Apologies if there was a thread already I looked all over but didn’t see one, but a couple videos from The Lives We Live, a WCBS/syndicated reality soap that aired 1980-81 have surfaced. 
 

I remember discussing about this in length wayyy back in the mid-00’s at the old WOST website, but digging up any information has been difficult. Neither Schemering nor Waggett mention this show at all in their books.

 

 

From what I can see, there isn't much of a soap opera aspect to The Lives We Live.

Just 3 women talking about issues in a studio. If they had have followed the woman around and delve into their lives/family/romances etc then I could see the soap labelled applied.

 

Great find!!! The Lives We Live aired at 12:00 p.m. in the New York market, right before Search for Tomorrow. WCBS did tout the show as a real life soap opera as I recollect. I watched it on a few occasions when I was off from high school. It reminded me of some scenes from Love of Life that simply depicted everyday life. Thanks for sharing this.

59 minutes ago, robbwolff said:

Great find!!! The Lives We Live aired at 12:00 p.m. in the New York market, right before Search for Tomorrow. WCBS did tout the show as a real life soap opera as I recollect. I watched it on a few occasions when I was off from high school. It reminded me of some scenes from Love of Life that simply depicted everyday life. Thanks for sharing this.

You’re quite welcome!! On another website I had seen someone post a few TV schedules from that time period and had seen the show get listed which brought back a faint memory so I got around to looking it up. IIRC someone at WOST had brought this up as being the first “reality soap opera” at the time when the board was dissecting Mary-Ellis Bunim and Millee Taggert’s Starting Over, which was billed as a reality soap at the time.

 

1 hour ago, Paul Raven said:

From what I can see, there isn't much of a soap opera aspect to The Lives We Live.

Oh definitely more of talk show/round table discussion for sure; probably the only soapy aspects to it is opening & logo, music, and having Hal Simms as the show’s announcer. 

1 hour ago, soapfan770 said:

Oh definitely more of talk show/round table discussion for sure; probably the only soapy aspects to it is opening & logo, music, and having Hal Simms as the show’s announcer. 

Yes I agree,the opening made me think it would be 'a fly on the wall' look at their lives.

I think Starting Over was more in that vein?

How long did it last?

i wonder, if over time, viewers might get a little tired of the same 3 women. Maybe they planned to introduce others if the show continued...

And of course, thanks for posting!