All: Big Mistakes Soaps/Networks made over the years

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Someone refresh my memory. What were their stories?

[DRW50]

The "Who Killed Colin?" story

Sami and Austin breaking up over her lies and Sami being pushed through the glass doors and losing her voice (or was that Higley?)

The reveal that Zack was Bo's son

The "space aliens" Cassie and Rex, who were supposed to be the children of Tony and Marlena

Billie's return as a cop

[Bright Eyes]

Disagree. Sami being forced to STFU was utter brilliance!

The Colin murder mystery had so much potential, I thought. Then Higley came aboard and screwed it all up. And as for Cassie and Rex, yes there introduction was stupid, but they were great actors who brought much needed new life into the DiMera fold. Again, only for Higley to screw it all up.

[DRW50]

I wasn't passing comment on the quality of the stories, just trying to list the ones I remember as Dr Neil Curtis wanted to know.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

Oh ok! Thanks a bunch Carl! I remember all those and I pretty much liked all those. I just wanted those twins to be Tony & Anna's or Marlena & Opherus.

[Bright Eyes]

Woopsie. Clearly I wasn't following the thread very closely. Regardless though, I miss Alexis Thorpe.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

I do too, Amello. I would love to see her return and reign in the DiMera. Her mother is married to the man who keep her & Rex locked up for years.

[Cyberologist]

I totally agree with "all of this"

This regime is single-handedly the worse thing to happen to ABC soaps Frons and Guza has ruined GH not sure about the others but when I watched OLTL its saving grace after Dena split was Carlivati who at least has a love of the genre Valentini and are not misogonystic through the storytelling (that I can determine).

I always thought Valentini a fair EP no proof just a gut feeling of how he operates. I remember after hearing when Disney took over ABC how glad I was, little did I know about the history of racism re: this company until I read a book the biography of Walt Disney.....now after their takeover I'm not glad they did with Frons at the helm.

[DRW50]

I love your avi! Reminds me of Knots Landing.

Yeah, Disney has produced some wonderful entertainment and are canny marketers but I think their taking over ABC Daytime was devastating in the long run. I remember reading about how the people who owned ABC when Ryan's Hope was canceled actually went to the goodbye party (where Helen Gallagher told them off). That would never happen today.

[Saving ATWT]

Yeah, CBS does owns this topic because they are the network that had the most to loose and gain. Historically, they've always been number one with soaps and did a lot of silly stuff. EON, SFT and even Capital were before me but flipping ATWT out of 1:30 seems to have been a big mistake. By the 1990's, Y&R was gaining a huge lead and the spill over lead in would have been of more benefit to a 60 minute show as opposed to a 30 minute show.

Also, allowing local stations to move GL all over the place. No show will do well if aired randomly across the nation. CBS slowly phased out GL and ATWT via lack of promo, budget and attention. I still do blame PGP for not selling these shows to CBS in 2001. Both would still be on air and probably getting Y&R grade rock star ratings.

[DeeeDee]

+1.

[soapfan770]

Now I don't much about ABC Daytime or the soaps very well beyond a few names and facts but I do know the entire ABC network suffered for several years there following Disney's 1996 takeover. Especially there what circa 2001-2004, ABC was a hot mess as the fourth-rated network, almost in the position NBC has been in the past few years. I think this was around the time a special live prime-time episode of The View turned out to be a several failure losing the time-slot to the shows on CBS, NBC, Fox, AND The WB, and I think they said it was the lowest-rated program ABC had ever aired. ABC/Disney hit rock bottom there in 2004 (under threat of a Comcast takeover, hello NBC!) before turning around.

I could never understand why P&G never sold to CBS or to Memorex there respectively. P&G obviously didn't care, so why were they so fiercely protective and pretending to care to the very end?

[Sindacco]

Sami being pushed through the glass doors was Higley in 2003 after Brandon left Sami. But Austin leaving Sami in Vegas was Brash and Cwikly in 2002.

Let's not forget Tony's return at The Penthouse Grill during John and Marlena's anniversary party. That was the first time Tony was brought back from the dead and unlike other writers, Brash and Cwikly actually used some of the history from old stories to bring him back.

Then there was Larry Welch's return when he kidnapped Hope and Zack and framed Lexie for it.

[heffer]

GL

Killing off Lujack instead of sending him out of town with the also soon departing Beth so we would have not have to go through the boring Nick era later on (and have us a more interesting character back).

Making scummy deadbeat dad Buzz Cooper the town saint instead of the original Roger-type villain he should have been.

Hauling off the iconic Alan to jail for YEARS (should have either recast or kept the actor).