Today’s primetime soaps are shows like Revenge, Nashville and Downton Abbey. On Tuesday, Jan. 22, the PBS series, Pioneers of Television, is reminding everyone of the nighttime dramas that started it all. They were monster hits that kept viewers glued to the TV with over-the-top storylines and wildly charismatic characters:
Synopsis for “Primetime Soaps”: “Dallas†and “Dynasty†kicked off the nighttime soap frenzy in the late 1970s and spun off the long-lasting series “Knots Landing.†Sometimes forgotten is the genre’s antecedent: 1964’s “Peyton Place,†which starred Mia Farrow and Ryan O’Neal. Interviewees in this episode include Larry Hagman, Joan Collins, Linda Evans, Diahann Carroll, Linda Gray, Patrick Duffy, Michele Lee, Joan Van Ark and Donna Mills.
Pioneers of Television: “Primetime Soaps” premieres Tuesday night at 8/7c on PBS.
Pioneers of Television Promo
Watch Primetime Soaps – Preview on PBS. See more from pbs.
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