In honor of the release of my debut novel, Love in the Afternoon, I’d like to pay homage to a once thriving television genre that is, sadly, dying a slow death.
Soap operas started on radio, then transitioned to television in the early 1950’s. The first televised daytime drama was The Guiding Light which, unfortunately, was cancelled in 2009 after a seventy-two year run. At one time there were as many as nineteen soaps broadcast on the three major television networks in the United States. Today there are only four daytime dramas remaining on network television.
I began watching soaps when I was very young. I wasn’t even in school yet, but I became intrigued by the campy goings-on in Collinsport each day when my mother watched Dark Shadows. (What can I say? I was a weird kid). I didn’t watch soaps again until I was in high school. One Life to Live and General Hospital were my favorites, although over the years I also tuned into Guiding Light and As the World Turns.
What I love about soap operas is the same thing I love in the books I read—romance. Over the years, I’ve fangurled a lot of soap couples who have fallen in love, then out of love, married other people, and then found each other again. Soap couples don’t stay happy for very long, but if there’s one thing you can count on—if you wait long enough, they’ll eventually get back together.
Below is the short list of my favorite couples:
Todd Manning and Blair Cramer – One Live to Live (now appearing on General Hospital): One fateful August night at Rodi’s Tavern, Llanview’s baddest boy met Llanview’s beautiful trouble-making slut and their lives were changed forever. The chemistry was immediate, but it took a while for these two emotionally damaged people to admit they loved each other.
Jason Morgan and Sam McCall – General Hospital: The hit man and the con woman didn’t like each other much, but he took her in when she was pregnant with another man’s child and offered to raise the baby as his own. Of course, they fell in love and planned to marry. After a horrendous break-up (aka, the summer of sleaze) they got back together, married and were torn apart again after being terrorized by serial killer Franco during their honeymoon. Just as they reunited and were beginning a new life with their son, Jason was presumed dead, but is he really? Only time will tell.
Jack Snyder and Carly Tenney – As the World Turns: Sparks flew when Oakdale’s scheming bad girl met one of Oakdale’s finest police officers. Their romance had more ups and downs than the stock market, but when the show ended, Carly and her G-Man had remarried and were expecting another baby.
Robert Scorpio and Holly Sutton – General Hospital: The most sophisticated soap opera couple ever. Robert married former con artist Holly to keep her from being deported to England. Holly thought the man she loved was dead, but soon found that Robert Scorpio was the love of her life. Oh, and they lived in a really cool apartment that included a secret spy room and a sauna!
Okay, that was my list. I’d love to hear yours.
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Love in the Afternoon is on sale now!
Kayla Maxwell is eager to shed her slasher-flick bimbo image—and she plans to do just that in her new role on daytime’s most popular soap. With a chance to showcase her dramatic range, Kayla will be able to wash away the lingering betrayal and public humiliation left by her controlling, philandering ex-boyfriend.
Sean Barrett, the son of an influential, award-winning actor, is the hottest soap star in the country. Paired on-screen with the talented and beautiful Kayla Maxwell, Sean is determined to keep her at arm’s length, burned before by fame-seeking actresses who had no qualms about using him to get to his famous father.
But when Kayla receives threatening letters, her past as a scream queen seems to be coming back to haunt her. Succumbing to an attraction neither one of them can deny, Sean and Kayla must face down her stalker and their own personal demons before trusting what they both feel—a love that lasts long after the cameras stop rolling.
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Buy Love in the Afternoon at:
Alison Packard fell in love with reading at a very early age. In her early teens, she discovered Harlequin Presents romance novels at the library and read them voraciously. What she liked most about them? The exotic locales and happy endings, of course! You can find Alison on Facebook, follow her on Twitter, or visit her website for more information.
Tags: Contemporary Romance
Fun topic! I used to be a big soap fan (also started watching what my mom watched — Texas, which was a spin-off of Another World). Hmm, fave couples were probably Patch and Kayla and Jack and Jennifer from Days of Our Lives; Mason and Mary (and then Mason and Julia) on Santa Barbara, my all-time favourite soap; and Holden and Lily (original ’80s version) on As The World Turns.
