126 replies to this topic

[chooky]

Another World with the old Mathews family......when Rachael and Russ mathews were together.....old nosy Aunt Liz, Ada and Sam ect.............

[DimSome]

For daytime, I want Santa Barbara and The Edge of Night back. My nightime fix would include Falcon Crest, The Colbys, and Dynasty.

If you like vintage Another World, check out AOL Video. The episodes go back the the beginning, I believe.

[Split Ends]

I know Santa Barbara is expensive because of the music, but I would love it.

And I really, really wish they would make a Classic SoapNet channel for current soaps, just using old tapes. I, for one, would love to watch Luke and Laura from start to, well, disappearance. And Frisco and Felicia, Robert, Holly, Duke and Anna....I'd also love to see old 80s Days of Our Lives. And of course, if they were to revisit Stone's story from GH, I would bawl, but I'd love to see it all.

Why they won't do this, I just don't understand.

[DanaMB]

Perhaps we could change this thread to simply "Soapnet" to discuss their original programming, Sunday Night Movies, etc.

Just a thought!

[chooky]

Thanks DimSome !!! Didn't know that website existed!! Maybe I can check out The Doctors and Love of Life!! (Remember when the late Christopher reeves was Ben in LOL?? Loved the Betsy/Ben relationship on there.)

[Ms Sugarbaker]

Definitely Edge of Night and a rerun of The Colbys!

[DimSome]

Thanks DimSome !!! Didn't know that website existed!! Maybe I can check out The Doctors and Love of Life!! (Remember when the late Christopher reeves was Ben in LOL?? Loved the Betsy/Ben relationship on there.)

I watch about ten hours of Another World a week because of that site! Such great soap. I also like Search for Tomorrow, too. Today's stuff just doesn't measure up. Even the melodramatic music is awesome.

[abbottrabbit]

Dark Shadows. Yeah, I know, it's ridiculous, but I was just getting into it when the Sci Fi channel stopped airing it.

[JesseBaker]

If OG Dark Shadows ever makes a comeback, as far as a channel grabbing the rights to the show and airing it, it would most likely end up on "Chiller" (NBC-Universal's new horror themed channel). Heck, I'm suprised that they haven't already gotten the rights to the show/airing it already, given how it was a staple of the Sci-Fi Channel for years on end....

Alternatively, now that it's coming to an end, I would love to see Soapnet get the rights to rerun Passions.

[FlamingWench79]

Dark Shadows. Yeah, I know, it's ridiculous, but I was just getting into it when the Sci Fi channel stopped airing it.

No kidding. My mom used to tell me how she would break her neck just to get home from school so she could watch DS and how Barnabas would scare the bejesus out of her. I was thoroughly hooked when Sci Fi ran the show and was pissed the hell off when they stopped. I missed the last 15 episodes because of them!

[RachelKM]

No kidding. My mom used to tell me how she would break her neck just to get home from school so she could watch DS and how Barnabas would scare the bejesus out of her.

Mine too. I watched DS with her when it was briefly run on a local network station when I was like 9 or 10. The station only ran the reruns for about a year and I was crushed when they stopped running it.

It would be awesome if SoapNet would take it on. Doesn't seem likely that DS would be more expensive than 90210 and it has a wicked following.

Edited by RachelKM, Apr 23, 2008 @ 1:39 AM.

[Ms Sugarbaker]

Maybe something from across the pond? I was just getting into Hollyoaks when BBCA pulled it, maybe SoapNet could pick up where BBCA left off.

[Mezzoforte]

I would love to see some pre-arc Port Charles.
Seeing vintage GH or AMC would also be amazing. I've always thought they should do those old marathons way more often- ideally weekly. They could have marathons for all the favorite old characters, best loved plots, etc.

[JesseBaker]

I would assume that Dark Shadows may be even pricier than 90210, especially given the major league push the show's owners have engaged in as far as getting the ENTIRE SERIES onto DVD (including the rare pre-Barnabas episodes).

Alternatively, where would Soapnet put Dark Shadows on the schedule? It's pretty crowded as it is and given the investment a network would have to put into the show if they wanted to air it (let alone wanting to get maximum value out of a 1200 IIRC episode series), the only place I could think of would be if they cleared their entire weekend morning prime time soap rerun block and did a four hour, eight episode block every Saturday/Sunday morning, where fans can watch about 16 episodes of the show every week (which would get them around 800 episodes aired a year and allow them, if they are committed to the show, get the show completely rerun at least twice in three years).

