Top Ten Huge Mistakes That Ruined the Supersoaps (Part One)

[@SweptAway529]

JR's screaming cleaning lady cracks me up every time! :D

[@uranuslad9855]

Bobby's death being retconned on Dallas really did a number on a bunch of related storylines on Knots Landing. The two shows kept their distance after that. Also, my other fave "retcon", which might have just been "we hope the audience won't remember" was when Lucy's early seasons hook-up turned out to be her uncle. Good times.

[@gregwatson8219]

The dream sequence ruined Dallas. Duffy was ok leaving show

[@gregwatson8219]

Hagman wanted him back

[@ScireTwins]

Even the Knots Landing cast has said in interviews Bobby stayed dead on Knots. They really never did associate with nor mention the Dallas Ewings again.

[@willisapril]

Still iffy on if the dream angle was good or bad. Dallas needed the good brother vs bad brother rivalry with Bobby gone that was missing had the Duffy not come back the show would have been canceled around 1987 or 88 maybe. When he came back back it lasted till 1991.

[@willisapril]

@@ScireTwins As a watcher of Knots after Dallas ended. In Knots last years they started to reference Dallas characters again where Gary talked about Miss Ellie and Jock and it was said Gary lost his shares of Ewing Oil when the Ewings lost Ewing Oil. Also when Val died Mac offered to track Lucy down in Europe as 2 years earlier Lucy left Dallas to run an art Gallary in Europe so they did keep up with the Dallas timeline just no mention of Bobby. I had even heard they tried to get Charlene Tilton to come to Val's funeral but she was unavailable.

[@kekwayblaze3176]

Killing off Melissa from Falcon Crest began the downward spiral of the show. The departure of leading women from Dallas like Lucy, Pam, Sue Ellen, Donna and Miss Ellie really hurt the show as well.

[@jmjfanss]

Killing off chase was the beginning of the end of falcon crest

[@tj.espygil4544]

Maggie's on screen death on Falcon Crest was morbid and upsetting. How dare they so brutally kill.off a beloved original core character. I stopped watching.

[@kobrakitsch877]

@@jmjfanss Thank you so much for saying it.

[@kobrakitsch877]

@@tj.espygil4544 I found Maggie's demise somewhat funny because her accidental drowning was ultimately caused by the large wedding ring given by Richard which trapped her finger inside the swimming pool's drainage system.

[@robertstewart239]

Miss Ellie leaving Southfork was just ridiculous. She spent 60 years fighting to keep it and the family together and then suddenly just walked away because she was tired of all the fighting!

[@scottyclayton5604]

Lastly, Laura's death was by far the saddest departure in all of these shows.

[@supersoaps]

Very true! Thanks for watching! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@tj.espygil4544]

When they killed off Laura, the Knotts Landing stories turned crappy and the show quality went down hill and never recovered.

[@satanclaus8381]

Soaps biggest downfall will always be getting rid of established characters. If you can not write properly for a beloved character you should be the one to lose your job. At least with budget cuts letting someone go makes sense.

[@maestroclassico5801]

I give the producers of Falcon Crest credit for even trying to keep the show going with all of the Giobertis gone. Making Richard Angela's son was maybe a teeny bit cliche'd but they had to shake it up to keep it working. Losing Cast members on Dallas all but destroyed the show. The doppelgangers on all the shows were stupid. Bringing Ana Alicia back as the lookalike hooker was brave but it just proved that Melissa should NEVER have been killed off in the first place.

[@JohnJones-fg1dd]

Loved the first part of the dream season, the second half not so much. Pam and JR going head to head was some of the best stuff ever

[@supersoaps]

I would have finished the show after the episode "En Passant" when Sue Ellen leaves with her mum and lets John Ross stay with his dad. Everything began to get worse after that, especially in the episodes of Colombia and Martinique. Thanks for your feedback John! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@notmyrealname6150]

After seeing the opening credits of the final season of Dallas you are left wondering "Who the hell are these people?"

[@kbhprinsesse]

I really, really wish they would release complete dvd sets of "Falcon Crest" and "Knots Landing"!!!

