On the EDGE...of something good

Yea yea, cheesy title. So what? Just found out we're in for a real treat. A few years ago, Procter & Gamble posted episodes of classic soaps Another World, Texas, and The Edge Of Night on AOL Video dating from between 1979 and 1981. The uploads stopped not long after, about the same time AW debuted on SoapNet. Well, those AOL episodes will be back up shortly thanks to a certain soap fan in the YouTube community (provided P&G doesn't go copyright crazy on their properties they aren't/never will be using).

The show focuses on the goings-on in a fast-growing mid-sized city called Monticello. Whereas most serials focused on the romantic lives of the townspeople, EDGE was different in that their focus was also on the law and criminal activity in the city. Sort of a serialized Law & Order for daytime. Or, as the original pitch was to be, Perry Mason for daytime (even featuring radio's Perry Mason, John Larkin, as the original central character, Mike Karr). The show appears to have had some influence in the mystery-lovers community,as the show was honoured with a special Edgar Prize by the Mystery Writers of America for their 25th anniversary in 1981.

This is a chance to see the daily goings-on in a soap that is still very highly regarded, and many believe that if CBS had not moved the top-rated serial from its late-afternoon timeslot in 1972, would be at the top of the ratings even today. Even a 1975 move to late-afternoon on ABC after General Hospital couldn't save the show, and by 1984, despite airing for years directly after the #1 show in daytime, EDGE was in dead last in the ratings, and was cancelled at the end of the year, mostly at P&G insistence.

The ratings for all the P&G serials at the time had taken a massive hit around this time. In 1978, the #1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 15th placed soaps (of 15) were P&G-owned, by 1984, the #5, 6, 9, 12, and 13th ranked (of 14) were P&G, marking a huge loss in revenue for the company. EDGE, being their lowest-rated property, was simply too much money for the company to invest in serials, and by January 1985, EDGE was gone.

Part of the AOL episodes includes the Draper Scott / Kirk Michaels storyline, which comes to a climax beginning this episode (see YouTube clip). Check it out, I'm already hooked into this and I've watched about five minutes of it. Excellent shows on their way.