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What is the best primetime soap, and why?

I haven't watched all of these series from beginning to end. However...

My pick would be "Dynasty".

The catfights, the dogfights, the cliffhangers...

The most quotable line is, "It's burned! This champagne was obviously frozen in the bottle!"

by Anonymousreply 67April 1, 2020 8:03 AM

Peyton Place

by Anonymousreply 1August 9, 2015 5:15 AM

Bare Essence.

by Anonymousreply 2August 9, 2015 5:41 AM

Dallas still takes the prize. Even the new Dallas wasn't bad even though it was short lived.

by Anonymousreply 3August 9, 2015 6:07 AM

The best line was "I really wouldn't know. This is osetrova and I only have petrossian beluga!".

by Anonymousreply 4August 9, 2015 6:17 AM

Soap Opera Digest more than once, I believe, gave Falcon Crest best prime time soap, and I remember agreeing with that choice.

And while Abby Ewing remains a favorite, the best soap, for me, was Dallas.

Great set up. Wonderful acting. It was all based on J.R.'s desire to have his father's love. Awesome supporting cast. (Marliee Stone made Carolyn Appleby look like a saint!) Stories would be thought out years in advance. Some seasons had almost 30 episodes (Maybe 31?)

J.R. would always come out on top, occasionally enduring setbacks, but those only made him more resilient.

by Anonymousreply 5August 9, 2015 6:28 AM

Emerald Point, N.A.S.

by Anonymousreply 6August 9, 2015 11:40 AM

Melrose Place

by Anonymousreply 7August 9, 2015 12:42 PM

Dynasty and Falcon Crest.

by Anonymousreply 8August 9, 2015 2:56 PM

The OJ Simpson Trial.

by Anonymousreply 9August 9, 2015 3:25 PM

Loving

by Anonymousreply 10August 9, 2015 3:29 PM

I voted for Melrose Place ............ but I was going to go with Knots Landing and probably should have.

by Anonymousreply 11August 9, 2015 4:14 PM

Models Inc. bitches!

by Anonymousreply 12August 9, 2015 4:21 PM

It's a tough call between Dallas and Knots Landing. Falcon Crest was good for a while, but it didn't stay good as long as Dallas or Knots. Knots probably had the longest run of good seasons. Knots stayed a bit more grounded than the other series which I appreciated. Knots was also the most successful in its later years in integrating new and interesting characters.

Dallas started to go downhill after Victoria Principal left. Dallas was originally conceived as a modern-day Romeo-and-Juliet-type story with Bobby as Romeo and Pam as Juliet. Their romance was the center of the show no matter how much JR stole the spotlight. When Pam left, it never recovered. Dallas was also not nearly as successful as Knots in introducing new characters. I liked April, but her sister, James, Carter McKay's kids, etc., all fell flat. Dallas needed that core group of characters because when it veered away from them, the show was abysmal.

I'd say overall, Dallas was the better show during its stronger years from 78-85. Knots maintained a more consistent quality level until its final year. Much like Dallas, Gary and Val were the core couple, so when Joan Van Ark left that last season (only to return at the end to wrap up the series), it was not at all interesting.

by Anonymousreply 13August 9, 2015 4:27 PM

Sex in the City

by Anonymousreply 14August 9, 2015 4:27 PM

A tie between Knot's Landing and Melrose Place.

by Anonymousreply 15August 9, 2015 4:30 PM

Knots Landing. Kept up the quality for pretty much its entire run and generally had a talented cast. It also "stayed with the times" better than its contemporaries.

by Anonymousreply 16August 9, 2015 4:42 PM

Paper Dolls

by Anonymousreply 17August 9, 2015 4:43 PM

The Secrets of Midland Heights.

by Anonymousreply 18August 9, 2015 4:46 PM

Too bad Paper Dolls was given the axe far too soon.

by Anonymousreply 19August 9, 2015 4:47 PM

90210 - (1990-1993) - loved the issue-heavy first season (I was a 7th grader) up until the graduate high school Melrose Place (1993-1995) Enter Heather Locklear up until Kimberly blows up the building. High camp, hilarious one-liners.

