THE DEATH OF SOAP OPERAS

Let's just face the cold hard fact folks; soap operas ARE dying out. The longest running soap in history GUIDING LIGHT ended in 2009 after  72 years glorious years in radio and TV; but before then many wonderful ones got cancelled thanks to bad writing and over development resulting in low ratings. The list is endless...

(1984-1993)

(1982-1987)

(1997-1999)

(1999-2007)

(1956-2010)

(1970-2011)

With ALL MY CHILDREN recently cancelled and ONE LIFE TO LIVE airing its final episode next year after 44 years; what then... should viewers worldwide wait with bated breath for  the few remaining soaps like GENERAL HOSPITAL, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS & THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL to go too because these days we no longer know what to expect. Speaking of which, of all the soaps I'm not going to miss would be DAYS OF OUR LIVES, it can rot for all I care; with their so called revamped story lines  and sudden write off of memorable characters like Dr. Carly Manning (b y the way,the splitting of Carbo was THE  MOST UNFAIR THING to ever happen in a soap since the splitting of Shuis in PASSIONS)- I'm yet to see how they expect people to watch that garbage of a show after that; I'll never forgive Ken Corday for firing Crystal Chappell and the others and letting such a wonderful love story fade away.
If this keeps up, we'll all be stuck with game or reality shows and the only thing worth watching would be telenovelas and webseries. The world is changing everyday but that doesn't mean our T.V programs should change so drastically! What would be the point of watching T.V at all???

REMEMBERING BO & CARLY

    

Now that Dr. Manning has sadly "left the building", and NBC deprived us of some of their best kisses & special moments in the recent "kiss gallery" in their website; here's my little tribute to the ultimate true signature couple of DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Ken Corday has done his worse; but he can never make us forget Carbo; they'll always be with us.

                                      

          

Carly/Crystal's departure: The Pain & Injustice

As Carly's final air date draws nearer; fresh bitterness is obviously abound among the old and new Bo and Carly fans. And we have more than enough reasons to be angry, sad and bitter; with the rubbish and injustice NBC and Ken Corday subjected us to as well as to the lady of the hour, Crystal Chappell. There was just NO reason for her contract not to be prolonged or her character and Peter's to have the long term love story they deserved; not with the many, many, many petitions, letters and montages made by adoring fans. The fact that Carbo got so many new fans should have told Corday exactly what we all wanted but for his own selfish and biased  reasons; we'll never ever see that.

I'm a Nigerian woman; over the years I've seen more than my share of soap operas from the States. DAYS OF OUR LIVES got me hooked because of  Bo &Carly. From the moment I saw them; I knew they were very special and they stayed with me all the years I stopped watching after CC's departure. I can still recall just how heartbroken I was when Bo and Carly broke up in 1993; I couldn't understand why such a love story had to come to a sad end like that. When CC came back, I was shocked but overjoyed and my first thought was that this would be a new chapter in DAYS; Carly and Bo getting all they've been cheated of. New fans were treated to scenes of Bo and Carly young and so very happy in the 90's and their very special moments; realising their love on Carly's birthday. their reunion in Isabella's loft, the Mayan wedding and their promises, hopes and dreams for the future.

Everything they did and said always radiated magic and warmth and all you can do is sigh and smile at them; both Bo and Carly 90 and Bo and Carly Y2K. And let's not forget CC & Peter's superb acting; what I really admire them for mostly is the way they worked together so well immediately she came back after 16 years; like she never left DAYS at all. Such chemistry and harmony between two actors is something to marvel at and I always tuned to DAYS JUST to see them in a scene together; even if it was just 5 mins.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, it's a total shame that this happened; Bo and Carly had such a wonderful love story and now we are expected to just keep on with the show as if nothing happened  after Carly leaves Salem (without even saying goodbye to Bo). I despise Ken Corday for what he's done to this wonderful couple and I wish him joy of his STUPID show. Bo and Carly will always remain the uncrowned signature couple of DAYS OF OUR LIVES and  in our hearts forever.

