We are soap fans who live on Denial Island where crappy soap storylines never happen(ed). Sometimes we even blog about things we like...
31 December 2010
Happy New Year!
Happy New Years everyone! And Welcome to 2011! Yes this year is going to be bigger and better for Denial Island and the whole Soap Opera industry! So get ready for some fun because we are getting ready for a very exciting year.
Like I said in the Christmas post we have come a far way since Denial Island was started, and on behalf of myself and Melanie/ really long screen name, I would just like to thank Brooke for allowing us this opportunity to blog and be a part of this wonderful site!
Anyways have a Happy New Year!
If you have a moment then share your favorite New Years soap memory!
My personal favorite comes from 2009, when EastEnders Sean Slater exited the soap after kidnapping Roxie and Jacks daughter! It was a perfect way to start the year out and it made this EastEnders fan very happy.
28 December 2010
'Emmerdale: Dingles for Richer, for Poorer' DVD Review
This spinoff is a nice 'what if' the Dingles would have won the lottery. The movie by its own merits was a cute flick, but when it comes down to it, the movie was rather confusing. The editing and continuity were off, or done in a weird way that it didn't really seem to fit.
I would have really liked it had the dvd been tied closer into the real show, and maybe show the Dingles go on yet another family vacation, or something to that extent, because this movie really let me down.
If you are already an Emmerdale fan you should check the dvd out and form your own thoughts, but whereas I would recommend Coronation Street: Out of Africa to everyone, I think this movie is really only for the 'hardcore' Emmerdale viewers.
Have you seen the movie? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know your take in the comments below.
27 December 2010
My Coronation Street History
The worlds longest running scripted television show is itv's Coronation street. This landmark show hit the big 5-0 on December 9th 2010, and to commemorate this historic event I wanted to take a moment and look back on the few Corrie filled years I have been watching and discuss what I have liked, what I have disliked, what shocked me and what let me down. So without further ado let's get on with it shall we?
I started watching Coronation Street in 2008 when news came out that the series would be embarking on a new type of story using the '24' real-time storytelling model. That was to be focused on Tony Gordons stagdo and would end in the death of Liam Connor. I slowly got hooked into the street as the characters started to slowly feel like family.
The year progressed and I saw Tony Gordon become the evil mastermind that would have given ol Stefano Dimera a run for his money back in his hayday.
Meanwhile Peter Barlow returned to the street, son in hand, and made the statement every alcoholic makes "I am not a drunk, I know when to stop" *rolls eyes and ques alcoholism storyline*
But than something happened. The writers saw a spark between Kevin Webster and Molly Dobbs. An Affair was to begin, and the character assassination of one of my favorite characters would be taken place right before my eyes. I couldn't stand it, so I tuned out of the soap for the whole affair!
Then the sad news came out that Maggie Jones (Blanche) had died, so I tuned back in to see how the character would be written out of the program. It was touching, and poignant and I saw the Coronation Street I once loved once again. So I continued to watch.
I have seen the entire 'Sophie and Sian' storyline play out, and that is why in September I made the post discussing my negative take on the way Coronation Street outed the couple. I still stand by those comments, I understand that others see the connection between Hayley and Roy, and that it was a good time to out them and provided a lot of stories, but I still feel that it was a crummy way and it was very plot pointed and not realistic, but that's just me, so let's agree to disagree on that point shall we?
Siege week took place over the summer as well, and with it the end of Tony Gordon. I am glad that I got to see the Tony Gordon storyline, while it was over the top at times and not 'realistic', it was a fun soap villians final stand, and i was glued to my screen waiting to find out who would survive.
This leads me to the 50th anniversary tram crash-
I LOVE the event, I think it was brilliantly done and made perfect sense to have happened the way that it did. The Live episode was FLAWLESS and kicked the pants off of EastEnders 25th. But with that said, the promotional material for the series ran with the tagline "four funerals and a wedding" and I think it was a MASSIVE cop out to have the 4th death be the bus driver. It was lame, and pointless. Yes it kept people discussing to the bitter end who the final death would be, but really, was lying to your viewers really worth it?
In closing, I just want to say that I am a BIG Coronation Street fan. I may not always enjoy the stories, sometimes I may even tune out, but at the end of the day I do love the street, and I am looking forward to seeing what the series has in stall for me for the next 50 years, because I will be watching, and I hope that it is as fun as the first 50 years have been.
What are some of your favorite Coronation Street memories? Feel free to share them and discuss in the comments below.
26 December 2010
Why do past relationships matter?
