Best Soap Operas

Nominated for 17 Emmys in its short four-year run, Soap premiered in the Fall of 1977 as one of the most controversial shows in American television history (and all before a single episode ever aired). The show was opposed by many groups who thought its subject matter would be too mature for a prime-time audience. But Soap never overstepped its bounds, and the show became an instant smash hit with its brilliant and satirical spoofs of classic daytime programming. Sporting an all-star cast and talented producers, the show spawned successful spin-off Benson in 1979, a series that launched Robert Guillaume’s career to a whole new level…

Set in suburban Connecticut, Soap follows the lives of two sisters - Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond), a wealthy yet dim elitist, and Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon), a housewife in a more traditional blue-collar atmosphere. But regardless of their social station in life, neither woman manages to escape the scandal and intrigue surrounding a typical soap opera family. Jessica’s daughter Corrine (Diana Canova) is smitten with a priest, yet they are both having an affair with the same tennis pro. Meanwhile, Jessica and her husband Chester (Robert Mandan) incessantly cheat on one another. As for the other side of the family, Mary’s husband Burt (Richard Mulligan) is certifiably insane, her son Danny (Ted Wass) is a mobster, stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is an out-of-the-closet homosexual, and all of them are caught up in a family filled with promiscuous infidelities and quite possibly murder! Throw in the insubordinate and sarcastic Tate butler Benson (Guillaume), and Soap holds its own as one of the funniest sitcoms in TV history…

The Soap (Season 2) DVD features a number of hilarious episodes including the season premiere in which Jodie and Carol move in together, and Carol learns that she’s pregnant with Jodie’s baby. Meanwhile, Father Tim and Corrine announce their wedding, and Chester goes to prison when he confesses to killing Peter, following Jessica’s conviction… Other notable episodes from Season 2 include Episode 32 in which Carol’s father strenuously objects to his daughter’s impending marriage to Jodie, and Episode 47 in which the two families work together to perform an exorcism on Corrine’s baby while Burt is apparently abducted by aliens…

Below is a list of episodes included on the Soap (Season 2) DVD:

Episode 26 (Episode 26) Air Date: 09-14-1978
Episode 27 (Episode 27) Air Date: 09-21-1978
Episode 28 (Episode 28) Air Date: 09-28-1978
Episode 29 (Episode 29) Air Date: 10-05-1978
Episode 30 (Episode 30) Air Date: 10-12-1978
Episode 31 (Episode 31) Air Date: 10-19-1978
Episode 32 (Episode 32) Air Date: 11-02-1978
Episode 33 (Episode 33) Air Date: 11-09-1978
Episode 34 (Episode 34) Air Date: 11-23-1978
Episode 35 (Episode 35) Air Date: 11-30-1978
Episode 36 (Episode 36) Air Date: 12-07-1978
Episode 37 (Episode 37) Air Date: 12-14-1978
Episode 38 (Episode 38) Air Date: 12-21-1978
Episode 39 (Episode 39) Air Date: 01-04-1979
Episode 40 (Episode 40) Air Date: 01-11-1979
Episode 41 (Episode 41) Air Date: 01-18-1979
Episode 42 (Episode 42) Air Date: 02-01-1979
Episode 43 (Episode 43) Air Date: 02-08-1979
Episode 44 (Episode 44) Air Date: 02-15-1979
Episode 45 (Episode 45) Air Date: 03-01-1979
Episode 46 (Episode 46) Air Date: 03-08-1979
Episode 47 (Episode 47) Air Date: 03-15-1979

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site where you can find more reviews like this one of the Soap (Season 2) DVD Review.

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Every day at four o’clock I stop whatever it is I am doing to watch my favorite soap opera. I take the phone off the hook, lock the door, sit with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and escape. It has become an addiction. One that I like having.

Almost every time I do this, I am astounded at how much better the lives of these people are than mine. There are some basic facts, Ladies and Gentlemen, that apply only to soap opera people, the women in particular.

The women in soap operas are always extraordinarily beautiful. The women in soap operas do not walk across a room, they glide. The women in soap operas are never without a man for more than three hours at a stretch. That is, if their story book relationship is about to break up, you can always be assured that there is another Adonis waiting just around the scene. The women in soap operas never do laundry, clean toilet bowls or vacuum. The women is soap operas never have a single hair out of place or a nail chipped.

I remember one scene in particular that exemplified this because it paralleled the same situation in my life. I was at the airport saying goodbye to my friend. A young lady on the soap opera was at the airport saying goodbye to her lover.

