Abc Soaps @ soapcentral.com

Hello!

I'm Kriselda, and I'm new here :)  I just recently started watching soaps again after about 5 years away, so I'm trying to get caught up.  The ones I watch are "As The World Turns," "All My Children," and "One Life to Live."

I first got interested in OLTL during the late-70's/early-80's and watched for several years, then stopped again while I was in college.  In the mid-90's, some health issues I'd had for a long time started getting worse and I became disabled, so I started watching again to help fill the time during the day when I'd previously been at work.  During that time, I also got hooked on AMC - mainly from seeing the "next time on AMC" teasers right before OLTL started, and then picked up ATWT when Roger Howarth started playing Paul.  I stopped again in about 2003, but when I heard about some of the stuff coming up for OLTL's 40th anniversary, I knew I wanted to check in on that again, and figured "what the heck" and started recording AMC and ATWT again as well. :)

I'm having fun seeing what my old favourites are up to, and getting to meet the new players.  I'll probably have more to say once I've gotten a better feel for what's going on, which storylines I'm enjoying, and so forth, but though I'd at least introduce myself.

 

The internet is ablaze with criticism and anger over Guza's idea of "punishment" for Michael. And I don't just mean SOC message boards. But then again, many of the people who commented on EW.com and other sites discussing the article are or were members here. So the number might not be that big. But I too have had enough. I haven't watched regularly starting with the MC stunt and now, I think I will make that permanent. As someone posted in a very striking and honest post (on a site I can't remember right now), we are the ones who created this monster (Guza).  So I've decided that my viewing in any kind of way (a small peek here and there) will no longer feed this monster. And please don't take this as being a prude and thinking violence has never been a part of soaps. I know it has. But Guza and his vision is just a whole other thing that does not and never has not belonged in soaps or in television in the way he describes it. I certainly hope this increase in uproar is the beginning of the end for this hack. If ABC can't see from the angry sentiments just how a mess this show is, then I just hope GH is once and for all put out of its misery fast and quick before things get worse

Friday was a busy day for me.  Spring break had started and the kids were home from school.  We were preparing for Easter...coloring eggs, shopping, cleaning house and getting ready for a big family dinner on Sunday. 

 

I was so busy that I decided to tape the soaps and watch them later that night before I went to bed.  When the time came I realized that the only soap that I actually wanted to watch was GH.  I had no interest in watching AMC or OLTL. 

 

I decided then, that come Monday, I would check out another soap.  Not necessarily to switch, although after watching Y&R today that is not out of the realm of possibility.  I just wanted to see what other soaps had to offer and see if there is anything that they are doing that AMC and OLTL aren't.

 

I chose The Young and the Restless for a couple of reasons.  A dear friend of mine had suggested it and it is consistently the #1 top rated soap, beating out my personal favorite, General Hospital.

 

So today at 12:30pm, I tuned into CBS and watched.

 

I have to say that my expectations were high.  I expected to be impressed. 

 

The show immediately grabbed my attention because they evidently killed off a major character in Friday's episode.

 

Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell) is presumed dead after going over the side of a cliff along with Sharon (Sharon Chase).  Phyllis (Michelle Strafford) was blackmailing Sharon and Brad (Don Diamont) who had a one night stand.  Sharon is engaged to Jack (Peter Bergman) who remains clueless at this point. 

 

It seems that Dru, Phyllis and Sharon all took off for a photo shoot.  During the shoot, Phyllis threatened to call Jack and tell him about the affair.  Sharon tried to stop her by grabbing her phone.  Dru joins the two ladies, hoping to help her friend Sharon out.  During the struggle for the phone Sharon and Dru go over.  Phyllis grabs Sharon but is unable to save Dru.

 

I learned this and more just from watching one episode.  I did not read any recaps or summaries, I did not visit the forums and I have not talked to any friends about the show.  Until today I knew nothing about the Y&R storylines.

 

That to me is a sign of greatness.  The clever writing is rich in details, allowing a new viewer to make a immediate connection to the characters.  When Neil was standing at the memorial, erected overnight at the site of the tragedy, talking to the spirit of his missing wife, I learned that these two have been together for many years, have two children and were remarried to eachother.  He spoke of her jealousy, thinking he was interested in her sister in the beginning and he spoke of his deep devotion to her through the years.  It was touching and from the heart.  I saw and felt his loss and pain.  Later, when he confronted Phyllis in the hallway outside of Sharon's room, I understood the depth of his anger when he told her that she was dead to him and would have Dru's blood on her hands if Dru did not make it back to them alive.

