Daytime Soaps

[Honeybee]

I know they are still thriving in other countries, but the daytime soaps are dying in the US. All My Children & One Life to Live are now officially gone, plans to keep them alive on the internet have fallen apart.

I admit I haven't watched a soap regularly since the 90s, but I caught a bit of Days of Our Lives yesterday. Some of the old favorites are still on, they are doing a coming out story with Sami's son Will (with the out and proud son of Adrienne & Justin as his love interest), Jack & Jennifer's daughter Abby is after the older Austin and Maggie and Victor are married. It was fun to see an episode after about ten years. I expect in ten years time they will all be gone.

Anyone else watch daytime drama?

[Mr Smith]

I watch a soap opera here in the UK called Eastenders. It's my guilty pleasure, but my mother has watched this show my whole life so I kind of grew up with it. I haven't been able to watch it lately though, because I kind of pick it up as and when it's on TV and we have no license right now. I could watch it on BBC iplayer, but it's not the same.

I have very little experience with American soaps, however, though I have seen Dallas since my mother owns most of it on DVD.

[Honeybee]

They are reviving Dallas - with Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy - and two young handsome actors playing their sons, who are continuing the family rivalry.

[EntAllat]

There was a brief six month period in college when I watched a soap opera regularly. Our university had several TV lounges that were popular with the students and for some reason, one particular soap in the lounge I frequented ended up with a regular following - guys and girls alike! In fact, as I recall, soaps were really popular on my college campus around that time. And it wasn't just a "chick thing".

I don't remember what the name of the particular was, but it's notable for another reason - there was young actress who we all thought was pretty damn good for her age. It was Ming Na, who later ended up in ER, Eureka and Stargate:Universe.

I've also seen a lot of bits and pieces of telenovelas, since they're always on in the Tex-Mex restaurants I go to. One of the admin assistants in my tech department used to watch one regularly during her lunch breaks (she had a TV on her desk) and tell us everything that was happening in it.

[Honeybee]

I think that was As The World Turns, which I never watched but it launched the careers of Julianne Moore and Meg Ryan as well.

[Mr Smith]

They are reviving Dallas - with Larry Hagman and Patrick Duffy - and two young handsome actors playing their sons, who are continuing the family rivalry.

Are they really reviving Dallas? My lord, I wonder how bad it will be.

[Honeybee]

Behold the extended "sneak peek":

http://www.tnt.tv/series/dallas/?SR=sr3_644412_go

Actually, the young actor playing JR's son looks to be pretty good - the rest, well, you know.

[Kathy Rose]

My mother used to watch "General Hospital" every day, so I go to know those characters pretty well back then. Then, when I was home when my kids were small, "All My Children" and episodes of TNG were the only things that kept me sane.

[Glory1863]

I got hooked on One Life to Live and General Hospital while watching it with my mom and grandma. I'm old enough to remember when Tommy Lee Jones was a young, badass intern on One Life to Live. That was WAY before he was chasing Harrison Ford in The Fugitive. My favorite soap, though, has got to be Dark Shadows. There's nothing like the trials and tribulations of a vampire and the witch (literally) who wanted to marry him! And no, Barnabas didn't "sparkle."

[Kylah618]

I've watched Days of our Lives off and on since I was a kid. My mom has always watched it, and so I did too. When I was off of work and on maternity leave after having my son, I also got hooked on General Hospital. I DVR'ed it faithfully for a year, but a couple of months ago gave it up. But I still catch them both every once in a while if I'm working from home, just for some background noise while I work.