Did you ever watch Soap Operas as a young person or an adult? What was your favorite? Mine was The Guiding Light.

[debm55]

Thinking back they so cheesy

[viva la]

1. One Life to Live

In college, a group of us used to meet in the student lounge and watch it. The staff would often wander by and watch for awhile.

[debm55]

3. I came home from Junior High and High School and was able to watch The Guiding Light. Didn't watch in colloege except on

breaks. I was looking around on my tablet and found that some are still there,

[viva la]

13. In high school, I used to watch with my mom.

I think that soap was actually a legacy to me.

[debm55]

16. Thank you, Sorry about your mom. May she RIP

[whathehell]

102. Same here, although

I started earlier, in elementary.

[CrispyQ]

2. Days of Our Lives back with Marlena & Roman, & Kimberly & Shane.

I enjoyed it for about a year but the story just moved too slow.

[debm55]

5. Agree and the writting was;t the best in the world.

[mucifer]

164. very true. But, they must have put weird drugs in that show. I was addicted.

[debm55]

166. That is funny TY

[hlthe2b]

4. College: "Young and the Restless."

My sister watched a bunch of them and my late mother watched "As the World Turns."

I still read Y&R online summaries every once and a while, to see if the characters are still among those I remember--yup they largely are. LOL

[debm55]

6. Young and the Restless and the spin off Bold and the Beautiful.

[YorkRd]

7. Some of the hottest actresses ever

Cindy Pickens and Michelle Forbes

[debm55]

8. What soap were they on?

[ms liberty]

19. Guiding Light - they were

Cindy Pickett was Jackie Marler Spaulding and Michelle Forbes was Solita, she was married to Josh who met her while he was lost and believed dead in the South American jungle or something. He married her and brought her back with him and then there was some side storyline about her twin Sunny or something? It was yet another keep Reva and Josh apart storyline. I don't remember Jackie Marler Spaulding or her storyline at all, but I remember the actress really well.

[debm55]

23. I don't remember them, but it could be I was at college, Oh yes Josh an Reva---the never ending story,

[True Blue American]

184. I loved it when Josh showed up

On the Young and Restless but he only signed on for 6 months. Teased he might be back.

Any one remember Asa, Clint and, Bo, the Buchanan? Clint married Vicki!

[debm55]

186. I remember the Buchanan clan---Asa was the dad, Josh was good on the eyes

Didn't like how they dragged the Josh and Reva story line on--seemed like forever. I started to lose interest in it.

[True Blue American]

189. Bo Buchanan

Rober Woods. One Life To Live

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_S._Woods

Josh Lewis

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guiding_Light

2 different shows.

[debm55]

192. OMG I must have watched One Life to Live or I should say my brother did because Asa married this young blond girl. Then

What other western families became characters on soaps? I guess it was because of Dallas. I rerember the blond died in the arms of her true love who was a policeman, Well , dag nam it, I thought Josh was Asa: s son and I must have watched OLTL

[ms liberty]

11. Cindy Pickett, I think you mean?

[rsdsharp]

176. Ferris Bueller's mother?

[ms liberty]

177. Yes, she was. Had to look it up to be sure!

[Deep State Witch]

18. Michelle Forbes

Is my girl-crush, ever since she played Sonni/Solida on GL.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. College dorms were hooked on General Hospital

but it was a fad for me.....

[debm55]

12. I never liked General Hospital, plus it was on opposite of The Guiding Light

[TexasBushwhacker]

49. Yeah, the ABC soaps were on at our dorm

Ryan's Hope, All My Children and General Hospital. It was back in the "Luke and Laura" days. When I scheduled my classes around them one semester I quit them, COLD TURKEY!

[debm55]

50. So did I, I remember the Luke and Laura days I didn't watch General Hospital but you couldn't miss the circus over it.

Didn;t he rape her? Wht=y would she marry him?

[TexasBushwhacker]

136. He did rape her

He was drunk and seems to regret it afterwards.

