Our Soap Take: The Importance of the Soap Opera Family

It was so delightful to see General Hospital showcase a family get-together to celebrate Bobbie’s birthday this week. Sure, it wasn’t the story they were focusing on – that was more about Josslyn’s kidney donor – but the backdrop for it was appreciated.

Soaps used to be all about family, but as budgets have tightened, those scenes have become few and far between – and the soaps have suffered.

All in the Family
Soap opera families have always served as surrogates to their viewers who may have not had their parents or grandparents around. When I met the legendary Mary Stuart (Jo from Search for Tomorrow; ex-Meta, Guiding Light), she saw my face light up upon seeing her and greeted me with, “Did I raise you too?” It’s so true – when viewers watch these characters, we embrace them as our own and it’s why we continue to watch their antics day after day.

How many of you remember eagerly watching as the Horton family of Days of Our Lives unpacked their ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree? You wished Alice (Frances Reid) could give you advice and make you donuts too.

Perhaps you’re a fan of The Young and the Restless and were as proud as Katherine Chancellor (Jeanne Cooper) to watch her son Brock (Beau Kazer) give uplifting speeches at various important holidays and family gatherings. Watching different generations interact, share stories, or give advice has been a staple on soaps from the beginning.

[relbar link=”http://soaphub.wpengine.com/general-hospital/general-hospital-maxies-back-kirsten-storms-opens-left/” text=”Kirsten Storms Opens up on Why She Left.”]Generations
The Bold and the Beautiful has morphed into a multi-generational soap opera, thanks to its characters giving birth and those children growing up and having children of their own but it didn’t start out that way. Seeing Eric (John McCook) today as he advises the younger set while still messing up his own life makes for great viewing. It’s interesting how soaps seem to want to focus on the young–yet when a veteran actor is put front-and-center, fans love it.
 
Considering how so many stories are repeated through the years, it only makes sense to see the older members counsel their children about how they made similar mistakes. It’s the great thing about the soap opera medium – where else can a story like that appear – and it resonates so much because the viewer actually watched it happen to the older character. It’s why we watch and why we love them. Who is your favorite soap family of all time? Let us know in the comments section.
 

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