Not in the poll, but loved these short-timers too:

Nightingales, Models Inc, Savannah

by Anonymousreply 20August 9, 2015 4:50 PM

The Haves & The Have Nots

by Anonymousreply 21August 9, 2015 4:58 PM

Gays Blazes

by Anonymousreply 22August 9, 2015 5:03 PM

Damnit, I forgot to mention "Party of Five"!

by Anonymousreply 23August 9, 2015 8:18 PM

Knots Landing was the only soap that got soap right. It was the true heir to the Peyton Place legacy. And it remained consistently good until the end.

by Anonymousreply 24August 9, 2015 8:22 PM

Falcon Crest. Queen Angela and somewhat dumb, hot grandson Lance being the best she has, after her complete failures of daughters was such a great set up.

by Anonymousreply 25August 9, 2015 8:24 PM

I agree about DALLAS falling flat after Pam was written out.

The show moved heaven and earth to get Duffy back. (They should have had it where JR whisked him away after everyone left his room and Bobby's heart monitor bleeped again). But to do that they threw out a big chunk of continuity. How could Pam have dreamed a man who looked like Ben Stivers but suddenly became Wes Parmalee in the next season? Katherine was waiting outside in her car the night before the dream started, but she wasn't there the next day. How come? We were led to believe that Mark really was alive...but with Bobby back (and Jenna pregnant) that was thrown out.

JR had a line to April's sister when they were going in for dinner -- you can sit there...that was Pam's chair. I never liked her either.

That was funny.

by Anonymousreply 26August 10, 2015 11:05 PM

Another vote for "Peyton Place."

by Anonymousreply 27August 10, 2015 11:16 PM

I lost a lot of love for Dallas because of what they did to my two favorite characters. They got rid of Donna. I loved her. Then it came to the season in dreamland. My favorite character was Sue Ellen. Linda did her best work during that season and Sue Ellen became fully fleshed out. It was just such a waste.

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by Anonymousreply 28August 10, 2015 11:16 PM

Flamingo Road. Mark Harmon and Morgan Fairchild. 'Nuff said.

by Anonymousreply 29August 10, 2015 11:17 PM

A Year in the Life

by Anonymousreply 30August 10, 2015 11:31 PM

Dallas tanked after 1987 when they lost Pam and Donna. And they keep Jenna? She made Morgan Brittany look like Vivien Leigh. (Wait...)

Priscilla Presley only did two scenes three scenes I ever liked: with Sue Ellen and squaring off against Pam, Afton and Katherine at the Oil Baron's ball in the powder room; she tells Pam "we'll see" after Pam says she IS a tough act to follow at the mechanical bull contest, and when she breaks it off with Bobby at Lucy's second wedding to Mitch.

Otherwise, not a good actress. Especially the season where she sat around Southfork lamenting Bobby's death. Not that he wasn't worth mourning, but she didn't bring anything to it beyond what was on the page.

by Anonymousreply 31August 12, 2015 6:03 AM

At the risk of showing my age, I loved Gossip Girl. Everything about it was on point: The clothes, the storylines, the dialogue. Even Ivy Dickens grew on me (and her arc represented a low point in the series).

by Anonymousreply 32August 12, 2015 6:38 AM

Eastenders.

by Anonymousreply 33August 12, 2015 7:15 AM

Don't forget about Berringer's!

by Anonymousreply 34August 12, 2015 2:01 PM

Homefront was a favorite of mine. It's the show that introduced us to Kyle Chandler.

by Anonymousreply 35August 12, 2015 2:04 PM

Melrose Place is the best.

I am loving Nashville too. I wish people were into it more.

by Anonymousreply 36August 12, 2015 2:05 PM

BH 90210 was great fun as a full on soap, from seasons 4-7 (the college years) but jumped the shark into Melrose Place territory during it's post college, last 3 seasons.