?si=k02MT9_wh-a4gkUg

Reading up on it, Luke's character was supposed to be killed off, but when the producers saw the chemistry between them was off the charts, they decided to keep him around and rework the plot. On soap operas, ANYTHING can happen.

[debm55]

171. I only watched the first year it was on. To me, from the clip, Luke is a stalker, criminal, psychotic and a rapist. And

their marriage was such a big thing back then? I would have had his ass in jail. I didn't see this until you posted. How did that backtrack this scene?

[TexasBushwhacker]

175. You would now, but 41 years ago you might not have

This clip is from 1979. The term "date rape" didn't even come into use until the late 80s. But keep in mind, when it comes to soap opera writing, anything goes - secret twins, mistaken parentage, "it was all a dream".

Wikipedia has a good rundown of the whole Luke and Laura saga:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_and_Laura

[debm55]

178. Thank you.

[AllaN01Bear]

10. tried to but,,,,,

. they used to be on the radio also and were just as bad according to my mom.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap_opera
from what i gather the word came from when soap cos owned them and the hour that the programs came on ie brought to u by tide laundry soap.

[debm55]

14. That's interesting -so that's how they got their name "soap' operas. ty

[Deep State Witch]

15. Loved GL!

I started in the Morgan-Nola-Kelly days. I got to meet John Wesley Shipp a few years ago. He's a great guy. I told him that I had such a crush on him in junior high, and he laughed. He would fit in well here on DU, too. He's a progressive.

[debm55]

20. That was the best when they did those Broadway productions on the show, Kevin Bacon was on it too. Loved Nola

[Deep State Witch]

22. JWS Shared A Dressing Room With Kevin Bacon

Back in those days. He told the audience that we all have a Bacon number of 2.

[debm55]

25. That's funny

[whathehell]

51. Wow..Do you remember Papa Bauer

and his daughter, Maida?

I'd guess not, though I recall them, as a kid watching with my mother.

[debm55]

54. Yes, I do That was when the started and a 15 minute time period and shared the other 15 with Search for Tomorrow. Wasn't

his daughter Berta? Omg I am old.

[whathehell]

64. Wow...Yes, early on.

My mom was a devoted follower of Guiding Light, Search for Tomorrow (Joanne Tate) and Love of Life (Vanessa Sterling).
Berta Bauer DOES sound familiar..Not sure if she was a daughter or some other relation, but I remember Maida
..Talk about "old', lol..We're probably quite close in age.

.

[debm55]

68. I am 68. Berta was the mother of the two Bauer boy Mike Bauer and forget the other's name. and the whole clan of Bauer

kids.

[Different Drummer]

89. Mike's brother was named Ed.

[debm55]

118. Thanks.

[whathehell]

93. Oh, I got you beat by 6 years

at 74. Your memory may be better than mine, too, as I don't recall
the Bauer kids or those 15 minute episodes, though I have heard of them.

The most iconic aspect of the old soaps for me was the organ music struck at the end of all segments right before the commercial. That, and the oft repeated line: "Well, don't blame YOURSELF, John" (Bruce, Bob, Whoever ) All hillarious in retrospect

[NewDayOranges]

17. All My Children, The Doctors, One Life to Live...

General Hospital, Days of Our Lives...

Then, in 1985, I got a real life of my own!

[debm55]

21. So very true, TY

[sanatanadharma]

24. Mom was watching "As the World Turns" when I came home from school in the 50's

Probably explains my current proclivity for collecting world globes.

[debm55]

26. HAHAHA /funny

[Ritabert]

27. Used to watch All My Children

...and One Life to Live on summer vacation when I was teaching. Still watch OLTL alum Nathan Fillion on "The Rookie."

[debm55]

29. I taught so I watched on summer breaks.

Last edited Thu Jan 11, 2024, 02:06 PM - Edit history (1)

[Rebl2]

48. Summer breaks.

[debm55]

134. yes

[Ritabert]

69. It was the only time I watched

This was pre-VCR so I couldn't tape them.

