I remember in the mid-70s, CBS did some kind of late night drama programming...maybe on the thriller side. Like, I remember a videotaped two hour movie (shown in two parts) starring Lynn Redgrave, a version of "Turn of the Screw". I guess it wasn't a huge success, because it went away--but I loved watching it after Mary Hartman.

They did the same thing in the early 90s. Crimetime After Primetime, I think it was called. It was mainly reruns of primetime shows, but some shows aired new episodes there, too.

They did the same thing in the early 90s. Crimetime After Primetime, I think it was called. It was mainly reruns of primetime shows, but some shows aired new episodes there, too.

Okay, I had my networks wrong. Apparently, from 1973-1976, ABC ran an 11:30 pm series called "ABC Wide World of Entertainment". And different nights would have different themes (Comedy, Drama, Mystery).

Interestingly, the series was "soapy", because the films for it were shot on video. Dark Shadows' Dan Curtis was one of the auteurs. It seems that these films may actually be "lost" or erased".

But if the series lasted for 3 years, it would seem to suggest that there was SOME appetite for late night drama. Heck, don't y'all remember the "Late Late Show" movies?

Source

...[T]he bulk of these movies were shot on videotape instead of film, and that on a third of them, they were pickups from ITC's "THRILLER" series in the UK. ...Most of those films ... look basically like soap operas.

You're from Tulsa? TULSANS SUCK!

Hell no. LOL. I remember one of our previous posters, Josh, used to live in the Tulsa market and he and other CBS soap fans begged and pleaded for years for that lousy CBS affiliate(that sandwiched an hour of news between Y&R and ATWT) to air B&B. I even remember him saying the programming director told a viewer, via e-mail, "Why would we want to air a soap in late-night?"

Are you from Oklahoma City or something?

As I see it, the networks always have had difficulties programming during the late night hours; so, why not bring "daytime to the nighttime," so to speak, and give night-owls (yes, rakesh, like this one, lol) something worthwhile and entertaining to follow while keeping alive the genre of daily, serialized drama? Of course, the more I think about this concept, the more I agree with Y&RWorldTurner that it might be better to begin from scratch, with new soaps, rather than transfer and update any existing ones. Still, as business propositions go, it's a low-risk one (lower, I think, than NBC's eliminating an hour of each night's programming for Jay Leno's new variety show this fall), so why not give it a try? As they say, "It's just crazy enough to work!"

I'd agree with that, but there's no way a first run soap would work in late-night unless it had a cushy slot. For example. if ABC chose to cancel Nightline and/or Jimmy Kimmel to replace one of them with a soap. There's no way a first run soap could work at 2 or 3AM.

I'd agree with that, but there's no way a first run soap would work in late-night unless it had a cushy slot. For example. if ABC chose to cancel Nightline and/or Jimmy Kimmel to replace one of them with a soap. There's no way a first run soap could work at 2 or 3AM.

Which is not going to happen. I don't think soaps should leave daytime, but it would be fine to rebroadcast 'em. Thing is, I think that's what Soapnet is for...so at this point, it is not viable to do that.

New soaps? Too expensive. Kimmell and his ilk are cheaper.

Khan? I have no idea, but I'm feelin' Stillwater.

Oh man.

They actually have some clips on Youtube! Now packaged as the "Curtis Signature Collection", you can see these are on soapy video, and they were produced especially for latenight.

Campy, campy horror classics. I was young enough that they actually scared me.

Khan? I have no idea, but I'm feelin' Stillwater.

Well, stop, because you're feeling up the wrong leg. Or something.

I am, in fact, from Oklahoma City. Born and bred. Unfortunately.

Globally, the most well rated soaps in other countries air in early prime. It is not a coincidence that Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, and even Entertainment Tonight, which air in early prime, top the syndicated lists. But that is why soaps have no hope of going there in the US--because the affiliates have sewn up those slots and make most of their $ there.

This daypart is referred to as "early fringe" or simply "fringe." And logically, this is the perfect slot for soaps because as times have changed and we have seen more women enter the work force, the hour or two before primetime is when women actually have the time to sit down and watch their soaps.