Soaps You've Watched

[Eric83]

Tell everyone what soaps you have watched, the years you watched them, and then list your favorite soap out of all the ones you've looked at.

Mine:

Guiding Light: 1991-2005; 2008-2009- Started watching this on Thanksgiving Break 1991 and became instantly hooked. Was able to keep up with it year round since it came on at 3pm. I watched until 2005 when I became bored, and started watching again in 2008, due to curiosity. It was BORING, so tuned out again, but came back after it was cancelled.

As the World Turns: 1994-2002; 2005; 2008-present- Began taping in 1994, but I used to watch sometimes over holiday breaks. Would continue watching until 2002, when I tuned out due to lack of interest.

The Young and the Restless: 1994-2010- Began taping in 1994, but like ATWT I was watching during breaks from school. I kept up with this show consistently until a week and a half ago when I finally got fed up and dropped it.

The Bold and the Beautiful: 1994-2003; 2009-2010- Began taping in 1994, but never watched earlier like the other CBS soaps. I found it rather bland before, but it was pretty decent when I started watching. I was hooked 1996-2002.

Days of our Lives: 2001-2005; 2007; 2008-present: Started watching during the teen years of Shawn, Belle, Mimi, Philip, Chloe, etc. DAYS was really good, but I left when I got fed up with JER's nonsense. Came back in 2007 during that Santeen mess, and left again. Came back again in 2008, and I have stuck around since.

Passions: 2001-2005; 2008- Got hooked on it during the Hell in the Closet storyline, and really enjoyed for the most part. Stopped watching during the summer of 2005 when I became bored with the never ending stories. Came back in 2008 after it was canned by DirecTV.

All My Children, One Life to Live, General Hospital: 2008-present- Started watching all these on SOAPNet during the summer of 2008. OLTL instantly pulled me in, while I thought AMC/GH sucked. I would eventually become a consistent viewer of all three soaps, and watch them every night I get a chance to on SOAPNet.

Out of all the soaps I've watched Guiding Light is my favorite. I loved the whole vibe and feel of the show in the 90's, and it gave me some memories that will never go away. I loved the Bauers, Lewises, Spauldings, hell even The Coopers at one point. My favorite couple Josh/Reva come from GL, and honestly doubt I would even be watching soaps if it wasn't for GL... RIP

What about you guys?

[CassieFan]

Hmmm, let's see:

Loving

The City

Santa Barbara (not much, I remember the last episodes)

Sunset Beach (along AMC, my favorite soap)

All My Children (1994-1996; 2005-2009 (on and off, not a regular viewer these days)

General Hospital (2006-2007)

Days of our Lives (2003-2004)

The Young and the Restless (2001-2005)

Passions (1999-2001)

I never watched:

Guiding Light, ATWT, B&B and OLTL

[beachbum]

GH (1981-today). This is my show, started my love for soaps with that show

AMC (1982-1995)

y&R (1986-1996)

AW (1983-1988)

[All My Shadows]

Regularly watched on a daily basis at one point or another:

All My Children (June 2001 - 2005; off and on, mostly on, since then)

Days of our Lives (December 2003 - August 2004)

As the World Turns (June 2004 - fall 2006; off and on, mostly on, since then)

One Life to Live (December 2007 - June 2008; off and on, mostly off, until earlier this year)

Guiding Light (off and on from about January 2002 until March 2003)

The Young and the Restless (off and on from about 2002 until 2005 and again in 2008)

The Bold and the Beautiful (off and on since around 2004)

Dark Shadows (Sci-Fi Channel reruns)

Neighbours (Oxygen reruns)

I've never really regularly watched GH and I did not watch PC much at all. I watched PSNS occasionally as it was always going into its second half right after I got home from school and was the perfect "out-there" afterschool viewing.

I watched ATWT, GL, B&B, and Y&R a lot in the 90s with family members, but I won't even pretend like I knew what was going on all the time then. I only knew the basic characters and relationships (that Victor and Nikki were "it," that Reva was supposed to be dead, that Stephanie hated Brooke, that Lily was torn between Holden and Damian, etc).

