I think Y&R was 1973-1993. (1998-2000 was when the show started to fall apart.)

Dynasty 1981-1984.

Knots Landing 1982-1989

Dallas 1978-1983

B&B 1987-1995

Days had 3 sets of great eras imo

The late 60s to late 70s for great storytelling

1982-1988;1990 for the great super couples

1993-2002 for all that craziness but goodness

Days had 3 sets of great eras imo

The late 60s to late 70s for great storytelling

1982-1988;1990 for the great super couples

1993-2002 for all that craziness but goodness

Agreed. Although there were lots of ups and downs from the second half of 1997 until late 2001, that describes it overall. IMO, DAYS has been an inconsistent mess since early 2003. 2003-2006, Reilly's second era, let's just pretend never happened.

Current shows:
Y&R: 1982-1986, 1990-1994, 1997-2003

B&B: 1987-1995

Days: 1983-1990, 1993-1997 (never watched but those two eras are the most talked about I find)

General Hospital: late 1970s/early 1980s when that show was a pop culture phenomenon that no other show has really reached, not even my beloved Y&R

Past shows:

All My Children: 1980s when Susan Lucci became a household name, even to those who don't watch ABC or daytime at all

As the World Turns: 1985-1993

Guiding Light: 1989-1992

It's hard for me to say from a first-person POV, given that I began watching only 15 years ago, but I'd say, for my two faves, late 70s/early 80s for AMC and late 60s/early 70s for ATWT. They were at their most-watched and most-talked-about.

1998 is actually the last time I really enjoyed Y&R.

Just basing this on the periods I've watched of soaps:

GL: 1979, 1983, 1989-1991, 1997

ATWT: 1985-1987, 1991-1992, 1995

AMC: 1981-1983, 1986-1987, 1991-1995, 2002-2005 (ish)

B&B: 1989-1991, 1999-2000 (ish)

Corrie: 1960-1971, 1976-1984, 1988-1995, 2002-2004

EE: 1985-1988, 1991-1997, 2000-2002

AW: 1979, 1983, 1988-1994, 1998

I'm not able to break shows like Emmerdale and Y&R down into periods because of their structure and unique world-building/continuity, other than to say the best is the past (even if I've enjoyed more of Emmerdale than I haven't in the last year).

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by DRW50

90s GH

Going off of times that I started to watch these shows:

AW: 94 to early/mid 96

ATWT: 99 to 02

GL: 93 to 02

B&B: 93 to 04

Y&R: 93 to 05

ED: 04 to 06 (the King era) AND 09 to 10 (the Wylde era) [i love a good, twisted Home Farm family]

*NOTE: These shows had dud stories throughout many of these years but those were the years I saw these shows as being "Glory years" for me [personally].

Edited May 9, 201510 yr by Nothin'ButAttitude

AMC 2002-2005

For me:

Melrose Place '93-'96 (S2-4)

Unfortunately my fave show (Another World) probably had its best time before my time...(born in '73). But for me I really enjoyed '88-92.

The 25th Anniversary

Who Shot Jake

Pretty much all of Anne Heche's run (tho she was rough to watch at first!)

Also, loved Alicia Coppola and Linda Dano at this time.

The mother/daughter reveal.

Lorna's rape and trial.

I believe Felicia's alcoholism story was the end of this time.

I would sit through all of this on a daily basis again instead of watching what is left on the air now.

Y&R: 1973-2005 (though really 2003 was the last year it was really good based on what everyone else has said)

B&B: 1989-1995, 1999-2002

DOOL:1993-2002

Passions:1999-2003

Edited March 28, 20205 yr by YRfan23

Reading the above I realize how hard I am on GL...I didn't even include the Marland period as it doesn't do a ton for me. Maybe I just have too demanding of standards. I really did love GL and watched it through a lot of messy material. I hope I did not give the wrong impression above.

Anyway, I forgot about OLTL.

79-80, 85-89, 92-94 (ish)

Reading the above I realize how hard I am on GL...I didn't even include the Marland period as it doesn't do a ton for me. Maybe I just have too demanding of standards. I really did love GL and watched it through a lot of messy material. I hope I did not give the wrong impression above.

I don't think you were harsh. Many of us know that you had strong expectations for GL and they didn't deliver certain years.

GH 1979-83

AMC more or less the same, probably slightly later, 1980-1985

Dalllas Seasons 2-3

Dynasty Season 2

OLTL the Karen Wolek years, and then the insane late 80s

DOOL the days of buried alive and possession