Members David V Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 OK, I was just thinking, which years do you think were pivotal to Daytime soaps, which affected the direction of the entire genre? I can think of the following: 1951- Search For Tomorrow goes on air and soon becomes the first soap to be a long-running success. 1956- The first half-hour serials, As The World Turns and The Edge of Night, go on air. 1958- ATWT secures #1 spot which it would hold down for 20 years. 1967- more soaps move to 30 minutes and begin transitioning to tape. 1968- Another World and The Doctors become the first soaps to break the CBS stranglehold on the ratings. 1975- Days, AW and ATWT all expand to an hour, ATWT and EON the last soaps to change to tape. 1980- in many ways a decisive year. ABC Daytime begins the apex of its domination and General Hospital begins its domination of the ratings, whilst NBC Daytime experiences a catastrophic collapse from which it would never recover. 1988- Young & the Restless reaches #1, from which it has never let go. 1993- in many ways, a fateful year for Daytime because the effects of it are still being felt today: - Guiding Light kills off Maureen Bauer - the death of Douglas Marland - the arrival of James E. Reilly as HW of Days 1999- the cancellation of Another World and the launch of Passions. I think to a degree this has also affected the genre, in its own way. Anyone have any more years to add to this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members R Sinclair Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 1979 - GH's Luke rapes Laura at the Campus Disco. 1981 - Duh... Luke and Laura get married. 2000 - AMC brings Bianca out of the closet. 2001 - GH's Luke and Laura divorce after 20 years. 2003 - AMC has daytime's first same-sex kiss featuring Bianca and Lena / Moment of Shame: Bianca's raped and impregnated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members David V Posted December 15, 2006 Author Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 I'm not sure if most of that was significant for the direction of Daytime generally, and the 1979 and 1981 ones are more or less tied in to what I mentioned about 1980. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Josh Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 1995: This was a pivotal year because of the OJ Simpson murder trial. It was broadcast on all major networks and interupted the daytime soaps for a very long time. I don't think soaps have recovered from this huge hit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members R Sinclair Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 LMAO! Yeah... okay. I'll remember to shove a broomstick up my ass before I play next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members winterguy125 Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 I agree with that Josh I really think that did hurt the shows, that went on for what almost 6 months, until the networks got a brain and decided we did not what to see it anymore, or was it something about the Judge not allowing the video to be shown anymore, I am not to sure about that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Faulkner Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 It was better drama (race, sex, police brutality, celebrity, murder) than the soaps were airing at the time. I know of a lot of people who broke the soap habit around this time. They stopped watching the "stories" and started watching CNN and other news programming during the day. The soaps never really adjusted to this--instead of becoming more "real and compelling," the Reilly/DAYS school of storytelling took hold. Whoever said 1993 hit the nail on the head. What a watershed year for daytime TV! Probably the last "great" year of soaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JAS0N47 Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 OJ's trial didn't really interrupt soaps, or "Days" at least for very long, just a week in July 1994 and a week in January, 1995. The Watergate hearings back in 1973 preempted "Days" 19 times from mid-May to early-August. That's what pushed Suzanne Rogers' debut as Maggie back an entire month from July to the end of August of 1973. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members juppiter Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 Also 1988 because it was the last time there was a writer's strike. It had disastrous effects for some soaps. I remember when AW aired the strike episodes a few years ago and none of the storylines made sense. Then Lemay came in and the show went from incomprehensible to amazing in about 2 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jibbs Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 1973: The Young And The Restless premiers on March 26, and changes the daytime landscape forever. It is the first soap broadcast in colour and without the usual organ music. A younger, sexier cast is featured with stories skewing a younger audience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bellcurve Posted December 15, 2006 Members Share Posted December 15, 2006 1995-THE CITY Premieres. Slick, trendy, and unashamed, this show was one of very few to try to break the mold with a MELROSE PLACE meets FRIENDS premise. Unlike other high budget soaps before it(i.e. SANTA BARBARA, CAPITOL, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL), CITY relied heavily on location shooting along with experimental and expensive-looking camerawork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aMLCproduction Posted December 16, 2006 Members Share Posted December 16, 2006 Can someone explain to me what happend to cause NBC/s collaspe in the ratings? Also what happend with the riters stike? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aMLCproduction Posted December 16, 2006 Members Share Posted December 16, 2006 Shouldnt Bill Bells Tenure as headwriter ( the longest in history and the fact he wrote B&B in its first few years sussesfully? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members aMLCproduction Posted December 16, 2006 Members Share Posted December 16, 2006 Do u think it would be note worthy o metion Aaron Spellings foryay into dytime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KLN Posted December 16, 2006 Members Share Posted December 16, 2006 But many people tuned out of soaps and into the news channel for OJ coverage, instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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