 

Another aspect of the show that I absolutely loved was the realistic and responsible writing for the parents.  Sharon has a young son, Noah (beautifully played by Hunter Allan) who ,it seems, has had a pretty tough year and a half.  First his father, Nik (Joshua Morrow), sat his son down and gently told him what to expect when he went to see his mother at the hospital.  He prepared him for the bruises and injuries, but was careful to focus on the fact that his mother would be fine.  Then later, after Noah visited Sharon, Sharon had a private talk with Nik.  They decided that it would be a good idea to have their son see a therapist.

 

Sadly, too often on soaps, kids are little more than set decorations. The go through horrible things and two days later the parents are gushing about how well their child is doing in school. 

 

It's more about propping the parent.  Making them look like they are so wonderful they can heal psychological scars overnight.

 

On General Hospital, Michael learned that his adoptive father was a mob boss.  A few months later, his biological father kidnapped him and told him that his mother and Sonny wanted nothing to do with him along with some other pretty horrible things. When the truth came out and Michael was reunited with his family Michael tried to murder his father who was paralysed and strapped down to a hospital bed by smothering him to death.  He was interrupted by another killer who picked up where Michael left off. When the subject of therapy came up, both parents were resistant.  As if therapy would somehow mess their homicidal child up.  Of course Michael was put in therapy and of course it was revealed that his doctor turned out to be the real killer.  Since then Michael has not seen another therapist even though he's pretty much an out of control kid.

 

It was refreshing to see true parenting on TV and even more refreshing to see a sweet child, not a diabolical schemer.

 

It was also wonderful to see a couple of familiar faces.  Adrianne Leon (ex- Brooke-Lynn, GH) and Vincent Irizarry (ex-David Hayward, AMC)...both are wonderfully talented actors and Y&R is lucky to have them.  And word has it you are getting Billy Warlock (ex-AJ Quartermaine).  I adore Billy! 

 

I don't know if I'll watch Y&R tomorrow.  It depends on how long AMC plans to drag out Jamie's fate in the car accident that happened at the end of Friday's episode.  So far he's only on his way to the hospital. 

 

I admit, I'm curious to see Lily's confrontation with her husband, Daniel who appears to have a porn addiction. Then there's Sharon, who is having second thoughts about marrying Jack. 

 

In a way, I hope Jamie's ambulance gets a flat tire so I can switch over to CBS.

 

 

I love GH. Been watching since the day I was born and probably will til I croak (or GH does, which ever comes first, ).  However, I am currently not watching for I feel the show has been, for a lack of a better word, atrocious. And no I was not fooled at all by sweeps. I didn't watch considering it seemed to be the same cut and paste formula past sweeps have been. So here is my list on why this show is in a bad state and needs to be fixed now: *note: you'll notice I use the late Doug Marland's rules on how not to wreck a soap as a reference.

 

• A complete lack of disregard for history. While I concede its a given on soaps to rewrite a bit of history, I don't agree that doing so illogically is the way to go about it. You can rewrite actions or tangible things. But don't rewrite a characters feelings at the time or totally throw timeline and whats been stated on the show out the window. There is some leeway given in some cases (like Laura's two years on the island).
• There seems to be no objectivity on this show whatsoever. Its pretty clear who Guza likes and damn if the audience doesn't agree. Jason will be front and center anyways. I do not want to see someone's lame fantasies played out for their enetertainment.
• The change in characters to fit plots. It just doesn't work. I real, slow character growth. Real reasons for why a character would do something out of character. Like Doug Marland says, the minute the audience says a character wouldn't do that, you have failed. The return of Legacy Characters a prime example.
• To go along with character changes, why must one aspect of a characters personality be beaten to death. Can we stop with Carly the Banshee? Or Sonny the Ass? How about enough of Luke the Clown? I really would like to see all of a characters psyche explored, not just whats good for plot driven dribble 
• Enough with the sweeps stunts. They suck. Big time. There not actual stories and I find do nothing to move the show along nor further character development unless its ruin a character by making them complete psychos.
• Can we just stop with the influx of newbies and the shoving them down our throats? I guess i'm supposed to care for Cooper, Logan, Amelia and whomever else there is. But I just don't. Yes, soaps need new blood. But can we get to know these people first before thrusting them into frontburner storylines?
• Along with that, why the heck doesn't Lainey have a storyline, more importantly a life yet? Not that its detrimental to the shows quality. But KMK is a very good actress and would love to see what she can do with a meaty story and more character development.
• I am gonna end my first entry cause I could honestly go all night , but I am trying to find a better job right now, lol. But last and certainly not least, one name who is the common denominator in the overall destruction of GH and ABC Daytime as a whole: Brian S. Frons. He absolutely needs to go now!!! . And with that, I leave you the public to provide your comments, whether you agree or disagree and what some of you suggest needs to be fixed. ta ta for now!!