Topic Posted by: Edmund
Date Posted: Wed Sep 23 20:18:14 2009
Additional Comments:
Unlike GL where all the characters were like old friends and we could watch each day knowing who each character was and their personal history, tuning in to a new soap is like visiting a room of strangers.
With GL, we knew which characters mattered to the show and which were to be avoided or in our case fast forwarded with no loss to the overall story.
Not so easy watching other soaps. Sad to say, many of these younger characters all look and act alike and seem pretty boring. (Okay, boring happened on GL, but with friends we are much more forgiving.)
So the question is: Which soaps are worth watching? Which characters and storylines matter to these shows? Which ones should be avoided at all costs? I do like the opening of Bold and Beautiful since they do give you the character names, though I must admit some of their characters' names sound like names for SUV's..."Drive the Honda Brookeridge!"
Posted by: fee] Date posted: Fri Sep 25 0:27:53 2009
Message: I started watching Y&R again when I found out GL was to be cancelled. I watched it once, and figured I'd hate it as much as I did when I quit watching it in 95. I found that the people I had previously HATED (Victor, Nikki, Nick, Sharon) were much more tolerable to me than before. So I watched again. I didn't ffd anything so kept watching for a little while, and decided I liked it, and haven't missed a day. I RARELY ffd anything on there. Some people hate certain people on there, but I like to have some funny fluff on sometimes; it doesn't bother me at all, as long as I can tolerate the people and it's actually funny! People on the board complain about it, but I am really loving the show. B&B is just awful! It's horrible! I quit watching that about maybe 4 months ago, and haven't looked back. ATWT used to be good, but the hack writer they have now is horrid. They are able to get a good SL off once in a while, but it's nothing like it used to be! I know someone who is watching AMC and I asked her about it, and it seems like it might be interesting (I haven't watched that one since 75!) Days might be good; I think I read that Vivian (Louise Sorel) is coming back on there. She's a HOOT! A lot like Alex! All I know about GH is that Laura Wright went on there, so I would never watch that! I was SO glad to get rid of her awful Cassie! (I really enjoyed Nicole's Cassie, after the other one. Though I REALLY loved not having any Cassie to despise at all. May she enjoy Hawaii!!!) Don't know much about OLTL now. But I DO know that they picked up MZ when he was diagnosed with the ALS, and I have always been grateful to them for that. (Haven't watched OLTL or GH since 75 either. I quit watching the ABC shows when I graduated high school, but for some reason I kept watching the CBS shows. Don't ask me how I watched both networks at the same time; I haven't figured it out!!!)
Posted by: Rosebud1 Date posted: Thu Sep 24 20:08:00 2009
Message: That is SO individual. Some people still have a connection to Days, ATWT, GH, etc. While others have been lost, for a variety of reasons. Not everyone that likes some soaps likes all. Some don't like courtroom dramas/mysteries--so soaps like Edge of Night were never going to be their cup of tea. Not everyone was going to be 'into' medical based soaps--so GH, The Doctors, etc. weren't going to appeal to them. The problem is that today's Suits see soaps as a homogenous entity & the audience as being less than intelligent with 'brains of oatmeal' and 'the collective attention span of a gnat'. Talking down to the audience has driven a lot of fans way--by the millions.
Not all soaps fans are also fans of the telenovela approach. I'm not. I like a good, open ended soap opera that has lots of stories to tell & a lot of substance. The short term formula for telenovelas just doesn't appeal to me, while it does to others. There is an audience for them, but it isn't (shouldn't be) considered an either/or situation!
My husband and I taped B&B the same week GL ended and have started watching that because it's only 1/2 hour and because it won outstanding soap so we were curious about all the hype.
It's really hard to get vested in new characters and settings but I do love the soaps and always will! I also watch GH but it's so fakey with the mob crap continuing on and on ad nauseum and I'm just not vested in it like I was with 35+ years of GL! Nothing will could/would ever replace what GL meant to me but I don't want the soap genre to ever end!
If things look bad for soaps, why aren't they all moved to the SOAP channel at some point in the future?
Posted by: Roxie Date posted: Wed Sep 23 22:56:35 2009
Message: To me, Y&R is the only soap worth watching. I also watch ATWT and B&B every day, but I don't really enjoy either one of them that much, especially B&B! I only watch it because it's on during my lunch hour and I'm rolling my eyes or making fun throughout every episode. That is the cheesiest soap! It is just awful. I watch ATWT out of habit. But I thoroughly enjoy Y&R and look forward to watching my tape every day. It is well written and has great sets and they use the vets as much as the younger actors.
Posted by: MidwestGal Date posted: Wed Sep 23 21:49:34 2009
Message: I watch All My Children, Young and the Restless, and One Life to Live. Lately I have been getting tired of AMC, it runs hot and cold, and OLTL seems to as well. YR usually is pretty good, but the stories are pretty dark right now. Nothing is quite like GL. ;)
Posted by: Lesley Jean Date posted: Wed Sep 23 20:55:13 2009
Message: I watch or tape OLTL daily. AMC and DOOL once in awhile but I just can't do B&B anymore. Y&R has good weeks and bad, can not stand Victor. ATWT is a habit like GL was but I only watch it occasionally- like GL. Never liked GH.