[Mike_Cady fan]

AMC: on and off practically my whole life

ATWT: a couple years..i checked it out 03-05 bcuz of Cady McClain..recently 07/08-now when i can[Julie Pinson hooked me back to it]

OLTL: 08- present but i know the history of it because of my mother. Ms.Tea Delgado is MY reason for watching FL is AMAZING

GH: 08-now sometimes when i can..i mostly got hooked bcuz of SJB..LUUUV Claudia

Y&R: i watched for a few mos..im not into it nemore....

Days: i watch it w/my BFFL she luvs it but im not into it nemore..

PC: when i was younger a little[i luved Eve] i watch old clips sometimes

[ClassicsSoapFan]

Every soap that has appeared on CBS I have watched,that is when I wasn't at school,forced outside to play by my mother or later not at work,LOL!

I saw most of the run of the original Dark Shadows plus the nightime version.

I watched General Hospital during the "Who killed Phil Brewer" story.

I watched DAYS during the early Bill Bell years---the Mickey/Bill/Laura story comes to mind.

Very briefly watched The Doctors.

We watched a non-CBS show if there wasn't a soap on our CBS affiliate.

My mom never worked outside the home. She raised seven kids,kept the housework up to date,had dinner on the table at 5:30-------and kept up with "her stories."

She is 90 years old and shakes her head at the trash she says is on television today

[LoyaltoAMC]

AMC: 1976-present

OLTL: 1978-1980; 1984-1987

GH: 1978-1986

RH: 1977-1989

Loving: 1983-1985

Edge: 1978-1983

GL: 1982-1992

Capitol: 1982-1985

AW: 1976-1979; 1983-1985

Texas: 1981

These are the only shows I watched religiously. Obviously I was a huge ABC fan for most of the 80s. I keep up with OLTL and GH, but haven't watched them consistently in years. I have watched Y&R, ATWT, Search, Santa Barbara on occasion, but never really found them that compelling. Loving and Capitol are the only 2 shows I watched from the beginning, but didn't watch them til the end. Texas, Edge and RH were the only shows I was really into at cancellation. Oddly enough, the only time I watched Y&R pretty consistently was during the LML era. I always respected the show during Bill Bell's run, because of its respect for its history and its viewers, but I always found the dialogue atrocious and pacing beyond tedious, which I guess was part of the show's charm. The only time I recall liking Days was during the Salem Strangler storyline and Hogan's early work.

[Cheap21]

Most soaps I watched off and on but I'll put the years where I started watching regularly

All My Children (1996- early 2002, summer 2003-2006 2007-now)

Another World (off and on during Ryan/Vicky's relationship)

As the World Turns (dont know when. off and on in the late 90s when Jack/Julia were together)

The Bold and the Beauitful (1998 - 2002, 2005 - off and on)

Days of Our Lives (off and on in 1993-1995, 1998-2002, 2004)

General Hospital (1997-2007, 2009-now)

Guiding Light (Im not sure what years. I started in Rebecca Budig's last month and through the San Cristobel stuff; not sure when I stopped)

Loving/The City (off and on throughout the 90s)

One Life to Live (off adn on in the late 80s, 1992-2006, 2008- March 2010)

Passions (1999 - off and on throughout its run)

Port Charles (its entire run)

Sunset Beach (summer 1998- the end)

The Young and the Restless (2005-2008, 2009 - off and on)

[Khan]

Here are mine:

AMC: 1982-93. Hung in there from the Jenny/Jesse/Greg/Angie/Liza/Tad days, all the way through Megan McTavish's first year as HW. Stopped, though, b/c I felt AMC was becoming too Jerry Springer-esque. (Outlandish plot twists, scene after scene of people YELLING at each other, rather than talking.) Came back for awhile for Lorraine Broderick, but quit again when MMT returned, and suddenly, everything was about boring Camille and Mateo's psychic visions. Tried again for Jean Passanante, but the one-two punch of wacko Laura and Brooke dating her child's killer was too much for me. Almost missed the entire Richard Culliton era, but do remember seeing some of the Proteus reveal (STANK!), Chris/Erica, and Trey burning down Lindenhurst. Gordon Rayfield and Anna Theresa Cascio brought me back for awhile, but Lord, their teen set was so boring. The last time I watched AMC on a somewhat heavy basis was during the Babe/Bianca baby switch. Kept hoping for a miracle; alas, it never happened. Now, I tune in maybe once a week, but I'm liking nothing of what I'm seeing.

