Question

why have soap operas and game shows been a staple of daytime programming for the history of broadcast television ?

Answer 1

Since the 1950s, serials have been a staple of daytime television and remain among the most popular programs among the daytime audiences. They are dramatic serials telling ongoing tales of the everyday lives of large casts of characters, each of which still has its own identity. The term "soap opera" is rather misnomeric, dating back to the early days of radio and television when manufacturers of detergents and soaps such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate Palmolive and Lever Bros. usually supported, financed and personally produced such shows. In daytime programming soap operas usually fill the afternoon time slots.

Game shows, another long-standing staple of daytime TV, include actual people playing a game or a series of games, as the title implies, with the end aim of winning a reward
The period from 1972 to 1985 could be considered the golden age of game shows, as during their daytime lineups, all three major broadcast networks carried several game shows, usually occupying the mid / late-morning and late-afternoon time slots. ABC Daytime ended their block in 1985 (with sometimes stand-alone game shows including Bargain Hunters in 1987 and Match Game in 1990 airing in subsequent years) followed by NBC Daytime in 1991 and CBS Daytime in 1993.