General Hospital
Soap Opera Digest Names: GH – Best Show, Y&R Most Disappointing Show, OLTL – Best Good-Bye!
We are now at that time in the calendar year when all of the major entertainment publications begins to roll-out their Best & Worst Of 2012, something we always look forward to and to see who got top honors!
In soapland, it is Soap Opera Digest that for decades has honored the achievements or lack of achievements in the soap genre for the year. And while, On-Air On-Soaps does not release it’s official Best and Worst List till the final week of December leading into New Year’s Eve, here were Soap Opera Digest picks in a few of the major categories! (To see them all, run don’t walk to your newsstands and pick up the latest issue on sale now!)
SOD names General Hospital as the Best Show Of 2012 citing, “GH consistently charmed churned out episodes rich with humor, heart, surprise after surprise, that checked off items on viewers wish list one by one!”
On the flip side SOD named The Young and the Restless, Most Disappointing Show of 2012 commenting, “Stories predicated on the trouble-making of an unhinged psycho are tried-and-true soap fare, but you’d think Y&R would have learned a lesson from 2011. We got more Patty (in a cartoonish reprisal), Daisy screeching that she just wanted to be loved and Ricky suddenly unspooling into a homicidal maniac, with his own dad, Paul, being charged with his death!”
One Life to Live was given the honor of Best Goodbye for it’s send0ff, with SOD reminding us all, “The build to the final of episodes was enriched by fan-fave returns as OLTL’s writer delicately interwove heartfelt themes of love and family incorporating the entire cast, punctuated by reunions, new beginnings, satisfying resolutions and a stunning surprise. As much as we hated to say farewell, it was a hankie-worthy joy to see it go out on top.”
Ok soapers, do you agree with SOD’s picks for Best Show, Most Disappointing Show, Best Good-Bye? Let us know your thoughts!
I so disagree about GH being the best Show
Really? Surprise after surprise? The use of the older characters and past history to make great story lines for today? The use of EVERYBODY in the cast, not just Sonny, Carly, Sam, etc.? The fact that everybody has a story going on right now and its all very diverse? The fact that the story lines aren’t dragging and are more fast-paced and suspenseful?
I totally agree with you Evan.
I agree with Evan also!!!!! I agree the story lines aren’t dragging .. Like years ago you could tune in months later & you didn’t miss much.. GH ie definetely
keeping my attention Mon.-Fri. Can’t wait to see what happens next….
2nd that! I said the same thing a week ago!
Well I agree with you Dinah. It draws me in less today than when Guza was in charge….and that’s saying A LOT.
A. LOT.
GH is the most improved but def not the best show. Despite its derailment this year I still say YR is the best show. They have the most consistent , well drawn characters and usually the stories have much more substance.
Cartini have turned GH into a sensational cartoon, much like they did OLTL. Their silly stories get ratings, but for those of us who want substance there is always Y&R.
Well I enjoy GH each day and have no complaints about the story line. And I also liked OLTL a lot & still miss it. Again I can’t wait to watch GH each day….I find it interesting and suspenseful…I have alway’s watched this soap & I will stay with GH..
Substance? Like Nick choosing Phyllis? Then Sharon? Then Phyllis again? Then Sharon again? Then back to Phyllis? Then his dad marrying Sharon. After his brother dated her. Ummm….should we mention Angeline? lol.
Granted, I do watch Y&R, and like some of the stories that don’t drag out for two years, but saying GH has no substance when you have stories a out surrogatcy, and events to raise awareness for AIDS research, family dealing with the death of the father/grandfather/gg……saying that there’s NO substance may be pushing it a bit. lol.
Y&R is by far the most overrated soap on TV…GH deserves top nods. I say that there is much substance in both shows, but GH executes it with far more emotion and ease!
Hi Michael for me YR miss some
Passion and some happyness they have the most incredible couple with Ronan and Phyllis and they brake it Phonan have so much chemistry we feel the connection look real yes its desapointed and hope they give us romance
I would agree with most, except, I would name Days as the worst. While it has one good storyline, the show overall, is incredibly week. Y&R has not yet got moving again at full speed but they have made huge changes behind the scenes to address its weaknesses. The stories are slow at this point but at least the nightmare does appear to be over. The changes at Days have done nothing to improve the overall show.
The nightmare for Y&R does not appear to be over. Quite the contrary. Only the same few are on every day. Unlike GH who uses EVERYBODY!
