Each Soap's Top Storyline

[scrapple]

If you wanted to show a non-soap watcher the very best of every show you've watched, what one storyline would you show from that soap?

For me, going way back:

Edge Of Night: The Stephanie Martin storyline, where crazy Stephanie wreaked havoc in Monticello, was murdered, and Nicole Travis stood trial for the crime. Melodrama at it's best!

Another World: The Alice/Steve/Rachel triangle. Triangles are soap staples , but this one was riveting, with Robin Strasser perfect as the troublemaking Rachel.

Young and The Restless: The Sheila Carter madness which crossed over to Bold and The Beautiful was the one time this sort of stunt worked.

Dark Shadows: Victoria Winters journey into the past, where the origin of Barnabas Collins vampirism was revealed. Schlocky yes, but who didn't run home from school to savor every minute of it?

As The World Turns: I'll have to get back to you on this...it's just too hard. In my opinion , ATWT was the best soap ever, and to narrow it down to a single storyline will take some time.

These are my choices...what's yours?

[danderson400]

Santa Barbara. the storyline where Eden was raped. Great acting from Marcy Walker on that one.
the HIV storyline on General Hospital. Enough said.

[danderson400]

I can tell you when i watched the wedding of Blake and Phillip on Guiding Light, Alan hid out in the church & fired at Blake from on the choir loft
as she walked down the aisle. The gun accidentally goes off shooting Phillip! Roger grabs the vine decoration and attempts to swing down to save Blake, but Alan shoots him first! Blake begins screaming when she sees blood on her dress! then at the end Roger was unmasked! Ed uncovers Roger's face and Ed, Ross and Holly now see that it is Roger! Holly falls to the floor screaming! it was the wildest wedding i had seen up to that point in daytime! i saw a promo for that episode during The Price Is Right, and i begged my mom not to watch General Hospital, but Guiding Light instead!

[danderson400]

Originally Posted by scrapple

If you wanted to show a non-soap watcher the very best of every show you've watched, what one storyline would you show from that soap?

For me, going way back:

Edge Of Night: The Stephanie Martin storyline, where crazy Stephanie wreaked havoc in Monticello, was murdered, and Nicole Travis stood trial for the crime. Melodrama at it's best!

Another World: The Alice/Steve/Rachel triangle. Triangles are soap staples , but this one was riveting, with Robin Strasser perfect as the troublemaking Rachel.

Young and The Restless: The Sheila Carter madness which crossed over to Bold and The Beautiful was the one time this sort of stunt worked.

Dark Shadows: Victoria Winters journey into the past, where the origin of Barnabas Collins vampirism was revealed. Schlocky yes, but who didn't run home from school to savor every minute of it?

As The World Turns: I'll have to get back to you on this...it's just too hard. In my opinion , ATWT was the best soap ever, and to narrow it down to a single storyline will take some time.

These are my choices...what's yours?

My grandmom loved Robin Strasser as the troublemaking Rachel. She was a big AW fan from when it started.

[tlc38tlc38]

Days of our Lives: Melaswen (2003-2004)

All My Children: Janet from another planet! Trevor/Hayley/Natalie/Janet (early 90s)

Port Charles: the first 3 years.

Sunset Beach: the whole soap was really campy and well done.

[Corkys-Place]

1993 was THE best year for B&B in terms of storylines. So many interesting things happened during those 12 months.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by scrapple

If you wanted to show a non-soap watcher the very best of every show you've watched, what one storyline would you show from that soap?

For me, going way back:

Another World: The Alice/Steve/Rachel triangle. Triangles are soap staples , but this one was riveting, with Robin Strasser perfect as the troublemaking Rachel.

Dark Shadows: Victoria Winters journey into the past, where the origin of Barnabas Collins vampirism was revealed. Schlocky yes, but who didn't run home from school to savor every minute of it?

Absolutely agree, on AW. Even in the Victoria Wyndham years, she continued to be central. But Robin Strasser had the role nailed.

DS: the first major journey into the past was great, but the later one to 1895, to try to unravel the Quentin mystery, was equally as good, if not better. Unfortunately, they couldn't top that one, or equal it, later.

[Christopher]

Originally Posted by stevea

DS: the first major journey into the past was great, but the later one to 1895, to try to unravel the Quentin mystery, was equally as good, if not better. Unfortunately, they couldn't top that one, or equal it, later.

I like the beginning of 1895 to mid way. Once Petofi came into the story, it started dragging a bit and you had Quentin or Jamison possessed by Petofi at times. It needed to end a lot sooner than it did. 1795 never dragged a bit and had the right amount of episodes for the story to tell.

I'm doing a rewatch of Gerard Stiles and the 1840 story of Dark Shadows. It's a shame he didn't catch on with the fans because unlike David Selby, James Storm had the perfect evil look to his character as a ghost. David came off goofy at times.

