1 minute ago, ironlion said:

Exactly what are the blank years for old soaps, the late 60s to the late 70s? At least those are the years I find toughest to locate online. 

 

And why is that? I suppose it has something to do with tape erasure?

From the sounds of it. From what I've been able to tell, they stopped doing many kinescopes after the mid-60s (with the odd exception of that glut of 1975 GHs that have popped up online), but didn't stop taping over old episodes until the late 70s for most shows, so basically, unless local stations and the like haven't held onto their timeshifted copies (or, how some of the soaps had copies shipped to Australian channels for rebroadcast, which, for whatever reason, have been kept), we're basically out of luck

 

6 minutes ago, beebs said:

From the sounds of it. From what I've been able to tell, they stopped doing many kinescopes after the mid-60s (with the odd exception of that glut of 1975 GHs that have popped up online), but didn't stop taping over old episodes until the late 70s for most shows, so basically, unless local stations and the like haven't held onto their timeshifted copies (or, how some of the soaps had copies shipped to Australian channels for rebroadcast, which, for whatever reason, have been kept), we're basically out of luck

Yikes! I've been waiting for years to see Phillip Chancellor's death on Y&R as well as Victor Lord's death on OLTL. One day they might surface, if such video exists anymore.

 

I always found it strange that it's so hard to locate newscasts and soaps from that era but primetime like Mary Tyler Moore or Sanford & Son (and movies) were so well preserved. 

Edited February 16, 20214 yr by ironlion

Just now, ironlion said:

Yikes! I've been waiting for years to see Phillip Chancellor's death on Y&R as well as Victor Lord's death on OLTL. One day they might surface, if such video exists anymore.

You might get lucky with Y&R, and DAYS. Both shows apparently have all episodes in tact. Just...not circulating, obviously.

7 hours ago, ironlion said:

always found it strange that it's so hard to locate newscasts and soaps from that era but primetime like Mary Tyler Moore or Sanford & Son (and movies) were so well preserved. 

Primetime shows were preserved because of the possibility of reruns. Many shows didn't really start to profit until they went into local reruns. Short run shows often made a loss.

 

Soaps were seen as inexpensive (and profitable) daytime fillers that would never be repeated -how could they when they could run for years?

As part of that economic framework, the tapes were erased to be used  again.

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-may-12-1986-partial

 

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-february-5-1991

 

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-february-6-1991-most

 

https://archive.org/details/general-hospital-february-7-1991

7 hours ago, Paul Raven said:

Primetime shows were preserved because of the possibility of reruns. Many shows didn't really start to profit until they went into local reruns. Short run shows often made a loss.

 

Soaps were seen as inexpensive (and profitable) daytime fillers that would never be repeated -how could they when they could run for years?

As part of that economic framework, the tapes were erased to be used  again.

If only they had imagined the possibility of youtube, streaming or soapnet, etc... They could have perhaps profited off  releasing --for example--a playlist of critical episodes from a particular storyline. Anyway, it is what it is☹️

Edited February 17, 20214 yr by ironlion

WLS Channel 7 - AM Chicago - "Anthony Geary at Northbrook Court" (Complete Edition, 2/23/1981) 🧼 - YouTube

Interesting tidbit from today's Soaps of Yesterday uploads: there was talk of Elizabeth Taylor making a second appearance on GH in 1983. She ended up passing, completing her run in Private Lives and "has decided to take care of some personal matters" (which we know now was her entering rehab).

 

  

A few tidbits from today's Soaps of Yesterday uploads (thanks again, @will81!)

-- Denise Alexander's exit interview includes her (jokingly?) fudging her age by a decade, talking about her overwork and lamenting that Lesley would be killed off. She'd have rather the role been recast or given a not-so closed exit, like running off with a sailor. This reminds me of @vetsoapfan's comments about the foolish idea of Ellie on SFT running off with the cook. My point is, actors don't always know best and (even in spite of how he'd be ruined in the future), I think it'd be hard to accept Rick & Lesley being torn apart so casually.

-- "And the arrival of two women in town may shatter the Webbers and the Quartermaines." The first is a no-brainer: Ginny. The second is likely Beatrice, but I actually first thought it was Lorena.

-- Lynda Hirsch, reporting on ex-GHers' new gigs, includes some slightly misleading info. about Kin Shriner's role in the TV movie Obsessive Love. She makes it sound like he's the male lead. He's the second male lead: Yvette Mimieux's character was stalking Simon MacCorkindale.

-- TIL Janine Turner was engaged to Alec Baldwin. Given their present politics, I'm wondering how long the pairing lasted.

 

All this and the incoming Jimmy MacNichol (slated for anywhere between 6-26 weeks on the show) and imminent departure of John Stamos.

1 hour ago, Franko said:

Jimmy MacNichol (slated for anywhere between 6-26 weeks on the show)

Ended up lasting 18 months as Josh Clayton in the end (though I don't know whether it was a continuous 18 months or several short runs); got killed off during the Asian Quarter story.

31 minutes ago, Dion said:

Ended up lasting 18 months as Josh Clayton in the end (though I don't know whether it was a continuous 18 months or several short runs); got killed off during the Asian Quarter story.

From the little bits. I've seen of Josh. I liked the character. He was used as Frisco's sidekick. Then Mistakenly poisoned by the Asian mob. Who thought he was Frisco.

Edited February 24, 20214 yr by victoria foxton

16 minutes ago, victoria foxton said:

From the little bits. I've seen of Josh. I liked the character. He was used as Frisco's sidekick. Then Mistakenly poisoned by the Asian mob. Who thought he was Frisco.

He was also the songwriter that Blackie plagiarized wasn't he?

2 minutes ago, Dion said:

He was also the songwriter that Blackie plagiarized wasn't he?

Yes! That's how he was introduced. Suffering from writer's block. Blackie stole Josh's song. Which lead to Blackie's girlfriend Lou's death.

Edited February 24, 20214 yr by victoria foxton

What is Soaps of Yesterday?  I’m blanking on it, and I would love to see this stuff being referenced!