8 minutes ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

I believe in general that if soap fans are into the characters, they will tolerate a good deal of bad writing. I think that the combination of the actor they like with the characterization that they are fond of that that is the glue that will cause fans to stick it out through some pretty rough periods.

Very true.  In most cases, compelling characters will get a soap opera through a period of bad writing. Donna is correct, the glue absolutely is character character character.  But a problem arises because it is fairly typical for bad writers to also get rid of a lot of characters the audience loves. In that case, previously loyal fans will abandon ship PDQ.  

Yes, but you're potentially comparing someone who started watching a  show when it was good and sticking with it through a rough patch and actually tuning into a new show. You can't start your show off bad and expect people to tune in - to even like the characters there has to be enough good writing and foundation for you to stick out the bad times (and even then we all have our limits).

Edited December 3, 20232 yr by te.

1 hour ago, te. said:

Yes, but you're potentially comparing someone who started watching a  show when it was good and sticking with it through a rough patch and actually tuning into a new show. You can't start your show off bad and expect people to tune in - to even like the characters there has to be enough good writing and foundation for you to stick out the bad times (and even then we all have our limits).

This is true. You do have to have some good writing to establish characters for fans to get into. That foundation is crucial. You can't make any of the glue I was speaking of, without  a decent start. 

Sally Sussman was a disaster as a soap writer. Her Generations failed big time and her other headwriting stints lowered the ratings (Days, Y&R). Sally should just go away and stop talking about soaps. She failed in the soap world. 

On 12/3/2023 at 4:48 PM, TEdgeofNight said:

Sally Sussman was a disaster as a soap writer. Her Generations failed big time and her other headwriting stints lowered the ratings (Days, Y&R). Sally should just go away and stop talking about soaps. She failed in the soap world. 

I still remember my mother complaining that the show was spending so much time on a "crazy woman making a fruitcake!" She remembers little else about the show except the fruitcake.

What I remember most about GENERATIONS was Aunt Mary and the moose head stuffed with diamonds.

I loved Sally’s run on Days. She wrote Eileen’s epic exit storyline The Killing Pool. She also wrote the killing of Franco Kelly which generated story for years after she had left. 
 

I started watching Y&R again for her in 2016. After the first three months I could start to see behind the scenes interference in her stories and peace out by May 2017. A shame because those first three months felt like the real Y&R again. 

I am so curious about the Saturday morning spinoffs that were in the works at NBC: one focusing on Days’ Last Blast Crew and the other focusing on Tabitha teaching home ec at Harmony High or something along those lines.

A primetime miniseries adaptation of Hidden Passions was also apparently in the works at one point. 

Is it true that Sheraton Kalouria and James E. Reilly were romantically involved?

54 minutes ago, EdibleFlowers said:

Is it true that Sheraton Kalouria and James E. Reilly were romantically involved?

No, it is not true

7 minutes ago, j swift said:

No, it is not true

Thank you. I didn’t think it was true.

To be fair, having sex on the regular would've probably solved a lot of JERs issues (or lead to a suicide/murder case).

Tomorrow, 12-31-23, last day of the year, is the anniversary, or as I say, Endiversary, for a grand total of 6 soaps! And, you are hardly going to be able to believe it but they were all on NBC. In 1954, A Time to Live and Three Steps to Heaven. In 1976 the AW spin-off Somerset. In 1982, the other AW spin-off Texas & NBC's first hit The Doctors. Finally in 1999 & as the end of Susan D. Lee's ignominious career, Sunset Beach. 

Update!

https://www.greenvelope.com/card/.public-8efca4cc5d754199b8abcf5451a6cc4235373031343331

ANOTHER WORLD 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Sat., May 4, 2024 in Tarrytown, NY

About 80 tickets left to sell.

 

Actors:

Judith Barcroft Washam (Lenore Moore 1966-1971)

Barbara Rodell (Lee Randolph 1968-1969)

Leonie Norton (Cindy Clark 1970-1972)

Ariana Muenker (Marianne Randolph 1975-1977)

Susan Keith (Cecile DePoulignac 1979-1981)

Janice Lynde (Tracy DeWitt 1979-1981)

Linda Dano (Felicia Gallant 1983-1999)

Lewis Arlt (David Thatcher 1983-1984, Ken Jordan 1990-1991, Scriptwriter)

Sofia Landon Geier (Jennifer Thatcher 1983, Donna Love 1990-1991, 1993, Scriptwriter 1992-1999)

Kale Browne (Michael Hudson 1986-1993, 1995-1998)

Laurence Lau (Jamie Frame 1986-1990)

Anne Marie Howard (Nicole Love 1987-1989)

James Kiberd (Dustin Trent 1989)

Russell Todd (Jamie Frame 1990-1993)

 

Crew:

Janet Iacobuzio (Scriptwriter 1989-1992, Associate Head Writer 1994-1995)

Steven Bergman (Set Photographer 1990-1999)

Jim Semmelman (Stage Manager 1996-1999)

 

Family Members:

David & Honor Heath, representing their Mother, Liza Chapman (Janet Matthews)

Mark Penberthy, representing his Mother, Beverly Penberthy (Pat Randolph)

Does anyone know the date of the Carrie and Sami scene at 1:08?

https://youtu.be/EyX3PvzTNEs?si=Xi5A7SJgEanF0xL0