This topic got archived, so I will start it up again and bring over the info gathered on the previous thread, as well as updating.
Young Lives
ANEW syndicated soap opera may have found the ultimate approach to ''give 'em what they want'' programming. ''Young Lives'' is having a ''special preview'' this week at 5:30 P.M. on WPIX-TV, Channel 11. Viewers who watch all five episodes are being asked to answer several questions being published in the current issue of TV Guide.
Among other things, the producers want to know if the situations and characters are realistic: Which characters did you find most interesting? Most realistic? Would you watch ''Young Lives'' on a regular basis? Would you watch it with your family? Would you prefer to see it in the afternoon, early evening or after 10 P.M.? Presumably the answers to these burning questions will be carefully collated by the psychologists and family counselors who are said to have helped in the preparation of the show, and the producers will be left with a thoroughly computerized foolproof construction.
Judging from Monday's first half-hour episode, ''Young Lives'' is about as realistic as any other soap opera -and that observation is not intended to be snide. For years, the soaps have been tackling social problems well before they or the dramatic treatments of them were allowed into the more heavily patrolled precincts of primetime. Using a clever, carefully calculated mix of realism and fantasy, ''daytime drama'' weaves its own special spell.
The problem is that the plot lines, devised and usually written by committees, tend to be superficial and simpleminded, more concerned with milking a story for as long as possible than with exploring its more complicated ramifications. ''Young Lives'' would appear to be no exception to the hackneyed norm.
The series is being touted in the ads as being ''about young people, and the people who share their lives - about romance, rebellion, relationships.'' The people who share their lives seem to be parents. Susan's mother, for instance, is recently divorced and is being wooed by Johnny, the rough-edged owner of a nightclub. Johnny is not totally uncouth. He does recognize the name of Mikhail Baryshnikov when it's mentioned, though he quickly notes that ''Misha'' is a great athelete.
Problem No. 1 is that Susan, who is trying to get admitted to the American Dance Conservatory, does not like Johnny. When he tries to be friendly and says something about Susan having a job at his place, she shouts, ''I didn't take dance lessons for 10 years to work in your stupid club.'' Mother looks understandably apprehensive.
At high school, Susan and her friends spend most of their time in a luncheonette setting complete with booths and pinball machines. Here they talk about whether to have one or two ears pierced, or who has invited whom to the weekend party. Prominent in this group is Problem No. 2, a pretty young woman named Rachel, who is aggressive, bitchy and experienced. Slithering up to Brad, the local nice guy and allround heartthrob, Rachel begins nibbling at his face. ''C'mon, Rachel, not here,'' whispers embarrassed Brad. ''Well,'' smirks Rachel, ''let's go somewhere else.''
The third problem is Dirk, Melanie's younger brother who is obviously flying high on something as he listens, droopy eyed, to Bruce Springsteen in his loudly blaring portable radio. Melanie admits to her friends that ''Dirk is having a little problem right now.'' Meanwhile, there is Tony, a dark-haired ethnic type, who is also catching the attention of many of the girls. Obviously bad news, Tony seems to be a friend of Dirk's even though he looks several years older. But when Tony asks ''You wanna do something?'' visions of joints begin dancing in Dirk's head.
Clearly, a lot of plot was stuffed into the first episode of ''Young Lives.'' At fadeout, Dirk's mother was confronting him with a strange looking object - a water pipe for smoking pot - that she found in his bedroom. He insisted that it was an incense burner. She was deciding to show it to his father. He was looking increasingly glum. Would I watch this on a regular basis? I don't think so, but I probably would dip into it once a month just to see how things are going with the kids.
This topic got archived, so I will start it up again and bring over the info gathered on the previous thread, as well as updating.
Young Lives
ANEW syndicated soap opera may have found the ultimate approach to ''give 'em what they want'' programming. ''Young Lives'' is having a ''special preview'' this week at 5:30 P.M. on WPIX-TV, Channel 11. Viewers who watch all five episodes are being asked to answer several questions being published in the current issue of TV Guide.
Among other things, the producers want to know if the situations and characters are realistic: Which characters did you find most interesting? Most realistic? Would you watch ''Young Lives'' on a regular basis? Would you watch it with your family? Would you prefer to see it in the afternoon, early evening or after 10 P.M.? Presumably the answers to these burning questions will be carefully collated by the psychologists and family counselors who are said to have helped in the preparation of the show, and the producers will be left with a thoroughly computerized foolproof construction.
Judging from Monday's first half-hour episode, ''Young Lives'' is about as realistic as any other soap opera -and that observation is not intended to be snide. For years, the soaps have been tackling social problems well before they or the dramatic treatments of them were allowed into the more heavily patrolled precincts of primetime. Using a clever, carefully calculated mix of realism and fantasy, ''daytime drama'' weaves its own special spell.
The problem is that the plot lines, devised and usually written by committees, tend to be superficial and simpleminded, more concerned with milking a story for as long as possible than with exploring its more complicated ramifications. ''Young Lives'' would appear to be no exception to the hackneyed norm.
The series is being touted in the ads as being ''about young people, and the people who share their lives - about romance, rebellion, relationships.'' The people who share their lives seem to be parents. Susan's mother, for instance, is recently divorced and is being wooed by Johnny, the rough-edged owner of a nightclub. Johnny is not totally uncouth. He does recognize the name of Mikhail Baryshnikov when it's mentioned, though he quickly notes that ''Misha'' is a great athelete.
Problem No. 1 is that Susan, who is trying to get admitted to the American Dance Conservatory, does not like Johnny. When he tries to be friendly and says something about Susan having a job at his place, she shouts, ''I didn't take dance lessons for 10 years to work in your stupid club.'' Mother looks understandably apprehensive.
At high school, Susan and her friends spend most of their time in a luncheonette setting complete with booths and pinball machines. Here they talk about whether to have one or two ears pierced, or who has invited whom to the weekend party. Prominent in this group is Problem No. 2, a pretty young woman named Rachel, who is aggressive, bitchy and experienced. Slithering up to Brad, the local nice guy and allround heartthrob, Rachel begins nibbling at his face. ''C'mon, Rachel, not here,'' whispers embarrassed Brad. ''Well,'' smirks Rachel, ''let's go somewhere else.''
The third problem is Dirk, Melanie's younger brother who is obviously flying high on something as he listens, droopy eyed, to Bruce Springsteen in his loudly blaring portable radio. Melanie admits to her friends that ''Dirk is having a little problem right now.'' Meanwhile, there is Tony, a dark-haired ethnic type, who is also catching the attention of many of the girls. Obviously bad news, Tony seems to be a friend of Dirk's even though he looks several years older. But when Tony asks ''You wanna do something?'' visions of joints begin dancing in Dirk's head.
Clearly, a lot of plot was stuffed into the first episode of ''Young Lives.'' At fadeout, Dirk's mother was confronting him with a strange looking object - a water pipe for smoking pot - that she found in his bedroom. He insisted that it was an incense burner. She was deciding to show it to his father. He was looking increasingly glum. Would I watch this on a regular basis? I don't think so, but I probably would dip into it once a month just to see how things are going with the kids.
Edited by Paul Raven