Let’s face it. 2011 has not been a good year for fans of daytime drama, what with shows dropping like flies and even the promise of beloved shows moving to the Web is beginning to seem about as likely as THE EDGE OF NIGHT getting rebooted. But this being Thanksgiving and all, I’m going to try and think of five things that soap fans have to be grateful for. It won’t be easy, but… well, let’s give it a go, shall we?
Melody Thomas Scott is back on our screen.
THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS’ Nikki is a fan favorite who was missing for far too long. now, she and her gorgeous portrayer are not only back but front-and-center thanks to questions about where she was on the night of Diane’s murder…
REVENGE is a hit.
There are a lot of shows on the airwaves with soapy storylines, but REVENGE is an old-fashioned sudser that is giving fans of the genre more thrills than a lot of its daytime counterparts. This, kids, is what soaps are all about.
The DAYS OF OUR LIVES reboot.
It’s hard to believe that only a few short months ago, the lone NBC soap was such a mess you couldn’t pay me to watch… and that’s literally my job! And while the much-ballyhooed revamp in September fell flat for many, recent weeks have found the show morphing into top-notch drama worthy of the old NBC “Must-See TV” slogan. And that was before EJ and Sami’s much-discussed bout of grief sex!
ONE LIFE TO LIVE is on fire.
No currently-airing show — primetime or daytime — is better at mixing drama and comedy to create an irresistible brew that leaves every viewer wondering why ABC is canceling the best soap on its slate.
Twitter.
Fan wars and nastiness aside, the social media site has been embraced by soap lovers who find that live-tweeting is the modern equivalent of sitting in a college dorm and watching with your besties.
Richard M. Simms is the executive editor of Soaps In Depth magazine.