For All My Children, pretty much anything from the 90's was gold for that show. Janet From Another Planet, Opal and Palmer, Haley and her mother Arlene, Erica's drug problem and working with Janet to save Skye Chandler from the crazy doctor, Kendall being introduced, and so much more. All My Children kept it going strong until they killed off Vanessa. After that, it became very mild with Bianca's rape and the baby switch crossover with OLTL. Marj Dusay was one of the shows best actresses. They struck gold getting her to play the derange Vanessa. She was just as good, if not better, than Robin and Kate during their portrayal as Janet From Another Planet.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Christopher

I like the beginning of 1895 to mid way. Once Petofi came into the story, it started dragging a bit and you had Quentin or Jamison possessed by Petofi at times. It needed to end a lot sooner than it did. 1795 never dragged a bit and had the right amount of episodes for the story to tell.

I'm doing a rewatch of Gerard Stiles and the 1840 story of Dark Shadows. It's a shame he didn't catch on with the fans because unlike David Selby, James Storm had the perfect evil look to his character as a ghost. David came off goofy at times.

I agree about Petofi. By the time that character was introduced, 1895 had gone long enough. The writers may have realized that and knew they finally had to resolve what happened to Quentin.

[loaferman]

That GL episode is my favorite episode of any soap ever dandersoon. I have it on an old VHS someplace. I also like the Van Dine Isis Building story line on "Edge of Night" and the whole 1795 Dark Shadows first foray into time travel which made Barnabas Collins a tragic hero whereas he began as a villain. Unfortunately even then they were contradicting previous plot points but nobody really cared it was fun and there was no internet to pick apart things. Part of DS allure is it was romantic without being allowed to be sexual, today they would totally ruin that.

[scrapple]

I think my favorite ATWT storyline was when writer Douglas Marland decided to turn lon-suffering heroine/victim Barbara into a bitch. Her battles with Margo and Shannon were delicious to watch, and CZP was born to play bad.

As for Dark Shadows, did anyone ever steal scenes more than Lara Parker's Angelique? Was anyone more hammy (in a good way) than Jerry Lacy's Reverend Trask?

[shandy630]

The assisted suicide storyline with Casey Peretti back in 1990 on ATWT was a good one. The actor who played Casey P agreed to stay on for at least 6 months so that it could be done with Ellen Dolan (who took over the role as Margo from Hillary B Smith).

Margo's rape SL back in 1992 was another good one. I still say Ellen Dolan was robbed of the Emmy for supporting actress that year.

[TV Guy]

For Y&R, I’d vote for the Katherine/Philip/Jill love triangle in the 1970s. It set up a bitter rivalry between Katherine and Jill that generated stories for decades.

For GH, it has to be Luke and Laura on the run from Frank Smith in 1980. It set up an action adventure template that GH followed for a number of years: lots of location shooting, and the pursuit of some sort of valuable item.

[loaferman]

Originally Posted by danderson400

I can tell you when i watched the wedding of Blake and Phillip on Guiding Light, Alan hid out in the church & fired at Blake from on the choir loft
as she walked down the aisle. The gun accidentally goes off shooting Phillip! Roger grabs the vine decoration and attempts to swing down to save Blake, but Alan shoots him first! Blake begins screaming when she sees blood on her dress! then at the end Roger was unmasked! Ed uncovers Roger's face and Ed, Ross and Holly now see that it is Roger! Holly falls to the floor screaming! it was the wildest wedding i had seen up to that point in daytime! i saw a promo for that episode during The Price Is Right, and i begged my mom not to watch General Hospital, but Guiding Light instead!

That was the best episode of GL ever. I kept it on VHS for several years and may still have it somewhere.

Dark Shadows best story was 1897 and the Count Petofi and Quentin Collins plots. Nancy Barrett was amazing as "Pansy Faye" and even David Hennesey was great when he was possessed by the Count. The characters they had in the time travel episodes were so much better than the ones in the 60's. The show dropped off every time they tried to go back to the 60's version.

I also love the Isis Building story on The Edge of Night, but I was a teen back then, not sure it would hold up today. Edge had the best stories consistently of any soap.

[adamchandler]

I think I will do my favorite daytime and prime time soaps. It’s going to be hard since I have so many good storylines to choose from.

All my children, Pine Valleys gaslighting storyline starring Dixie/Adam/Brooke is in my opinion the quintessential amc storyline 88/89. It had everything that makes a great soap, deception, romance, hopes and dreams, family, trickery, unexpected twists, manipulation, and Motherhood at the heart of it all. This storyline was very fascinating and they didn’t do the gaslighting into the last act of the story, but with all the lies and deceit begins the gaslighting. The acting was phenomenal, the character journeys are great to watch too! Character journeys that played until the show’s tv finale and 2013 online reboot.....

Knots landing, the whole ciji whodunnit saga 82/83. Most fans will probably choose vals twins being kidnapped. Not me, I got hooked on the show with this season that had a unique mix of self contained, serial drama and melodrama of episodes. It didn’t become a flat out soap until the next season. The ciji storyline was a juicy umbrella for everyone on the canvas including ginger and Kenny. The season also can pass as a first season too, you don’t necessarily have to watch seasons 1-3 to get into this season.