Jump to content

Primetime Soaps


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

LOL. I think we can be friends then.

Yeah, fall numbers are generally higher than those in the spring, when daylight savings and warm weather kick in.

What’s interesting is that the “Dallas” episode where Bobby died aired several days after the official television season ended in the middle of May. So the rating for that episode wasn’t counted toward Dallas’ 1984-85 average. Had it been, Dallas would have topped Dynasty for the season by the slimmest of margins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

LOL!!

But seriously.  I, myself, felt that FC became too crime-driven under Jeff Freilich's watch.  The vineyards, and the fight to control them, became almost an afterthought.  Melissa's gaining control of FC was a brilliant idea, but I think it came two seasons too late.  That, and not the Kim Novak [!@#$%^&*], should have been Freilich's first, big story for the show.

But I have read that critics - well, SOME critics - praised the show during those years for "taking risks," or whatever, and breathing new life into FC and primetime soaps in general; and how even SOD named them, and not DALLAS, DYNASTY or KL, Best Primetime Show at the SOD Awards two years in a row.  Personally...?  I think the music and sets got better, but that's about it, lol.

Imagine, for the moment, if DALLAS and DYNASTY had aired those two episodes - "Swan Song" and "Royal Wedding," respectively - opposite each other on the same night?  Between those two shows, it would have been The Greatest Night in Prime Time Television, lol.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The crime element was always there, but it was amplified in that era.

Not the awards, but the best of 1987 and 1988 issues. I think the writeups were posted here before.

It really would've been. Spring 1985 was the zenith of primetime soaps as a genre.

Edited by kalbir
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members

I didn't know this until recently but apparently Les Moonves was at Lorimar/Warner Brothers from 1985-1995 and then went to CBS not long after. When the CBS big three went into budget mode, it was mostly the long-time female cast members that were salary dumped and not the males. Given what we know about Les Moonves, I wonder if there's a connection.

Edited by kalbir
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • Members

And now, I'm picturing Dame Joan disavowing her role in the miniseries.  ("Of COURSE that was my twin sister!  I would NEVER agree to appear in such trash!")

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • https://www.tvinsider.com/1180503/denise-alexander-dead-general-hospital-lesley-webber/ Alexander made her soap opera debut as Lois Adams on The Clear Horizon in 1960, but her big break came in 1966 when she was cast as Susan Hunter Martin on Days of Our Lives while still attending college at UCLA. As Susan, Alexander played a host of dramatic tales, including murdering her husband David Martin (played by Clive Clerk) in May 1967 after the death of their son. “She started out as the bad girl and was thrown out of boarding school for smoking and drinking,” recalled Alexander to We Love Soaps TV. “The character caught on and sparked something with the audience, and that is how Susan became an important part of the show. I was there for almost seven years…. I had such a wonderful time on Days. It was like going to camp every day for me. I loved the people, loved the show, and loved what I got to do. They loved the character and liked me as an actor and gave me lots of neat stuff to do. I didn’t even ask for a vacation for five years because if I worked 365 days a year, I thought I was great. It was a very good time in my life.” In 1973, Alexander was in contract negotiations with Days when ABC offered significant perks to the actress to join General Hospital to play Dr. Lesley Williams. Though Alexander loved her time in Salem, she decided to leave. “It was [Days’ Executive Producer] Betty Corday who sent me to General Hospital,” Alexander told welovesoaps.net. “She said, ‘You must do this.’ So when I went to General Hospital..."

