Woods soap opera?) The show will conclude its run in September 2010. Although I've never seen a single episode, I have to respect the fact of how long the series endured and all the initial breaks it offered actors who would later become major stars. -
Lee Pfeiffer