vote4llama

Wow!! Thank you so much to all of you! There are so many thoughtful responses. It seems the overwhelming consensus is to watch Knots Landing with some great cases for Dallas. I'm halfway through season 1 of Knots. The assault episode followed by the episode where Val's mom visits are excellent with great character development. I see what some of you mean about the duds, like the motorcycle gang. But the good outweighs the bad. No regrets so far! I'm very curious and excited to see seasons where long term storylines start to form. After reading what everyone has to say, I'll probably start mixing in episodes of Dallas, Dynasty, and yes, Falcon Crest ;) after a few seasons of Knots.

I have devoured countless episodes of daytime soap operas. But I've never seen one episode of a primetime soap from the 80s. If you could watch one for the first time again, which one would you choose? It seems like some find their footing in the second season. Do any have great first seasons? Are any of them good from beginning to end? Most shows are bad by the last season. Do any have good or great last season(s)? Of course I've heard Who Shot J.R. is must see TV but the fact it was a dream pisses me off...and I've never even seen Dallas! Please no spoilers but feel free to mention storylines and characters you like. Thank you!

Watching 80s Gwyn, I don't think it's a large stretch she'd crash out and go on a killing spree. 90s Gwyn was sweet and matronly though! Trisha dying, then turning up alive, and not wanting anything to do with the family triggered her. I still love her. These episodes are a lot of fun so far. It's great to see 1989 as 1988-1991 seem to be hard to find. The characters were stacked. We had the Aldens, Ava, Kate, Harry, Trucker, Egypt, Alex, not to mention Jack, Stacey, and Rick. I agree the stories aren't amazing, but the scenes are good and it's definitely not boring.

Agree 100%. I wish it was a real song.

I've never seen Neighbours but the portrait of Mrs. Mangel is being auctioned of for lots of money with lots of cast signatures. I googled it and it seems like a historic prop. So any wealthy Neighbours fans out there, this might be for you! https://www.ebay.com/itm/406876892287?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20211130125621%26meid%3D1570dc2a5ac34b72862e857374204ae5%26pid%3D101465%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D306908839463%26itm%3D406876892287%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D3814323&_trksid=p3814323.c101465.m3507

I think about this a lot. Soap operas should try hiring writers who have published novels instead of recycling the same mediocre outdated soap writers. Even successful writers usually don't make a lot of money and would probably be interested in the job. Start them in the writer's room so they can get an understanding of how these shows work. Many people don't understand that soap operas are a format, not necessary a genre. Make them watch classic episodes. Pair them up with an experienced soap writer. Probably the most well known example of this is Michael Malone and Josh Griffith. Having One Life to Live written through the eyes of a novelist created really unique, well written material. No, not everyone liked it, though that can be said of any time period on any show. Yes, he needed a lot of people to polish his ideas, and their second reign wasn't successful, but I've always wished this experiment would be repeated with another good (book) writer.

This is an open post to everyone to try out Isidingo. I breezed through seasons 1 and 2. I like Beyond the Gates, but this is so much better. You know how some 90s soaps are great and some are really bad? This has that quality that makes special 90s soaps so nostalgic. I hope some of you stream it and understand what I mean. And honestly...I really want to talk to people about it 😂. Let's get a conversation going. It's got to be the most diverse long running soap ever... starting 4 years after apartheid ended...having the first interracial kiss on South African television. Hilary Blecher, who directed One Life to Live, is an executive producer. Maybe that's why it feels like OLTL. But Cherel makes Dorian Lord look Iike Miss America! The first couple episodes seem like Ashley and Rhino will be one of the focus points, but it does a huge 180, and before episode 20 you'll see what I mean. Each episode is 22 minutes and they go by fast. You know how sometimes you'll check the time remaining in an episode of a series because you're bored? Well it's the opposite for me with Isidingo. Go to sabc-plus.com and stream it for free from episode 1. No, this isn't an advertisement...I just want to talk about it!

Thank you for tagging me. I didn't know this existed. I'll add it to my list!

I'm watching episode 155 of season 2 and Steve just appeared for the first time. He seems cool!

Year 2 has been uploaded! 209 more episodes on SABC+!! I'm so pumped. I told myself to savor them but I'm moving quickly. In total, there are 393 episodes available. I actually don't think you need a South African phone number to register on the site anymore. Or a VPN. South African soaps almost never recast, so I was very surprised to see Nandipha introduced, played by someone else! I also thought she didn't come until 2001. I recognized the actress because I briefly got into Generations: The Legacy in 2017, where she is a fixture as the rough and tough Lucy Diale. Apparently she became pregnant several months after starting Isidingo, so they fired her. Which is sad, although they picked a great replacement. Nandipha became a really popular character. And both actresses have successful careers. It's interesting to see the beginning of her and Parsons' relationship. The Trish/Clint/Elyse saga finally came to an end, and the last few weeks of the storyline are very good. I finally got to see the context of the episode where Dusty accuses Clint of assaulting her. And there's so many more characters and stories...

