j swift

It is a testament to how long certain characters have been on-air that we can sympathize with them even during the silliest events

BTW - an interesting bit of math that I did over on the 90s ratings thread - In 1992, 78% of the audience for DAYS was women between 24-54, but by 2022, 80% of the audience was women over 54. I find the aging stats remarkable. It is as if they've kept a loyal base that has aged over time, but they've not been able to add a significant number of younger viewers, which makes me the question the viability of a future for the soap, regardless of quality. With numbers like those, Shonda Rhimes could take over with Julia Roberts as the lead actress, and it might not make a difference.

Culturally (an adverb that I overuse in this thread) - the "found family" idea seems to have also been a huge part of the PR for Melrose Place. And I think you can easily see the influences of MP of TC.

Once again, finding logic in Salem is a fool's errand, but why did Melinda leave with the baby to go to a hotel? I guess the doctor had to inspect the baby, but they could have done that in Sloan's apartment. And certainly Eric isn't dumb enough to think that they deliver adopted babies to your home like Doordash. It is amusing that between Nicole, EJ, Eric and Sloan, Melinda is the only one with a crib. All that being said, I agree with @carolineg that the magic of DAYS is the ability to find emotion amongst the silliness. When Melinda recalled giving up her baby for adoption, I found the performance particularly moving. It is easy to dismiss it as drivel, but I think it is very entertaining.

My only comment on today's episode regarding Holly was, if you grow up watching everyone having sex in the living room, you begin to believe it's OK to smoke a doobie in there too... It was a rather pathetic end for Dimitri, but I'm glad he finally got out of such confined spaces. BTW, how do they allow prisoners to talk on the phone to their conspirators in the police station? By tomorrow morning, Eric has to begin to question the timing of his son's birth. As mentioned by others, it is not as if this family hasn't had babies switched in the past. Remember when his twin tried to sell their step-sister on the black market?

Ok, so that's amazing! In 1992, 78% of the DAYS audience was women 25-54 30 years later in 2022, 80% of the audience is women over 54

@JAS0N47I tried to search earlier in the thread to get this answer with no success, (so forgive me if it's been addressed), but is there any demographic data from the 1990s? I am consistently fascinated that prior to Peacock, around 80% of DAYS audience was over 54. So, I wonder if 20 years ago the demographic proportion was higher because the same audience was within that age range?

Am I wrong? It seems like this baby switch will be quickly resolved given that Leo knows the truth (also, only men who've never seen a baby delivered write the mother passing out all the time). How long will Eric remain oblivious?

There was an issue immediately when she bought the mansion because Lennox the Butler was deeded lifetime employment, regardless of the owner (another example of only-in-the-soaps probate). When she argued that she didn't want him there, he countered that she couldn't sue because most of her winnings were tied up in the purchase of the mansion. So, it stands to reason that if the town fell apart, and Deborah's liquid assets were limited, she probably couldn't hold on to it for twenty years, regardless of the Clay look-alike that she met in the final episode. Scheduling was a variable that was blamed for the failures of Loving, The City, Generations, and Ryan's Hope. It seems reasonable, but hasn't The View survived in that timeslot for decades? I never know the east coast schedule and may have confused The View taking the timeslot vs just using The City's set.

It is so interesting to see the indirect impact of AIDS on the soaps. Romantic plots became much more chaste, and the highlights became about a first kiss, or a fairy tale wedding, rather than exploring overt sexuality of the late 70s in soaps. It is easy to see how producing a daytime drama in New York or LA at a time of increased anxiety about HIV influenced the writing, as well as other parts of the production. Most soaps eventually told actual stories about the disease, (some of which would be deemed offensive by modern standards), but I am fascinated at how the epidemic changed the culture of daytime TV. I think a perfect example is Victoria on Y&R was described as frigid when she was a teen because she refused to engage in sex with her boyfriend, whereas a decade earlier Dr Casey Reed's story of sexual inhibition due to being abused by a father lead to a sexual re-awakening. The happy ending for Casey was being sexually liberated, whereas Victoria found happiness when she met a guy who was willing to wait for the right time. Obviously this argument is a bit reductive, but I think it accurately reflects how AIDS changed storytelling (and fashion) beyond the real issues like using condoms, to trying to de-emphasize libidinal needs and tease the audience in ways that were considered safer.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I can also appreciate the appeal of Morgan Fairchild, Catherine Hickland, and Debbie Morgan being filmed on location in New York at a time of cultural renaissance for downtown culture. To me, the regret is that they lost the connection to that scene and began telling typical soap stories that could've been set in any small town in America. I think they overestimated the interest of that specific geographical area for a daytime audience. To be a bit of a coastal elite snob, you can't sell toilet paper to women in the Midwest with stories about the lifestyles of people below 14th Street. Although in many ways it was a prototype for what Sex and the City became three years later (in terms of the interstitials, the music, and the city as a character), the plot of that show, as well as those characters, would've never worked in daytime.

