Soap opera fandom in the past

[installLSC]

For anyone who loved soaps in the past, or had family/friends who did, I have some questions:
How did you or they get into specific soaps? How long did it take to become a fan of a new soap? Were the favorite shows all on the same network, or was it random which ones you liked? And finally, the stereotypical soap fan was a stay-at-home housewife. Did you know any kids or men who were big soap fans? And did you know any housewives who hated soaps?

 

[Mario500]

I would not consider myself a "fan" of the programs you may call "soaps" or "soap operas", but I did love two such programs: "Dark Shadows" and "Passions". As for how I "got into" them or how I became interested in them, I did from the moments I found them while browsing cable TV channels. As for whether they were all on the same network or not, they were actually on separate networks; "Dark Shadows" was on the network for the programming service formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel (it's SyFy now) and "Passions" was on the network for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). As for whether I knew of any other "kids" or other men who were big "fans" of programs like "Passions" and "Dark Shadows" or not, I never did. As for whether I knew of any "housewives" who hated such programs or not, I am not since I never heard any of the "housewives" I knew express hatred for such programs or seen any hateful writings from them about such programs.

 

[harrisburgpatv2]

I would not consider myself a "fan" of the programs you may call "soaps" or "soap operas", but I did love two such programs: "Dark Shadows" and "Passions". As for how I "got into" them or how I became interested in them, I did from the moments I found them while browsing cable TV channels. As for whether they were all on the same network or not, they were actually on separate networks; "Dark Shadows" was on the network for the programming service formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel (it's SyFy now) and "Passions" was on the network for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). As for whether I knew of any other "kids" or other men who were big "fans" of programs like "Passions" and "Dark Shadows" or not, I never did. As for whether I knew of any "housewives" who hated such programs or not, I am not since I never heard any of the "housewives" I knew express hatred for such programs or seen any hateful writings from them about such programs.

If you want to be technical, "Dark Shadows" actually aired first on ABC. I first discovered it in, of all places, reruns on a PBS affiliate in the mid-1980's when I was a child, but they only ran one episode a day, and did not get the whole way through the one. IIRC, Sci-Fi ran it twice a day, and they actually got through the entire run of the show twice. Fantastic program that I wouldn't mind seeing in reruns again.

 

[davideduardo]

For anyone who loved soaps in the past, or had family/friends who did, I have some questions:
How did you or they get into specific soaps? How long did it take to become a fan of a new soap? Were the favorite shows all on the same network, or was it random which ones you liked? And finally, the stereotypical soap fan was a stay-at-home housewife. Did you know any kids or men who were big soap fans? And did you know any housewives who hated soaps?

The first soap I got moderately addicted to is the already mentioned "Dark Shadows" which my oldest daughter loved. It ran, dubbed into Spanish, on Channel 6 in Quito around 1972 and since we only had one TV at the time, I started following it and ended up with some anticipation of each episode.

Much later, in 2002, because my friend and I knew one of the actors, I began following "Entre el Amor y el Odio" from Televisa. Like most Latin American soaps, it lasted for about 6 months with daily, one-hour episodes. Then, also owing to acquaintances with the actors, I got hooked on "Destilando Amor" another Televisa offering based on the Colombian novel and soap, "Amor Con Sabor a Café" which was widely acclaimed.

I'm just about to embark on the DVD set of "Escalona" which is a Colombian novela based on the life of the legendary composer of the same name and which was the launch to stardom of Carlos Vives, the Colombian singer and actor. I'm mostly attracted to the storyline as the music represented in the novela is Vallenato, which is my absolute favorite music genre.

There is a Spanish saying, "para los gustos se hicieron los colores" which literally translates as "they made colors to accommodate (different) tastes" and means "One man's meat is another man's poison". That seems to fit here.

 

[ShawnHill1]

My grandmother, and to a lesser extent my mother, were both fans of "The Young & The Restless" as well as the ABC afternoon soaps, especially "General Hospital". My aunt in Milwaukee used to tape "Y&R" while she was at work, especially given that WITI (the CBS affiliate there until '94) used to air the show at 9am, instead of at 11 or 11:30am like the rest of the other CBS stations nearby.

I got into "Y&R" myself off and on during the years, but never enough to hold a consistent interest. The original "Dallas" (at least up until the infamous "dream" season) was the only soap I was totally into.

 

[anotherguyTN]

My mother and grandmother both liked The Young and the Restless, and I was able to keep up on it to some extent even though I was never a big fan because of the fact I usually ate lunch at one of their houses in the eighties and nineties. One thing I did think was hilarious though when I was able to keep up with was the Clarence update on The Young and the Restless that was on the radio during that time. It was totally hilarious!

Other than that most of my soap viewing was the 70's series Soap.

 

[Mario500]

If you want to be technical, "Dark Shadows" actually aired first on ABC.

I was aware of this fact long before posting my previous message.

Fantastic program ["Dark Shadows"] that I wouldn't mind seeing in reruns again.

I would not mind seeing it rebroadcast again either.

 

[EddieTheRapFan]

I think the only soap I got addicted to was "Los Exitosos Pells", an Argentinian soap from 2009. I was 20 years old back then.

