Days Of Our Lives
DAYS and GH Show Increase In Younger Viewers! Daytime Soaps Getting Support From Their Networks!
Courtesy/NBC
Proof positive that your favorite daytime soaps are holding their own and then some, as we get heavily into the spring of 2014, comes a very upbeat look at the daytime dramas still on the air and the increases they have brought to key female demos and gains in total viewers from a piece in Variety.com!
In addition, with support from the network brass at the top including CBS Daytime’s Angelica McDaniel, NBC’s Bruce Evans and ABC’s Vicki Dummer, soap journalist Michael Maloney told Variety, “What the soaps seem to have is terrific support from the network. The right people are running them, and each of the remaining shows are doing a great version of their show for their core audience.”
Photo Credit: HutchinsPhoto.com
As for Days of our Lives and General Hospital, these two iconic brands have brought in the some all important younger viewers again. According to stats in the Variety article: “General Hospital has grown from last year by 9% in total viewership (to 3.32 million) but it’s also up by 19% in women 25-54 and by 11% among those 12-34, according to Nielsen. As a result, its median age of 55.5 for the current season is down from 56.1 a year ago. Days of Our Lives is up 10% (to about 3 million viewers), but its biggest gains are among females 12-34; its median age of 57.8 is nearly one full year lower than last year.”
But don’t forget the CBS soaps that are number # 1 and #2, Variety reports while, the CBS soaps skew older, they’re also the most popular overall. The Young and the Restless averages 5.3 million viewers daily and The Bold and the Beautiful bags nearly 4 million.
So soap fans, do you see the difference in the support from the network brass for your favorite shows over the last few years after the demise of four soaps in row? Are you a younger viewer who has begun to tune-in to one of the four remaining network soaps? And are you glad to see, as much as we are, some solid positive press on the state of the daytime drama? Comment below!
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Next week, Days of Our Lives welcomes back fan favorites Colton Little (Andrew Donovan) and Christopher Sean (Paul Narita) when they reprise their roles for an upcoming special episode which contains Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena Evans.
Circle Monday, June 22 when the married couple comes back to Salem. Paul is the son of Marlena’s beloved and late husband, John Black (Drake Hogestyn). Andrew is the son of iconic couple Shane Donovan (Charles Shaughnessy) and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease).
According to the official Days of Our Lives spoilers for the week of June 22-26, Andrew scolds Cat (AnnaLynne McCord). Let’s remember Andrew is ISA. Meanwhile while Marlena thinks back on her fifty years in Salem, Paul arrives back in town.
Photo: JPI
ANDREW AND PAUL
Christopher Sean began playing Paul Narita back in 2014. He has come and gone from the show over the last decade. He was last on-screen back in November of 2025, when Paul arrived back in Salem for the dedication of the Tom Horton Free Clinic as part of the Days of Our Lives 60th anniversary celebration.
Colton Little, first began playing the all grown-up Andrew Donovan in 2022 on the Peacock limited series, Beyond Salem: Chapter 2. Little eventually moved to the mothership and Days of Our Lives in 2023. He was last seen on the soap opera back in March of this year in scenes with Peter Porte (Dimitri Von Leuschner) and Greg Rikaart (Leo Stark).
In story, Andrew and Paul tied the knot in front of family and friends on June 24, 2025, which followed the heartbreaking funeral of Paul’s father, John Black, who had passed away several weeks earlier from injuries sustained in an explosion.
Photo: JAnchondoIG
Michael Fairman TV also confirmed the romance exclusively of Colton Little with former General Hospital actor, Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco Rios) at the end of December of 2025.
Anchondo shared at that time, “I reached out to him (Colton) when I got the job on GH. We knew of each other through mutual friends; so I knew of him for a long time. I started asking Colton about what his experience was like on soaps and asked about SAG health insurance, etc. We met up one night and were hooked from then on.”
