GLATWT88

GL: small town-y, wealthy and working class families, a big focus was family and family dynamic. 

I started watching around 2003, so my perception may be different. I feel like a lot issues from 2003-2007 when I mostly watched centered around family. 

2 hours ago, Faulkner said:

OK we can be done with Brandi Glanville. 
 

 

That's horrible! I'm no Caroline fan, but this is just wrong on so many levels and absolutely unjustifiable. I was here a really thinking Brandi did the Lords work and called out Caroline on writing the court letter for her sister's abusive ex-husband, but of course not. She just needs to stoop to the lowest point. 

Didn't know where else to post this, but I keep seeing this idea that BB will outlast the other soaps because of its appeal and reach in international markets. While I know this is true and definitely held weight in the 90s and early 2000s - how fair of an assessment and statement is that really. I feel like it is a comment that is regurgitated but no real data is there to back it up. I do think that international markets might help BB to be the last remaining soap, I just don't believe those markets are really doing as much nowadays to keep BB alive as we think. Streaming and social media apps are prevalent all over the world and people are seeking entertainment through these outlets. Traditional TV viewing has changed everywhere and young audiences aren't watching daily soaps be that in the US or internationally. So I can't imagine BB not experiencing dwindling audiences in its international markets as it has in the US. Im also sure several markets have dropped it in recent years...so how fair is it to say that international money will help keep it afloat. Is there real data to support this?

When I first started watching soaps regularly 20 years ago, I would have told you that soaps could be saved. Cable, the internet, and a dwindling demographic of stay-at-home moms ate away at the ratings, but numbers weren't all bad. Besides the reality was that ratings were on a decline for most network TV anyway. Things could have been done then to save soaps, but in today's viewing landscape of streaming and "fast tv" soaps in a traditional sense seem to be a thing of the past. An amazing and treasured thing we have all loved at one point, but definitely on life support with an end in sight.  

To be completely honest, I was surprised it took a whole decade before network TV lost another soap. I feel that the CBS soaps will last a while longer but conditions, budgets and quality will be limited. 

I caught today's episode on W. I'm living abroad and seeing as I won't be able to watch on NBC anymore, I managed to get a stream of W channel. 

Why was everyone passing out today? Is it something stupid? Why can't Days do a serious storyline...

Just to add to this. I would love for GH to do a special series with fan favorites for its 60th anniversary. 

General Hospital was the first (that I recall) to venture into the spin off series category with Night Shift. I remember it being quite successful on SoapNet. Now, Days seems to be doing well with its limited series, Beyond Salem, at least it seems so as it was picked up for a second installment. 

Is there potential for YR and BB to develop their own programming of this style? I do feel like Days and GH both have the best reach for these types of shows, as they seemed to do well in the key demo through the 90s and early 2000s. I think there's a market for those that may have stopped watching around then for whatever reason but might still have nostalgia about their soaps and are young enough to be on streaming platforms. I know that YR and BB also perform/ed well on these demos but the audience just seems older and more traditional to me - but I may be wrong. 

24 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

 

 

The platform is gonna be dead before Days even makes it on there

23 minutes ago, ironlion said:

Was NYC the only big market to move DOOL to 12 pm? I wonder if that really impacted the numbers at all (thinking back to Guiding Light being moved to 10am in NYC).

I remember being confused the first time I tried to watch live post-switch and Days wasn't on at it's usual time. I actually thought it got cancelled and I didn't know about it   However, the change from 1pm to 12pm doesn't seem like a huge shift to make for viewers. Especially, since it only directly competes with half hour of YR at its new time. 

Now GL definitely had to be impacted by moving from a mid-afternoon slot to the morning. 

I agree. My initial and gut feeling is that this is a way to get rid of Days.

I also didn't mean that they would turn Days into a telenovela in a traditional sense, but some telenovelas nowadays have multiple seasons or series. So instead of Days producing 200+ daily episodes. Stories can be condensed to a telenovela of 120+ episodes that are released all at once to viewers each year. Stories can have a set course and some can wrap by the end of the season - taking viewers through a story beginning to end, while other stories can be left to pick up on the next season. It would reduce the number of episodes produced, but also create content that is more accessible to the modern viewer

41 minutes ago, JoeCool said:

Very rushed.  I think what will happen is that the shows that have already been taped by DAYS will go to Peacock. Supposedly they are doing January 2023 then the rest of the shows will be taped for the rest of the season to run through Sept. 2023 as per the contract. Then in Sept. 2023 DAYS will be cancelled or reformatted into a 3 episode week for streaming. 

You're right...anything is possible. There's nothing in the announcement that says Days will continue with its original format of 5 hour long episodes per week. I can see Peacock doing more of these 5 episode specials like Beyond Salem or maybe producing something more similar to a telenovela with 80-150 episodes per year "book" style and release all the episodes at once on a yearly basis. Netflix has heavily invested in telenovelas lately and they've found great success.

I don't know. It all just seems a bit rushed which is often never a good sign.

