Procter & Gamble Productions was very successful in bringing soap opera dramas to American daytime television. Beginning in the late 1930s until the 21st century, the company had several very popular TV series which included: "The Guiding Light" (1952 - 2009), "As the World Turns" (1956 - 2010), and "Another World" (1964 - 1999). One TV show that was not on this list was the ABC show "One Life to Live". It aired for more than 43 years (July 1968 until January 2012) and was produced by Selmur Productions.

"One Life to Live" was set in the fictional city of Llanview, a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. The show would continually center on the wealthy Lord family (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants - WASPs). The working class Polish American (Woleks), the less wealthy Irish Catholic (Rileys), and the African American (Grays) were also present at the series inception. This show "One Life to Live" has been called "the most peculiarly American type of soap opera". It was the first serial to present a vast array of ethnic types, broad comic situations, a constant emphasis on social issues, and strong male characters. Thus these are the reasons why critics believe the fans have "loved and appreciated" this show for over four decades. If die hard fans had won their fight, the show would never have been canceled.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org