Here is a rundown of shows that are mostly no longer being filmed that I used to watch quite a bit: The X-Files (which was best during it's first season), the ever beloved Ren and Stimpy, Saturday Night Live ('Not Ready For Prime Time Players' cast and late 80s-early 90s cast), Flying Blind, Ranma 1/2, Wairudo de Ikou ~ Born to be Wild, All American Girl, Mr. Bean (glorious fan page), The Muppets, Wishbone, The Addams Family, The Twilight Zone, etc.

Soap Operas: they are the prime example of what a television show is. Structure-wise they were created precisely for the television format of short spurts. The format has gone through few adjustments to accomodate modern styles. Content-wise, the morals/ethics presented on the daytime soaps have also gone through little change--they seem to be some sort of warped 1950's ideal. I am not a fan of any Soap; I only catch them as I flip the channel. (Soap Operas are not for the impatient.) However, I have lived with 2 different Days of Our Lives obsessives. Thus, for the past 4 years I've come to know the show quite well. With those years under my belt, I still can't take a Soap seriously. They are just about the funniest damn thing on television.

(But because I have been desensitized there are some things I don't catch much anymore. The last line from a scene is usually a tense moment. The first line from the next scene, if you'll sometimes notice, fits well enough to be a response. If you close your eyes you will not even notice a transition. It is things like that I am hardly aware of now.)

Days of Our Lives - my thoughts. On the show, the actress Krista Allen portrays the character Billie Reed. I'd like to see Ms. Allen go goth, at least just once. When she first appeared on the show, replacing the previous actress, I thought she'd make an excellent goth. Meaning, she's much more suited in black and lace than the crap they dress her in. (Also, they can remove the color in her face too, maybe?) I don't know, she just seems so out of place in how they dress her on the show, even for her character.

Her out-of-place-ness can be due to naughty script writers. Examples: the character of Billie Reed was a tough independent woman who had wealth from her mother, but she wasn't really fashion-conscience and often wore a leather jacket. Her boyfriend was also related to wealth but chose to live a more meager life and was also regarded as tough. The actress who portrayed Billie left for a night Soap and while the new actress is doing a fine job, the character has transformed completely. Gone is the tough attitude and the symbols associated with it (little make-up, leather). Now there is a soft sweetness that is quite vulnerable with designer clothes and Soap Opera perfect make-up everytime. Unfortunately the writers have very few molds they shape their characters out of and Billie Reed is now a typical Days woman who feels like half a person. She is obsessed over a man, does not feel complete without him, and will do anything to keep her man.

Well, that was my rant as I'd really like to see the lovely Krista Allen do the white face routine. If Days never gothifies Ms. Allen, (I 80% doubt they ever will), then I suppose I will have to cast her in my own film. I have no idea what to make, but I suppose many people could have fun making one in the tradition of Hammer films!

Incidentally, the relationships on Days of Our Lives are so twisted and complex on the show (just about everyone with multiple children created them with different partners ) that my friend and I have decided to create a family tree for the show so we can map out current major families. We are somewhat near completion (we started from the beginning of the show in 1965 and are up to the early 1980s) and it's no small task, I assure you. Here I would just like to ask the writers of the show to take note and do some historical research on your own show before you continue with their lives. The show is supposed to basically take place the same date the viewer is watching it and yet there are all sorts of incredible jumps. I understand the nature of a Soap might cause a day to be stretched out over a week and a week condensed to a day, but sometimes it's ridiculous.

Example: there was one Days day in 1998 where it was stretched out on television for about 2 weeks. I think the entire time it was nighttime. In the beginning of this long night a character remarked that Halloween was coming soon. By the end of the long night it was Halloween! Then I think the next day was Thanksgiving. Besides the eternal five seconds of John Black in the gas-chamber, that was probably the best example of Days time-warp.

My biggest peeve on the show about this sort of time-lapse is this:
explain how a set of twins born onto the show around 1984 are now about age 20-22 on the show. Their 4 years older sister has aged (somewhat) naturally on the show while the twins have gone through a radical age change. (Of course, this occurred several years ago so I'm sure no one gives a shit, but as you can tell, this sort of crap bothers me when I watch it. I mean, how can they have memories of certain things when they didn't even happen. How could they jump 7 years?!?!!! The age gap between the siblings seems to have halfed but I could be wrong.)

I end this rant now before I dive into a huge essay on how Days of Our Lives could be improved upon. The more I watch, the more camp it becomes?