[Ms Sugarbaker]

Alternatively, where would Soapnet put Dark Shadows on the schedule?

There's lots of places. Instead of airing two Ryan's Hopes a day, howabout just one, that slot could go to Hollyoaks. Instead of reruns of third-rate TV movies on Saturday nights howabout a two hour block of Dark Shadows (or Edge of Night). Instead of reruns of reality programming (I Want to be a Soap Star) howabout a weekly viewing of The Colbys. Instead of Dallas every day howabout a different nighttime soap from the past every day (Falcon Crest on Monday, Knots Landing on Tuesday.....).

[DimSome]

There's lots of places. Instead of airing two Ryan's Hopes a day, howabout just one, that slot could go to Hollyoaks. Instead of reruns of third-rate TV movies on Saturday nights howabout a two hour block of Dark Shadows (or Edge of Night). Instead of reruns of reality programming (I Want to be a Soap Star) howabout a weekly viewing of The Colbys. Instead of Dallas every day howabout a different nighttime soap from the past every day (Falcon Crest on Monday, Knots Landing on Tuesday.....).

I'd watch that line-up!

[ace27]

Split ends wrote:I know Santa Barbara is expensive because of the music, but I would love it.

And I really, really wish they would make a Classic SoapNet channel for current soaps, just using old tapes. I, for one, would love to watch Luke and Laura from start to, well, disappearance. And Frisco and Felicia, Robert, Holly, Duke and Anna....I'd also love to see old 80s Days of Our Lives. And of course, if they were to revisit Stone's story from GH, I would bawl, but I'd love to see it all.

Why they won't do this, I just don't understand.

I totally agree. SoapNet should be rerunning classic soaps. Actual classic episodes-- not from the last 5 years, but 25 years ago.

[DimSome]

""" When I first got SoapNet, I was so excited. I believed that I'd be getting lots of classic soap, along with re-runs and glimpses of forgotten stuff. It's been about five years now, and I'm truly disappointed. I watch maybe twice a month now, and only to catch up on OLTL or peek in at other soaps. I used to love the original programming like One Day With..., Soapography and Soap Talk. They've been canceled or in re-runs forever. I still tune in for I Wanna Be A Soap Star, but after watching how the actors are graded/chosen, I don't get excited about it the way I once did.

After Another World was dumped and Ryan's Hope moved to 5 a.m., I was pretty much done with this channel. One Tree Hill and The OC don't mean anything to this 32-year-old soap-loving geezer.

[curlyblackeggs]

I have to agree with the Port Charles request. I'd kill to see the show from the very beginning, as I started watching mid-General Homicide mystery (I believe it was the Nurse's Ball, actually). I'd love to see Matt and Julie and Chris and Eve, and eventually, Rafe and Alison. God, I miss that show.

Speaking of the Nurse's Ball, I also have to echo the request for some classic GH. I've only heard about wonderful NB skits involving Kevin and Monica (I think) dressed up as babies, or a young Emily doing The Wizard of Oz, and I'd love to see them. Also, I miss Tony, so seeing the BJ storyline would be lovely -- clips always make me cry, just because I know the story, but, again, they're episodes I've never seen. And I miss Alan, too; it'd be great to have him back. And Anna Lee! She was always a treat.

[bpeck]

My favorite line up for SoapNet....Santa Barbara, Another World, Edge of Night, classic GH & OLTL, etc. Personally, if I wanted to watch the OC or One Tree Hill, I'd have watched them in their first runs. If I want reality programming, SN is the last place I'd look. If Frons isn't going to run real soaps, then they really need a new name for the channel to Frons' Follies.

Edited by bpeck, Apr 26, 2008 @ 10:12 AM.

[BondGirl]

Sisters.

I always liked it, and there's at least one episode I never got to see that I'd love to.

[DocHopper]

Speaking of the Nurse's Ball, I also have to echo the request for some classic GH. I've only heard about wonderful NB skits involving Kevin and Monica (I think) dressed up as babies, or a young Emily doing The Wizard of Oz, and I'd love to see them.

The Nurse's Balls are pretty well covered by You Tube where you see the whole eps in some cases, but other classic SL's are pretty much only in clip form. Someone over there did a pretty thorough job with the Robin/Stone SL, from beginning to end, you get to see a lot of the other stuff, the reactions of friends and family to Robin and Stone's whole ordeal.