[debm55]

135. Same here

[ms liberty]

28. All the CBS soaps, with one exception that I remember

My mom would have the soaps on during the day while she did housework, and so I have a lot of memories.
Love of Life, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns, Guiding Light, Edge of Night, (It moved at some point over to ABC), and The Secret Storm. I saw them all, and watched ATWT and GL for so many, many years.
It was either As the World Turns or Guiding Light that was on when Uncle Walter broke in to tell us President Kennedy had been shot and killed. I was 5, and coloring in my coloring books in front of the TV while my mom was washing the living room windows.

[debm55]

36. Wow, You have seen them all. So sorry, the you heard the terrible news of the killing of the President

[True Blue American]

66. I jheard it, too.

Called my neighbor, she did not believe me. Then Walter Cronkite came on, took off his glasses, tears in his eyes, ’ The President is dead!’

[debm55]

70. Sorry for that terrible experience.

[Freddie]

44. It was As the World Turns

Mom was watching.

[debm55]

57. Thank you for sharing,

[True Blue American]

185. As The World Turns

I was in shock when Walter Cronkite, too off his glasses, tears in his eyes, said,” The President is dead!” Gave the time, 2 something..

[debm55]

187. I saw clips of that as I was in 3rd grade

[FalloutShelter]

30. Another World, Ryan's Hope...

All My Children.
I worked in my own business from home and had this on as background noise for years.

[debm55]

37. All My Children with Susan Lucie and her 9 husbands, Used to watch sometmes.Every time I watched she had a different

husband,

[Ritabert]

72. Although I think Jack Montgomery married her twice

He was a glutton for punishment.

[debm55]

59. Thank you for sharing. I watched that too.

[wryter2000]

79. Glad to see another Another Worlder

[debm55]

104. Thank you for sharing with us, wryter2000. You are not alone.

[wryter2000]

191. I still miss Mac and Rachel

Of course, Mac died some time before the soap closed down. But still...

[Laffy Kat]

31. I remember watching "As the World Turns" in my highchair.

It was my mom's don't miss. Later, as a pre-teen, I liked "Love is a Many Splendored Thing".

[debm55]

38. I don't remember watching that one, but I heard of it, TY

[debm55]

137. Was that a soap?

[Laffy Kat]

150. Yes, but it wasn't around all that long, maybe two years or so.

It' was geared towards a younger demographic. It breached some risqué topics for its time, such as rape and abortion.

[Midnight Writer]

32. Dark Shadows.

There was also The Edge Of Night, which was a crime-oriented soap and legal drama started in 1956 and envisioned as a Perry Mason type series.

[Ferryboat]

35. Dark shadows was the start...

Mary Hartman Mary Hartman and Soap.

[debm55]

40. My cousin was a big fan of Dark Shadows.

[JoseBalow]

129. I currently watch Dark Shadows re-runs on Xumo

I've seen all the Dark Shadows movies too!

I'm also a fan of Kolchak: The Night Stalker with Darren McGavin, though that was TV series and not a soap opera, per se.

[debm55]

167. Didn't know they had reruns. TY

[Diamond_Dog]

33. I would come home from high school and watch Young and Restless.

I was home alone for the afternoon so I’d make myself a plate of macaroni and cheese, open a Coke (from a glass bottle, lol) sit in the living room in front of the TV and watch Y and R. Tom Selleck was on there before he got his Magnum P.I. show. Easy on the eyes!

I was flipping through channels last week and came upon Y and R ….Victor and Nikki were still there!

[debm55]

41. I did the same once, Don't those people ever retire???/

[Freddie]

45. I watched in the early 90s and recently resumed when I retired

It was very easy to get back into it because so many of the same characters AND actors are still there! Victor, Nikki, Jack, Nick, Sharon, Phyllis, Lauren, Michael, and recently Christine (Cricket) and Danny came back. Plus their adult children who were born in the meantime. Sadly John Abbott, Katherine Chancellor and Neil Winters have passed, both the characters and actors.

