ALL: What are your lost soap media "holy grails" for 2025?

[YRfan23]

We’ve seen at least 3 “lost” OLTL episodes surface during the past few years and that would be the one from 1975 and two from 1977 that I believe are still online. I don’t know if that was pure luck of certain affiliates saving those specific date and people got a hold of them somehow or maybe there are more dates from those years that are out there somewhere. 
 

 

I don’t think it’s far fetched to assume that AMC (and OLTL) at least have a full archive of all 1979 episodes saved somewhere? I’d say maybe even 1978 for AMC being complete somewhere since I think it was mid 1977 the show went to an hour. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Good times indeed!!!

[All My Shadows]

The 1980s are fully preserved, as far as we know, and I would say some time in 1977 is when the archive really starts (expansion to hour episodes happened on April 25). My heart has always wanted to believe they started saving in late 1976, but I don't know. For Phoebe's memorial episode, they included a Phoebe/Brooke clip that had to be from pretty soon after Julia Barr took over the role as well as a Phoebe/Myrtle clip that seemed to be from pretty early on in Eileen Herlie's time on the show, so that's what gives me hope for 1976.

It really puts things in perspective, though, that the owners/distributers of this stuff doesn't even care enough to say "This is what we have." We'll always have to depend on the kindness of other fans.

[Contessa Donatella]

Isn't it the truth?!! Also rather disgusting.

Do you have even an educated guess as to which 5 seasons were lost to a warehouse fire?

[All My Shadows]

I would imagine the first five years, since Agnes sold the show to ABC in 1975.

[Contessa Donatella]

I can see that as being logical.

It's so odd to me but also interesting that she & her husband had 2 different production companies but they sold all the soaps to ABC.

[Maxim]

Thank you again! I am calmed down by the reality that the entire 80s are preserved. I hope to God we see 1980 to 1987 in full too. I recently saw some 1985 clips from a youtube channel that you guys probably all know... and it was a storyline about A Woman of the year award-petty conflict between Erica and Brooke. And let me tell you - I spend 2 hours watching these clips and laughing my abs off. I would love for these years to come around in full. I continue to watch 1988 religiously and am approaching the birth of Bianca.  

[AMCOLTLLover]

I would say 1984 there are 3 episodes missing between January and February and from mid feb 84 its all complete 

[Contessa Donatella]

Okay, I did not know this about 1984 & this is very good news!!! Thanks for the heads up on that. One more year that what I see in my own files. I will have to start working on getting 1984 episodes.

[JAS0N47]

 

11/15/83 is when the Days episodes are fully available from fans (although some of the episodes are missing portions).

 

This is what is missing from my collection since 11/15/83:

 

11/28/83  (25m)  SCRIPT ONLY
12/7/83  (5m)  SCRIPT ONLY
12/12/83  (10m)  SCRIPT ONLY
12/26/83  (90secs)  SCRIPT ONLY
12/27/83  (3m)  SCRIPT ONLY
12/28/83  (90secs)  SCRIPT ONLY
2/22/85  (5m) 1+  SCRIPT ONLY 
3/7/85  (5m) 1+  SCRIPT ONLY
4/4/85  3 acts SCRIPT ONLY (have full dialogue)
6/14/85  ½ act   SCRIPT ONLY (have scene-by-scene)
6/20/85  1 ½ acts     (Missing that data) 

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7/2/85  ½ act   SCRIPT ONLY 
11/14/85  ½ act  SCRIPT ONLY
1/9/86  ½ act  SCRIPT ONLY 
1/29/86  3 ½acts   SCRIPT ONLY (2-B thru 5-B, have scene-by-scene)
9/5/86  2/3 act  SCRIPT ONLY (2:34 missing)
7/21/87  ½ act   SCRIPT ONLY (:51 Act 5, "I know everything....[back with] Hey, you mess with my family...")

12/7/88  2 acts  (First 2 acts, 8:41 from German feed only; "I'm okay, so don't worry")
1/22/91  1 ½ acts  SCRIPT ONLY (2:50 Act 7/8/creds "Oh my gosh, the popcorn")

[Alan]

Some soap-related digital media I'm nostalgic for:

SoapCity had lots of amazing behind-the-scenes videos of ATWT and GL. The footage of how various stunts and weddings were taped were just as fascinating as watching the interactions between the actors and crew. There was BTS footage of the Lemay house fire, the earthquake, the Olivia/Josh wedding, Simon crashing into Lucinda's house and more. I wish I had saved those quicktime files but it was almost 25 years ago and I didn't have the hard drive space back then to store a lot of videos. cbs.com/daytime, one of the first sites I visited when my family first got internet in the late 90s, is fairly well preserved on archive.org.

There was a great blogger named Sara Lee. She was my favorite soap columnist alongside Snark Weighs In. She had a terminal illness and I can't remember which website hosted her articles or else I would look for them on archive.org.

[Contessa Donatella]

There was a prominent poster on RATSc, Usenet soap newsgroup, named Sara or Sarah surname I think was Estell. I believe that there's some archives that includes 1995-2000 RATS newsgroups.

 

[Paul Raven]

And Secret Storm 1972  and several 70's OLTL. 

Let's see what February will bring.

[Khan]

Fingers crossed that it's old Betamax tapes of WTHI or LIAMST episodes that someone has been keeping unawares in a closet!

Edited January 29 by Khan

[Vee]

I am holding out for more extensive/ordered Marland ATWT material from the late '80s (it can be a real bear sorting through those playlists, and major chunks are sadly missing). And more of GH 1978 and the David Hamilton saga, or even '77 with the big transition and maybe the hurricane. I wouldn't say no to seeing more of the Corringtons'(?) SFT, or other classic years there. And of course Lemay AW (properly visible) is always the holy grail.

I won't ask for more from my OLTL right now. What we've gotten from both the key early '90s transition and the '70s in recent times is enough to chew on for years.