[@Thelma158]

It was bad enough having Emma samms taking over the role of Fallon, but when Claudia one of my favorites Dynasty characters was killed off without even a funeral that was the final nail in the coffin. Poor Pamela bellwood should have sued. Plus firing Catherine oxenberg and recasting Amanda with Karen cellini didn't make stomaching Dynasty after season 6 any easier.

[@supersoaps]

Ron, agree 100%. Toni

[@ThiloAdamitz]

Emma Samms' Fallon was the better version, Pamela Bellwood's Claudia got annoying pretty fast as far back as season 2, and Oxenberg couldn't act her way out of a paper-bag.

[@michael65]

Michael York should've been thankful he was offered anything. Aside from Cabaret and Murder on the Orient Express, he hasn't the most enviable of filmographies.

[@supersoaps]

I agree with you michael65! He was promising in "Romeo & Juliet" and the right actor for "Cabaret", but he always played the ambiguous wimp who seemed to be manipulated by one or another...

[@brandnewheavie7548]

Well, wrong. The was quite famous during the 70's. Logans run and The three musketeers and its sequel were huge hits. Surely, there was not so much to do in the 80s, but please don't write shit if you have nothing to say.

[@tj.espygil4544]

I liked him in The Austin Powers trilogy.

[@markelijio6012]

He was one of the special guest stars on the Emmy winning long running soap opera show, "Knots Landing" for Lorimar Television (1979-1985): Warner Bros. Television (Fall 1985-present). Both were under the Time Warner byline/banner.

[@ScireTwins]

When Joan Van Ark left Knots Landing should be on this list.

[@supersoaps]

But she was back for the finale and season 13 had been rather mediocre. Thanks for your feedback. Toni from Supersoaps.org

[@EWollberg]

Patrick Duffy left Dallas on 1985; Linda Gray at 1989.

[@supersoaps]

Thanks for your corrections! Lots of info to handle!

[@rhondathompson6942]

@@redletter2008 I always though lucy should of been on knots landing i love to see her with her mom and dad more

[@maestroclassico5801]

I disagree with Linda Gray....they still were writing pretty well for Sue Ellen right until she left. She had the best lines to check JR. LUCKILY she returned for the sequel movies and the revival in 2011.

[@soapwonder2284]

I loved the „Dream Season“ of Dallas so much I was disappointed when Bobby returned! It was ridiculous! Unbelievable! It sucked!

[@supersoaps]

I agree with you soapwonder! The Dream Season had some downs (the Colombia episodes e.g.) but the rest was up to its previous two seasons. The acting was superb and the production values too. I always call it the Knotsy season because several writers of the spin-off were in its staff and that was noticeable: it was more ensemble-led and more issue-oriented, and the actresses were allowed to deliver great performances. Too bad the ratings decrease reflected that American audiences didn´t really care about all that. They just wanted the same old story year after year, and no real plot progression.

[@RobertJohnson-mn3br]

The dream season was horrible. If Patrick Duffy hadn’t come back the series wouldn’t have made another two seasons.

[@supersoaps]

@@RobertJohnson-mn3br I think that no TV show really deserves to be in the air longer than 5 or 6 years. Bobby´s death should have been its ending. Anyway, I did love the Dream Season, minus the Colombia plot.Thanks for watching! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@paulvoorhies8821]

Donna and Ray adopt a retarded child….

[@EWollberg]

@@supersoaps Very good observations!

[@ChrisCosat]

I didn't realize how many shootings all of these shows had.

[@EWollberg]

I didn't make the connection how soon Knots Landing used the shooting plotline soon after the supposudly Gary's.

[@kennyjacobs2041]

Killing off Melissa from Falcon Crest I was done with that show Bobby Bobby back in the whole season was just a dream things to do for me too only one that held onto a good storytelling was Knots Landing and it's later seasons.

