Radio daytime drama serials were broadcast for decades, and some expanded to television.
These dramas are often referred to as "soaps", a shortening from "soap opera".
That term stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Lever Brothers as sponsors [1] and producers.
[2] These early radio serials were broadcast in weekday daytime slots when mostly housewives would be able to listen; thus the shows were aimed at and consumed by a predominantly female audience.
[1]