This is for all of my readers who love their “Stories”. Soap operas were a part of my childhood; my mother used to watch the NBC soaps while she made lunch, cleaned up, and started dinner. As her youngest child I was underfoot for those hours over the years which led to me becoming a fan of the same shows.
In the last decade or more the soap opera has lost favor among its fans and they have fallen off the schedule. Even the oldest soap opera on television, The Guiding Light, turned off its beacon in September 2009 after a 72-year run.
There are no more loyal fans than soap opera ones. They get wholly and completely wrapped up in their “stories” watching for years and decades, not a couple of seasons. From as young as pre-school through high school and college, through raising babies, and beyond, soap opera fans tune in to watch the lives of their favorite characters.
Even when the stories become preposterous the viewers watch. From devil-possessed characters to villains who die and always come back to life, the viewers accepted every plot turn with wide-eyed excitement.
When soap operas mirrored real life with storylines from teen pregnancy to HIV/AIDS, their audiences tuned in religiously, lived vicariously, learned a ton, and gained compassion.
Mostly, soap operas allowed us to be voyeurs all the while relieved that no matter how bad our lives seemed at the moment, the soap opera families were experiencing far worse.
And, of course, their midday trysts made for very entertaining viewing!
A handful of shows still exist on network television including the one my mother watched as a young stay-at-home mom. Once her children were out of the house she stopped watching, but I took up the torch for a long time.
Now I must admit that I do not tune in anymore.
For those of you who once did or still do watch, or continue to pine for a soap opera that has since been canceled, what was/is your favorite soap opera(s)?
Please join me tomorrow for the uplifting and ever-popular Simple Joys on Chief 187™Chatter.
Sadly I had to say goodbye to two of my beloved soaps there were taken off air. First to go was All My Children, yes, I did cry! Second to go was One Life to Live. I miss them both. As a stay at home wife with a business I run from home, I love having the tv on in the afternoon so I can hear my families while beading away. Now, I am left with General Hospital. I have become a new fan to Young and the Restless as I needed something to fill that void.
ReplyDeleteI was one of the loyal fans who joined in the letter writing campaigns to try and save both soaps. I also boycotted many things, I still boycot ABC television from 1pm- 3pm, no tv in our home is on that channel during that time as I will not give those shows who replaced my beloved soaps any airtime.
At one point I heard they were going to bring both soaps back as online soaps and I was and still am for that. But I have heard that is now put on hold. If they are never brought back, those of us who watched the final All My Children will be left with one heck of a cliff hanger lol. Some of the characters from One Life to Live have since moved over to General Hospital, taking their storylines and characters with them which thrills me!! I have seen some others popping up on Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful.
I miss them, I still feel lost and yes, occasionally I tend to forget they are no longer on and catch myself wanting to change the channel to tune in to see what my families are up to.
Been a fan of them since I was a young girl. Used to skip school to see Luke and Laura even.
Thanks for this wonderful blog today!!
IMMEDIATE tears seeing the photo of Robin & Stone. AUGH! That is a story line that has never left me. I can't even type right now...
ReplyDelete(3 minutes later)
General Hospital. I remember Luke & Laura's wedding, I remember Duke & Anna, I remember Holly & Robert, Jax & Chloe. Dominic & Scotty. Lucy & Kevin. Felicia & Frisco. Jackie & Blackie. I could go on. I've watched off and on forever. However I stopped watching about 2 years ago because the story lines completely went off the rails, that is impressive considering they are soap operas!
I did watch Days of Our Lives for some time, but when I realized they were always talking to themselves instead of each other, it began to bother me so much I had to stop.
Fun Fact: I was going to be named Jillian based on a character off of Ryan's Hope...but it wasn't meant to be.