I will never forget how she looked. One perfectly shaped tear glistened down her luminously made up face. The wind blew through her shining blonde hair. (I wondered at the time where the wind came from in the middle of the airport). A Beethoven symphony was playing in the background and dozens of beautiful white casablanca lilies cascaded around her from out of the sky (there must have been a hole in the airport roof), as her lover took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly.

In my scenario, there was considerably more than one tear. My face was not luminous, it was wet. It did not glisten, it was too drenched in mascara and pancake make up to glisten too much. The only music I recall was a strange looking fellow ’s sony walkman blasting something less than romantic in the background. I particularly remember this because it drowned out the sound of whatever my friend was saying to me at the time. I have a strong suspicion it was goodbye, but I will never really know for sure.

Human beings behave differently on soap operas. Have you ever watched people go swimming on a soap opera. The women arrive at the pool in gold laminated dresses enveloping their tiny bikinis that match the gold flecks in their eyes. The men, I am sure arrive straight from their previous employment with Playgirl magazine. If either party actually does manage to get wet, you can be assured that as they emerge out of the water, their hair suddenly parts perfectly down the middle of their forehead, miraculously, similar to the parting of the red sea. The men’s bodies glisten with oils. Somehow a little man with an oil can must have been down there at the bottom of the pool. Many times, I have waited beside my pool (such as it is) hoping some man, any man, would emerge, tanned and oiled like that, all to no avail.

And have you ever noticed what it is like being sick on a soap opera. It almost makes you want to run out and collect as many germs as you can find, just so you can get admitted to those wonderful places of recuperation. Terminal patients never look terminal on a soap. They look lovely. They lie in their perfectly made up Wamsutta down beds while being attended to by physicians that look remarkably like Robert Redford and Tom Cruise.

And most of them seem to have sudden and astounding recoveries. Of course, with doctors like those, who could blame them. Even the dead on soap operas look wonderful. If I really must go someday, please God, let it be on a soap. I would love the world to remember me that way.

Let’s face it. The people on soaps do not attend to everyday realities. I do not recall even one soap opera person ever having to go the the john. I have given this much thought and have decided that they just don’t have to do that sort of thing. They go to the powder room, (it’s much more civilized) to check that nothing is amiss, although God knows why, they couldn’t possibly be improved upon.

People in soap operas don’t cook much either. Rarely have I seen anyone sweating over a hot stove. They hardly eat. That must be why they all remain so svelte. When they do feel the need to indulge, well, you can be assured it will be at their favorite local dining establishment. Probably a place called “The Escargot Room” where they are greeted by a very distinguished frenchman named Pierre, taken to their private table, where of course their usual red roses, waterford crystal and candlelight awaits them. All of these details go without saying. They are often the only ones in the restaurant, so there is always plenty of room on the immaculately marbled dance floor.

It is here of course where the man, handsomely dressed in his tuxedo, whispers the most incredibly romantic things in the woman’s ear. Things such as, “Darling, you touch my soul with your eyes.” I ask you, my friends, when was the last time your man said that to you?

Oh, and if it just happens to be a special occasion such as an engagement, then a trio of violinists or a mini orchestra suddenly appears on the scene and the lady is presented with a diamond ring, I am sure, borrowed from Elizabeth Taylor’s collection, while sipping on her Dom Perignon.

As of late, it has also occurred to me that people on soap operas never seem to pay bills, floss their teeth or change their kid’s diapers. And you know something, I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I wanted to watch that, I wouldn’t have to turn on the TV. You can keep your reality. Give me Fantasy!

At least for one hour every day at four o’clock.

Veronica Hay is an inspirational writer. Her work inspires others to be more of who they really are. Telephone: 403-245-6815 Email: veronicahay@telus.net Subscribe to Veronica’s Daily Insights & Inspirations at the following link. http://www.intouchmag.com/subscribe

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When I was growing up, my sister was a huge Days of Our Lives fan, a fact that did not get past me without mockery. While she watched her soap opera, I made fun of her: I uttered snide comments as she talked about the show’s greatness, I hid the Soap Opera Digests she purchased at the grocery store, and I rolled my eyes whenever she rushed home from school to turn on DOOL, thus keeping me from watching a much more realistic show (Duck Tales) in the process. As much fun as I made of her, the tables were turned when I began watching Days of Our Lives in high school. Turns out, I kind of like it too. The vacuum of television series, it had a way of just sucking me in.

