ALL: Soaps "Jump The Shark" Moment

[Cheap21]

the obsession with rape happened long before Mitch returned. It seemed the show had a nasty habit of relying on this after the big rape story involving Marty. Todd then tried to rape Nora. They had Powell become a serial rapist, raping Rebecca and others. Years later Barbara gets raped. When Rae Cummings came to town, a serial rapist followed her and started attacking women, including almost Kelly. Mitch was just another in a long line of rape stories which had plagued the show over that past decade

[DRW50]

You're right, but I always felt like the tone really changed over the last decade, slowly creeping towards what we have now, which is that rape is hot, and it's more about getting off on the woman in peril and not caring about any consequences. The rape stories they did with Barbara and then with that annoying Kevin McClathy were bad, but I didn't notice as much because they were minor characters.

[will81]

Soap Opera Digest - May 10th 1983

Critic's Corner by John Kelly Genovese

ANOTHER WORLD - Is Another World Coming Back to Earth?

The title "Another World" is certainly apt these days. Once a well produced powerhouse which stressed honesty and consistency of character, this serial is almost totally unrecognizable from one year to the next. Mass hirings and firings of performers, writers and and producers, have combined with choppy, often haphazard storyline directions to make what has become - simply stated - a mess.

The decline of "Another World" was gradual until the resurrection of the Steve Frame character, who had been "presumed dead" when the immensely popular George Reinholt was relieved of his acting duties. The boffo casting of David Canary as a more mature, weather-beaten Frame could have served to strengthen the shows nucleus - the Matthews family (remember them?). Tragically for the show, this positive development was followed by a series of idiotic decisions on both the writing and producing ends.

The most suicidal move was the dismissal of Beverly Penberthy in the role of Pat Randolph. Here was a character who not only gave the show continuity and focus, but had unlimited story potential as an attractive, reformed alcoholic career woman rebuilding her life without her grown children. How one could axe such a consummate artist as Penberthy because her character 'ran out of storyline' is beyond the comprehension of any viewer.

Unanswered questions abounded in the storyline. Why didn't Steve react to the death of his lawyer and brother-in-law, John Randolph, which occurred two years before? Why didn't anyone notify Steve's siblings in the hick town of Chadwell that he was alive - characters who were familiar and had earned a place with the audience before they, too, were shelved?

Instead, a bevy of new characters was brought in to interact with Steve and his two warring ex-wives: the demure (and miscast) Alice Matthews (Linda Borgeson), and the more mercurial Rachel Cory (Victoria Wyndham). Central in all of this was James Frame (Richard Bekins), Rachel and Steve's grown son, whose seemingly endless identity crisis manifested itself in a weak excuse for a storyline - James' bitter novelization about hypocrisy among Bay City folk.

Through it all, entire families in the story were conceived and annihilated within a year (the Shea and Wylie clans for example). There was also a preachy black storyline involving Quinn Harding (Petronia Paley), a father-son conflict between Mac (Douglass Watson) and Sandy (Chris Rich) over government corruption, and the "I Love Lucyish" plot of Cecile (Nancy Frangione) and Alma (Elizabeth Franz) to drive Blaine (Laura Malone) batty. So much emphasis was placed on these supposed flashes of brilliance that the basic conflict - the Alice-Steve-Rachel triangle- was dragged out ad nauseum to the point where nobody cared.

It was during a storyline about Nazi art smugglers - climaxing with a stellar performance by a German Shepherd in the role of a Hitler-esque canine - that the powers that be realized they were barking up the wrong tree. What followed were dogged attempts to improve the show. Several months later, AW is still in a transitional phase. But so far, indications are unexpectedly encouraging.

This is largely due to the show's present head writers, Robert Soderberg and Dorothy Ann Purser. Both are longtime soapsmiths, unlike the author of the aforementioned follies, and have previous experience writing "Another World." Rather than effecting more radical changes, they took the chaos they inherited and tightened it, strengthening the character relationships and conflicts - with a minimum of pink slips. More importantly, they seem to have defined a focus, or format for the show. Rachel and Mac Cory, star-crossed ex-spouses, are now being propelled toward a reconciliation in the wake of Steve Frame's death (he's really a goner this time). With the Cory's as the show's "tentpoles" (unifying forces), son James has emerged as the protagonist of the show. In actuality, he has been that for a few years, but the character's new found intuition and sense of self is finally making him work as something other than a device for haphazard, fly-by-night love stories.

And, love, one might add, is another force which had been missing from "Another World". More emphasis is now being placed on the emotional attachments of Sandy and Blaine, James and Stacey (Terry Davies, a strong addition to the cast), and - at long last - the irresistible Brian Bancroft and Elena dePoulignac (Paul Stevens and Maeve McGuire). Their quiet dignity seems finally destined to give way to the brand of passionate, mature love story that seems to have died the night Luke raped Laura.

