Screening of daytime soap operas in Australia
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A number of American daytime soap operas have aired in Australia over the years.
In February 1974 the Nine Network ran NBC's Days of our Lives (in 55 minute installments) at 12.00 midday each week day, and General Hospital (in thirty minute episodes) at 2.30 pm. [1]. By December that year the Nine Network was screening Days of our Lives (now in thirty minute episodes) at 12.00 midday each week day, followed by The Young and the Restless (in twenty-five minute installments followed by a five-minute news service) at 12.30 pm. General Hospital now screened on Nine at 1.30 pm in thirty minute installments. [2].
Currently, the Nine Network holds Days of our Lives, while Network Ten airs CBS's The Bold and the Beautiful and Foxtel's W. Channel screens B&B's "sister soap", The Young and the Restless, multiple times a day. In the past, Search for Tomorrow, Another World, Texas (TV series), One Life to Live, Santa Barbara have appeared on the major Australian networks, and cable television has showed other Daytime soaps.
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[edit] Days of our Lives
Nine has aired Days of our Lives since several years after its U.S. debut in 1965, and is currently aired 2pm weekdays. It soon garnered a huge Australian fan base. By 2004, episodes had fallen four-and-a-half years behind those airing in the U.S., due to the show being pre-empted for cricket telecasts over the Summer, as well as other sporting events. In September 2004, Nine skipped four years of episodes to bring Australian viewers almost in-line with their U.S. counterparts (the same was done for Y&R), which proved highly controversial amongst viewers. Australian episodes were now only six months behind, although, due to the cricket broadcasts, are now 11 months behind (as of June 2008, Australia is seeing episodes from July 2007).
[edit] Current DOOL cast in Australian episodes
[edit] The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless began airing in Australia on the Nine Network in 1974, one year after its U.S. premiere. Although Y&R has never been as popular in Australia as DOOL or B&B (in the U.S. the opposite is true), it was always coupled with DOOL, with the two airing one after the other. As was the case with DOOL, Y&R was "fast-forwarded" in September 2004 in order to bring viewers closer to the U.S. episodes.
In January 2007 it was announced that Nine had not renewed its contract with Y&R, and that subscription TV distributor Foxtel would pick up the show from where Nine left off. Nine's final episode aired on February 23, 2007. On April 2, 2007, Y&R began airing on Foxtel's W. Channel at 12pm and 6:40pm, and on its timeshift channel, W2, at 2pm and 8:40pm. In January 2008, the primetime repeats (6:40pm on W. and 8:40pm on W2) were discontinued. This move caused uproar among fans, and the W. Channel's response was to begin airing omnibus editions on Saturdays from 12pm to 4pm (2pm to 6pm on W2). Since February 4, 2008, the W. Channel also airs repeats at 6:10am the following day.
Episodes are currently 9-and-a-half months behind (as of May 16, 2008, Australian viewers are watching episodes from August 2007).
[edit] Current Y&R cast in Australian episodes
[edit] The Bold and the Beautiful
The Bold and the Beautiful airs on Network Ten at 4:30pm and is the most popular Daytime soap in Australia. Episodes are only twelve weeks behind, making B&B episodes closer to the U.S. airings than that of DOOL or Y&R. Due to its late-afternoon timeslot, classification restrictions often call for episodes of B&B to be edited in order to retain a G classification. This includes cutting some violent or sexually explicit scenes, as well as use of words such as "rape", "abortion", "slut", "whore", etc.
[edit] Current B&B cast in Australian episodes
[edit] Others
[edit] General Hospital
ABC's General Hospital aired on the Nine Network and on Network Ten. It was relatively successful on the Nine Network but by the late eighties was in a slump, and left Australian television soon after. It was briefly revived in the early nineties by Network Ten and again in 1999, lasting less than a year. It was picked up by Foxtel in 2004. After running for several months on W. Channel, it was moved to FOX8, before being pulled altogether.Fans in Australia have been trying to get it back for almost 2 years .
[edit] Passions
Passions ran on the Seven Network from 2001 to 2007 and Seven affiliate Prime from 2001 to 2004. New episodes stopped airing in Australia as NBC Productions believed it was too expensive to clear music rights for international distribution.[3].
It originally began in a 3pm timeslot on weekday afternoons, before being shifted to a 9.30am timeslot. After new episodes were ceased to be received, it was moved into re-runs in a 2am weekday morning timeslots. It has recently broadcast a "Series Finale" in its slot, and is unlikely to return to Australian television.
[edit] Santa Barbara and Another World
NBC's Santa Barbara and Another World also ran in Australia until their cancellations in 1993 and 1999 respectively. Santa Barbara premiered in Australia on the Ten Network the same day as The Bold and The Beautiful in November 1987, in a soap opera block from 12PM - 1:30PM. Another World appeared variously on both the Nine and Ten Networks. Another World in particular became very popular in the early 1990s when Australian actress Carmen Duncan, formerly of Number 96, played the role of villainous Iris Wheeler.
[edit] Rituals and Generations
Both of these short-lived soap operas had a small run in Australia. They were screened on the Seven Network in the early hours of the morning.
[edit] Texas
Texas, the ill-fated Another World spin-off, aired on the Ten Network in an early morning timeslot for a period in the early 1980s.
[edit] Loving
Loving also aired for a short time on the Nine Network, like Texas, in an early morning timeslot in the late 1980s.
[edit] One Life To Live and All My Children
One Life to Live and All My Children also appeared briefly on the Ten Network's daytime schedule in the late 1980s.
[edit] References
- ^ “Television”, The Sun: 46, 8 February 1974
- ^ “Television”, The Sun: 40, 2 Dec 1974
- ^ "http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/networking/2005/08/02/1122748642614.html", Networking, August 4, 2005 retrieved 8 April 2007
