The Flashback Soaps
Here at Joshuaonline we have an odd affection to soaps ( Soap Operas, though Zest is nice) and for the first time ever our segment here called The Lookback is not doing a piece on children's Television. ( We've moved up). We are taking a look back (sorry, didn't mean to phrase it that way) at some old soaps. Soaps started before TV existed (on newspapers?) back when Radio was the king of entertainment ( oh yeah Radio). We are staying on the TV part for this one.
1. Search For Tomorrow
Search for Tomorrow was a CBS Television soap that began in 1951 , the original time like many soaps and other daytime programs of the time was 15 minutes. It was made by Proctor and Gamble (yes the one's who make toothpaste and other house-hold products) this was also a time when advertisers had tons of power in making TV programs not just airing them.
CBS before the EYE , doesn't that music sound soapy?
It broadcast live for it's early life until the late 1960's. The Soap was was about a housewife named Joann Gardener and things that happen to her and those around her. She tangled with the Mafia (because why not?) She lost a husband, started an INN , got remarried , her baby was killed, and you know other normal things. (yeah in crazy land) In 1967 ,the show stopped being broadcast live and was now in color , and went 30 minutes in 1968. By the 70's they people in charge wanted the show to have a young feel so they cut back Joanne stories (not putting her in a coma though).
In 1982 CBS canceled the program even though it still had good ratings. The Final episode on CBS was March 26,1982 but it wasn't dead ( just like a soap to die just to come back to life) It moved to NBC because P&G still loved it. It didn't have a good time on NBC and ended in 1986.
oooh cloudy
2. The Doctors (the soap , the American one )
The Doctors, was an NBC soap Opera that began on April 1st 1963 , the same day as General Hospital ( you see what NBC and ABC were doing there). Now at first , it wasn't a soap as in a serial meaning the story followed along as you watched each day. Each episode was self contained as an anthology series. It changed to a serial format in 64 . It was soap about doctors (well of course) It had plotlines about Cancer, drugs , the death of Alec Baldwin's character (he was actor on the show in the early 80's).
The series ran on NBC from 1963 until December 31st , 1982 one of the reasons for it's demise was low ratings and stations adding newscasts at lunchtime (thanks for that).
where Richard Nixon's hair line and Eyebrows went
3. Dark Shadows
Dark Shadows , was an ABC soap that premiered in 1966 it was created by Dan Curtis. The Soap was about Werewolves, Vampires , zombies, witches, Time travel... (you know daily things I have to put up with) Sometimes one actor would play more than one person ( which would make love scenes ... odd) Victoria Winters was the primary character who ends up in a strange town , the show didn't originally feature the supernatural things until later in it's run. It came on at 4/3c ( when network Daytime meant... daytime) Though ratings declined after a storyline that turned off some viewers and ABC was removing shows that weren't deemed to be money makers ... this show had a young audience, the show was canceled in 1972.
It did repeat after that including time on then Sci-fi Channel in the 2000's.
now the Munsters... I mean Dark Shadows.
4. Ryan's Hope
Ryan's Hope , premiered on ABC in July of 1975. It was about an Irish-American family called the Ryans, Who lived in New York City, The series originally focused on the Ryans and their adult kids it showed the clashes between the parents and kids different thinking on things.
It also had plot lines with political scandal (easy to do ) , extramarital affairs , premartial children, abortion rights , and women in careers (it's the 70's to 80's) . The show was a hit , though it faced tons of recasting. It later on experienced random changes with odd plot-lines such has a character being kidnapped by a gorilla , lost mummy and more. (Darn , I lost my mummy) It didn't follow the show's ideal of being a show about what could be real life.
The intro ,Jaws Free ABC/Youtube
The series in it's final years suffered bad ratings , and many ABC stations dropped the show (like jerks) it ended in 1989.
weekdays on ABC !
5. Capitol
Capitol was a CBS soap that started in 1982 ; it was about 3 families , Denning, Clegg, and McCandless ,who lived in a fictional suburb of Washington D.C. As the name of the program suggests the families were involved in politics. The main point was about the women of the families who were feuding with each other. It had a Romeo and Juliet style storyline between the kids of two of the feuding mothers who wanted to marry.
The series featured big plotlines about the other family members. The series lost ratings when one of the storylines didn't do as well. CBS canceled the show and it ended in 1987.
Washington D.C... taped in LA just like the real one
And that's our First look at soaps that no longer run .. we hope you enjoyed and ......... [cliffhanger]
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