What stories didn't work(ratings wise/creative wise) in soaps?

[Soapsuds]

For me it was anything to do with gambling. I just hated them on ATWT. I dont think anyone ones were creatively done or even were ratings winners.

[Khan]

I would add transgenderism, for lack of a better word, to the list. Both ALL MY CHILDREN and THE CITY attempted to tell stories about individuals who believed they were not the right gender. AMC's story failed, though, due to poor writing, while THE CITY's failed due to bad casting.

[John]

i think all stories are workable in Daytime if the writing & acting is there. That is the most important. The city is a bad example cause soon as Azure C's truth came out, they wrote her & Bernardo out. The Zarf/Zoe thing was always short-term and horribly plotted & paced

[DRW50]

I'll always have a soft spot for the ATWT gambling fiasco because of the scene of Rosanna in her wedding dress, not leaving the slot machine. Someone on the show at that time hated her as much as I did.

[ellabelle]

The Zoe/Zarf storyline was actually my first thought. It just didn't work for me.

[quartermainefan]

GH's fashion magazine aspect was a total dud. The mob as good guys never worked for me and I think dramatically there are so many problems with it that it is the main reason GH went down hill so far. The recent Lisa Niles murder on GH I think should be studied in writing class for how to not write a mystery. They clearly had no idea who the killer was going to be as evidenced by the total absence of flashbacks showing the murder--a staple of whodunits when all gets revealed.

[juniorz1]

I actually thought Max's Gambling story on OLTL was well done and intriguing.

I think murder mysteries where both the victim and killer turn out to be glorified day players, as so often happens on daytime, are always ratings killers. It's just next to impossible to care who killed off a character that you hated, were indifferent to, or just plain didn't care about in the first place.

[Gray Bunny]

Anything involving art and paintings.

[Khan]

If I never hear or see the word "reliquary" again....

Vanessa's involvement notwithstanding, "Who Killed Paolo Caselli?" on AMC would be a good example. (Paolo who? Exactly.)

[DRW50]

Stories where fans have some type of input, like voting, or real life people in a jury trial on a soap. Unless it's something cute like naming a baby, then don't bother. The last time it worked was Meat Bauer on GL.

[quartermainefan]

Somewhere the writer of "Laurelton" weeps

[Khan]

Meat Bauer?

Yeah, viewers never should have say-so in the outcome of any given story. It's one thing if the story reaches its conclusion and viewers hate it, but if the viewers get to decide how it all turns out, chances are, it'll be far more muddled.

[DRW50]

Meta pre-op.

[Khan]

I doubt JER, who devised the Laurelton Murders (on GH), would weep over any story he wrote.

[DRW50]

Bringing back an actor whose character died, now suddenly playing their twin or doppleganger. I think this worked once - Jacob on Loving/City - and that's about it.