Serial (radio and television) usually ran from Monday through Friday at exactly the same time every day. A show called The Smith Family which ran only one night a week on WENR in Chicago during the early 1930s was credited as the "great-granddaddy of the soap operas" by radio historian Francis Chase, Jr. One of the other shows that helped pioneer the daytime soap opera/serial was "The Guiding Light", which debuted on NBC radio in 1937, and then switched to CBS Television in 1952. "The Guiding Light" final episode aired on September 18, 2009, having a total of 15,762 episodes air on CBS. Some
The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Waggett book) Awards, and lists nominees and winners. Finally, the book lists US daytime soap opera ratings from 1952 through 1997. The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Waggett book) The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is a 1997 reference book by Gerard J. Waggett which assembles comprehensive information about American daytime soap operas. "The Soap Opera Encyclopedia" features commentary, analysis and criticism of every American daytime soap opera that had aired prior to the book's publication. It also discusses background, significant storylines and impact of each program, and lists performers and characters. Waggett includes "The Soap Opera 100," his look at "Daytime's 100 Most Noteworthy Actors,