Thank you for the tag!! It's always great to see more of Trisha and Loving in general. This puts me in the mood for some 80s OLTL too.

Thank you so much!

You're welcome. I might take a look at the book. Thanks for sharing about Jupiter Moon! I stumbled upon the Wikipedia pages years ago. It wouldn't hurt to give it a try. I've actually never watched a British soap. I keep meaning to make a thread asking for recommendations. Maybe the quality will turn around. Do you recommend any of the books?

Has anyone heard of the book The Archers: The First Thirty Years? It's free to borrow on Archive.org It goes back and forth from recaps to behind the scenes information from 1951 to 1980. It's written by William Smethurst, who wrote for the show and was the head editor in the 70s and 80s. He also created Jupiter Moon, a sci fi soap opera which I completely forgot existed! I just found out about the book trying to find old scripts. I can't believe they're not available. Did someone not put them in a drawer somewhere?! I would love it if someone bought the rights to The Archers and used the old scripts to make a television show, without changing any lines. It would be a fascinating creative project. If the scripts exist... I've never listened to The Archers, but it's existence has always fascinated me...the longest running soap opera that always stays on the radio and never moved to television. It's cool that it's a radio show that persisted.

Thank you for reading! In my sleuthing I also found a brief writeup on a "sensual moment" with Steve, so I thought you might like it: The love triangle in Isidingo (SABC3, 6.30pm) is getting more complicated, if that's possible. Len arrives at the Bullers to chat to Steve, but his jealousy get the better of of him and he ends up having a go at Dusty. Steve rushes to Dusty's defence and the guys become involved in a physical confrontation which leads to a moment of sensuality between them... one that Dusty is very aware of. There's nothing more in the source but here's the link. And here's a promo with Dusty regarding Steve. I also realized Isidingo only aired four days a week it's first five years. It premiered July, 7 1998, which is a Tuesday. And the Christmas episode is number 100. I sleuthed and found a couple articles which mention it moving to 5 days in 2003. Here and here if you're interested. They discuss some changes like expanding the location to include a TV station. Edit: I watched the promo again and it says Monday-Thursday! Sorry for the info dump! Happy New Years!

You're welcome. Thanks for watching. I don't know why I didn't check the channel for more clips but I'll take a look. This episode was posted earlier this year, but I didn't watch it until today. It has a major spoiler. I think it's from 2001. The spoiler feature isn't hiding the text for some reason but it's below. I'm not sure why it's bold either! Spoiler It's about Stu dying in an accident. In the 1998-1999 episodes he's a really cool, but kind of badass, young guy, probably soon to be involved with Dusty. He's Skip's son and Elyse's brother. He constantly clashes with his father. What's fascinating in the episode is Parsons asking Cherel if she believes in God and she straight up says she wishes she believes in God. It's a very genuine moment, as it's after the funeral and Cherel was involved with Stu ( I had no idea!) Sometimes characters question their beliefs on soaps, but to hear her wistfully wish she believes threw me off in a good way. Even though it's because she doesn't want to blame herself for whatever happened in the accident. It is also sad to see Skip's grief/avoidance.

@DRW50 I've never seen this clip before from Cherel's trial for Duncan's murder. It's nice to get a glimpse of Leone, albeit brief. I was also curious about the timeline so I'm glad they said the murder was two years prior, in 2003.

David's actor on RC also plays a villain on Isidingo!! He says the first line of the series as a matter of fact. Yep, the first three years of RC are streaming, as well as the most recent years of Scandal on eVod. 7De Laan ended a couple of years ago too :( but a ton of old episodes are streaming on SABC+. I am watching some of season 2 because that's when the English subtitles start. I'd love to hear your opinion on Isidingo when you're ready! I'm really behind on BTG. It's interesting to see the beginning of Isidingo vs Beyond The Gates. You'll like it ;)

I've been watching Rhythm City on evod.co.za. The first 3 years are on there. It's interesting so far. I love what I've seen of classic Generations. I'm dying for it to be available for streaming. I hope you check out the first year of Isidingo that has been made available. I'm glad to read you used to enjoy it. It's so special.

Of course. Thank you for reading. Yes, the characters are great. Most of them are grey, but still likable. There are some outright villains though. Cherel killed at least 6 people through her run...literally a serial killer. I still love her though! The US soaps forgot the skill it takes to have enjoyable characters do and say bad things. I agree. It's a shame about the "soapies." Generations is now Generations: The Legacy. After the cast went on strike, they were all fired and the show was retooled. There are plenty of soap operas on air, and new ones premiere all the time, but it's so competitive.

I hope this post finds someone! This is a good promo, but still doesn't do the show justice. The drama, complex characters, and storylines are great. I'm so impressed by the writing! I think South Africa is the only country where soap operas (not novelas) are the highest rated series, and it's not hard to see why.

