Primetime Soaps

[DRW50]

With the discussion in the Falcon Crest thread about self-contained episodes, I started to wonder what you would pick for the primetime soap that did the best job with them.

I'd probably pick Dallas. Certainly not flawless, but the format seemed to inspire more in the writers and also gave much stronger material to characters like Cliff and Pamela. The serial format also encouraged more of the laziest choices with the central characters.

There are some self-contained Knots episodes I enjoy (mainly in season 3), but some are just absolute howlers. Falcon Crest also had some very flat installments in this format, especially if they focused on the Giobertis. 

Edited May 10, 2023 by DRW50

[Khan]

I agree.

[Paul Raven]

Of the other two soaps launched in that era I think Flamingo Road and Secrets of Midland Heights both began in episodic form -right? 

Although Midland never got thee chance to move away from that format...

[Joseph]

Look What I Found!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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[Khan]

Whoever once said in this or another thread that the opening credits for "Glitter" seemed to go on forever wasn't exaggerating.  As a matter of fact, it doesn't feel like an opening credits sequence so much as it feels like a compilation of opening credits from several different TV shows.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Khan

[Paul Raven]

Exactly.

And Glitter itself feels like the Aaron Spelling formula stretched to breaking point.

I'm sure most of that regular cast were lucky to get a couple of lines per ep. But it was nice that Spelling employed so many people.

Anyway Glitter was a bomb and the nail in the coffin for this type of show.

[Khan]

Best part of the "Glitter" opening credits: KNOTS LANDING's Joan Van Ark (Val) doing her best impression of a DYNASTY cast member.  (The trick is to look stoned.)

I think Spelling would have been better off developing "Glitter" as a straight-ahead soap opera rather than as an anthology series in the same mold as "Hotel" and "The Love Boat."

Edited May 13, 2023 by Khan

[Vee]

I'm a Dallas tourist, but the strongest stuff for Victoria Principal for me is easily that first season so far. She's very good and then they were a hit and it all goes to the men. Patrick Duffy was very handsome and talented, but David Jacobs should've stuck to his guns about the show being Pam vs. J.R. IMO.

[Khan]

I agree.  I rather like David Jacobs' original interpretation of Bobby as a modern-day Brick from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

[Paul Raven]

By that point both primetime soaps and anthology formats were dying.

ABC tried Paper Dolls,Finder of Lost Loves etc and there was an 'International Airport' pilot around this time also.

NBC and CBS didn't go for the anthology concept-that seemed to be a Spelling/ABC thing.

 

[j swift]

BTW @Khan the most epically awful opening in primetime soap history is Finder of Lost Loves.

Dionne Warwick and Glenn Jones (aka low-rent Luther Vandross) sing the title to a smooth jazz groove that could not mask the clumsy lyrics needed to shoehorn in the series title.  It is like when Tina Turner had to sing about love Beyond the Thunderdome (another bop with bad lyrics).  Also, note that she's singing Finders (with an "s") of Lost Love (no s), but the title was Finder of Love Loves

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Also, Tony Franciosa and David Birney's appeal were vastly overestimated in both series.

Edited May 13, 2023 by j swift

[Paul Raven]

Those awful opening titles.

Endless shots of Franciosa ,hands in pockets, gazing wistfully. Those sweeping silhouettes of Deb Adair and Ms Jeffreys and the cloud background. And no shots of the guest stars!

 

[j swift]

Also, I noticed that every Aaron Spelling soap in the 80s used an establishing shot of people working at the now-demolished ABC Entertainment Center in Century City.  Which is amusing because Spelling's offices were a few miles east in the Miracle Mile district (Candy decorated the place with millions of dollars in art and shag carpeting).  And an office in those towers would have too expensive for a detective agency or a magazine.

Edited May 13, 2023 by j swift

[Khan]

For sure, the opening titles for "Finder of Lost Loves" needed more pep.  It might have worked for a glossy miniseries, but not for a weekly series.

[te.]

Honestly, I'm surprised ABC picked up both Glitter and Finder of Lost Loves in the same season since they're basically the same formula. At least MacGrouder and Loud, dodgy title aside, was a crime drama even if it's probably one of the more forgotten Aaron Spelling shows.