Thankful for anything on soaps from 2000-today?

[titan1978]

Like many of us have stated, soaps have not been at their best since the tail end of the 90’s, but especially from 2000 to today. Poor creative decisions, bad HW teams, network interference being especially noticeable on screen, cancellations.  The list goes on.

What has happened n the last 20+ years that you love?  Major moments, returns, casting gone right…

AMC- I am especially thankful for the return of Angie and Jesse.  They just fit right back in and gave the show a real spark in not so great times.

AMC & OLTL- while the experiment was not successful, the PP versions of both shows were entertaining and demonstrated there is life there if explored properly.

GH- with JFP and Guza gone, the show has welcomed back so many favorites, especially in the last decade.  It has been a joy to see Anna, Robert, Laura, Felicia, Lucy, and others that have been included again.  And Brenda’s epic first return early in the 2000’s was the most watchable period of the show under Guza since his first year as HW.  I also felt Lulu was cast well and I miss JMB in the role (I know others do not enjoy her).

Y&R- for a period of time, they had something special with MM as Hilary.

[SteelCity]

I really miss DAYS from 1998-2003. It was a lot more of an ensemble, the stories moved, and you really couldn't miss an episode. It was probably the last really good teen scene. Story was really layered too. It was my favorite time for the show.

I know a lot of people don't agree, but I really loved the "Summer of Sleaze!" It was great soap to me and it really affected so much for so long. I liked Sam as manipulative vixen too.

[Gray Bunny]

There have been moments here and there since, but by and large for me, the last really fantastic year for both "my" shows (DAYS and GL) was 2002. 

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Gray Bunny

[titan1978]

I almost listed Joan Collins as Alexandra Spaulding and pretty much most of the end of Rauch’s tenure, before Conboy arrived.  Loved Ben Reade and Marina too, before they destroyed him.

When it comes to casting, I think DAYS was really solid, especially with their younger leads for almost the last 20 years.

Nick Fallon, Gabi, Will (chandler), Ciara, Stephanie, Tripp, Chelsea, Melanie (although I know many hated her), JJ, both Abby’s, Alamo, Eli…the list goes on and on.  So many characters that were well cast even if the writing wasn’t always the best.  Frank Valentini wishes he had found that kind of talent for his bland younger cast on GH.

I loved Sam as a vixen, and Liz with Jason at that time was great too.  There was so much fandom intensity that GH really missed out on with Liz/Jason/Sam!

[carolineg]

I would have to say 2 returns come to mind for me.  Brenda on GH in 2002 and Eileen's 1st return as Kristen on Days.

[Planet Soap]

I think 2005 was the cut off point for a lot of the early 2000s momentum on soaps. 

B&B was pretty good from 2000-2002. Broke/Deacon/Bridget, Brooke & Thorne, Kimberly, Amber & Rick were all decent stories. 

GH has had some good events in the midst of the JFP Guza turmoil. Brenda's 2002 return, the train wreck, the virus outbreak, the Metro Court crisis, and the return of a few vets since Frank took over. 

Y&R was good between 2000 and 2001. Jack/Phyliss/Diane, spermgate, Carter Mills and the Glo by Jabot had the show going. 02-05 were alright. 

[YRfan23]

I myself consider 2000-2005 to be the final years where soaps were at least entertaining, and viable. Obviously some had tanked by then but by 2006/07 something happen where it seemed like all shows went in the gutter. I won’t deny there have been levels of decently during the course of those years as well…

[Planet Soap]

IDK what it is but soaps, broadcast tv, popular music, etc, all seemed to go downhill after that year. 

I am thankful for maintained production values on *some soaps* DAYS looked pretty good until about 2009 lighting and set wise. All My Children had a nice production value rebound with the move to LA in 2010ish...only get cancelled a year later

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 . ATWT's production value, though declining, was still pretty okay until the end compared to OLTL for example.

Y&R and B&B held up pretty well until about the mid 2000tens. GH's production value was gone by the mid 2000s (lighting wise especially). They have really good sets these days though despite a bloated cast.

Edited December 3, 2022 by ironlion

[Faulkner]

Nicholas Chavez (Spencer, GH) ranks up there with the great young finds in soap history IMO, and his immediate chemistry with Sydney Mikayla made me stop and move closer to the screen.

OLTL had a moment with early Ron Carlivati that made it seem fresh yet tied to history in ways we haven’t seen since the ‘90s. Too bad it all went to hell. Y&R had a similar moment in early ‘06 with LML, Alden, and Smith, but we know how that turned out.

The Angie/Jesse reunion on AMC was beautifully done.

Luke/Reid (ATWT) and Paul/Will (with Guy Wilson, DAYS) were rare same-sex couples with real sexual heat.

 

 

The iPhone lol.

[Dion]

The lighting and the overall look of the show did dramatically improve in the immediate lead up to going HD in early 2009 though (about one or two weeks before the actual switchover). It was quite dreary beforehand but suddenly brightened up.

Which brings me to what I'm thankful for, I quite enjoyed most of 2009, even the first run of Franco. I particularly liked the carnival which ended with a drugged Edward driving into everyone. After Sonny shot Dante - which was a great moment - the show slowly lost its appeal.