[debm55]

61. Cricket is back!!!! Wasn't her father John Bell the head writter of the show.??????

[True Blue American]

71. Yes,

Doug Davison, Paul Williams. He is gone, but announced he had cancer.

[Different Drummer]

94. Indeed he was!

[Freddie]

127. Yes

He was the writer and creator of the show, he passed away in 2005.

[LakeArenal]

34. All My Children. The best one. Really.

Sooo bummed when replaced with that stupid cooking show.

[debm55]

42. I stopped watching when the rich kid finally married the poor girl from WV and here boat blew up on their honeymoon. I

was PO. And stopped watching.

[3catwoman3]

157. Which characters were these?

I don't remember this story line.

[debm55]

158. Greg from a wealthy family lived in town . Poor girl from WV Jenny captures his heart. Greg;s mother doesn;t like it

and get s girl named Marcie to break it up. Jenny and Jesse a poor African American ran away to NYC. Greg went to NYC to look for them and found them, He married Jenny who had become a model while in NYC. On their honeymoon the Jenny got in a speed boat and it blew up.. The mother of the poor girl became a character on the show. I did an Wiki search on them

[Rebl2]

47. I liked

that cooking show-The Chew. Didn’t care for that one chef that got booted from the show-name doesn’t come to mind right now. Liked Clinton Kelly, Michael Symon and Carla Hall.

[LakeArenal]

63. Mario Bartoli. Something like that.

[debm55]

81. He has a temper. Alot of other cooks don;t like working with him.

[True Blue American]

190. I thought he was fired for hitting on women.

[Rebl2]

124. That's right

Never cared for him

[LakeArenal]

125. This is why he was fired....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/aug/24/mario-batali-settles-sexual-assault-lawsuits

[MorbidButterflyTat]

132. Looks like Slobby

minus the rat corpse on his so-called head.

Rich assholes who won't take fuck off for an answer.

[debm55]

138. He sort of does.

[debm55]

65. What soap did it replace?

[Different Drummer]

96. I am probably Michael Symon's biggest fan.

Love his "Burgers, Brew, and Que" program on The Cooking Channel and, when it's on, I watch "Symon's Suppers Cooking Out."

[Rebl2]

126. Same here

I like his Cooking Out show at his home. Hope it comes back. Also liked his burgers, brews and Q. Like it when he is on Beat Bobby Flay too.

[Ritabert]

73. Agreed. It was my favorite.

[debm55]

83. Thanks for sharing.

[3catwoman3]

156. "The Chew" - even the name was stupid.

It made me think of a wad of tobacco in some toothless dude's cheek.

[Ziggysmom]

39. Do you remember a short lived soap called Capitol during the 80s?

Was maybe on 5 years or less....

[debm55]

43. No I don't remember, What was it about?

[True Blue American]

60. Wasn't Capital

On at night?

Am Watching Young and Restless now. Waiting on Bold and -Beautiful..I could wring Finn’s neck. A brilliant Doctor, taking the word of a stranger who just walked in the door. One, who said,’ He could not prove his his accusation.

[debm55]

62. I did watch those for awhile but gave up. Might give them a look. TY

[Different Drummer]

97. I remember Capitol.

Carolyn Jones was in it. Did she pass away during the show's run?

[Rebl2]

46. All My Children

Didn’t watch it the last ten years it was on though.

[debm55]

84. I watched and I liked it for awhile but lost interest. Thanks for sharing.

[Aristus]

52. No, but my brother and sister and I used to watch the last few minutes of "The Doctors"

with my mother in the summertime, because after her soaps were over, she would take us to the public pool. I still remember the closing music of "The Doctors", and the memory of it reminds me of those exciting summer days as a kid back in the 1970's.

[debm55]

74. Thank you for sharing with us, Aristus. Great post.

[kimbutgar]

53. My favorite was All my Children

Got hooked on it one summer when i was in high school. This was before VCR’s so i only watched it occasionally. When I got my first VCR i taped it everyday. Was so disappointed when they cancelled it and never watch soaps anymore. The closet are those docudramas on ID channel.

