Continuity Errors in Soaps

[FrenchBug82]

Inspired by Liberty City's observation on the hairstyles of GH actors being different throughout an episode this week, I thought it would be fun to talk about our favorite glaring continuity errors in soap history. Amusing or infuriating.
Obviously we all know about the BIG ones - soaps forgetting a character has a kid off-screen, recasts, retconning history. Those happen so often it would be hard to keep count.
I am thinking more fun less important ones

I'll start with my two favorites:

- Knots Landing's Abby being kidnapped into a car with long hair at the end of Season 5 and arriving on the boat she is held hostage at the beginning of Season 6 with a freshly cut short bob.
- In 1999 B&B Brooke hearing Stephanie had some kind of stroke and rushing to the hospital with long hair... only to arrive with short hair. I guess she had time to stop at the salon first.

Any other kinds of amusing continuity errors ya'll can think of?

[Liberty City]

• I recall Roger Howarth's Franco getting a haircut mid-episode.
• Ava went from shoulder length-to-chop-to shoulder length within one episode.
• Prior to Alexis stabbing Dante, they scenes outside of her hospital room were by the Nurses' Hub, yet, from her room, they were right next to the elevator.

[AlexElizabeth]

The first one that comes to mind is Luke on ATWT. He and Reid went in for a kiss, and when the kiss was over, Van Hansis had gotten a haircut!

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Pre and post-kiss hair

Edited September 26, 2021 by AlexElizabeth

[Soapsuds]

During the end of the 84-85 season of Dallas..Pam had short perm hair but when she woke up from her bad dream her hair was straight and longer

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[carolineg]

Drake Hogestyn definitely walked down the Dimera  Mansion steps with a full on mullet and came out with his short haircut walking those same steps the next episode in 1997.

[titan1978]

Not a continuity error, but all these wack hairstyle changes reminded me of Vanessa Marcil cutting all her hair off and the show made her wear that strange wig for way too long.

[Soapsuds]

Another one from Dallas is with Sue Ellen....its cliffhanger time and Sue Ellen is vowing to never marry Jr if Cliff dies... Sue Ellen hair is extremely long....fast forward to season premiere and we have Sue Ellen walking out of the hospital with very short hair

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Edited September 26, 2021 by Soapsuds

[FrenchBug82]

It seems hair is the bane of soap continuity LOL
Don't they have contractual obligations to ask permission before changing their appearance so the timing works? 

[carolineg]

I almost said that.  Because she was all I cut my hair and then in the next episode was like "Psych, Sonny" just a wig and she wore those bad extensions forever even in their first love scene and it looks so, so bad.  I know the show was punishing her for cutting her gorgeous, gorgeous long hair, but girl could have pulled off the short look.

[FrenchBug82]

Around what time was all that? I am not very good at clocking these things without knowing already but I'd like to see if I can spot it if I know what time we are roughly talking about,

[SoapDope]

One of the biggest hair blunders occurred on Peyton Place in 1966. At the beginning of the episode Mia Farrow(Allison) had her long trademark hair with bangs. Later in the episode she has a short cropped haircut. In the middle of an episode, Mia became angry and asked for a pair of scissors in makeup. She began cutting off all her hair in a fit of anger. She was dating Frank Sinatra and he told her she could not come to his 50th birthday party because his ex wife would be there and it may come across disrespectful. Mia also wanted off the show and hoped this act would get her fired. The hair team had to fix her hair and a quick rewrite was done to write the new hair do into the storyline.

Edited September 26, 2021 by SoapDope

[carolineg]

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This is the first episode she shows her haircut, but then she dials back in later episodes saying it was a wig.

 

 

[SoapDope]

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[titan1978]

And eventually she does once it grew out a little.  By the wire story she still had pretty short hair, and it was very flattering on her.  I just think it was so stupid of the show to force her to have long hair.

[carolineg]

I believe the story is

1. she didn't get permission and her long hair was epic

2. It made her look too much like Rena Sofer

Vanessa Marcil's 90's hair still stands the test of time so I don't even understand, but I loved her long hair.  I always did think her mid 90's bob was pretty great though.

Those extensions or wigs or whatever literally take me out of most scenes.  They are so awkward and I hate that some of their best moments occur with her having awful hair.