Soaps Most Foolish Decisions

[Eric83]

DAYS: Letting Charity Rhamer go!

I kid, I kid.

[edgeofnik]

As a 33 year soap watcher:

1. ATWT -- Hogan was definitely a breath of fresh air -- it wasn't perfect, but the show was revived. Regardless, the final nails: killing Jennifer, Rose, firing MB. The loss of Hal due to Benjamin Hendrickson passing was another blow.

2. AW -- The loss of Cecile was a big hole. But clearly Frankie death was the beginning of the end. Word has it that Donna was supposed to be killed instead, but viewer research showed Donna was more popular. (I think Donna's death would have sent the show to its death sooner.)

3. EON -- The time slot change clearly. One wonders why they didn't switch it back a few months later after the ratings cratered. On ABC, when Slesar was fired in 1983. The big killer was the 84 Olympics when the show was off for two weeks (along with Loving and RH). It only lasted four more months. Clearance issues were always a problem. For example when I was in St. Louis, they aired it AFTER Nightline!

4. GL -- Too many to mention! Interestingly, the ratings started to spiral after SC was wrapped up. It actually survived a few years longer than expected. I'm convinced it would have cancelled immediately if they didn't go to new production model. It sucked and failed.

5. PC -- Should've put it before GH, instead of leading off line-up against Y&R. Vampires -- ITA two series would've worked. They bled, pun intended, that dry.

I'll refrain from shows that are still on air.

[Eric83]

Why were they off for two weeks?

[EricMontreal22]

+1

Agreed. I think AMC still is more recognizable than nearly any other soap of its age (I know many disagree here)--but this is exactly one of the main probs.

[Paul Raven]

Edge was off for 2 weeks because of Olympic coverage.I think that this was when other shows went to 45 mins,(or was it 30 mins?)to allow time for the Olympics.

Did AMC,OLTL and GH all air at this time?

[EricMontreal22]

Yes in abreviated 45 minute episodes.

[Mr. Vixen]

Haha, I agree! Killing Georgie was horrible. I have never seen a single comment on any board that had a negative comment directed toward Lindze Letherman/ Georgie...But I see Spinelli and Maxie (and their respective actors) criticized ALL the time. Georgie, who has been shoved to the back anyway, should NOT have had to die to prop up the couple of Spixie, who are universally unpopular.

Georgie, in my mind, had the potential to be the Viki or Nikki of GH (if the show was on long enough), and to really grow and mature on screen and become a heroine. Similar to how Bobbie was before the decided to make her an EXTRA. You knew eventually Georgie would have to go, because ALL beloved character (especially women) have to die at some point on GH, but she really got the axe FAR FAR too son, and it is something that STILL makes me want to turn the show off.

And I too wonder iff Georgie could be brought back alive. Helena doesnt have much conection to them, but that wouldnt make much sense...But maybe somebody Felecia or Frisco made enemies with during their HayDay came back and swept her away, leaving us to think she's dead. Normally I HATE BACK FROM THE DEAD STORIES, but if they found a way to bring Allan and Georgie back from the dead, I would be thrilled.

[DRW50]

A few foreign soaps.

Eastenders: Killing off Kathy Beale. The stories they gave Den Watts when he returned, turning him into some type of sex god of Walford. I truly DO NOT BELIEVE that bringing Den back from the dead was the problem. The problem was seeing him bed all these young gorgeous women and act like a monster towards his family.

Emmerdale: Killing off so many members of the Sugden family. They paid for this dearly when Clive Hornby, Jack Sugden, died in 2008, meaning the only Sugden left on the canvas is his moody daughter and his wife-beating adopted son. So many Sugdens are dead that the poor old woman who played his mother had to come out of retirement so a few people would be at his funeral.

Coronation Street: Killing off Alma Baldwin. Killing off Mike Baldwin. Putting Tracy Barlow in prison for life.

[Vee]

Off the top of my head - I'm sure I'll forget some things, so forgive me.

ABC: Hiring Brian Frons to take over most executive duties regarding creative direction.

AMC: Killing Dixie. Raping Bianca. Ryan and Greenlee 24-7. All Zach's Children.

DAYS: Dena Higley, both times. James Reilly's later stints. Firing Patch and Kayla. Stripping away all the families.

GH: "This is a show about love in wartime." Killing Alan and Georgie. Luke cheated on Laura. Luke dumps Laura for Tracy. Jason and Sam.

OLTL: The current, ongoing creative purge that began with Kish, Rachel and Sky and seems to be leading to Jean Passanante probably taking over - I'm not sure it can come back from this. Jessica's DID and molestation. Tarty. John McBain. Killing Gabrielle.

Yes, the European soaps kill everyone mercilessly. Our hair would turn white at the [!@#$%^&*] they do to anyone, ANYONE over there. Killing Pauline on EE the way they did is the equivalent of Viki dying alone and unloved face down in Angel Square after Charlie hits her during a bender. Yet despite this mercenary attitude, fans and audiences seem to shrug it off over there; I think it has to do with how they've been taught to prize story over character, since often the writing remains far superior to ours.

[Paul Raven]

Most soaps have been guilty of forgetting about core families instead of making it a priority to keep their presence in the show at the forefront.

AMC Tylers and Martins-Linc and Kelly should have had children along with Paul Martin

AW Matthews-Pat's children were ridiculously aged and then written off,Alice was made sterile and Russ was given no kids after 4 marriages(although he was retconned into having kids)

ATWT Hughes -Frannie was forgotten after 92,Chris was endlessly recast and Don's daughter Christina was never used.

DOOL Hortons -Selectively used by mid 80's.

GL -wrote off most of the Bauers.

and so on....

[All My Shadows]

Sheila rocked those scenes.

[DRW50]

She was wonderful but it was also such a burden on her. The lines where she talked about burying all her children were just agonizing, and all I could think of was that she had buried all her kids, and most of her grandchildren

[DeeeDee]

And not Al?

[All My Shadows]

True, but I kinda liked how that one girl (I only tracked down the funeral episode, so I have no idea at all who the others were besides Annie and Andy or what the stories going on were) wanted to move in with her. Which was kinda dumb because...why would a 90-year-old woman want some fast young thing under her roof?

I found the first couple of months worth of episodes, and I'm really liking it. I don't even know why they thought killing Peggy off would have been a good idea. I mean, I'm sure the drama was great, but some long-term planning would have helped.

[Vee]

With Al there were some extenuating circumstances - Marston was unmanageable BTS, but I think they easily could have recast that role again. It was stupid to do what they did there, but Gabrielle to me indicated insult to injury. We'd watched Fiona Hutchison do the work of her career for four or five months as a grief-stricken, bereft mother, and they capped it by brutally killing her with no real impact. To do all that to a heroine who's been around almost twenty years is the real FU.