What’s Love Got To Do With It? Do Soaps Have To Be About Love?!

Love in the afternoon. It was the mantra of one network’s promo campaign for about a decade… but do soaps always have to be about love stories?

After all, The Edge of Night managed to last years being a Law & Order type daytime soap opera with police and detective mysteries followed by high profile court cases. Dark Shadows captured imaginations with its tales of werewolves and vampires.

In addition, there used to be more interplay between generations. Grandpa Hughes on As the World Turns tried to teach young Tommy life lessons – ditto for Alice Horton with young high school aged-Jennifer (still played by Melissa Reeves).

But by the late 1970s to early ‘80s, supercouple love stories became all the rage, with couples like General Hospital’s Luke and Laura, All My Children’s Cliff and Nina and Greg and Jenny, and so many DAYS pairs capturing the imagination and hearts of the audience.

Soap Hub asked if soaps always have to be about love stories and over 18,500 weighed in.

More Than Love
Over 63% believe there’s more to soaps than love stories and you enjoy it ALL. Sure, you love the romance on soaps, but what would they be without (attempted) murder mysteries like who shot Bill on The Bold and the Beautiful?

What about the business intrigue between Newman and Jabot on The Young and the Restless? Abigail’s (Marci Miller) multiple personalities have many glued to the TV. And what would GH be without Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Jason’s (Steve Burton) friendship? Boring, say many of you.

It’s All About Love
For 37%, sweeping love stories that only soaps can do are why you tune in. Watching two people meet, get to know each other, fall in love, and then overcome adversity – that’s the bread and butter of soaps and you’re thrilled you get to see plenty of it!