I started watching CBS soaps in high school. My faves from Y&R were Victor and Nikki, ASTWT Lily & Holden, and GL Josh and Reva. I started watching GH in 1989 which soon replace the others as my favorite soap. I love all the couples at the time but my favorite was Robert and Anna who technically were not a couple yet but they were getting there. I was unable to watch from the late nineties until 2003. When I returned, I was intrigued by Nik and Emily but I soon fell in love with Samantha & Jason Morgan even before they fell in love themselves.
Unashamed soap fan here as well. I started watching All My Children with my mother when I was just a little girl – so I grew up watching Erica Kane and saw Jenny and Greg fall in love. In my tweens, I switched to Days of our Lives — and I’ve kept with it ever since.
Steve and Kayla from Days were one of my all-time favorite couples — so much so that when the actors moved to General Hospital, I followed to watch. Even after they left, I still watched. When they reappeared on Days, I watched. They are one of the few couples I will follow from soap to soap.
(And I read that Stephen Nichols is soap-free again, so I hope he comes to GH or DAYS, and I’ll happily watch.
There is something so abiding about the “supercouple” couples of soaps. They certainly aren’t written in the way they used to be, but the couples I love will always be “the” couple.
Looks like a great book!
Wow, what a diverse list of couples from all three of you.
Andrea: I never watched Texas but I do remember the late great Beverlee McKinsey was one of the stars. She was an amazing actress;I absolutely adored her on Guiding Light. I was also a fan of the original Holden and Lily. Jon Hensley was one HOT stable boy! I’ll never forget the day he dropped out of that hay loft and into Lily’s life.
Fran: Another GH and Jasam fan! It’s interesting how fans either love Robert and Holly, or Robert and Anna. I watched Robert and Holly from the beginning so I wasn’t happy when Anna arrived. However, I love Anna now that she’s back on GH.
Jeannie: I totally agree with you about supercouples. They aren’t written the way they used to be (and neither are the shows) but once you fall in love with them, you can’t help but root for them always. I’d love to see Stephen Nichols back on GH. Stefan Cassadine was one of my fave GH characters.
Top Three Favorite Soap Couples:
1) Todd Manning and Blair Cramer (OLTL/GH) – Roger Howarth and Kassie DePaiva have the best chemistry and body language I’ve ever seen.
2) Brenda Barrett and Jasper Jacks “Jax” (GH) – Brenda and Jax were one of the most romantic couples in daytime. After watching Sonny destroy her spirit. It was nice to see Brenda with someone who loved and cherished her. In my soap world they are together.
3) JR Chandler and Annie Lavery Chandler (AMC) – He seduced his stepmother and the rest is history. Jannie had it all sex appeal, chemistry,& angst. Unfortunately Annie found herself back in the mental hospital. JR was never the same.
Yay, Angie! Another TnB fan in the house! They need to bring Blair to Port Charles permanently and stat! Todd desperately needs his One True Babe.
I also liked the Brenda and Jax pairing. I still hold out hope they’ll reunite.
I watched AMC sporadically so I don’t know much about JR/Annie, but I did like Annie when they made her kind of evil/crazy. Great actress. I think she’s on Y&R now, right?
I’m late to the party but I have to hold up my hand as a rabid soap fan. I’ve been watching them since elementary school.
I’ve watched General Hospital since the early days, with Steve and Audrey and Jessie (really showing my age here). I’m really enjoying all the new story lines right now with the One Life to Live characters that have transitioned over, especially Todd. I love the life he’s brought to the show. I’m looking forward to seeing where they take his attraction to Carly.
Hi Kathy…Being fashionably late is always in style! You’ve been watching soaps about as long as I have, and I’m in total agreement with you about the One Life to Live characters invigorating General Hospital. I’m also loving the returns of fan favorites like Anna, Duke, A.J. and Robert. GH is so much better than it was a year ago.
Happy Holidays!
The first soap opera I ever watched was “Love of Life” and the supercouple was “Tess and Bill.” With most of television, soap opera characters came into our homes everyday so they felt like friends and family.
Hi Angela! I agree, soap characters do feel like friends and family. Because we watch them everyday, we really become invested in their characters and their fictional lives.
I remember Love of Life. I believe I read that Christopher Reeve was on the show when he was just starting out. I think it was before he was cast as Superman.