How Can Soaps be Fixed?

[Ray_Krebbs]

Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks that there's a problem with our soaps these days... I can see problems from bad writing, to bad recasting, to plot direction. One of the worse problems has to be with DOOL IMO. Don't read ahead if you don't want the Salem Stalker story spoiled for you....

According to WoST, the reason why Marlena is killing everyone is because she loves Roman and killed everyone who could get in her way... The actress who portrayed her is very upset with the story and supposedly quit. I'm not really disappointed, but I'm happy she stuck up for herself. I might've done the same thing.

This is only one example of how soaps are falling apart. Do you have any ideas of how we can solve this problem?

[abbylexis]

I don't think they can be fixed, you see soaps can only cover certain themes, love, jealousy, greed, infidelity, backstabbing, blackmailing, bed-hopping, ect. after a while, there's nothing new in the book.

This leaves the writers with coming up with outrageous stuff like Marlena being the serial killer.

and what's up with the tiger and lexi's mother.

THere's only so much you can do.

and the only thing worth seeing is the how some of the soap genre (serializion, cliffhangers) trascended into dramas, comedy ect.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

I think its wrong in saying all soaps need to be fixed.

I think Y&R, GL, OLTL, GH, DOOL and even Passions have shown that soaps can ivolve over the current years and stay fresh and exciting. Even though I don't watch Passions, the times I have, I've enjoyed it, and love its comedic take on things. It gets brushed off as trash, but there are some really talented actors on there like Juliet Mills and Katheleen Noone.

I think the Salem Stalker storyline was a publicity stunt, that for the most part worked. It pissed me off a lot of times, but it helped the show rise in the ratings. The current stupid twist is well...stupid, but this storyline saved DOOL.

Ray, I think you should start watching Y&R and GL. You'd really like them, ATWT too. CBS has some quality soaps.

I'd actually go as far as saying Y&R has one of the best casts today, daytime or primetime.

[Brody]

There's a thread on the Dallas Board, looking at the UK Soap EastEnders, and how it's currently faltering. I guess it's also talking about how the show could be 'fixed', so thought i'd just mention it. It's thread is entitled "UK Soap does a Miss Ellie" and is quite an interesting read... there are also a couple of little transcribed extracts from classic EE episodes I put up there: you can checks out clips from the show in the BBCi EE Website.

Anyway, because it was sort of a similar thread - and asking the same questions - as this one, I thought i'd bring it to your notice. Although there are fundamental differences between US and UK soaps, I think it makes a good read, and there must be some points which are, in terms of soap opera success, universal.

[CarlD]

Not sure what is wrong with daytime soaps, but tv in general has gone down the tubes (no pun intended). Ratings for network tv speak for themselves. Of course all the choices cable and satellite now gives us hurts network ratings, but bad shows is the main reason for the flocking of viewers to cable shows.

Days currently is getting back to it's old self again, with silly story lines developing. The Jan Spears story of her luring Shawn Douglas to some house where she built a huge cage to trap him in is very silly.

There are only a handful of popular main characters left on the show (thanks to all the killings), so we're seeing the same people every day as opposed to the usual every other or 4 days a week, like most soaps do.

The ratings went up as people couldn't believe these popular characters were being killed, will be watching to see how far they fall in the weeks to come.

Marlena was supposably gunned down and killed this past week, which makes me think the "real" Marlena is locked up on some island somewhere under the orders of Stefano or someone. Getting rid of Deidre Hall is like "All My Children" getting rid of Susan Lucci, not the best actress, but a staple of the show. Unless Deidre wanted to leave, haven't heard.

[BretEwing]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> According to WoST, the reason why Marlena is killing everyone is because she loves Roman and killed everyone who could get in her way... The actress who portrayed her is very upset with the story and supposedly quit. I'm not really disappointed, but I'm happy she stuck up for herself. I might've done the same thing <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

100% untrue. She has just signed a new contract that will keep her on the show until 2006.

The serial-killer storyline is once again heating up. I'm up for wherever it will take us - it's been one heck of a story (even if it is now bordering on the bizaare).

-Bret