This week on the iTV series Emmerdale, David found out that shockingly his girlfriend Leyla had a previous relationship that fathered her son (Jacob). Immediately David started tearing into her about all of the lies and deceit. While sleeping with your sisters husband is not the best thing in the world to do, I really do bit see how this is any of his business. This problem is not exclusive to Emmerdale, soaps are notorious for having men look down their noses at their female counterparts as if they were walking STDs, when in fact all they did is have sex before getting involved with their current partner.
But is this something that happens in real life? Do men badger their significant others when their past bedroom deeds are right before their eyes? I have to think so. The difference is however, that soaps air constantly and there is a number of different shows airing around the world. So when these types of stories appear it feels that we have seen it already, and what seems like a countless amount of times.
So here is a question for you readers, do a persons previous relationships matter? Would it change everything for you to find out that your partner had been with their siblings partner? How would you react to that situation? Would the past really stay in the past, or would you blow up like most soap characters and start to question everything about the relationship? Let me know your take and more importantly what you thought of this type of story because this might be the start or a few relationship centered post in the coming weeks.
25 December 2010
Soap kids that have ran away
Home and Away- 1988 Lynn runs away from the Fletchers
One of the inaugural storylines for the Australian series Home and Away saw young Lynn once again run away from the Fletchers. After sometime it was revealed that Lynn was at the Pappas farm, where she quickly gained the friendship of Nico 'dummy' Pappas. Nico had mental problems, and was on medication to help him with his anger, only Lynn wasn't aware of this. So when she sees Nico on medication she assumes he is taking them for the 'wrong' reasons, just like her mother used to. As the story progressed the Fletchers eventually did find Lynn and she returned home to the caravan park, where she would stay for a little bit longer and than go home to live with her parents, only to make one final visit to the caravan park to meet little Christopher.
Coronation Street - 2010 - Sophie Webster
After being tossed out of the lesbian closet by Clair Peacock, Sophie and her partner Sian grab there gear and leave Wetherfield. Afraid that their parents would not accept them they attempted to make it on there own, after a few weeks however, they found out that it's tough out there for a couple of teenage lesbians on the run from there parents. So the pair made their way back and returned to the street, to find comfort in the Webster household. It was not so smooth sailing at Sians house however, because he father disowned her, because of his homophobia. The love story between S&S continues to play out on the street and is sure to have a lot more twist and turns before it is over.
Days of Our Lives - 2006 - Runaway Will
It feels like yesterday that ol Shaggymop Will Horton had taken his stuff and left Salem. Sami and Lucas took to the airwaves in hope to get their sons attention. At which time continuity was not a part of Hogan Sheffiers itinerary because the whole speech was full of errors and to this day still irks me. I mean really ol Shaggymop was the star player on the basketball team????? Ugh his nerd storylines with E.J. fit him so much better ( can we say Spinelli of Days?) anyways in typical Days fashion the storyline dragged out but Will eventually returned home and was able to make up with his parents for a little while and than was shipped off to Switzerland to be with his aunt and uncle ( Carrie and Austin). Only to show up a year later with a new face, but a year younger.. odd.
So those are some of the Soap Runaway storylines that spring to my mind, what are some other memorable soap runaways that you enjoyed?
24 December 2010
Merry Christmas!
It has been an amazing year here at Denial Island, we have grown a whole lot since the blog originally launched. I mean heck it was just Brooke doing the thing all by herself! But thanks to a bit of Aussie kindness, Brooke took me and my cohort, Melanie/daisyclover/a million other names, on and we have enjoyed every minute of it.
So we would just like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Stay safe, and may all your soaps be merry!
If you are home and with nothing to do (ha!) and looking for a little soapy cheer, head over to YouTube and check out one of the UK soaps special christmas episodes by typing in EastEnders (which is going to be HUGE), Emmerdale (SOAPTASTIC WEDDING SHOCKER!), or Coronation Street, and Christmas 2010 and you should see a few soapy specials to watch.
If not than how about sharing some of your favorite soap Christmas memories in the comments below.
23 December 2010
The UnSpoken Soap Rules
We all know that soaps have their cliches, so I thought I would just take a moment to write them out and spark a conversation about these overused rules.
The Young and The Restless 2011 Promo
CBS Daytime has released a promo for The Young and The Restless in which not a whole lot happens. With that said the one thing I did like however, was that it looks like Chloe and Kevin are going to be paired together? That could be a really cool coupling, though I was kinda thinking Chloe and Daniel would be good, oh well.
What are you guys looking forward to from Y&R in 2011?
22 December 2010
Neighbours 2011 Promo
Neighbours is making the move to 11 in 2011, will you be following it? If so what storyline are you looking forward to most? Let me know in the comments below.
