KMan101

I know she's likely not interested, but man, I'd throw all the money in the world at Lisa Ling to get her back. It was interesting she lamented not being able to discuss certain topics back then but now they do. 

I've been refreshing myself on Emmerdale. I'm the least familiar, at least from watching, with this one. I have read up on a lot of the history and like I said, would love Emmerdale Farm. I love the concept and the set is great of course. I like how it's such a contrast to the other soaps. Now while it has the same set, it feels like all the others. The shows have the same sets but the tone of them all is gone ... anywho, I digress.

I've been trying to narrow down the years to start watching. I have so many random thoughts on the mess they clearly made of this show but I'd almost like to start watching and offer thoughts that way. Who knows? I'd love to but I ebb and flow in my watching of stuff LOL

In terms of the current cast, way too many Dingles still. It's startling how many there are and how many off-spring they have. I like some of them. But still ... lord.

Also seems like they mishandled some vets (Deena Payne as Viv comes to mind) later on in the 2010s.

Watching random 1996/1997 episodes and man, the show has such a primetime feel (I know it's primetime anyway but the show clearly has a budget and it shows). I adore it. All the UK soaps felt like that. I think going to HD has actually lessened that look. Same for US soaps in the 70s-90s. Any of them could have passed for a primetime drama.

10 minutes ago, Skylover said:

The audiences are very different between US and UK. I don't think Americans mind the artificial look of US soaps that much? The incidental music is just awful though. I get it's a big part of the US soaps but if they can't afford to it properly I think they'd definitely be better cutting their losses. I have noticed the lighting is better in some sets than it used to be - the hospital set looks more naturally lit than when I was last watching around 2018.

Would it make much of a difference? They clearly don't have the money. I don't know if a change in producer would help unless they literally want to gut out the show from top to bottom. I really miss the real conversations characters had. I remember watching a scene between Alice and Jennifer and it just felt so real and honest. Jennifer said she always makes mistakes and Alice replied that it's not making mistakes that's the problem, it's how you choose to respond to those mistakes. This is a kind of conversation I just couldn't imagine current Days being able to do.

Thank you  

I agree with you completely.

The lack of modernizing the shows (without killing them in the processs) and the lack of real conversations is becoming a turn off. These soaps have SO much potential but they aren't allowed to be modern. They were far more progressive in the 70s and 90s.

Personally, the UK look is more appealing to me (even as overproduced as they have become) but our soaps couldn't pull it off. 

Casuals probably don't care about the sets. Most of us do lol.

20 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

She was on as a panelist? Love her too. She’s as real as they come.

I love her. It was so nice seeing her. She fit right back in like NOTHING. Same for Star Jones.

Star Jones returns to The View:

Lisa Ling returns to The View:

1 hour ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Yeah, on the one hand I appreciate the efforts of most of the uploaders, on the other hand, I wish they'd at least get together and build a "Vault" similar to the B&B/Y&R collectors, which I am certain led to the B&B folks streaming classic episodes on YouTube.

Want to hear something truly hilarious? The last video of "B&B From The Beginning" that I viewed on YouTube, P&G ran ads for streaming the episodes? Ain't that a kick in the head?

I've saved a lot of GL/ATWT videos from some of the YouTuber's who have been taken down (unfortunately I missed a LOT) but it would be nice to see a vault created. I have no clue how to do that and they aren't technically 'my' videos.

4 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Checking my DVR

This episode was from Friday September 17th

I wish it was ED but you know it'll be what's her name. Fake Kristen.

They have said 'familiar faces' return for the story but I've yet to hear about anyone. I assume it will be Stacy's Kristen if she's involved.

It would be nice to have real Kristen and Eric around for this. I mean, the story is only played two-three times a week so I guess we should be lucky in what we get.

I used to really love the background music on DAYS. I don't know what happened. Honestly I barely even notice it half the time. I get not wanting it at all but background music is a big part of our soaps.

Even the updated sets look cheap, to be honest. Lighting is mixed. They really need a stronger producer.

Yeah, I love how AMC is still talked about. It gets more press than other soaps that are still on the air. Others explained very well why the show still matters and people still talk about it.

It also helps you have numerous stars still in the public spotlight and many have had various degrees of success (Michael B. Jordan anyone?). 

It also helps that Susan Lucci is so active and transcended into mainstream popularity. People KNOW her.

17 hours ago, carolineg said:

I think Kyle Brandt said he was kind of a dick back in the day too.  He's made some comments that make him seem very full of himself

I can't imagine MM being bitchy-not that I doubt you.  I wish some of that bitchiness would come off on screen.  That actually might make me like Belle more lol.

Belle/Shawn always seem so sexless in a way most couples, even bad ones, don't.  Jarlena still act like they want to get it on every night. Even Doug/Julie seem passionate lol.  I believe they love one another, but there is zero passion and they do seem like best buds.  I know BB and MM can do passion because BB did it on B&B and MM had it with JKJ.  It's a shame because it's too late to recast now and we are just stuck with them unless KS and JC randomly decided they want to come back one day.