 

[KML0224]

I tried to get into Generations, which was on NBC from 1989 to 1991. My mother was a die-hard for As The World Turns until that was taken off CBS in 2010 or so. She watches Days Of Our Lives on NBC most often now. As they're an NBC O&O, WVIT-TV channel 30 of New Britain/Hartford airs it at noon ET.

 

[brian4]

One thing I did think was hilarious though when I was able to keep up with was the Clarence update on The Young and the Restless that was on the radio during that time. It was totally hilarious!

Clarence was/is great with his updates.

Other than that most of my soap viewing was the 70's series Soap.

As a 10 year old kid, I loved Soap! I think Jessica Tate is one of the best characters in television history.

 

[Silkie]

The only soap opera we ever got into was Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Does that count? Would the story surrounding the college student center daily battle to get access to the television be more appropriate?

I know there were the supermarket lines when we would think how awful it must be for the poor women involved in the conversations to live their lives surrounded by such conniving backstabbers for co-workers, neighbors, family and alleged friends. Then a neighbor explained it was a soap opera. It sure was. "No, on TV."

 

[anotherguyTN]

The only soap opera we ever got into was Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Does that count?"

Probably as much as Soap.

 

[Silkie]

Excellent.

 

[LKellerIII]

Soap was a very funny show. Every time I see Gregory Sierra in a role (which isn't often these days), I don't think of Barney Miller or Sanford & Son, I think of the season he played "El Puerco" Valdez (means "pig" in Spanish), a Fidel Castro like revolutionary who (IIRC) had an affair with Jessica. I remember her moaning; "Ooohhh, El Puerco..."

On the subject of real soaps, my mother in law (stay at home housewife) was a huge fan, and would tape the ones she couldn't watch when they aired, so she could watch them in the evening.

I owned a video store in the 80s, and had an employee who was into an eastern religion - Sufiism - dressed in saffron robes and changed her name to suit her new faith. She also loved Days of Our Lives, so when it was on, I stopped screening movies and let her watch it.

 

[Avid Listener]

I watched "Days of Our Lives" briefly in the 70's because I thought Diedre Hall was hot.

 

[NoDakObserver]

My mom was a stay at home mom, and watched a few different soaps when I was little. By the time I was in grade school she watched just Young and the Restless and pretty much stayed with just that one. Since she always watched, when I was in high school I started paying more attention to the show when I was in the room, and wound up watching it a lot. I still keep up with it through a message board and other show updates, but don't watch it very often. On the message board that I look at, I think there are only 2 of us guys on there that contribute to the discussion.

I did have some male classmates in high school who watched Days of Our Lives. That was the "cool" soap in the late 80s even though Y&R was the highest rated one by then.

 

[LKellerIII]

The only soap opera we ever got into was Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. Does that count? Would the story surrounding the college student center daily battle to get access to the television be more appropriate?

I know there were the supermarket lines when we would think how awful it must be for the poor women involved in the conversations to live their lives surrounded by such conniving backstabbers for co-workers, neighbors, family and alleged friends. Then a neighbor explained it was a soap opera. It sure was. "No, on TV."

I've read that actors and actresses who played soap-opera bad-guys were often spit on, or cussed out by viewers when they were standing in the supermarket line, or otherwise recognized in public. It seems like being mistaken for the character you play was a hazard of the job.

 

[Mario500]

I watched "Days of Our Lives" briefly in the 70's because I thought Diedre Hall was hot.

What did you mean by "hot"?

 

[Brother]

What did you mean by "hot"?

He means en fuego, we-hey-hey, phwoar!, and pretty much anything that would get the Warner Bros. Wolf reaction:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rwhsgsx-q...BLg/v2r3IFbLd8A/s1600/tex+avery+wolf+eyes.png

Anyway, I remember as a kid my Mom would always watch NBC daytime, so that meant a healthy dose of Days of Our Lives and Another World (in addition to Hollywood Squares). When I would visit my Grandma, she would watch her preferred CBS soaps, along with The Price is Right. It seemed like everyone in my family who watched the soaps was either a CBS or NBC soap fan; during extended family visits, I never heard any of them gossip about the goings-on with All My Children or General Hospital.

 

[briancraig]

Whenever I've discussed soaps with someone, it seems like it was common that they or their mother or grandmother watched one particular network's soaps. In my house growing up, my mom always watched NBC's lineup. I don't know how that got started but it might be because WMC TV was the first station in Memphis to have a Noon news and my family was always very loyal to channel 5 and NBC when it came to news.

My mom was such a huge fan of Days of Our Lives that it was the reason she learned how to work a computer. Once she saw that you could read spoilers and there were numerous discussion groups about the show, she had to get online.

During the summer or when I'd be home sick from school, I knew what mom would be watching at 12:30. Later, when we first got a VCR, she would tape it and Another World and watch them after my dad went to sleep.

Even though I never really watched it, even today I have a vague idea of who is on that show. Days and me are also the same age so I feel a strange connection to the show because of it being such a part of my mom's life. My mom passed away in 2011, and I've heard other people who had a mom or grandmother who loved a soap say the same thing, that when you see it today and see some of the same long time actors still on the show, that it is comforting in a weird way. I know I get that feeling whenever I see Marlena or Stefano or Victor or especially Doug and Julie who have been on the show off and on since 1970 and 1968.