Recap and Thoughts on Neighbours in 2010
21 December 2010
A Hollyoaks To Root For
The biggest screw up on paper appeared to be the apperance of Kevin the Alien. yes non-hollyoaks viewers I said alien, my guess is that Kevin is Casey's British cousin or something. But after watching the story play out I found myself enjoying the story for the message it was trying to share with viewers. It was a message that those in collage are very acustomed, that is always to keep your mind open! Don't be scared to ask quesions and form your own beliefs because it is worth it in the end and if you do not do these things than we saw the consequences play out. At the end of the story the show made a smart choice in leaving the truth shout kevin's heritage under wraps and up to the viewers to decide.
The second controversial story choice was the end of Steph's storyline. When I first read how they were going to write out the character of Steph I was less than amused but as Steph found out she has cancer and slowly started getting worse I found myself accepting
The story and I was ready for a tearful cancer caused death akin to Belle on Home and Away. Only Marquess had other plans, thus we got Inferno week. the character of Steph was finally going to make her mark as she jumped into the flames and saved the lives of Amy Barnes and her two childeren. Only when it came time for Steph to save herself she decide she had enough and told Gilly to let her go. Ar that point tears were flowing down my eyes, "No, Steph Don't!!!" I shouted, praying that Gilly would find a way to save her, but it was too late, Steph was gone.
These scenes were brilliant, by far my favorite soap death that I have seen, and it made me proud to be a hollyoaks fan, and that is something I have not been able to say in a very long time.
Then we have the amazing Jasmine/Jason storyline. This is a brilliant start to a transgender story that has the potential to go either way. Rhys and Jaquie's slow building romance has been cute and Ste and Brendan heartbreaking.
I have generally loved this show and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Are you enjoying Hollyoaks? What about the marquess era are you loving?
20 December 2010
Pod 4 The Cause - Interviews
Yesterday @destini41 held the Pod 4 The Cause event - for American Cancer Society. The interviews include Liz Keifer, Jerry verDorn, Jessica Leccia, Kim Zimmer, Beth Chamberlin, Jordan Clark, Bradley Cole, and so many more. You can listen to the event here, or head over to the youtube page here.
Is Product Placement Coming To a UK Soap Near You?
The Balkan Reveal and Random GH Thoughts
19 December 2010
Bombhead is Back! Lee Otway Returning to Hollyoaks
Kara Toinon Wins Strictly Come Dancing
Former EastEnders star Kara Toinon (Dawn) has won the 2010 fall edition of Strictly Come Dancing! As a fan of her acting I am pleased to see her win, but to those of you who watched Strictly this season was this a well deserved win or not? Let me know in the comments.
Why contract negotiations are killing daytime
So what could writers and show runners do to improve this situation? First it is well and truly time to treat viewers with a shred of respect and write the characters out in a way that would honor their history on the show. By simply doing that you would have a lot more fans on the edge of their seats, than watching characters act out of their normal behavior.
Actors on the other hand need to also realize that this is not the hayday of soaps anymore so they cannot be running around making outrageous demands like they are bringing in the tens of millions of viewers way back when.
Anyways I was just rather frustrated with the whole situation that had gone on in 2010, and I do not want to have another 'kishtatrophy' on our hands. What are your thoughts on the contract situation of 2010? Did you enjoy any of the exits / returns ? Who would you have kept if possible? And who would you not want to return in the future ? Let me know in the comments bellow.
Shortland Street in 2011
The New Zealand hit soap Shortland Street is taking a page out of Home and Away's "Bay Of Love" promo and giving its viewers a light hearted look into the following year with the tag line "Who would you have a summer fling with?"
18 December 2010
Why I Am Looking Forward to Home and Away in 2011
It is really hard to be positive about the Australian series Home and Away after the lack luster 2010 season, but it looks like my earlier assumptions were right and that 2011 is going to turn everything around.
Hey AMC Bring On The "Cake"
31 October 2010
Ratings for the week October 18-22, 2010
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,862,000 (-169,000/-192,000)
2. B&B 3,187,000 (-28,000/-54,000)
3. DAYS 2,531,000 (+118,000/-471,000)
4. GH 2,380,000 (-144,000/-185,000)
5. OLTL 2,354,000 (-97,000/-138,000)
6. AMC 2,309,000 (-101,000/-361,000)
HH
1. Y&R 3.4/12 (-.1/-.3) <- ties low rating (Last time: July 26-30, 2010)
2. B&B 2.3/8 (same/-.1)
3. DAYS 1.9/6 (+.1/-.3)
4. GH 1.8/6 (-.1/-.1)
5. AMC 1.7/6 (-.1/-.3) <- ties low rating (Last time: September 20-24, 2010)
5. OLTL 1.7/6 (-.1/-.2)
Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,011,000 (-42,000/-129,000)
2. GH 742,000 (-89,000/-101,000)
3. DAYS 652,000 (-31,000/-215,000)
4. B&B 632,000 (-18,000/-75,000)
5. OLTL 625,000 (-61,000/-85,000)
6. AMC 551,000 (-66,000/-184,000)
Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.5/10 (-.1/-.2) <- ties low rating (Last time: October 4-8, 2010)
2. GH 1.1/7 (-.2/-.2) <- ties low rating (Last time: June 28 – July 2, 2010)
3. DAYS 1.0/7 (same/-.3)
3. B&B 1.0/6 (same/-.1)
5. OLTL 0.9/6 (-.1/-.2) <- ties low rating (Last time: July 12-16, 2010)
6. AMC 0.8/6 (-.1/-.3) <- ties low rating (Last time: June 21-25, 2010)
All ratings are Live+Same Day DVR viewing.