VIEW THIS "LOST" CARBO MONTAGE OF MINE- REMEMBER ME

Remembering Sam Loco Efe

What I liked best about him was his dry humour; whenever he made a funny remark he always had a straight face and it tickled me so much that I developed the tendency to giggle helplessly when he appeared even before he said something funny. Back in the '90s, his biggest movie was 'SERGEANT OKORO'  where he realistically portrayed an incorruptible police officer  made to retire after getting wounded in the line of duty and then had to struggle to feed his large family & at the same time  keep his principles and dignity in a difficult   and unsympathetic society. I never saw his other big hit 'PICCADILLY' but a friend told me back then he played a man who was the head of a gang of pickpockets. However I saw him in the third installment of 'LAGOS NA WA!' as the building's landlord, in 'PAM PAM' where he played Okey Bakassi's uncle and in  the T.V adaptation of 'THINGS FALL APART' he had a small role as an over zealous Christian who suddenly died after eating the clans sacred python.  I also clearly recall him being the hilarious narrator of the NTA documentary, 'ABUSE OF THE NAIRA.'

I watched a few of his later movies over the years and the rested T.V series EVERY DAY PEOPLE where he was one of the main characters. There was never anything rehearsed about the way he portrayed his characters; he was so realistic and spontaneous and every character he played simply came to life; especially his character Maduka Okoro in 'SERGEANT OKORO.' Every artiste has a specific method of acting and Sam Loco Efe definitely had his; I can't think of another actor like him. Nollywood has lost a veteran and as we all mourn him now we must pray to God to grant him eternal rest and we should try to remember him at his best. 

REST IN PEACE.

OPEN LETTER TO MR. KEN CORDAY

Dear Mr. Corday, 

As you are probably aware, there are many viewers who are not at all happy at the abrupt dismissal of Crystal Chappell and the writing off of her character from DAYS OF OUR LIVES. As a long time fan, I fail to understand why you took that decision especially since there were more than valid reasons why Bo and Carly should have had a very long continuity in the show; not to mention the many, many requests and petitions of Carbo supporters.

 When Carly came back, there was great expectation that Bo and Carly will be given the love story they were denied after their end in 1993 and their strong interaction and memorable history were the two most valid reasons. Instead, Carly was written in as a mere interlude and interloper and now cast off in the cold simply to make us forget what happened between her and Bo for almost a year as well as how they were back in the 90s. 

 What is the point of maintaining a soap opera when you refuse to move forward or listen to the views and opinions of the viewers as well as carry out decisions in a glaringly biased way. Crystal Chappell was the best thing that ever happened to your precious show and I can’t believe she and her character were treated in such an unfair way. You raised so many hopes when she was brought back; we thought we were going to be treated to a new chapter in DAYS instead you’ve invoked a lot of bitterness and hurt by making Carly leave the show and without even so much as a goodbye to Bo. 

You and the rest of the biased group may shrug and say, “it’s just a soap”, “it’s just a soap”… a really good soap opera is supposed to move forward and maintain continuity by keeping the history of the characters in mind and that’s not what happened here at all. A memorable character was written in a bad light, reunited with her other half but then the pair was split and she is being cast aside so callously and you honestly expect those of us, especially the veteran Bo/Carly supporters  to simply accept it with a shrug and remain faithful to the show.

For your information, I  came back to DAYS because Crystal Chappell was brought back to the show and now that the Carbo story is over, I don’t intend to ever so much as catch a peep at this soap, ever. Bo and Carly splitting up again is not the only thing that angers and sickens me, it’s also the way the writers made  her mistreated in Salem by the characters who were once her friends and family and now we’ll never know if Bo’s love for her was the same as back when they were first together or just an intermission. The whole time I studied the Bo/Carly story in a writer’s point of view and I’m just too angry and disgusted to even bother analyzing it.

 There’s nothing to be gained by moving backwards or be so biased and narrow minded and that is which is what you’ve done. If you still think the action you took was the right one then you truly don’t care about your precious show or the viewers and their opinions; which is a big shame on you.

I don’t know if you’ll have the chance of coming across this letter; I don’t hold any hope that it will reverse your decision and I’m willing to bet that that you wouldn’t care at all that has been said but I wanted to air my views for all to see. DAYS OF OUR LIVES is no longer worth watching and it’s really too bad considering how long it has graced T.V screens all over the world. Other soaps have disappointed me but not as much as this one living in past glory.

 Bear in mind that’s you’ve lost this viewer who is disappointed at what this soap has become. It’s not my place to predict the future of DAYS OF OUR LIVES but as of now I rate it VERY LOW.

These are my words to you; whether they sink in or not at least I’ve had my say.

                                                     From an ex-viewer [with loathing], 

                                                                           A. Adams