Soap Opera Digest Best & Worst of 1997

[soapfan770]

From the 12-30-1997 issue of SOD, these were their picks for that year: 

 

Best Wedding: Carrie & Austin & Sami (DAYS)
Worst Wedding: Gary & Josie (AW)

Best Triangle: Nina/Ryan/Tricia (Y&R)
Worst Triangle: Jenna/Buzz/Nola (GL)

Most Surprising Revelation: Alexis Is Stefan's Sister (GH)
Most Shocking Twist: Abby Get Your Gun(their words, not mine)   (GL)

Best Secret: Edmund's A Daddy (AMC)
Worst Secret: Taylor Is Pregnant With Ridge's Baby (B&B)

Best Mystery: Who Shot Grant? (B&B)

Worst Mystery: Who Shot Diego? (ATWT)

Best Daytime Couple: Vicky and Jake (AW)

Best Primetime Couple: Bailey and Sarah (Party of Five)
Most Tortured Couple: John & Marlena (DAYS)

Most Surprising Couple: Barbara and John (ATWT)
Best Family Feud: The Cramer Clan (OLTL)

Best Quadrangle: AJ/Carly/Tony/Bobbie (GH)
Worst Quadrangle: Bo/Hope/Franco/Billie (DAYS)

Best Marriage: Joe and Paulina (AW)
Worst Marriage: Victor and Diane (Y&R)

Best Hero: Mateo (AMC)
Best Heroine: Harley (GL)

Best Comeback: Holden (ATWT)
Worst Comeback: Damian (ATWT)

Best Tear-Jerker: Lucy's Miscarriage (PC)
Most Entertaining Couple: Grant and Cindy (AW)

Most Boring Couple: Jesse and Michelle (GL)
Best Breakup: Sonny and Brenda (GH)

Worst Breakup: Thorne and Macy (B&B)
Best  Vixen: Lauren (B&B)

Best Primetime Vixen: Amanda (Melrose Place)

Best Recast: Grace (Y&R)
Worst Recast: Connor (ATWT)

Most Rejuvenated Character: Mike (DAYS)
Biggest Waste Of Talent: Louise Sorel (DAYS)

Best Psycho: Annie (GL)
Worst Psycho: Tanner (AMC)

Dumbest Male: Nick (Y&R)
Dumbest Female: Meg (Beach)

Best Location Shoot:  Lake Como Italy (B&B)

Best Story: The Crash of Flight 149 (AMC)

Worst Story: Patrick is a Terrorist (OLTL)

Most Disappointing Show: Another World

Most Improved Show: One Life To Live

Best Primetime Show: Party of Five
Best Daytime Shows: A tie between Guiding Light and Days Of Our Lives

[YRfan23]

And 23 years later,,indeed he still is!

Please register in order to view this content

 

[dragonflies]

Yes Lucy's miscarriage on PC was heart wrenching

Please register in order to view this content

[Faulkner]

Funny that OLTL got “Most Improved Show” with only one positive mention. I guess that just shows how bad 1996 was? (Granted, 1996 sucked for most of daytime.)

[Forever8]

What was the family feud involving The Cramer's? This was before or after Blair's miscarriage?

 

I did like Connor being named worst recast.

Edited May 1, 2020 by Forever8

[BetterForgotten]

GL and DAYS were both largely driven by love triangles and psychos in 1997 - that’s what constituted “best show” that year...

[GLATWT88]

Would anyone suggest watching GL in 1997? I noticed a lot of episodes are up on YT...wouldn't mind binging a few if it's worth it.

Edited May 1, 2020 by GLATWT88

[Dion]

I'm guessing this would be after Blair's miscarriage. I think Blair was feuding with Kelly for most of the year because Kelly had caused the crash which led to Blair losing Patrick's baby and tried to become between Kelly and Ian Armitage.

 

Interestingly, Todd blamed Patrick for the crash (Todd was upset because the baby was going to be a bone marrow donor for Starr) and that ended up leading to the 'Patrick is a terrorist' storyline which is listed as worst story.

[soapfan770]

 

And GL was proud of it too! See the opening credits @ 6: 26: 

 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[BetterForgotten]

Labine’s OLTL was largely awful, but she did take a keen interest in Dorian/the Cramer’s.

[soapfan770]

 

Actually it's a pretty solid year, some gag-worthy moments but overall it worked out well and was entertaining. 

[AMCer]

Rough year for ATWT.

1997 was the Year of Annie on GL. Cynthia Watros bulldozed through that material like a woman possessed. Total commitment on her part even if the  material (Essensten and Brown were the HWs) veered toward campy. She also lit a fire under Zimmer and brought out some of her best work too.

[BetterForgotten]

Josh/Reva/Annie and John/Marlena/Kristen were basically the same story on those two shows that year. Only GL didn’t have Watros play a thousand characters.

[DRW50]

 

Kelly also covered up her role in the hit and run. The story was just wretched - the show was desperate to make viewers feel sorry for Kelly and demonized Blair, who had just lost her full-term child and had a stroke. I never, ever forgave Kelly for that storyline, and hated the character for as long as Gina played her.

[Forever8]

But wasn't Blair not wearing a seatbelt though?