How would you create a Fantastic Soap Opera Channel?

[mets82]

If you had the $$$$$ to stick it to Frons and all the executives that hate soap operas, how would you create an ultimate, great, fantastic soap opera channel?

I'll give you some brief examples. I would retain the rights to All My Children and One Life to Live. Also, I would bring back classic soaps/dramas like Dallas, Melrose Place, Knots Landing, Party of Five, Dawson's Creek, Texas, Capitol, Loving etc.
I would also show the weeks episodes of Young and the Restless, Days..., etc. although I think I would lean towards the classic soaps. I mean I like The OC and One Tree Hill as much as the next person but I think its time to cut down there airings. Maybe Im in the minority here but the only and I STRESS ONLY show I would bring from Soapnet is Being Erica.
This channel would be about soaps for soap opera fans and not base it like the E channel which I think Soapnet was trying to be like. Heres a newsflash for Soapnet: There were soap operas made before the year 2000!!!

[Zoneboy]

My channel would consist primarily of the following:

Dark Shadows
Dallas
The Edge of Night
Peyton Place
The Secret Storm (never seen it but sounds interesting)



Any primetime soap broadcast by FOX would be banned.

[mets82]

Originally Posted by Zoneboy

My channel would consist primarily of the following:

Dark Shadows
Dallas
The Edge of Night
Peyton Place
The Secret Storm (never seen it but sounds interesting)



Any primetime soap broadcast by FOX would be banned.

I would put the following soaps that you listed above on there as well. Good list!!!

[catlover79]

1.) Keep Frons away from your channel with a 10-foot pole. Hire people who really have a love for the soap genre.

2.) Air reruns of shows like Ryan's Hope, Santa Barbara, Port Charles, Texas, and Dark Shadows - all of which have every episode they made still available. For the older shows like Another World, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, The Secret Storm, The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night, and General Hospital, which aired live before switching to tape - start airing right where your tapes for those shows exist.

3.) Do documentaries - the histories of all the soaps, on individual actors, legendary writers/producers that made daytime drama great.

[mets82]

Originally Posted by catlover79

1.) Keep Frons away from your channel with a 10-foot pole. Hire people who really have a love for the soap genre.2.) Air reruns of shows like Ryan's Hope, Santa Barbara, Port Charles, Texas, and Dark Shadows - all of which have every episode they made still available. For the older shows like Another World, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, The Secret Storm, The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night, and General Hospital, which aired live before switching to tape - start airing right where your tapes for those shows exist.

3.) Do documentaries - the histories of all the soaps, on individual actors, legendary writers/producers that made daytime drama great.

Thank you for the suggestions. As far as Frons goes, I live in CT., so the way I see it, Frons is banned from THE ENTIRE STATE of Connecticut!!
I didnt think of number 3 but thats a good suggestion!!!

[catlover79]

Yeah, what I meant is they could make a documentary about each and every soap. You know, one episode devoted to Santa Barbara, one for Dark Shadows, etc. Then you could do individual shows devoted to actors like Susan Lucci, Erika Slezak, Anthony Geary, Genie Francis, Victoria Wyndham, Marcy Walker, A Martinez, etc. Then you could do episodes devoted to those who made the leap from soaps to superstardom, such as Robin Wright, Meg Ryan, Marisa Tomei, Nathan Fillion, etc.

[MickeyMac]

Yall took my ideas.

[UMFaninMD]

I'd probably just do a classic soaps channel devoted to daytime and primetime soaps that are no longer aired such as Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, Another World, Secret Storm, Somerset, Ryan's Hope, Passions, Dark Shadows,Texas, Love of Life, Loving, The City, Rituals, Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Berrenger's, Titans, etc. I would also air the Christian-based soap Another Life, and MTV's soap attempt, Spyder Games. I'd even include soap parodies, like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and SOAP.

I would also air programs devoted to certain memorable moments---shocking deaths, weddings, and various other memorable highlights, like Karen Wolek on the stand on OLTL, Marlena's possession on DAYS, etc.

[mets82]

Originally Posted by UMFaninMD

I'd probably just do a classic soaps channel devoted to daytime and primetime soaps that are no longer aired such as Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow, Another World, Secret Storm, Somerset, Ryan's Hope, Passions, Dark Shadows,Texas, Love of Life, Loving, The City, Rituals, Dynasty, Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing, Berrenger's, Titans, etc. I would also air the Christian-based soap Another Life, and MTV's soap attempt, Spyder Games. I'd even include soap parodies, like Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and SOAP.

