Pick a Year and Name it's Best/Worst Soaps(s)

[Planet Soap]

Choose a particular year and name the best soaps/worst drama on the air at the time based elements like on storyline, visual presentation, writing/directing changes.

Best shows of 1995

OLTL-Viki's DID

GH: Stone's AIDS, Monica's cancer, Sonny & Brenda, Jason's accident

DAYS: Marlena's Posession, Sami etc.

[Soapfan8]

What would you choose for 93, 2002 and 97

[Planet Soap]

Best of 93 : OLTL with Marty's rape and Viki/Clint/Sloan/Dorian, leading to the beginnings of the Victor Lord murder trial and eventually the DID debacle. 

GH was good with Alan/Monica/Rhonda, Sonny & Brenda and Luke & Laura's return. 

Best of 2002 for me were B&B and OLTL. That was the last solid year for both shows. OLTL: I liked Natalie, Mitch's return, Live week and the dead baby lie, and Lindsay vs Norah. B&B was good with Brooke & Deacon's affair and Sheila's return.

1997 as a whole I'm not to great with. For worst: I know OLTL wasnt too strong around this time as JFP took over l, and ATWT was still in it's mid 90s slump. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by ironlion

[Gray Bunny]

BEST:

1997 - Guiding Light 

2002 - Guiding Light 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Gray Bunny

[Planet Soap]

is that best or worst?

[Gray Bunny]

Best 

[carolineg]

I would vote for GH and Days in 1996 as the best soap those years

GH: Clink/Boom, Brenda/Jax/Sonny, Jason/Robin, Carly's intro-not as depressing as 1995

Days-Aremid (better than any 90's story), Paris (silly, but enjoyable), all the triangles really ramped up this year to me.  There wasn't any payoff, but I would still put it above 1997. 

Edited April 15, 2022 by carolineg

[Planet Soap]

Best soap of '91 was Y&R: Sheila baby switch, drunk Nikki, David Kimble

Best of 1998: Y&R Victor/Nikki/Diane, Kay v Jill over the Chancellor estate, Sharon/Nick/Grace/Cassie drama, Sandra Nelson's Phyliss

[kalbir]

Agree. After being off track from Fall 1994 through the first half of 1997, Y&R really rebounded during the second half of 1997, and that rebound lead to the amazing 25th anniversary year. 1998 was the last year I consider Y&R to be truly excellent.

[Gray Bunny]

Agree 100%.  Aremid and all the rest was mid-90's DAYS at its finest

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[kalbir]

The huge rise of Reilly's Days overlapped w/ Y&R going off track (Fall 1994 through first half of 1997). The week of June 23-27, 1997 Days nearly beat Y&R, there was a 0.3 difference between the two.

Recaps for both shows that week

The Young and the Restless Recaps: The week of June 23, 1997 on Y&R | Soap Central

Days of our Lives Recaps: The week of June 23, 1997 on DAYS | Soap Central

[carolineg]

Outside of silly fangirl John/Marlena stories that I love like the Affair, I think Aremid was easily the best story to come out of JER's era.  It just really involved the entire cast, so many different things were happening, it had so many soapy elements and it was ridiculous, but not campy and silly like most of JER's stories.  It was the perfect blend of outlandish circumstances played very seriously.  The Possession got all the glory, but Aremid was really the best story JER wrote followed by Maison Blanche, which I also loved.

[Spoon]

Best of 1986: Another World 

In 1986 Another World was really firing on all cylinders with the peak of Cass and Kathleen, the introduction of Reginald Love,  Mary/Marissa and Micheal Hudson.  The return of Mitch, the tragic courtship between Felicia and Zane. 

Worst of 1987: Another World

Margaret DePriest had a great first year in 1986 but 1987 took a deep dive downward with Brittany, Catlin, Peter and Kathleen gone and Cass gone for about six months.  Cass lost his spark after Kathleen's "death."  The momentum of The McKinnon family was wasted.  They lured Denise Alexander to the show then quickly write out her family and recast her husband Vince.  Veteran AA character Quinn was brutally killed off for shock value after building her up with Zack.  Plus replacing the majestic theme from 1981.  The introduction of John Hudson and the SORASing of Amanda were bright spots. 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Spoon

[Contessa Donatella]

@SpoonGreat write-up of '86-'87

I see now why I have had a love/hate relationship with my favorite show at times. I love love loved Cass & Kathleen, Marisa LaSalle & her son Scott. Zane was my all-time favorite love interest for Felicia & I wept copiously at his death. (I went on later to enjoy PT on ATWT as Cal.)

Bringing John Hudson on was a great idea & he had a great life on the show!

@carolineg Speaking of the best of JER, I may hold a minority position because his best to me is by far the '5 siblings of Kristen Blake'. You can't beat Kristen, Susan Banks, Sister Mary Moira, Penelope & of course Tomas. JER has an assist from Eileen Davidson.

 

Edited April 19, 2022 by Tonksadora
To bring in another reply.

[MichaelGL]

For 2002 I would actually say it's a tie between Guiding Light and DAYS. This was also the year that Cwikly and Brash were in charge and had the show firing on all cylinders. The show really wouldn't be able to match that kind of quality after that.