The enduring friendship between Elena and Stacey is also a positive sign. If handled properly, this friendship can become as integral as the long-remembered bond of Pat and Lenore (Judith Barcroft, later Penberthy, Susan Sullivan).

The show's family base is also being emphasized. Besides the Cory's and Ewings, the Matthews family is somewhat better represented now that Liz (Irene Daily) has moved into the home of her deceased brother-in-law, Jim (Hugh Marlowe, who died last year). Her devotion to her adoptive grand-niece Sally (Dawn Benz) and granddaughter Julia (Kyra Sedgwick) has become an essential part of both girls' 'young love' stories. New characters, like brother and sister Peter and Donna Love (John Hutton and Anna Stuart) are carefully interwoven with established characters, i.e., Peter's romance with Sally. And bravo to whoever decided to remove Liz from her tired status as pain-in-the-neck-in-law. She's still written as an opinionated lady, but her days as a flighty busybody are over.

We also applaud the casting of Linda Dano as powerful novelist Felicia Gallant, Tom Wiggin as her former chauffeur and "kept man" Gil (he now has an "honest" job at Frame Construction) and - albeit - from several months ago - Stephen Schnetzer as opportunist Cass Winthrop. The show needed stronger, more believable catalysts than dizzy Cecile. We only hope that these characters are used to capacity in intricate, fast moving suspense stories akin to Jerome and Bridget Dobson's skillful interpretation of villains John Dixon and James Stenbeck on "As the World Turns."

Last year at this time, "Another World" appeared destined for the scrap heap. This year, however, it looks as if it may recapture some old glories. But this can only be accomplished by sticking to the show's present formula, and by continuing to improve AW given its current attributes. Any further 'shake-ups' could mean tragedy for a television classic which truly deserves to live.

[DRW50]

I was surprised to see that praise for Brian and Elena. I thought Brian was very clearly on his way out of Bay City by this time. The Stacey/Elena friendship also went nowhere fast, and sadly, in the long run, Stacey was a failed and, in her second run, extremely unlikeable character. It's a shame.

I have to say that I loved the episodes of AW 1983 that I've seen. There was just a certain vibrancy and atmosphere which carried through so many scenes. Bringing in spark plugs like Felicia and Donna and throwing Cecile in with Donna was a genius move. Beyond that there's a real energy, even with characters like doomed Nicole Love. It's quite a contrast to the suffocating and stale air that I notice in the episodes from a few years earlier.

As wonderful as Rachel and Mac were I really think it was bringing in Felicia and Cass that kept AW on for 15 more years. AW did not have a core family by the time Felicia and Cass arrived. Felicia and Cass and their assorted friends and lovers were the show's nucleus, and they were just unbelievably wonderful, unique, fun, heartbreaking, real characters.

[will81]

While I watched Another World in the late 80's onwards, I heard from many people the show began a decline when Harding Lemay left in 1979, which seems to match up with the SOD piece and what you are saying CarlD2, Steve Frame was brought back around 1981, which is when the writer states the show really hit the pits. Fortunately there was an upswing in 1983. Soderberg/Purser began in late 1982 I believe and seemed to really get the show back on its feet.

Soaps seem to be like actors careers, some are good from start to finish, others have rough spots, but revive, and others just fall into decline until they are gone completely, these can last for years at a time, so jumping the shark is always a different thing for soaps. That is why I would love to hear from viewers who were watching soaps early on in the 50's - 70's period. As I mentioned with Days of Our Lives many people feel it jumped the shark as early as 1978/1979. Certainly the show was in big trouble at that point with the pinks slips on regular display around 1980.

Then you have fans like me who started watching in the mid to late 80's and thought the show was fantastic then and looking back at episodes from 1982 onwards backs that up, though I am sure many original viewers may have tuned out by that point, certainly the ratings and critical acclaim were nowhere near what they had been under Bell's reign as head writer.

As the World Turns is another one, this show was the most watched and talked about in the 60's and 70's, then dropped around the 80's. Was this a scheduling conflict with the show? or was it a JTS moment. I know many people enjoy the Douglas Marland era and feel the show really turned around in 1985 under his reign, then jumped completely when he died in 1993.

[DRW50]

I think ATWT was hit by soaps changing and becoming more "relevant", which ATWT had not. ATWT felt pressure to modernize, and they jumped too quickly when ratings fell. Most likely ratings fell not because of ATWT being conservative, but because ATWT had an aging set of characters who had burned through a lot of story. The show managed to find some footing again when they brought in Margo, Craig, Lyla, paired Steve/Betsy, had James Stenbeck, but it was really a mix of new faces and beloved veterans and the sense of community that made ATWT work - that's what they got again starting around 1984-1985.

I can't remember who exactly wrote AW right before Soderburg and Purser but for some reason I remember liking a bit of what I saw.

I will point out that the Alma Rudder story was much more highly regarded by soap fans and critics than it seems to be by Genovese.

I do agree with him about the stupidity of getting rid of Pat. I think that someone saw Pat, who was low-key and long-suffering and introspective, as representing that Lemay-type atmosphere which kind of turned to dullness, but she was a lot more than that.

