Onscreen all the time and we liked it

[titan1978]

We often complain about the characters that have been forced down our throats over the years.  So I started thinking about how often soaps had frontburner characters that I just never got tired of.

On GH in the mid 1980’s, it felt like Anna, Robert, Frisco and Felicia were on all the time.  I never got sick of them.  Same with Vanessa Marcil (although I know some fans feel differently), especially during her first return.  I could have watched her 4 days a week with no issue (and she was on close to that during her first return stint).

Viki on OLTL- I could take Viki 5 days a week and never get sick of her (unless it was Nikki Smith).

DAYS- Reilly had Marlena driving so much story in his first stint, I can’t imagine the show without her back then.  I remember missing her as the show sidelined her over the years.

Had I been around to see Flannery as Laura Horton on DAYS I think I would have never gotten tired of her.  Or Jessie on the early years of GH.  Or even Luke and Laura when they took over the whole show.

[Faulkner]

Ditto. And her original run too. I loved her.

For me, Sheila on Y&R and Annie on GL during their reigns of terror. I was riveted by them. And Bev’s Alex and Roger on GL (although her workload wound up running Bev off the show).

[amybrickwallace]

Eden/Cruz on SB. Yes, their story ate up a lot of screen time, often to the detriment of other characters. But Marcy Walker and A Martinez were such engaging performers who had real chemistry. They elevated mediocre material and made the good material better. It was always a pleasure to watch them on SB.

[Soapsuds]

ATWT 80s- anything Barbara, Lucinda, Tom(Gregg Marx) or Margo(HBS), Emily(Melanie Smith) and Craig(SB). I never tired of them.

In the 90s anything Connor Walsh.

Days present: Anything Will...will reading the newspaper, Will sitting at the pool in a Speedo, Will doing drag, Will in the shower with Zach Tinker as Sonny.

Oops forgot Paul for ATWT 80s.

[AbcNbc247]

Sami and EJ, back in the day 

[Soapsuds]

YR 80s: Anything Nina, Andy, Paul, Lauren, Jill, Ashley or Jack(Terry Lester version).

YR 90s: anything Cassandra Rawlins

Edited October 6, 2021 by Soapsuds

[carolineg]

 

Obviously agree with Vanessa.  It didn't feel like overkill even though, believe it or not, she was only absent from 2 shows her entire run-Courtney's Thanksgiving Dream and the Speakeasy NYE fantasy.  She did pop up in the last scenes of some episodes only though.  I may have watched the return once or twice to know this....lol

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  On the same note, I could have watched Sonny/Brenda/Jax all day everyday in the mid 90's.

John, Marlena, Kristen in the 90's never bothered me even when ED played multiple characters.  I was eyerolling it, but it was still entertaining.  Carrie/Austin/Sami didn't either even though it was often repetitive and they weren't used as much.  I enjoyed them. 

[Liberty City]

Anything Maura West related.

[BingCherry]

Erica Kane in the '90s was almost exclusively frontburner and for the most part was entertaining the whole way through 

[AMCOLTLLover]

The Bold and the Beautiful: Ridge/Brooke/Taylor.. Bro they were nearly in every freaking episode (besides Taylors 6 month exit in 1994) and most fans were addicted and invested in that triangle.

Who really ate as much screentime and was frontburner her entire run like Susan Lucci on AMC  was Kelly Ripa as Hayley Vaughan! But i loved every second of it especially when Mateo came into the show.

And Sarah Michelle Gellar as Kendall Hart was overkill too when it came to screentime but we all seem to have liked and loved it... or maybe it was just me

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[Taoboi]

Hehe...Great minds...

 

I will and have taken Vanessa anyway I can get her. I never tired of Brenda, Brenda, Brenda even when she was frustrating me to high heaven. 

 

I can say the same for Sheila on any show she is on whether it is Y&R or B&B. Meanwhile, I can say that about Eileen Davidson as well whether she is Ashley on Y&R or wrecking havoc as Kristen over on DAYS and I loved every minute of her with John and Marlena in the 90s and her first return (and second because if there was going to be a final showdown it SHOULD AND WAS with Marlena). 

 

Another one...Heather Tom's Victoria on Y&R. And trust me...she drove me as crazy as she drove Victor and Nikki sometimes, but I at least wanted to know what she would do next. 

 

ETA: Shame on me. I forgot OLTL Viki (not so much Nikki either, though I LOVE Jean) and anything and everything having to do with Tina Lord as played by Andrea Evans. Me and my friends were always talking about 'Princess Tina' so while I didn't hate the Mandorra Return stuff as much as others or the Tess blackmail, I was VERY HAPPY they repaired her somewhat before the show ended on ABC...and WITH CORD. To beat my warm heart with Gilbert Blythe-ness. 

Edited October 7, 2021 by Taoboi

[Paul Raven]

Y&R

Miss Lorie Brooks

[BetterForgotten]

Because we talked about her recently - Sarah Joy Brown's Carly on GH. 

[amybrickwallace]

Do you mean she only missed two shows in her 2002 return or her ENTIRE run? 

[carolineg]

Yes.  She only missed the two "fantasy" shows her ENTIRE run.  Though some shows she appeared at the very end like the tag or was only in it for half of the show.   I don't think the article is online anymore, but when Michael Logan interviewed her on her exit she mentioned that being part of the problem.  It's clearly why Guza and the show had massive issues when she left lol.