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ALL: Epic Soap Opera Fails


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Krista Tesreau as Tina Lord Roberts. It's not that she wasn't a good actress, it was she was Mindy Lewis, not Tina. Andrea Evans of course was Tina, but Karen Witter wasn't a pushover either in that role, as she had great energy. I was sad when Andrea left, I was sad when Karen left. I wasn't sad when Krista left. I wanted her to return to "Guiding Light" and take Mindy back from Barbara Crampton who was Leanna Randolph, not Mindy... 

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Did you nab this off my radar infamous MAB Anniversary Tribute post I made back in what 2011 or 2012?

Good God what a mess, idk how honestly as bad as it is they Josh Griffith’s Y&R still feels better than the MAB/Sheffer/Rauch/Hanmer era or the Pratt era

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I had to trawl through Google. That tribute of yours will never leave us though.

I don't know if another soap that hadn't been established/dominant for as long as Y&R had would have survived the MAB years. The interviews alone were meme hell.

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As far as epic fail attempts at storylines... in lieu of the show's 40th Anniversary, I could appreciate Ron Carlivati's nods to three of ONE LIFE TO LIVE's most memorable moments. Of the three, Bo and Rex journeying back to 1968, though inspired, was a complete retcon of the Buchanan family origin story. They could have easily taken that history crafted by Gordon Russell and his team of writers from the late 70's and used it to tell a new story in 2008. 

Also, retconning Irene Manning, the mother of Tina and Todd, to be alive and well, while acting as a secret government agent as part of a convoluted plot to allow Roger Howarth back on the canvas was cringy. Looking back, I was only in it to watch Andrea Evans' return, but there were other ways to grow and mature Tina. 

Lastly, the mass prison break at Statesville, though I would have loved to see Mark Philpot (Jamie Sanders) and Jill Larson (Ursula Blackwell) sprung again, the fact this attempt led to a third return to Heaven for Viki and a second character visiting Hell... the show was on such an insane loop, vs. building upon what they had already done.

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Yikes has it been 12 years this month @YRfan23…?

Only for the curious 

I’m not sure how Y&R survived that period either especially when Days completely revived (and looked sane) there 09-10 under Tomlin & Whitesell while amidst soap cancellations going amok. 
 

Probably the sole instance where JFP saved a soap from self destructing even further, at least for a couple months years when she sold her soul and career to Pratt lol.

That said the ghost of Hogan still haunts Y&R to this day when it comes to Adam and the Abbotts, just as Hogan’s ghost still haunts Days and haunted ATWT. Excessive  shock value doesn’t work for long time storylines even years afterwards.

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I thought the whole ordeal with Ronan ending up being Nina's child, who was sold to the black market was a major flop. I feel like a major historical moment in the history of a legendary Y&R character (Nina) past should've been well-planned and taken months to a year to unwind. It was just used to put Chance/Ronan at odds over Chloe. 

Bringing John Aprea back in that horrid Alexander Nikos story. At that stage, it was growing old of folks from Carl's past coming back and wreaking havoc on Bay City. The show had just got over the whole ordeal with Justine, which was horrific and resulted in Ryan dying. Then Blair Baker came blowing into town and that story went nowhere. At that point, I was over it. Let Carl and Rachel settle down and enjoy the twins. The only good thing that came out of that story was Felicia falling through the skylight, which was a good sweeps stunt. 

Crystal Chappell returning to DAYS and latching her to Daniel and Melanie was a flop. Lawrence should not have been killed. Carly/Bo/Hope should've been written better. Nicholas should've been brought back and tossed in Abby's orbit, sending Jack and Jennifer into a tizzy. 

Speaking of the Alamains, undoing John as Lawrence's brother was dumb. And the whole Colleen Brady/Santo Dimera and John being their child. Hogan Sheffer needed to be throttled over that story. Just, ugh. The Bradys and Dimeras did not need to be connected going back generations. Their history over Stefano's obsession over Marlena and the pawn saga was enough. 

I think this epic fail was more inhumane than anything, and that's MADD allowing Michael Zaslow (Roger) to stay on GL and for Roger to die. I've mentioned in the GL thread how I feel they should've handled Zaslow's condition and how Roger should've been written off, but it was a failed opportunity to draw eyes back to GL during a time when GL was waffling in the ratings. 

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The loss of Ryan as the best romantic partner for Vicky was major league unnecessary loss & it was all on JFP. I mean when a couple is so good together that the writers write them reuniting in heaven, good god, why wasn't that couple endgame?! 

Her falling through that skylight was an amazing visual effect!

You mean of course MADD, or whomever, NOT allowing Zas to remain with the show & Roger to play out his diagnosis & die on the show, right? 

 

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Our tech is trying to kill us! I refuse to let autocorrect get the better of us. I laugh at its absurd word & letter substitutions. Just yesterday someone posted that the new GH Collector's edition was going to be just lime the Y&R one. (Stupid autocorrect changed like to lime!)

But here today I knew what you meant! 100%. 

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LOL I sometimes go back to that thread as well as any of the 2010-2012 discussions when I need a good laugh!

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Maybe if we are lucky, Bradley Bell will get his own thread worthy of the same "awesomeness" as his sister-in-law....if and when he finally leaves that is!...

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