1 hour ago, j swift said:

I bought this issue on Kindle for a whopping $3.99 having not read a Best/Worst issue of SOD for a couple of years and the magazine is a shadow of it's former self.  When I was a teen, SOD and box of licorice could provide an entire evening of entertainment.  Now this pamphlet masquerading as a magazine barely holds my attention for 20 minutes.  Although the ads for cheap figurines and medical alert bracelets that predate cell phones remain the same.

The best and worst list used to be filled with humor, as well as a detailed summary of the story they were critiquing.  I recall when it took up almost 20 pages of the magazine with notes about what happened behind the scenes, and multiple images. 

Obviously with only four shows they have fewer choices, but I don't get the reduction in the number of categories.  Where are the best performance categories?  Here's all of the categories from 1992 Most Improved Show, Most Entertaining Character, Most Overexposed Character, Most Boring Character, Best Love Story, Worst Love Story, Best Hero, Dumbest Hero, Best Heroine, Worst Heroine, Best Tearjerker, Best Storyline, Worst Storyline, Best New Male Character, Best New Female Character, Nicest Character, Nastiest Character, Best Triangle, Worst Triangle, Best Comeback, Worst Comeback, Best Recast, Worst Recast, Biggest Waste of Talent, Hottest Couple, Most Boring Couple, Best Husband, Worst Husband, Best Wife, Worst Wife, Best Crossover, Best Marital Crisis, Worst Marital Crisis, Worst Plot Device, Best Mystery, Worst Mystery, Sneakiest Character, Best Reunion, Best Entrance, Worst Exit, Best Rebel, Sexiest Character, Best Wedding, Worst Wedding, Most Shocking Twist, Best Special Episode, Worst Special Episode, Best Hot Topic, Best Parents, Worst Parents, Best Family, Worst Family, Best TV Trend, Worst TV Trend, Most Disappointing Show, and Best Show

All of that for $1.99

BTW the overlaps after 30 years are amusing.  Most shocking twist was Sheila on B&B, Best Wedding was B&B's Ridge and Taylor, and Best Husband was Y&R's Jack. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

I’ve been saving them on my Kindle since 2014 and has gotten smaller every year. But I still find it a fun read every year.

6 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

I’ve been saving them on my Kindle since 2014 and has gotten smaller every year. But I still find it a fun read every year.

Do you buy the single issues or the subscription?  Because the print subscription price is criminal (if anyone paid $260 and then didn't buy a Peacock subscription, we need to talk about their streaming budget).  Although I admit that I've done the scam where you can buy the subscription which isn't billed for 28 days, then cancel and you get four weeks for free (still not worth it). 

Edited December 13, 20223 yr by j swift

SOD hasn't been relevant for the better part of the last 25 years. The internet has made the soap press obsolete.

I have a feeling eventually SOD will be digital only, surprised it hasn't happened YET

8 hours ago, j swift said:

Do you buy the single issues or the subscription?  Because the print subscription price is criminal (if anyone paid $260 and then didn't buy a Peacock subscription, we need to talk about their streaming budget).  Although I admit that I've done the scam where you can buy the subscription which isn't billed for 28 days, then cancel and you get four weeks for free (still not worth it). 

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I only buy the single issue. I had a print subscription but I canceled it years ago.

On 12/12/2022 at 4:05 PM, j swift said:

I bought this issue on Kindle for a whopping $3.99 having not read a Best/Worst issue of SOD for a couple of years and the magazine is a shadow of it's former self.  When I was a teen, SOD and box of licorice could provide an entire evening of entertainment.  Now this pamphlet masquerading as a magazine barely holds my attention for 20 minutes.  Although the ads for cheap figurines and medical alert bracelets that predate cell phones remain the same.

The best and worst list used to be filled with humor, as well as a detailed summary of the story they were critiquing.  I recall when it took up almost 20 pages of the magazine with notes about what happened behind the scenes, and multiple images. 

Obviously with only four shows they have fewer choices, but I don't get the reduction in the number of categories.  Where are the best performance categories?  Here's all of the categories from 1992 Most Improved Show, Most Entertaining Character, Most Overexposed Character, Most Boring Character, Best Love Story, Worst Love Story, Best Hero, Dumbest Hero, Best Heroine, Worst Heroine, Best Tearjerker, Best Storyline, Worst Storyline, Best New Male Character, Best New Female Character, Nicest Character, Nastiest Character, Best Triangle, Worst Triangle, Best Comeback, Worst Comeback, Best Recast, Worst Recast, Biggest Waste of Talent, Hottest Couple, Most Boring Couple, Best Husband, Worst Husband, Best Wife, Worst Wife, Best Crossover, Best Marital Crisis, Worst Marital Crisis, Worst Plot Device, Best Mystery, Worst Mystery, Sneakiest Character, Best Reunion, Best Entrance, Worst Exit, Best Rebel, Sexiest Character, Best Wedding, Worst Wedding, Most Shocking Twist, Best Special Episode, Worst Special Episode, Best Hot Topic, Best Parents, Worst Parents, Best Family, Worst Family, Best TV Trend, Worst TV Trend, Most Disappointing Show, and Best Show

All of that for $1.99

BTW the overlaps after 30 years are amusing.  Most shocking twist was Sheila on B&B, Best Wedding was B&B's Ridge and Taylor, and Best Husband was Y&R's Jack. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

 

Haha, thanks for this write-up. I admit, I held on to being a subscriber for longer than I should have. I think I finally decided not to renew in 2018, after I found myself re-reading the sames thing over and over about yesteryear (I mean, how many times can I read the same paragraphs about Luke & Laura's 1981 wedding or Bo & Hope's in 1985?) while skipping over all the spoilers because I would read the magazine a few weeks after the fact. Plus, the actor interviews were mostly regurgitated fluff. 

Anyhow, the Best & Worst issues were always a favorite. I was tempted to buy the current one at the stand, but I didn't see it anywhere.... 

You might be able to buy the digital copy of it

On 12/12/2022 at 6:26 PM, dragonflies said:

I have a feeling eventually SOD will be digital only, surprised it hasn't happened YET

Same.

 

That said...I still go out of my way to get the BEST AND WORST at least. 

 

I was doing it earlier this week in fact. lol.