Best/Worst Production Value Periods on Soaps

[John]

Even though Prospect Park mishandled how they spent their capital imho, both AMC & OLTL looked  good during their 2013 revivals. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by John

[carolineg]

I thought Days was decent through the 90's and early 2000's.  I think post SSK is where it got really bad.  Once they got rid of the Penthouse I knew the show was out of money though.

[Khan]

When did Chip Dox quit/retired/was fired as Production Designer?  Because, I think that's when DAYS' overall production aesthetic went into decline.

It's one thing not to have the cash for lush sets (or lighting or music or wardrobe) anymore, but Dox gave DAYS its' scenic designs a distinctive look that you didn't see copied on any other show.  Now, though, DAYS' sets are so generic and all-purpose, they could work just as well on B&B, GH or even Y&R.

[MichaelGL]

I'm going to go with one show that doesn't get mentioned alot, and that's LOVING. The sets alone were incredibly good, even later on during it's run. 

[BingCherry]

Been rewatching the Port Charles telenovela era, and they really knew how to make a lot out of a little

[Noel]

Oh, I loved LOVING! I remember picking up a Soap Opera Digest and was curious as to their low ratings. Actually, that was when I tried watching different soaps as my mom watched all the CBS soaps. I think she got pissed that I was watching different soaps too.

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So, instead of Y&R, B&B, and ATWT, I watched Loving, Days of Our Lives, and One Life to Live. I attempted to watch Ryan's Hope, but it was God awful. I'm sure it was good back in the day, but I wasn't attracted to it. There was a time I boycotted Guiding Light after the firing of Ellen Parker and watched General Hospital, but I felt like such a traitor for those two weeks, lol!  Guiding Light was my baby. But that was then. My dedication for Guiding Light slowly deteriorated after the firing of Grant Aleksander and their first major cutbacks. I was never interested in Reva's cancer, Reva and Jeffrey, Cassie and Josh, Josh being a pastor, Ava and Billy, or Daisy having conversations with others outside in a park in front of a port-o-potty.

Edited May 2, 2022 by Noel

[SteelCity]

I agree about Ryan's Hope. I've watched pretty much every soap I could and Ryan's Hope is just not it for me. Really kinda boring.

[Noel]

Well, the acting and the credit opening was just .... I really don't know what to say about it. It was something I can tell you that much.

[Planet Soap]

ATWT looked alot older in the early 80s before the Marland era. 

WORST: Guiding Light's new production model. The attempt at making it look like a reality show did not work.

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[carolineg]

Speaking of Loving, I always thought the City looked cool.  I know it was trying to copy a lot of night time production from that era, but it always looked good to me.

[Khan]

Granted, I haven't seen much of THE CITY, but what I have seen looks to me like how Joel Schumacher might produce a soap if he had the chance.

[carolineg]

I don't think I have watched THE CITY since it aired, but I always thought the sets looked modern and Sydney/Tracy had an awesome penthouse.  It felt cool and hip to me at the time..........but clearly that wasn't the overall consensus by viewers.

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[Planet Soap]

Someone online wrote that one of the sets from either Loving or The City became the set for the forst few seasons of The View. If true that living room set was layered and top tier!

[Contessa Donatella]

I believe it was from THE CITY.

[Liberty City]

Since 2015, the production value on Days of Our Lives has been that of $1. Camera and post-production quality has diminished to nothing. It is 2022, for something filming in high definition to look worse than it did in standard, is horrible. Especially when your web-exclusive content looks ten times better.

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Some editing I did, which only slightly improved things, but I don't get how a soap that went HD in 2010 and looked good up until January 2016 (admittedly a bit earlier than that) is now looking.... bad!