Is Halloween bad luck for the folks on Genoa City? Two years ago on The Young and the Restless, there was an inferno at the Top of the Tower where a gala was going on for the Delia Project. This year, Dina inadvertently torched The Underground. Whoops!
Would Y&R fans rather Halloween simply be about costumes and interpersonal drama? Or do they prefer big spectacular fires, explosions, etc. to stay entertained? Soap Hub asked and you answered!
Costumes, Please
Most of you, 62% to be exact, voted that you actually don’t need big budget/special effects and stunts to come down on the last day of October. You’d rather sit back and enjoy seeing Victor, Nikki, Jack, Ashley, and company get dressed up in costumes.
While seeing characters in physical jeopardy can engage viewers and get them glued to their sets so can good old-fashioned conflict! Imagine seeing Scott square off against Zack with one dressed as Robin Hood and the other as Julius Caesar?
Setting The Stage
The rest of you, 38%, believe that some physical danger for Y&R characters is a necessity on Halloween. Why? It sets things up for November sweeps.
Given the danger people were put in on Halloween, it’s certainly feasible that in the days leading up to Thanksgiving characters will be holding vigils for their loved ones in peril.
Plane crashes, fires, cave-ins, even earthquakes (yeah, we’re looking at you, Bold and Beautiful!) are certainly edge-of-your-seat episodes that grip the attention of viewers. But it’s what comes after those key episodes that matters.
Production Values
Today’s budget-conscious soaps have to be careful about doing big events like fires and floods. Nothing irks a fan more than seeing a big piece of styrofoam masquerading as a slab of concrete move easily if someone inadvertently brushes up against it.
What soaps have always done well are interpersonal relationships, showing what makes complex individuals operate. Done well, catastrophes like fires and other dangers can position characters into dramatic situations that continue to burn long after the literal fires have been extinguished.
As long as viewers continue to care about their favorite characters, they’ll keep tuning in to see how they fare.
The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes.
Video Credit: Soap Opera Nation
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