Still, Days of Our Lives, and really any soap opera, is not without its faults. Anything but grounded in actuality, soap operas have a bit of a conundrum going on. Their impracticalities make the shows both appealing and annoying, giving them a uniqueness no other genre can maintain. For the following reasons, they are shows we both love and hate.

SORAS: SORAS, or Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome, is the term given for the plethora of characters who are three year old toddlers one year, and in their late twenties a mere two or three years later. We all know time flies, but not quite this quickly. While this concept is unbelievable, it is also a bit amusing, particularly when a child suddenly become older than the parent.

The Work Situation: It seems that most people on soap operas have very noble professions: police officers, doctors, scientists, businessman and women. Noble professions, but not busy ones. The amount of time these characters actually work may be incredulous, but it sure is appealing: I would love to be a soap opera character and only work an hour a week.

The Recurring Plot Lines: There are certain shows that need to be watched on a semi-regular basis in order to be followed. Soap operas aren’t one of them: the plot lines move at sloth-like speed. Ever plagued in drama, on any soap opera, USA there is sure to be the same serial killer, the same rabid arsonist, or the same devious mastermind wrecking havoc on the citizens of a town at any given time. But, then again, if these things didn’t exist, soap operas wouldn’t be soap operas. They’d be Leave it to Beavers.

The Expedited Judicial System: The judicial system in America is anything but fast, until it comes to soap operas. On soap operas, people aren’t only tried and convicted at ridiculously quick rates, but they are also put up for execution in the blink of an eye. Still, oddly enough, those who are put on death row are often only there because they are framed; the true soap opera villains seem to evade arrest at all times. Figures, they are celebrities.

The Pretty People: Perhaps the biggest reason we both love and hate soap operas is because of the pretty people. They are both fun to watch and hard on the ego. In an attempt to diminish the self esteem of viewers, nearly everyone on soap operas is gorgeous. Thanks a lot DOOL; I’m now going to go stick my head in the oven.

*For those unable to watch their favorite shows on television, IPOD and soap operas are in cahoots and many, including my beloved DOOL, are now available for downloading.

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://turbocellcharge.com Possessing an infatuation with pop culture – and a gift for stalking – she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.

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There are many people in this world that must suddenly drop everything that they are doing at a particular hour during the day because it is time for their favorite soap opera.

You know those day time series that never end. Men and women alike, though it is statistically mostly women, who can not bear to miss even one episode of their most loved day time program.

Soap operas got their start as programs on the radio. They were sponsored by soap manufacturers, soap manufacturers who knew that is was in large women who purchased their products. These radio programs were directed at women and were aired on the radio during the day when most women were cleaning and cooking at home.

They were full of love, romance, and intrigue. They had a continuing story line and would usually end a program each day in a cliff hanging situation so that a listener would be sure to tune in the next day. Hopefully they would also be reminded that were in need of a new box of detergent or soap of some kind.

Soap operas today follow the same pattern as when they first started years ago. They still have cliff hangers, especially on Friday’s episodes. They still have a more faithful than ever audience, only they watch on television instead of listening on the radio.

The one thing that can separate daytime soaps from other shows that might share the term soap, like Dallas, Knots Landing, or today’s biggest prime time hit, Desperate Housewives, is that daytime soaps never have re runs.

Everyday is a brand new episode. This could be one reason that they have endured as a program type for so many years. Many people who watch them are so enthralled by them that they had rather miss dinner than miss their best soap opera.

It is much easier for people who watch these almost addictive programs to keep current with what is going on even if they miss a show or two. The Soap Opera network which can be seen on cable and satellite television is a non stop 24 hours a day broadcast station of soap operas.

So if a viewer misses the show they love the most during the day, they have the opportunity to catch the missed episode on the Soap channel later. This is great for those faithful fans that have found their selves having to work a day job who thought they had to give up following the soap opera that they have probably been watching for years.

Dror Klar is a writer and promoter of news, movie reviews and celebrity information. He offers The Cheapest Direct TV, Dish Network and High Speed Satellite Internet on the web.

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After reading through magazines, watching movies and watching the latest edition of soap operas your imagination runs wild. You start to think that I want a life like that or I hope that never happens to me. The reality is that our life is nothing like a movie or a soap opera. There maybe some things in the soap that happen to you but in general whatever appears on TV is not reality.

Ok so men like factual things and hate anything emotional. The emotional nature and lack of facts in a soap are probably the biggest reasons for men disliking Soaps, but they are not the only reasons.