[@radrobd123]

The show realized the mistake they made in killing off Melissa as they soon brought her back as a look alike. I just wished they undid her death and brought her back as the real Melissa, saying she faked her death or something. As for a side note, Ana Alicia was still under contract when she got fired and was still getting paid even though she was no longer onscreen. She said when she came back as Samantha, they had to pay her twice as her first contract was for the role of Melissa

[@ThiloAdamitz]

@@radrobd123 Oddly enough she was much better as Samantha.

[@ColonialTwinFollies]

You know a show has gone on way too long when it ends up barely resembling its former self, which is the case in all of these classic prime time soaps!

[@EWollberg]

I'm not sure that's entirely true; Some developement is organic. Also, while Knots Landing ended with a "closing circles" wibe (& in fact, it made an effort to tie many knots on its last season).

[@MrJacobrabbit]

Rewrite History drives me crazy still to this day

[@leomartin1603]

The 80's was over the top with the over dramatizations.

[@dannycarrington1601]

In the un-aired "Vintage Years" pilot Richard is Angela's son so I think it may have been the plan all along to reveal Richard as her son on "Falcon Crest".

[@supersoaps]

I think the same Danny! Thanks for watching! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@travisjames3517]

I guess Richard’s affair with his aunt doesn’t count…..

[@EWollberg]

Not neccesarily. The show needed the to retool the balance previously achived by the dinnamics between Angela-Chase, Chase-Richard & Angela-Richard upon Chase's, being lieas protagonist, departure @@supersoaps

[@cloverfield911]

Dallas was ruined the day the decided to go down the "Dream" route!!!.... Instead they should have gone with the 1986/.87 route where Sue Ellen was left wheelchair bound after the explotion!! Cliff griefstriken over Jamie's death! Pam finding Mark dead in the shower, and Ben Shrivers pretending to be Jock!

[@supersoaps]

I agree with you Cloverfield911, except for the Jock part: I never bought Forrest´s take on him. Why not make him Jason Ewing instead and Jamie and Jack the ones who lied about his death? And claim his share of Ewing Oil? Anyway, I like to think that the Dream Season might have made a great epilogue for the show, if we end it at Pam´s wedding with Mark.

[@radrobd123]

@@supersoaps Yes, I always thought Steve Forrest should have been Jason Ewing and not a Jock wannabe.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

No. It recovered from that. Pamela leaving is the death shot.

[@rolandbaldwin]

Excellent channel. Thank you

[@supersoaps]

Thanks Roland, glad you like it. This week I´ll post another video!

[@RY-fe3rt]

$100,000 per episode?!!!!!! Damn, Rock Hudson!

[@erikandrus4387]

Letting Pamela Bellwood go from DYNASTY was stupid! I watched earlier episodes of her work and you just wanted Claudia to succeed not recede into a frenzy.

[@supersoaps]

She was mistreated as a character when Pamela got pregnant (Spelling "forbade" her actresses to do so contractually!). She finally was axed Joan-of-Arc style! Pamela was one of the strongest actors in the show, but they clearly threw her character from one man to another. Though I wish she had been there when Matthew returned! Thanks for watching Erik! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@erikandrus4387]

@@supersoaps My pleasure Toni! Yes, Claudia being there at the time Matthew came back would have made that moment even better, I agree. I always had the hope that Claudia survived the fire and Adam initially found her 'catatonic'. Fearing for Claudia for what she accidentally caused, Adam identified another fire victim as Claudia and then secretly had his wife taken away to a private mental health facility in San Francisco under the name "Kate". At this point, Adam would have started to live a dual life as Claudia/Kate's husband in San Francisco and Adam Carrington "moving on" to his wife Dana Warring in Denver, until...it was discovered Claudia was ALIVE!

[@alexisdiva9]

@@erikandrus4387 Great plot you came up with - better than some of the plots in the latter seasons.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

All she ever did is whine and weep.

[@gertrudedierude7224]

It wasn't just Pamela Bellwood's pregnancy. After bedding Steven, Adam, and Jeff, Claudia had come full circle, and writers simply ran out of love interests for her.

[@DouglasRickard]

Skylar Kimball on Falcon Crest and Rita on Dynasty were excellent characters.