ANOTHER WORLD: Mom and I watched this together for awhile - probably, for Jackee, who played Lily Mason. (Cass, Cecile, Felicia and Wallingford were good, too. Wish those shows had been available for reruns.) Came back around '89, thanks to a former classmate, Nicole, who lurved the show. (Decorated all her books w/ AW-related magazine articles and everything.) The Cass/Frankie/Kathleen triangle, IMO, should rank somewhere on the list of Daytime's 10 Best Storylines. Quit watching, though, b/c Michael Laibson left, and with him went AW's last shred of stability. After that, it was a constant in-and-out (watch for awhile, get extremely frustrated, go back to ATWT or OLTL, then come back) until Leah Laiman showed up. Somehow, I knew AW's final days were numbered, so I hung in for as long as I could. Watched the very last episode; cried buckets.

ATWT: 1982-1995. Although, I'd often flip between this show and OLTL (and ANOTHER WORLD, at certain points), this (from the Mary-Ellis Bunim era, to the halfway mark of the Black/Stern era) was when I watched WT the most (or at least paid the most attention). The majority of fans think Marland was better than what came immediately before; I think Marland and pre-Marland both have their merits. Once Black & Stern came aboard, though, I knew this show was done for. (The turning point? When suddenly, in the middle of an episode, we drop everything, and Zoe and Sarah Kasnoff go off on a shopping spree.) Came back for the Demorest/Brez/Walsh interim period; had high hopes for Jessica Klein (she'd written for the show before, back during the post-Steve & Betsy/pre-Marland era); walked away disappointed. Tried again when she left, hung in as best as I could for Broderick, but she tried my patience. Once Leah Laiman came over from AW, I thought, "Well, she proved me wrong w/ AW, maybe she can work wonders here, too!" Oops. But still, I hung in, all the way through her, and half of Hogan's run. When history kept being ignored, though, I had to pull back. I kept up through previews, spoilers and the like, but I didn't come back as a viewer until Hogan's sabbatical/Trent Jones' hiring.

B&B: Aside from when Patrick Mulcahey began writing for this show, the only time I watched B&B for more than two or three days was during the summer of '90 or '91, when Stephanie lost her memory and ended up homeless on the streets of L.A.

CAPITOL: From beginning to end, this was one of my mother's must-see shows; so, naturally, I watched right along with her. Sure, we'd flip between this and RYAN'S HOPE; and I, myself, would follow SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, too. But we loved this show for Marj Dusay. Her Myrna Clegg was a textbook example of flawless soap acting. (Constance Towers was pretty good, too, lol.)

DAYS: 1982-95. Definitely hung in there for the best and worst of their legendary "Supercouple period". As the Eighties gave way to the Nineties, though, it was becoming clear the formula needed to be retired. So, when JER was named HW, I thought this could be a change for a better. (Remember: he still had some goodwill w/ us GL fans.) Little did I know, he'd pull the devil out of his ass. It's one thing when DARK SHADOWS or one of Joss's shows goes there, but DAYS was never a supernatural soap opera. Not even when Stefano was looking for those damned prisms. Factor in the never-ending Austin/Carrie/Sami triangle, and I just plain stopped caring, and watching. But, I tuned back in for Hogan's run. (Again, a change for the better, even if Hogan's turn at ATWT wasn't terribly impressive.) There was so much of it that I loved (the holiday episodes, John's funeral, Lucas and Sami's, and Shawn and Belle's, wedding) but there was so much of it that I hated, too (Santeen (not all of it, just the parts where everyone sat around and read letters for hours on end), Touch the Sky, Tinda Lau).

DOCTORS: Vague, very vague memories of its' final year (1982).

EDGE OF NIGHT: 1981-84. Some memories, mostly Sky and Raven-related, but not a whole lot. (Was able to catch some of the late-night reruns, on USA, but not enough, I'm afraid.)