So, are you excited to see Andrew and Paul back on your screens? Share your thoughts and if you would like to see them stay longer in Salem in the future, with a story all of their own via the comment section. But first, check out the just released promo for the action on Days of Our Lives entitled “Conspiracy” below featuring Christopher and Colton.
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric
‘General Hospital’s’ Controversial Luke and Laura Rape Episode: Writer Sheri Anderson Reveals Behind the Scenes Decisions and Admits ‘I Was Wrong’ to Defend It (Exclusive)
‘Days of Our Lives’ Eric Martsolf Recalls Moment He Learned He Was Cast as Brady Black, and Last Scenes with Drake Hogestyn (SOAPY Exclusive Preview)
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Weighs-In on Dante and Elizabeth Pairing and Sharing Scenes with Rebecca Herbst (Exclusive)
GENERAL HOSPITAL Promo: Rocco’s in a Panic as Britt’s Health Takes a Turn, Chase is Called to the Carpet
‘WWE: Unreal’ Season 3 Premiere Date, Cast of Superstars, Announced by Netflix
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom
Deidre Hall Marks 50 Years as ‘Days of Our Lives’ Dr. Marlena Evans
Y&R Preview: Matt Clark Asks Phyllis on a Date, Would You Be Down for the Pairing? Roger Howarth & Michelle Previously in GH’s Franco/Nina Romance
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Reflects on Dante’s Guilt for the ‘Atrocity’ That Happened to Michael Which Kept Everyone From Telling Him the Truth About Rocco (Exclusive)
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Yes!!
The Young and Restless is any thing but young or restless..
It is senior citizens who are the main characters and the younger ones are gawd awful!!
Y&R tries to attract younger ones with grandma and grandpa sex stuff and now they try to make an older women look young by making her pregnant, good grief..
Then they will have Lauren lose the baby because she too old to be a mother..
Fen is at the age of marriage and babies, not Michael and Lauren..
I have found, theses days, when I watch Y&R I laugh a lot at the stupidity of it all, and senior citizens have boring lives and they all are boring me!!
GH rocks!! mega drama and the couples are not using walkers!!
And a lot of really good looking men to drool over..
I watch Y&R every day, and it has become empty of the great soap it once was.. 🙁
(a music box story and DNA switch story going on for a year, yawn..
With Katherine , Billy miller/Billy, MM/Adam, Phyllis, and others who are gone it just is not right, not at all..
And recasting will fail..
I’m sorry, but– there is not one couple of interest on Y&R..
And- most all the women have hair styles from the 70’s, and bad wigs..
Nonetheless; I tune in every evening..
I may need bad soap opera therapy to break my Y&R watching habit and free myself….
I agree! If it wasn’t for Nursing homes Y&R would not be #1.
Love my Days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Glad the networks are again supporting our Soaps. WE don ‘t want talk in the afternoon, we want good stories about good characters we care about. Keep the drama coming!!!!
Days of our Lives and General Hospital are hip and happening!!!
Y&R and B&B are broken hips and helpless!
DOOL and GH…relevant and unique!!!
Now it’s time to bring back amc and oltl!!!!
NO no Skye, get over it oltl and amc will never come back. I have moved on, to the other soaps. gh and days of our lives are on fire. great soaps to watch.
I agree with Justin. It’s people like Skye that make people think that soap fans are delusional and out of touch with reality.
This can still happen!!!! It’s not to late. I truly believe that abc will bring back those shows. Even as a 30 minutes like B&B. There is a reason why abc is suing pp. The
And beside we can only hope…
It’s great to see the soaps getting positive press.
I can understand why Days is on an upswing with younger viewers. They have some really talented teen performers…who are in teenage, age appropriate stories. Casey Moss is outstanding as JJ, and I love his friend Rory. He is such a typical carefree kid. I like Bev, and this new Paige girl is cute too. JJ and Paige are starting one of those old school awkward teen soap romances and it is refreshing and fun and there’s no angst and misery. No teenager is pregnant here…no teenager is getting married…no teenager is desperate to get pregnant…they are just being written as kids. For the life of me, I cannot figure out what or who is responsible for younger people tuning into GH. It is a show full of creepy disgusting people wishing death on one another.
Days should expand on the Rory character! I see Rory living in a trailer with his mentally abusive and bipoler mother, and his father had abandon them and run off with another woman years ago. Rory has a younger kid brother in foster care because of their mothers mental health issues. Rory had turned to drugs because of his unstable family life(thats the backstory id like for him)…J.J. and Paige are far more interesting than GHs boring T.J. and Molly…i can see Bev as Paiges rival…id like to see that written the way Julie and Susan’s were rivals for the same men like it was when i first watched back in the 60s!!!
Imo…The actress playing Days’ Paige reminds me of a young Sydney Penny!!!
I agree about expanding the rory character. Respectfully, I don’t like the circumstances you present. DAYS has done that story over and over and over….the teen with the crappy, abusive background…they did it with Steve and Adrienne, they did it with Billie and Austin, they did it with April and Emilio, they did it with Nicole and Brandon, they did it with Mim and Connor. For once, I would like to see some teens without all the serious, intense drama that stems from their parents. i would LOVE to see a soap write teens in a Gilmore Girls/Dawson’s Creek kind of way. Where they are just teens, yet have intelligence, and wit, and lives that are normal for the most part. There is so much drama and humour and interest just being a teenager. One of the best examples of a teen storyline was on DAYS…from 1999-2002, involving Shawn, Belle, Philip, and Mimi. Their parents all had major issues, and yes, the teens were affected by it, but their normal teen problems took precedence. They worried about things like dances, and exams, and first crushes, and all those things that to teens, seem SOOOO important. Even though I don’t smoke pot myself, it is a fact of life that MANY teens just smoke pot. They are not drug addicts, they are not out of control bad-asses, they are not criminals, they just smoke pot. I love that that the show can have teenagers who do normal teenage things without resorting to the cliched drug storylines that are usually written terribly. I also love that Days makes conversations between teens and parents very awkward and uncomfortable. Contrast this with GH, and their horrifically written story of Molly and TJ wanting to have sex, and Alexis’ involvement. WHAT teenage girl spends endless amounts of time telling her mother that she wants to/plans to/is going to have sex, and have that be ALL they talk about?? If she is going to do it, she will not tell her mother all that, she will just go and do it, and then either hide it from her mother, or just NOT discuss it. I know these are soaps, and not realistic or real-life, but when teen stories are written and acted badly, which they normally are on soaps, it is just cringe worthy and embarrassing and painful to watch. I am LOVING this burgeoning, blossoming teen scene on DAYS, and am hoping they don’t ruin it with the same-old, same-old tales of unwanted pregnancies, drug addictions, psycho stalkers, teen marriage, etc. Let them be kids! Let them have fun ancd be reckless, and rebellious, but learn a few lessons along the way, and we as the audience can enjoy watching them grow, much as we did with Jennifer back in the day. And about rory…heck yeah…the actor is not stellar, LOL, but he plays the part of a teenage pothead SO well. He has the look, the talk, the posture, etc. He could be linked to any number of families on the show through newly created backstory. He could be some long lost Horton, or Brady. If GH can make Liesl Obrecht and Madeline Reeves sisters (just about the most unbelievable sisters and plot twist EVER), then DAYS can find a clever way to work Rory into this canvas. I’d like Bev and Paige to be frenemies, not enemies. You know, like they are friends, but there is that underlying teen girl thing going on. Best of all, these kids LOOK like teens. They don’t 32 look years old and worn out from life like Andrea Zuckerman from the original 90210, or that Taylor on GH, who has mercifully and thankfully not been seen or heard from for MONTHS. I LOVE the innocence and cute awkwardness that JJ and Paige have. Contrast this to when Taylor on GH was pursing her lips like a trashy pornstar and disrobing in front of TJ, a boy she had just met. Ron Carlivati ( and most soap writers) writes ALL characters, regardless of whether they are 14 or 73, as if they are somewhere around the generic 30 age range. they all talk the same, use the same vocabulary, and there is nothing to distinguish the way Molly talks or acts from the way Monica Quartermaine talks. It is a good writer who knows how to be the mouthpiece for different age groups for different aged characters. Sadly, most soap writers have no idea how to do that. Keep it up DAYS…you have a winning teen quartet in JJ, Rory, Bev, and Paige. It is kind of a Shawn (JJ), Philip (Rory), Belle (Paige), Mimi (Bev) redux, only 12 years later, and I’m digging it, dude (as Rory would say).
Yes jimh, I can see that happening! We already had a glimpse of Rory’s mom at the police station after Rory was arrested. It makes sense to me!
TJ and Molly are so DULL! It was around this age in the 80’s that the phenomenal Luke and Laura story came about… we all need one of those epic love stories… it has been years! In fact I am still peeved at Tony Geary for saying he wanted to move on from that….
I felt pretty close to the magic when Jack and Phyllis got back together….
Also I have to say Sonny and Brenda had undeniable sparks as well….
Im agree with you…Shawn, Mimi, Belle and Philip were one of the best teen storylines ever in daytime…let kids be kids. Rory could easily be a Horton…grandson of Sandy Horton, a Days character we havent really heared from in over 30 years…now id like that idea! Maybe Sandy got married and had a son who married Rorys mother at an early age and 9 months later Rory was born…there could be several reasons why he doesnt know he was related to the Hortons…i remeber having hair like Rorys when i was his age…where did that go…lol
In spite of mixed feelings i have with the storylines on both GH and Days im grateful both are doing well enough in the ratings to keep them on the air…im still entertained…also watching B&B!!! I still ocassionally watch Y&R!!!
Such a relief, it was a worrying time when all the soaps were going off the air. I have always watched 4, except I used to have a choice, now I watch the 4 that are on but am very happy with them all 🙂
I absolutely love Casey Moss on DAYS! He is incredibly talented! I’m not a big “Wilson” fan, especially since Will has been recast. I find the pair nauseating. I can’t stand Teresa. Talk about a waste of air-time!
I’m glad that the networks are behind the soaps.Yeah DOOL and GH attract younger viewers and Y&R and B&B attract older ones but maybe that’s the way each soap likes it.
Love my General Hospital. Way to go, keep gettn younger and younger 🙂
I absolutely LOVED the soaps as a teen. I recall the late 1970s when the Rick-Monica-Alan triangle was at the fore on GH. Oh, how we marching band geeks were abuzz. And we loved the drama surrounding the murder of David Hamilton with Leslie taking the charge for her daughter Laura. And I could not get enough Karen Wolek and Marco Dane on OLTL. We all rode the Luke & Laura wave on GH, too, but there was so much more to enjoy as I wasin college and my early 20s. The launch of LOVING, my discovery of THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS before Jess Walton was Jill Abbott. I checked in with ATWT and AMC eventually and thank God to this day for the VCR. Daytime dramas are for everyone and I learned a lot I am sure, especially about some key social issues along with an appreciation for storytelling, acting and production. Theater remains an important part of my life and soaps helped inform that interest.
They need to bring back Santa Barbara! That was my favorite soap. Or 666 Park Avenue which was really good. Yes, I know it wasn’t a serial but I enjoyed it.
I loved both those shows…
I’m still waiting to see the support from ABC / Disney for General Hospital. Not only do they continue to cut General Hospital’s budget every year but not once have they run a GH promo during any of their primetime shows, even though they run promos for their primetime shows during General Hospital every single day. If they’re trying to be supportive of GH, then why not run a promo during some of their primetime scripted soap dramas such as Nashville which stars Jonathan Jackson who used to star on General Hospital? And a GH promo would be perfect to run during Revenge and Scandal as both are evening soaps. When I see a GH promo during those three shows then I will believe that ABC and Disney are being supportive of General Hospital. For now I just don’t see it!!!
