Planet Soap

I don't even mind 1 storyline for a 30 min soap but switch up the repetitive dialogue, or maybe add 1 more plot. I know B&B moves plots quickly but I did not expect the Liam admission so soon. Noticing that the characters don't talk in code, they outright state things in private conversations: "I killed Vinny", "I cheated on Eric with Carter". Like what if someone overhead you🤣?? It would be easy to catch characters like Liam and Quinn on a wire.

Amen! It might be crap but at least stuff happens. Cameron.....karma is a b. I really didn't see this coming. Had Cameron been black that stand off with police would have ended differently. As for Jason, how many times is he going to need surgery and be in a hospital bed in one lifetime??? There's a constant trend of him sustaining an injury and being comforted by a woman, (Liz, Carly, Sam, etc...). I'm feeling him with Brit though. What are our thoughts on Stephen A Smith? I think he's doing pretty decent for a celebrity cameo.

To me, Guiding Light declined after 1997. Y&R 2001- The production quality went down afterwards. GH - 2000 when Wendy Riche got the boot & Sonny really began to eat the show. OLTL-1996 after Michael Malone left and the Viki DID plot wrapped up. AMC-1997 after Lorraine Broderick left. I suppose the dates everyone listed were when shows began to decline rather than become utterly "unwatchable". I've come to understand that Reeva is Sonny Corithos of GL, in that she eats the show at the disdain of older fans. This in stark contrast to Erica Kane or Viki Lord whom fans seemed to like at the center of their shows.

Great feed back and wow, the mid 80s is very early compared to other soaps! From what I've read across SON, a lot of users post somewhere between the mid 90s and early 00s as the quality decline mark on other soaps. Overall the 2000s were not kind to Guiding Light (and All My Children) especially. Once the new production model came, that was it! I didn't like that Guiding Light was cancelled, but I can't say the show wasn't asking for it in the latter years.

I grew up in a primarily CBS soap house, and my memories were of 2000s GL. I never gave the show much respect until I saw what it had been in the late 70s (with all the Roger & Holly drama)and the 90s on YouTube. I think things were pretty good up until the Reeva clone and new face Annie mess. What would you all consider the definitively best period of GL, and when did it go off the rails?

Not sure how you all feel about this, but I always found Mad Tv (and In Living Color) to be edgier and funnier than SNL. It think Mad's 1 hour run time was a plus too. Both shows also boasted a more diverse cast. Mad Tv especially could swing from frat boy to urban and everyman's humor. Mad and Living were strong at music video parodies as well. Because SNL has to fill a 90 minute slot, it's makes half the skits feel like moderate to barely funny filler. The only advantage SNL has is comedy star generating power and the iconic backdrop of New York and Rockefeller Center to add to it's prestige.

I found Christine not knowing about Jack & Patty strange too. It's similar to Brad explaining Sheila's misdeeds to Michael in 2005 despite Michael having been on the show in the early 90s. It really speaks to the old show's charachters isolation, its habit of not mentioning past storylines and randomly disregarding characters and history.

Do the producers not realize the show is a** or do they legitimately think they're doing a good job🤔

Whatever the situation with Dough Davidson is, he is the longest running cast member and they could have done better. If we can see Sharon in relationship drama, Nick and Phyliss go back, and Victor & Nikki doing the same thing for for the umpteenth time, they could definitely find something for Paul to do. I think the only time Paul & Christine were really interesting as a pair were during the Isabella storylines. Otherwise I'd rather see them as investigative partners. Michael & Lauren is also a pairing that has dulled both characters in the long run as well. Lolllllll!!!!!!!!

IDK why soaps haven't tried to elevate more non-white characters, especially given how much people of color support their shows. The trend of mostly wealthy white characters in a rich CORE family that owns a some form of conglomerate, in a town somewhere where melodramatic things happen is so repetitive. In that same theme, I'm surprised more shows haven't had a singular focus like fashion on B&B or politics on Capitol.

They should have explored all the stuff in the flashbacks in the therapy sessions, not the invented Mikkos scenes.

I bet! The quality and rush to production required to write a scripted series airing 5 days a week is why I've grown to be critical of the 5 day new episode model.

@Lust4Life76 it seems those who have been destructive to the show have been allowed to stay in power for a long time. JFP lasted about 11 years, and now Frank is approaching 10 years at the helm. Current GH needs a new EP ASAP! Maybe Frank (and Ron) she try to reshape Y&R or even B&B. I'm curious to see how that would play out.

Katherine Chancellor in the 90s. After the Marge debacle it seemed like Kay didn't have a leading story until Rex's death and then again until the battle over the Chancellor estate. ( I know her breast cancer scare story is in that time frame somewhere) which I never saw. The estate battle really reignited her feud with Jill and gave her consistent stories until she passed. Did the show ever get into the root of Katherine's dependency on Philip? I still can't understand why she martyred Phillip II especially because Rex was a significantly better husband than him. It would have been cool to have seen some scenes with Mrs.C in the therapist chair or a rehab of some sort.

In that same breath, from what I understand Wendy Riche was removed as GH EP? Why was this after she brought General Hospital significant acclaim and awards in the 90s?

Even the sub families were more interesting. The OG Spectras, the Marones and the Logans had a lot going on back then. I wonder why we haven't seen Jackie or anyone from that clan come back since.

In watching old episodes on youtube, I was surprised to see how much juice B&B still had left in it as late as 2010. The storyline with Brooke and Oliver, Beth drowning, the end of Eric and Donna's marriage, best of all Stephanie was still around. BUT this is also the year where Liam was introduced to the canvas, and the Brook/Taylor/Ridge triangle shifted to Liam/Steffy/Hope😷. 2003-2010 was definitely post prime but still had some watchable material. Once Susan flannery quit that was it.

cooool!

@titan1978 I grew up on Guza/Phelps GH so shaggy Luke was all I knew. It wasn't until the 50th anniversary marathon that I realized what Luke used to be. Similarly I hadn't realized how close Sonny and Robin were, and how critical Monica used to be to the canvas.

Luke is a mixed bag. I think his best character years were the 93 return up until Nicolas came on to the canvas in 96. He was energetic, up beat, a family man. The other post 80s heydey period I say Luke was strong in was the Pt Charles hotel fire through the Metro Court Crisis. I found him to be witty and funny during some of those storylines. He also did seemed like a dedicated dad trying to find Lulu at the end of the hostage crisis, and trying to make sure she got the vaccine during contagion. Otherwise I didn't enjoy the shaggy degenerate that he became.

Im surprised the Talk lasted this long! Take this and The View off the air ASAP.

GH Felicia: beginning after Maxie's heart transplant, and more so after the late 90s they really didn't know where to go with the character. GH Bobbie & Tony (under Guza/Phelps): after Tony kidnapped Michael the character never recovered. I can't recall any major storyline he had afterwards. after Bobbie found out Carly was her daughter her role on the show pretty much diminished to a supporting character afterwards. Y&R Lauren: it seems Lauren has struggled to have solid storylines that aren't intermittently related to Sheila since 1990. The last remotely interesting thing Lauren probably did was the affair with Carmine. OLTL Clint: after Viki's affair with Sloan the character struggled to get a solid story until Jerry Ver Dorn took over.

ATWT : Kim & Barbara

GH: Monica & Gail OLTL: Viki & Renee

Same. I like how strong and independent Laura is now without being saddled in a victim role. Despite their problems though, I don't care to see her with anyone but Luke. I'm hoping their reunion is the final scene of GH should it end anytime soon.