Best/Worst Soaps to Work on(through the years)

[Wizzerkat]

Reading so many stories about the crap that goes on behind the scenes on Y&R, I was wondering what soaps' overall atmosphere(as a place to work) has been the best and worst. I wonder if things change over the years (like a soap being a create place with little stress perhaps turning worse over time). What does anyone know?

[sheilaforever]

B&B has been drama-free since the late 90s, after those National Inquisitor stories passed. It's little work and good pay - as long as you are emplyoed which for newcomers can often last just 6 months.

[Cat]

LOL!

Hunter Tylo might beg to differ. When did she and Ronn Moss start dating? And when did Sean Kanen first join the show?!

[teplin]

I'd always heard good things about Another World -- their studio was out in Brooklyn rather than in NYC and numerous cast and crew members said the geographic isolation helped them pull together. There are certainly some long-lasting friendships among cast members, most of them seemingly revolving around Linda Dano.

[Khan]

I've heard it said that THE EDGE OF NIGHT was one of the happier shows on which to work. Same goes for RYAN'S HOPE (at least, in the beginning).

[Max]

David Canary said that when he first joined AMC, it was the soap with the best reputation for which to work.

[safe]

Yeah, maybe the beginning. Justin Deas (Bucky) said by the time he left in 1978, it wasn't the same place, or same show, anymore.

When Rose Alaio (Rose Pearse Melina in summer 1980 – summer 1981) posted on the Soapnet forum, she said when she was on Ryan's Hope it was a serious set. Their taping in sequence was hard on the actors and that Claire Labine was notorious for getting scripts late to the actors (and the cast and crew suffered because of it). Rose complained that producer Ellen Barrett abused her power all the time. ( On the positive, Rose did say she liked her co-stars - everyone and in particular Michael Levin, Tom Aldredge, Ann Gillespie, Kelli Maroney,and Michael Corbett)

OTOH - Rose loved the light and fun atmosphere of the Guiding Light set (where she played Helena Manzini -1982), they had a much better taping schedule, and said they treated their actors better than ABC did.

Tracey Ross (Diana Douglas 1985-1987) once compared working at RH to working in a morgue (not sure how she knew what working at a morgue was like) Everyone was walking abound expecting cancellation at any time.

[titan1978]

Lots of actors from GH have spoken publicly about both Monty eras on the show. Lots of drinks and some drugs from major players, but you had to show up and do the work to her satisfaction.

The Heather Webber before Robin was often cut down by Monty to get the performance she wanted. Several actors discuss hearing Monty's shoes coming from the production booth wasn't a great sign.

OLTL during Rauch has lots of terrible stories.

Y&R has got to be the worst though. From The 80's to today it seems like big egos and intense pressure have made a tough place to work. Just imagine being there during the end of Brenda Dickson's time there. And Terry Lester.

[cassadine1991]

I remember reading somewhere that Rauch actually had some actors in rehab.while at OLTL

[NothinButAttitude]

I'd imagine that ATWT would be heaven to work at because I've never heard anything too bad going down there. Maybe a few spats between costars but nothing more. I have heard through the grapevine that if you did get out of line, you'd have to answer to the "holy trinity," Kathy Hays, Don Hastings, or Helen Wagner.

Oh how I'd love for Kathy Hays to give me a "Oh Kiddo" line before reading me the riot act.

[amybrickwallace]

Despite the friction going on behind the scenes with the Dobsons/NBC/New World, it seems like many of the actors on Santa Barbara were pretty tight and remain so to this day - being FB friends with several of them, who are also friended with each other - a lot of those long-lasting friendships are tied to A Martinez (Cruz) and Nic Coster (Lionel).

Leigh McCloskey (Zack/Ethan) has a role in A's new film (his directorial debut), and when A was in a play with Lou Gossett about a year ago, attendees included Coster, Ava Lazar (Santana #1) and Brandon Farmer (Chip). The pictures were great, as were the ones over the summer of Coster and Judith McConnell (Sophia) on his boat.

[RomeAt50]

Jacob Young said more than once that AMC was his favorite set out of the soaps he worked on.

[Khan]

Was there EVER a time when chaos and strife didn't reign backstage at ONE LIFE TO LIVE? From the beginning, it seems (to me), that show often employed unhappy actors and crew (and/or tyrannical P'sTB). So much so, it often surprises me how long the show DID last.

[amybrickwallace]

It does seem that the cast of ATWT was pretty tight, especially the last couple of decades it was on (and with several actors having been on for several decades!!). The one real incident I remember reading that ruffled a lot of feathers there was the Terri Conn/Austin Peck affair.

[amybrickwallace]

It's also got to be extra tough on Y&R ever since their grand dame, longest-running cast member and mentor to many, Jeanne Cooper, has been gone. I wonder how much worse things have gotten there since she passed.