ALL: Worst year(s) for your soap

[billyjill]

DAYS: oh where to begin. The last 8 years have truly been a train wreck, save 2002. The worst:

1999 -- Campy beyond belief. At this point the "shock" factor was gone (though it never did much for me before anyway) and it was clear the only thing people were buzzing about was gimmicky crap. If you didn't think so before, you had to see it now. They had used up every ounce of rootability and depth for one too many characters, maxing out all their characterization "credit" over the preceding few years. Spilled over into 2000.

2003 -- Higley's Days was absolutely pointless. Nothing mattered, nothing was interesting, for the most part. Then the gravely miscalculated SSK story starts, I agree with whoever pointed out how it led to such a waste of a whole year, spilling into 2004. What a joke.

2005 -- Every storyline was a failure. It's really indicative of Reilly's "Pissing people off = good writing" mentality. I suppose there was the castle escape ... it was basically a bone to pacify people in some sort of "fair" exchange for the rest of the year. Yeah, whatever.

Also worth mentioning:

2001 -- Teen invasion. Out of a horrible lot, not as bad a year in and of itself, but definitely highlights a big problem with Days: it can't seem to effectively pass the torch, as it doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word "moderation."

The other years were definitely crap too, as others have noted. Specifically about 2006, I stand by my belief that Zach's death was not a great storyline, it was a prelude to just another triangle and that deserves no lauding. But for a few months at the end I was pretty optimistic. Steve and Kayla came back and suddenly there was 16 missing years of potential (which I still think they're not quite capitalizing on). And all the little changes were a good sign. I have to say though that they haven't kept up the rate of improvement; now the little things won't cut it any more, you have to keep it going.

I think if you look at years before this there's still a lot to complain about too, especially in retrospect seeing what fell out in light of the decisions made back then. Still the last 8 years just seem like such a train wreck to me, Days became such a pronounced caricature of itself and the higher-ups kept making mind-boggling stupid decisions that were all made before. I might also add 1991 and 1996/97 -- I didn't care for Reilly much, period, but I believe it was by then that I truly became infuriated with his protracted storylines peppered with fake-outs and false starts.

[Steve]

AMC:

Hands down for me it was 2006 with 1998 very close behind.

I don't know what is worse for the show with McT as headwriter, when she ignores the main characters or when she tries to write for them.

Turning Brooke from a strong woman into a vigilante (when she could have called either Tad or Trevor for help in setting Jim up), making Palmer an art thief, and having Tad kill Dr. Madden with little remorse was just painful to watch.

However, the worst of all for me was focusing the show around the Laverys and Careys and then bringing on the first serial killer in AMC's over 35-year history! It was just so far removed from the combination of humor, romance, and social issues that used to make this show special.

[Steve]

Yes, I remember Nu-Nina with the gun trying to kill Donna at her wedding to Benny (ugh, what a bad plot that was!).

I loved 1987. That year and 1982 were imo the best ever for AMC. I think you're right about the climax of Natalie's rape trial airing that December.

That Cobbler Island story was really bad. I was so glad when Natalie killed the real Silver.

I wish the faux-Silver/Connie Wilkes would return someday to get revenge on Erica.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

Surprised to see so many people hating AMC in 1998. In retrospect it wasn't horrible. Some of the years that followed were indeed worse (quality & ratings). Case in point: AMC 2005.

[NYC123]

Yea I would take 1998 over 2006.

[YRBB]

I'll say one thing: LML, 2007. Actually thought she was kinda good until November/December 2006.

[EricMontreal22]

AMC 1998 I think is on so many people's lists because it was kinda spectacularly bad--such out there plots--

I still say Passanante's Libidizone cartoon of a show was FAR worse tho

[RuAsRuAnAu]

What turned you off from Y&R, YRBB? The stories? The dialogue? The acting? The many crew changes? The production changes (music, design etc)?

How would you rate Y&R so far in 2007? C -? D?

[dm.]

Y&R. 1973-2007 (A), 2007 (D-) It's just a horrible show. A tradition ruined in a few steps and bad changes.

[YRBB]

There are basically a lot of reasons that turned me off:

First and foremost, the fact that it went from character-based soap, to a plot-driven hubla. Y&R used to be so driven by it's characters, so respectful of their stories, their pasts, who those people were. Suddenly, you have the same character with different names doing anything for the sake of a storyline--and it doesn't work

Stories:

Many of the storylines that LML has created are not bad as ideas but the execution of them is horrid and, frankly, quite boring. The Reliquary? Amber? Daniel getting hooked on porn? After all he did to be able to be with Lily? Bonacheck? Evan? Really

Crew changes? I do NOT appreciate any soap that has a HW writer that has been on the show since 1974 and fires her for a woman who has NO idea about soaps (her tenures in different soaps haven't been all that successful), no idea how to write and what people expect from a soap and, to her own admission, has never seen Y&R and has the intention to make it "her own"? WTF? Y&R is BELL's, and it should have never alowed to changed like it did. Also, firing all the writers who were there since the 80s, the directors that made it so stylish, the producers that made it a hit, EVERYONE that was responsible for it being #1 for 18 years!

