Jump to content

Soaps that lost their original/core families


Recommended Posts

  • Members

Thinking about it, it does fascinate me that ATWT somehow how managed to keep the Hughes and the Lowell/Stewart families as part of its core for its entire run. Same with B&B with the Forresters and Logans and Days with the Hortons. 

But that’s obviously not true for every soap.

We all know AW lost the Matthews and later Frame clans by the shows end sans Josie to much negative impact, while Y&R got rid of the Brooks and Fosters sans Jill to surprisingly positive impact.
 
What are some other examples of a whole core family eventually disappearing from a soap?  I know Days wiped out the Andersons and forgettable families like the Scofields came and gone. 

B&B of course shamefully got rid of the Spectras.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 18
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Members

OLTL lost the Wolek’s, but the Lord family stayed important all the way to the end. They started as the two core families though.

AMC- was anybody left from Phoebe’s family at the end of the ABC run? I know Brooke was in the PP revival, but hadn’t she left the main show?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Guiding Light was literally depleted of the Bauers the final years. Rick only popped up every blue moon. I do hope that had the show carried on that would've changed with Leah, Jude, Robby, and Hope leading the charge. It became too Cooper and Shayne heavy. 

GH has all but ditched the Hardy/Webber clan. Liz and her kids are the last ones standing. Hopefully, the new regime will realize her importance (along with the hospital). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

They did give him a bit with Mindy but I can't remember if he was on contract by the end.

If the show hadn't been canceled they were going to bring in a recast Michelle. Instead, they just had that actress play a guest role and brought Nancy St. Alban (zzzz) back a few times. I think the end of the show had Michelle and Danny moving back to Springfield.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thank God. As a Manny fan, I didn't particularly care for NSA's Michelle. I wonder who they could've cast. My dream would've been for Bethany Joie Lenz to reprise the role, but I know One Tree Hill was still on air. 

And I totally blocked out Rick/Mindy at the end. It was such a blur. I always felt Mindy grew to be too sophisticated for Rick once my fave, Kimberly Simms, stepped into the role. But I guess since it was Krista Tesreau's version, it is OK. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I had forgotten her name last night but that Michelle would have been Beth Ann Bonner. 

I agree that Michael O'Leary suited Krista much more than Kim. It was odd to imagine that she was meant to be in love with Rick. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I like Beth Ann but I feel like she would've been too rough and edgy to play Michelle. Michelle had edge but not that much. I always felt Beth Ann would've been more suitable playing a vixen even when she was on OLTL. I felt like Talia was a bore and didn't let Beth Ann shine. I would've cast Martha Madison as Michelle but wasn't she being considered as Marah one point? 

And one pet peeve of mine on soaps is giving everyone a happy ending. I like some things to be left open to imagination or some resemblance to reality that everyone doesn't get a happy ending. Yes, while I was p*ssed Lisa (on ATWT) didn't get a happy ending, I did roll my eyes at Frank/Blake being slapped together so quickly along with Rick/Mindy and Lillian/Buzz. But I should probably go rant about that in the GL thread...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I think Lillian and Buzz had been together for a year or two before the show ended.

I don't disagree about happy endings that feel unearned, but I didn't really mind them on GL, maybe because I'd already seen so much misery on the show over the years. With that said, one of the few things I will praise the ATWT ending for was not reuniting Lily and Holden.

I had forgotten Martha was considered for Marah. She would have been dull as hell in whatever role she had, I'm sure. For me Rachel Miner was still Michelle, although Bethany was the best after her. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

(RE: Lillian/Buzz) Were they? That could've been an aspect of the show I blocked out as I didn't care for either character. I always felt those were two characters they could've gotten rid of. Especially, Buzz. 

I am glad I am NOT alone in being happy that Lily/Holden weren't reunited in the end. Personally, I wanted the two characters to move on from each other and just be friends and co-parent had the show continued. The two broke up so much that I was over them. 

Would Rachel had even been open to returning? I always get the feel that she closed the door on GL. She is my initial Michelle, but Bethany is my fave. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Y&R introduced the Williams as the new core working class family when the show went to an hour in 1980. Built around Paul, there was Carl, Mary,Patty, Steve and Todd (not seen) April married Paul and Heather was their child.