I think Shawn/Brady should at least be friends.  They are in laws and he could be pro-Brady in the war over Chloe since apparently Belle hates her brother and is pro-Phillip.

That's true. Brady and Shawn could be buddies. 

I think DAYS needs some friendships. I get it's harder to justify spending time on building friendships but .... it's lacking. And would go a long way towards character development.

It is odd BB/MM don't have any chemistry together. They seem to get along and like each other; which translates, but no chemistry.

1 hour ago, Liberty City said:

The ONLY reunion that worked for me was Dante's.... Michael is not Sonny's child, nor is Josslyn. Kristina has been a non-existent entity so her inclusion felt propped. Carly? Meh. Jason? Acted more like the widow Corinthos than the actual widow Corinthos did.
The non-reunion parts of the episode worked. Phyllis wasn't buying Nina's bullshit and when she mentioned Lenny, Phyllis' face said: "B!tch. Don't mention my husband."

But Facebook loved it!!!  

I give up on soap social media. They just don't want to get how interference works. Sure the writers have some blame, but Frank must be loving the stans coming to his defense and blaming the writers for everything. I notice it's the Jason/Sam and Franco/Friz stans. They just don't seem to get it. Newsflash stans: 2014-2018 wasn't good either.

6 minutes ago, DramatistDreamer said:

If I have said this once, I have said it multiple times, over and over again: one cannot expect to build a successful show long-term, based on the premise of being in opposition to something. You have got to be "for" something. Being "anti" does not make for long-lasting success.

The joke is that The View, as messy as it is, still looks to be in a stronger position than The Talk. After all these years. Turns out that the majority of viewers who watch talk shows want their show to stand for something rather than nothing at all. Go figure.

Absolutely nailed it

2 hours ago, carolineg said:

Didn't Lani and Shawn date?  And she was in love with him, but he dumped her for Belle?  I vaguely remember this happening awhile ago but that's never been spoken of since so?

Belle and Shawn have been made to be lame.  They lack something both of their parents had/have and I don't think it's the performers fault.  They need a super villian or adventures and they don't get that.  Plus, MM/BB don't have much chemistry. 

Yeah, Belle and Shawn feel like best friends who are married to each other. 

Lani/Shawn was so blink and you miss it. I forget about it lol.

2 hours ago, jam6242 said:

I don't care for Belle and unfortunately Shawn is mainly seen as her appendage these days.  Shawn and Eli are cousins but I'm not sure that's ever acknowledged.  Shawn should be around for whatever is happening with Doug (especially since Hope will be a no-show unless there is a recast), but the last time Shawn mentioned him, he referred to him by his first name, rather than Grandpa.

Yeah, Shawn could be used better for sure. That's why I'd like to see a Shawn/Eli friendship. And Billy Flynn and Brandon Beemer seem friendly off-camera so a Shawn/Chad friendship could be interesting (and Belle is involved in DiMera plus they once hinted at Belle/Chad). And Sal/Marci Miller are close off screen and Abby and Lani could both really use friends ...

2 minutes ago, amybrickwallace said:

I think everyone does.

lol true!

I liked Carly Fiorina waaaaaay more than I expected. She 'gets it'.

It was great seeing Lisa Ling again too.

Whoopi also just inked a four year deal to remain with The View

And Cindy McCain will guest co-host in October. LOL. I like her 100000x more than her memememe daughter.

1 minute ago, John said:

Much of Lani's first  stint was forgettable 

No lies here, it really was

Sarapa isn't really wrong though (though I agree with you he annoys me even if I agree with him a lot of times; he acts like a know it all). I haven't seen GHTwitter so united in a long long time. They're very split. FacebookGH loved it.

16 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Not the whole fandom. Ugh. Alan annoys me still after all these years.

18 hours ago, Ryan Chamberlain said:

Wes/Peter was unwatchable today.

Overly theatrical ham that he is. 

He's been even worse since Peter resurfaced. It has to be on purpose or he really believes he's ... good. He is not.

20 hours ago, MichaelGL said:

Soap Twitter is mad 

Yep; they're pretty united which is very rare

They definitely don't feel invested in Belle or Shawn. And having a teenage daughter didn't help. Especially when they were off-screen for most of ORK's run. Ron seems to want them around but the investment definitely isn't there. Why aren't Eli and Lani and Belle and Shawn friends? Abby/Chad/Eli/Lani/Belle/Shawn would be an interesting grouping. Not saying swap them, just friends.

2 minutes ago, Vee said:

I guess I should try to watch yesterday's and today's to get a sense of the current plotlines lol.

And Ron does not write edgy men unless they're killers, quasi-rapists or other villains snarking on the rest of the normie characters. That's been his style for a long time, it's not new. The women are the focus along with the outsize villains/eccentrics or antiheroes. This is the same way it went at GH (and to a lesser extent, OLTL) when layered male leads lost all definition and became dupes. All other men are reduced to hapless, oft-naked hunks on par with Austin's worst years.

