Curious reaction to a soap opera going off the air [Archive]

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CathyA

11-23-11, 9:14am

I had watched the soap opera "All My Children" for about 35 years......every day.
Even when the writing was horrible, I watched it.
When they decided to cancel it a few months ago I was distraught.......thinking I would miss it soooo much and be really sad.

Well, I watched the final show when it was on, and never thought about it again!
In fact, my life is better now, not stopping my day to watch it......not having to set the recorder, not having to arrange my day around it.

I'm FREE! hahaha Its so weird that I thought I would be crushed without it, when my life is better without it!
Isn't that funny? We think we just HAVE to have certain things and never try life without them. When we're forced to give them up, sometimes we realize that life is actually better without them!

Mrs-M

11-24-11, 10:32am

Glad to hear you were able to conquer your longstanding vice, CathyA. Me on the other-hand, I absolutely despise soap operas!

ctg492

11-24-11, 6:26pm

I bet it did seem like you would be loosing a part of your life when you knew it owuld be canceled. It was a part of your life for a long time.
I understand how somethings we think we can not do without, then we find out things are just fine without them. I give up things or change things on and off to see if I can do it. I find so many things I never go back too.

pony mom

11-25-11, 6:54pm

I thought I'd miss the show Lost. Week after week, wondering what the heck was going on, where it was going, well, being lost in the plot. After the finale aired, it was a relief that it was all over. Life goes on.

With that being said, my mom and I have been watching the British soap EastEnders since around 1987? or so. I'd be really upset if it wasn't shown in my area anymore, mostly because it would be airing elsewhere and I'd be missing it. If it ended and I saw the entire series, I probably wouldn't mind as much. Here in NJ we're about 6 years behind so we'll probably never catch up. I downloaded the Expat Shield and watched a new episode on the BBC channel and didn't know most of the new characters. Unlike American soaps, this one moves along pretty quickly.

Years ago I watched All My Children too, back in the days of Jenny and Greg, Palmer Cortland, Jessie and Angie. You could skip a week or two and catch up again easily. Still shocked they ended the show.

goldensmom

11-25-11, 7:07pm

When I was in college there was a group that would meet daily to watch 'The Young and The Restless'. My schedule never allowed it but I remember thinking it was a strange thing for college kids to do. My grandmother watched soaps in the 50's and 60's, 'The Edge of Night', 'The Secret Storm' and some others. Recently I searched for episodes of those 2 programs and found come clips on youtube.com. It reminded me of afternoons sitting with grandma while she crocheted and watch soap operas. I like old black and white television programs and movies and would like to watch some old black and white soaps just for grins.

Mrs-M

11-25-11, 10:12pm

maribeth

11-25-11, 11:38pm

I have fond memories of watching AMC with my grandmother when I was little. I haven't paid attention in quite some years, but I was kind of sad to hear of its demise.

goldensmom

11-26-11, 7:41am

Goldensmom. I remember, 'The Edge of Night"! I also remember 'As The World Turns", and, 'The Guiding Light'. Do you remember those ones?

The Edge of night. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ_w5f1bXmI&feature=related)

As The World Turns. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pqvNU5wTVQ&feature=related)

The Guiding Light. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm-Mv6rxWmg&feature=related)

I LOVE old stuff like this!!!
Yes, Mrs. M., I am familiar with those soaps. ‘As the World Turns’ and ‘The Guiding Light’ are from my era . Another one I remember from time with grandma is ‘Search for Tomorrow’. In talking with friends, the mention of soap operas reminds a lot of them of their grandmothers and the stories begin.

How about ‘Dark Shadows’? In another category are old night time soaps (Dallas, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, Knots Landing) and current night time soaps (Grey’s Anatomy and others I can't think of). For some reason, oftentimes nighttime soaps are acceptable whereas daytime soaps are ridiculed. Interesting subject.

Mrs-M

11-27-11, 6:58pm

I vaguely remember "Search for Tomorrow", but I definitely remember Dallas, Falcon Crest, Dynasty, and Knots Landing, just as I remember Grey's Anatomy. But holy wow, I LOVE Dark Shadows! Spent a good hour this afternoon watching it on Youtube. Awesome!!! I don't remember it (too young), but I love the mystery/suspense that surrounds it. Had I been older, Dark Shadows, would have definitely been a favourite of mine! Got to love the old mansion in the show.

leslieann

11-28-11, 8:33am

Yeah, Dallas. I remember that from when my children were small. What a welcome thing was Friday night and everyone HAD to be in bed by nine because mom and dad were going to watch Dallas.

Seems odd to me now that I hardly watch any tv, but I can see the larger context. Now on Friday night we have a nice dinner, even if it is our homemade pizza (that's very nice) and a glass of wine and it is a way to really end the work week and start the weekend together. But we do it without tv though if something caught my attention I'd probably watch it. We were pretty addicted to The Tudors, a CBC series, when that was on. I don't know if it would be a night time soap due to the historical aspects, but there were lots of weird relationship glitches, sex, violence, power struggles, etc. Oh, and pestilence. I don't know if modern soaps go in for pestilence much.

Mrs-M

11-28-11, 8:41am

Sounds like you have such a close and loving family life, Leslieann. :) When weekends come around, we too, plan around close family get-togethers and functions. (Both immediate and extended family planning). Our get-togethers are always planned around good food and drink, and the idea of relaxing and enjoying. I find the older I get, the more I appreciate that sort of thing.

goldensmom

11-28-11, 8:51am

I remember 'Dark Shadows' as being scary, probably wasn't, and I was intrigued by the mansion, always trying to visual the floor plan. I learned later in life that television sets rarely follow a logical floor plan but I continue to try to put together the outside of a house and the room layouts with a floor plan.

Here's another memory surrounding a soap opera. When I was a young, single adult, living 180 miles from my parents home and when I'd visit them on a weekend, I would arrive home just as 'Dallas' was starting on Friday night so watching 'Dallas' became a homecoming tradition. We'd take sides (JR supporter vs Bobby supporter) and chatter throughout the whole show. I'm not sure if I even liked the show but I like the memory.

Mrs-M

11-28-11, 9:03am

Goldensmom. I love old homes, the more grand, the better, so I found my mind wandering endlessly with dreamy thoughts as I watched Dark Shadows. My kind of living!

My mom was a BIG, Dallas, watcher, yet when us kids would sit down with her and join her, I can't honestly say I enjoyed it, other than the lifestyle/nice things. I remember how we'd all "ooh and aah" when the camera panned the stately white mansion at the very start of the show. We'd talk about that mansion every single time the show came on. Other than that, I have very little memory of what the show was actually about. Kids, huh... >8)

Gardenarian

11-28-11, 6:43pm

Cathy - that is really interesting. I was really sick one summer and got hooked on "Days of Our Lives" for about a month. I never watched it again, but the characters still occasionally pop up in my dreams. Weird. Soap operas are a strange phenomena.