I loved Erica Kane.

[Ritabert]

75. My favorite too

[debm55]

77. Wasn't Erica Kane married to 9 guys? I left about the boat explosion of the rich kid's poor wife. It was the story line

for 2 years then they blow up the ship on the honeymoon. Never watched again. I was PO

[True Blue American]

82. Tad, the terrible is now on General Hospital.

Last edited Sat Jan 13, 2024, 02:32 PM - Edit history (1)

The second guy to play
Todd is now Tucker on Young and Restless.

I used to work with Patch’s Mother. she was a Security Guard in Dayton.

[debm55]

85. Thanks for sharing . Erica Kane was a vixen.

[debm55]

103. Thank you for your post. There are a lot of AMC posters here.

[Mad_Dem_X]

55. As a teen, I watched General Hospital...only because

Rick Springfield was on it, and I had a massive crush on him.

[debm55]

56. Yes, he was hot then.

[Mad_Dem_X]

162. Yes, OMG...I wanted to marry him! LOL

[MorbidButterflyTat]

131. Noah Drake!

Everybody had a crush on him!

Edit: Now I have "Jessie's Girl" stuck in my head.

[debm55]

139. Me too.

[ificandream]

58. My girlfriend (now my wife) turned me onto All My Children.

We watched it daily. We even went to a live outdoor event where the actors who played Palmer Cortlandt, Cliff and Nina and Jessie appeared. It was revealed during this event that Phoebe was going to marry a young golddigger, whose name I can't remember, that she'd been hanging around with. I swear the screams that went up from the crowd sounded like The Beatles had just shown up. We were even able to meet and talk with the actors and I took video of the whole thing.

We also watched the other ABC soaps, but All My Chiildren was our favorite. We've found some vintage eps online and they are still fun to watch.

[debm55]

87. There are names I haven't heard in a long time--Palmer ( and his wife that reappeared) Cliff and Nina (and Cliff's son

Bobby, and Jesse. I was totally faithful until that one episode. That was it for me. Thank you for the fun post.

[gibraltar72]

67. The edge of night.

[debm55]

88. I vaguely remember that one. thank you for sharing.

[Different Drummer]

99. I used to watch that occasionally.

Can't remember which network carried it.

[debm55]

117. Thanks

[ProudMNDemocrat]

76. Mine was GENERAL HOSPITAL

When Nurses wore all white snd the Doctors looked like, well Doctors.

[debm55]

107. I remember that. It was a long time ago. There were two nurses that were sisters. I think Lucille was the name of one.

can't remember the other sister's name. I only watched the first season as I went to school the next year. Agree about nurses dressing the same as health aids.. Not to be a snob they all nurses could wear the same colored scrubs.

[blue neen]

142. The other sister was Audrey.

I think she was in love with Dr. Steve Hardy AND Dr. Tom Baldwin!!!!

[debm55]

143. Thank you. I remember Dr Hardy, We did not last long as viewers as GL switched to the sane time period

[wryter2000]

78. Another World

From almost when it started to the very last episode.

[debm55]

122. Thank you wryter2000

[Jilly_in_VA]

80. I totally loved Ryan's Hope

at least in the beginning, when Kate Mulgrew played Mary Ryan. When I was a kid I used to come home from school and watch the one with my mom that was a 15 minute wonder....was it The Guiding Light? With the Dennis family? I've forgotten now. When I was a stay-home mom I watched The Young and the Restless, One life to Live, and General Hospital.

[debm55]

109. And they called the dad --Dah. I remember that. Thank you for sharing.

[highplainsdem]

86. Watched a few episodes of Dark Shadows. Years later I watched a couple of episodes of

The Young And The Restless after discovering Eric Braeden was starring in it. My impression of soap operas, including the prime time soaps like Dallas, was that the actors almost all deserved much better material.

But those shows are popular and profitable.