[@pjesf]

"Who killed Alexis? Will she get her jacket clean?" THE BEST

[@scotth1423]

I'm not sure I agree the guest stars were a problem, particularly on Falcon Crest, which had some great ones in the later years. The mystery of Kit Marlowe with Kim Novak made for a very interesting season.

[@EWollberg]

Falcon Crest actually was very vocal about its rotating door of guest appearances on season 7, which in part at least aimed to fill the void of Chase's death (along with short arcs storytelling, in a Melrose Place manner)

[@Senzanome141]

I loved the "whodunits" and the guest stars.

[@crees1445]

The Dream Season of Dallas was the worst mistake of soaptime.

[@W81Researcher]

Amazing they were fine with Linda Gray going. Look where it got them. It was done after that because the show lost its integrity and it was unusual to see JR keep John Ross and have John Ross have bad luck living with Sue Ellen. They must have had different writers then.

[@ingoheise4532]

Christopher Atkins & Barbara Carrera were two of the best things that ever happened to and on Dallas.

[@supersoaps]

Agree for different reasons. Angelica was too fabulous for words Toni from supersoaps.org

[@ThiloAdamitz]

But there just weren't enough scenes with Atkins in a speedo... 😉

[@kellymorell1397]

Dallas had always his "main" guest stars. The cartel, Mandy & other mistresses of J.R., Katherine, Kristin, Jamie, Charlie, the secretarys... And Ewing Oils secretarys had more to do than Ali MacGraw in Dynasty or Diahann Carroll. Diahann had a big entrance and a boring role. I also like Steven II & Fallo II more than their predecessors. Just Amanda II was horrible.

[@kbhprinsesse]

"Too many retcons" - Dynasty was FILLED with them but no examples in this video??

[@willisapril]

Still iffy on if the dream angle was good or bad. Dallas needed the good brother vs bad brother rivalry with Bobby gone that was missing had the Duffy not come back the show would have been canceled around 1987 or 88 maybe. When he came back back it lasted till 1991.

[@markelijio6012]

He came back as a special guest star as Bobby in its ninth season (1985-1986) where he was taking a shower and says at the end: "Good Morning."

[@Sony12Play]

Love this. Waiting for part 2!

[@supersoaps]

Thanks Wayne! More videos coming soon!

[@supersoaps]

Wayne, Part 2 is finished but I´m having some technical problems with it. Hopefully it will be uploaded during the weekend.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

Al Corley was sacked from the show after he chose to stand up for the integrity of his groundbreaking character. And he likely did not need the (comparative) chump change for the reprisal of Steven Carrington in that forgettable "Reunion".

[@supersoaps]

Bonghune, I would have loved to see Corley in a more coherent version of Steven from Season 3 on. Please vote for your fav episodes here, a second Top 10 video will be coming soon! Stay healthy. Toni from supersoaps.org

[@radrobd123]

Yes I remember the headlines at the time that said Corley got fired for bad mouthing the show. He was just standing up for his character whom the network wanted to set "straight" by having him get married to a woman

[@nightowlchad]

I preferred Corley as Steven. I never cared for Jack Coleman as Steven

[@zt1053]

I think the Bobby Ewing dream had an everlasting effect on all them.

[@sabarsharif48]

Similar causes were the introductions of too many older antagonist female characters (Sable, Angelica Nero, Caresse etc.)

[@ThiloAdamitz]

Beacham's Sable is a highlight in both "The Colbys" and the final season of "Dynasty".

[@W81Researcher]

Caresse was good. She made that show interesting and contributed to that peak year. Sable and Angelica however yeah.

[@micksplace]

2 shockers here...all these years I thought Constance McCashin left the show on her own not fired (now I'm retro sad) and they paid Christopher Atkins a MILLION for that brief run?? Surely there was any number of himbos that could fill out a Speedo that would have come in way cheaper??

[@radrobd123]

Yes, Constance was let go around the time Lorimar was cutting the costs of their three primetime soaps by letting go of longtime castmembers. At the same time Constance was let go, they also let go of Julie Harris (Liliemae)

[@JP-he6rq]

interesting , and well put together,, but where is part two??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[@supersoaps]

Jeremy P, thanks for your comments and interest. This one took me a lot of time to finish, Part Two will be on before a couple of weeks. Others will be uploaded prior to that. I hope the wait will be worthwhile.

