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?

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 20178 yr by vetsoapfan

19 minutes ago, slick jones said:

Love of Life...   the original Meg and Vanessa stories from the 50's

 

Somerset...  the Jingles the Clown story

 

The Doctors...   any anthology days or weeks from 63-64

 

Days of Our Lives   Addie-Doug Julie saga, David-Valerie saga.

 

General Hospital...John Prentice murder story, Brooke Clinton murder story

 

AMC...   Cindy AIDS story, Mark's Intervention

 

OLTL...  Cathy Craig at Odyssey House, Carla/Clara story from 68-

 

EON...  Eve Morris story, Stephanie Martin story and Keith Whitney story

 

Fortunately, many of the early LOVE episodes do still exist; they are all over youtube and available from some oldtime-TV retailers. There's at least one SOM episode available from the Jingles era, and at least one ep of GH in existence dealing with the John Prentice murder and Jessie's trial.  The TD, DAYS, and AMC material you suggested would be available too, woohoo. Sadly, the OLTL and TEON episodes are believed to no longer exist, although I would kill to see all those stories again. I was lucky to have watched them way back when, during the original telecasts, but I'd kill to see them once more, particularly the riveting and controversial Carla story from OLTL and the TERRIFYING and THRILLING Keith Whitney saga from TEON. Both these stories elevated their shows to greatness.

 

Remembering what the soaps were capable of in their heyday, and comparing that to the dreck we get now, sure is depressing.

I would also do a ATWT DVD collection of the Bob/Kim romance starting in 1972 to the end of the show with all the obstacles in their way. Kim falling in love with Bob when she comes to be a maid of honor at her sister Jennifer's wedding. Then Bob getting  Kim and Jennifer pregnant. Kim being forced to marry John Dixon and him raping her etc....

 

 

On 15/09/2017 at 10:43 PM, SoapDope said:

I would also do a ATWT DVD collection of the Bob/Kim romance starting in 1972 to the end of the show with all the obstacles in their way. Kim falling in love with Bob when she comes to be a maid of honor at her sister Jennifer's wedding. Then Bob getting  Kim and Jennifer pregnant. Kim being forced to marry John Dixon and him raping her etc....

 

 

 

Although critics sniped at ATWT way back when, for being glacially-paced and too conservative,  the first several years of Kim's existence in Oakdale were mesmerizing. I loved when she would go to the park and have long, intimate conversations with Dan Stewart. I loved watching the genesis of her relationship with Bob, even though I vehemently opposed poor Jennifer being hurt. And John Dixon! What a complicated, tragic, monstrous creature he was back then. All the live episodes are lost, unless some unknown kinescopes turn up somewhere, but I'd be in heaven if I could relive this show's first two decades. (The Bob-Lisa marriage, and Ellen's fight to regain custody of her son were other highlights of the earlier years.)

On 9/15/2017 at 2:26 AM, Paul Raven said:

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.

I definitely second that!!