[debm55]

95. I agree. Never watch any of the night time Soaps. I plain wasn;t interested in them. That whole "Who shot JR?" could

cared less about it or any show that was in fact a spin on the daytime soaps. The daytimes were popular and profitable until more women joined the work force. I know of only two that are still on. The rest--a memory of a different time, Thank you for your post.

[keithbvadu2]

90. I never wanted to watch Hill Street Blues because I figured it was a soap opera. It was.

I never wanted to watch Hill Street Blues because I figured it was a soap opera. It was. I started watching it and loved it.

[mucifer]

165. I liked it when I was young. I tried watching it again recently. It doesn't hold up so well

its very sexist

I did have a huge crush on Belker. Was in high school back then.

[debm55]

168. I agree, Very dated now. TY

Last edited Fri Jan 12, 2024, 04:21 PM - Edit history (1)

[Polly Hennessey]

91. Santa Barbara. I think that was the name. One of the

players was Robin Wright. Soap Operas take too long to come to any solutions. After a few episodes, I find them dreary and boring. I also hate movies/shows with unresolved endings.

[Different Drummer]

100. Santa Barbara was definitely my favorite.

Justin Deas in the role of Keith Timmons was frequently hilarious.

[debm55]

111. Agree.

[Mike Nelson]

92. Dark Shadows...

... the others bored me. The nighttime ones were a bit better... the daytime ones moved so slow... it seemed like they took a week to drink a cup of coffee!

[debm55]

115. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH that is so true. I love it.

[LoisB]

98. All My Children

So memorable the only thing I remember about it is Susan Lucci played Erica Kane.

[debm55]

116. And her 9 husbands. TY

[LoisB]

121. LOL! I'm crying!

[underpants]

101. My wife still watches General Hospital. Takes 30 min. to watch a week

[debm55]

114. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. that is so true.

[Different Drummer]

105. I watched a lot of them during times when I was not in school.

I tended to go back and forth between the CBS and NBC soaps. I never watched the ones on ABC very much. I think I started with As The World Turns on CBS since that was a favorite of my mom's. I also watched The Young and the Restless and The Guiding Light. I'm not sure why I was only ever lukewarm on Y&R, but I think it was because the CBS affiliate in my area didn't start showing it until after it had been on the air for several years (the CBS affiliate preferred local news and, at the time, had the right to not show what CBS was airing at certain times), but I really got into The Guiding Light, beginning with the Morgan/Kelly/Nola years and going until CBS canceled the show.

As I mentioned previously, my favorite soap was Santa Barbara, which aired on NBC until the network canceled it. I also liked Another World (particularly the Sally/Catlin pairing; I had a major crush on Mary Page Keller in those days) and Days of Our Lives. I know DOOL no longer airs on NBC but the last I heard, Peacock had picked it up.

[debm55]

112. Thank you for sharing with use. I was a CBS and ABC soap fan. Are there any left?

[Different Drummer]

123. Three on network TV

CBS: The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful
ABC: General Hospital

The last I heard, Days of Our Lives is on Peacock after a long time of airing on NBC.

[northoftheborder]

106. Yes - for years. As the World Turns my fav---

And was watching that terrible day in history. I abruptly quit one day when I realized my own life was becoming a soap opera!

[debm55]

108. Thank you for your sincere and honest post.

[BOSSHOG]

110. Long, long time ago

THE EDGE OF NIGHT. Lots of crime and murder and the quick solving of crime and murder and the gratuitous romance. Went off the air in 75.

[debm55]

113. I was in school at the time and had no television in our apartment. Yes, some things dragged on for years.

[TygrBright]

119. Dark Shadows. Later on "Pobrecita Millionaria" which was always on at the laundromat. n/t

[debm55]

120. TygrBright. thank you for sharing.

[sakabatou]

128. Nope.

Unless you count professional wrestling...

[debm55]

141. That's okay

[MorbidButterflyTat]

130. General Hospital

The Luke and Laura story line was epic. Everyone I knew rushed home from school to find out what would happen next. The wedding of Luke and Laura was must see TV.

Of course Scotty in the mix, and the "rape," which was debated forever...it probably still is somewhere.

Kinda jumped the shark with the Cassadine weather machine business... matriarch played by Elizabeth Taylor! Good stuff.

[debm55]

133. Did he rape her?I didn;t watch GH after the GL opposite it.Yes. Had friend thatjods early to watch the wedding Thanks

[MorbidButterflyTat]

140. Well....

...I started watching General Hospital post-maybe-rape, by that time everyone was so absorbed in the love affair the "rape" was forgiven and forgotten.

Apparently, the Luke Spencer character was supposed to be temporary and killed off; but a new GH writer had different ideas. Soo.. according to Wikipedia, the "rape" was changed to a seduction, and the Luke and Laura storyline exploded into dramatic daytime romance.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_and_Laura

I still remember what Laura's wedding gown looked like. This is really nostalgic for me.

[debm55]

144. I went to the link and they said he raped her on the floor of the disco? Confussed as in another part it said seduction

[frogmarch]

145. The Edge of Night

I was watching it when Walter Cronkite broke in to report that JFK had been shot.

[debm55]

146. How terrible. Sorry for you frogmarch.

[moose65]

147. I watched lots of soaps!

When I was a kid, I watched the NBC shows that my mom and grandma watched: The Doctors, Days of our Lives, and my favorite, Another World. I watched Days till the early 80s when their stories got too wacky even for a soap! I also watched the short-lived Texas, which led me to Guiding Light in 1984, since so many actors from Texas ended up on GL.

I gradually started watching the other CBS shows: As the World Turns and Y&R. Never got into Bold and Beautiful much. I remember Sheila’s antics on Y&R and a lot of classic stuff on ATWT, such as that great day when Lily found out that Iva was her natural mother. However, GL is my all-time favorite.

I’ve also gone back and watched many old episodes on YouTube, and have read a lot about the history of the soaps. In college, everyone was crazy about GH but I always found it to be incredibly overrated! I never really watched much of the ABC soaps.

My unscientific opinion: I think that Guiding Light was the best soap that had ever been on the air from the late 70s to the mid-80s. It won two Emmys as best drama and several for best writing. It never got the acclaim that it deserved, because everyone was so ga-ga over GH 😆

[debm55]

149. I agree

[MuseRider]

148. I grew up with

As The World Turns.

We did not have air conditioning so in the summer we took our naps on the living room floor where the fan was during As The World Turns. I think it was only 15 minutes at first, maybe 30. When it was over my Grandmother would call and they would discuss it. That continued until my mother died and my grandmother at that time was no longer with it enough to watch.

I have to admit that after all the years away from it going to school etc. I picked up the habit after having my kids. That did not last too long. I would occasionally watch Guiding Light because it came on after.

I do not like shows like the soaps so I think it was almost like a comfort thing. My second brother and I, both musicians, would always sing the old, original theme song when we would get together. Comfort.

[debm55]

151. Thank you for your post, Your childhood sounds like my mine, Except my Grandmother lived up the street ang we would go

to her house and watch. TY

[MuseRider]

152. Funny isn't it?

To have been so important to so many those shows were essential, IMO, to relieve some of the boredom of at home mothers.

I had begun to think of them recently and found some well done Facebook groups. They are fun and informative. Some have videos that they take of at home interviews of the old cast members, for those who were cancelled. There are a LOT of people on them. I watched a few videos and found myself drawn back. Then I found out there was a book (maybe more) written by the infamous LISA, ATWT Eileen Fulton. I bought the book and read a chapter each night in bed. It felt so comforting. Even though I had not been watching it for at least 10 years I was upset when it was cancelled so it was nice to read about how things worked over the years working like that and finding out Lisa was almost like the woman who portrayed her.

I get really nostalgic when I think of these shows. They must have been more important to me at some time than I ever thought. It has been a while since I posted like this with a huge cast on my arm because my hand is broken. It started to hurt right away and I still felt the need to be a part of this conversation. LOL, who knew how much they would eventually mean to so many.