[@JP-he6rq]

@@supersoaps sorry i didnt mean to come so hard on you, you did a grate job on this ,, and so much of information i didn't know,, love to see what part 2 and 3 will be like,, thanks

[@reinholdkorner6473]

Barbara Bel Geddes the best Miss Ellie 👍🤎

[@scottyclayton5604]

Stephanie Rogers signified the lowest point of "Dallas". The bottom of the barrel. Ew.

[@radrobd123]

They shouldn't have added Lesley-Anne Down to the opening credits. She was a guest star. And her role was a rehash of Susan Flannery's character from season 4, Leslie Stewart

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Charlie was NOT bobbys daughter.

[@supersoaps]

Sal Paradise, that´s exactly what I mean.The show did reveal it in Fairchild´s episode, but retconned it when Presley showed up, as if Jenna hadn´t told him the truth already.

[@CaptainSpalding72]

@@supersoaps well. . Gotta admit, I don't recall that. I just liked Fairchilds interpretation better, she felt and looked like she was hiding something, like she had a past, not entirely proud of it all. Too bad we didn't have her back, she was edgy, sexy, mysterious. PP was ... beautiful. Thats it.

[@supersoaps]

@@CaptainSpalding72 Agree completely. PP was a celebrity only at the time. No wonder she had to insist to get an audition!

[@chadshere]

What's retcon mean?

[@supersoaps]

chadshere, "retcon" means "retroactive continuity". More info here: www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=retcon

[@chadshere]

@@supersoaps ok

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Never understood why General Hospital luke abd lara shit was so hyped up...then a year later, the actor playing Lara leaves... why?

[@supersoaps]

Sal, never had time or interest for daytime soaps! I'm writing from Spain and telenovelas were more popular here at the time. Only Santa Barbara and TBATB were aired here for a long time. Thanks for watching! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@radrobd123]

She wanted to move on to bigger and better things, as most actors do. Plus, she has said the show didn't care whether she stayed or went. She was told Laura was replaceable but Luke was the star

[@oldhollywoodfan8009]

I was never ever a Luke fan but when it comes to Laura, still a fan of hers to this day. The actress was having difficulties and the show runners were appalling. Then the exit took place. I was a kid when Stavros took her from the phone booth that night in the fog on the docks. I was absolutely crushed! But my goodness the creativity they were able to do with her long absence and her phenomenal return with the Christopher Cross song always playing until she was finally seen. Really good stuff that eventually lead to the arrival of Nikolas in 1996.

[@walkerpantera]

I like your vids but the text u put up is too quick to read, I had to rewind so many times to read everything.

[@supersoaps]

Walker, I'll try to slow it down, thanks for your feedback. Toni

[@scottyclayton5604]

Sad about Lucy Ewing leaving. It was bad for the show!

[@CaptainSpalding72]

She never did anything. She left twice and no one cared.

[@LBF522]

Lucy was a waste of a character just like Bliss Colby on the Colbys and Amanda Carrington on Dynasty. There were possibilities not taken.

[@rhondathompson6942]

@@LBF522 lucy should of been on knots landing where she could of grown up a bit with her dad and mother

[@LBF522]

@@rhondathompson6942 I agree. To have had her on with only one episode was a bad decision. Least they could have done is have her crossover during Valene's cancer scare.

[@rhondathompson6942]

@@LBF522 i think lucy should just stayed on knots landing val going threw those babies being stolen and lucy could of gotten to know her other grandmother val mom

[@damianlatimer5753]

where are the top ten barbecue and wedding episodes?

[@supersoaps]

In the making, Damian! Maybe you´ll be able to see some "carnival"-related video here... Hint hint... Thanks for watching! Toni from supersoaps.org

[@damianlatimer5753]

@@supersoaps yep.thatll be good

[@shanet5604]

Captions are too quick to read…

[@billcary30]

the part of the video with marc was bad because he's not even left handed and it's obvious from the way he threw the punch............ come on guys there's no need to do that when it add's nothign to the story and this was one of his last papearnaces in the show so why do it?

