Name a Critical Year on a Soap

[wonderwoman1951]

atwt:

when b&b premiered in 1987, atwt moved from 1:30 to 2pm, which split the cbs lineup into the bell shows and the p&g shows— stylistically, very different show.

prior to the move, atwt’s rating was 7; three years later, it was 5.8 and continued to drop in subsequent years. 

[titan1978]

Not to mention the remotes!  Did anyone else go outside as much as Monty?  First it was little things here and there, then whole scenes, then whole story climaxes happened on location.

[Efulton]

1986 was a devastating year for Another World and it was never the name.  In addition to those you mentioned we also lost the Ewing family - Gail Brown (Clarice), Rick Porter (Larry) + plus their children Cory & Jeanne. The remaining Matthews were written out - Irene Dailey (Liz), Taylor Miller (Sally) and Trevor Richard (Kevin).  Most of Quinn's family were gone - Pamela Kay (Thomasina), Russell Todd (Carter), their son Grant and Jackee Harry (Lily).  

1975 was probably the most critical year for AW.  Losing George Reinholt (Steve), Jacqueline Courtney (Alice), Virginia Dwyer (Mary) and Susan Sullivan (Lenore).

Edited February 6, 2022 by Efulton

[watson71]

1989 was also a pivotal year for Another World.  The year begins with Iris in the thick of things after her return to Bay City hiding the fact the she was the chief of Bennett Publishing that tried to take over Coty Publishing.  Evan Bates was hiding the fact that he was Janice Frame's son.  Felicia was hiding her past as Fanny Grady and being stalked by a mystery man.  Felicia's birthday party would start a major umbrella story for the entire show when she tries to shoot her mystery stalker in a hall of mirrors, but Jason Frame winds up being the murder victim.  At the murder trial, everyone's secret are exposed on the witness stand.  By May, many former characters return to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Cory Publishing to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Another World.  All of this was playing out with the real life news that Douglass Watson who played the show's patriarch Mac Cory died in real life.  Six weeks later the show would play out Mac's death on screen.  This was probably the last time that AW would acknowledge and use its history in the storyline and while the show would go on, things would never be quite right on the show without the character of Mac Cory.

[denzo30]

It was my understanding from what I read with ratings in 1979 that AW's ratings already began to tank before Lemay left.  AW gone from like #2 to like #7 or 8 in just a few short months.  Expanding it 90 minutes even caused the ratings to drop even more.  I often wondered if Harding Lemay quit because he was exhausted or because the decline in ratings under his current writing.  As much as loved his work he was very critical and really liked to toot his own horn.  I think he wanted to bail so his legacy would not show the ratings failed under his writing

[soapfan770]

LMAO can’t believe it took five years for the show to finally reveal what was in TC’s shed, although it was a letdown. I recall around 2004-05 the show felt like it was trying to become Sunset Beach 2.0 and had that ridiculous (but entertaining) poisoned guacamole story, but the excess amount of rape and violence killed any entertainment value the show had. 

[AMCOLTLLover]

Oh I was 14-15 and was quietly shocked about of all the violence and rape going on. I have to say 2005 was the worst year in that shows history with the final year. 
i still don’t know why I watched every day after school until the bitter end. Lmao 

[YRfan23]

I can't help thinking about, Gwen always attacking Theresa every damn day in 2004-2005, while they rarely made her  (Theresa) fight back...

Edited February 7, 2022 by YRfan23

[MichaelGL]

Guiding Light

1975: No longer titled "The Guiding Light", Allen Potter and the Dobsons take over the show, and transform the show with more contemporary storytelling. 

1983/1984: Kobe/Long/Culliton revive the show with the Four Musketeers, introduction of Reva, India, and Alexandra. These stories would help to set the focus of the show for remainder of the 80s, and it was very much different from the show it was at the start of the 80s under Marland. 

1989: The return of Roger Thorpe, Blake's transformation into a vixen in the Phillip/Beth story, Josh and Reva wed, reveal of Dylan being Reva's son, Billy and Vanessa on and off again until Nadine enters the picture. Behind the scenes, Robert Calhoun becomes EP. So much transpired in this year, it helped to set up the shows last golden era until 93. 

1993: Maureen's death. Beverlee McKinsey's departure as Alex. Kimberly Simms's departure. Justin Dea's arrival as Buzz Cooper. So much transpired this particular year for GL, and much of it not for the better, and its ripple effects would be felt for the rest of the show's run. 

1997: The first time since 1993, that the show appeared to be firing on all four cylinders, and then everything went south with the clone, the mob, San Cristobel, etc. The show had consistent energy, reached several highs, and then could never recover after E&B's/Paul Rauch's missteps. 

2002: Again the show appeared to still have some life in it, with Taggart and Cullition tapping into the show's history and bringing the storytelling back down to earth. Rauch seemed to whip the show into shape his final year which coincided with the shows 50th Anniversary on television. Production values improved, the day to day writing was good, and I was shocked that actors like Maeve Kinkead and Peter Simon came back to the show. 

2004: Wheeler and Kreizman assume the reigns of the show; Roger Thorpe is killed off, introduction of Jonathan Randall in the form of Tom Pelphrey, Gina Tognoni cast as Dinah/Dinah's return. A transformational year for the show; where some decisions helped keep the show on air for a few more years. 

[Planet Soap]

Seems like I need to check out some early 2000s guiding light, haven't paid too much attention to that era in yt episodes

[AMCOLTLLover]

I got back with Guiding Light around 2002-03-ish and felt it was weird. But when Tammy and Jonathan happened in 2004 I was so hooked again and every other story was moving again. 
i even liked GL 2005 to 2008.

Lizzie and Bill were one of my ultimate couples

But in 2009 the whole new camera filming thing ruined the show and sealed their faith! 

[MichaelGL]

All I remember from 2008, before the switch in the production model was everything took place either in a hotel room, Main Street, or Ellen Wheeler's actual office posing as a set

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. Things were bare bones before the switch, and they didn't get any better after the switch either; instead it got worse. 

[Gray Bunny]

 

Yes & Yes.  It's a shame the momentum GL had gained back in 2002 was squandered in early 2003 with the Ellen Weston/John Conboy combo.  Millee Taggart did a fantastic job as the showrunner in 2002. 

[Paul Raven]

Y&R

1980

Expanding to 60 min and changing timeslots  put Y&R to the test. The ratings fell but Bill Bell perservered and creatively and ratings wise things got back on track.

[hendersonite]

1975:  George Reinholt and Jacquie Courtney fired from Another World.  Anthony George quit Search for Tomorrow.  William Gray Espy left The Young and the Restless.