Source: Soap Opera Network
30 October 2010
How To Save Neighbours
Melissa Evans , Doug Harris, Nick Nixon, and Mark Brennan.
Neighbours hits all time ratings low
Why I Love Hollyoaks
"At last... at last he understands!" "Im sorry everyone knows, I am sorry that everyone can see you for the two timing lying little toe rag you really are, I am sorry I ruined your selfish little plans, Im sorry that I forced you to face up to the fact that you get off on undressing boys as well as girls, but I am not sorry for any of that! you caused that, no one else you! You had everything you own way hadn't you?, telling her you loved her, telling me you loved me, I mean playing these games with us, well now you have to deal with the consequences"
17 October 2010
Memorable Soap Deaths 3
Well...we're baaaaaaack! Here are some of our readers' picks!
1. Death By Plaster: Jeremy Hunter, Loving (formerly of All My Children)
Erica's Evil Twin cited the death of Jeremy Hunter (Jean LeClerc) as one of the most memorable, and silliest, soap deaths. In 1995, Loving was cancelled (spinned off as the ill-fated The City) and the final storyline featured a serial killer bumping off a good chunk of the cast (geez, I'm thankful the GL and ATWT finales were better than that!) One of the victims was former Pine Valley/AMC resident Jeremy Hunter, suffering a truly weird and surreal death! Campy and Hilarious or Just Plain Stupid? You be the judge!
(skip to 7:32 for Jeremy's death in all its slo-mo glory and make sure to watch until the end so you don't miss his 'body' being discovered!)
2. Too Young To Die: Cassie Newman, The Young and the Restless
Inbal, Imgoodbackup and Pam all cited the 2005 death of Cassie Newman (Camryn Grimes) on Y&R as a memorable soap death. I have to agree! Not only was this incredibly sad, but it was shocking! She was a Newman heir (though not biologically), a popular character played by a popular actress who we watched grow up onscreen, and she was soooo young! I still feel that killing her off was a mistake, but the emotional impact of her death is undeniable. I cried hysterically when this first aired, and it still hits me hard when I watch it now! Brilliantly acted, written and edited...get your tissues out:
3. Shot and Dropped From a Cliff, Roger Meets His Maker: Roger Thorpe, Guiding Light
Pam picked Roger's 1980 "death" in Santo Domingo as her most memorable soap death. I never saw it originally, but had a blast watching it on YouTube! Roger is dragging poor Holly through the jungle as Ed and Mike (who??) chase after them. One thing leads to another, and the dastardly Roger finally gets what's coming to him...or so viewers thought. I love the sparks between Maureen Garrett and Michael Zaslow - whether Holly and Roger were hating each other or loving each other - Maureen and Michael were always magic!
(RIP Michael Zaslow - one of the greats, he'll never be forgotten)
Any other Memorable Soap Deaths that broke your heart, shocked you, or just made you giggle? Let us know!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
16 October 2010
He Said/She Said: As the World Turns
03 October 2010
He Said/ She Said - As The World Turns Final Week - Part 1
To read my thoughts on the final episode click here, and to read Melanie*SoapOperaBabble*daisyclover1938 (.... She could not possibly pick a longer username could she?) click here.
Let's tackle the good first shall we?
Jack and Carly Got Married!
So within the final days of world turns, the fan favorite coupling of Jack and Carly reunited and got married one final time. The wedding was nice, simple, and brought closure to the CarJack coupling's story.
The wedding also brought the character of Parker full circle as he announced (with the help of Margo) that he was going to join the academy and follow in his father / stepfathers footsteps.
Another good storyline for the week was Katie and Chris's relationship, it was nice to see the two of them happy and for Katie to get her happily ever after that she has always deserved.
See Mel, I can do nice! I can, really! But um now let's get onto the bad.
No returns!
