Faraway Hill is the first soap opera broadcast on an American television network, airing on the DuMont Television Network on Wednesday nights at 9:00 PM between October 2 and December 18, 1946. A Variety article stated the Caples advertising agency bought time on DuMont for "experimentation purposes," and had "walked where other video programmers feared to tread," moving soap operas from radio to the "infant medium television."

The series' plot was based on a novel that David P. Lewis had begun, but never finished.

Synopsis

Karen St. John, a wealthy widowed New York City socialite, decides to spend time with her relatives, the Willow family, who live near the small town of Faraway Hill, in Kansas. St. John is attracted to Charlie White who is engaged to her niece, Louise Willow.

Cast

  • Flora Campbell as Karen St. John, a wealthy young widow
  • Mel Brandt as Charlie White, who is engaged to Louise Willow
  • Ann Stell as Louise Willow, St. John's niece, and Charlie White's fiancé
  • Lorene Scott as Mrs. Willow, Louise's mother
  • Frederic Meyer as Mr. Willow, Louise's father

Cast members are listed in The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated Prime Time Television Series from 1944 to 1949. The first episode originated from the basement of the Greenwich Village Wanamaker's department store.</blockquote>

On February 28, 2006, Faraway Hill was featured in a clue on the television game show Jeopardy!. The $200 clue in the category "'S'-ential Knowledge" was "Broadcast on the Dumont Network in 1946, Faraway Hill is considered the first TV show in this daytime genre", with the answer being "What is a soap opera".

Episode status

The series was broadcast live, and there are no known recorded episodes.

See also

  • List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
  • List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
  • 1946-47 United States network television schedule
  • Highway to the Stars (1947) another early DuMont soap opera

References

Bibliography

  • David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004)
  • Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980)
  • Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Ninth edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 2007)
  • DuMont historical website