I appreciate such a detailed and data driven answer. SOD could never... 😉

I really liked Martin's advice to Nina to throw herself on the mercy of Carly and Willow. I appreciate when characters can be an audience surrogate to get other characters to see alternatives. I mean, he is correct that Michael wouldn't risk being exposed as a blackmailer to Willow, and Nina should use that to her advantage. I far prefer that type of one-upmanship to punishing Nina for a minor issue.

1.2 million total and 257,000 adult viewers in the 25-54 age range, a 2% year-over-year improvement. @Errolor @JAS0N47Is that better than DAYS was doing before Peacock?

There's a big story in Los Angeles about a man who dismembered his wife, and her torso was found in a dumpster. Part of the draw of the story is that the man is the son of Sam Haskell, disgraced CEO of Miss America and former agent of Dolly Parton. Also noted was that the man's mother was an actress on Days of Our Lives. So, I did an IMDB search and to say that she starred on DAYS would be an overstatement.

@Vee Do you know the urban myth in Port Charles? If you say Gwyneth Alden in the mirror three times, you wind up with a bad wig on your head (very spooky).

No, but the promo of her exiting a helicopter in her Tom Ford Premiere Collection for Gucci white boots was played extensively on the network prior to the first episode. However, there were "seeds" dropped while they all live in Corinth. Richard mentions Sydney when Tess is looking for spaces in Soho to move the agency. IIRC, Tess and Buck also go to New York to find a place to rent. However, the gag was that the audience was led to believe that the building was owned by a man named Sydney. Because at that time in history, who would've assumed that a lady could own a whole building! GH kind of answered those questions when they visited Corinth, and it was a virtual ghost town that never recovered from the negative events of the murders

My quibble of the day is - what has Sloan done to turn every perspective adoptive parent in Salem against her? She's got a good job, she married an ex-priest, and she may be one of the few citizens of Salem to have never been falsely accused of murder. Sure, her brother's a creep, but she hadn't seen him for so long that they had different accents. Is it her dislike of chowder? Are there folks still holding it against her that she put her feet on the coffee table that one time at the Victor's mansion? Does everyone really like Paulina that much after she tried to teardown the square? Why are we supposed to take it for granted that Sloan would have difficulty adopting, when in our universe it wouldn't be an issue? On a serious note, I hate that Sloan has become such a symp for Eric, when he was the one who pushed for a commitment. Gurl, if you are worried your man loves someone else, don't ruin your career, kick him back to his daddy's boarding house, there's plenty of fish in the sea (including Chad).

For what it's worth, my counterargument is that torching the town allowed Ally and Steffi to move to New York and start new lives. Obviously, they didn't need to kill all of those characters in order to achieve that purpose. But, as noted, the murders changed the culture of Corinth, not just the population. Ally and Steffi would've always been tied to the Aldens if the clan wasn't murdered. Sure, they left their mother's behind, but by destroying their ties to Cooper's family, it allowed them to start fresh. And the final scene with Gwyn taught them that mothers can't always be reliable. Both characters evolved and became adults. They learned to give up their schemes and live with honest intentions. As I noted, I think it was a mistake to give them both young kids to care for, but they were the best candidates to move the story forward to a new setting. And yet, I think the actual broken promise of The City was that Ally, Steffi, and Angie were going to be able to explore new motivations, but wound up with stories that could've been told in any generic setting.