Yeah you're right lol I shouldn't be surprised

41 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

Ariana is a nice addition to The Voice, but I’m kinda over that show. It’s always been about the celebs and their banter. Which works if you love the celebs and their chemistry, but it gets old, even with a new panelist every few years. The show I really love is Songland, with a panel of star songwriters like Ryan Tedder judging and workshopping songs with aspiring songwriters, who pitch songs for a different artist each week. It’s a great window into that creative world.

I totally agree that ABC saw “old white guy” with Tom, but they didn’t see the value in that particular “old white guy.” If they were aiming for a change, someone with more warmth (like a Nick Cannon or a Cat Deeley, who are great hosts on their Fox shows) would have been better. 

Last year, I remember Artem’s partner was injured, and he stopped by during the live show to chat with Tyra and update everyone on his partner’s condition. After the interview was over, Artem was just standing there while Tyra was introducing the next performance, and Tyra sorta scooted over so Artem wouldn’t be in her shot. That’s the kinda vibe I get from her.

The Artem story sums her up perfectly. EDIT: Tom would have included Artem in his shot. Sums them both up. They have to see it. And truthfully I think they set up her BTS, but I have no tea on that. Just a hunch. Or she's just *really* bad. I tend to think the latter but she seemed fine on AGT.

Yeah, the show needs a host who can keep the flow and pacing and have some energy, personality and warmth. 

I also don't think they'd ever admit 'it was a mistake' as that would be bad optics. So they're likely 'stuck'. Or tone deaf.

They definitely didn't value Tom and what he brought. They had up until then it felt like. They found it 'old fashioned' (yet remained modern and timely) but forgot that was part of it's appeal. 

Ariana does seem like she has livened up The Voice. It's a good concept and I don't dislike the show (feels a bit overrated and I think any competition show shouldn't have two seasons a year - you burn out faster), just never really got into it.

39 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Tripp has been watered down so much. He doesn't have the edge he once had. The same goes for Ciara.

Rafe should just be a detective. That's it. Just like Dan was on ATWT. He had no life outside the police station. Rafe should just appear to solve crimes.

Yeah, Rafe can just be a detective with some snark. I'm good with that.

Tripp is so watered down and they're wasting him. He's Austin. The world is going on around him and his head is in the clouds. LOL. Such a letdown.

Just now, Faulkner said:

Yep. I need to break the habit like so many others have. For many longtime viewers, Guza was enough lol. Glutton for punishment right here! Just need to let the Ryan’s Hope YouTube playlist roll during the daytime hours.

Yeah, I've been seeking out other sources for my soap fix. I keep trying with these soaps and I just keep getting let down and frustrated. Silly me. LOL. But there's so much potential and they just keep fumbling the ball.

Guza and Phelps were so toxic and ugly but they were still also a soap. They played beats and got things right even as ugly as it was and as destructive as it was. They ripped the heart out but I'd take ANYTHING happening at this point ... how sad.

I'm so tired of letting them waste my time. They waste SO MUCH time. 

12 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

Nope. I thought they *might* actually have the balls to really shake things up. Very naive.

I really thought they would too, but deep down I knew better. Especially under Frank.

Frank's got the jokes

3 hours ago, AlexElizabeth said:

It's so lame. I cannot believe how poorly this storyline is being handled. This should've been huge and we're getting nothing.

I'm interested in seeing how the Spencer/Trina stuff plays out, but at least things are actually happening in this story. There's at least some soapy drama going on here. That's more than I can say about most of the current stories. 

Peter gives Victor an ultimatum? Really? Why can't he just go away? 

It's all so bad and it's amazing how quickly it tanked. Lots of potential, soapy storylines and they all just fade out like nothing matters. Now we're back treading water and none of those daily spoilers interest me, apart from Spencer/Trina/Cameron. And I fully expect the ball to be dropped there as well.

Did Jean Passanante come back? A lot of it reads like the awful 2015-2018 period

3 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Not to be super dramatic, but it’s a breach of trust. Soaps are asking a lot of viewers to commit to five hours a week in the hopes that stories are going somewhere. If a movie has a crap ending, you’ve only lost two hours lol. There are other stories going on with potential, like you say, but how do we know they aren’t gonna eff those up too, especially with Spencer and Trina, whom I really enjoy? I’m not as loyal to GH as I am to Y&R, which was my very first soap dating back to childhood, so I’m not sure I want to go along for the ride with GH anymore. I dunno.

Enjoying the “moments” is one thing and I see how people can stick with the show for those, but GH shows their viewers a lot of disrespect.

This.

Even finding 'moments' to enjoy is becoming rare with GH. DAYS has my 'loyalty' but GH is right up there with it. It shows a total lack of respect for it's audience.

But after seeing Twitter posting Facebook comments on GH, it's clear that's the audience they are after.

Chit's "We are the Charlie Brown to Frank's Lucy" is so spot on it isn't even funny

It's such a shame B&B remains so bad. Bell isn't even trying (which can be a good thing). This man really has to let go of the writing reigns. He'll never let go of producing so I don't expect that but damn ... pretty much the entire cast, apart from a handful, are ignored.

So much potential on all the soaps but they keep fumbling the ball