The SON Daytime Drama Video Archive Collection

[vetsoapfan]

Imagine if you will that you have been assigned a special task by the Paley Center for Media in News York.

 

As an avid enthusiast and historian of daytime drama, it is your job to assemble a commemorative DVD set, celebrating the very best of the soap opera genre.

 

In total, you can include 20 episodes. (Note: a 60-minute compilation of scenes comprised of a storyline's most memorable scenes can count as one episode.)

 

The material you select must still exist somewhere in usable condition (even among fans' private libraries), have a special significance for the shows' history or the

audience, and/or showcase a high standard of quality which proves how good soaps can be when produced by capable PTB.

 

My initial suggestions are as follows.

 

DVD # One: Surviving Debut Episodes

 

--Search for Tomorrow: September 3, 1951

 

--The Edge of Night: April 3, 1956 (episode two)

 

--General Hospital: April 1, 1963 (first broadcast episode and unaired pilot)

 

--The Doctors: April 1, 1963 (I presume this exists along with all the other episodes currently being rerun)

 

--Days of our Lives: November 8, 1965

 

--Dark Shadows: June 27, 1967

 

--The Young and the Restless: March 26, 1973

 

--Ryan's Hope: July 7, 1975

 

--The Bold and the Beautiful:  March 23, 1987

 

 

DVD # Two: Memorable Episodes

 

--Another World: May 3, 1974, Alice and Steven remarry. Soaps' first hour-long episode

 

--The Edge of Night: From 1975, the 90-minute premiere on ABC, after being cancelled by CBS

 

--One Live to Live: Karen Wolek breaks down on the witness stand from 1978 (two episodes)

 

 

DVD # Three:  More Memorable Episodes

 

--General Hospital: BJ's heart story from 1994. An episode-long collection of the best scenes, including Felicia sobbing in Bobbie's arms and Tony listening to his daughter's heart beating

 

--As the World Turns: Nancy and Chris celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 2, 1986

 

--The Guiding Light: An episode-long collection of the best scenes from the Roger and Holly saga, including the rape, his chasing Rita through the funhouse, his fall from the cliff and later reappearance at Christina's wedding, etc.

 

--All My Children: The show's flashback-filled 20th anniversary episode from 1990

 

 

BONUS AUDIO CD: Before There Was TV

 

--The Guiding Light, 1950: Chuckie's death and Meta Bauer's trial for the murder of Ted White. 100+ absorbing 15-minute radio episodes.

 

 

What might your choices be?

 

 

 

 

[Franko]

DVD #4 -- Game Changers and Great Performances

Days of Our Lives -- A 60-minute* retrospective of Bill/Laura/Mickey (and eventually Maggie), climaxing with the truth about Mike's paternity.

*Your honor, will you allow an extension to 120 minutes on the grounds of the huge ripple effect, not the least of which -- for better or for worse -- was the idea of a rapist becoming a romantic lead?

 

One Life to Live -- If it's out there, Viki outshining Dorian during the party to unveil the latter's portrait at Llanview

 

The Edge of Night -- (Ditto), Adam Drake being shot

 

Search for Tomorrow -- Jo decides to divorce Martin

 

Santa Barbara -- Mason immediately after Mary's death

 

As the World Turns -- Frannie and Kim find Doug's shrine

 

Another World -- Iris is revealed as "The Chief"

 

Guiding Light -- Maureen and Ed's final scene

 

General Hospital -- Tracy's farewell following her hit and run with Jenny

 

Loving -- Gwyneth is the murderer.

 

All My Children -- Erica's Woman of the Year meltdown 

[vetsoapfan]

 

Hi, Franko, thanks for playing along.

 

The Bill/Laura/Mickey saga was EPIC storytelling. William J. Bell and then Pat Falken Smith keep it fresh and emotionally involving for a staggering TEN YEARS. You may certainly offer highlights of this story in a double-lenth, 120-minute compilation. Fortunately, DAYS has kept all of its episodes since the premiere!

 

I'm not sure if the OLTL or TEON material you mentioned still exists, alas. They were produced before the networks started saving their soaps, and unless a private individual made and saved a copy, we would be out of luck.

[Franko]

Yeah, I was kinda thinking it'd be a long shot on the OLTL and TEON stuff. Ergo, my substitute choices are Nicole's last broadcast and Viki discovering Tina's her sister.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Well, even though it is doubtful that some coveted material still exists, hope springs eternal. We have seen miracles before, like the unearthing of the 1968 marriage of Walter and Lenore on AW, the second ep of TEON from 1956, the Jacquie Courtney Emmy reel from 1973/4, etc., so you never know what may eventually pop up. There are fans/private collectors with great, very rare episodes never seen on youtube or the internet.

[Paul Raven]

May i suggest another 120 min collection tracing the story of Kay and Jill on Y&R from their first encounter until Brenda Dickson's last scene with Jeanne Cooper before her departure in 79.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Another worthy choice, with enough memorable scenes to fill up the suggested 120 minutes. 

[SoapDope]

 

I agree. I also vote for the Leslie/Lorie/Lance/Lucas storyline that lasted for years. Vanessa killing herself to frame Lorie was one of Y&R's most memorable scenes. 

[vetsoapfan]

 

The Young and the Restless has saved all of its episodes, so compiling a DVD about the brooks sisters and their men would be very do-able. I'd go back even further than their fight over lance, however. They originally fought over Leslie's first love, Brad Elliot, and that story was epic.

[JellicleCat]

I would choose a compilation of scenes from the BeLief-story on B&B.

It was a great story, with many twists and turns, and it had a long-lasting and major impact on the show with Brooke gaining control of Forrester Creations.

[vetsoapfan]

 

Storylines based on core characters, and which actually lead somewhere and offer good character delineation, are what fans love best about the soaps.

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[JellicleCat]

 

It didn't exactly hurt either that Brooke was able to get the upper hand on Stephanie and even got to slap her!  For a Brooke-fan like me that was sooo satisfying!   

[Melroser]

Compilation of AW's Mac/Rachel/Mitch/Janice story including Janice's death in the pool and the reveal on the stand that Matthew is Mitch's son not Mac's. 

[SoapDope]

Yes. I agree. Leslie had a mental breakdown and was put in the psych ward. Lorie wrote the scathing manuscript " In My Sisters Shadow". I would also do a small batch of shows of how awful Victor Newman is and start from the beginning when he was an emotionally abusive SOB to his first wife Julia and the dungeon in the basement. 

[vetsoapfan]

 

 

We may have to turn this DVD collection in to a 100-disc set, LOL!

 

(But with so many great storylines and episodes featured, die-hard fans would still buy it!)