The majority of men absolutely hate soap operas because they know that women are going to compare their lives with what is happening on the latest soap opera. Women for some reason want to relive most of the moments on the soap opera. Fair enough they have conversations with their friends about what’s happened on the latest edition of Coronation Street. But don’t make the big mistake and think your life should be like a soap opera or a movie.

Life in reality is full of good times and bad times. Life would be boring if it was easy. But don’t make life any harder than it already is by being a drama queen. Sometimes men find these drama moments entertaining but go over the top and he will find them annoying. Too much drama or inflating an issue too far and sorry he will be thinking (manipulative, devious witch) maybe I am going out with the wrong woman.

Equally so women who reckon that they should experience all the good times that their latest soap character has experienced are also very naive. While there is nothing wrong with reminding him to be romantic every now and then, don’t bombard him with the your latest fad as seen on Coronation Street every week. That’s tacky, annoying and makes him feel as though he is worthless to constantly compare him with a movie star or soap star. Comparing him every once in a while is fine but don’t constantly put him down, because you wouldn’t like it if he did the same to you.

The reality of real life is the challenge of bringing up children, balancing your finances, buying a house, shopping for groceries etc. Balanced with some very exciting times such as wedding days, honeymoons, romantic dates, when your child first walks or talks, when your child gets married and continues the next generation of your family.

When he is not working on the latest movie, even Brad Pitt has to think about the more mundane things in life. So don’t try to make your life like a fantasy story on TV.

All my articles are also published on my web site http://www.SeduceMen.co.uk

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Nominated for 18 Emmys and 15 Golden Globes in its thirteen season run, Dallas is the 1,000-pound gorilla of the prime-time drama/soap opera genre. Premiering in 1978 as a five-part miniseries, the show combines the classic sex and innuendo of boilerplate afternoon soap operas with the freewheeling adventure of Texas wildcats and filthy rich capitalist oil barons. The explosive combination of rampant love affairs and high stakes business dealings scored well with both men and women, prompting CBS to make Dallas the lynchpin of its Friday night lineup (back when people actually watched Friday night television). As a result, Dallas became one of the most successful TV series in history. In fact, the famous ‘Who shot J.R.?” episode (“A House Divided” Air Date: 3-21-1980) still holds its spot as the second most watched television show ever (the season finale of MASH is #1). With arguably the most memorable TV villian ever created, it’s little surprise that Dallas held the #1 or #2 spot in the Nielsen ratings for most of the 1980s decade.

Undoubtedly, the unrivaled success and popularity of Dallas was in large part due to Larry Hagman and his portrayal of J.R. Ewing. Hagman’s real life Texas roots, unique charm, and wholehearted commitment to his craft helped to create one of the most loveable villains in history, and his treachery is on fully display in season five. Although J.R. is a vindictive cutthroat, the audience grows to love his sinister smile in the aftermath of a one-sided business deal and/or a selfish act of calculating revenge. In sharp contrast, J.R.’s brother Bobby (Patrick Duffy) brings the Ewing karma back into balance with his all-American smile and impeccable character. Patrick Duffy brings his own style of charm to the small screen, and it makes for an interesting clash of personalities.

The Dallas (Season 5) DVD features some of the best episodes of the series. The initial ones center around Sue Ellen’s attempt to leave J.R. once and for all. With Dusty and Clayton Farlow by her side, Sue Ellen (Linda Grey) begins a new life at the Southern Cross ranch in San Angelo. The ensuing war between the two over baby John Ross makes for some of the most enjoyable prime time drama ever produced. The onscreen chemistry between Hagman and Grey is simply magic. They manage to portray a believable love-hate relationship between a husband and wife, and it’s one of the ongoing conflicts which launched the show to the top of the Nielsen ratings for almost fourteen years (making it the longest running prime time drama in television history).