Okay let's see, we have a 54 year old show, with hundreds of people going through the doors to Oakdale, and you are telling me we cannot have ANY returns within the final week? Not even for CarJack's wedding? I mean even at the end of Guiding Light they recast Payton and brought her on, but we cannot get a recast J.J?
There were so many little characters and little moments that could have brought up so much history and tied things together so much nicer. Why didn’t Daniel return and have the past between Emily and Tom winked at while Emily is getting ready to marry Paul. Or we could have had a recast Liza, or seen Johnny, or any of the little kids in Oakdale for that matter.
Oh but we did see the kids you say, we saw Recast Hope and Recast Liberty….And that brings me to my next point. WHY DID WE NEED THEM? I am sorry, I know that they didn’t really want to kill off the character of Liberty after having just killed off her father. But the death would have been so much more memorable and made so much more sense then recasting the character with someone we didn’t care about so to have a plot device and suck up more airtime that could have been devoted to other things. Then we have Nu-Hope……again what was the point? The character lusted after her cousin and made a fool out of herself while she was busy worrying about reuniting mom and dad….then at the end of the day she made no real contribution to the story what-so-ever.
But hey, at least we got to have Martha Byrne back for…oh wait we didn’t, we got to see Holden and Lily reunite a little but no real closure whatso ever. And that is just bull crap. I am sorry it is, they could have easily brought Rose either back from the dead, or as a ghost and helped wrap up the storylines while giving the fans one last good-bye to an actress that they loved.
There was NO HAPPY ending for 'Nuke'?
Okay are you serious P&G? Out of all the characters you gave unbelievable endings to, the only one you decided to happily forget is the one who happens to be a homosexual? Wow there is no horrible discrimination here at all is there? I didn’t need to see an ‘instant’ relationship, but why couldn’t Noah have called Luke and invited him to come down to LA for a bit, and their last scene been a reuniting kiss?
To Big of a focus on Janet -
I love Janet, I love the actress and all of her hard work, but I did not need for the entire final week of World turns to be about her and her baby! There was other things we could have focuses on had we simply wrapped up that storyline on Monday and moved on with things. But that was not going to happen, we instead got Janet and Dusty EVERY SINGLE DAY. While I understand that the storyline was a part of ATWT's history and needed to be wrapped up nicely, you could tell that the writers were trying to force the storyline, and that is why for me at least it fell flat.
Anyways that's my take on the final week, look for Mel's posting soon as we continue to discuss the ending to a fantastic show.
This is Coronation Street: The 1st 5 Episodes
First up: This is Coronation Street: The First 5 Episodes
Here's what I do know: the show premiered on December 9, 1960, in B&W, airing two evenings a week. From what I could tell in the first 5 episodes, the show is set in a working class town and deals with the lives of the various people who live on Coronation Street. A nice surprise at the end of two episodes is the camera panning down the street, listing the actors credits in front of their characters' homes - a fun way of letting the audience know where the characters live in relation to one another.
I enjoyed these episodes tremendously and found myself disappointed that I could never watch the rest of the show. Within just a few episodes I began caring about these characters and wanting to know what ended up happening to them - though the dvd features 'Character Profiles' which answered some of my questions (it includes character bios, years they appeared on the show, and their various addresses during their time on the show.)
As most of you may know, there is only one actor who has stayed with the show through its entire run: William Roache (as Ken Barlow). 50 years of playing the same character is not unheard of (Don Hastings was Dr. Bob Hughes continuously for 50 years on ATWT), but it's impressive nonetheless. From what I've read on wiki, the character is considered a bore, but I was intrigued by him. What I liked about these first 5 episodes is that it dealt with realistic problems: difficulty in marriages, a mother dealing with a son just out of prison, romantic woes, and most intriguing, University student Ken's conflicting feelings regarding his working class roots. While being close to his family, and not wanting to be ashamed of where he comes from, you can tell there's a desire to break free and pursue a more intellectual and prosperous life. How ironic then that out of everyone, it would be Ken who remained on Coronation Street for his entire life.
Thanks for reading my Coronation Street babbling! I highly recommend this dvd to Soapies with an interest in soap history. I'll be watching the other dvds as well. Next up will be This is Coronation Street: The Anniversary Special. (FYI: The Anniversary Special and The First 5 Episodes are actually part of a 2 disc collection under the name This is Coronation Street, however, Netflix has them listed separately.)
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
01 October 2010
Emmerdale Thoughts + Tram Crash Promo!
*Takes a deep breath* Oh lord in the morning, it looks like Emmerdale (ED) is stealing a page out of the As The World Turns playbook and is going to run over the poor little gay boy with a train... -.- But let's just hope he gets a nice road to recovery shall we? (This is nothing confirmed or spoiler, simply my thoughts).