GH: I watched bits and pieces of the Gloria Monty era: Frisco & Felicia; Blackie Parrish; Duke, Anna, and Scorpio; the "Spy Wars", as I call 'em. Mostly, though, I loved the Quartermaine family, and I loved seeing Nurse Jessie and Dr. Steve from time-to-time, too. It was escapist fun, and it was light and humorous. A pleasant way to spend an hour. (Not like today, unfortunately.) When there was a period when I didn't watch as much GL (the Johnny Bauer Cancer Years), I could have watched more GH, but I'd already discovered SANTA BARBARA. GH was off my radar, then, until '93, when SB was gone; even then, I tended to watch more GL. It wasn't until GL began to wind down during the latter days of the JFP era when I began paying a significant amt. of attention toward GH. IIRC, Claire Labine had either just begun there, or she hadn't been there that long. Because I remembered a little bit of Luke and Laura's wedding, however, I did make sure to tune in for their return. It was gorgeous, to say the least. And I don't care what people think: GH was not depressing at all w/ Claire Labine as HW. It was probably the last time, in fact, we got superb, character-driven, classy, smart writing from any soap, period. From B.J.'s death and Maxie's heart transplant, through Stone's valiant, and tragic, battle w/ AIDS, to even the early period of Sonny and Brenda, when Sonny was actually fascinating to watch, GH could make you laugh, cry, and jump out of your seat in anticipation or suspense, all in the same episode.

GENERATIONS: Caught the entire run exclusively on BET. Seriously, people. This show was L-A-M-E. Bargain-basement soap opera at its .... oh, wait. Forgot about the "new and improved" GL. Anyways, lol.

LOVING: 1983-91, when my local ABC affiliate dropped the show from its' lineup. (Come to think of it, it might have been later than '91, but that (when it was dropped) was definitely when I stopped.) Mom and I both watched it strictly out of loyalty, though. Agnes Nixon created it; also, because it ran here at 10 am, it wasn't hard to miss. Still, I don't think we were ever big fans of the show. The Jim/Shana romance had its' moments, but it always felt like recycled AMC to me. When they cancelled it for THE CITY (which I never watched, save for fanvids on the 'net), I wasn't exactly crying about it.

OLTL: 1982-1991. Hated, hated, HATED Michael Malone's first reign there w/ a passion. Too "involved" to get into now. Suffice it to say, it was most certainly not OLTL. I did watch more often w/ Susan Bedsow Hogan as EP, than w/ Linda Gottlieb, so I knew about Patrick/Marty, Todd/Blair, and Viki and all her crazy alters. But, I was so glad to see Malone go...until, of course, I saw who replaced him, lol. The only other time I got really excited about OL after that was during Pam Long's brief tenure. That, to me, felt more like the OLTL I grew up watching as a kid. Not all her story decisions were smart (I think Nora was ruined forever w/ that insipid Matthew story) but I could tell she was heading in the right direction. Too bad, though, she didn't work out, especially when we had to suffer almost a whole year w/ no HW and JFP guiding the story. Still follow it on occasion, but never w/ as much intensity as before.

PASSIONS: The first two episodes. No mas.

RYAN'S HOPE: 1983-89. To this day, it frustrates me that SoapNet won't run RH past '81 or so. I know those years are not everyone's favorites, but, I don't know, I kinda liked them? Solid cast, vets mixed w/ some great, unique younger actors (Yasmine Bleeth and Jimmy Wlcek, in particular). I mean, when you compare the Tom King/Millee Taggart era to the classic Labine/Mayer period - no, it's not the same. Overall, though, even when Claire Labine wasn't technically writing the show (although, from what I've gathered over the years, she still had her hand in it), it was a fairly consistent show. You could watch a RH from 1985, let's say, then watch one from ten years earlier, and not feel like it was too jarring. The flavor, if you will, was still there.

SANTA BARBARA: 1984-93. Another off-and-on favorite of mine. Eden & Cruz? Meh. But, Mason & Julia? That, my friends, was a revelation. If nothing else, Patrick Mulcahey should be memorialized for the contributions he made to that couple. A rare duo who were compelling together and apart. (Why? Because, Mason and Julia were each flawed, multi-dimensional characters, who weren't dependent on each other to be dynamic. Simple, isn't it?) That show had so much potential, it still saddens me how they pissed it all away. And when I look at GH today, I see Guza has yet to learn from any of his mistakes, either.

SEARCH FOR TOMORROW: 1982-86. Most of the NBC run, in other words. Because an independent station carried it here (OKC), I was able to watch this and not lose out on RH or CAPITOL. A lot of what I saw made NO sense; in retrospect, the revolving door of HW's and EP's is to be blamed for that. But whenever they had something going that was consistent (Sunny's rape, the flood), it was pretty good.