B&B is the best
are you kidding……this whole year it has been steffy always there to interfear with hope and liam, hope and liam get back together, than steffy again breaking them up….and of course brooke and ridge, we had to watch all that crap in italy, just for them to remarry, go on a honeymoon, then ridge leaves. they did not stay true to the characters…,im going to miss stephanie…
Completely agree about Y&R. I had watched the show since the 70’s, but started to not enjoy it as much when it became clear that Adam would never pay for his crimes and they killed Colleen so that idiot Victor could live, and finally stopped altogether with the Sharon/Victor fiasco. I only read the recaps now and am about to quit on that also, they have just destroyed that show. I followed Eileen Davidson over to Days and love it, so at least I still have a soap to follow, but I miss the old Y&R.
So agree about how they killed off Colleen! It was also heartbreaking the way they killed off Brad too. Devastating!
have faith–I only read recaps for the worst of the mob years on gh but watch it on youtube every night now
I Agree GH has Been AWESOME and has put out very good Soap having to do with Love ,Family and every thing else that makes for a good show
Y&R had been SO BAD FOR SO LONG and it keeps being that way the Stories are so Lame we the fans can tell where the story line will go b4 it even gets there and they use the same people on the show over and over this is Y&R not the NEWMAN HOUR. there are OTHER Families on the show we fans want to see on the show Y&R need Balance and good Story telling they still do not have that
OLTL Gave a Great sent off and it had the fans wanting More I hope one day we will see OLTL back on air
OLTL send off made me want more stories..It left a lot of those stories up in the air
foe me…The stories weren’t an ending but a beginning to new stories for OLTL..
They nailed OLTL’s goodbye. It was poignant and downright perfect. GH has been getting better and better. Way to go RC & FV!
I agree with you, Tracy. How about that weird plot twist right now where Alcazar and Tomas (OLTL) are the same person? I don’t recall that EVER happening on a Soap, Which is a surprise when you think about how many actors have moved from show to show,
Don H
Totally agree with you, Tracy.
I agree with Tracy …OLTL’s goodbye was great but it left me wanting more !!!
Hi Michael im a Big fan Of you and Of YR
Since 30 years i was anxious to see what the writer Will do and im little bit desapointed too they CAN explore new things like Ronan and Phyllis this couple bring something new to this show and we all love it they become my favorite and love to see more Of shadam they bring passion too the fan need that just heard that Jeff branson is leaving what a Big lost for this show
Thank you to read me
Jessy xx
SOAP OPERA DIGEST IS RIGHT ABOUT THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS IT IS THE MOST DISAPPOINTED SHOW OF 2012 BECAUSE THEY HAVE PHYLLIS HUSBAND MESS WITH PHYLLIS LITTLE SISTER WHO IS FAMILY I AM NOT INTEREST IN WATCHING THAT IT IS NASTY THEY DON’T HAVE CHEMISTRY AT ALL.
I agree 100%
I think Y&R should get Most Improved Show! I really don’t think it was the most disappointing show before, either.
Hi ! Michael
Love your writing !
Im a Big fan too Of YR and yes the show is Boring sorry but true
Like the other people who write here i see a major couple in Phonan they have it their chemistry is Phenominal they deserve a major love story not Navery JB and MS are great together the BEST in longtime love to see more Billy and Victoria YR miss what is the most important for people LOVE go take Back JB and write them something that would blow in our face something beautiful and magic like Never before sure YR Will regain more audience
Thank you !
ManonR
well we are not going to get anything now from phyllis & ronan because jeff branson is leaving the show again…………
Agree 100%….
GH best show? PU-LEEZE. ConnieKate? A tired baby switch storyline? Robin’s horribly conceived and executed funeral? Lack of storyline for so many? More useless newbies than I can keep track of? This GH worship is working my last nerve. Haven’t watched in months and you couldn’t pay me to.
I think for the 2 weeks it aired this year, OLTL was probably the Best Soap. Heartfelt, entertaining, engaging, surprising, traditional but still creative, beautiful.
B&B focused way, waaaay, WAAAAAAAY too heavily on 3 obnoxious characters.
YR was a hot mess I stopped following that one too.
And my beloved DAYS had its ups (Alzheimer’s story, Kristen’s return, EJ/Sami, Will’s coming out, Abby’s lie, Lexie’s passing) and downs (Nicole’s obsession with Daniel, Gabi’s pregnancy, Ian’s manipulations, Alamania *shudders*, Rafe/Carrie, Jack “dying” again) so it rightly goes somewhere in between.
You haven’t watched in months but you thunk GH is the worst? Not a fair opinion.