But even with that beyond stupd plot point, I mean SERIOUSLY!, I am loving Emmerdale, even more so then Coronation Street and even Home and Away!!!!! Yes I said it, I am loving the rural soap more then my all time favorite Australian sudser! But that is only because Home and Away doesn’t even know where it is at the moment.
So what is it about ED that keeps me coming back for more? Well I have already listed most of it before in my Am I really enjoing Emmerdale? Post, but I have to admit I am really getting sucked into Aaron (Danny Miller) and Jackson’s (Marc Silcock) story! It is what One Life To Live’s Kish should have been, it is well acted, well portrayed, and lacks most of the outragous plot points that found its way into the Kish storyline…I said most…
Anyways Emmerdale has quickly become appointment TV and I know I will be glued to my screen to see who they run over in the explosive game changing episode.
Are you going to be tuning in? Are you enjoing Emmerdale? Let me know in the comments below.
EastEnders Janine Going to be Nastier Than Ever Before!
"She will turn into the nastiest bitch you can ever imagine. She does some really awful things."
25 September 2010
Latest Soap Ratings: Sept 13 - 17, 2010
Credit Soap Opera Network
September 13 - September 17, 2010
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 5,048,000 (-69,000/+46,000)
2. B&B 3,193,000 (-58,000/-153,000)
3. GH 2,641,000 (-101,000/-61,000)
4. ATWT 2,593,000 (+18,000/+105,000)
5. DAYS 2,510,000 (+16,000/-360,000)
6. AMC 2,387,000 (-81,000/-211,000)
7. OLTL 2,327,000 (-130,000/-236,000)
HH
1. Y&R 3.5/13 (same/-.1)
2. B&B 2.3/8 (same/-.1)
3. GH 2.0/7 (same/same)
4. ATWT 1.9/7 (same/+.1)
5. DAYS 1.8/7 (same/-.3) <- ties low rating (11th straight week)
5. AMC 1.8/6 (-.1/-.1)
5. OLTL 1.8/6 (same/-.2)
For Demographic breakdowns, Day-To-Day and Seasonal numbers, visit Soap Opera Network
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
He Said/She Said: As the World Turns
I agree with some of John's observations: the happy endings did seem forced and rushed, and the Reid/Luke/Noah fans were cheated. But generally, I liked the last episode. I cried, I laughed, and I enjoyed all the performances. Not to mention the fact that I got what I'd been wanting desperately for years - John and Lucinda together again!!! I was also moved by Bob's narration (which seemed very Our Town-ish to me). Call me corny, but I liked the happy endings - it's what we fans wish for our favorites, and it's something we can only get when a show ends. Most of all, I liked that the show's finale was really about what soaps should always be about: Love, Family & Friends, and Community.
I didn't love everything though. I was shocked that Eileen Fulton was relegated to what was essentially a cameo appearance, it did seem rushed (as if TPTB just ran out of time and quickly slapped something together at the last minute), not enough interactions between the characters, too many of whom seemed to exist in their own little bubble (Paul and Emily, for instance), not enough returns, and I was hoping for lots of clips. Most of all, it was heartbreaking that Martha Byrne wasn't there. Noelle Beck is a fine actress, but not having Byrne resume her signature role as Lily was criminal and a real slap in the face to the actress and her fans.
All that said, I found the final episode to be satisfying. Sure, it could have been better but I'm hesitant in being too critical because 1) I don't know what kind of restrictions TPTB were working under and 2) It seems useless to pick on a show that's gone now, went out on a high note, and I found to be more entertaining than most of the other soaps still on the air.
So these are my initial reactions. Look for SoapWikiJohn and I to get into a more detailed discussion about ATWT in the upcoming weeks! I know I plan on discussing: my beloved Reid & LuRe, CarJack/Janet/Dusty, favorite stories/characters, and stuff I hated. And I'm sure SoapWikiJohn and I are going to do lots of arguing!!
Thanks for reading! We'd love to hear what you think!
-Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
23 September 2010
The Great As The World Turns He Said - She Said Debate Part 1 - Initial Reactions- The He Said Version
Welcome one and all to a good ol' fashion "He Said" vs. "She Said" debate! Me and our Melanie will be tackling the end of As the World Turns, in which we will debating the finer points to the final months of this groundbreaking soap opera and how it's executive producers, writers, and cast decided to handle the daunting task of ending such a epic show.
Since our Mel isn't quite ready yet I am going to take it upon myself to start off the debate.
In part 1 of our debate we will simply be tackling our 'initial reactions' to the series finale.
