The 1955-56 season saw CBS dominate with soaps yet again, with the noon hour by and large still being the most dominant force. For the third consecutive season, Search for Tomorrow, Guiding Light, and Love of Life were the three highest-rated soaps. In the two seasons prior to that, they took up three of the top four spots. However, all three shows were down considerably in 1955-56, as was 12 pm’s Valiant Lady. Meanwhile, CBS’s 4 pm half-hour of The Brighter Day and The Secret Storm rose from the 8s to the 10s in household ratings year-to-year. That made them competitive with the shows in the hour that at one point could not be beat.
Over on NBC, Modern Romances rose slightly to a 9.0, almost catching Valiant Lady. Still, despite easily being NBC’s highest-rated soap, it was lower-rated than any soap aired by CBS. NBC’s other soaps, First Love and A Date with Life, were both canceled after low-rated seasons.