So says you. I’ll also never put crocs on my feet but I still maintain they are one of the ugliest pairs of shoes ever created.
Just because I refuse to watch does not mean I can’t have an opinion. I know enough without having to spend a single solitary second of my day watching.
This is why I don’t normally make comments. People who don’t watch the show who are sure that it sucks should keep their uneducated opinions to themselves. And liking the work of a writer doesn’t make me a butt kisser.
“Uneducated” is an interesting choice of word to associate with watching a daytime soap opera. Just saying…..
And I don’t believe I ever said “butt kisser”.
Hey, you have your opinion of the show, for which you are entitled to. As am I. I left my opinion. It was your choice to comment on it.
I agree Jules. All of the Cartini butt kisser are way off base. There is so much wrong with GH still. Like you mentioned, Kate/Connie, the lame Jasam baby switch, the Krstina Trey newbie casting and lackluster romance, the ridiculous latex masquerade with Faison pretending to be Duke, the lack luster Luke and Anna Romance, Britt, Sabrina, Patrick, Elli Spinelli and that name game nerd romance.
I could go on. AJ’s return is about the only story that doesnt bastardize history and has the potential to be a multilayered, intelligent engaging tale. The rest of it is a saturday morning cartoon, lol.
I a enjoying GH.. And I am a die-hard fan of OLTL !!!!! And I like GH too and like the
storylines .Much better from years ago. They are definetely on the right track now…
That’s my opinion….
I’m really worried about Y & R. Nobody seems to realize what Sony did by putting JFP in charge. I don’t have any personal feelings about her one way or the other, but I know her track record and am starting to see Y & R get even more disappointing under her leadership. The Bells deserve such a better legacy for their work than what her leadership will provide. It’s just sad. From changing a sweet boy Kyle into a skirt-chasing young adult who doesn’t even fit in with the Abbott family (speech patterns and all) is just the beginning of the show’s issues…. having Daisy disappear with her “mother”, Danny apparently moving with Lucy to Chicago (I must have missed that episode), Genevieve’s character becoming totally unredeamable with such a fine actress, all of the nepatism at the two main companies, the unresolved ending of Phyllis’ 20-year-old storyline… this is all just the beginning of what I’m afraid will lead to a severe loss of viewership. I hope I’m wrong. But for some reason, soap leaders only turn to insiders for help with solving issues instead of realizing there are plenty of educated viewers who have invested years in following a show who just may have some good FRESH ideas to breathe new life into them. The game of Exec. Prod. roulette (except for GH) has proven to be the demise of almost every soap. When will someone at Sony see the light? I just don’t get it. I know all I am is a viewer who created and wrote a college soap with more engaging characters than Y & R has now ….with original storylines (not recycled ones) that later turned up on GL and AMC 10 years later.. but it’s sad. The Bell family is who I feel the saddest for… they deserve so much better. Plus the viewers, like myself, who have watched this show since the beginning in 1973. Everyone, especially the actors, deserve so much better. But here we go again — recycled storylines of drug addiction, family business squabbles, Phyllis’ continual self-destructive behavior (apparently soon to be with Kyle, no less), it’s all just old recycled stuff that will lead to boring shows, loss of respect for long-time chacters, and loss of viewership. Like I said at the beginning, nobody seems to worry about JFP’s leadership except me.
You have a right to your opinion, and I can’t/won’t dispute it since I’m not a regular viewer of YR, but don’t insult our intelligence trying to get yourself over. It’s sickening
From what many insiders have said JFP doesnt have autonomy at YR. Sony is ruling the show with an iron fist. She has to clear all her major decisions with them. So far Josh Griffith’s writing is going well in my opinion. None of the major vets have been killed off her backburnered so things are so far so good. I enjoy the show alot more. YR is bouncing back and they were in no where near the bad shape that plagued GH. And yes I was very worried when I heard JFP was coming to YR.
But again she is a figure head. The real power belongs to Sony.
I hope so … the show has so much potential such so much history and longtime actors/characters….we’ll see what happens!
well, Dinah, to bad, because Gh was the best show, it delivered all all fronts, and it had buzz all year round, cant say the same for the other shows.
So true, Aria.
I so AGREE with all three decisions! Perfect!
I so agree with GH being the best show & only b/c of them adding the OLTL characters on. I so miss OLTL!!
Couldn’t have said it better myself!!
DITTO!!!
Oh & Sam of course I just wish they would find a way to bring Jason back..
Yes GH is the best! No soap keeps me as rivited as General Hospital. The intermingling of OLTL actors with GH was superp and only brought more enjoyment to the program.
May the show last another 50 years. The writers deserve an award for showing the powers that be they know what they’re doing! Keep it up guys 🙂
Hear! Hear!
I agree with Debbie 100%…………..
GH is the best show on daytime right now !!!
I agree…..
If Y&R is so disapointing, why are they number 1??
GH has breathed life back into the show. I LOVE what the writers have done I congragulate them, and imo anyone who doesn’t enjoy GH shouldn’t be watching it.
because people watch crap, duh, thats why Y&R is #1 and thats why jersey shore was mtv highest rated show.
duh?? With a vocabulary like that its easier to understand your way of thinking.
Jersey Shore?? Really?? hahahahahaha
You wanna now talk about ” vocabulary ” debrika??? Hahahahahaha. Okay!
I would hardly compare y&r to the jersey shore, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.
YR is number one because they never lost as much of their core audience as GH and the ABC soaps did over the last ten yrs. YR continues to average near 5 million viewers. Over the last few yrs GH struggle for 2 million.
And since 2000 ABC and Frons destroyed GH’s core families and gutted the show, handing it over to Sonny. They have never recovered from those mistakes fully. Ive been watching since 1969 and despite all of Cartini’s sensational, cartoonish stories the show hasnt been the same for me.
The only real story that truly interests me is the return of AJ because it was returned the Qs to the front burner. But I fear that wont last long.
i have been watching gh since the beginning & right now this is the best i have seen gh in the last 8 to 10 years & the new regime has done an excellent job in getting gh back to being an enjoyable soap – it is perfect no but is is much better than it was……….
I watch GH everday. It’s habit forming. And you want to watch it everyday…
What do you mean cartoonish stories? I don’t understand….
I have not read the issue, but sadly, I agree with their choice of Y&R as disappointing show. IT seems everyone but Maria Bell was on the same page about this once stellar drama. She was the most in denial about how bad it gotten. Never was it more evident than when she took to Facebook after her firing to defend her poor choices.
As far as the new regime goes, six weeks into their run, I’m 50/50 with them. I think the acting is much better with JFP there. Actors formerly sleep walking through their scenes have come alive again. Show looks more polished at least visually. I’m not a fan of how she has all but abandoned the old Y&R music and replaced it with what sounds like low end production music that adds little if nothing to scenes. I feel a little like I’m watching LML’s Y&R all over again…at least from a producing standpoint. Also I really wish the show would go back to the style of directing we saw in last Friday’s 2002 encore episode. I miss the tighter shots on the actors faces Y&R was know for. Everything is so wide. No intimacy what-so-ever. Even the best prime-time dramas still get the camera in tight on the actors faces. The constant wide shots make the soap viewing experience feel less intimate. Also please put the furniture back the way it was in Katherine’s house!! There was a scene yesterday with Jill, Chole and Lauren that merely highlighted the flaws in this layout. You could only see the back of Lauren’s head and her profile while she sat on the sofa with Chloe. What advantage is there in only seeing the back of your actors heads when they speak? It was poorly done and not an on par with a show that has been decorated with as many directing Emmy’s as Y&R has.
From a writing stand-point I do like the Phyllis storyline. I think having everyone turn on her, especially Nick, is compelling drama. The romance between Nick and Avery has also been pleasant to watch and made this former pointless character interesting. Avery in the kitchen is more interesting than Avery in the courtroom. Maybe I’m just tired of court related stories on this show as we over-dosed on them during the MAB years. The early indications that Kevin could be returning to his older self is also exciting. Greg Rikkart’s character had become so bland I could barely muster the interest to watch him on screen anymore. Unhinged Kevin is way more interesting that well to do Kevin. Let’s not forget this guy lit himself on fire to avoid going to jail. A do-gooder he is not. What I’m not digging is the speed at which some of these tales are being told. I think its such a mistake for soaps, who are on 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, to speed through stories the way prime-time does. Soaps have to produce 15 times the amount of material than their counterparts. I wish they would take their time to develop the characters and situations more realistically. Jack’s addition storyline is a good example of that. He’s become a pill addict almost over-night and peaked the curiosity and concern of too many people to quickly. I always feel like the network heads who force this fast pace model on their writers and show runners is like a person losing at a poker table who no longer is making the most sensible choices. GIve the audience credit that we still want to see a story unfold. Hit those emotional beats that are so crucial as part of the bigger picture. Streamline stories so that they intersect each other instead of standing in their own isolated vortex. It was especially a problem during the Maria years where most stories didn’t spawn off other compelling ones. I fear the new regime structures things similarly, as we have already seen, with that plot driven Victoria kidnapping mess. A story that came out of nowhere and felt like something Maria herself conjured up. Same for the cyber-stalking story. None of the players involved (Fen, Summer, Jamie) are developed enough as characters that they should be driving story. The former 2 grew up overnight and the latter just started on the show. All three have little connection to the audience because they have never been developed. It’s “C” characters driving story. How is that supposed to get ratings up? The Sharon story is also somewhat disappointing. Sharon Case’s character was picked away at slowly over the years to the shell she is today. I wish the show would have taken us on a more intimate journey as Sharon found herself. Instead the writers blew their wad too quickly by having her burn the ranch down and discover over a few sessions that she’s bi-polar. What’s missing in this necessary rebuild of the once dynamic Sharon is her journey! The discovery of who she was and what she became. People go to therapy for years to reverse behavior but Sharon figured it all out in just a months time. Again how is that supposed to compel viewers to watch and care? An astute viewer recently pointed out that JFP and JG’s Y&R is like MAB’s Y&R on steroids. Not a good review this early on. I’m still hoping for the best but early indications have started to squander my hopes for better change.
You made some excellent observations Chris. The key to successful soap opera writing is all in the timing. If you rush a story line viewers are left not feeling emotionally connected to it like love stories that happen over night. On the other hand go too slow and it will drive viewers crazy waiting for the pay off. I admit Y&R has lost its rhythm- story lines for the last while have either been too fast or too slow, but times have changed from the seventies when this show was conceived. Back then everyone had the luxury of time. No one was trying to watch on the go or through recaps. There were only three networks so no one was breathing down any EP’s neck desperately trying to cling to ever shrinking audience. I think even if Bill Bell Sr. was still alive and writing this soap it would be a challenge given the reality of today’s television landscape. But I am hoping this soap will find its groove again, because nothing is as entertaining as soap that has timing down right.
Don’t listen to Chris-he’s just upset because he can’t run down GH anymore to promote his anti-soap agenda
Thanks Mary for your feedback! I agree with your points as well. There is definitely no rhythm to Y&R anymore. Just a series of stories that don’t always connect to the bigger picture. I’m not hating Y&R as I did when MAB wrote it but I’m just ok with it right now.
Troy you have me mistaken for another Chris. I don’t watch GH. Keep it classy dude!
If you are indeed another Chris-then I stand corrected
Y&R sucks because it is still the Newman Hour. Hate it! When will it become Y&R again?
AMC will always be my favorite but glad to see ABC soaps are the best.You’d think ABC would get the hint and Neilsen.
I completely disagree. The ABC soaps were the best a decade to 15 yrs ago. Since 2000 the ABC soaps hit rock bottom. Until recently YR and BB were always the best quality the highest rated.
Frons, Phelps, ABC and Cartini decimated their soap line up. Cartini turned agnes nixon’s groundbreaking, socially relevant One Life into a ridiculous campy cartoon. And despite YR’s recent derailment they continue to crush GH in ratings. They still range around 5 million viewers. GH is still under 3.
I disagree…
OLTL will alway’s be my favorite soap of all time…Never watched the soaps on those other channels..I watched the Soaps on ABC with my mom so many years ago & still am…
You know I never watch Y&R but I still wouldn’t condemn it.Want all soaps to suceed.to amny have been cancelled already.now GH is building a new audiences since new people have taken over and glad for it.Glad for your show.So just be glad for all of them instead of condemning them.remember your stuck with the one who help bring down Gh’s ratings.Good Luck on that one.Hopefully Y&R fans will stick by it no matter what.There are alot of ABC soap fans who do watch all of them.Its not like we are all stuck on one network.,We are just fighting Anne Sweeney who wants all soaps gone.So its nothing personnal against any soaps its just the idiot at ABC who thinks talk,new and cooking is all everyone wants now.
General Hospital is by far the best soap!!!
Yeah right with latex masks, split personality bimbos, an LSD induced psychic and a younger generation full of talentless performers like Chad Duell, ( Michael) Lindsey Morgan( Kristina), Eric Valdez ( Trey), Kris Alderson ( Star), Kelly Sullivan ( Kate) etc.
Ive watched GH since 1969. Cartini should write mindless Steven Sagal movies or saturday morning Cartoons. They wouldnt know intelligent, well crafted serialized drama if it bit them in their collected as+ses. Lol.
I suppose you preferred the Guza era? Mob, mob and more mob?
I agree with Jeff !!!!!!!!
I would say GH and BB for best. Y&R is trying to reestablish ittself and Days for Chandler Massey and Eileen Davidson.
Its too bad that a once venerable soap like Days has to pander to the gay rights political agenda to be compelling. The rest of that show is a waste of air time. Poor Mac Carey and Francis Reid are no doubt turning over in their graves.
I’d say BB is the most disappointing show. Too many Brooke/Ridge storylines. Not enough of the underdog winning the day. Got tired of Hope. Just about every relationship involves different members of the same families. Almost too many cast members with not enough direction or motivation. This show would be fine if it was a one hour show.
At least YR uses different cast members from time to time. As bad as the writing was, there was some variety.
I am looking for opinions on the Steve Harvey Show.. I watched it last wk. when GH wasn’t on which was Thurs & Fri.(Thanksgiving). I watched it all of 10 mins. and I had enough . I found the topics to be silly Etc….. I like him on Family Fued Game Show…Not crazy about his talk show….I will pass on this one….. And loving GH more & more!!!!! Tomas isn’t Tomas but Alkazar….Hope Blair doesn’t marry him.. Blair ,Skye,& Todd got at Tea’s house in the nick of time to tell Blair the truth about him….
I have been watching soaps for about 40 years so I seen the good bad and ugly of most daytime serials. The one thing I know is there is no way to please everyone. If they write for one character someone will complain that they are not writing for a different character. If they change the sets, someone will complain the old sets were better. If they don’t change anything, someone will complain nothing changes. But complaining about them is part of the fun of watching of them.
I don’t know any other genre in television that can hold the attention of its audience even at its worse more than a daytime drama. Y&R had a weak year but most of us who love the show watched it, and suffered along with it. B&B got stuck in the Bermuda triangle of love triangles this year, but those who love the show watched it. Days was all over the map, like living under of cloud of darkness, but with the occasional sunny break to remind you why you watch the show in the first place. As for GH, their fans endured through many a lean year to finally be rewarded with some good old fashion story telling.
We all love these shows or we wouldn’t be watching them. We want them to continue so we get mad when we know they can do better. We complain because we care. In the end this genre is rare in television and getting rarer and I’m just glad these four soaps are still on the air, because when they go that is it. The daytime drama as we have known it will be gone. Maybe a newer a approach of the continuing drama will emerge out of the ashes, maybe it will never be seen again. But until it happens I will watch, the boring, the dull, the great and the super spectacular because even at worst most daytime dramas are still more entertaining than some nighttime stuff-
A lovely post Mary! Beautiful words, even if I couldn’t live by them.
That’s so true, Mary, for a lot of us long-time, die-hard soap fans; thick or thin, good or bad, we will continue to watch and hope things will improve ~ cheer when they do and gripe when they don’t. When I die, I’m sure they’ll have to tear the remote control out of my hand and turn off GH.
A die-hard soap fan is like a sports fan following their favorite team. They root for them even if they are losing, they root for them even if they don’t make the finals. They will complain on sports radio about the players, coaches and tell everyone who will listen what they would do if they were in charge, but come game time- they are in the stands or watching the television. Why? Loyalty and loyalty used to be the back bone of daytime drama. You watched because it was your soap.
Great insightful post. But I have to say that over the last yr or so Ive been turning to cable for their serials and I am far more impressed and satisfied. Shows like BoardWalk Empire, Homeland and Game of Thrones are all serials but they are so much more compelling and intelligent.
Ive watched daytime serials since 1969 and theyve seen better days. Though I treasured the legacy I find myself out growing the camp and silly plots. Like you said I complain about the genre because I want it to do better.
It is easier for nighttime dramas because they are only writing one show per week for so many weeks, while a soap is almost everyday, all year long, for years upon years. Nighttime shows such as one you mentioned will eventually end, while soaps go on for decades. Nothing wrong with those shows you mentioned but it is a bit unfair to compare them to daytime because is a different format.
Part of the problem is that we are now living in a world that is motivated by trends, whether it be vampires, s&m novels or the latest craze on Y Tube. The PTB know this and they pressure shows to come up with gimmicks to get the buzz going, but once that has aired, those viewers are gone. Back in the sixties a show would never release what day a beloved character was going to die, you would have to watch every day just in case that was the day it was going to happen. Back then, couples falling in love, their first kiss, their first lovemaking, their marriage, their break and divorce used to take a year or more to play out, nowadays those things can happen in a month on some soaps, because no one has the time and patience to wait for the pay off. It is a different time, and I’m afraid the daytime drama format that flourish in the sixties and seventies is dying out for that reason.
excellent post mary! i have been watching soaps for almost 50 years & i could not have said it better myself …………..
Oh for the days when you could have a cup of coffee like good old Nancy on ATWT and make it riveting!
I absolutely agree with these three choices! GH has been so entertaining, and Y&R has been so dull and boring for quite a while. OLTL did have the best goodbye, but I so wish it hadn’t been cancelled. I still miss OLTL and AMC more than I can say.
I agree with GH as best show. B&B could’ve been a contender if they didn’t focus on the same three characters ALL YEAR LONG!!!! Y&R was boring and DAYS just can’t seem to get its footing back after the reboot. Before the reboot it had some potential.
Absolutely agree that GH is best and OLTL had the best send-off! Kudos to Ron Carlivati and Frank Valentini for both! GH keeps getting better and better. Love it!
GH is the best show and Y&R has sunk to an all time low. It is now the most boring of all the shows. Funny GH had that category until Frank and Ron came along. Now Y&R has the worst producer and writers of all the shows and eventually the public will see it. JFP from General Hospital fame is seriously terrible and soon the loyal Y&R fans will see what I am talking about. Now there is not a day that goes by that I can hardly wait to see what happens on GH. Best show I have ever seen.
Totally agree with their best soap! GH has always been my fave and most of the time the best overall! Way to go GH!!! Kow if ABC will just keep it on for another 50…
I agree with the opinion Y&R was very disappointing this year. They have destroyed core characters and couples and continue to bury them (Sharon, Phick). They brought old stories up for B/s reasons. They have not taken advantage of good actors /families like the Winters. And it seems to be getting worst. The blood bath and hate thrown on characters are insulting to the fans. Where are the families that fight yet stay together because they are family versus making pious judgements on loved ones. Abbotts, Chancelors, Newmans , Winters, Baldwins. where are the friends ? And the new writers have biasely invested in and lifted up less prominent characters like Avery to top billing. Saint like characters are just as stupid as the crazy Patty/Ricky/Daisy/Sharon of the past year. Ratings have dropped and long term fans are dropping like flies . If Sony, CBS and the writers don’t wake up soon and stop smelling themselves next year they may not be around to talk about.
I agree that Y&R has gone down even with the new writers. Every where you look, television is talking against and trying to stop cyberbulling, but Y&R entertains cyberbulling.
Kyle is the worst actor the Y&R has. His acting is so fake.
Why is Chelsea still in Y&R and with Adam. It is not a strong story plot. Im tired of looking at them in that dark dull living room.
I have gotten to the point that I tape Y&R because it is not interesting anymore, but there are some people I still like to see. Since I tape it, I skip the scenes that i do not want to see like: Lily, Neil, Devon, Ester, Chelsea’s mother and father, and Cane roles are very boring. They have no interesting plot. Their role always be a sentence or two and go to the next take. I always skip them.
Now Victoria is getting ready to leave Billy because Nick left Phyllis. What a weak storyline.
Kevins mother Gloria, she looks scary.
I really thought the new writer(s) was going to makeY&R a more interesting show, but it has gotten duller. I skip more of the show than what I look at.
Y&R NEEDS HELP!!!!!! SOMEBODY HELP THEM!!!!!
Back before the PVR or VHS a soap fan would have to watch every day and everything in order to get to the stuff they like. Part of the fun back them was watching the soap in a group and while the filler stuff was on we would do what we do now on this posts. We made fun of the ugly furniture or how lame the new guy’s hair cut was or during commercials guess what the next scene would be and what they would say. It was all apart of the soap experience. Not every episode can be a blockbuster or each week be like Sweeps week. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your view most soap fans have the option now of tuning in only for the stories they like and tuning out the rest. It may be helpful for the viewer, but overall I think it is that type of viewing that change how the format is presented and contribute to the poorer quality product.
I for one really wish we would stop pitting the remaining four soaps against each other. Like MarySF said we all love these shows and this genre. I for one could care less which soap did better in the ratings against another soap – tell me how the soap did against the other daytime shows! I have been watching for 40 years myself and am saddened at how the daytime serial drama has been gutted. I may not like some of the plot points or characters on a show – but I haven’t stopped watching.
And DG do you have any comment of your own – or can you only comment on others?
GH is the best in my book!!!!! Love Tracy, Anna, Robert,Luke,John,Blair, even Todd ETC…………..