Initial Reaction To The Finale-
After finishing the final episode of World Turns I could not help but grasp that the show was 'really' over. The final story thread of Bob Hughes, played by actor Don Hastings, retiring and narrating his final day was the most brilliant decision that TPTB made when planning the final episode. But unfortunately for me, I found the rest of the episode to be very bland.
When discussing the Guiding Light finale many fans speculated that there was a giant list created to which Ellen Wheeler simply checked off as the episode progressed. I kinda got the exact same feeling from the As The World Turns Finale. That someone had a mandated list of 'things that HAD to happen' and that is why everything was forced into nice little bubble.
The most shocking thing about the finale however was lack of closure for the 'gay' storyline. As I will get to in a moment, the Luke, Noah, Reid storyline was botched in what appeared to be an attempt to give the 'Nuke' fans a happy ending. Only that 'ending' did not appear on screen. While EVERYONE else in Oakdale seemed to be given a happy ending, Luke was left by his lonesome, mourning the death of his boyfriend Reid.
I have come to accept the loss of ATWT, but that does not in anyway negate the fact that the show had it's issues.
So there you have part 1 in our hopefully on-going debate about the end of World Turns! Look for the 'She Said' edition soon, followed by part 2 in which we tackle some of the more gritty details of the shows ending.
17 September 2010
Latest Soap Ratings: Sept 6 - 10, 2010
Credit Soap Opera Network
September 6 - September 10, 2010
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 5,117,000 (+144,000/+119,000)
2. B&B 3,251,000 (+107,000/+21,000)
3. GH 2,742,000 (+82,000/-45,000)
4. ATWT 2,575,000 (+207,000/+227,000)
5. DAYS 2,494,000 (+51,000/-226,000)
6. AMC 2,468,000 (+48,000/+7,000)
7. OLTL 2,457,000 (+82,000/-22,000)
HH
1. Y&R 3.5/12 (same/-.1)
2. B&B 2.3/8 (+.1/-.1)
3. GH 2.0/6 (+.1/-.1)
4. AMC 1.9/7 (+.1/same)
4. ATWT 1.9/6 (+.2/+.1)
6. OLTL 1.8/6 (+.1/-.1)
6. DAYS 1.8/6 (same/-.2) <- ties low rating (10th straight week)
Women 18-49 Viewers
1. Y&R 1,108,000 (+96,000/-15,000)
2. GH 966,000 (+85,000/+35,000)
3. OLTL 714,000 (+57,000/-34,000)
4. B&B 711,000 (+74,000/+12,000)
5. DAYS 706,000 (+28,000/-63,000)
6. ATWT 620,000 (+84,000/+64,000)
7. AMC 599,000 (+6,000/-58,000)
Women 18-49 Rating
1. Y&R 1.7/11 (+.2/same)
2. GH 1.5/9 (+.2/+.1)
3. DAYS 1.1/7 (+.1/-.1)
3. OLTL 1.1/7 (+.1/same)
3. B&B 1.1/7 (+.1/same)
6. ATWT 0.9/6 (+.1/+.1)
6. AMC 0.9/6 (same/-.1)
Girls 12-17 Viewers
1. GH 50,000 (+8,000/-2,000)
2. Y&R 48,000 (-1,000/+35,000)
3. OLTL 46,000 (+20,000/+14,000)
4. ATWT 36,000 (-1,000/+31,000)
5. AMC 27,000 (+13,000/+16,000)
6. B&B 24,000 (-9,000/+7,000)
7. DAYS 17,000 (+8,000/-2,000)
Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 1.0/7 (+.1/-.2)
1. GH 1.0/6 (+.1/same)
3. DAYS 0.8/5 (same/-.1)
4. OLTL 0.7/5 (+.1/-.2)
4. B&B 0.7/4 (+.1/-.1)
6. ATWT 0.6/4 (+.1/same)
7. AMC 0.5/4 (same/-.3) <- ties low rating (3rd straight week)
Men 18+ Viewers
1. Y&R 1,185,000 (+62,000/-13,000)
2. B&B 719,000 (+46,000/+65,000)
3. DAYS 549,000 (-4,000/-10,000)
4. ATWT 522,000 (+62,000/+106,000)
5. AMC 499,000 (+28,000/+21,000)
6. GH 495,000 (-8,000/-7,000)
7. OLTL 444,000 (-4,000/+22,000)
For Day-To-Day and Seasonal numbers, go to Soap Opera Network
- Melanie/SoapOperaBabble/daisyclover1938
(ATWT finale starts in a half an hour - *sniff* *sniff*)
15 September 2010
Random Thoughts on General Hospital
I know there are a lot of M&M haters out there, but dang it unless they are going to make the move back to Salem, I am perfectly fine with my redux here. With that said, I do kinda wish the story was better written. Why is Matt on Lisa's side? Why are they not building up a big love story with heartache and twist and turns like the old days... instead its doing it in the hall closet... ugh.
