Daytime Television, Culture of

The programming on daytime television is notably different from that on prime time, namely because the audience during the day is smaller and less diverse than it is in the evening. Throughout most of the medium's history, daytime television has been designed with women and children in mind as its primary viewer base. This article will examine several programming formulae that emerged in an effort to draw these audiences to television during the day, including the soap opera, the domestic variety show, the game show, the talk show, and programs aimed directly at kids. Following the tradition of the industry, "daytime" will refer here to the period between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. All times cited in the text refer to Eastern Standard Time.