1980s Trends

[j swift]

Ironically, I was going to write that I missed the huge wedding episodes of the 1980s. A trend that was clearly influenced by the Royal Wedding of Charles and Diana.  Then, I read an interview with Judy Evans where she detailed the torment that actresses went through to film those episodes.  Unlike a real wedding which last 5–6 hours, soap brides had to wear their costumes for anywhere from 12 hours to three weeks.  So, they trudged around in heavy headpieces, corsets, and complex hairdos, unable to use the loo, eat, and sometimes sit!

I'll think about that the next I moan about characters getting married in their living rooms.

Edited November 24, 2023 by j swift

[Khan]

There has to be a happy medium between the living room and a mockup of Winchester Cathedral, though.

Thanks, @Soaplovers, for clueing me in about female serial killers.  I really had no idea.

Edited November 24, 2023 by Khan

[Contessa Donatella]

Did you see the movie where Charlize Theron played Ailene Wornos (spelling?). I believe it was called MONSTER. 

[Paul Raven]

Back from the Dead /Presumed Dead took hold in the 80's.

It had been used previously eg SFT Sam Reynolds, GL Bill Bauer but became more commomplace in the 80's and the 90's.

Days used it with Roman coming back as John Black, and Stefano ,AW with Steve Frame/Edward Black, GH with Luke ,ATWT with James Stenbeck.

[Paul Raven]

Primetime episodes and anniversary celebrations.

Both Capitol and Loving debuted with primetime episodes.

Apart from a one off Return to Peyton Place episode in 1973, soaps had never made it to primetime before.

I wonder why ABC didn't show Luke and Laura's wedding in primetime? Maybe a BTS special dealing with Elizabeth Taylor's appearance , Luke and Laura's  romance , the wedding ceremony etc.

ABC were always at the forefront of promoting their soaps and this would have been a no brainer.

During the 80's we had ATWT 30 th, SFT's 35th, GL's primetime 40th, AW 25th. That was the first time anniversaries were recognized on air .

[kalbir]

The GL primetime special was 1992 for the 40th anniversary on television.

I remember seeing promos celebrating the overall 50th anniversary in 1987.

[Paul Raven]

Oops. Thanks for the correction. The primetime aspect really took hold in the 90's.

[Sapounopera]

I started a new thread, for everyone who is interested in discussing the 90s trends.

Edited January 22, 2024 by Sapounopera

[SoapDope]

A big trend in the 80's were lavish dinner parties. Anytime a character was planning a party, you knew something was going to go down. Like a huge confrontation, a shooting, a murder, falling down the stairs, getting thrown through a plate glass window etc...then again that often happened on Hart to Hart too.

[Paul Raven]

Comings and goings were way more frequent in the 80's.

The one hour format was part of that, but if you look at the 70's some shows might have 3/4 new characters in a year . By the 80's they were many more contract players and short term characters used for a particular story.

[Khan]

I apologize if this has been mentioned already, but one trend you definitely see (or hear) occurring throughout the '80's was the switch to synthesized music.  Practically overnight, it seemed as if most soaps suddenly began sounding like "Miami Vice" and "The Equalizer."

[Paul Raven]

Death was more common in the 80's-murder or otherwise. 

There were more murders with the greater emphasis on crime stories and deaths overall were more common, so a character dying wasn't such a big thing anymore.

Also in the 80's there was a more light hearted tone to most shows. The introduction of characters like Calliope (Days) Leanna (Y&R)  was part of it, but overall things seemed less somber.

[Contessa Donatella]

On AW that was the time of Cass, Felicia & Wally (and the stupid gorilla) and what they called "highjinks". 

On AMC wasn't that when Tad would dress up like a chicken?

[Paul Raven]

a couple of others have come to mind

1. The movie being filmed in town. EON set the ball rolling with 'Mansion of the Damned' being filmed in Monticello in 79 and throughout the 80's we had 'The Moonlighter' filmed in Oakdale (ATWT) 'A View from The Bay' in Bay City (AW) and Blood Moon in Llanview (OLTL). Those stories never really went anywhere or changed much as well as not being very believable.

Were there any others?

2. Guest artists performing-an offshoot of the use of Top 40 music and guest appearances. GL used 'Wired for Sound' for several artists to appear eg B52's, Huey Lewis etc.

Roberta Flack/Crystal Gale on AW, Jermaine Jackson/Whitney Houston (ATWT) and so on.

[Paul Raven]

This was mentioned in another thread but I thought I'd add it here,

Main characters as police officers. 

Apart from EON, this was not athing till the 80's.

We had Roman/Abe (Days), Margo (ATWT) Brian (SFT) Rusty (GL) Larry/MJ (AW) etc

A reflection of the new focus on crime

And fashion/beauty/modelling

Barbara (ATWT) Erica (AMC) Anna/Calliope (Days) Nicole (AW) Jabot (Y&R)