Bit one by one they were dropped and a few years later it was back to Paul and Mary,

Carl, Patty and Todd reappeared in short stints as did April but basically to play off Paul who finally disappeared himself.

Heather is currently onscreen but she could pretty much be anybody.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I wonder if any other soap has disposed of it's founding family with such ruthlessness as the British soap Emmerdale did with their first family, the Sugdens..... I guess it was an omen of things to come when the show began with the funeral of patriarch Jacob Sugden

  • Annie Sugden (the matriarch) - dead
  • Sam Pearson (Annie's father) - dead
  • Jack Sugden (Annie's son) - dead
  • Joe Sugden (Annie's son) - dead
  • Peggy Skilbeck (Annie's daughter) - dead
  • Jackie Merrick (Jack's son) - dead
  • Sam Skilbeck (Peggy's son) - dead
  • Sally Skilbeck (Peggy's daughter) - dead
  • Pat Merrick (Jack's first wife) - dead
  • Sarah Sugden (Jack's second wife) - dead
  • Kate Sugden (Joe's wife) - dead
  • Leonard Kempinski - (Annie's second husband) - dead
  • Amos Brearly (Annie's third husband) - dead
  • Mark Hughes (Joe's stepson) - dead
  • Rachel Hughes (Joe's stepdaughter) - dead

The living members of the extended Sugden family currently off-screen are :

  • Robert Sugden (Jack's son) - in prison
  • Andy Sugden (Jack's adopted son) - on the run from the law
  • Matt Skilbeck (Peggy's widower) - moved away in 1989
  • Dolly Skilbeck (Matt's second wife) - moved away in 1991
  • Samuel Skilbeck (Matt's son with Dolly) - moved away in 1991
  • Joseph Sugden (Rachel's son) - on the run
  • Sandie Merrick (Jack's stepdaughter) - moved away in 1989
  • Kathy Brookman (Jackie's widow) - moved to Australia in 2001
  • Jack Sugden (Andy's son) - moved away in 2019

Only Victoria Sugden (Jack's daughter) and Sarah Sugden (Andy's daughter) remain on the show to this day.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