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Now that GL and LOL synopses are being added I'd welcome requests for specific soaps from 1976.
    • By 78 NBC daytime was struggling. They knew what the issues were but failed to make the changes needed to get those young gals watching.  Jan 78 Plans for NBC's daytime programs - which are in third place -are apparently less well defined at the moment. Michael Brockman, a former daytime programer at ABC, took the position of vice president in charge of daytime for NBC just a few weeks ago. He and his chief assistant, Mary Alice Dwyer (an associate of Mr. Brockman at ABC), are in the process of analyzing the network's schedule to determine where to begin making changes. One thing Mr. Brockman knows, he said, is that NBC needs more women18 -49 (NBC is currently last in that category in daytime). "Whatever you design," he said, "has to fundamentally appeal to that demographic." He indicated, however, that he is less concerned with the network's afternoon serial block than he is with its morning game show and rerun mix, and, like his counterparts at the other networks, Mr. Brockman discounts the notion that recent drops in daytime viewership may be attributable to the one -hour serial form. The first changes were indeed in the morning. In April 78 Card Sharks replaced Sanford and Son reruns at 10am and High Rollers was introduced at 11am knocking Wheel of Fortune back to 11.30 replacing Knockout. Sanford and Son moved to noon replacing To Say the Least. On paper that looked like a stronger schedule. The next move in July was the disastrous America Alive at noon, replacing Sanford and The Gong Show,which set them back even further. Finally in October 78, Jeopardy was brought back at 10.30 and Hollywood Squares moved to 1pm replacing another flop For Richer for Poorer. The only major change for the soaps apart from cancelling FRFP, was Linda Grover as headwriter for The Doctors as of April 78.
    • Yeah, Ben and Evie don't start interacting in a 'we're going to pair them together as a couple' way until Feb/March 1977 when she recommends Ben paint a portrait for Jackie.  And Evie's working for Jackie so she and Ben interact and start to become friends.  That happens after Tim breaks up with  her and she's forgiven her sister.. and he and Hope break up after he covers for his younger brother for a crime that he had committed.  Jackie does come onto the canvas in December 1976 and the first months are her trying to snag Mike while she and Justin seem to play a cat and mouse game with one another as he's trying to restart things with Sara again. I often wonder if the Phillip story only came about because the show was going to be expanded to an hour.. and the Dobson's deciding that some of the new characters they were introducing could be tied to Justin/Jackie's back story.
    • Seems like the Dobsons were aiming for a Joe/Sara/Justin triangle or, having decided that Joe would be killed off, Justin would be waiting in the wings. But that never came to pass and I don't think there was much reference to Justin/Sara as time went on.That was something that could have been used later on but Doug Marland may not have known or cared. Also, when the show went to an hour they could add a lot of characters and not rely on the stalwarts, hence Jackie/Alan/Elizabeth. And after Leslie died, Mike went into Dad mode with Hope. Hope/Ben never took off and Hope was replaced and then dropped and Ben moved on to Eve, whose romance with Tim fizzled and Jordan Clarke left (by choice?)
    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • Would anyone have any of these Y&R episodes they could add to the vault? It would be very much appreciated. November 11, 1987 February 16, 1989 February 17, 1989 February 1991 episode - Brad vs Paul fight April 10, 1992 November 16, 1992 November 17, 1992 November 23-27, 1992 July 11, 1993 October 5, 1993 June 17, 1994  - english version June 29, 1994 September 15, 1994 May 16, 1995 August 4, 1995 October 27, 1995 March 11, 1996 April 8, 1996 September 6, 1996 November 26, 1996 January 3, 1997 January 27, 1997 February 17, 1997 February 18, 1997 March 5, 1997 April 22, 1997 June 16, 1997 September 23, 1997 September 24, 1997 September 25, 1997 December 11, 1998 January 12, 2000 September 27, 2000 March 5, 2001 March 6, 2001 March 8, 2001 - english version March 19, 2001 April 5, 2001 April 6, 2001 October 7, 2002 January 30, 2004 August 23, 2004 August 24, 2004 June 15, 2004 June 21, 2004 November 8, 2004                                          
    • When I was a kid, I would watch DOOL with my mom. I remember Denise as Susan so well. And later, of course, on GH. How sad to hear she has passed. RIP.
    • I have to dig that scene up on YT. I'm glad they gave them some kind of happy ending, even if it was really late. Interesting! I remember Justin and Sarah being involved, but I either forgot or never caught their backstory. The girl with money and social position of course turns out to be Jackie. He sort of did to Sarah what Vanessa did to his brother! I do remember Justin started out as not the greatest guy. Kind of a horn dog. It's only when Ross comes on that he becomes the "good" brother. I only have some vague memories of Ben and Hope, mostly of when they were in a positive relationship. He certainly changed over time. "Chill" would be the way I would describe Ben (along with "handsome but kind of a yawn") for most of his time on GL, so hearing he once had a violent temper is very surprising.
    • Yes. That's called good writing.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy