“The Young and theN Restless”. Thanks Babs. Take two on that line perhaps? I participated and voted in this poll with all the TV categories like “Best TV Dad”, “Best Comedy” etc etc for the PURPOSE of voting for “Best Soap” and I never got that category! For whatever reason, Best Soap was not one of the categories I was able to vote in. As for the results….GH is no longer my cup of tea. I wouldn’t have voted for it. Surprised by Dark Shadows being on the list, but my guess is with the feature film out this past… Read more »

OLTL would have been #1 with me! Yay for GH & AMC tho’!

Why is it that OLTL is always bypassed, I just don’t get it???

Interesting that Luke and Laura are cited as the reason people were pulled into General Hospital. Days has a similar couple in EJ and Sami and yet they miss opportunity after opportunity to capitalize on this couple. Just goes to show you, GH has made better decisions overall than Days, hence, the placements.

OLTL always gets the shaft.. I’m surprised Y&R wasn’t the winner they are always number one in the ratings..

I can’t disagree with this. Luke and Laura are the epitome of soap supercouple and nothing has ever come close to touching GH during this period. Even now GH puts forth exciting, heart wrenching storylines. Days as second choice is something I might not agree with and I’m an avid Days fan. During the eighties they gave GH a run for their money with parings like Bo/Hope, Patch/Kayla and Jennifer/Jack. However Days of the last several years does not deserve second place, IMO they don’t deserve a place on the list at all. Trying to shove boring, lackluster characters and… Read more »

1. Ryan’s Hope
2. All My Children
3. One Life to Live
4. Passions
5. General Hospital

I wish ATWT and OLTL made the list. They may not have been as showy and headline-grabbing, but they told good stories for many many years. By, it was difficulto keep on track with them when they were time-slot competitors. Before VCR’s, I’d watch one on one day and the other the next. I miss both.

I’m surprised As the World Turns and One Life to Live were passed over.

i am so glad to hear GH was picked as best soap because we rocked then,we rock now and we will rockthe future:)

I beleive they were correct for the most part. It always saddens me that OLTL gets omitted all the time. Cuddos to DS & GH. Dark Shadows should have stayed on the air, you would think that with raitings in the 7.0 range it was not good enough back in the early 70’s. DS was cancelled because of declining ratings…….really hmmm,
3.5 and below is good for todays standards.

I’m sorry I don’t get how Dark Shadows, which was only on for 5 years, made the top five greatest soaps ever, while classics like Guiding Light and As the World Turns didn’t even rate a mention. Both of these soaps started on RADIO and lasted HOW many years on television before some suits decided ratings alone dictated how sucessful a show is. People obviously just voted for the shows they heard of or watch now, since three of the top five are the only soaps left on daytime. My top five would be Young and the Restless, Guiding Light,… Read more »

WooHoo!!! It’s my fave! Congratulations GH!!! May you have many more years to go!

Mine would be:

1) Guiding Light
2) Another world
3) One Life To Live
4) Young and the Restless
5) All My Children
6) Days of Our Lives
7) Bold and the Beautiful
8) As The world Turns
9) General Hospital

Agree with everyone else that OLTL should have made the list for the quality of the writing alone … DO agree that “Dark Shadows” was worthy of distinction. “Passions” and “Days of Our Lives” in particular owe much to DS for inspiration. And I would also fervently promote “Edge of Night” as a soap worthy of mention.

GH was voted #1 because of Luke & Laura over 30 million watched the day of their wedding. That guy in the video who talked about them was right that is what everyone remembers when they think of GH. Gloria Monty made it work yes I agree their have been other soaps better writing etc. but that is what everyone remembers.

Well, with GH and AMC in the top two spots, that should tell ABC/D something about what the viewers really want . I wish the big jerks would listen! My top five would be:
1. GH
2. OLTL
3. AMC
4. Ryan’s Hope
5. Y&R

I think GH being number one is correct. It should be pointed out at they weren’t asking what your own personal favorite soap was, but what was the number one soap for all those years. So it seems the voters did what they were supposed to do…judge not by their own personal choice, but by how the soaps stood up against one another. GH is correct as it surpassed any other soap with the amount of attention and viewers it got because of Luke and Laura. It went far and above any kind of interest that was shown to any… Read more »

1. OLTL
2. GH
3. Dark Shadows
4. Edge of Night
5. Ryan’s Hope
6. All of ther daytime dramas

No mention of OLTL in top 5: Major, major upset. It’s like Roger Federer falling to a relatively unknown. Thank Heavens, there was no mention of ATWT; Chris Goutman and Jean Passanante butchered it so badly, it was unbearable to watch the manner in which they screwed up a 54 year old dynasty and brought it to is demise.

