Unpopular opinions: cancelled soaps edition

[Chris 2]

Growing up in the 70s and 80s, I always thought Y&R was slow as molasses. But I think it got a lot of credit for consistency as well as production values. The competition tended to experience wild changes in tone when behind the scenes personnel changed (such as when Paul Rauch took over OLTL or when Wes Kennedy took over GH from Gloria Monty). But under Bill Bell’s steady hand, tone was consistent, long term stories were well-thought out in general, and history was respected.

[kalbir]

I think 1993 was the big turning point. Five major events took place that year which impacted daytime drama for the remainder of the 1990s and even today the effects are still felt.

- James Reilly becomes head writer of Days.

- Guiding Light kills off Maureen Bauer.

- As the World Turns head writer Douglas Marland passes away.

- Bradley Bell takes over as B&B head writer from his father Bill Bell.

- General Hospital sees the returns of Luke and Laura.

[Spoon]

It would've worked better of it wasn't just a setup for a "whodunnit."  The lead up was gold, the year plus aftermath with many developments happening off-screen was just a big no. Like them revealing Phillip was still alive OFFSCREEN! If the character is not going to be onscreen, let them remain dead until an onscreen Friday cliffhanger moment!

 

I enjoyed the Cassie/Edmund pairing and seeing Edmund evolve into a more layered character.

 

They should've gone full steam ahead with the Leah Bauer SOARSing. Was it ridiculous?  Yes, but so was Harley's daughter being a teenager TWICE! TPTB toyed with the idea of making Jeffrey Ed's son. They should've went for it. You would've had Ava as an instant Bauer plus a Bauer/Reva off-spring. Jeffrey was being rammed down our throats anyway, he might as well be a Bauer. Especially since Michael O'Leary was clearly no longer capable of driving story long-term.

Edited September 29, 2021 by Spoon

[Planet Soap]

Plus many of their veteran actors still get alot of screentime whereas older actors get sent out to pasture on the other dramas which might help their numbers. Plus the show had a lot of great well plotted storylines such as Sheia, Matt, David Kimble, Nikki vs Diane it's heyday.

AGREED! Y&R is the worst of the final 4 soaps era. Surprisingly B&B has managed to slither out of that spot for a close second. Ateast with MAB the show still had classical scores and a marginal remanance of life. Since JFP too over in 2013, YnR was finished.

That leads me to another perhaps unpopular opinion, GH is currently the best of the final four soaps (though that isn't saying much because they've all become terrible).

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by ironlion

[vetsoapfan]

For 28 years, I always referred to Peter Simon on The Guiding Light, as "the fake Ed Bauer," LOL.

Although many viewers seem to embrace the low-brow camp storytelling style being foisted on modern-day soaps, I loathe it with every fiber of my being.

I much preferred Laura with Scotty over Laura with that slug, Luke, on General Hospital.

Speaking for myself only, I'd I'd rather see the remaining shows cancelled than watching them be further and further decimated and decapitated.

Although he is regarded as a legend, I think Harding Lemay's writing took a noticeable nosedive in about 1975.

I think Paul Rauch did not understand the soap opera medium and its audience, and does not deserve the kudos he's given. Ultimately, he was a destructive producer.

For several decades, many nominees and winners of the Daytime Emmys have not been deserving.

Several cancelled soaps deserve to be on the air today, instead of some of the ones still being produced and broadcast.

[DRW50]

Kate Mulgrew is an excellent actress, but I just never cared about Jack/Mary, and looking back, chemistry alone was not enough to make up for some of how Jack behaved (like abandoning Mary for much of her pregnancy). Mary herself was so self-righteous that I just never really connected with her. 

I never thought Faith worked as a character. Catherine Hicks was very sparky and gave some strong performances, but even then I still did not like the character, nor did I care about her relationship with Pat. 

[DemetriKane]

I'm a lil pissed that I didn't think of thread. I spent the last year giving most of my unpopular opinions in the AMC thread.

