Establishing a Soap Is No Day at the BeachBy Justine Elias
New York Times
February 23, 1997
When a fresh-faced Kansas girl ditches her husband-to-be in favor of a mysterious Southern California man she met on the Internet, she finds herself in a picturesque coastal town touched by romance, murder, misunderstandings and nefarious schemes in equal measure. Welcome to Sunset Beach, Miss K.C. Now, get busy. After a formidable publicity campaign to hype its Jan. 6 debut, it's time for SUNSET BEACH, Aaron Spelling's new daytime soap opera (weekdays at noon on NBC) to find a devoted audience.
In an industry in which shows are created and discarded by the dozens, a new daytime drama is a rarity. NBC's SANTA BARBARA, which survived for eight years, is considered the most recent success; GENERATIONS and THE CITY (which has its final episode March 28) were both canceled after little more than a year. NBC, whose current daytime lineup ranks last in the ratings, hopes its newest series is built for a long run.