It started out as an issue oriented teen drama in season 1, soap opera elements were added and the show became more serialized in seasons 2 and 3 and then all out nighttime soap opera from seasons 4 onwards, similar to how Knots Landing was

by Anonymousreply 37March 29, 2020 12:26 PM

Haven't seen all of them but i would go with 90210. Revenge went downhill after the first season. And while i love The OC, there were just too may damn love triangles.

by Anonymousreply 38March 29, 2020 12:34 PM

Love this thread because I didn't watch Dallas KL and FC. I'm enjoying reading about them.

"Brothers& Sisters", 2006-2011 (or, as a DLer insisted "The Sally Field Progamme") was, for me anyway, the best primetime soap.

The Walker family was ridiculous, stupid, fun and, oh, did I love to watch the latest.

Sally Field, Dave Annable, Matthew Rhys, Calista Flockhart, Rob Lowe, Emily Van Camp, Daniel Glover as a boyfriend to the widow Matriarch Walker...

Alas, I think the initial writers were replaced or moved on because their was a marked lesser quality to the final seasons. In fact, I gave up on B&S at Season 4.

by Anonymousreply 39March 29, 2020 1:21 PM

Speaking of writing : their-there

by Anonymousreply 40March 29, 2020 1:21 PM

What? No love for the NEW Dynasty?

Understandable.

by Anonymousreply 41March 29, 2020 3:44 PM

Dallas was stronger story wise from with the exception of the Dream Year (Bobby was absent) seasons AFTER season 11.

All other seasons sucked - the reason the show was so strong is that David Jacobs created such a strong template and back story (Barnes-Ewing Feud)

That is where Dynasty was weak - the fact they had to introduce two "long-lost" Carrington children and recast the other two children, showed the show wasn't strong story wise,

by Anonymousreply 42March 29, 2020 3:50 PM

R38 BH 90210 was love triangle central, even writer Larry Mollin said in an interview that when he joined in season 4, he was told to concentrate on the triangles and chemistry between actors

He also said, they wrote a Bible every season, before they even shot the first episode, of where all the storylines were gonna go that year

Take for example this, Kelly finally chooses between a marriage proposal from Brandon and being with a millionaire with Dylan and she chooses herself and goes with neither at the end of season 5, this leads Brandon to start dating Susan Keats in season 6 and Dylan to get the money together to track down the mobsters who killed his father in season 3.

So Dylan befriends Toni Marchette, who Dylan finds out is the daughter of the main mom guy, Anthony Marchette , who killed his father, Toni dates him, finds out Dylan was using her, breaks up with him, Dylan tells her that he is in love with her for real, they get back together, get married, her father admits to putting the hit out on Dylan's dad and forbids their marriage, after Toni goes ahead with the wedding, Anthony hires a hit on Dylan! But in a twist, Toni, while driving Dylan's car, is killed instead. His own daughter, on their wedding day no less

We can be Kelly "choosing herself" on Toni's death

And also Kelly hooks up with artist Colin Robbins in season 6, Colin has tons of secrets, as they usually do on these shows, he's a cokehead, and he's sleeping with a rich, older, married woman, Claudia Van Eyk played by Mary Crosby of Who Shot JR Dallas fame, so right off the bat he's two timing Kelly, and Colin knew Valerie Malone, Kelly's nemesis, back in New York when they were kids and of course Valerie "always was in love with him" and all that crap, so Kelly breaks up with Colin after finding out he's sleeping with Claudia, but takes him back anyway and decided to become a cokehead with him!

Eventually Brandon gets Kelly into rehab and Valerie slinks her claws into Colin and uses money from the Peach Pit to pay for his legal bills and trial, after a coked out Colin ran in a high speed chase from the LA police

They're now sleeping together while Kelly is in rehab but Kelly's rehab roommate Tara Marks, is a psycho, whom Kelly invited to move in with her after they leave rehab but Tara plots to destroy Kelly's life, kills her fish, threatens to kill Valerie , pretends to be Kelly as a "lookalike" to seduce Brandon, and finally kidnaps Kelly at gunpoint and plots murder/suicide with Carbon Monoxide poisoning!