In this re-read I kept thinking that it should've been Ally who finally put Gwyn out of her misery. Ally was the one who was spared by Gwen, from being on her board of intended victims to the car episode when Gwyn tried the murder/suicide poisoning. I get that it needs to be Steffi for the Steffi/Tony romance to evolve and motivate her to move away. But, Ally needed a win after falsely accusing Danny of rape, so it could've made sense. An underrated scene that I forgot until the re-read was the community meeting before Ally gets almost gassed to death in the car. I truly felt the frustration of the citizens that the police didn't have a clue, and the town was being destroyed. That's also what I liked about Ava's exit. I was sad that she left, but I admired the bold story telling of having a central character leave and voice the audience's reaction to the destruction of everything in the town not only due to the murders, but how it changed the culture of the community. A reminder to me of the beat that is always missing in other soap serial killer stories. On GH, by the next sweeps, everyone has moved on, either because the victims were minor characters, or the writers have changes. In Corinth, we got the real experience of what it would be like in a small town if an entire family was systematically killed. On the other hand, I appreciate that The City was going to focus on the liberation of Ally and Steffi. But, giving both characters young kids, and the intrusion of the real life pregnancy, kind of derailed those plans. They couldn't be carefree gals in the city, with two little buggers needing constant care. There's so much obvious plotting that went into the end of Loving, but maybe if they knew what would The City was going to be they wouldn't have burdened those women with kids at such a viable age for romance and upward mobility. I mean, think about those opening scenes with Ally rollerskating around the loft, and the girls finding the rug with the dead body, and then remind yourself that they're both solely responsible for the care and upbringing of two little kids, it's just not as cute. With regard to the killer ever having been Trisha, after reading this re-cap it is clear that it was always going to be Gwyneth, and it is a testament to the planning and foresight of the writing staff that the red herrings were so viable that years later we continue to debate their possibility.

Agreed. Texas takes forever to get started as exemplified by the fact that in the premiere week Alex stops the plane that Iris is on in order to get her to stay in Houston, then it takes two episodes for her to exit the plane. SB has so much going on in the first four months. In July we got the pilot with the glamorous flashback to Channing's murder, Joe getting out of prison, and JAN running around shirtless for the first two weeks. The earthquake happens in November, and December brings the amusing Lockridge Christmas in jail episode, which sets the tone for the series. In fact, I would argue the wheels really fall off at the 9-12 month mark when the multiple recastings and changing characterizations occur.

I know it is too much to hope for a unique twist for a baby switch story, but I feel like we all know the beats - Nicole cries, Sloan looks guilty after running into Nicole twice, the baby needs a DNA test for a blood transfusion, Eric is a match, the kids figure out that the baby was switched, etc, etc - and that baby will be back in Nicole's arms by Xmas. Only to be promptly SORASed in five years.

I know but if they want to keep the character viable, they'll need to give some finality to Gabi. Similarly, for Rafe, we'll need some excuse for why Gabi isn't a part of his life, even though they barely interacted for the past six months. And, if they ever want to bring back Will, or age Arianna, we'll need to know whatever happened to Gabi. Belle could just disappear, because it could easily be explained that she's with Shawn, Claire, or back in the foreign office of Basic Black, until they resurrect the character at some point.

Bravo @Kane !!! Your blogpost software made it difficult to post a "like" on your Loving Murders wrapup, but it was so smart and much appreciated. The connection between Medea of Corinto and Gwenyth of Corinth was fascinating to read. I enjoy when an author can provide novel soap criticism, and even go beyond their own nostalgia, to write about a plot within the context of history. Your humor, the photos you chose, the specificity of information, the appreciation for sets, and your editorial commentary made your blog a must-read for me every day. I'd put it up there with anything written by Robert LaGuardia, Christopher Schemering, or even Roger Ebert in terms of pop culture criticism. And I encourage fans old and new to read it as a testament to how internet media can preserve soap opera memories. https://lovingsoapopera.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/wrapping-up-the-loving-murders/

@Mitch64's post made me wonder if Holly was a victim of being written by too many regimes for disparate purposes. Holly and Roger could've been my favorite type of soap couple, two outcasts that bond together and help each other in their sociopathic schemes. After all, Holly began as a spoiled rich girl, and that was a key component of her character until she became more of a brat. Then, I suppose, Rita takes over the role of sexy schemer, and Holly is given less agency after becoming a mother. Much later, Holly returns with wealth and a bit of bite, but she never really returns to the characteristic narcissism of her youth, perhaps because Blake had taken on that role. So, as charming and watchable was the actress was, Holly evolved in ways that never seemed organic to the origins of the character, based on whatever was needed for the rest of the cast at any particular time. In the end, when Ed finally frees her from that frumpy apartment, I was just thankful that she was finally able to fly the coup.