I could never understand Y&R’s popularity. I have tried on several occasions in the past 25 years to watch this show and it bores me silly no matter who is at the helm. Peter Bergman bored me on AMC and he annoyed me the few times I watched him on Y&R.
Being a fan of both GH & DAYS since the late 70’s and early 80’s – GH right now, is by far the best show in Daytime (not like there are many to choose from, but if I had to pick!) If they get rid of Kate/Connie, Christina, Britt and Sabrina then it will be damn near perfect!
This was why Maria Bell was fired. Agree with GH being the best soap right now.
We all are soap fans not enemies here.We all have our picks.What is everyone’s problem..The ratings change all the time.I may only watch GH but hope all of them succeed.Lot to many already for cheap talk and cooking shows.My favorite is still AMC but I am baking the genre no matter what network its on.Everyone plese just back soaps and no replacement shows.Another one goes more will follow.
With airing only 9 episodes in 2012, OLTL should be named best soap. What they did in those two weeks can’t hold a candle to the rest. But I am loving GH right now. It is definitely the most improved show. I don’t always agree with Frank and Ron’s vision all the time, but they know how to use the history of the show and deliver a compelling story where all characters are involved in a fast moving pace.
ABC just bring back ONE LIFE TO LIVE.
I agree. But to be fair and honest, GH had no competition. B and B told one story all year until Stephanies death took prominence. Young and the Restless was a complete mess until the new regime took over. And DAYS seemed to forget how to tell stories. After a very disappointing start, Cartini has made GH must see tv again. It kind of reminds me of the final months of AMC when so many dead characters were brought back. Im not complaining. Fans will accept any outrageous stories that undo the destructive rampage that Phelps and Guza inflicted on the show for the past decade. It just goes to show that soaps have not created enough characters that the audience cares about since the 80‘s and 90‘s, and they have to bring them back. GH currently has an embarrassment of riches in the veteran department, and the audience responds to characters they know and love. Its a shame so many soaps had to die to make the powers that be decided to give the audience what they want!
The most buzzing show, on the Internet is the BEST SHOW. IN DAYTIME and that show is GENERAL HOSPITAL. And there are a little few, things they need to improve on. 1.) KATE/CONNIE 2.) BRINGING ON MORE VETS 3.) MAKING THE RELATIONSHIPS ENEW, AND FRESH ( SABRINA AND PATRICK, LIZ WITH SOMEONE NEW PROBABLY THE NEW GUY. OR BRINGING LUCKY BACK. 4.) GET RID OF THE LESS TALENTED (BRITT, TREY, FAISON) People who’s talent is a waste. 5.) LESS OF SONNY, AND MORE OF THE CORE FAMALIES. ( THE QUATERMAINE’s and THE SPENCER’S) They need more focus on the core FAMALIES that they have done, with the QUATERMAINE’s so far. These points are lacking on the soap. And the least buzzing show, is the least and the disappointing show. IN DAYTIME WHICH IS: BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. This soap is just a mess: with Liam and Hope and Steffy triangle. And Brooke going after, every men that Taylor ever had, (Ridge) and Stephanie had (ERIC,THORNE) and now she’s going after her own sister’s husband (BILL). WHY CAN’T SHE EVER SETTLE. WITH JUST ONE MAN. And I wonder where Hope has picked this from. With the same man that she and steffy, ever had first OLIVER and now LIAM. AND SHE HAD STEFFY’s brother THOMAS. I think these two need HELP. There is one thing that, was SPECTACULAR WAS STEPHANIE’S DEATH ON MONDAY. May be they could 1.) ERIC AND BROOKE AGAIN. Instead of making a mess,for her sister . Like she has for, Taylor with Ridge. Katie doesn’t deserve that. She has been through too much with her depression.
I can’t say OLTL was the great good bye because it should have stayed.
GH ,especially the anniversary and the Nurses Ball were the best ever. Very rewarding for all the fans. Kate/Connie has got to go she just doesn’t fit in. BandB could tie with Y and R for most disappointing. OLTL may have had a good farewell but nothing can beat GL. And that’s the show that should come back.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).
On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.
Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC
HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT
Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”
Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”
Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Photo: ABC
DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES
In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”
Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”
You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.
Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.
General Hospital
GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.
However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.
Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC
FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG
Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!
Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”
MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL
Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).
Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI
PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY
Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”
It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”
A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons
IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS
As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”
He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”
Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.”
So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.
Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.
Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Photo: ABC
WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON
Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”
Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC
Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”
When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC
MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES
One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”
“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good. I was working with Dominic Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.
A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?
As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”
Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.
You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.
Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.
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