Best Soap

[Ray_Krebbs]

In terms of quality, I'd have to say One Life to Live is the best. The talented writing team is adding a primetime uniqueness to the show, and the storylines are most of the time intriguing. For instance, I'm pleased with this new storyline about Paul Cramer's shady past, and am looking forward to knowing why these special agents after FBI agent John McBain and his former fiance's sister. This is just my opinion.

Which do you think is the best?

[Jessie]

I would say As the World turns but a close second Guiding light.
Dallas was my favourite nighttime soap of all time.

[CarlD]

Can't really say, only watch Days and the occasional Y & R.

Days has really slowed up with this island business, maybe they are stretching it out until they get the actor who played Stefano to come back ???? Supposed to come back for a short time from Bold.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

Guiding Light, One Life To Live and The Young and the Restless are the top three.

I'll post my summer ratings for 8 of the 9 soaps later.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

Okay, here they are. I posted these on SON and here they are:

Now keep in mind I'm a new Passions viewer, so I'm grading the last two weeks, and I don't watch B&B regularly, but here are my rankings:

Y&R: A+
Everything is solid. The addition of Joan Van Ark has brought spark to everyone she comes in contact with especially John. The Victori/Abby/Brad saga is interesting too, and they've done a good job with Dru and Phyllis' separate storylines. Nothing is not working on the show, IMO.

OLTL: B+
I've been enjoying it, but it seems to have stale moments which get on my nerves, but they'd paired Evangeline with John which is brilliant, and overall the show is very romantic which you don't see much anymore. Plus Heather Tom is EXCELLENT. I really do feel for Kelly. She's the one who really gets the short end of the stick in this storyline. They also added promising new characters Mark, Julie, Sonja and Tico! Go One Life! Now just give Roxy/Viki big storylines. The show balances humor, romance and dramatic stuff perfectly.

Passions: B-
As a new viewer its reeled me in with the Eve storyline, but there are so many bad storylines. I find Shuis dull, Alistar unbelievable and KMart dull and unbelievable too. Eve, TC, Liz, Aunt Irma and Julian all mesh together perfect and are imossible not to like. Aunt Irma was a big find, and I hope they focus on them more often.

GH: C
I'm sorry, three excellent episodes for Lila's death do not make up for the 40+ BAD episodes we've endured this summer. It has bright spots (Jax/Courtney, Quartermaines, Sage, Brooke Lynn and Lois/Lorenzo) but way to many bad spots (too much Sonny, Carly, Sam and Jason and repeating storylines/plot devices). I don't know if they can survive for much longer.

AMC: B
I would give the show a lower rating, but the Jamie vs JR storyline has been too good to miss. Justin Breuing has done an awesome job and has finally become Jamie to me. His acting is REALLY improving and the vets are rubbing off on him. Brooke and Tad have been AWESOME and Julia Barr has blown me away. The Chandler side of it is good too. I HATE JR and Adam. I'm sorry but you're truly evil if you're willing to let your BROTHER go to PRISON for possibly what 10 or 20 years for something he had nothing to do with? Thats vile. JR is beyond redeemable to me. Another good story is that of Maria and Zach. She is *so* boring with Edmund. Reggie, Danielle, Maggie and Lily have also been must see in all of their scenes. Very talented youngsters! The biggest problem is the played out Greenlee/Ryan/Kendall triangle. I'd rather see Simone ANY day! They've done this to death, it goes in circles and is worse than the Sonny pimping on GH! Its vile and I hate all three characters. The addition of Anita/Bobby and Jonathan is just helping to ruin those characters as well.

GL: A
I can't really complain about GL much. Its better than it had been, but since the whole mob story I've been in love. Its a perfect send off for Eden, and its progressed nicely with Michelle and Danny's downfall. Nancy St. Alban has [i[never[/i] been better, and I feel they were making her act a lot older than she is. This woman is YOUNG, get her out of the suits and let her live. Plus Danny sucks. Olivia and Bill are dynamite together, and Phillip and Olivia's scenes are good too. Gina Tognoni has been a great addition as Dinah. In so little time she's already added depth and layers to her performance and you WANT to watch her. Cassie and Edmund are also the hot couple right now. The only happy on screen couple which brings me to Gush! They are THE best couple (currently) on ANY soap and are being split up by this horrible Alexandra the drug lord story? Oh god. Its vile. Don't ruin Gus like you already did Alex! The teens have also been enjoyable for the most part. I like Sandy, Tammy, Lizzie and Marina and I think they've all been great.