Episode 157 is out of order, and it's explosive. It's pretty wild watching it without knowing the context. I had to rewind it multiple times because the characters were speaking so fast! Stu goes to visit Dusty. Someone tells him he's not allowed but he insists. I get the impression he dumped Dusty or cheated on her. Dusty says Clint told her he loved her and they were going to be together. Then she tells him that Clint forced himself on her, but luckily she got away. This infuriates Stu. He goes to the bar and Clint tells him that Dusty is having problems. They get in a shouting match and Stu punches him. Then Stu goes to his family's home, and tells his father and Elyse what happened. Remember Clint and Elyse are a couple. They tell Stu they need to wait until Clint comes home and tells his side of the story. While Stu is arguing with them, he tells Elyse "He slapped you!" which she doesn't deny. She says Trish is jealous of her so they made up a story. She also says she's worried about Clint's reputation. Then we see a night shot of Dusty and Trish's living room. The door opens and a man comes in. His face is completely obscured by the darkness but then we see that it's Clint. He crosses the room and then enters the hallway. And the episode ends! So ominous! Poor Dusty...and Elyse needs to break up with him. I love this show. I hope SABC+ releases more.

Interesting! I've never heard about Lenita! It seems like a lot of South African soaps have gay storylines and they are better than the ones from American soaps. I'll be in your debt if you convert the VHS and upload them! 😂

I think you're talking about Ashley and Rhino (or is it Rino?). Yes, the reveal of the dark family secret is very close to the big thing that happens! Then the show gets way better. Even though I enjoyed the repeats from 2008, I don't remember much. I kick myself for not recording them. It seems like the writing was good until at least 2008, maybe later. And yes by that time Lee, Barker, and Rajesh were driving the major stories. Sorry it took me so long to post!

@DRW50 I whole heartedly recommend you watch. The first 184 episodes are available. I have so many thoughts yet don't know where to start or what to write! Apartheid ended in 1994 and Isidingo started four years later in 1998. It's a fascinating time capsule. The dynamics in Horizon Deep are very complicated, with generally white people having more money and better jobs, while the black people work in the mine and live in the hostel. But there are exceptions on both fronts. The writing is very good. We're introduced to some iconic characters like Cherel, Bra George, Letti, and many more. The first couple weeks worth of episodes, I think are very good and interesting but the stakes aren't very high and then BOOM, something shocking happens and the show runs on all cylinders. It is the closest soap IMO to One Life To Live, with the racial tension, class differences, and balancing complex characters with good storylines. These episodes contain the first interracial kiss on South African TV! I periodically searched for old Isidingo full episodes for years and there was absolutely nothing. Isidingo has a special place in my heart. I watched some of the Africa Channel repeats when I was in high school and it's very nostalgic. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the early episodes were uploaded almost 2 years ago. @DRW50 I recommend you go in blind but I'll write some thoughts with spoilers below. It's streaming free on https://sabc-plus.com/ . You don't need a VPN, however you need a South African phone number to register. I bought one for only a couple dollars online. Or if you'd rather, you can message me. I would love to hear all of your opinions!! I didn't see your post about Michelle Botes. It's so sad. Cherel is probably my favorite character. Darlington Michaels who played Bra George also died in 2024. Mlangeni Nawa who played Zeb died earlier this year. James Bartlett, who played Mike died in 2022. The first conflict is when a racist bigot, Mike, hits a mine worker, Gotlieb while they're underground. Cherel is cheating on her husband, who owns the mine, with Gideon. But she breaks it off. The show changes track with a triple homicide! The murder mystery is captivating but then they switch gears and show an uprising in the mine. Cherel and her maid, Lorraine, have a fun relationship. Zeb, the mine manager, is the boyfriend of Lorraine, even though he has a family with Ma Agnes who is living in the country. I think the show does a good job of making Zeb a complicated character. For some reason I like him. Bra George is the resident trouble maker. He owns the shabeen (the bar that caters more towards mine workers) and runs a crime enterprise. He's a very long running character. New characters are introduced periodically. Funny enough, I usually unsure of them at first, but then I end up really caring about them. Pippa, the mine owner's daughter, arrives and of course they hate each other. Pippa is going to university in the UK, and she is very critical of the white power and money, even though she directly benefits from it. She is a sanctimonious know it all yet she's likeable! Derek, a young educated black man arrives and his goal is to take over the mine. He tries hard to fit in with the miners. Him and Pippa fall in love. They have the first interracial kiss on South African TV, as I mention above. I presume they're the first interracial couple on SA TV. Ma Agnes and the kids were living in the country but they return to Horizon Deep to move in with Zeb. This introduces Letti, a long running character. Not to mention it's awkward because him and Lorraine have been playing house. The most boring storyline to me is the love triangle with Trish, Elyse, and Clint. It's awkward and kind of sad. Elyse is self righteous and one of the only characters I dislike. Clint is dull and kind of an ass. There's so much more I could say. We all know when soaps start they can be awkward. But I think it hits the ground running. I hope they upload more. And I would love to see Generations from the beginning.