Yes, the contamination of the soaps was born there.
Okay, but DS was CREATED and INTENDED to be a supernatural soap, set in a realm outside the rules of reality. It developed a rabid cult following, primarily among young people who reveled in the camp, but it was never a major ratings success, and interest in the series dwindled away after only a few years, when its outlandish material could not be sustained. That should have been a lesson/warning for the networks: novelty soaps were not destined to last.
TEON was predicated on mystery and crime stories, but it was well written, focused on multi-dimensional and intelligent characters, and never veered into the realm of total implausibility. As long as crime and murder existed, TEON was not a far-fetched, insipid joke.
There was David Gray and his mysterious powers and that stupid ring, Casey the alien, Luke suddenly turning psychic...one painfully idiotic plot after another. UGH!
Other shows, which went the low-brow, sci-fi route did not understand that GH had soared in the ratings BEFORE the fantasy crap began. It was the mature writing by worthy writers (Marland and Falken Smith) that drew us in. We cared about the characters and the relationships (Lesley/Rick/Alan/Monica, Scotty/Laura, etc). When the Ice Princess and degradation of the show began, we watched IN SPITE OF the stupid new plots, not BECAUSE OF them. Many other soaps didn't get the concept, and just offered us dumb stories without characters and relationships worth investing in. It turned out to be a disaster.
To me, the last time any soap really shone was the Riche/Labine era of GH, with the stories about BJ's heart and Stone's death. What beautiful, legendary material we were given.
Alas, it's all be downhill from there.
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vetsoapfan ·
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