DAYS: F
I'm repulsed. The acting is horrible, and the storylines are too. I canno tbelieve its gotten so bad. Indiana Jack and Jennifer are dull as rocks, and the whole island storyline sucks. Its moving too slow, it makes no sense and we have no answers. Jan is fun with Shawn and Phelle were too, until Kirsten Storms was recast with the vile Charity Rahmer. Bricole has been alright too, but with Crystal Galore gone, its gotten boring. Lumi SUCK too.

I think thats all the soaps. I didn't do B&B afterall, lol, and I don't watch ATWT, but I should've done all but that and I think I did, lol.

[The Ewings Rules]

My favorite Prime Time Soap are:

Dallas
Knots Landing
Dynasty
Falcon Crest

My favorite Day Time soap are:

Days Of Our Lives

[Miss_Texas]

Guiding Light! ohhh CSM, Danny is my fav...!

[lucy ewing]

AMC is my favorite......

[digger\'s daughter]

the young & the restless is the best! best actors & storylines.

[Nikie]

I like AMC and One Life to Live.

[Beth Harmon]

Best Nighttime Soap: Dallas

Best Daytime Soap: Dark Shadows

Both shows may be off the air but both live on on DVD'S (and Dallas lives on on Soapnet too).

[Princess Melissa]

It's all about GH! :) Even though it sucks right now, they say it's about to start getting better!

[juppiter]

Nothing beats Y&R right now. Best cast, best writing, best characters, best storylines, best production values, &c. &c. What I love is how everyone actually works and how it's grounded in reality.

BTW, Chris, I'm glad I'm not the only one who CAN'T STAND LUMI! GMAHugeF*©k!ngB!

[JT]

Daytime: All My Children
Primetime: Desperate Housewives, closely followed by Flamingo Road followed by Knots Landing

[CarlD]

Hard to compare day and night time soaps, so different and daytime soaps have so little to live up to, compared to night time drama (ratings, etc.).

DALLAS without a doubt was the best overall night time soap in tv history. Was watching "Who Shot JR?" and just thought Dynasty, Knots, and Falcon Crest and the later ones on FOX never came close to the popularity and talk of this storyline.

[RPen]

In terms of quality, I'd have to say One Life to Live is the best. The talented writing team is adding a primetime uniqueness to the show, and the storylines are most of the time intriguing. For instance, I'm pleased with this new storyline about Paul Cramer's shady past, and am looking forward to knowing why these special agents after FBI agent John McBain and his former fiance's sister. This is just my opinion.

Which do you think is the best?

I've been watching One Life to Live since I was 10 years old, but didn't care for Paul Cramer at all once David Tom took over the role.

I think One Life to Live has been slipping in recent years. John McBain plays the angry cop too much, even when he's not working.

I would like to see the show get back to the basics, and stop with all the back from the dead, paternity, mob, and murder stories.

Practically everyone in Llanview has died or knows someone who died, but is still alive. Some even die twice yet still live.

When Gary Tomlin was excutive producer, there were 3 paternity stories going on at the tsame time.

One Life to Live just doesn't do mob stories well, with the exception of Carlo.

And right now, they think they're Edge of Night with The Music Box Killer, Tico's Murder, Paul's Murder, and now the Killing Club Murders. At least in Llanview, you don't have to worry about getting killed, cause in a few months, you'll be alive again.

[Jamie Barnes]

For me: Flamingo Road :exit:

Great actors, great characters and great stories.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

One Life To Live (once my favorite) gets worse and worse. They hired Dena Higley, one of the worst headwriters of all time who isn't doing much better than Malone. ABC as a whole needs to fire Brian Frons who tries too hard to control his soaps and it's obviously not working.

Right now, I'm most enjoying The Young and the Restless followed by As the World Turns. The other three soaps I watch are The Bold and the Beautiful, Guiding Light and General Hospital. GL and B&B are alright, but GH sucks. Now that I have DVR, I'm startting to record Passions and will probably drop GH once again.

