Planet Soap

Y&R 1998: Jack finding Nikki in a pool of her own blood the morning after Veronica shot her. You could see the devastation in Jack's face. Moreover Nikki's hospital scenes with the pale make up making her look half dead and the doctors fighting to resuscitate her were extremely well done. Particularly the scenes where Nikki is barely able to speak and she asks if Joshua Landers is dead. Some of MTS's best work along woth the drunk Nikki material in 1991.

The same with Janet on AMC. Mattson could make you feel sorry for her villains.

I've been saying this! Even Esther and Carollade in it. I guess the writers think of her more as a B&B charachter. FullSizeRender.mov

If we break things down by decade, ABC was definitely better story quality wise in the late 2000s/2010s. OLTL & GH in 2009-12 were more action packed than GL & ATWT and to a degree Y&R. Moreover, 2010/20s GH alone is far more entertaining than today's slow moving Y&R and repetitive B&B, despite it's crappy writing.

To make it more less cartoonish (if possible) they could have said he tried to freeze just the city instead of the world. Or since it was the 80s, they could have said Milkos got hold of a substance to power a nuclear weapon to give it a reliastic Cold War flare.

As I watch more older episodes of both ABC and CBS dramas my opinion wrestles with who was king. I will say I see more mention of ABC soaps in pop culture spaces. Susan Lucci, Luke & Laura and Jessie & Angie are who I hear brought up alot by general layman audiences. Those names more so than Stephanie Forrester, Reeva Shayne or Katherine Chancellor. Then I love CBS because of these ads!:

This was well done! Plus I thought this was a creative way for a villian to try to murder someone. It felt very true crimeish when I watched it.

Who was the king of soaps ABC, CBS or NBC? Personally I think the real competition is between ABC and CBS but we can consider NBC. My pick is ABC because it had a solid lineup with AMC and GH plus OLTL. All three shows had a great period in the 80s and 90s and had a decent timeslot of 1-4pm for the later years of their run. ABC is great at youth oriented and socially concious storylines and I think they do supercouples bigger and better than CBS. I do like CBS however in that it appeals to an older more classic soap audience especially the multi generational ATWT. Morverover 'Young' and 'Bold' have both done a decent job at retaining their older cast memebers and giving them actual storyline. Y&R and B&B have been at the top of the ratings for over 2 decades and ATWT had a solid period as #1. Plus CBS daytime had better promo campaigns in it's prime with promos like "Clarence", "Try Me" "eveything is everything" and "get it on".

Yes that's how it played out. A & M were always entertaining but I wonder if the writers ever felt they were being too repetitive with the couples constant extramarrital episodes. I guess that was the point, lol. Starts at (10:05) Also came acrossan Alan & Monica fight history from 1993 including the scene where Alan rapes Monica. Struggled to find it in the actual 80s clips. Begins at (4:58)

I recall Taylor and Eric dated breifly after Stephanie's death I believe.

I could see Katherine Kelly Lang as Nikki on Y&R. This is a stretch but Robin Mattson (Heather, GH; Janet AMC) as Sheila Carter.

Shemar Moore improved as Malcom on Y&R from his debut to later years.

Loved Alan and Monica in the early 80s. They were so toxic and dysfunctional, and could go from comical to serious all in a beat. Rick Webber and Susan Moore were some of their best material. I really like how relevant they still were under Wendy Riche especially with Alan kissing Rhonda and accidentally killing Ray Conway.

Not sure if this was ever posted here but this is a great sumation of Alan & Monia's stories from the 70s-90s, with a less detailed restrospective of the 2000s. Don't hold me on the accuracy but it lines up for the most part from what I've read. www.eyeonsoaps.net/almon.htm

if a show wants to keep a villain on long-term I think that they have to get their just desserts frequently, even if it isn't necessarily prison. (Ex. Cartman on South Park typically had his schemes backfire, leaving him looking foolish and ignorant). Many TV shows today have lead characters that do abhorrent things but never pay, which almost makes it seem as if the show is glamorizing the evil lifestyle. Once characters do full-blown disgusting things like Franco on GH or go cartoonish like Sheila Carter after 2003, its hard to make them viable longterm. Sheila was able to be a long term functioning villain back on 90s B&B because they took the time to explore her romantic relationships and gave her schemes milder than baby switching and attempted murder. Victor Newman and Adam Chandler are examples of villainous charachters that can go long-term because they still have a code of ethics to them and their schemes pale in comparison to someone like Jerry Jax. Stefano DiMera on the other hand does large scale bad things but it's so cartoonish that they're easier to swallow than someone like Todd Manning doing realistic things like serial rape or being abusive to his to his kids (during TSJs tenure).