But I hate that SoapNet got rid of things like Knots Landing and AW to show 2 eps/day of things like the OC, 90210 and One Tree Hill. I especially want KL and AW back, but I'd love to see Santa Barbara, Falcon Crest and yes, classic eps of things like OLTL and GH.

[ace27]

even stuff like Dynasty and the Colbys, Models Inc..Dallas...

mostly real classic daytime soaps. Why does soapnet even exist??

[Bunkster]

Another request for Santa Barbara...

[oval]

As a diehard soap fan, here is my opinion on what SoapNet needs to focus on....

1) off-air, older soaps. Another World, Santa Barbara, Dark Shadows, Generations (add some diversity), etc
2) foreign soaps-British, Australian, and telenovelas (dubbed or subtitled)
3) Original programming about soaps....I always liked Soap Talk, Soapography, One Day with.... What about adding a trivia show?
4) heritage episodes (10+ years old) of current soaps. I enjoyed last year's mini-marathon of Marlena as the devil episodes, even though I HATED it the first time around.
5) Day of episodes of soaps...In my pre-Tivo life, this is how I kept up with my shows.

What I don't want......

1) reruns of shows that could be easily watched on DVD or another station (One Tree Hill, 90210, Greys Anatomy, Ugly Betty, ER, etc)
2) bad, cheesy TV movies. While I do love them, that is why I tune occasionaly into Lifetime. Soapnet should be for steady viewing. A possible exception might be made for the Danielle Steele movies which have such a soapy quality.
3) Guthy-Renker ads

[Split Ends]

1) reruns of shows that could be easily watched on DVD or another station (One Tree Hill, 90210, Greys Anatomy, Ugly Betty, ER, etc)
2) bad, cheesy TV movies. While I do love them, that is why I tune occasionaly into Lifetime. Soapnet should be for steady viewing. A possible exception might be made for the Danielle Steele movies which have such a soapy quality.
3) Guthy-Renker ads

Agreed. I don't consider any of the primetime dramas listed above to be soaps. And I don't want to watch them on SoapNet. I can also watch a glut of TV movies on Lifetime, Hallmark, Lifetime Movie Channel, and Hallmark Movie Channel. So that market is covered.

I really wish they'd split SoapNet into two channels. One could handle rerunning current episodes of soaps like it does now, and the other could handle the classic stuff. If they honestly think there isn't room for current soaps and classic soaps, they haven't seen my time management/TiVo skills.

What I wish they would understand is that interest in classic soaps is likely to generate interest in current soaps. If I saw old Days of Our Lives stuff, I would inevitably be interested in what those characters are doing now and I might give Days a Season Pass. Heck, I might even go back to AMC and OLTL if I watched Noah/Julia's romance again, or Marty's saga.

I think of it as I used to think of fan fiction years ago. It generates interest, and that can't hurt what's currently happening. Even if it makes me reminisce and sadly nostalgic for the good old days, it has me thinking about the soaps, and that's gonna get me closer to watching current stuff.

[DocHopper]

What I wish they would understand is that interest in classic soaps is likely to generate interest in current soaps.

This is genius. Seriously, they could probably generate ratings (and new soapnet subscribers for the cable companies) if they ran ads during the current soaps. Like:

Love Kendall Hart? See when Kendall first came to town!
or

John and Marlena: See it from the beginning! (Ick)
or

Can't get enough Jason? See him before he became a cyborg! That's right ladies, reindeer sweaters AND 80% less blinking!

[boniface3535]

I really wish SoapNet brought back...SOAPS. Not ABC Family movie rejects, not reality tv shows too cheesy even for E!, just classic episodes of soaps. It kills me that Frons is trying to phase out soaps on a channel that was created for soaps!

[JesseBaker]

Can't get enough Jason? See him before he became a cyborg! That's right ladies, reindeer sweaters AND 80% less blinking!

Jason's the guy from General Hospital who got hit on the head, lost his memories/believed he was a mob hitman, and forced Sonny, the Male Mary-Sue, to take him in as his wacky sidekick right?

[DocHopper]

Hee! Actually Jason's the male Mary Sue, IMO. He can do no wrong, he's always right, and all women love him. Sonny's kind of his sidekick now, complete with the wacky Jazz!Hands.

But yeah, that's the gist of it.

The thing that pisses me off about SoapNet now is its new wanna-be E! Relative Madness crap. Does anyone watch SoapNet to see crap about Linday Lohan and the Olsen twins?