Primetime Soaps

[kalbir]

Maybe because Hotel was the lead out from Dynasty and it was a bit more soapier with its storylines than The Love Boat.

[Joseph]

It did have some Soapy qualities yes, And sometimes had storyline that progressed through a few episodes, right now I can remember the one with Michelle Phillips as the Concierge spying to get the hotel sold

[kalbir]

When Aaron Spelling Ruled Television: An Oral History of Entertainment’s Prolific, Populist Producer – The Hollywood Reporter

Candy Spelling confirms what I've long suspected, that Brandon Stoddard wanted the Spelling shows gone from ABC.

[DRW50]

 

[DRW50]

Kyle Chandler & Wendy Phillips Interviews on "Homefront" (September 21, 1992) - YouTube

[kalbir]

Going through this thread, I compiled a list of short-lived (as in one or two seasons) primetime soaps that were on the big three broadcast networks in the 1980s.

CBS: Secrets of Midland Heights (December 6, 1980-January 24, 1981), Emerald Point N.A.S. (September 26, 1983-March 12, 1984)

ABC: Kings Crossing (January 16-February 27, 1982), The Hamptons (July 27-August 24, 1983), Paper Dolls (September 23-December 25, 1984), The Colbys (November 20, 1985-March 26, 1987)

NBC: Flamingo Road (January 6, 1981-May 4, 1982), Bare Essence (February 15-June 13, 1983), The Yellow Rose (October 2, 1983-May 12, 1984), Berrenger's (January 5-March 9, 1985)

If any are missing, please feel free to add.

Edited September 16, 2023 by kalbir

[soapfan770]

Thanks for sharing. Always found Wendy to be an underrated and warm actress however I feel like she essentially played the same variation of character on each of her biggest shows (A Year in the Life, Falcon Crest, Homefront, Promised Land). Of course the biggest issue on Falcon Crest wasn’t Wendy herself but the simple fact her character was basically a thankless Maggie clone at a time when we needed the real Maggie. 

[kalbir]

Three out of four shows under Les Moonves watch. We don't know if he had any say in the castings at Lorimar shows or CBS shows but she doesn't strike me as the type of actress he would like.

[Soaplovers]

She was in season 1 of Savannah as Peyton's mom.. and that was a departure from the usual character type (she became unhinged somewhat).

I will say Homefront was the best place to showcase that character variation... with good writing and character development.

[soapfan770]

Hotel always befuddled me as I remember being called a primetime soap but when it aired on SoapNet but was disappointed to see it was rather convoluted, aside from the long term romance between Peter and Christine. I remember Hotel being talked about but my parents were St. Elsewhere fans. I have the DVD box set for all 5 seasons I picked up years back at a flea market but haven’t watched it as I was never impressed with what I saw. 
 

@kalbir I thought one was missing off your list but it looks very accurate to me.

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by soapfan770

[j swift]

I think it is an interesting discussion about what gets called a Primetime Soap.  Especially after the failure of The Colby's and all the press about the death of soaps in primetime.

For me, the best example is Thirtysomething.  It was a continuing drama.  It used cliffhangers.  And, it focused on the romantic lives of couples against a backdrop of advertising.  But, Thirtysomething premiered in September 1987, six months after the cancellation of The Colby's, so ABC would never market it as a soap.  Even though, arguably, it was much more soapy than Hotel.

[soapfan770]

Good point, yeah thirtysomething was definitely a soap, and of course Moonlighting and LA Law had its own their own continuing plots as did early 90’s dramas like Northern Exposure and Picket Fences. NBC finally got a long running soap in the 90s in with Sisters.

[kalbir]

None of those shows were labeled primetime soaps or promoted as soaps though, plus AFAIK SOD didn't cover them.

In the 1990s, the only primetime shows I remember SOD covering outside the final seasons of the CBS big three primetime soaps were Twin Peaks, Dark Shadows reboot, 90210, Melrose. 

Edited September 24, 2023 by kalbir

[soapfan770]

Fair point as well, although unfortunately the 90’s primetime soaps never much coverage in SOD at all compared to the 80’s as in no recaps or synopsis whatsoever and some issues neglecting it altogether to focus more only on daytime.

SOD actually did try to actively promote Pacific Palisades as well as push Dawson’s Creek and Felicity for a bit there as well but again they never got the same treatment as the 80’s primetime soaps. 
 

I feel SPW was a lot more liberal when it came to stuff like Melrose, Party of Five, 90210, Felicity, One Tree Hill and the OC which was fine. Featuring Desperate Housewives on the front cover was fine as well. What wasn’t fine was when SPW had a full cover of American Idol on it and promote “it’s like a soap!!” on the front page. 

[Soaplovers]

I always remembered SOD included Sisters in the ratings round-up for primetime soaps of the 90s... but I do agree that SOD didn't cover any of the 90s prime time soaps like they did with the 80s ones.   They might have had a blurb about Sisters, and some of the other short lived shows.. but not to the extent of the 80s ones.

Melrose Place becoming successful did spur on a mini revival of the genre in the 90s.. but the majority of them didn't catch on because of either the timeslot, bad writing, etc.