"New Yorker" Profiles Soaps

[Philippe Cordier]

Just an FYI --

The current issue of "The New Yorker" magazine (I think the issue date is April 15) has an lengthy article on the soap opera format, specifically focusing on "As the World Turns."

There is some interesting background information on how the soaps got their start on radio and later TV.

One thing that I found interesting about the article was that in its depiction of soap operas, I realized how often Dark Shadows does NOT fit the typical soap opera "profile."  Just one example is the glacial pace at which soap operas have traditionally moved.  DS may have started out excruciatingly slow, but I think it left that aspect of the soaps in the dust once Barnabas came on the scene.

There were several other significant differences that I noted but don't remember offhand (since I didn't actually buy the magazine when I skimmed the article a few days ago).

After reading the article, I felt it would be inaccurate to refer to "Dark Shadows" as a soap opera.  And of course, it usually isn't referred to as such anyway.  The show was a one-of-a-kind and difficult to categorize.

[Gothick]

Agree with you about this, Vlad.  I generally use terms such as "daytime drama," "Gothic serial," or "cult daytime series."  If I'm being flip or using verbal shorthand however, I will refer to it as a "Gothic soap opera" (or variation upon that).

I do think it created its own category, and it broke nearly every rule about what was supposed to be done on soaps.  Ironically I have read that the popularity of DS was responsible for the creation of a whole new type of publication, soap opera magazines.  The first one of these was Afternoon TV and it certainly did feature DS very heavily in its early years.

As I recall it, there was a lot of ambivalence towards DS in the industry.  I think actors found it an exciting opportunity because they got to do such different kinds of work on the series.  I think a lot of the people behind the camera, producers, directors and such, were baffled by it, though.  In the Sixties pop culture, genres and such did not have the kind of media acceptance that they do today.  Contrast the press Buffy the Vampire Slayer has enjoyed with typical media reporting of DS back in the Sixties (e. g., the Cleveland Amory review in TV guide).  Most critics and reporters simply failed to get the show at all.

Gothick

[kuanyin]

I have heard that you only need watch most soaps on Friday, as nothing ever happens the rest of the time. Whereas, with DS, if you only watched one day of the week, you would have no idea what was happening by then!

[Philippe Cordier]

I have heard that you only need watch most soaps on Friday, as nothing ever happens the rest of the time. Whereas, with DS, if you only watched one day of the week, you would have no idea what was happening by then!

LOL, exactly, kuanyin!

Interesting comments, Gothick.  I haven't seen any of the articles that appeared during the series' original run.  It would be interesting to read them.

Something else I was just reading jogged my memory about another point in the "New Yorker" article:  Most soaps are followed by people for whom the characters are "real" people; viewers do not think of themselves as viewing a fantasy but rather that they are viewing the lives of people they actually know.

The difference with Dark Shadows, at least for me, is that I am always aware that it is a fantasy -- and I love retreating into that unreal, fantastic world of Collinwood.

I've often drawn the parallel, for me, with the Land of Oz created by L. Frank Baum -- not that there is much similarity between those two imaginary realms!

[JWGucciEnvy]

I would consider Dark Shadows a soap.  Yes, it was the first soap opera to used the horror element.  However since then many soaps have used the fanasty and horror concept.  General Hospital thru out the 80's.  Days of Our Lives thru out the mid 90's, which spawn alot of horror and fanasty elements in other soaps during this time.  And now Passions.  

Dark Shadows was indeed a unique soap at the time period.  However, it was a soap due to it continuing storyline.  And of course all its drama!!

jon

[Luciaphile]

Something else I was just reading jogged my memory about another point in the "New Yorker" article:  Most soaps are followed by people for whom the characters are "real" people; viewers do not think of themselves as viewing a fantasy but rather that they are viewing the lives of people they actually know.

The difference with Dark Shadows, at least for me, is that I am always aware that it is a fantasy -- and I love retreating into that unreal, fantastic world of Collinwood.

I think though that there are a lot of DS fans as there are in any fandom who are not always a 100% aware that this is fantasy.  Some do forget that it was just a tv show; that the characters are fictional creations, etc.

Luciaphil

[CastleBee]

In the Sixties pop culture, genres and such did not have the kind of media acceptance that they do today.  Contrast the press Buffy the Vampire Slayer has enjoyed with typical media reporting of DS back in the Sixties (e. g., the Cleveland Amory review in TV guide).  Most critics and reporters simply failed to get the show at all.

Gothick

Good point! And the critics and other media folk probably get it today because most of them were kids in the late '60's and now it just seems like the norm! LOL!

[CastleBee]

I think though that there are a lot of DS fans as there are in any fandom who are not always a 100% aware that this is fantasy.  Some do forget that it was just a tv show; that the characters are fictional creations, etc.

Luciaphil

So true Luciaphil...and most of those people scare me more than any one thing in the daily supernatural smorgasbord offered on DS.

[Craig_Slocum]

Thanks for the info Vlad! I will look for a copy of the current issue of "The New Yorker." I would like to read the article on soap opera format, specifically focusing on "As The World Turns." Craig Slocum had a role on that show too. Dark Shadows was unique. I like what John Karlen said in an interview. He said on Dark Shadows you could really bring out your emotions, and you could really go the limit and do big things. He also stated that Dark Shadows was good fun for actors and gave them tremendous opportunities, whereas ordinary shows wouldn't, and that the show covered all areas and it was a good time on Dark Shadows, with lots of laughs. I'll bet it was! Wish I could've been there. I was just a little girl though. I'm not surprised that the popularity of Dark Shadows was responsible for the creation of soap mags. I collect the ones with Dark Shadows articles and pics. Afternoon TV has some really good ones. Thanks for the great topic!