For recommendations for 90's primetime soap operas, I would suggest either Savannah ( 34 episodes, decent acting and plotlines, and ends with a satisfying conclusion instead of cliffhanger), or Melrose Place (Started as a thirtysomething aspirational drama, morphed into a Knots Landing soap in season 2, then morphs in an over the top crazy show in mid season 3, and tries to ground itself like Dynasty in its final season).

2 hours ago, Khan said:

KL's first season was strictly self-contained episodes, featuring stories with a clear beginning, middle and end that did not carry over to the next episode. As was typical of most one-hour shows from that period, some episodes were better than others, but all give you a good and proper introduction to the main characters, two of whom will remain until the series' end in '93.

I also think KL's first three seasons, even as they get slow at times or have eps you can skip (I have a must-watch ep list of my own somewhere as I am sure many fans do), have certain eps that while not serialized or 'important' are essential to understanding the characters and relationships that continue to power the show and story well into halfway through its run and probably beyond.

KL prioritized character and that institutional memory in a way many primetime soaps don't IMO.

Edited 17 minutes ago17 min by Vee

12 minutes ago, Vee said:

I also think KL's first three seasons, even as they get slow at times or have eps you can skip (I have a must-watch ep list of my own somewhere as I am sure many fans do), have certain eps that while not serialized or 'important' are essential to understanding the characters and relationships that continue to power the show and story well into halfway through its run and probably beyond.

KL prioritized character and that institutional memory in a way many primetime soaps don't IMO.

ICAM!!

1 hour ago, Reverend Ruthledge said:

The first season, however, gave off the most Bergman vibes.

I agree with you and with @EricMontreal22 : first season KL aspires to be a spiritual cousin to "Family" and to the domestic dramas of Ingmar Bergman as well. It just doesn't have the same level of writing or casting.

2 hours ago, wonderwoman1951 said:

elements of soap opera have found their way into a lot of shows not necessarily thought of as a primetime soaps: friday night lights, for example (prime video and paramount+). also: men of a certain age (hbo max).

Oh, soap elements now pervade nearly every scripted show on TV, as has been discussed (ie you can get your soap fix of serialized story telling so many ways now...) I guess people point out that this started with shows like Hill Street Blues which mixed a procedural with overarching storylines. I'm a huge fan of the Herskovitz/Zwick TV dramas (thirtysomething, My So-Called Life which they produced but didn't create but Winnie Holzman, who wrote for thirtysomething did and most of the writers were from it, and Once and Again especially) and get a lot of the same pleasures from them as I do from soaps, but they're not really soaps (in fact when Herskovitz/Zwick were brought on as showrunners for the final two seasons of the soapy Nashville they weren't a great fit, though there was some promise)... You mention Friday Night Lights which was adapted for tv and run by Jason Katims who got his start writing on MSCL and had his own shortlived series produced by Herskovitz/Zwick, Relativity (which is all on YT which is nice as I thought I was the only one who remembered it existed,) etc.,