ALL: Favorite Soap Special Episodes, Standalones, and Stunts

[Faulkner]

I was just thinking about those special episodes that soaps sometimes do, that Gary Tomlin did a lot during his OLTL EP tenure or that Ellen Wheeler did during her time as GL EP. These episodes don’t necessarily push the narrative forward or they might celebrate a certain milestone in the soap’s history or mourn the passing of a longtime favorite (like KSJ’s Y&R tribute). 

But what’s your favorite episode of a soap that went meta or stepped outside of their normal structure to do a standalone? I thought Y&R’s Neil tribute with the cast was brilliant (unlike most of that show’s recent track record) and I typically enjoyed it when soaps like OLTL did a Live Week. I suppose OLTL’s “Trading Places” episode was fun:

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[kalbir]

Y&R (in date order): JC tribute, MTS 40th anniversary, KSJ tribute, EB 40th anniversary, 12000th episode

Edited March 13, 2022 by kalbir

[Faulkner]

The Jeanne Cooper tribute was also great. I love that Y&R takes the time out to actually honor the actors behind the roles, and not just the characters themselves, when most soaps don’t, even when the actors are iconic.

GH’s stand-alone tribute to Sean Donely (after John Reilly’s passing) was well done, with a strong performance from JR’s real-life daughter. But it set up expectations for the show to do the same for Stuart Damon, who was ultimately more important to GH history and an even bigger star. Alan Quartermaine was killed years ago, but they certainly could have taken the opportunity to do a remembrance. They do things like that tribute to women’s suffrage in 2020 ahead of the elections. Hell, they did more for the long-dead Courtney, who was far from iconic, than they did for Alan. Why not honor the famous-before-GH, beloved, Emmy-winning actor who led the show through its pop-cultural heyday? 

That’s just my rant.

[Khan]

I really enjoyed AMC's 20th Anniversary Special (1990).  The premise was so simple: just a gathering of AMC's longest-serving cast members on the show's oldest set, reminiscing about good times and bad.

[titan1978]

I seem to recall we were supposed to get an new Alan tribute.  Once the Steve Burton thing came to a head I just guessed that they cancelled those plans.  Which is a shame.

[Paul Raven]

The Guiding Light 70th episode where they recreated the radio days and early TV was very entertaining.

[Dr Neil Curtis]

I watch AMC’s 20th, 25th, 35th, and 40th all this weekend on YouTube and I enjoyed each of them. I think I loved the 25th the most with the housewarming and all the past characters returning. I never seen that many characters return to a show at once and most of them have a chance to have a speaking part. It was interesting that Angie didn’t return for that anniversary being that Debbie Morgan was on loving at that time. 
 

I always enjoyed many of the funeral episodes to pay tribute to actors that passed away: Tom Horton Mickey Horton & Alice Horton (Days), Steve Hardy, Mary Mae, & Lila Quartermaine (GH), H.B. Lewis & Henry Chamberlain (GL), Mac Cory & Ada Hobson (AW), to name a few
 

 

[Khan]

I dunno, I found it sterile, for lack of a better word.

[BetterForgotten]

Over in the UK, EastEnders used to do some fabulous 'two-hander' episodes (where only two characters appeared for the entire episode). There were some awful ones too, but when they were good, they were goooood. The character of Dot Cotton even had a 'one-hander' where she was the only character featured in that particular episode. 

 

[Vee]

Edge of Night was famous for doing one, two, three-handers IIRC. It's a thing I feel soaps here should do more often again, but the problem is whenever they do lately it's often with the most marginal-to-poor choices possible. Jason Thompson is a fine actor, but he cannot anchor solo or near-solo episodes of Y&R, especially when he is miscast.

In addition to John C. Reilly, GH has done little tributes to both Peter Hansen and Susan Brown separately (Lee and Gail Baldwin) in recent years. I didn't love the dialogue or plot choices in the latter - I'm not sure why Gail would send everyone envelopes of glitter - but the moment at the end where Kin Shriner's Scott does the long, lonely walk alone past the nurses' hub (as Genie Francis and Denise Alexander watch) to look at Gail's portrait joining Steve, Jessie, Lucille, Amy, etc.'s on the memorial wall was very good (timestamped below).

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Did this memorial need to coincide with an anniversary show and a budget folk-rock montage of recent couples just after this moment? No. But it was something.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Vee

[Faulkner]

I know Coronation Street did one that I really loved with Deirdre and her daughter Tracy during the Charlie murder story.

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Y&R’s special Wednesday episodes are awful. I wish Patrick Mulcahey were writing for a show because he’d knock a two-hander out of the park, even if the show itself was a stinker.

[Khan]

IMO, Patrick Mulcahey's stuff (the "special" episodes and the regular ones) literally prolonged SANTA BARBARA's life.  Otherwise, that show would have been a goner much sooner than it was.

[BetterForgotten]

Corrie’s only ever used the two-handed format twice to my knowledge. The example you had above @Faulkner but first with Raquel (Sarah Lancashire) and Curly.

[victoria foxton]

I hated the Charlie murder plot. But this was an awesome episode.

[Spoon]

The Guiding Light 70th anniversary episode, recreating the shows early years.  BE as Irna Phillips and KZ as Bert Bauer

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