What's the best way to end a SOAP Episode?

[FrenchBug82]

I don't know if it is a topic that can yield much discussion but as someone who usually think about the production side of things I am curious what people think.
What's the best way to end an episode in everyone's opinion?

The Another World freeze frame?

The slightly slowed image and slow fade old-YR style?

The abrupt cut to "Stay tuned for scenes from the next episode"?

The Doof Doof Doof sound of EastEnders end credits?

 

[soapfan770]

The AW freeze frames were pretty iconic and unique for the show as they even did them at the end of the closing credits I remember being vaguely disappointed when the show stopped doing them that final year or so. 
 

Definitely the Y&R fade to black with dramatic cues are the best for me. I loved in the early-mid 00’s when it faded to black with the EP and Senior Producer credits listed. GL tried the same thing during the dreadful Conboy era but it wasn’t as classy lol.

The worst? Those really horrible cheesy freeze frames with special effects Days did in the ‘00’s. Just absurdly laughable. 

[Soapsuds]

I hated the AW freeze frame ending. It looked so cheap.

[Paul Raven]

The Y&R style ending with a character closeup held tight and slowly fading is really classic soap so that's a vote from me.

Expanding on that a bit, can we also talk about end credits (when they properly existed)

Do you prefer

1. Credits rolling over the logo of the show eg Day's hourglass, a lighthouse (GL) floating clouds (SFT) etc

2. A scene (or scenes) continuing as some soaps used to do eg characters continuing a conversation with music overlay

3. Montage of scenes from that day's episode

4. Other

[Soapsuds]

#1

I hated when ATWT went to #3.

The only soap to me that could pull off the montage scenes with credits was AMC.

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[FrenchBug82]

See I liked the idea on paper but I agree that it often looked really dumb.
Not only did it look cheap but sometimes they would freeze on a really weird frame (like mid-head turn) and it would look like they ran out of tape or something.

I don't like abrupt endings so the slow fade definitely is up there but I do have to commend the doob-doob of EastEnder as being perfectly effective when they start it a couple of seconds into the end of the scene and before the credits roll..

I wish I remember what show did that - maybe not a daytime soap, maybe a primetime one - but I recall a show ending some particularly dramatic episode with an all black silent credits with just the names rolling. 
And it was SO effective at underscoring the shock of what had just happened. 
I am frustrated I can't remember what it was though.

Otherwise I am personally rarely watching the end credits. But I do prefer them to them going right to commercials.
And DO NOT immediately cut to the preview of the next episode. That completely robs the cliffhanger of any after-effect. Bad bad idea.

[Khan]

I think then-EP Stephen Wyman was appealing (or attempting to appeal) to the Maury Povich/Jerry Springer crowd, as their shows often had similar visual effects.

[titan1978]

There is something to that slow fade out and hold on black that Y&R used that just seems like classic soap to me.  Especially if it was a really dramatic moment and the music carried the scene out.

Edited February 12, 2022 by titan1978

[j swift]

If doof-doofs are an option, then I am going to choose it every time.  The sound of those synth drums gets me so excited and I've watched the countdown of the favorite doof-doofs a couple of times.

Overall, using Eastenders as an example, I like the idea of a musical cue, like the drums or Julia's theme, to send off the day's episode and get you revved up to watch tomorrow.

Edited February 12, 2022 by j swift

[titan1978]

Closing credits- I preferred the single image with slightly altered, slower music- like GH (Monty era the credits rolled over the hospital image, Riche it was character stills).

I used to really love those holiday episodes when the credits listed everyone that worked on the show during the year.

[Khan]

Personally, I loved the way DAYS ended most episodes during the Al Rabin/Shelley Curtis era: a freeze frame (usually, a close-up on someone's face), a brief credits roll (often just the title and "A Corday Productions Presentation") with some Phil Collins-esque dramatic cue or pop song playing underneath, followed by the familiar Columbia/Coca-Cola logo, lol.

Edited February 13, 2022 by Khan

[Paul Raven]

It was always cool when EON, SFT and Y&R would play the vocal version of the theme over the end credits.

I remember Search did these fairly often in the late 70's but for the others it was quite rare.

I wonder why and when the vocal theme was used?

[Broderick]

Edge of Night typically ran the vocal version of the theme song one day a week, which was the day the cast list was shown.  For the crew cast, they usually used the instrumental version.  

Y&R did pretty much the same thing, although there was a period in 1974-1975 when they used the vocal version far more often.  

[Paul Raven]

Thanks for clarifying.

When AW debuted 'You take Me Away'  theme in 87 how was the ending handled? I remember a 'rocky' theme music playing that had no relationship to the opening.Was that all that was used?

[AbcNbc247]

This was the ending theme before they started using the rock music. Personally, I like this one better

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