What is the single biggest blunder in daytime soap opera history - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 02-04-2021, 06:24 AM

About ten years ago, the website We Love Soaps compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 25 biggest blunders in daytime soap opera history.

80sTrivia · 02-05-2021, 11:15 AM

All of them, really, but my top choice would be the introduction of focus groups and trying to appeal to the younger demographic, which has not done any good and instead alienated long-time viewers, resulting in most of the soaps being cancelled and the remaining few on life-support...

danderson400 · 02-08-2021, 08:07 AM

Frankie Frame being killed on AW......That made me so mad.

adamchandler · 02-09-2021, 11:47 AM

Canceling All My Children

loaferman · 02-15-2021, 05:14 PM

Losing "The Edge of Night" because network affiliates time shifted it to delayed airings in poor time slots. Out of all of the soaps Edge had consistently brilliant mysteries especially with Henry Slesar. The change of writers made the show too different too quickly. If any soap would work today it would be "Edge", I could really see it as a weekly night-time soap on a streaming service, but I suppose they wouldn't need to buy the title, especially with so many of the cast long deceased.

A close second is ABC abruptly canceling "Dark Shadows" without trying new writers. That show could handle the sudden change since it time jumped constantly.

Third I'd say changing Guiding Light into something that resembled home video filmed in parks and parking lots.

howierules86 · 02-23-2021, 09:30 PM

Port Charles jumped the shark when it became a three month story arc type of soap opera and added something else to the title (i.e., Tainted Love).

Christopher · 02-24-2021, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by howierules86

Port Charles jumped the shark when it became a three month story arc type of soap opera and added something else to the title (i.e., Tainted Love).

I was able to see Tainted Love and Tempted reruns on SoapNet back in the day. I don't think it jumped the shark during those. If anything, it added more interest for new viewers to watch. I like soaps that have an ending in sight for a storyline keeping it moving at a steady pace. Look at Passions. They kept the story of Gwen revealing Ethan's paternity framing Theresa going for the whole 8 years of the show's run. It was finally revealed in the last episode. If they just keep stories dragging for so long, viewers will dump it.

View Poll Results: What was the single biggest blunder in daytime soap opera history?
Killing Jo's son on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW	0	0%
The Messy Murder of THE EDGE OF NIGHT	1	11.11%
Expansion of soaps to 60 minutes	0	0%
Introduction of focus groups and the obsession with a younger demo	2	22.22%
Firing Wendy Riche from GENERAL HOSPITAL	0	0%
Networks and soaps spoiling their own storylines	0	0%
Rotating Romans and the forever ret-con of John Black on DAYS OF OUR LIVES	0	0%
The launch of the new GUIDING LIGHT production model	0	0%
CBS canceling its remaining radio soaps a.k.a. "The day the radio drama died"	0	0%
The Mismanagement of the Final Years of AS THE WORLD TURNS	0	0%
The early 1970s soap purge	0	0%
The unnecessary death of Maureen Bauer on GUIDING LIGHT	0	0%
Networks not merchandising the soaps	0	0%
Never bringing Laura back permanently on GENERAL HOSPITAL	0	0%
Spinning off Iris from ANOTHER WORLD into TEXAS	0	0%
Making Jill the daughter of Katherine Chancellor on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS	0	0%
Hiring Brian Frons to run ABC Daytime and SOAPnet	0	0%
Lack of Diversity on Daytime Television	0	0%
Reliance on Soap Cliches	0	0%
Marlena's Devil Possession on DAYS OF OUR LIVES	0	0%
Firing Michael Zaslow from GL when he became ill	0	0%
ABC canceling ONE LIFE TO LIVE	0	0%
Elimination of Core Families	1	11.11%
WIPING (Decades of soap history destroyed)	0	0%
Erica Kane's unabortion	0	0%
Hiring Dena Higley as head writer of DAYS OF OUR LIVES	0	0%
The brutal murder of Frankie Frame on ANOTHER WORLD	1	11.11%
Killing Jo's son on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW	0	0%
The cancellation of RYAN'S HOPE	0	0%
Science fiction storylines/Ice Prince Storyline	0	0%
ABC canceling ALL MY CHILDREN	1	11.11%
Elimination of the Executive in Charge of Production of P&G soaps	0	0%
Making rapists heroes	2	22.22%
The handling of the Jason Quartermaine Morgan story on GENERAL HOSPITAL	0	0%
Actors finding out they are fired on Twitter	0	0%
Other	1	11.11%
Voters: 9. You may not vote on this poll

02-04-2021, 06:24 AM	#1
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 125,436	What is the single biggest blunder in daytime soap opera history About ten years ago, the website We Love Soaps compiled a list of what they considered to be the top 25 biggest blunders in daytime soap opera history.

02-05-2021, 11:15 AM	#2
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	All of them, really, but my top choice would be the introduction of focus groups and trying to appeal to the younger demographic, which has not done any good and instead alienated long-time viewers, resulting in most of the soaps being cancelled and the remaining few on life-support...
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02-09-2021, 11:47 AM	#4
adamchandler Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 14, 2009 Location: chicago Posts: 274	Canceling All My Children
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02-23-2021, 09:30 PM	#6
howierules86 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 05, 2007 Location: Opelika, AL Posts: 29,563	Port Charles jumped the shark when it became a three month story arc type of soap opera and added something else to the title (i.e., Tainted Love).
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02-08-2021, 08:07 AM	#3
danderson400 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jan 24, 2015 Location: danderson400 Posts: 650	Frankie Frame being killed on AW......That made me so mad.

02-15-2021, 05:14 PM	#5
loaferman Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 23, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 642	Losing "The Edge of Night" because network affiliates time shifted it to delayed airings in poor time slots. Out of all of the soaps Edge had consistently brilliant mysteries especially with Henry Slesar. The change of writers made the show too different too quickly. If any soap would work today it would be "Edge", I could really see it as a weekly night-time soap on a streaming service, but I suppose they wouldn't need to buy the title, especially with so many of the cast long deceased. A close second is ABC abruptly canceling "Dark Shadows" without trying new writers. That show could handle the sudden change since it time jumped constantly. Third I'd say changing Guiding Light into something that resembled home video filmed in parks and parking lots.