The announcement should have read that 2022/23 would be Days final season on NBC before moving to its new home on Peacock. This would have given writers more time to wrap up stories on Network TV while being able to create a fresh start for the soap on Peacock that would allow for casual viewers or unaware streamers to pick up or dive in to the show. It would also allow for promotion of the switch over an extended period of time to allow viewers to make the switch more seamlessly. 

The only benefit I see with this transition is that there will be no pause in new episodes, which for retention, I believe is a good sign. Viewers won't have to wait months or a year for new episodes. However, everything about this sudden move, from the fact it has seemed to come out of nowhere down to episodes just being the same old stuff that's already being produced for NBC, screams like a last ditch effort by Days but also Peacock. No offense but Days is not going to save Peacock and if Peacock is this desperate than it's not a great sign.

I'm not very optimistic of this move from NBC to Peacock. Knowing the feeling of losing a soap, I would honestly wish that Days could go out with a bang on network TV than endure this prolonged death that seems inevitable on Peacock. 

I want to be optimistic, but a soap opera, one that is on a tight budget and with lackluster storytelling is not going to be draw in anyone. I think an established soap would find it very hard to create draw in a new audience on streaming. Good luck and I hope that Days could be successful in a new platform. 

26 minutes ago, MichaelGL said:

Re: Guiding Light

2001 was Lloyd Gold taking over from Claire Labine. His tenure started off ok, Claire Ramsey and Alan Spaulding were mixing it up in Springfield as antagonists in quite a few stories. I think you still had some of the Richard/Cassie/Beth/Edmund story playing out, and Edmund/Beth being featured heavily. Introduction of Gus Aitoro, and him mixing it up with Harley and Danny/Michelle. Blake/Ross were given a fatal attraction storyline involving law student Tory Granger. San Cristobal earthquake. Also you had Tony/Catalina/Marah/Romeo story playing out with Catalina's murder mystery. Gold's tenure seemed to unravel when he penned the time travel story involving Josh/Reva/Olivia. When Taggart joined in 2002, she attempted to bring Gold's storylines back down to earth and while attempting to honor the show's history(2002 was the show's 50th Anniversary on TV).

 

Left off that you also had Harley being pregnant with Rick's baby, and it being revealed at the Bauer BBQ in 2001. I found that particular story fascinating, as O'Leary and Ehlers played very well off each other. 

Thank you. I was looking at the ratings and noticed that there were several weeks we’re GL outperformed GH in 2001. It could have just been that GH was having a bad year. However around July to October GL had several weeks were it did better than GH, but also before then as well. It also had a nice demo boost around July compared to the start of the year. 

What was happening on GL in 2001, as it seems the ratings were quite strong. Although, 2002 seems to be where it took a bit of a dip. 

On 4/15/2022 at 8:55 PM, Fevuh said:

I decided the few minutes that I've seen here or there (the other day), I outgrew soaps.  I can't suspend belief that much and I think that's what it is.  I outgrew it, or I've seen it all so it's all stupid now.  They'll spend weeks and months wondering who could have done such a thing.  Or weeks with Steffy holding complete conversations and then falling off into a mumble when the ask her 'who did it'.  SHHHH everyoone.....be vewwy quiet!  She's twying to tell us something!  While Sheila looks on.  Then Steffy will eeek out...."sheeeeeeelaaaaa".    And then someone will say something even more stupid "oh my GOD.  She wants SHEILA!  Oh Steffy thank GOD!  Yes, Sheila is RIGHT HERE!"   "Sheila, come hold Steffy's HAND, she needs to SEE YOU.  Oh honey, thank God. 

Gag.  Yawn.  I have outgrown this kind of drivel.  The great news from what I read though, is that ratings went up a little - so all the Sheila fans can look forward to her eating the show for the next couple of years with all kinds of stupid silly plots.  I've just seen it all and it's 30 years ago.  I do need to look up and see when that Brooke episode is supposed to be - I think several of the former men are supposed to be back for something.  I'll tune in for that.  

I also feel a bit as you do. I've wondered is it because the writing has gotten so bad on soaps, are production values so low that it just takes away from the pleasure of watching, is the genre as a whole having an identity crisis, is it me? Even back in 2011 after a few years of not watching soaps, I was able to get hooked on BB for a short while and still found it entertaining albeit not as before when I was an avid soap watcher.

I watched the episode with Sheila jumping and in fact I've had soaps on in the background since the pandemic brought me back because of the classic episodes. Even still nothing remotely interesting happens to draw me back in or to care enough to know what's actually going on. 

The jump, the drama surrounding it, was just one major who cares. It's been done and a lot better before.

Brooke wakes up from a dream and undoes 15 years of storyline. 

On 8/19/2021 at 3:08 AM, Soaplovers said:

Dallas in the first part of the 80s did a great job of bringing new blood onto the show (Clayton, Afton, Katherine, Rebecca, Donna, Mickey, etc)..but by the mid 80s, that changed.

Speaking of Afton, this clip shows how she functioned quite well as a grey character.  Neither good nor evil. 