I would also air programs devoted to certain memorable moments---shocking deaths, weddings, and various other memorable highlights, like Karen Wolek on the stand on OLTL, Marlena's possession on DAYS, etc.

Thats an impressive list!!! Great job by everyone so far. I really like your ideas and suggestions. I do like the programs devoted to certain memorable moments. How nice would it be at Christmas time to see a classic General Hospital Christmas? You know what General Hospital was showed on Christmas Eve last year? The Metro Hostage Crisis. Thats right nothing more festive and jolly than a Metro Hostage Crisis.

[mets82]

Even now when Frons is gone, I'd still stick it to him and all the people that destoryed soap operas in general. Also like I mentioned before I would put 90210, One Tree Hill and The OC on the shelf because they have been beaten into the ground. Also I wouldnt run to add any ABC show, like Soapnet did with Brothers and Sisters.

[comedyfreak]

I would show as many of the old classic soaps as possible such as:
Search For Tormorrow
Guidling Light
OLTL
GH
AMC
Ryan's Hope
Loving
The Doctors
Spotlight short running soaps like The Best Of Everything and others. I'd also completely Reboot All My Children with a new cast to play the classic parts of The Tyler's, The Martin's, and Ericka & Mona, get back to basics. Saturday night's I'd run Dark Shadows and The Edge Of Night late night. And what would my Soap channel be without these soap spoofs of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Soap, Grand, and Hail To The Chief with Patty Duke.

[Lakeboy]

Originally Posted by catlover79

1.) Keep Frons away from your channel with a 10-foot pole. Hire people who really have a love for the soap genre.

2.) Air reruns of shows like Ryan's Hope, Santa Barbara, Port Charles, Texas, and Dark Shadows - all of which have every episode they made still available. For the older shows like Another World, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, The Secret Storm, The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night, and General Hospital, which aired live before switching to tape - start airing right where your tapes for those shows exist.

3.) Do documentaries - the histories of all the soaps, on individual actors, legendary writers/producers that made daytime drama great.

Yes keep Frons away but also keep Jill Farren-Phelps away. She has ruined many of the shows you have listed.

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Lakeboy

Yes keep Frons away but also keep Jill Farren-Phelps away. She has ruined many of the shows you have listed.

Absolutely. Her and Bob Guza - show killers.

[-STEFFY-]

Originally Posted by comedyfreak

I would show as many of the old classic soaps as possible such as:
Search For Tormorrow
Guidling Light
OLTL
GH
AMC
Ryan's Hope
Loving
The Doctors
Spotlight short running soaps like The Best Of Everything and others. I'd also completely Reboot All My Children with a new cast to play the classic parts of The Tyler's, The Martin's, and Ericka & Mona, get back to basics. Saturday night's I'd run Dark Shadows and The Edge Of Night late night. And what would my Soap channel be without these soap spoofs of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, Soap, Grand, and Hail To The Chief with Patty Duke.

Let's not forget As the World Turns and Passions!

[factsoflife]

Well first off, I would hire people who are PASSIONATE about the genre and respect it. Mimi Torchin, Claire Labaine, Pat Filli Krusher and Mickey Dwyer Dobbins would be among those hired at the network.

I would air a combination of classic soaps, same-day episodes of current soaps as well as programming related to soaps. For example, I would create a game show based on soaps (kind of like JEOPARDY the soaps edition), I would create a new talk show that would discuss soaps, not like SOAPTALK, but more like a soap version of "The View" that would have a panel consisting of soap fans, soap journalists, soap actors and other soap personnel that would discuss, reminisce and promote the genre.

Some of the soaps that would air would include "AMC", "OLTL", "GH", "GL", "DOOL", "ATWT", "B&B", "Y&R" plus Another World, Loving, The Secret Storm, Search for Tomorrow, Santa Barbara, Sunset Beach, Capitol, Ryan's Hope, Love of Life, the Young Marrieds and others...

I would also air the long-lost primetime "ATWT" spin-off "Our Private World" which starred Eileen Fulton as Lisa.

We'd also air classic nighttime soaps like Dallas, Dynasty, Knot's Landing, BH 90210, Melrose Place, Sisters, Savannah, Titans, Models Inc, The Colby's, Brothers & Sisters and so on.

I LOVE the idea another poster had about doing soap documentaries, that would work very well.