[@dsinatra8371]

Sorry, but I loved Bobby & Jenna together. I thought they made a good family unit along with Charly

[@nicoleackerman205]

Man these are some bad retcons. Hate retcons with a passion.

[@supersoaps]

Me too Nicole! There were many more in all soaps but I had to make it short. One about Jenna contradicting herself with Naldo not having seen their daughter eg, when Jenna #2 did send her away with him in her very first scene at the airport. I guess that´s what happens when they remove your face...

[@eleanademera6371]

supersoaps the Jenna thing bothered me too..how do you not remember important details like that..writers didn't get it together on that one

[@radrobd123]

I remember another bad retcon that happened during the same season. In season 3 of Dallas, it was stated that Digger and Rebecca had another daughter after Pamela named Katherine who died of neurofibramentosis. Later that season, it was said after Rebecca had Pam, Digger killed her lover Hutch McKinney and Rebecca left town.

[@supersoaps]

@@radrobd123 Thanks for your comment. Actually Rebecca lost two babies: a girl and a boy, dead because of neurofibromatosis. But it was never mentioned again or retconned. Of course it would´ve been a nice touch if Rebecca had referred to them when she became a regular...

[@radrobd123]

@@supersoaps Yes but the first born son named Tyler was born before Cliff. The daughter born AFTER Pam was retconned away when they mentioned Rebecca left Digger shortly after Hutch was killed and Pam was born

[@phoenixnyc]

Letting Pamela Bellwood go was unfortunate. She was easily one of the best actors in Dynasty's run.

[@supersoaps]

Agree 100% Happy Sunday. Toni supersoaps.org

[@ethelhoose2972]

Who shot a main character was a popular theme used way to much

[@HnHBlkM]

Now, in Dynasty 2.0, will Lady Ashley be the former fiancee of Liam?

[@nicoleackerman205]

Pamela Bellwood if she was on a show today and got fired for being pregnant she could sue for discrimination.

[@billhosko7723]

It WAS contractual she not get pregnant.

[@TheAngiehubbard]

I disagree with thus list. You should’ve done each show separately.

[@supersoaps]

Thanks for watching Dimitri. What do you exactly disagree with in this list? All the supersoaps had a lot of things in common so I chose this way to make the video. But there will others to specify the mistakes not mentioned and exclusive for each of them. Anyway, I think it´s a lot more interesting to focus on the positive instead of the negative. What do you think?

[@TheAngiehubbard]

supersoaps firstly , I would like to say thank you for his channel. I wish it was around 10+ years ago. And your doing a good job. I know to piece this together took time. I appreciate it! I think it’s always best to be truthful and realistic. So focusing on the good and bad is the best approach. I remember when I first read up on falcon crest all I heard people talk about was the good and watched all nine seasons and came out very disappointed. The only good is what I heard lol I just didn’t feel the list applies to all the shows . For example, too many whodunnits was a Dallas problem, retcons and recast was dynasty’s, too many guest stars was falcon’s. It’s funny the double grangers was a mistake for everybody but knots landing. Ciji’s whodunnit/and her lookalike showing up is what helped save that show and gave it a new identity IMO.

[@supersoaps]

​@@TheAngiehubbard I get your point, I watched the whole Dynasty and Colbys, and I felt I´d wasted my time. I myself didn´t like the Cathy Geary storyline because IMO Lisa Hartman was a very limited actress. She was ok in Season 5 but she stayed on for 2 more long years...Besides, I´ll never forget Cathy for sleeping with Ben! Lol! Re. the lists, you know that sometimes it can feel forced but I do like to see all major soaps together in one video once in awhile. At the time they all were seen as potential big hits at the same level of Dallas, but some soon vanished, and others became all glamour and fashions. But 40 years later, we´re here reminiscing about them and still enjoying them in re-runs and dvds.

[@damianlatimer5753]

no they did it right