So again Kelly's stupid "I choose myself" was responsible for her own kidnapping and almost dying from carbon monoxide poisoning

by Anonymousreply 43March 29, 2020 9:41 PM

R43 I agree with you. But on 90210 it was a bit more spaced out. Obviously that was because they had more episodes than The OC. But it wasn't just the kids. You had Sandy/Kirsten/Carter and Sandy/Kirsten/Rebecca. Or Julie/Frank/Bullit. It was a bit much.

by Anonymousreply 44March 30, 2020 5:06 AM

No love for the Melrose Place and 90210 reboots?

by Anonymousreply 45March 30, 2020 6:03 AM

7th Heaven, because it starred America's Sweetheart, the beauteous Beverley Mitchell.

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by Anonymousreply 46March 30, 2020 6:18 AM

R45 the 90210 reboot was....ok. I didn't bother with Melrose Place.

R46 7th Heaven was just ridiculous 😆

by Anonymousreply 47March 30, 2020 6:22 AM

I agree that Dallas and Knots Landing were the best. I loved Dynasty but it is just not as good watching it all over again.

Whereas Dallas has classic storytelling. Larry Hagman was a brilliant villain and I loved Linda Gray as Sue Ellen. The first six seasons were excellent. As the show went on it started to decline, but I still liked it, even the dream season because of Gray's excellent performance and they had Pam become a bit of a bitch (but then aborted that interesting storyline). The dream season was, apparently, too women-focused so when they brought Bobby back, they re-established it as the boy's club.

Knots had great writing and acting. And it stayed consistent for quite a long time considering how many years it was on the air.

I wish I could watch Falcon Crest again but I doubt it will ever be released on DVD in its entirety.

by Anonymousreply 48March 30, 2020 6:28 AM

I'm pandemic binging "Peyton Place" I bought the DVDs and I'm loving every episode. Barbara Parkins just steals every scene that she's in.

Knots Landing was also pretty fucking great.

by Anonymousreply 49March 30, 2020 6:30 AM

R44 but on the OC (Vs BH 90210) the adults were actually interesting — in fact I would argue they were the best thing about the show .

by Anonymousreply 50March 30, 2020 6:36 AM

R50 the parents weren't as insufferable as Marissa. Her mother should be a DL icon.

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by Anonymousreply 51March 30, 2020 7:10 AM

The Catlins (hilarious)

by Anonymousreply 52March 30, 2020 7:14 AM

Yeah, Melinda Clarke was the most consistent thing about The O.C. I loved her. Brilliant comic timing but she was also sexy and had a lot of layers to her character.

by Anonymousreply 53March 30, 2020 7:32 AM

I'd love to see a show with Melinda Clarke/Julie, Victoria Grayson, Abby Ewing, Angela Channing, Sue Ellen Ewing, Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter Colby, and Racine.

by Anonymousreply 54March 30, 2020 7:47 AM

R54 sounds like a fun show.

by Anonymousreply 55March 30, 2020 9:50 AM

OP, honey, THIS was soapdom's best line:

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by Anonymousreply 56March 30, 2020 11:16 AM

[quote]after Toni goes ahead with the wedding, Anthony hires a hit on Dylan! But in a twist, Toni, while driving Dylan's car, is killed instead. His own daughter, on their wedding day no less

Was the blowing-up of Michael Corleone's first wife, Appollonia, the first ever instance of this storyline? I recall a third rendition somewhere, but I don't know where I remember it from.

by Anonymousreply 57March 30, 2020 11:47 AM

R56, "Poor Val."

by Anonymousreply 58March 30, 2020 4:23 PM

Another vote here for Falcon Crest. It had the best blend of character, storyline, and campy one liners. Plus some of the best cliffhangers--earthquake, plane crash, shootings, etc. And I always loved when Angela would have some scheme land with a thud and get her comeuppance from Richard, Chase, or Melissa.

