Brad Bell recently made a comment about it getting too expensive to put more than two or three contract players in the same scene. I don't pretend to know how soap actors are paid, guessing it must relate to number of scenes, and figure this is why Y&R and ATWT have used non-contract players for major roles.

This may explain why we see less interaction and friendsips on soaps. It seems like characters are only placed together for plot purposes these days. They then cut these scenes down into mini scenes to save money and build what is supposed to be suspense.

I love te idea of letting maybe one episode per week center around one character and their perspective in terms of the story. Y&R has done this with Victor, Billy, Ash+Sharon with only mixed results. Maybe every show should reduced their bloated casts and really focus on key players.

What I'd like is to see more shows do more Edge Of Night or British-style character-driven special episodes - the "one-hander, two-hander" shows with one or two castmembers, or a particular focus. If you do a big courtroom story, then sure, do like EON did - spend an episode on the prosecution, the defense, whatever. You don't have to do it every day. Make it a special thing.

For example: on OLTL last year, I thought they should've ended the recent Mitch story the only proper way to kill him - have Viki do it, and get away with it. People would tune in if you promoted it by saying Viki is sacrificing her principles and decides she has to take her family's greatest threat down the hard way. Since the early 2000s Mitch has been obsessed with the Lords and specifically, Viki. All his madness goes back to that family.

Remember when they had Viki 'consult' her integrated alters in order to solve the Hope/Chloe baby mystery in 2009? I say take that a step further. You could've had an entire hour devoted to only Erika Slezak, playing opposite herself - Viki inwardly communing with all of Viki's alters, who would of course appear onscreen with her. Together they would debate the pros and cons of Viki doing the unthinkable and killing Mitch herself. Viki would conclude at the end of the hour that she could and would do it.

It would not only be Emmy bait, but a fabulous way to do a character-driven episode while also executing a spectacular gimmick. It's the kind of thing EON did, the kind of thing British soaps still do, so why not do it?

I'd love to see some one/two/three-handers! I always thought US soaps could pull it off more easily because our soap episodes are so slow-moving as it is (as opposed to UK soaps...EE usually covers a whole day in each episode), so having an entire episode focused on two or three characters interacting in something close to realtime would work so well. I guess that's why I always get a tad bit excited when soaps have big thunderstorms that keep all the right characters stuck with each other for an episode or two.

Technically, Erica's intervention was a six-hander (seven when Mark showed up). It's a stretch, but all of the characters were in Erica's penthouse, it was mostly realtime, and it focused primarily on one storyline while also touching on others.

GL's "Inside the Light" thing was a great idea. I think it derailed when they started eclipsing too much time within the episodes. They handled the news of Ross's death, the funeral, and the aftermath all in one damn episode! That would be fast for a primetime show. You wind up missing too many important beats, and it doesn't feel like the same show because by the next day, everyone's over it.

Ugh, I remember that. ITLs should have been just for character/recap stuff, not important plot stuff.

Edited January 28, 201114 yr by All My Shadows

I remember Y & R did something where it focused on one or two characters... I think it was in the late 90's and it featured only Nina and cricket. It featured Cricket debating over whether she should be with Danny or Paul while flashbacks were shown and Nina throwing in her two cents.

Another time on OLTL, it focused on what Viki did the whole day before she had open heart surgery (or maybe it was before she underwent treatment for breast cancer).

The problem isn't that the shows aren't doing it, they just don't have the proper people behind the scenes to execute those types of episodes.

Brad Bell recently made a comment about it getting too expensive to put more than two or three contract players in the same scene. I don't pretend to know how soap actors are paid, guessing it must relate to number of scenes, and figure this is why Y&R and ATWT have used non-contract players for major roles.

But shouldn't this mean MORE long scenes between two or three characters? Dark Shadows--at least the first few years could only afford, was it 4 characters an episode? Anyway a lot less than we're used to--which caused some boringness--often 5 mins into an episode you'd have an idea who you'd see all episode long and if you weren't too interested you were in for a dull episode. But it did cause some good scenes.

I remember Y & R did something where it focused on one or two characters... I think it was in the late 90's and it featured only Nina and cricket. It featured Cricket debating over whether she should be with Danny or Paul while flashbacks were shown and Nina throwing in her two cents.

Another time on OLTL, it focused on what Viki did the whole day before she had open heart surgery (or maybe it was before she underwent treatment for breast cancer).

The problem isn't that the shows aren't doing it, they just don't have the proper people behind the scenes to execute those types of episodes.