I agree…
Days of OUR Lives : #1 : the best show : cast aplomb : Salem’ites stand together
Love ’em or hate ’em, WilSon brings in younger viewers as do JJ and even the out of control Teresa. Younger viewers relate to their peers — not their parents — and (usually) don’t have the hang ups their parents do. GH and Days do well online, with GH doing a bit better, actually. PP’s AMC is way down online, yet OLTL viewers are keeping their show relevant as of right now (according to what’s popular on H*l*.) I think OLTL fans may feel if PP can pull it back together, they may see OLTL as the more viable project to continue. Fans of hip, young soaps should check out Hollyoaks (also on H*l*, it’s amazing! Coronation Street is also an excellent soap!) JMOP.
I love Coronation street…the lives of everyday middle class families with real life issues and children who act like real children and the dead stay dead!!!
Check out Hollyoaks. It skews younger but has some older characters, too. It’s a great show. So is EastEnders (if you can find it in the US, some PBS stations carry it). Classic and current Aussie soaps like Neighbours, Sons & Daughters, Home & Away, Prisoner are also great soaps to watch. NZ soap Shortland Street is fun but sometimes light entertainment (it’s on the Y as are most of the Aussie soaps). With US soaps down to 4, we have to get our soap “fix” somewhere — and fortunately there are lots of great soaps out there.
I doubt that Prospect Park can pull up their pants let alone put together another soap Matthew but I do appreciate your optimism. I don’t like their lack of communication with the fans of both AMC and One Life but that’s my opinion. Sorry, don’t want to go off-topic here – so let me say that I am glad that
younger people are enjoying soaps these days, I hate to think of soaps as a dying genre, I think they can survive in today’s entertainment market if produced and handled properly.
I wasn’t being optimistic. It was purely an observation. Period. I agree that soaps can survive if handled properly. Soaps have been having identity crises for some time, both soaps themselves and, unfortunately, viewers — from changing viewing habits to some viewers no longer wanting soaps to be as “broad” in terms of social issues, etc. Of course, soaps have reflected the times (including social issues) in the past and will probably have to continue to do so, if they are to truly survive. I prefer soaps to reflect how (soap) people live and how they cope with life’s and society’s ups and downs, but I know others watch for their own reasons. Many of the soaps I mentioned, past and present, reflect my interest in seeing people deal with life (much as jim said about CS).
Love my GH.
Well it’s evident that DAYS is concentrating on the younger storylines with summer just ahead of us – don’t soaps generally do that to attract the younger set for the summer months – but it seems to be well executed and well acted – there are so very few shows to follow these days –
Yes, soaps traditionally have concentrated on younger storylines in summer months to bring in younger viewers, but these days soaps need to be wooing these younger viewers (and all others as well) year-round. Passions appealed to younger views overall and was given an extra year on TV (even after NBC pulled the plug), thanks to a satellite channel for picking them up. I also agree that Days is one of the better written (and acted) soaps on the air right now.
DOOL : Sheryl exit
dang it all
she was so real : crying… as she tells Jordan she’s been promoted and moving to Houston
THIS is the ONE time : I hope she is pregnant with Lucas child…. what a way for her to return
sorry to see her go… she could have been a great contributor to the DAYS canvas
I have a feeling that perhaps that’s the way Sami will be ushered out…finding out about EJ’s affair and falling back to Lucas….
Their Swan Song…
I am ok with that…..EJ is terrific…and now there’s Kassie DePavia coming to DOOL…. that would be chemistry for sure!
I’m with you there, Patrick!
In my house we represent all those demographics. My mom is 50, I’m 25 and my sister is 12. My mom watches Y&R and GH. My sis and I only watch GH. My sister even tells the kids at her school what’s going on in Port Charles lol! She is the next generation of GH fans!!!