TEXAS: Seen bits and pieces of it over the years.

Y&R: 1982-2001. Because Mom and I were more AMC fans, we didn't watch Y&R as much as we should have. We watched, but only occasionally - usually, whenever AMC had a bad month or two. I remember alot of the big stuff that happened throughout the '80's, but not enough to call myself an aficionado. For me, therefore, the only time that "matters" in my history w/ this show is sometime before Bill Bell stepped down as HW, to whenever Jack Smith came upon the scene. I was literally starving for "classic" soap opera, so it was awesome to see a show that still played by the rules. In my book, Kay Alden is the last of a vanishing breed: a HW who knows what viewers want, or at least wants to see. Was she Papa Bell? Of course not. Those who give her a bad rap, too, have to bear that in mind. But, more than any other, she "got" Y&R and respected the legacy Bell tried to build with this show. You could watch any one of her episodes, even the JT/Brittany/Raul/Mac/Billy-centric ones, and still feel as if you're watching Y&R. Why? Because, unlike some other HW's who shall remain nameless, she knew enough to weave their stories in with the core characters we knew and cared about. Otherwise, if Miss Chancellor don't give a damn what happens between Billy and Mac, neither will I.

and finally...

GL: By now, most everyone knows the story. Started watching this, literally, from the womb. First important memory of my life was Nola's "Casablanca" fantasy. For the next three years or so, GL was the very center of my existence. Then, everyone in town started dying or moving elsewhere, and while I stuck w/ the show - all the way 'til 1996, as a matter of fact - for me, GL was never quite the same. Really didn't stop watching until Megan McTavish came aboard and made a complete shamockery out of Quint and Nola w/ their insane return story. (Quint would never cheat on Nola! Do you hear me?! NEVER!) Did come back for a few years, though, when B&E entered the scene and I, as a bored college freshman, needed something to do between classes. Again, wasn't the same as before, but there was enough there to pique my interest. Then, around 2000 or so, when this show became all about Manny, Carmen Santos, and the San Cristobel Wrecking Crew, I started to drift again. Kept coming back, though, b/c I was certain the next new, incoming HW was going to be "different", somehow. He or She was going to "fix the LIGHT" and everything would be right again. I gave up feeling that way, though, when WesCon chose to dump Maureen Garrett and others to bring back Bradley Cole, and when they began what was probably the show's worst-ever story (IMO, at least), the enormous Lake Elizabeth/Hall of Mirrors/Barbados/Miss Piper ripoff that was Maryanne Caruthers. Once that happened, I knew it was only a matter of time.....

[MichaelGL]

My earliest memory of watching soap operas come from 1992, when I was a wee lad. My soap watching schedule was the same as my mom's:

Y&R (occasionally) at 12:30

Days at 1pm

Another World at 2pm

Guiding Light at 3 pm

It wasn't until 1998/1999 that I started to branch out on my own and sample other soaps, especially those on other networks.

Sunset Beach 1998-1999

The story where a serial killer runs rampant on a island is when I got my start. From there, events such as the earthquake, tsunami, only made me a permanent viewer.

As the World Turns 1998-2000

I remember some guy, David I think, getting buried and coming back alive. Stories such as Eddie/Georgia/Margo/Tom/Emily actually kept me tuned in. I tuned out shortly after Hogan Sheffer broke Lilly and Holden up for Simon and Lilly.

Port Charles 1999-2002

I started watching this because I was never a fan of General Hospital, yet I was intrigued about watching a soap based around a hospital. So I watched the underrated PC, which was GH's sister soap. It was the cast I mostly liked about this soap, Julie Pinson, Jon Lindstrom, Lynn Herring, Kin Shriner, even the recurring cast stole the spotlight every once and a while.

All My Children 2001

I vaguely remember tunning in before 2001 around the time Colby's paternity was revealed. Didn't really become a fan until Culliton brought back Kendall, Erica's house caught on fire, and still I don't think I watched consistently. It wasn't until Leora's death/Megan McTavish's transition into the HW position in 2003 that I would watch Monday-Friday. McTavish started off with much promise, but of course it all went downhill from there.