Dialogue:

I am actually a supporter of the current writing when it comes to dialogue: I do think that they can be very inventive with their dialogue and it can be clear, crisp and funny. The problem is that they all just sound the same!

Acting:

If there is ANY reason I stuck with Y&R until now was BECAUSE of the acting, and many long-time viewers have done so for that. Not only did I watch because of that wonderful cast, I also watched because, initially, I was somewhat amused by the Peter, Jeanne's, Jess', Melody's, Eric's, Sharon's, Joshua's, Michelle's etc efforts to keep the show afloat. If it weren't for this MAGNIFICENT cast, Y&R would have been in a far, far worse state than it is now and that says a lot. The cast has my eternal respect, because THEY have kept it going. Imagine if they all gave up and started acting they way Tammin Sur-suck does.

Production Changes:

I'm not a fan of the light-colored sets. Y&R always had these dark brownish/greenish sets, that set a dark tone and always helped make it look serious. But sets I don't like is not a reason for me to dislike the show. What I HATE though, is the complete removal of all the terrific background music that Y&R once had--touching "ballads," intimidating rockish tunes, orchestral "something bad is happening" music, so many wonderful pieces of music. Now, what do we have? Ridiculous "new-age" orchestrations (Bonacheck episode anyone?), contemporary songs, it's all just so blah, it doesn't even make the mood anyone.

Pace:

RIDICULOUSLY FAST! What's with all those 30 second conversations? What's with the "be done with a storyline in two weeks" pacing? I so loved the pacing the show had during Kay Alden. It allowed to get used to new characters (which are now SHOVED DOWN OUR THROATS!), allowed new storylines to slowly start building while others reached their climax. When storylines ended, other ones were already around a couple of months, so, by now, you actually CARED about seeing what will happen. Tremendously good planning, since the stories were all mapped out from the beginning and all the stories had careful consideration of how they would affect the future. A sense of going somewhere, not just "making it up as we go," a common LML technique.

No respect for the show's history. No respect for who the characters really are. So many developments crammed in so few episodes that you feel you want to puke. No time to build up a storyline, or a romance. Vets mostly ignored. Too much computer hacking going around.

ALL THE DEATHS! First John, I was "Fine. Whatever." Then, it was Ashley leaving: Strike One. Killing Off Dru: Strike Two. When it wasn't sure whether Morrow and Case would be returning to the show, what inventive thing to do: KILL THEM BOTH! Strike Three, Four, Five, A MILLION! You just kill them off? And you do it a MONTH after killing off Dru? A thousand WTFs!!! Then Plum was killed, Will died, Ji Min died.... Will Y&R EVER be able to pull of a death again and make anyone care? Hard.

It's obvious that LML has NO respect for what the show used to be. And it's so sad. So, so, so, so, so, so sad.

I would give Y&R, at its current state, a C-. That's because dialogue can, at times, be very good and because the Sharon/Jack/Nick/Phyllis thing is so well done. Also, love how the reasons why Victor and Nikki are at a rift were so clearly defined from the beginning. The acting is not something I will ever credit the producers or LML for, though. And, again, that cast is the only reason why I would watch. Which I don't, not anymore.

[AMCer]

AMC 2006: I actually stopped watching it in the summer it was so bad. Let me see there was JOSH the walking talking abortion, the beginnings of the Satin Slayer, Babe & Josh all the time, Julia Barr and Vincent Irizarry's exits, buried alive Greg Madden, Tad as a murderer, CONFusion, and Donny Osmond.

2001: I think was the year of Gabriel, ugh that was bad! and also Laura losing her beans.

1998: Way to much Mateo and Hayley, that tatoo and the worst of all Mike Roy's return from the dead, oh no she didn't, yes McT did!!

[JackPeyton]

Days - 1999-mid03; mid04-... now

sad but true. only thing even keeping the show watchable is Ali Sweeney

[AMCGio83]

I think 2002 had it's moments: Leo and Greenlee, Leo's death, some of Vanessa's story, Kendall. Early 2003 was awful though. 2001 was a whole lot of nonsense until around the time Frankie was introduced. The rest is McHistory.

[aMLCproduction]

I might have to add Days 07 to this thread. It has truned out to be oneod Days worse year thus far

[EricMontreal22]

Whow as Donny Osmond? lol. ANd ya 2001 was Gabriel aka Dog Boy...