In hindsight, what moment would have been the perfect ending to your soap (before things got awful)?

[Khan]

I would have ended DAYS much, much sooner.  Like, say, around 1991?

Same goes for AMC.

[AMCOLTLLover]

Maybe they should do some Winter Breaks or Summer Breaks like Neighbours from Australia or Shortland Street from New Zealand

[Manny]

Well PC tried the arc type of storytelling and it did not work.

And the "summer haitus" thing is not really saving UK and Aussie soaps. I believe they are losing ratings just like the US ones. 

[AMCOLTLLover]

It wasn’t really the arc type that ruined PC.. It was more the supernatural bull.

U believe wrong.. Shorty is a big hit in NZ even with their yearly breaks.

neighbours is not doing bad considering the channel it’s on since it’s move years ago. 

[Manny]

I have no clue about NZ soaps, but I know UK soaps are pretty bad ratings-wise and what I read about Aussie soaps was also not stellar. 

[DRW50]

There is no summer hiatus for UK soaps. 

[Manny]

Oh my God, you're right! It's been a while since I watched them. 

EDIT: Anyway, I don't think a summer break would help. I personally think that soaps are very much a habit thing, so if you break the habit, it is difficult to come back. Soaps could get better viewership by increasing their budgets, getting better actors, sets and most importantly writing. 

No summer break would help anyone if they kept shrinking the budgets and writing horrible stories.

Edited December 22, 2021 by Manny

[GLATWT88]

Considering today's viewing habits, I definitely think a major push towards streaming platforms alongside regular airing on networks. For streamers, it would be nice to have a omnibus type feature but a condensed version of the weeks episodes with the major plot points and key moments so that viewers can easily catch up. 

And writing! There needs to be a freshness injected into the stories on soaps. A major overhaul in storytelling to make it appealing to audiences today BUT maintain the key features that make soaps. Soaps! I feel that's where many soaps went wrong in the naughties, by keeping the same tired stories but removing all those fun soap elements that make a soap a soap. 

[Manny]

Oh, for sure! Streamers might be the way to go.

You hit the nail on the head there. A lot of soaps today are written as if we are still in 90s or 00s.  It's like they are afraid to write modern stories (for the most part). Soaps are still popular in prime-time. But daytime is just so behind modern times, it's ridiculous. 

[AMCOLTLLover]

True. But I don’t think those breaks are hurting the soaps in anyway.

I mean ratings are not that big in the summer anyway. It wouldn’t hurt those shows coz those soaps that are doing breaks like Shortland, Home and Away and Neighbours Are doing alright and even have Season Cliffhanger! 

[soapfan770]

Interestingly I agree John & Marlena’s 1999 wedding would have been a great conclusion for Days back in ‘99.

Speaking 1999, I think Josh & Reva’s 1999 wedding would have been a good stopping for GL if I had to pick one for the show. 
 

Not too sure about ATWT, maybe around 2003 or so with Jack & Carly’s Montana wedding?

B&B should have concluded with its 5000th episode while Y&R should have ended with its 40th anniversary at the very least. 

[soapfave06]

If they alternated from say AMC for 4 months, GH for 4 months and then OLTL for 4 months, for an example I don't think it would be so bad as there is steady soap, granted not all three suits the interest of all but having good stories, production and atmosphere would work better for a 2021 streaming world. 

[Videnbas]

B&B: When I watched Thorne and Macy's wedding party from 1995, I remember actually thinking at the time "this could be the end of the show". We'd just had a lot of major storylines that had all wrapped up during the summer (Sheila's reign of terror, Ivana's murder, Taylor's back from the dead storyline and Ridge finally choosing between Brooke and Taylor), and there weren't really any new storylines that had gained any momentum at that point. Also, three major couples on the show had just been paired up or were heading in that direction (Eric/Stephanie, Ridge/Brooke, Thorne/Macy). It's the only time in the history of the show that I recall where it could have ended without any major loose ends, and with a scene where the entire cast was present and celebrating (it was one of the few weddings on the show - possibly the only one - where all the characters were invited and everyone present actually supported the marriage). 

Sure, we'd have missed some good stuff between 1996 and 2002, but I do feel the tone of the show shifted a bit in those years and there really wouldn't have been a natural end point before the show started going downhill in 2003. If written a bit differently, the Portofino location shoot might have been that end point (as it was IMO the last truly great moment of the show), but as it was, it couldn't have ended there because too many bombshells were dropped then that needed to be followed up back in LA. 

Edited December 23, 2021 by Videnbas

[KLN]

Probably for the best.

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[amybrickwallace]

AW should have ended before the gorilla showed up!

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