TV Drama Timeline: 1930 to 2015
Drama Momma's favourite moments in the history of on-screen drama, in order. Each entry links to the source we checked it against, and many have a full story elsewhere on the site.
1930s radios, where soaps were born: Ricardo Reis from Lisboa, Portugal, CC BY-SA 2.0
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The big moments
- October 20, 1930
Painted Dreams premieres
Irna Phillips' serial debuts on WGN Chicago and is usually recognised as radio's first soap opera.
Source: museum.tv - 1933
Procter & Gamble's first soap
Ma Perkins launches, and the soap maker becomes the genre's biggest sponsor.
Source: encyclopedia.com - January 25, 1937
The Guiding Light begins on radio
A 15-minute NBC radio serial starts a run that will last 72 years.
Source: rbr.com - August 10, 1948
Hidden cameras arrive
Candid Microphone, soon renamed Candid Camera, premieres on ABC.
Source: museum.tv - 1950
Nielsen starts TV ratings
The Nielsen Television Index launches in the US using a device based on the Audimeter.
Source: sites.nielsen.com - June 30, 1952
Guiding Light moves to TV
The soap begins on CBS Television while its radio version keeps running until 1956.
Source: rbr.com - 1958
The quiz show scandal breaks
A contestant from the CBS quiz Dotto takes evidence of fixing to the Manhattan District Attorney.
Source: history.com - 1960
Rigging becomes illegal
Congress amends the Communications Act to ban pre-arranged contests of skill or knowledge.
Source: pbs.org - March 21, 1980
J.R. Ewing is shot
Dallas ends its third season on TV's most famous cliffhanger.
Source: history.com - November 21, 1980
Who Done It airs
More than 83 million Americans tune in to learn who shot J.R.
Source: adweek.com - February 28, 1983
The M*A*S*H finale
About 106 million viewers watch, still the US record for a scripted episode.
Source: wtop.com - 1987
The People Meter
Nielsen launches the People Meter for national ratings with daily demographic data.
Source: sites.nielsen.com - May 1992
The Real World premieres
MTV films seven strangers in a SoHo loft and sets the reality TV template.
Source: avclub.com - May 14, 1998
Seinfeld signs off
The nine-season sitcom ends with about 76 million viewers.
Source: mediavillage.com - September 16, 1999
Big Brother is born
The first Big Brother airs on Dutch channel Veronica and runs for 106 days.
Source: uk.news.yahoo.com - August 23, 2000
Survivor's huge finale
The first Survivor finale averages 51.69 million viewers on CBS.
Source: museum.tv - May 2004
Friends says goodbye
The finale draws an estimated 51.1 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen figures.
Source: foxnews.com - September 18, 2009
Guiding Light ends
The final episode airs after 72 years and more than 15,700 episodes.
Source: rbr.com - February 1, 2013
A whole season at once
Netflix releases all 13 episodes of House of Cards on the same day.
Source: nexttv.com - November 2015
Binge-watch becomes a word of the year
Collins Dictionary names binge-watch its Word of the Year for 2015.
Source: time.com
- Museum of Broadcast Communications: Phillips, Irna
- Nielsen: Our History timeline
- PBS American Experience: The Quiz Show Scandal, Aftermath
- HISTORY: Millions tune in to find out who shot J.R.
Facts on this page were checked against these sources (updated Nov 10, 2026). Spot an error? Email hello@fireempireshop.com.