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

[Khan]

I would not be surprised if overseas markets had complete episodes of AMC (and other soaps) hidden away in their vaults.

[Maxim]

Thank you for this information. So... I am continuing to hope that at least 1980 to 1987 will become available some day in full. (1988 till the end are available)

[All My Shadows]

Well, like any soap, you’re not going to find a complete set of episodes anywhere, even from the last 30 years. There are tons of episodes from 1980 and on that you can find from YT. If you haven’t watched what’s out there from the early/mid 80s, I highly highly suggest you do.

[Maxim]

AMC is available in complete years (no missing episodes) from 1988. Before that is uncomplete years and clips.  1988 and 1990 have some missing spots, but after 1991 (including) it's full complete years with no missing episodes. These episodes have been uploaded multiple times on youtube, then deleted and some of them were recently uploaded again in unlisted playlists... I just checked and sadly they were gone again. Thank God I managed to download all of them.  

And a lot of other shows have years and years of full episodes available.  Thank God. EON has mid 1979 till 1984 on youtube, with very little missing episodes for example. Guiding light is available in German from 1982 to 1992 and then from 1992 till the end in English. OLTL is available in playlists starting from 1986 till the end. But for a complete soap from start to finish... as in complete set... There is Bold. There is Passions. There is Santa Barbara (I think only 7 episodes are missing of the entire series) There is Dark Shadows. There are complete sets. Some not official though, you have to know where to look for some. Not everything is on youtube. 

 

[Vee]

OLTL is not freely available online to the end, I know that for a fact because we're all waiting on the end of '91. The tape trading circuit is not the same thing. And it's still very rare for these shows to be fully collected like that in this country.

[Contessa Donatella]

When you look at DAYS OF OUR LIVES, it is 1985 as the beginning point when full complete episodes can be found. Before that, it is very hit and miss.

Of course primetime is very different. Many shows have full complete episodes available. One exception is the short-lived THE MONROES where only half of the episodes are out there. This is because the others were not originally broadcast.

 

[YRfan23]

I still can’t believe that AMC and OLTL don’t have more complete playlists for at least 1981-85 episodes like you can find for GH which seems to have full dates for those years, and a good handful of 79/80 too. 

[Maxim]

Same. I would die for early 80s AMC and OLTL. AT LEAST that. Especially early 80s AMC, since I've heard this is a very iconic period for the show. 

P.S Some people who sell episodes of soaps hate that some shows can be found online. These are the people who hate the most when something is made public and could be easily found. I can't stand those people and their agenda. They just want to keep fans buying. That's the sad reality. 

[Contessa Donatella]

There are people who are very invested in that cottage industry. I know someone who has great unusual stuff but he makes people promise they won't post anything they buy from him, anywhere online. Ugh. 

[Vee]

And so long as we remember to continue not to post full links to huge swaths of episodes in here so as to avoid YouTube's rampant soap copyright trolls, everything should be fine.

[Maxim]

I see beneath the mask of scammers. They are so obvious. 

BTW... do you know which are the first saved AMC episodes? 1980s are fully preserved right? Only the 70s has a fire thing happen to them? Am I mistaken? 

[Contessa Donatella]

I'm sorry but I don't know. I know that supposedly AMC & OLTL were warehoused together & there was a fire & both shows lost 5 seasons. But, which is not included. 5 seasons for each, of course, is a blow to those of us who treasure classic soap episodes! 

[Maxim]

I of course come to you since you are a soap opera encyclopedia of knowledge. But of course... there is no way you can know everything. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Please register in order to view this content

Of course there are times when I wish there were someone to speak to about the filing system!!! 

[Paul Raven]

And now we have a 1972 episode of Secret Storm turn up.

Good times!