CBS vs ABC vs NBC Soaps

[Darlotto99]

which network do you perfer? I perfer CBS soaps bc of the style and the cast seems to always be the same and the shows are consistancy. I find ABC changes GH too often and have a hard time keeping up with the characters. so what network do you perfer and why? what don't you like about the soaps on other networks and what do you like even if you don't watch it but seen bits of it

[DRW50]

CBS soaps always had my heart, even if they eventually broke it.

[Max]

I always had a strong preference for the CBS soaps plus AW (which felt that it belonged on CBS far more than on NBC).

[DramatistDreamer]

Me too CarlD2.

I have found myself watching the occasional GH these days, though, now and then.

CBS Soaps seem to have loads of Drama going on-- too bad none of it is on the actual Television screen.

[DRW50]

Around 1995 after I could not deal with the many changes on GL and to a lesser degree ATWT, I did start ABC. I just didn't have the emotional attachment. I think if I'd started OLTL in earlier years I would have the attachment, and to a lesser degree the same goes for AMC. I would have been hooked on Loving, as I was for the last few months it was on the air.

I also grew to care about AW on NBC, although the show wasn't very good by the mid-90s. I have a strong emotional attachment to much of what I've seen of its earlier years, especially Ada.

[Khan]

Here's what I loved about each network's slate of soaps:

I loved CBS's emphasis on traditional (i.e., family-based, multi-generational) storytelling.

I loved ABC's emphasis on larger-than-life characters.

I loved NBC's emphasis on thinking "outside the box" in terms of plotting, scriptwriting, production values and so forth.

...And here's what I didn't love about each of 'em:

I didn't love CBS's...conservative attitude whenever it came to depicting and exploring any sort of diversity.

I didn't love ABC's tendency to cater toward fan bases and others whose viewing habits and needs are antithetical (sp?) to continuing drama itself.

I didn't love NBC's attitude that nothing and no one should be considered "sacred" and therefore indispensable.

[dragonflies]

I was an ABC soaps girl growing up, watched GH, OLTL then Days and Y&R. Eventually watched all 4 ABC soaps(PC, AMC, OLTL GH)

[CSF]

I always enjoyed AMC and OLTL, Y&R and GL. Those were my soaps.

I could never get into B&B as I felt it was a joke. A show about fashion, set in a real city and all they ever did was just circle the airport.

To me, ATWT was always so boring.

I did enjoy tuning into Sunset Beach, it was my guilty pleasure. I really wish it was given a chance.

[OldGHFan]

In the late 70s through the early 90s, I was an ABC girl. I watched Ryan's Hope, All My Children, One Life To Live and General Hospital. I gradually gave them all up except GH and then finally had enough of GuzaGH and turned that off as well. I periodically tune into CartiniGH though. I'll never forget their great promos - "Love in the Afternoon".

[Ryan Chamberlain]

I watched the CBS soaps as a kid/teen. But, they started sucking to me (all besides Y&R...I'll explain that) So, I started watching and loving the ABC soaps.

Here's my explanation on Y&R. Only B&B, ATWT, and GL came on in the afternoon here. Y&R always used to come on in the morning. It moved to afternoons after AMC was cancelled. I guess just to give the locals something to watch at 1PM. Because, most people around here were either CBS or ABC watchers.

[Quent]

Definitely CBS. They always had the most realistic storylines, but even more, they had the best actors and actresses. I never realized this until I once decided to try other soaps. I couldn't believe the amateurish acting I found on AMC and especially DAYS. Hair-tossing and hamminess seemed to be the order of the day. I couldn't imagine Larry Bryggmann or Liz Hubbard on these ABC/NBC shows (or even Maura West or Michael Park). I quickly scurried back to CBS, where it seemed acting chops were valued more than hot looks.

[darraholic]

NBC. I loved Another World, Days of our Lives & Sunset Beach. CBS would probably be my #2 network. Only really watched OLTL and a bit of AMC & PC on ABC.

[Cheap21]

ABC, NBC then CBS

[Soaplovers]

As a kid, other then GL.. i was a NBC soap watcher. My mom used to watch the CBS soaps live while taping the NBC soaps (Days, AW, SB) to watch at night.. or on the weekend.

As I grew up, I did start to view All My Children.. but that was the only ABC soap.

[Faulkner]

My mom watched Santa Barbara, Y&R, AMC, ATWT, and GL so those were the soaps I grew up on. So I leaned CBS, but had a foot in both NBC and ABC. Actually, when I started watching daytime (around 1990-91), the CBS soaps felt more diverse than ABC's lineup to me, AMC aside. SB was so clearly going into decline then, but Y&R felt so operatic and lush, while the P&G shows had such intriguing adult characters (Lucinda, Iva, John Dixon, Alex, Holly, Ed, Ross, Vanessa) and layered canvases. Of course, AMC was the young hip show that everyone watched at the time.

Alas, ATWT and GL began their rapid disintegration around '94, and I'd already been sampling OLTL and GH due to the Malone/Labine hype at the time. And then the insane Reilly stories kicked into gear at DAYS, which made that show must-see in the mid-'90s. But like CarlD2, my heart was with CBS, even though the network stomped all over it in the past decade.

AW had such wonderful characters and actors, and it feels like I watched more of it than I actually did. I found the show familiar and easy to dip into. Never really liked B&B. Checked in from time to time on Sheila, loved Stephanie, and was mildly engaged with the Bridget/Deacon/Brooke prurience a few years back. But the show never clicked with me. Never caught Loving (as I lived in St. Louis), and Sunset Beach/Port Charles were disappointing experiments.