 

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by DemetriKane

[DemetriKane]

Agreed! Tad and Dixie was better off apart. And would have gotten more compelling story away from each other. Dixie was phenomenal in The reboot!!!

 

HA! I would like to know, what you saw and read.

It’s not unpopular! I wanted it too! The storyline wrote itself. They were the superior couple. I guarantee Kim would have stayed around for that!

I enjoyed a lot his ideas. Him and Pratt both did ok at Y&R imo.

Accurate! AMC, Days, B&B were all great during that time.

[Nicholas Blair]

Did you prefer Mart Hulswit, or were you a fan of Robert Gentry? I never saw Robert Gentry as Ed.

I also thought Laura should have stuck with Scotty, although I really like Laura and Kevin as a couple and do not miss Luke.

[vetsoapfan]

My favorite Ed Bauer is Mart Hulswit, but Robert Gentry was excellent in the role during the 1960s.

It boggled my mind that GH and ABC would condone and romanticize a teen girl falling in love with and marrying her rapist. It was degenerater. Yuck. I do not miss Luke at all, either. He can stay gone, and take Sonny, Jason, and all the Roger Howarth characters with him.

[Bill Bauer]

 

Not surprisingly, I whole-heartedly agree with all of your points. The only point I only slightly disagree with is point four. I would keep Days on but only because it's a sentimental favorite, I love longevity (it's strangely comforting knowing it's always there even if I don't watch it), and hope springs eternal that it might somehow, miraculously be good again (even though it hasn't been good in over three decades IMO). I guess it's like having a loved one on life support for a very long time but not being able to bring yourself to pull the plug. I feel the same about Y&R to a lesser degree. I couldn't care less about GH or B&B.

Robert Gentry was my favorite Ed from what little I saw of him but I just recently watched his return in the 90s and the magic was gone. It was strange. He just didn't seem to fit. Something was off. 

[Frank2803]

TPTB at Dallas should have stuck to their original plans and revealed Wes Parmlee as Jock Ewing

 

[vetsoapfan]

I understand your feelings, which is why I made sure to clarify in number four that I was speaking exclusively for myself. If I were the ONLY daytime soap fan left in existence, I would cancel the remaining soaps because after DECADES of hoping, I have finally resigned myself to the fact that they will never recover and return to their former glory. Watching them being cannibalized and in their death throes is painful. That being said, I know that there are still fans out there who want the shows to consider, so I would settle on them remaining in production. I can simply ignore them.

I know. It was weird. I was thrilled to hear that Gentry was returning to TGL, because I really had liked him as Ed Bauer, but throughout his brief comeback, something just did not feel right. He no longer fit the part. (God knows he was better than Richard Van Fleet, however.)

[Nicholas Blair]

I'm pleased that other people also remember Mart Hulswit and the fine work he did on GL as Ed Bauer.

[DemetriKane]

AMC 

Liza and Adam didn’t need to paired romantically. It didn’t do either character any favors. Adam became a bore, and all his antics were redundant by that point!

Liza and Ryan were sizzling hot together!!!

I loved the idea of Fusion, and the makings of the company. Forget Greenlee, making it a battle between Liza and Erica is what really would have set it off!

Pine Valley was at its best, when we had multiple people, from the wrong side of the tracks on the canvas.

Darnell and Debbi made mistakes leaving the show. The timing was off, they were being treated as the marquee couple and Darnell messes up everything by leaving.

Hayley worked better as a character with Porkchop and lil Timmy. I didn’t like her the same in Adam’s orbit.

Huge mistake to let Skye leave the show.

killing off Will Cortlandt was another mistake. We missed out big time!!!

Huge mistake to kill off Anne Tyler. There was plenty left for her to do I. E. Marrying Adam and/or Palmer, going into business with Erica.
 

2008 was one of the last exciting years for the show imo. Full of potential that was wasted, so many great moments and episodes, the show could have sweep the emmys that year. Everybody came to play ball after the lackluster 2007.