Below is a list of episodes included on the Dallas (Season 5) DVD:

Episode 78 (Missing Heir) Air Date: 10-09-1981
Episode 79 (Gone, But Not Forgotten) Air Date: 10-16-1981
Episode 80 (Showdown at San Angelo) Air Date: 10-23-1981
Episode 81 (Little Boy Lost) Air Date: 10-30-1981
Episode 82 (The Sweet Smell of Revenge) Air Date: 11-06-1981
Episode 83 (The Big Shut Down) Air Date: 11-13-1981
Episode 84 (Blocked) Air Date: 11-20-1981
Episode 85 (The Split) Air Date: 11-27-1981
Episode 86 (Five Dollars a Barrel) Air Date: 12-04-1981
Episode 87 (Starting Over) Air Date: 12-11-1981
Episode 88 (Waterloo at Southfork) Air Date: 12-18-1981
Episode 89 (Barbecue Two) Air Date: 01-01-1982
Episode 90 (The Search) Air Date: 01-08-1982
Episode 91 (Denial) Air Date: 01-15-1982
Episode 92 (Head of the Family) Air Date: 01-22-1982
Episode 93 (The Phoenix) Air Date: 01-29-1982
Episode 94 (My Father, My Son) Air Date: 02-05-1982
Episode 95 (Anniversary) Air Date: 02-12-1982
Episode 96 (Adoption) Air Date: 02-19-1982
Episode 97 (The Maelstrom) Air Date: 02-26-1982
Episode 98 (The Prodigal) Air Date: 03-05-1982
Episode 99 (Vengeance) Air Date: 03-12-1982
Episode 100 (Blackmail) Air Date: 03-19-1982
Episode 101 (The Investigation) Air Date: 03-26-1982
Episode 102 (Acceptance) Air Date: 04-02-1982
Episode 103 (Goodbye, Cliff Barnes) Air Date: 04-09-1982

About the Author

Britt Gillette is author of The DVD Report, a movie review site where you can find more reviews like this one of the Dallas (Season 5) DVD Review.

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For more than thirty four years The Young and the Restless soap opera has been a success on TV. What is interesting is that it’s even highly attractive to college education and career women. Camille Paglia, a professor of Art and author, confessed that she has been watching it for 20 years plus. What is so attractive about this show and why has it won so many daytime Emmy awards ( at least seven)?

The dramas each day of course include romance but also lots of family, business and corporate situations. Recently on a forum I read that some women will work all day at their high tech jobs and then at night replay the show while they iron clothing for next day of work.

They have their share of return from the dead story lines, but generally there is a level of realism in the themes presented touching on daily concerns such as infidelity, financial problems, jealousy, death of a family member, promotion anxiety and very relatable concerns. This makes “The Young and the Restless” not just another “rich and famous type of show” that is out of the league of many viewers.

Nonetheless, there is the question of why people want to watch a show that has so many crisis and unhappy situations that unfold. When Nick and Sharon’s daughter Cassie died last year the forums were buzzing about their grief over this. Is it cathartic to view something similar to what we may experience in our own lives?

Are we looking to see the way others cope and adjust to difficult situations in order to gain coping skills ourselves? The tragedies on a soap opera aren’t real yet we cry despite that. We know these characters are not harmed and may even watch them on talk shows in the morning when they are interviewed! We know these different circumstances haven’t really happened, yet they are so gripping to watch.

One recent incident that was popular at The Young and the Restless was when Sheila kidnapped the babies of Phyllis and her friend Lauren. These shows had high ratings (and it was a bit confusing since Sheila had plastic surgery to look exactly like Phyllis)! So many people fear having their kids kidnapped. Also people are afraid of someone irrational and Sheila was the best example of this as she shifted in and out of paranoia, lucidity and jealousy. We have a deep fascination we have with someone who is highly intelligent but has an obsessive side where they redirect all that intelligence in an unhealthy way.

Another topic that was popular was the competition between Nikki Newman and Jack Abbot for the state senator seat. They both had their own share of hidden dirt that became exposed and viewers were drawn to this due to the fascination of slander, competition and political dramas.

At one point Jack’s campaign team even hid a camera in Nikki’s conference room and recorded her kiss with her campaign manager. Is there a question most of us have about whether people have secrets and what are they? Are people always acting with ulterior motives? Is there any honesty left in the world?

One other aspect of the Young and the Restless that touches contemporary audiences is the conflict between loving two people romantically at the same time. This has been an eternal theme throughout literature and what is refreshing in the show is the dialog the characters have as they try to clarify these matters. Though not as philosophical as “Sex in the City”, there are reflections the characters have on timeless themes including money versus love, blackmail, lying to one’s spouse, the trials of taking care of someone with an illness and parenting questions.

By having realistic daily scenarios combined with lots of passion and corporate dramas with intelligent dialogs, The Young and the Restless TV show works for many viewers as a supplement to their day providing ideas for reflection, entertainment and vicarious living.

Visit Watch Free The Young and the Restless Episodes Online at http://www.instantwebtelevision.info/TVShows.html is a must see site for all movie and television show fans.

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