Kat and Alfie Return To EastEnders Promo
EastEnders fan favories Kat and Alfie are about to return. Will the square ever be the same again?
Are you looking forward to their return? If so why? what is it about Kat and Alfie that make the fans go crazy?
Wishful Returns- Gemma Bissix as EastEnders Clare Bates
New Hollyoaks Opening Sequence
So what do you think of the long awaited brand new Hollyoaks opening? I think it is much better then I expected and it is really fitting for the new era of Paul M.
The Road To Coronation Street Promo
BBC's retelling of the behind the scenes story of Coronation Street airs tomorrow, but until then check out the promo above.
14 September 2010
Quick Thoughts On Home and Away and Why I am sticking With it.
10 September 2010
Who Pushed Paul? And Other Random Neighbours Thoughts
So Paul Robinson got pushed off the balcony and I finally realized just "WHY" Neighbours had to recast the role of Declan.
Prior to this episode (and news coming out that Neighbours actually wrote storylines out and had been filming scenes as early as last November!) I was completely against the recasting of Declan, but now that I finally see the point I guess I will ease up a tiny bit on the 'Declan' hate. With that said I still hope that Declan was the one to push Paul, thus getting this actor off my screen.
So who do I think pushed him? I really do think it was Declan, he had the motice, the writers have a reason to get rid of him, and it all really fits, otherwise it is probably going to turn out to be some nobody and we will all be left with a pointless storyline.
The 'Dingo' wedding was sweet, but again kinda pointless knowing what is coming up 'contract status' wise. If the two of them were staying I think the Scott/Charlene redux might have worked, but now I think it was to much, to fast and it just didn't work.
As for the rest of the show... let's see-
Harry's coming out storyline has been alright, I think it is a little dull at points, but it is a lot more 'realistic' then say Sophie and Sian's on Coronation Street. *Ducks from angry commentors*.
Overall I am really still enjoying Neighbours. It does have issues, like you know CONTINUITY!, but compared to Home and Away I am really enjoying Neighbours and I look forward to seeing where the show will go in the coming months, and with the transition to Eleven.
So what are your thoughts on Neighbours? Let me know in the comments below.
08 September 2010
EastEnders Ryan and Janine: Married At LAST!
After a long soapy drawn out wedding and game of 'will they, won't they' Ryan Malloy and Janine Butcher FINALLY tied the not on yesterday's installment of Eastenders.
Are you happy the two finally said "I do" , and better yet do you think the marriage will last? Let me know your thought in the comments bellow.
The Battle Of The Drug Abuse Storylines: EastEnders vs. Emmerdale
This week on EastEnders, Phil Mitchell’s brand new drug addiction *cough* PLOT DEVICE *cough* will have dire consequences as he causes the Queen Victoria to burn to the ground in a storyline that will result in Barbra Windsor’s exiting from her iconic role as Peggy Mitchell.
With both EastEnders and Emmerdale doing big drug storylines at the same time it is interesting to compare and contrast the major differences between the two and how they are both unfolding.
On Emmerdale Holly Burton’s drug storyline began as a slow building storyline that has only recently hit the fan as everyone found out Holly’s miss doings when she left a little bit of her ‘stuff’ behind at a baby-sitting job for the local Vic. Yea doing drugs in a house with kids is bad, doing drugs in a house with kids for the local preacher is probably the stupidest thing you could do.
Anyways the storyline continued to fall out with Holly running away from home, leaving her family to believe she was dead in a ditch somewhere. Now Holly has returned home one last time to pick up the rest of her personal items while the rest of the family is out, only her little sister Hannah appeared before she was able to leave. Holly was able to escape and the Burton’s now know that at least their daughter is alive… for now.
Over on EastEnders, Phil had lost everything. His son Ben was sent to prison, after following in his father’s footsteps. Then his little girl was ripped from his hands by his own MOTHER and given away to the person who stole her in the first place.
So first Phil did what any alcoholic would do, he turned to the booze! But hey that doesn’t numb the pain enough, thus he hooked up with some Branning trailer trash and all the sudden became a junkie! Now Phil has a case of the munchies and cannot wait for his next hit.
While the spiraling disaster that is Phil Mitchell’s life is an accurate presentation of what someone would do given his situation, it is hard not to notice that everything that went wrong in his life was all done as a plot device to get to the point that will deliver Peggy Mitchell’s final moments on the square.
Now with that said which drug storyline are you enjoying the most? Do you disagree that Phil’s is very plot driven, whereas Holly’s is character? Let me know what you think in the comments below.