Y&R: Old Articles

[Soapsuds]

One of the Primetime specials was when Mary Jo Mason shot Victor.

Edited February 3, 2022 by Soapsuds

[soapfan770]

Y&R did primetime episodes in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1998. I think there was maybe one or two more as well I can’t recall all of them.

[kalbir]

@soapfan770 I remember the same four primetime episodes you mentioned.

@Soapsuds The 1996 primetime episode is where Victor got shot and it was the lead-in to the Daytime Emmys.

Edited February 4, 2022 by kalbir

[Chris B]

I once had a DVD with three of the prime time episodes. The one where Victor got shot was truly amazing. I believe various soaps have had prime time episodes. I want to say OLTL has one in the 90s, I know Days and AW did. I feel like if OLTL had one then GH and AMC probably did as well. Of course Port Charles launched as a two hour TV movie.
 

I believe the very first prime time episode was Return to Peyton Place which had an hour long prime time episode, but nothing is known to exist of that soap. 

[kalbir]

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[soapfan770]

@kalbirThanks I was thinking that there was possibly one more but I don’t recall for sure that may be it then. 

I do recall there was talk of Y&R doing a primetime episode around the 30th anniversary however I remember David Shaughnessy telling SOD the nixed the idea citing costs and they didn’t think it would have good ratings nor help the daytime ratings. 

[Paul Raven]

The 1996 primetime episode aired on a Wed night and ranked 41st -8.1/15

It was lead in for the Daytime Emmys which ranked 14th - 11.4/19

[will81]

Getting to the important question - Which was the one that had Don Diamont's butt in it? Had to be post NYPD Blue being on air. Maybe the 1995 ep?

[Khan]

I can't recall whether it was the ONLY primetime episode they did, but I still recall one that OLTL did back then: the denouement of the "Who Killed Georgie Phillips?" story -- IMO, the last, great tale OLTL ever told.  The culprit's identity turned out to be underwhelming, but the reveal was very tautly written (by Pamela K. Long, Richard Backus and Gordon Rayfield) with everyone trapped in a house thanks to Todd (who'd been accused of the murder) and some (rather flimsy-looking) dynamite strapped to his chest.

 

Man, I miss how this show used to be.  So brilliantly executed (no pun intended) in every way.

[Darn]

I think the OLTL ep aired in primetime due to preemptions? It involved Todd holding everyone hostage at the Buchanan cabin because he was accused of murdering Georgie. He had a fake bomb strapped to him or some such nonsense.

[Khan]

Yeah, Todd's bomb was, well, a bomb.  But I still love how Pam Long and her writers turned the situation into a real pressure-cooker for everyone who was at the cabin.  I was literally on the edge of my seat (for what was probably the last time as an OLTL viewer).  I just wish the culprit's identity had been more shocking.

[Paul Raven]

Yes OLTL had only one primetime episode due to some sport preemption I think.

Gh had one 'Twist of Fate' which aired on Sat  night.

AMC had an a 20th anniversary special, but no nightime episode.

Loving got the 2hr movie prem and Capitol a I hr debut behind Dallas.

GL got an anniversary special.

Days and Y&R got several annual eps in the 80's.

Prior to that Return to Peyton Place got a half hour ep on Sunday night at 10.30 dealing with the murder of Benny Tate.

[Darn]

I was very new to discussing soaps online back but I remember everyone hating it.

I was rewatching some of that storyline and they made Bo, Nora and Rachel all shockingly stupid so I kind of get it. That story also lead to Bo and Nora being separated for over a decade, which pissed me off every single day. And this is not the OLTL thread so let me stop.

Edited February 4, 2022 by Darn

[Vee]

It is indeed OT, so all I'll say about that story is I thought the initial Georgie arc - Bo's scheming assistant going Fatal Attraction on him and Nora and faking a videotape - was a great idea. RSW and HBS did a joint interview at the time talking about how thrilled they were to be off the freezing backburner and into a story with some heat. The show felt like it had stakes again when JFP first arrived after a lot of meandering around for a couple years post-Malone (haha). This changed in a matter of months for the actors and the audience, because by the end of the year or shortly thereafter Hillary was lobbying the head of the network to first stop the Sam/Nora ONS and then to have Nora killed off in childbirth.

[Darn]

Pack it up. Go home.