Soap Opera First Impressions

[MichaelGL]

My earliest memory of Guiding Light as a wee kid, was of Frank/Eleni/Alan-Michael, and David/Kat. I particularly remember a scene where David had crawled through Kat's window, and interrupting the couple's moment was when Hamp showed up, knocking on Kat's bedroom door. I also vaguely remember Alan-Michael switching Eleni's birth control pills. I remember some of Bridget/Dylan/Hart/Julie stuff, and being mesmerized by GL's focus on a character like Bridget; her accent, her pure trashiness. With GL's focus on characters living on 5th Street, my impression of GL at the time was that it had a diverse cast with a very urban feel to it with it set on 5th Street.

[Jonathan]

I thought that was just a knock-off and not the actual Halloween movie theme. I may be wrong. But it really brought tension to that scene.

[YRBB]

Sorry, I didn't notice

Thanks, tho!

[EricMontreal22]

Ha it's ok!

Jonathan, it's the actual soundtrack recording of John Carpenter's synth theme--(I'm a bit obsessed with synth scores from the late 70s and early 80s, and it's not even a new recording).

In one of those Paley Center clips on Agnes' website, someone in the audience actually mentions three specific movie themes she recently heard used as background music on AMC, so i guess it was the habit. I would have thought it would be too expensive...

[Llantano Incorporated]

GH used themes from Flowers In The Attic and Risky Business in the late 80's..

OLTL never used film scores to my knowledge.

[bellcurve]

That's all that needs to be said. Agree 100%

[bellcurve]

Maybe he means the one with the camera zooming in on the woman tossing and turning in bed with the male NBC Announcer.

IIRC, the first time that teaser popped up was during the 1999 Soap Opera Awards.

[passionsfan]

I wonder if anyone has that footage of the 1999 Soap Opera Awards taped?

Was that all shown? This was before Passions had there signature cursive logo with the bold font right?

[Gray Bunny]

I have the '99 Soap Awards still on tape, but I don't think I caught the Passions commercial; I was taping as I watched and cut out commercials.

[soapfan770]

Hmm first impressions of the soaps? Well I just sorta followed whatever my mom watched really and that was CBS. Well my first impression of Y&R was Nadia's Theme, I remember my mom learning the piano and having the sheet music for it. I remember watching just to see that opening with all of those beautiful people wearing fancy clothes set to beautiful, and characters like Victor, Nikki, Katherine, and Jill certainly gave lasting impressions to me. The first full story I really remember watching besides some of the Sheila stuff was when Victor was presumed dead and living in Kansas.

Actually, for B&B my first impression was seeing that big red hed lady on the screen

I became hooked on GL with the summer blackout because so much excitement and action was occurring. I think I just started watching ATWT just because it was on CBS but I became hooked with Holden's amnesia and Scott Eldridge stories along with whole inviting family outlook the show had under Marland.

Days? Marlena's thrown into a pit! Carly's buried alive! AW? That show that comes before Days that has lyrics in its music.

ABC soaps? Sorry to say and not to offend, but I did test out the ABC soaps briefly but they reminded me too much of sitcoms that soaps so I didn't really get into them.

[Sapounopera]

B&B was my very first daytime soap and I had my mother tape the first episode for me The first scene I remember is a phonecall between Ridge and Caroline. I adored the Logans and was smitten by Stephanie and Margo. The opening looked so unique.

Santa Barbara: Mason and C.C. fighting over Brandon moments before the earthquake. I loved the lighting, the tone of the show, Ava Lazar as Santana and hated the fact that this great opening didn't have any characters on.

GH: The 1980-81 season. I am still obsessed with Dr Lesley Webber and loved crazy Heather.

GL: Douglas Marland period; Nola and Quinton, Silence Crocker, Kelly Louise, Jennifer Richards and fragile Amanda. Such a great show, it felt like reading a novel.

ATWT: 1987 episodes written by Douglas Marland. I was crazy for the ladies of the show! Kim, Lisa, Lucinda, Barbara, Kim, Iva, Sierra, Lily, Meg among others. I remember these ladies talking and it didn't feel like a "stupid" soap. And I remember Iva confronting Josh infront of Lily.

AW: 1987 episodes. Tortured heroine Donna Love (years later I shocked to find out who Donna really was), Mac and Rachel and MJ's sex tape. And my beloved Denise Alexander as Mary McKinnon.

LOVING: I thought the show was very boring at first, but when I started watching from the beginning I fell in love with it. I couldn't stand Meryl and thought that Stacey looked ugly though.

CAPITOL: Myrna's first scene. The opening. Trey was hot. Clarissa vs. Myrna.

Y&R: 1986 episodes. The opening music! The drawings! This show felt so sophisticated. The trailer showing a furious Kay vowing revenge against Jill Foster Abbott. I fell in love with Brenda Dickson and Terry Lester.

OLTL: Marty's rape. I loved the champagne opening and the show was my number one soap at the time. I was smitten by Sloan Carpenter and was so scared of Todd. Adored Max and Luna

AMC: 1983 episodes. The album opening was so beautiful. Pine Valley was a community and I felt that I knew every street of the town. And I was crazy for Tad. And liked Brooke and Devon a lot.

DAYS: 1987 episodes with Genie Francis. I adored Angelica Deveraux and was very interested in the Hortons.

SEARCH: 1982 episodes and it was so obvious that this show was in trouble.

EDGE: 1980 episodes. Up to this day the Ira Giddeon story feels like so scary. Of course I adored Nancy Karr.

GENERATIONS: Interesting opening, hated the structure of the Whitmore family.

SUNSET BEACH: Hated the opening, the story was boring, but I knew I would watch

[Bright Eyes]

My mother watches two soaps, DAYS OF OUR LIVES and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, always did and still does.

DAYS: Kristen's effing crazy. Sami's a huge bitch. Carrie's pretty. LOVE this show.

Y&R: That chick with the big hair is awesome, I like her, but this show doesn't interest me. 1) I was talking about Jill and 2) I kick myself everyday for not getting my 4 year old ass in gear!

[DRW50]

Something else I remember about the first years I watched Y&R is:

(start of episode)

Ashley: Traci, I think I should talk to Nikki.

<closeup of nervous Traci as the scene ends>

Traci: Are you sure that's a good idea?

Ashley: I could call first.

<Ashley stares at the phone as the scene ends>

Ashley: No. I'm going to go and talk to Nikki.

<closeup of Ashley's determined face>

Nikki: Today is such a lovely day, don't you think, Miguel?

<doorbell rings>

Miguel: Mrs. (Newman/Abbott/etc.), you have a visitor.

<Nikki gives a meaningful glance...Ashley gives a meaningful glance...>

Closing credits.

[YRBB]

WTF am I talking about? Earliest B&B memory is of Taylor in Morocco, being a princess and Y&R is Neil and Drucilla in their apartment. But the Jill moment is when I started watching regularly.

LMAO! They did have an extraordinary talent of drawing things out, didn't they?

Funny though, the show was never boring like other soaps that sped through all their developments in a matter of weeks, if not days.

[Jonathan]

Freak.