[CountAllVotes]

153. All My Children

I loved that soap opera!

[debm55]

161. Thank you, I watched AMC and GL

[cachukis]

154. I had just returned to the US after living in a

hammock hooked to the roof rack of my '65 Volvo Stationwagon and a tree throughout America Central in 1978.
6 1/2 months on the road and back to civilization in Berkeley, at my sister's.
She was sharing curriculum while enrolled at Dartmouth.
My friend and I made jungle honey ice cream and watched, I should say glued to, soap operas.
The return to American television and the mundane drama was a trip. What blew that away were the commercials.
After a week of the soaps, I wanted to go back to Guatemala.
I have never returned to that perpetuity of televised entertainment.
In fact, as an athlete and surrounded by the weekend games, gave them up in 1986.

Even now, I seek detachment from the lure.

But I acknowledge, you can talk to yourself most of the time, but once in a while, you have to talk to somebody else.

[debm55]

159. Thank you.for your opinion.It was /is a guilty hour retreat some of us grew up with, We are free to state what we liked

at one point in our lives. When I post, I like to post somethings that are/were a common interest to share and talk about..There are
posts here that are not my cup of tea. But I really like to share life stories, interests and other things that held a place in our lives. Nothing more/Nothing less. That;s how I roll.

[cachukis]

163. Love what you are doing.

The soaps have provided a needed escape over ironing boards, shucking peas and countless drudgery.
I was addicted and knew I had to wean myself.
I decided that watching football on Saturday and then Sunday for hours kept me from so much more.
The soaps are Shakespeare with a modern twist.
Continue to enjoy.

[debm55]

169. I was taught "if you can't say anything nice, don't say it at all" Perhaps you missed that lesson. I get it you don't

like soaps, but there is no need to belittle those that did/do.

[cachukis]

170. Sorry to have offended.

I remember my mother and grandmother ironing in front of the black and white TV.
I was saying how, when I watched, I found them addicting. They were good.
I was not begrudging anyone who watched them. I only said I felt the need to stay away because it would keep me from my appointed rounds.
If you took that as a belittle, I apologize.
I rarely watch TV, even now. I hear often, about so many good shows.
I was at my brother's house a couple of years ago when my SIL put on MamaMia.
It wasn't a movie I would have chosen, but it was a family gathering. It was supreme kitsch.
I appreciate things for what they are.
I mentioned I loved what you are doing.

[cachukis]

173. Geezu. I came from a family that did the basics.

I worked my way through college. I was working as a carpenter in NH, in the 70's and saved up enough to live on rice and beans and in a hammock exploring Central America during the winter.
I am the oldest of six and my parents did everything they could to see we all went to college. I visited my sister in Berkeley and was struck by the niceties of American culture after living with Natives in Guatemala and Honduras.
If sharing my experience came off as snobby, I wrote poorly.
I won't trouble you any more.

[Jeebo]

155. I used to watch "Days of Our Lives".

I was thoroughly hooked on it in the middle and late 1970s, when I was in my middle and late 20s. I finally stopped when I became thoroughly overdosed on it and I realized there was NO END to it.

-- Ron

[debm55]

160. I did too. I no longer view any of the soaps. However, some people did and do enjoy them. I created this thread to

express their opinions as you just did. Thank you l

[Elessar Zappa]

174. I watched Young and the Restless one summer with my mom.

I think in 2001, between my junior and senior year in high school. Yeah, I was a real cool kid, wasn’t I, lmao.

[debm55]

179. You are funny.

[Rizen]

180. Ugly Betty was technically a sit-com

but it was basically a soap opera. It always had *gasp* plot twists like amnesia and sex changes.

[debm55]

181. I never saw that, I will see if it is on my tablet. TY

[Rizen]

182. It's on Netflix.

[debm55]

183. TY

[birdographer]

188. Been watching GH for about 45 years

Every weeknight while having a drink before dinner. It's the anchor to my day.

[debm55]

193. thank you birdographer