The "All My Children" phenomenon is part of a confluence of different forces that are making soap opera respectable….

I am not about to stake a theoretical claim that soap is the latest "art form of the future," destined to bury the novel, the feature film, the stage, the nighttime TV detective programs,… or in fact any other form of dramatic entertainment. But I do believe the television soap opera is a valid and important and, God knows, popular part of the spectrum of contemporary entertainment, and is worthy of discussion and appreciation as such, with all its built-in restrictions of time and production. The originality and excellence of "All My Children" make it not only a marvelous kind of entertainment, but also, like all good storytelling, a reflection of the way we live now, and the way we wish we lived. (p. 18)

In the absence of "real...