[Nikie]

OLTO is getting bad right now, which that and AMC is my favorite daytime soap opera is really sucking right now and got where I can't even watch them anymore. I hope the storylines get better.

[Princess Melissa]

My best friend was obsessed with AMC but she stopped watching when Bianca left.

I tried to do that with GH when Laura left but it didn't work. I still think it's the best show on television! :)

[Mrs. Bobby James Ewing]

best nightime soap: Dallas and Knots Landing
best daytime soap: Guiding Light and Days of Our Lives

[USandITVsoapfan]

GH: C
I'm sorry, three excellent episodes for Lila's death do not make up for the 40+ BAD episodes we've endured this summer. It has bright spots (Jax/Courtney, Quartermaines, Sage, Brooke Lynn and Lois/Lorenzo) but way to many bad spots (too much Sonny, Carly, Sam and Jason and repeating storylines/plot devices). I don't know if they can survive for much longer.

IMHO, A 'C' is being more than generous to GH.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

LOL, I agree! :D The show has actually gotten worse since I wrote that.

Right now the best soaps are Y&R and OLTL. I can't believe that OLTL is good again! Last year was *the* worst year in it's over 30 years on tv. I can't believe how amazing it is right now!

[USandITVsoapfan]

LOL, I agree! :D The show has actually gotten worse since I wrote that.

Yeah, GH just went from a 'C' to a 'Z-". :D :p :D

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

Have you seen Courtney and Jax's quest for sperm?? Also, Liz and Lucky need help but there's no sign of AUDREY?! nuCarly has been on everyday since she arrived but only shared scenes with Bobbie last week??? WTF is up with this show?

I must say, I'm glad we're seeing more of Bobbie lately. I know it'll be shortlived so I'm enjoying it.

Also, the Quartermaines story is awful. I watch only because the actors are talented.

[JT]

Right now, the only two really enjoyable soaps, IMO, are AMC and ATWT. I never thought I'd ever say it, but Jean Passanante is doing some amazing things over there at ATWT. Lucinda is headlining a story and besides the obvious (Nancy, Lisa, Kim, Bob) vets are on around 3-4 times a week! Even Kim and Bob are getting good airtime!

And as far as I'm concerned, AMC has been on a steady rise since the beginning of summer.

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

What do you think of Di? I ABSOLUTELY HATE HER! I know she's popular, but I can't stand that actress nor do I think she's old enough for the role. Right now I seriously can't get into AMC, I try and try, but it's not working. I'm a huge Shari Headley fan, but even she can't draw me in right now. AMC is in dire need of an overhaul, IMO. Amanda also sucks.

As for ATWT, I recently began watching again (monday) and I'm very impressed! Minus the dreadful teen scene, the show is pretty good. I too can't believe Jean Passanante is writing it! Now if only Bob, Kim and Susan could get a storyline I would be set!

[GregandPaigeFan]

I think the Young and Restless is probably the best imo, but I catch myself watching Days more, I think because it comes on later here.

[JT]

I LOVE the Di storyline. The only week link for me at AMC right now is the Greenlee/Ryan storyline, but even that is good for comic relief.

The ATWT teen scene is the best on the soaps right now, IMO. The only thing that really effs it up is Alyssa Diaz as Celia. Jen Landon and Jesse Lee Soffer are great together and apart, and Zach Roerig isn't as bad when he's away from Alyssa, but damn....Alyssa is just horrible. She talks like a 5-year-old, and almost three years go by between each sentence she speaks. I'll never forget the day Kim found a condom in Casey's wallet and Celia goes "Oh! Mrs....Hughes! You must....think I.....am......some.......kind.....of HOOCHIE!!!!" I'm saying to myself "No, Celia, that didn't make you look like a hoochie, but your very use of the word hoochie did. Good job."

Also, Kim Zimmer's son is very good as well. I wish he and Lucinda would get together to scheme to break up Lily and Keith so that Lily can get back with Holden. Keith is just so....annoying.

But I digress.

[Colbyco]

it´s not just drama -- it´s DYNA$TY # # # the number 1 show # # #

2: Falcon Crest
3: The Colbys
followed by "KL", "Dallas" and "MP"

[Jay!]

Though I'm not currently following it, I have to go with Days of Our Lives.