The main problem with most of the AW I've seen from those years (which isn't very much) is everything seems so very very serious. It seems like once Iris and Vivian left this got even worse. Cass and Felicia and Donna and Cecile were just so much fun. Yet they also sort of carried over the glamour and high life that Lemay brought to AW. They were a good mask for the lack of a warm, family atmosphere, the atmosphere Lemay and Rauch permanently destroyed.

[soapfan770]

That writer mentions both Julia and Sally, two characters who ended up brutally murdered. I will never understand why so many AW characters had such unnecessary violent ends.

I think Days is a show that has survived because of the "face-lifts" or "reinventions" the show has had over the years, most notably there in 1982 and 1993. One can debate whether they were for better or worse, but one can't deny they certainly recharged the show.

[Khan]

Cass, Cecile, Felicia and Wallingford (and others) did become the sort of core family that ANOTHER WORLD had been lacking for awhile; unfortunately, as beautifully drawn as they were, they were also too unconventional (IMO) for more mainstream soap fans, a claim I'd also make for much of SANTA BARBARA.

Moreover, I think writers such as the Cullitons and Gary Tomlin tried to bring back the emphasis on families w/ clans such as the Loves and McKinnons, but one reason why I suspect they were eventually phased out was b/c viewers resented that they weren't Corys, Matthewses or Frames.

[Khan]

Reading story synopses and such from that period, I tend to agree. It seems that, although there were variations, many of AS THE WORLD TURNS' main characters who had carried the show throughout the '70's were just repeating themselves, taking the same actions w/ the same people. For all the melodramatic flourishes they brought to the canvas, Jerome and Bridget Dobson also breathed some new life into the show. I just wish the Hugheses had not been allowed to fade away during that period.

[Paul Raven]

It seemed that everytime AW regrouped and seemed to have direction,new writers/producers would come in and chip away at an already shaky foundation.

By 85 or so.Mac and Rachel were left isolated.Sandy,Jamie,Iris,Dennis were all gone.Nancy was never given strong stories and Rachel's father and half sister completely forgotten.

The Matthews could have been expanded- eg Liz's 'grandson' Ricky ,a daughter for Russ but instead they too were cast aside.

There were way too many characters from various writing regimes on the canvas.

[teplin]

Wasn't it Corrine Jacker who wrote AW before Soderberg and Purser? I thought Jacker's stuff was just terrible – she beefed up the show's African-American presence, which was nice, but her characters and stories were almost universally awful. I don't know if it was her decision to fire Penberthy, but that was a huge, huge miscalculation. Things were really on the downswing, but Felicia and Cass showed up just in time, and then Sally and Catlin took off, and the show enjoyed a nice little renaissance.

[DRW50]

I thought there was a man who wrote the show between Jacker and Soderberg/Purser, the man who created Felicia and had a lot of early input into her character.

I think another problem with them was they were poorly put together. For instance, they recast Peter and Nicole Love again and again before banishing them both for good. They wrote out Ben McKinnon for no apparent reason, never brought him back, recast Vince again and again, recast MJ, brought in Cheryl for only a few years and by the time Cheryl arrived the family was mostly on the way out, since they had fired MJ and Kathleen was gone. I also think the whole Mary McKinnon amnesia story was a big miscalculation and I thought Denise Alexander was wasted - of course it didn't help that I hated the Reginald character.

[tune_in_tomorrow]

You are right about that. From around 1984-87, AW was a bloodbath. Julia was murdered, Sally was murdered, Quinn was murdered, Maisie was murdered, Zane was murdered, Perry died following out of a loft. That doesn't even count villains like David Thatcher, Royal Dunning, and Daphne Grimaldi, or bit players like the other Sin Stalker victims, or Mac's secretary Diane. At that time, I didn't pay attention to the comings and goings of writers or executive producers but I thought there was a lot of turmoil in cast and direction of the show at that time. The storylines were all over the place, some of them entertaining, some not. I was only watching occasionally between '85-'87 when I finally had enough after the Sin Stalker story. I tuned back in as the show was winding down and was rather shocked to see Rachel and Carl as a couple, when he wreaked all sorts of havoc in the '80s (including murder and attempted murder). Not sure how his redemption came across on the air but after several years away, I couldn't buy it.

For most shows, I imagine there are several "jump the shark" moments where viewers just give up. In the past, they might come back but those days are over.

[DRW50]

I think you really love a soap, then you start to get sick of it, and you move away, and then you try to come back, and each time you're less invested and less hopeful, but you still keep trying. In the past decade or so, there's been no real reason to come back because no effort is ever made to improve. No one cares anymore.

I think AW fell into the idea that if you don't know what to do with a character, you kill them off. It seems like the only time the show didn't do this in it's last 20 or so years was the late 80's and early 90's.

[quartermainefan]

CE has hit the big time.

It's so curious who makes it and who doesn't.