AW Matthews Family final appearance

Granny June 64

Janet June 66

Bill July 69

Mary March 75

Mike Dec 79

Pat Jan 82 guest appearance 89

Marianne Feb 82

Jim April 82

Alice May 85 guest appearance 89

Susan Dec 82

Julia Aug 84

Olivia May 92

Russ Nov 92

Liz May 94

Josie June 99

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • As always loved seeing Ric with Liz. I hope the show forever keeps them in each others orbit even if it’s just platonic. I’m sure she’s going to cut him out when she finds out he’s blackmailing Alexis though. So darn.
    • I have to be honest I’m really struggling with this show. I love everything with Eva/Leslie/Ted/Nicole/Kat and enjoy Dani and Bill’s shenanigans (I’m on the Hayley needs to be recast train now tho), Chelsea is second to Kat as my favorite Dupree grandkid and I loved her coming out to her mom. The show was on a truly great run with the big Leslie and Eva reveal at Nicole and Ted’s anniversary party and the fall out has still been good even with the unnecessary Ted recast and them making Leslie kind of dumb by exposing herself too much unnecessarily. The real problem for me started when they rotated back to way too damn much screen time for Derek/Ashley/Andre (if anyone should have been up first for a recast it was these three IMO). They tried way too hard to drum up drama between Ashley and Derek and the actors were clearly fighting for their mediocre charisma less acting lives to make it work but none of it landed, just horrible. Naomi and Jacob and this weird homeless woman story are also BORING. I can see where its potentially going but IDGAF at all, my only hope for them is that they’re building a triangle with Naomi/Jacob/Kat because Jacob and Kat have stronger chemistry together than their current love interests (Eva is the only one who can make the awful Tomas work). Martin, his secret and still cringe worthy acting got kind of interesting with Bill dropping hints to Smitty but they completely lost me with that lil fakeout scene at the country club. The lame “teenagers” (air quotes because Samantha is no Bianca Lawson and never beating the black Andrea Zuckerman allegations) can get off my screen as well. Joey creeping on Vanessa is grossing me out at this point, I actually quite like Vanessa and Doug now but Joey falls totally flat as a villain and someone we’re supposed to buy Vanessa being enamored with. I’m glad they’ve finally set up something interesting for Vernon and Anita to do with this girl band reunion instead of Anita wringing her hands and telling us she feels darkness coming and Vernon giving a civil rights speech every episode but yeah… People who’ve posted with me for other shows know I’m not one for fast forwarding or hate watching either, if I find a majority of a show is not working I usually just quit but because of what this show represents for me as a Black male soap fan I really want to stick it out. Its just become a challenge lately. I saw Guza has left the building and I REALLY hope we hear about some more BTS changes. The additions of Tracy Thompson and Jamie Giddens don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence from me tho. Honestly praying hard for a new EP to replace JHC, a lot of the stuff that annoyed about her PC and AMC runs has started to match up here. I’m giving the show through the Summer to rectify some things but IDK how long I can hold on tbh. Its been a struggle to even finish some of these episodes lately.
    • I agree. I liked the episode but it felt jarring to suddenly return to a bunch of plots that had been put on pause since the Nurses' Ball started. Although I did like Laura popping in at the end to tell Alexis that millions of dollars have suddenly disappeared from Ace's trust fund. One set of scenes that made me feel optimistic for the next few months were between Sofia Mattsson and Rory Gibson. While Rory has been good as a darker, colder Michael this week, I was worried that he might not have much range. But he really warmed up with Mattsson, and I thought that (for the first time) Michael and Sasha had some genuine chemistry.
    • Next week is going to be such a sad time... I just feel it based on what was shown today. I'm wondering if the whole John being bandaged thing being a throwback to how he first arrived on the show was a Ron C idea since it just seems as though this would be something he would come up with.  If so, it's good that Cwikly/Ford are in charge with the implementing of the idea instead of him. Just a delayed thought from the Ciara scenes earlier in the week, or last week.. and how she had an odd way of dressing/acting.  I chuckle because little Ciara did say that she admired and wanted to be just like Kristen when she grew up.  So the fact that her outfit choices are so odd/off beat and her manner is a bit OTT just fits.. especially since Eileen's Kristen had an odd sense of fashion and that frantic OTT undertone to her delivery. With that said, a part of me wonders how Eileen's Kristen would have handled the scenes being done this week in regards to John's situation.   
    • My god the smirking was back in full force today. He almost started smiling after Johnny mentioned he wouldn’t be there if EJ hadn’t raped Sami. I will say I did like seeing him with Dee as they’ve always had great chemistry.    They really are giving a lot of false hope with John getting better. I wish they hadn’t done that. Monday is going to be devastating. I really liked all the characters mixing and mingling today.  Nu-Rachel is still too sweet for me. Loved all the flashbacks. Everyone looked so young. Really enjoyed Brady’s scenes with John today.  
    • Valerie Mahaffey Dead: ‘Northern Exposure,’ ‘Dead to Me’ Actress Was 71 Loved her. I've never seen her Doctors work. 
    • Valerie Mahaffey Dead: ‘Northern Exposure,’ ‘Dead to Me’ Actress Was 71 I just loved Valerie on my early '90s TV shows. This one gets me. 
    • I assume they did at some point during the finale...
    • Kelly was a horribly-written character overall. Just think, two Emmy-winning actresses (including Cynthia Watros, Nina, GH, and Annie, GL) couldn't make it work. Pamela is campy, but so are Dani, Vanessa, Leslie, and Joey. And, I don't want to be too judgy because my love for camp changes depending on the show. OLTL, DAYS, and some eras of GH had me rolling with the camp. However, Passions was overkill and I hated it. And, here, I can take it or leave it. It's ok in small doses (note to RC). I see this show as more of a serious drama.
    • I think one of the reasons that pilot didn't get picked up was because Vicki L was associated more with being Thelma Harper and playing older then she was playing her own age.  It was a blessing it didn't get picked up, or we would have been deprived of the syndicated era of Mama's Family.   Also, worth noting a Pre Night Court Marsha Warfield and pre Perfect Strangers Rebecca Arthur in the cast.  All talented women, but stuck with a bad script. And the other pilot had a pre Fran Fine.. Fran Drescher as the best friend.  I think that pilot might have been picked up if Karen Valentine and Fran Drescher switched roles.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy