During COVID lockdown, Dr. Elana Levine and I had a lengthy discussion that became an engaging four-part series about daytime’s demise. We discussed the economic pressures, declining ratings due to evolving audience demographics, and shifts in network decision-making that led to the genre’s decline. Topics include advertising revenue challenges, the rise of alternative  entertainment platforms, and the lasting impact of soap operas on  television storytelling. 

Dr. Levine, author of Her Stories and  professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, offers her expert  insights into how these shows attempted to adapt and what ultimately  replaced the serial drama format.