Suds Can Be Beautiful

The letter was enough to scare any husband who values the seat of his underpants. It was written by a soap-opera addict. The starry-eyed housewife wrote: "I always listen while I'm ironing. It makes me forget I'm ironing."

This testimonial, typical of thousands, is the best explanation of why the networks ignore unkind critics of the soap opera. The housewives love it. Consequently, nearly 40 daytime serials, heard Monday through Friday, fill more U.S. radio time with spurious heart throbs than any other type of show.

Last week CBS proudly announced that Procter & Gamble, one of the first and biggest buyers of soap-opera time, had renewed four oldtimers: Ma Perkins, now in its 13th year; Road of Life (ninth year); Life Can Be Beautiful (eighth year); Young Dr. Malone (seventh year).

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.