Susan Sullivan and Another World: Core Facts
Susan Sullivan is an American actress best known for her long-running role as Margo Hughes on the soap opera As the World Turns, but she also appeared on Another World in the early 1980s. Another World was a daytime drama produced by Procter & Gamble Productions and broadcast on NBC from 1964 until it was canceled in 1999. Sullivan's involvement with Another World is documented in television industry databases and network archives that track cast changes across decades of soap opera programming NBC.
Another World was created by Roy Winsor and produced at a time when Procter & Gamble Productions dominated the daytime drama landscape, competing with shows like Guiding Light and The Young and the Restless. The series was known for tackling social issues such as drug addiction, rape, and interracial relationships, which distinguished it from other soaps of its era. Sullivan's casting on Another World aligns with the show's pattern of hiring experienced dramatic actors to stabilize storylines during periods of cast turnover.
Career Timeline and Industry Context
Susan Sullivan's Soap Opera Work
Susan Sullivan joined Another World in 1981, playing a role during a transitional period for the series when ratings were being affected by the rise of cable television and the expansion of evening news programming. Her tenure on Another World lasted approximately two years, after which she moved to other television projects, including guest roles on prime-time dramas and continued work in daytime television.
The soap opera industry in the 1980s was a major employer of character actors, with networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC each maintaining multiple daytime dramas. Another World aired five episodes per week and was produced in New York City, where it competed for viewership with shows like All My Children and One Life to Live. Sullivan's work on Another World represents a specific data point in the broader history of American daytime television, which saw steady viewership declines from the mid-1980s onward Forbes.
Another World's Legacy and Cancellation
Procter & Gamble's Exit from Daytime Drama
Another World was canceled by NBC in 1999 after 35 years on the air, making it one of the longest-running soap operas in American television history at the time. Procter & Gamble Productions, which had produced the show since 1975, shifted its focus to other programming formats as advertising revenue in daytime television declined. The cancellation reflected broader industry trends, including the migration of audiences to cable channels and later to streaming platforms SEC.
The final episode of Another World aired on June 25, 1999, and the show's cancellation was part of a wave of daytime drama cancellations that included other long-running programs. Susan Sullivan's earlier role on Another World is now a historical footnote in the show's extensive cast list, which included actors who went on to prominent careers in film, television, and theater. The show's archives remain accessible through the Paley Center for Media and digital databases maintained by television historians Wikipedia.