Why don't they though? Most of the people behind the scenes on the soaps were working on soaps in the 80s if not before... I'm not arguing your good point, just that I don't see it as an excuse.

I'd love to see some one/two/three-handers! I always thought US soaps could pull it off more easily because our soap episodes are so slow-moving as it is (as opposed to UK soaps...EE usually covers a whole day in each episode), so having an entire episode focused on two or three characters interacting in something close to realtime would work so well. I guess that's why I always get a tad bit excited when soaps have big thunderstorms that keep all the right characters stuck with each other for an episode or two.

I love that too... And actually that was the one thing that made it hard for me to get into UK soaps was that, most episodes, they are a ton of VERY short scenes--though often for the key climaxes they do pull them out.

Why don't they though? Most of the people behind the scenes on the soaps were working on soaps in the 80s if not before... I'm not arguing your good point, just that I don't see it as an excuse.

Because every scene is plot driven.

There used to be a time where characters could have actual conversations about life, love, religion, etc & not solely to move plot.

No, I totally agreed--we hardly ever have characters just talking like friends do (when Broderick was briefly interim HW at AMC she did try her best to shoehorn a few of these scenes back in).

But my point was directed at the original point that said that the shows simply don't have the people behind the scenes who are capable of doing those kinds of scenes anymore... And I don't buy that excuse.

I could be wrong, but at least in the late 90s it seemed like Days had more commercial interuptions than other soaps for some reason. At least the ABC ones were all 6 "acts" and a prologue (though the prologue was annoying cut for some of the late 90s and early 00s)--I nevr watched Days faithfully but I swear it was more--surely amounting to the same ratio of ads to programming, but in shorter, more acts.

I remember my dad making that same comment years ago when I had him tape both DAYS and GL for me for a number of days in a row. He commented on how it seemed like there were a lot less commercial interruptions on GL versus DAYS which seemed to go to break every 4 minutes.

I know when I used to try to watch DAYS when I'd be home sick some days (it was never a soap I followed enough to tape) that I found it damn obnoxious--glad it wasn't just my imagination.

I was Listening To Brandon's Buzz Last Night & Brandon talked With Mark Dobies (Daniel Coulson, OLTL; Noah Chase, GL) & He Said something I Totally Agree With. What Happened With Relationships and Family On Soaps. He Used Ryan's Hope As An Example. They Used To Do Lots Of scenes Of Folks At Ryan's Bar & Kitchen Scenes Where People Just Talked to Each Other About What Was Going On With Them. These Wonderful 7-10 minute long scenes got you so much into the head and heart of these characters. By Doing This Viewers Were immediately connected to them and their struggles.

Now a Days, These Type Of Scenes Are Few and Far Between. One Life To Live Had One This Week where Todd & Tea Were In Bed discussing The Past & Who Todd Was & How He Has evolved. that was One Of Those True Moments That Relies On History & Chemistry. Nothing More, Nothing Less. However, some fans took to message boards and said that was boring & Where's the action? Unfortunately Stunts Like Crashes, Blow Ups, Kidnappings, Mob Ties etc are now front & center. True Characters connecting with one another have been placed so far on the back burner they have fallen off the stove.

My question is how do we get back to those stories of interaction with these characters that made daytime drama so great that no one wanted to miss not only a day but a minute. I for one Don't think It's Too Late. Let's Figure This Out

Ideas?

My apologies for the snark, but I have one- Quit With the Capitalizing of Every Other Word because it Makes Your Posts so Much more Difficult to Read and Actually Comprehend.

Again, sorry, but it had to be said. It's driving me banananas! [/Michelle Tanner]

My apologies for the snark, but I have one- Quit With the Capitalizing of Every Other Word because it Makes Your Posts so Much more Difficult to Read and Actually Comprehend.

Again, sorry, but it had to be said. It's driving me banananas! [/Michelle Tanner]

"How rude!" --- Stephanie Tanner.

J/K... I thought the same thing.

My apologies for the snark, but I have one- Quit With the Capitalizing of Every Other Word because it Makes Your Posts so Much more Difficult to Read and Actually Comprehend.

Again, sorry, but it had to be said. It's driving me banananas! [/Michelle Tanner]

Sorry But Its Just The Way I Post & I Dont See That Changing

Edited January 29, 201114 yr by John

LOL. Oh dear.

So Can We Get Back To Discussing The topic.? Thanks!!!!