How did we find out about the behind the scene politics about soaps back then??

[allmc2008]

Did the soap press talk about dirty network executives or EP's?? Or any other scandels and what not?? Just wondering how/if we knew about the behind the scenes drama 10 years ago plus.

[Cyberologist]

Where I got my info the soap mags and there were news articles in the newspaper, magazines.

[KMan101]

Newspapers and gossip rags Im sure.

[DRW50]

Soap magazines, starting in the early 70s. Beyond that, I'm sure people heard it through fan clubs.

[DramatistDreamer]

There are probably some untold stories still left to tell.

Especially since there are now soaps that have gone off air and don't appear to be coming back-- I say, just let it all out! Open the crates. I want to hear what Count Stovall really thought of Roy Franklin having a family then having none, which was more than Tucker had. I would love to hear from the marginalized characters on the cancelled soaps-- what they really thought about their shows.

Just have at it. Tell the truth like Eileen Fulton would.

As for me, though, I can honestly say, I only started knowing anything about the behind the scenes once I joined messageboards (ahh, the old SoapCity boards ) in the early 00s. Before then, I had not one clue what went on behind the scenes and it wasn't half bad. I guess I never bought one of the digests or magazines that were out there. I think one year when I was a kid, we had a year's subscription to TV guide or something ridiculous like that and they used to have some spoilers and the occasional interview but you really only learned with the shows wanted you to know. I can't say it bothered me though, I was too busy setting the ole VCR (LOL).

[Susan Hunter]

Almost all of the behind the scenes gossip that I've heard came years and years after the fact from soap message boards such as this. From people (fans) who knew or were connected in some way to the soap scene and shared their gossip. You had no idea how nasty the 'Another World' set was or Irna Phillips' craziness or that half the males on Edge of Night and Dark Shadows cast were gay or how wild the GH set was.

Quite frankly you didn't even really get spoilers, maybe some comings and goings, but nothing like today when you know months beforehand. I don't really remember stories on writer or producer changes until after they had already taken over. I can remember being little and reading my Mom's 'Daytime TV' and 'Afternoon TV' and they were mostly fluff pieces on the soap stars home lives, etc. There was never any in depth reporting. I think the first time those magazines delved into the nasty stuff was when George Reinholdt went rogue.

In all honesty, I think it was a different time, the information was more controlled, and it was a different type of viewer and they were more concerned with the story on screen which were quite engaging. To this day, I am still convinced that my Great Grandmother didn't know that her 'stories' weren't real.

[juniorz1]

I'm sorry but I had to at the thought of that because nowadays, it would be impossible not to differentiate. I think it was intended as a fun alliteration, but I confess that the first thing that came to my mind was "Didn't she notice when (insert character here) was recast and nobody blinked?"

[allmc2008]

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