 

 

Just finished this season and during these scenes with Afton, I remember saying to myself wow, I really love this character. I was a bit unsure of the character in earlier seasons but have begun to really love her so far. 

I would like to point out that GL was truly a pioneer in awful, cheap openings. That 2003 opening still shocks me to this day. I remember thinking how terrible it looked in comparison to the others at the time. Like some kid in a graphic design class put it together for their dad. 

However, when I saw GH's a during the lockdown after not tuning in for a while, I was equally shocked. It's so cheap looking. Here's hoping they do something simple but powerful for the 60th anniversary. Maybe a recreation of the original opening which wouldn't require cast photos or many changes. 

17 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

At this point, they might as well update the classic ambulance opening (which was always short and sweet) and call it a day.

Exactly what I was thinking! 

1 hour ago, ~bl~ said:

What kind of things does this person like and please let us know what you picked and the result.

He's 27, avid reader, enjoys sports. Soap operas are not really up his alley. I know he likes Friends but may be due to nostalgia and connection with his mom. He likes A Fish Called Wanda. The TV show Boys. Big Mouth. These are just things from random conversations we've had. I don't know much of his taste in TV or movies as he does spend a lot of time reading. 

We have become really close friends and he just knows my fascination with soaps so gave me the opportunity to show him two episodes so see what it's all about. 

7 minutes ago, Manny said:

Oh my God, you're right! It's been a while since I watched them. 

EDIT: Anyway, I don't think a summer break would help. I personally think that soaps are very much a habit thing, so if you break the habit, it is difficult to come back. Soaps could get better viewership by increasing their budgets, getting better actors, sets and most importantly writing. 

No summer break would help anyone if they kept shrinking the budgets and writing horrible stories.

Considering today's viewing habits, I definitely think a major push towards streaming platforms alongside regular airing on networks. For streamers, it would be nice to have a omnibus type feature but a condensed version of the weeks episodes with the major plot points and key moments so that viewers can easily catch up. 

And writing! There needs to be a freshness injected into the stories on soaps. A major overhaul in storytelling to make it appealing to audiences today BUT maintain the key features that make soaps. Soaps! I feel that's where many soaps went wrong in the naughties, by keeping the same tired stories but removing all those fun soap elements that make a soap a soap. 

7 minutes ago, Manny said:

For me, it would be something like Tricia shooting Ryan during his wedding to Victoria; or Days' Greta's coronation episode when everyone gets shot. Or Days' episode when Abe/Lexie give Zach back to the Bradys. 

I showed Cassie's death episode to my Mom, who never saw Y&R ever in her life and she was really glued to the screen and cried. 

Tornado episode from 1994 on AMC. 

EDIT: How could I forget.. one of the soapiest episodes ever I can remember... Sami/Austin wedding, interrupted by Carrie, who exposes the truth about Will's paternity and then the PUNCH that happens.. so campy, overdramatic and soapy. 

The Days one is a good one. My sister used to watch Days back then and I would watch with her. That would be a fun one.

This has been very helpful.

48 minutes ago, wonderwoman1951 said:

there are two that come immediately to mind. unfortunately, i can’t give you specific dates, but will describe them as accurately as i can so others might help. not sure i’ve remembered all the details accurately, but i’m pretty sure i’ve got the gist right.

the first is an episode of ‘all my children’ from 1997. kevin sheffield and his friend kelsey jefferson are lying outside looking at the stars and talking about life. meanwhile, palmer cortland is ripping kevin’s mother, judith, who is not taking the news of kevin’s coming out well,  a new one in front of the country club crowd. can’t remember what the third thread was.

amc won best writing and show that year, am i’ve always thought this was the episode they submitted. in both episodes, the plot moves not a millimeter. but the conversations between and among the characters reveal relationships and contextualize back story, which makes things easier for the blue ribbon panels who more often than not are not familiar with the show. 

the second is an episode of guiding light from the mid-90s. again, a lot of conversation between characters, but virtually no plot movement. my memory of this one is a little fuzzy, but i know bridget has little peter with her, and i believe is talking with roger. vanessa was somewhere in the fix, and there’s still some fall out from nadine’s effort to pass peter off as her own. 

oh, don’t know how i missed this. but, while i was researching dates, i found out that ben jorgenson, who played kevin, died last yeat, sadly by suicide. 

 

Thanks for the recommendations. I believe most of 1997 AMC is uploaded somewhere as I remember finding a channel on YouTube a few years ago with all of the 1997 season. Hopefully, it's still up. 

1 hour ago, Melroser said:

 Nevermind this one. Wasn't a full ep. 

I would still be interested in what you shared. 

I need your help! I talk so much about soaps that I have convinced a friend of mine to come over and watch two episodes. I am tasked with picking two episodes that really showcase what soap operas are all about. Now, I will obviously fill him in about storylines and events that led up to said episode, but I'm having trouble picking an episode that would be great on its own. I really don't mind which soap. I have a fondness for most. My faves are ATWT and GL, but I have watched all soaps on air on or off since 2003. I also love watching old clips that are posted on here. 

Thanks for your help!