One Life to Live 2001-2004, 2005, 2007-2010

I remember being really intrigued by Nora's kidnapping and Colin's murder. OLTL was such a unique soap to me, the production, the diverse cast. At the time neither of my two main soaps, DAYS or GL, had anything like what OLTL had going on at the time.

Bold and the Beautiful 1999. I've never been a consisten viewer of this soap, I only tune in whenever a big story is wrapping up or a big event occurs like Macy's car accident, Amber/Tawny/Italy, or Sheila's return.

All these soaps I've developed a liking to in some way or another from 1998-2000.

[Kylie]

I tended to dabble in all the current ones (including Port Charles) during summer vacation. I stuck with AMC and GH until very recently (it's even harder now that I'm in England), though for a LONG time I was a Days regular and was a pretty regular OLTL fan. But I have seen a bit of all of them. Guiding Light was the only one I ever considered taping once I had to go back to school. I just never did though.

[Bright Eyes]

Thanks to YouTube, I've seen episodes and clips from all the long running soaps.

Days of our Lives and One Life to Live are the ones I feel the strongest connection with, however.

[applcin]

AMC - My first soap watching experience ever. Started in the days of Donna/Chuck, Estelle/Benny/Billy Clyde. Regular viewing ended sometime in the 80s. Occasionally I'll check back in, like when Jesse & Angie came back or when Beth Ehlers came on board. My mother watches it so I kind of know what's going on but I don't watch it.

OLTL - Started in the days of Marco, Karen, Edwina, etc. I think my first hiatus from the show was shortly after Megan Gordon died and Marty had been introduced. That's also when Nora and Todd came on the scene and to this day, I still have no use for any of these characters. I've taken several hiatuses from the show (notably when the presence of Mitch Laurence literally turns me off). I still have some unwatched tapes of the last 5 months but I think I'll be dropping the show again.

GH - First day watching was when Scotty went aboard Frank Smith's yacht and punched Luke overboard and L & L went on the run. I stayed with that show pretty consistently until some years back when I had to come up for air after years of drowning in the mob, Sonny & Jason. A few times I popped in to see the returns of Finola, Tristan, and Genie but even that is no longer a lure. Zero interest.

EON - saw it for about its last 3 years or so. Was watching it again online but AOL pulled it.

GL - Followed Larkin Malloy to this show. Took a hiatus when Beth Ehlers and Mark Derwin left; returned when BE came back. Stopped again when DAM was fired and between that and my boredom with the show, that was pretty much the end of it, long before the show got tanked.

AW - on and off in the 90s.

RH - part of my ABC lineup but I was still in school at the time so initial viewing was intermittent. This is where my dislike of seeing Roscoe Born onscreen began. But I was able to see the first 5-6 years straight through on Soapnet a few years ago.

Loving - watched it in its debut years but not really after

Port Charles - watched it debut and saw it until almost the end but the telenovella format ultimately turned me off because it became too plot driven. Never even bothered to watch the finale, which had already been moved to overnight to make room for Millionaire.

DOOL - watched in late 80s/early 90s. Went back for a while to see the return of Steve & Kayla but I dropped the show again right after Shawn's funeral.

Favorite? I've loved, liked, disliked (and in GL's case, loathed with complete contempt) them all at various times. A lot of them are gone now and the only one on air that I was watching regularly recently was OLTL but there's a good chance I may eliminate that one, if I ever get around to watching some of the stuff I haven't yet.

[Sindacco]

DAYS: 1994 - present.

B&B: mid 90s - 2000, 2003, 2005-present.

GH: 2007-2009.

Sunset Beach: 1997-1999 (entire run).

OLTL: 2009-2010. I forgot that I watched OTLT this winter, LOL.

[cityfan01]

AMC (1990-2007; 2008; 2010-present) *Earliest memory I have of life is Tad and Billy Clyde falling from the bridge

ATWT (2009)

B&B (2002; 2009-present)

CITY (Entire Run)

DAYS (1997-1998; 2003-2006; 2009-present)

GH (1996-present)

GL (2002-2004; 2008-2009)

LOV (1990-1995)

OLTL (1990-present)

Passions (1999; 2003-2006)

PC (Entire Run)

SuBe (Entire Run)

Y&R (2008-present)