All My Children

Created by Agnes Nixon, the show is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia and centered around the lives and loves of the various families. Known for its characters "staring off camera while delivering bad news", it has become the benchmark for cheesy soap drama around the world. It has suffered a ratings slump from over 20 million in the 70's to just over 3 million today, but still remains popular (behind the newer "The Young And The Restless")