the buzz log

You can't feel too sorry for a show that's had a 72-year run. Before reality TV, before the CW teen dramas, before even shows like “Dallas” and “Melrose Place," there was "Guiding Light." After Friday, its gap will be filled by that other daytime staple, the game show (in this case “Let’s Make a Deal”).

First light
Being at the beginning means you create many firsts. NPR notes that creator Ima Phillips (also the person behind "As the World Turns" and "Days of Our Lives") loved cliffhangers and used organ music to transition scenes. Plots didn't just twist and turn, they contorted. Behind the scenes, soap operas were the training grounds for new actors (Sun-Sentinel has a slideshow of those who became famous faces), and those that remained but cultivated a loyal following.

Fade to black?
Not surprisingly, online attention has swelled for the CBS stalwart—searches on Yahoo! for "guiding light" have more than doubled compared to last month. Does the end portend well for other soaps, which might absorb "Guiding Light"'s traffic? Or will they too fall by the wayside?

The answer is: yes and no. CNN points out that ratings have dwindled over the years. Cable programming has provided competition, and reality TV has filled the urge for drawn-out dramas.

Getting soap fixes
Interestingly, though, the fans maintain their fix by tracking their favorites online. (Yes, they're mostly female, but men make up anywhere from 20% to 26% of soap-opera lookups). For instance, during the 2008-2009 season, searches for “Young and the Restless” increased 32% compared to the previous season. Some are holding steady: “As the World Turns,” "The Bold and the Beautiful," and “One Life to Live.”

Losing Web steam are shows like "Days of Our Lives" (-14% compared to last season) and "General Hospital" (-6%), and "All My Children" (-4%) like

Where the remaining fans are
Will soaps survive, or will these daytime dinosaurs fade away? Time and plot twists will tell. Meanwhile, here's a ranking of the soaps, and the top three regions from where their Search fans hail.

Most Popular Soaps and their Biggest Fans

• “Young and the Restless” (Baton Rouge, Lafayette, New Orleans)
• “General Hospital” (Cleveland, Philadelphia, Wilkes Barre-Scranton)
• “Days of Our Lives” (Sioux City, Lexington, Jackson Miss.)
• “Guiding Light” (Savannah, Hartford & New Haven, Charlotte)
• “The Bold and the Beautiful” (New Orleans, Raleigh-Durham, Columbus Ohio)
• “All My Children” (Chicago, Houston, NYC)
• “One Life to Live” (Boston, Chicago, Cleveland)
• “As the World Turns” (St. Louis, Houston, Atlanta)