Despite a trimmed down roster, 1952-53 was overall a good year for soaps. Search for Tomorrow held as the highest-rated soap, notching a 16.1 HH rating. That’s the highest household rating any soap has hit in history — of course, still a far cry from the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s the Top 30 shows in prime time were achieving at the time. Fellow returning CBS soaps Love of Life (15.1 HH rating, +9% y2y) and Guiding Light (11.3 HH rating, +23% y2y) also showed promise in their sophomore seasons. NBC brought back Hawkins Falls for a third season in 1952-53, which was steady at a 13.7 HH rating. All four series were renewed for another season.