That was sad and uncomfortable when I saw it. Soaps don't have that effect anymore. GH Metro Court Hostage Crisis was intense especially after Jerry Jax "Mr.Craig" shot Robin and Alan's heart attack. I read that this was inspired by the show "24".

GH DianaTaylor's murder scene (11:36) was surprisingly graphic for soaps. Y&R (1975) Jennifer Brooks waking up after a mastectomy, running her hands over her removed breasts then bawling in dispair was haunting. ATWT (1992) Margo's Rape was actually SVU level disturbing. Usually soaps just cut away during the rape but ATWT showed during the act. Particularly the scene of Margo seeing the rapists eyes through his mask while he was ontop of her was actually eerie. The rape kit dialog was also SVU worthy with terms like "withdrew" and "ejaculate".

Name an actor/tress that you think would work as a recast and why. Might help to list the show and most noteable role each actor *particularly lesser known names* are associated with. My list: Beverlee McKenzie (Alexandra Spaulding GL) as YR's Katherine Chancellor. Same grand dame matriarch energy. Lisa LoCicero (Olivia GH) as GH's Lois or OLTL's Tea Delgado. William Shatner as Victor Newman (based off aesthetic alone,lol 😂) Susan Flannery (Stephanie B&B) as Falcon Crest's Angela Channing--or vice versa. They are alike except from I understand Angela is significantly more evil. Grand dame energy, ruthless women with a bitter streak.

Didnt Thomas smash Brooke at one pont?? Thinking about it, if they could recast Ridge and Taylor, you think recasting Brooke would ever happen should the day come?They knew Stephanie could never be replaced though!

Kim Nero GH: granted having major actors play a dofferent role on the same soap doesn't work for me (Tony Geary as Bill), but at least Sarah Brown's Carly had some major drama and lasting stoyline impact. Tamera Braun should have been made a villain, an Ava like antagonist to Sonny & Carly. Perhaps even a love interest for Jason or Sonny. (I'm trying to imagine her in Nina's shoes). Instead she was too nice and wasted away after Oscar's death.

I was pretty disappointed that Sam didnt bring up her infidelity with Sonny to Carly this week during their heart to heart about Sonny nd Nina's affair.

GH still image was lovely, plus the sax music was very nineties!

I like fade to black (with background score still playing) then show credit, Law & Order "Created by Dick Wolf" style. Case & point: Y&R It was nice and dramatic. Maybe my favorite: Fade into show logo is another good way, a la Days of Our Lives spinning hourglass closer 1990s. Freeze frames, beat, then show credits on the frozen frame are cool. Dynasty and Dallas in particular.

AMEN!!! Except for me it was "Who Wants to Be a Millionare" since Port Ches had ended!

Y&R Neil's blindness: the concept of Neil being blind and Devon sleeping with his dad's wife Hillary would have been executed way better during the WJB era. Mariah: Victor gaslighting Sharon with a Cassie lookalike that turned out to be Cassie's long lost twin was a sick plot that further dragged Victor's charachter down. However, it would have a been better done psycological plot -- like the George Rawlins murder-- had WJB's team written it. Morover it would have been helped by the epic background music, shadowy lighting and camera angles of the 90s. B&B Justin tries to take over Spencer. Justin using Vinny's framing of Bill & Liam for his suicide to take over the latter's company could have played out over monts. We could have gotten longterm ramifications with Bill wrestling for control over his comany as we got with Forresters & Brooke or Jabot being controlled by Newman back in the day.