I thought about this (https://boards.soapoperanetwork.com/topic/42388-all-25-biggest-blunders-in-daytime-soap-history/) in light of Days of Our Lives airing on NBC for the final time after being on the air for 57 years. The general consensus (https://web.archive.org/web/20140330191539/http://forums.televisionwithoutpity.com/topic/3161153-the-moment-all-of-daytime-jumped-the-shark/), is that DOOL jumped the shark (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125223/http://www.jumptheshark.com/d/daysofourlives.htm) with the whole "Marlena Evans is possessed by the devil" (https://soaps.sheknows.com/message-boards/t/did-days-of-our-lives-jump-the-shark/98326) storyline circa 1995.


All My Children (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125335/http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/allmychildren.htm)

Another World (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125335/http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/anotherworld.htm)

As The World Turns (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125335/http://www.jumptheshark.com/a/astheworldturns.htm)

Bold and the Beautiful, The (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125231/http://www.jumptheshark.com/b/boldandthebeautiful.htm)

Dark Shadows (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125223/http://www.jumptheshark.com/d/darkshadows.htm)

The Edge of Night (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125154/http://www.jumptheshark.com/e/edgeofnight.htm)

General Hospital (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125158/http://www.jumptheshark.com/g/generalhospital.htm)

Generations (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125158/http://www.jumptheshark.com/g/generations.htm)

Guiding Light (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125158/http://www.jumptheshark.com/g/guidinglight.htm)

One Life to Live (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125340/http://www.jumptheshark.com/o/one_life_to_live.htm)

Passions (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125348/http://www.jumptheshark.com/p/passions.htm)

Port Charles (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125348/http://www.jumptheshark.com/p/portcharles.htm)

Ryan's Hope (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125331/http://www.jumptheshark.com/r/ryanshope.htm)

Santa Barbara (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/santabarbara.htm)

Search for Tomorrow (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/searchfortomorrow.htm)

Secret Storm, The (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/secretstorm.htm)

Sunset Beach (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125314/http://www.jumptheshark.com/s/sunsetbeach.htm)

Young and The Restless, The (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031125215/http://www.jumptheshark.com/y/young_and_the_restless.htm)

I'd have to agree about DAYS with Marlena's possession storyline the first time that aired back in the mid-1990's. That was just way to out there and that made me stop watching DAYS entirely.

I'd have to say for General Hospital is when the mob basically started taking over when Sonny first appeared back in 1993. I believe that's part of the reason why my two favorite characters left in early 1995. For me, there was no point in watching after that.

For As The World Turns, I would have to say when Christopher Goutman brought in Jean Passanante as Head Writer, given her reputation of destroying other soaps. She stated in an interview once that she couldn't be bothered to learn the histories of the shows she wrote for.

"One Life to live" jumped the shark when they broke up Vicki and Clint and made Todd Manning the star of the show.

When Kate a Collins left AMC. ��
On OLTL, it was when they eliminated the racially mixed cast and made the show about the Buchanans.
Imho, it was the stupid stories after Marlena became possessed in DOOL. Because the storyline was a hit, the show thought they’d make even more outrageous stories. Ugh. Kristin and all of the lookalikes, the 2003/2004 murders that ended up never happening, etc.

Oh, and the Gemini Twins! Yuck!!!!

All soap operas have had so many unbelievable and outrageously ridiculous storylines and plots, I mean where do you even begin? LOL!

Ed.

For Another World, it was killing off Frankie Frame.