by Anonymousreply 59March 30, 2020 4:31 PM

Flamingo Road and Paper Dolls

by Anonymousreply 60March 30, 2020 4:49 PM

Knots Landing was extremely well written and realistic for a soap

I remember in the 90s that everyone was calling Melrose Place, a Generation X Knots Landing, but in tone and emotions and characters that you cared about, BH 90210 actually had more of a "Knots feel" to it

Both shows started off as family dramas with self contained, issue oriented episodes, both shows started getting more soapy and serialized in their second and third seasons and then became full on soaps around season 4, both shows have more bonding and friendships than the other nighttime soaps, both shows rarely, although occasionally, did really over the top storylines, which were the main reason to watch Dynasty or Melrose Place, both shows kept the drama "character driven", and never went for the "cheap thrill" , Even the resident bitch on Knots, Abby, and on 90210, Valerie, had layers to them and weren't just bed hopping schemers, involved in shady business deals, they had depth to them and a REASON why they were cut throat

I mean when Valerie got involved with a married man, Kenny, during season 7 of 90210, there was a REASON, a desperate need to be loved, why Valerie had an affair with a married man, tried to break up his marriage, and then faked a pregnancy for months and an abortion in an attempt to extort $100,000 from him after he wouldn't leave his wife for her

by Anonymousreply 61March 30, 2020 5:04 PM

Giving a character a REASON for what they do is key.

We're all products of where we came from, what we had, what we didn't.

I agree that Falcon Crest was the best soap in terms of layering and big events and things. The wine business was a great backdrop.

I would have LOVED Angela to have found oil on Falcon Crest and tried to sell it to JR; the story would have to have them both winnig (or both losing) so one iconic character didn't fare better than the other.

Angela hated Chase, but I wasn't sure why. Yes, she wanted FC all for herself, but that's just selfish. JR wanted Jock's approval.

I guess Angie was wanting to please her grandfather.

by Anonymousreply 62March 30, 2020 5:30 PM

[Quote] but in tone and emotions and characters that you cared about, BH 90210 actually had more of a "Knots feel" to it

Emily Valentine actually makes a reference to Knots Landing lol.

[Quote] I mean when Valerie got involved with a married man, Kenny, during season 7 of 90210, there was a REASON

I fucking love Val. She got such a raw deal. The writers should have had her try to make some friends of her own instead of desperately trying to fit in with the gang. I wanted her to tell Brandon to go fuck himself during the Kenny debacle.

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by Anonymousreply 63March 31, 2020 4:39 AM

Well, I'm not saying Knots was the best primetime soap and I'm not saying it isn't.

What I am saying is that it outlasted all the others by several seasons.

Does that answer your question, OP?

by Anonymousreply 64March 31, 2020 7:50 PM

R63 Donna bitch slapping Valerie on BH 90210

I vaguely remember that, it was definitely during the post college years, I think Valerie had broken up with Noah after finding out he was secretly rich and came from the Hunter oil family dynasty in Texas and Donna broke up with David (again) after he stole money from her so he could keep the Peach Pit After Dark afloat, he owned the club with Valerie, so since David wanted Donna back and Valerie wanted Noah back, they pretended to date (David and Valerie) to make Donna and Noah (who had just become a new couple jealous)

David also dated Valerie off and on (for real) and broke up with her numerous times. Valerie actually confided in David that she killed her molesting father in self defense by shooting him to death and hid the evidence and made it look like a suicide, before (to get back at her Mom) Valerie began seducing and sleeping with her Mom's new fiance (hew new stepdad!) Carl, before and after their Vegas wedding

Valerie's Mom, Abby Malone, was played by Michelle Phillips, Ann Matheson (Paige's Mom) on Knots Landing

by Anonymousreply 65March 31, 2020 11:08 PM

R65 they also dated for real-real — Brian and Tiffani.

by Anonymousreply 66March 31, 2020 11:45 PM

R65 I remember that scene. Valerie is telling Donna that David likes it rough in bed lol. And Valerie wanting David to fuck her friend Ginger so she could stay in the gang was just....😦

R66 Tiffani dodged a bullet.

by Anonymousreply 67April 1, 2020 8:03 AM
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