Back To The Future: Should Soap Opera Stories Draw From The Past?

Soap operas are on five days a week, 52 weeks a year, give or take a holiday or breaking-news preemption here or there. That’s a lot of story! So when writers are looking for future story, sometimes the best place to look is to the past.

We don’t mean that soaps should simply repeat successful stories of the past but rather re-visit character history. But how do viewers feel about that? Soap Hub asked just that and almost 8,000 let us know where they stand.

On the Fence
For 54% of you, it isn’t a blanket yes or no but rather it depends on what story is being revisited. Take General Hospital going back 25 years to revisit the Ryan Chamberlain (Jon Lindstrom) serial killer storyline. Everyone thought he died but it turned out his brother Kevin was trying to reform him.

Kevin screwed up and now Ryan is back to killing and outsmarting everyone around him. It’s given Lindstrom lots to do and has been compelling to watch.

But, it’s not always the case and you realize that. The Bold and the Beautiful revisited the Hope (Annika Noelle) and Liam (Scott Clifton) love story, which had been popular in the past. However, this is a new actress (who has done an incredible job dealing with the character’s second loss of a baby) and some feel the chemistry isn’t there.

Bring It On!
Then there’s 30% of the audience who love when soaps mine the past for future story! Days of Our Lives had huge success in the 1980s with their good girl redeems bad boy supercouple formula — look at Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Steve (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans).

Now they’re doing it again with Ben (Robert Scott Wilson) and Ciara (Victoria Konefal), who happens to be the daughter of Bo and Hope! Their story has captured the hearts of DAYS fans like none other in ages!

Not So Fast
There’s still 16% who disapprove of this practice, deeming it lazy storytelling. You’re wanting to see something completely new. The Young and the Restless deciding to pair Mariah (Camryn Grimes) and Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) was fresh and you applaud that.