Soap Openings: Past and Present

[Soapsuds]

My favorite OLTL opening. I know everyone hated it..lol...but I loved it!http://www.youtube.c...h?v=s0tI3O1IZfw

[Sapounopera]

* The original Y&R opening: the classiest opening ever.

* ATWT and AW from the seventies: so melodramatic, I loved them

* OLTL 1992-96: the first episodes I started watching were from 1993, so I didn't realize that this was not the most appropriate opening for that show. Still love it though.

* The original AMC opening: So traditional!

* UK soap Emmerdale: The best!

* B&B was ruined with that new opening and the show lost it's identity.

* I hate the current Y&R opening, the trend of soaps imitating old prime time shows with actor images and names is so outdated.

[DRW50]

Here are the first credits for Emmerdale:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJfkQyfiNYQ&feature=related

Credits they used from the late 90s to mid 00s:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-QqyLeWKws&feature=related

The piano music they used when longstanding character Seth passed away:

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Christmas credits from 2008:

[Adam]

The music I always found to be very soothing, but the visuals belong in a porno film haha. I was so glad when they reverted back to an updated take on the faces of Llanview theme (at least visually).

[Y&RWorldTurner]

The Emmerdale theme music is way too melodramatic and masterpiece theatre for me.

[SFK]

I couldn't wait for them to replace that late Friday night HBO soft-core opening when it aired, but now I look back on it very fondly. I think it was very appropriate for where the show was at the time, dark and moody... well, I'll say this, perhaps the MUSIC was more appropriate than the opening visuals. But I thought the closing with the dark billowing satin was simple and gorgeous.

[Sapounopera]

For some reason I always thought that it was Melissa Reeves and Rick Hearst in that opening.

[DRW50]

The original opening is much plainer, it's tinny, but there's no real melodrama. You'd enjoy that more.

I like the sweeping openings they use in the British soaps. Otherwise we get something like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1XkURMz4Fw

As for the OLTL champagne opening, I thought it made the show look generic and implied that they were ashamed of their history, as well as ashamed of soaps period.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I loved the EastEnders jazzy theme!

The standard theme, though iconic, is way too dated at this point.

[DRW50]

The theme seems very out of place for what Eastenders is. If I listen to that theme I would expect to see people on the beach, not Pauline Fowler slapping her children and raging about Sanjay and Gita not picking up their laundry.

I think the old themes work best for Corrie and Eastenders. New attempts often end up being something like that weird Hollyoaks opening.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

It didn't mesh well with the tone of the show, but as a piece of music, I love it.

[SFK]

Have you all heard the vocal?

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think there's a certain timeless quality to Corrie's theme, but the EastEnders theme has always sounded like something out of an 80's B movie to me.

Which one?

The "Anyone Can Fall In Love" version? I believe that version peaked at #4 on the UK singles chart.

[DRW50]

That's true, but then, Eastenders has always been like an 80's B movie.

I like the closing theme for Corrie, especially the horn solo.

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[SFK]

Wow, I forget how popular the show is! Here's a version, but I remember a much popier one.

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