Soaps and Nazis

[DRW50]

Has any soap ever managed to tell any type of story about Nazis which was not one mess or another?

I know in primetime, Falcon Crest had various characters on the run from Nazis at one point (wasn't this when Julia was a nun?), and the story was not well received, according to Schemering's book. On daytime, AMC had Erica going against Nazi Lars Bogard, which that Soap Book of Lists named as one of daytime's most offensive stories. There was the reliquary mess with Brad's thighs of death on Y&R. And then there was that Australian camp soap, Chances, which had some sort of a cult of Nazis who had sex scenes in front of a big swastika.

Aside from the occasional mention, do you think this is a topic soaps are better off avoiding, or have some soaps managed to tell a decent story about this subject?

[EricMontreal22]

The problem with Nazis is they're never dealt with seriously. It's the Indiana Jones effect--but a soap can't treat them like cartoon villains yet that's exactly what they're used for. Nazis in general (Inglirous Basterds just reiterated this) are used as villains cuz historically speaking there's no WAY anyone can justify their behaviour unlike some other famous groups that have done similar harm. So people think they make the perfect total bad guy--and then turn it into a big cartoon...

[Dion]

I remember Shortland Street did it one time in 1997 and while it started off well (the cliffhanger of two characters going to meeting only to see a swastika hanging on the wall was good for sheer shock value lol) the story turned cliche rather quickly with every single minority character soon being victimised. In the end it all culminated in a molotov cocktail being thrown into a halloween party (which one character quickly put out with the helpof her witches costume!).

Thinking about it now it wasn't really a story about Nazis, rather it was a story about a racist group with the Nazi name attached for shock value.

However the show did a quick brief storyline two years earlier in 1995 where the father of one of the main characters was exposed as being a Nazi collaborator in Yugoslavia. That storyline was much more subtle, and much better for it.

[Paul Raven]

Not strictly about Nazis but Days had Robert reveal that he was a concentration camp survivor back when Mike Horton was involved with Robin,Roberts niece.

Robert LeClair had in real life had that experience and onscreen displayed the numbers tattooed to his forearm.

[LoyaltoAMC]

Regarding the AMC Nazi story, Robert Milli, who'd been playing Lars, abruptly quit the show when he found out that Lars was to have been a Nazi during WWII. The show quickly replaced him with the actor (whose name I forgot) best known as Ivan Kipling on OLTL.

[Mitch]

But the AMC storyline provided one of the best lines in history.....Erica's "But I am not equipped to hunt Nazis!!!"

[Juliajms]

Yes, I think Nazi's are a topic best avoided by soaps. The genre just isn't right for such a grim topic.

[Khan]

Actually, it was "But I don't have the right shoes to chase Nazis!"

AMC's Nazi storyline didn't work, b/c the revelation (that Lars Bogard was one) came entirely from left field. If the goal was to write out Lars Bogard, surely, there were better ways to do it.

FALCON CREST's story didn't work, for two reasons: 1) there, in the middle of all that sturmundrang about the wine industry, we suddenly had a story about Nazis and buried treasure which had nothing to do with the show's central focus; and 2) the premise - that, in fact, Nazis had hidden the treasure on the grounds of Angela's family's estate decade before - was a tough one to commit to even for this show.

And same goes for Y&R's dreadful reliquary storyline. From Brad's illogical, secret past; to Nazi art collectors running around Genoa City; to the cheesy climax that was straight outta Chuck Norris - the whole damn thing, in the end, was just a bad tonal fit with the show.

Having said all that, I think a story about Nazis can work in daytime - but you have to commit to it, and treat it seriously. The minute you have people looking for buried treasure or stolen art while being chased down by gun-toting racists, it just becomes silly.

[Sylph]

Nazis never work on soaps. It just shouldn't be done. It is misplaced and borders on offensive for people who remember and those who don't but know the crimes the Nazis committed.

[R Sinclair]

I honestly thought this read Soup Nazi.

[SFK]

No soap for you. [/bea Arthur deadpan]

[RoseVioletDaisy]

ICAM. Some subjects are just not workable for soaps. Nazis are at the very top of the list.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

double post. sorry

[soapfan770]

GL almost did something with involving the Spauldings and Nazis during late Labine or early Gold. It was dropped last minute, but I remember it seem to involve Brandon and Nazi gold. Luckily it was dropped because it was a mess.

[EricMontreal22]

Is that on youtube?? And if not, WHY not??