May 2002

Great Soap Opera is a very rare thing. The very nature of the medium – daily hour long shows, young, often un-trained actors, over-bearing network suits and prickly advertisers – means the majority of what is written and filmed will be mediocre at best, unwatchable at worst. But every once in a while a combination of writer, show, cast and executives comes together to create something more substantial, more entertaining and more involving than just about anything else on television. When done right, there’s nothing quite like great soap opera. But it’s rare and must be savored.

I still have tapes of Stone’s death on General Hospital in 1995. Everything came together for a story in which a young man died of AIDS. It was wrenching drama, but done with enough class and responsibility to transcend melodrama and touch something deeper.

When Loving was cancelled in 1995 and only a handful of it’s cast member were going on to a new soap, the now-defunct The City, many of the town’s residents were killed in one of the best mysteries in soap history. Presented by unusual circumstances and a golden opportunity, the writers seized it and produced what was, ironically, the best story in the soap’s 13 year history.

Right now, 46-year-old As the World Turns is Great Soap Opera. Under Head Writer Hogan Sheffer and Executive Producer Chris Goutman, the show has everything going for it: Great couples (Simon and Katie, Paul and Rose), great drama (Barbara’s quest for forgiveness), a great villain (Anthony Herrera’s invaluable James Stenbeck) and a sense of humor (Teri Columbino’s hilarious Katie Fraser). But other shows have one or more of these things going for them. What sets ATWT apart is not only its consistency, but it’s innovation.

Presented with the daunting task of accommodating simultaneous maternity leaves by two front-burner characters (Emily and Carly), Sheffer came up with a brilliant idea: Have them kidnapped and sent to mysterious “spa”, allowing the woman to lounge about (nothing too strenuous for the expectant moms) and wear loose, terry cloth robes (to hide their pregnancies). What makes this story so great is that the disappearance of the two women (as well as another character, Martha Byrne’s Rose) affects every single person on the show: Barbara, the physically and emotionally damaged matriarch who is partly responsible for their abduction; Paul Ryan (the dreamy Scott Holroyd) whose girlfriend is missing and whose parents are responsible; Jack and Craig, both in love with Carly and desperate to find her first; Margo, the cop left to handle everything while her two co-workers are caught up in the mystery. The list goes on, even including rarely used veterans like John Dixon and Kim Hughes.

But the lynchpin in the story’s success is its keen sense of humor. Criminal mastermind James Stenbeck is a deliciously dead pan villain. But unlike other super-villains (um, say Stefano DiMera) he also carries a very real sense of menace. Ex-showgirl Rose is a delightfully spunky and witty heroine. And Hunt Block’s Craig can turn a weather report into a deliciously dirty double entendre.

And then there’s Katie. While she is one of the few characters not directly affected by the spa story, her hijinks with husband Simon (Paul Leyden, pretty dreamy himself) are a hoot. Currently promoting her “Butt-Bustin’ Workout” and launching her own media empire she is a constant source of amusement. But when she turns to her husband, fearful of losing their new found happiness, she is also poignant and heart-breaking.

There are many more reasons this show is great right now. Colleen Zenk Pinter’s tortured, damaged portrayal of fashion maven Barbara Ryan, the surprising romance between Hal and Emily, Paul’s blue sweater. And, naturally, a few things aren’t exactly perfect. Abigail’s trial for murder is dragging on too long and Bonnie and Isaac’s romance has been rushed. But when something doesn’t work (Jennifer and Billy’s whirlwind romance) Sheffer and Goutman have the good sense to kill it quickly. (Jennifer is now a model, traveling the world.)

So, if you’re not currently a soap watcher, give the show a try. If you are, but aren’t watching this one, start. And if you are already an ATWT fan, congratulate yourself for your brilliance.