OLTL should have been in the top 5 without a doubt…………..OLTL should have been #1, And #2 GH, And #3 AMC……This is what I think should have went down…..

I was a die hard OLTL fan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am a fan of GH too but not like I was for OLTL…

My two favorites are General Hospital and All My Children, so I agree with that. My third favorite is One Life to Live, and I’m amazed it didn’t make the top five.

Should have been One LIfe to Live 1st and All My Children 2d.

My top 5 best daytime dramas

5 – General Hospital
4 – Guiding Light
3 – Another World
2 – Ryan’s Hope
1 – ONE LIFE TO LIVE —Hands down the number one daytime drama. Miss you OLTL.

Okay, I agree with GH as #1, but the list would have to be:
#2 OLTL
#3 Dark Shadows
#4 The Edge of Night
#5 Ryan’s Hope

My personal favorites:

CANCELLED SOAPS:
1.). AS THE WORLD TURNS
2.) ALL MY CHILDREN
3.) PORT CHARLES
5.) ONE LIFE TO LIVE
6.) GUIDING LIGHT
7.) PASSIONS

CURRENT SOAPS

1.) DAYS OF OUR LIVES
2.) GENERAL HOSPITAL
3.) BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
4.) THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

Sorry, but this is what I would say

1. Guiding Light
2. Another World
3. As the World Turns
4. Search for Tomorrow
5. One Life to Live
6. General Hospital

Isn’t it really tough to select just a few when we’ve been so entertained by so many talented people for so many decades? I have enjoyed every show I’ve watched since I was a kid in kindergarten…and that’s been over forty years’ worth of viewing. Even when the writing was bad, so many wonderful actors and actresses tried to give it their best. That’s the magic of the soaps that talk shows will never be able to replace. I must say, however, that ANOTHER WORLD, GUILDING LIGHT, TEXAS, SOMERSET, EDGE OF NIGHT, FOR RICHER FOR POORER, GENERATIONS, BRIGHT PROMISE, THE… Read more »

GH ROCKS! I’M SO GLAD THE SHOW LIVES UP TO ITS LEGACY. NO DAYTIME SOAP HOLD GH RECORD, ON EMMY WINS, AND HOLD THE ALL TIME RECORD FOR MOST WATCHED EPISODE. SO WELL DESERVE, ALL SOAPS ROCK.

1. As the World Turns – I never missed a day! Oakdale, Oakdale, where are you?
2. Another World – Joe and Paulina – Frankie! and Cass – John and Sharlene
3. General Hospital – I can’t believe how caught up i am with Jason and Sam, and Son.
4. DOOL – Forever! my staple. Miss the Alamains! Cheers to Eileen Davidson.
5. tie – Santa Barbara -the whole cast – Superlative – and Y& R – the Abotts!

If it was my list, it would be ONE LIFE TO LIVE – BEST SOAP EVER! But I will take GH as number if I can’t vote for OLTL since Todd Manning is on it.

mine would be
knots landing
another world
guiding light
general hospital
one life to live

How could anyone have overlooked the two soap operas,

!. Search for Tomorrow
2. The Secret Storm

They both were good soaps, especially The Secret Storm which was at it’s best when they decided to cancel it! The same could be said about Another World, my all time favorite; which was also canceled when it was at it’s best!!!!!!!!!

General Hopsital turned out the TWO most popular Aupercouples of ALL time, along with many other must see couples. GH should have WON.

Super couple From Wikipedia:

Vanessa Marcil’s coupling with Benard, gave ‘GH’ its first legitimate heir to the ‘Luke and Laura’ throne of soap coupledom”.

The article argued that this type of supercouple “… has not been seen on daytime television in some time — if EVER”, and that, “along with the return of Luke and Laura after a decade-long absence”, it created a “second golden age” for soaps as “the daytime appointment television”.[55]