P&G Shows Around the World

[kalbir]

I've often wondered why P&G didn't export their long-running shows globally to the degree that Y&R/B&B did. From some research I compiled a list of countries that aired the long-running P&G shows. If anyone has any to add, please do.

 

Another World: Australia, Italy

As the World Turns: Australia, Netherlands

The Edge of Night (CBS years): ?

The Edge of Night (ABC years): United Kingdom

Guiding Light: Germany, Iceland, Italy

Search for Tomorrow (CBS years): Australia

Search for Tomorrow (NBC years): Italy

 

I didn't include Canada as I figured most Canadian viewers would watch the P&G shows not carried by the Canadian networks on the CBS/ABC/NBC stations carried by their cable providers.

[j swift]

This may be too obvious of an answer, but wouldn't they only want to syndicate to those countries that sold P&G products?  Bell didn't have a product to sell, but P&G created soaps in order to literally sell soap, so if you couldn't buy Prel in France, why would they want their shows to be syndicated in that market?

Edited February 7, 2021 by j swift

[I Am A Swede]

I think Guiding Light aired for a brief time here in Sweden back in the early 1990s.

[Huntress]

As the World Turns (known as Jung und leidenschaftlich), Search for Tomorrow (known as Henderson) and Texas also ran briefly in Germany in the late 80s/early 90s.

Edited February 7, 2021 by Huntress

[FrenchFan]

GL and SFT both aired in France in the late 80s’ (along with GH and OLTL). GL also came back in the early 2000s’ for a few months (it was episodes from early 2002, i remember).

[MissPalmer]

I know that Edge of Night ("Entre Lusco e Fusco")was aired only in a region of Spain (Galicia) in the 80s and  Guiding light (Camino de Luz) was aired in 1990 in the whole country... 

Edited February 7, 2021 by MissPalmer

[Paul Raven]

Texas aired in Australia, initially in primetime as a Summer replacement but was quickly moved to daytime.

Guiding Light also aired in Australia at one point.

[Sapounopera]

Greece

Guiding Light 1985-87 episodes
Search for Tomorrow 1982-84 episodes

ATWT 1981 episodes

EON 1981 episodes

Another World 1983 episodes

 

[beebs]

Many Canadians did, but obviously we also carried some on our own providers, I'll still mention what I recall:

 

AW - not sure when but CTV carried the great majority of the show's run all the way to the end. Texas also seems to have run in Canada, and was highly successful.

GL - Global picked up for the last years after Passions ended.

EON - Aired on CBC for a number of years (probably the majority of its run), but not sure if it ran until the end of the series or not.

 

I know SFT was remade into a radio soap on CBC in 1958, starring Corrine Conley (Phyllis from DAYS) in the Jo role, and it's quite possible the episodes still exist (I'm sure it would cost $$$ to unearth them, though).

[te.]

A lot of it is likely down to the fact that a lot of countries (especially smaller ones) didn't get proper commercial channels until the mid-80s, so the room for airing US soap operas were just limited. A lot of countries only had one or two tv channels which were state owned/funded for the longest time and the amount of international productions they'd buy in were limited. I think Bold & The Beautiful got lucky that it was a new soap when all of a sudden lots of commercial channels started appearing in Europe and they needed to fill their schedules along with Bill Bell's aggressive marketing of the show to these channels.

 

Guiding Light was aired in quite a few countries, though I don't think it stuck around for long, but there was an attempt to sell it: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044265/releaseinfo#akas

[DramatistDreamer]

Didn't South Africa air ATWT at some point, at the end of the show's broadcast run?

Somehow, I remember the Soap classics streaming sites including one for The Netherlands and one for South Africa.

[Manny]

GL, ATWT and EON aired in Croatia, but I believe all aired only for one year in early to mid 90's with episodes from late 80s. 

[AlexGrimaldi]

Hi! 

I'm from Italy. 

In my Country they were shown almost all the american soaps (though now The Bold And The Beautiful is the one that is still on). 

 

About P&G soaps

 

Guiding Light aired from 1982 to 2012 (Us episodes 1979-2007)

It was really popular in the 80s and in the 90s

 

Search for tomorrow aired from 1982 to 1994 (Us episodes 1979-1986)

 

The Edge Of Night aired from 1985 to 1986 (Us episodes 1981-1982)

 

As the world turns aired from 1986 to 1992 (Us episodes 1982-1985)

 

Another World aired from 1989 to 1992 (Us episodes 1984-1985 and may-july 1988) 

 

[Xanthe]

 

Were they dubbed or subtitled? Did they air under their English titles or were they translated into Italian titles?

[AlexGrimaldi]

 

All dubbed (nowadays In Italy every foreign tv show can be watch on tv with the option of the double audio. In the past there was Only the dubbed version). 

 

Guiding Light was renamed Sentieri (=Paths) 

 

Search for tomorrow renamed Aspettando il domani (Searching for tomorrow) 

 

As the world turns renamed Così gira il mondo (the italian translation) 

 

Edge of night renamed Ai confini della notte (the italian translation)

 

Another World renamed Destini (Destinies) and - after a hiatus due to poor ratings and a time jump - renamed Stagioni (Seasons)