Experimental in the 80s

[Jimmy Todd]

The prime time soaps were pretty formulaic, with only Knots Landing "experimenting" with their cliffhangers, but was there ever an episode or scene in any of them that you would deem relatively "experimental" or edgy?
I would say the following were as far past the confines of the formula the shows went:
-Alexis causing Krystle's miscarriage and getting away with it.
-Donna Krebs's baby being diagnosed with Down's Syndrome.
-Apparently when Jill was forcing Valene to kill herself the original episode extended the scene without commercials for longer than usual .
-Julia Cumson, a major character, being Carlos' murderer and still staying on the show for a couple of seasons more.
If Donna didn't have a miscarriage that would have been truly edgy, since Down's Syndrome and retardation don't exist in Soapland. Also, if Jill stayed on KL, unpunished and Julia actually got the death penalty as was hinted, that would have been a real shock.
Any other scenes you think fit the bill?

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

It's been ages since I watched the episode but didn't Knots get the cast to improvise dialogue in some of the scenes at Laura's wake? Also, I've never seen it but I've read that Linda Fairgate's murder was pretty gruesome by 80's nighttime soap standards.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Yes, I forgot that episode. It was the "Noises Everywhere" episode.

 

[Daniel Avery]

When Falcon Crest's Angela found out Richard was her long-lost son, the show included a "flashback" to when Angela was led to believe her son had died---only the flashback was actually a clip from a film Wyman had appeared in where that character was told her child had died. I remember thinking that was a stroke of brilliance on the part of the producers. Obviously, this was not something that could be done with many other actors, but then there aren't many actors like Jane Wyman.

 

[Carrie Fairchild]

Yes, I forgot that episode. It was the "Noises Everywhere" episode.

I'll need to rewatch it but I recall it working quite well with the exception of Mack wandering around with a harmonica.

 

[Daniel Avery]

I've heard several different versions of just how that situation played out. Some said (at the time) that it was totally improvised, which I find difficult to believe. The more likely (and practical) version likely had the producers outline to the actors what they needed to happen, story-wise, and allowed the actors only to improvise the dialogue and interactions within those constraints. Certain sets and locations were seen that had to have been built on purpose ahead of time for certain scenes (I'm recalling drunk Mack at the funeral home), so there had to have been someone on the production team directing the characters to that set to do a scene.

 

[Richard Channing]

Knots Landing's 'Three Sisters' episode with the ghosts of 3 little girls tempting Val to jump off a roof was very experimental for a primetime soap. No other soap really delved into the paranormal in this way.

Then you have Dallas' 'Conundrum', which had the spirit/demon Adam talking to JR, and the 'What if'/'It's a Wonderful Life' stories, both of which were experimental for a soap.

 

[GillesDenver]

Nothing was more experimental than this :

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Nothing was more experimental than this :

Well, they knew The Colby were done so they didn't have anything to lose. One review said at the time, "A spaceship carries off Fallon along with the shows dignity."
Dynasty picking up that plot instead of abandoning it was pretty edgy, though.

 

[Richard Channing]

The use of these special effects, which saw a hallucinating Jeff see Kirby morph into Fallon and back again felt kind of experimental. Not something I saw on any of the other soaps.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Knots Landing's 'Three Sisters' episode with the ghosts of 3 little girls tempting Val to jump off a roof was very experimental for a primetime soap. No other soap really delved into the paranormal in this way.

They also earn extra points by going back to that plot point ("unglued" daughter saved from suicidal jump by her mother's pleas) and turning it on its ear when her unglued son ends up on a rooftop and she basically shouts him off.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Pam's charity fashion show.

 

[colbyco]

I think Dynasty was very experimental for prime tv. Catfights, a gay son, a black b*tch who is a normal main character of the show.
Alexis having sex with Cecil who gets a heart attack. Joan told that a censor was there. It had to be sexy enough to catch viewers but not so sexy the censor wouldn´t allow it.

Moldavia Massacre .... a royal wedding interrupted by soldiers with machine guns ... all this pretty rich people lying on the floor.

Double Krystle catfight. There are many doubles storylines but the original fighting against its fake version. OMG.

Luka (a gay man) breaking up a marriage of bisexuell Steven & his wife Claudia.

FALCON CREST S7: white slaves ... I never heared of it before.

 

[GillesDenver]

The seventh season of "Flacon Crest" was very experimental (white slaves as @colbyco pointed out but also ninjas, a magician, a man hunt...), however it was in a bad way.

The ultimate cliffhanger of "Flamingo Road" (Michael Tyrone brought back to life by voodoo) was also quite crazy but in a good way this time I believe.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

I think Dynasty was very experimental for prime tv. Catfights, a gay son, a black b*tch who is a normal main character of the show.
Alexis having sex with Cecil who gets a heart attack. Joan told that a censor was there. It had to be sexy enough to catch viewers but not so sexy the censor wouldn´t allow it.

Moldavia Massacre .... a royal wedding interrupted by soldiers with machine guns ... all this pretty rich people lying on the floor.

Double Krystle catfight. There are many doubles storylines but the original fighting against its fake version. OMG.

Luka (a gay man) breaking up a marriage of bisexuell Steven & his wife Claudia.

FALCON CREST S7: white slaves ... I never heared of it before.

All very good observations. However, it seemed Dynasty was flirting with edginess, but not going all the way with it. Steven gave a great speech at the end of Season 2 in which he fully accepts himself as a gay man, but when they bring him back they marry him off to Claudia and act as if he's straight. For awhile, anyway.
Dominique was wonderful but they gave her nothing to do and only mentioned race once- after she had already left the show. As for the massacre, it was definitely edgy for t.v. at the time, until they all got, checked their makeup and moved on.
You are right about Season 2, with the shotgun miscarriage, the catfight, Cecil's death by sex and Steven coming out fully were definitely edgy.
A few of Fallon's quips in season 1 were actually pretty edgy as well, now that I think about it.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

The seventh season of "Flacon Crest" was very experimental (white slaves as @colbyco pointed out but also ninjas, a magician, a man hunt...), however it was in a bad way.

The ultimate cliffhanger of "Flamingo Road" (Michael Tyrone brought back to life by voodoo) was also quite crazy but in a good way this time I believe.

I remember enjoying the second season of Flamingo Road, especially the episodes leading up to and including the cliffhanger. The only thing I don't like about it is that they have one Black on the show, Esther Rolle, and a very talented one at that, and all they can think to do is make her a voodoo priestess? Some may say it was the early 80's, but so much progress had been made in the 1970s with Black representation, including several hit shows with all Black casts that it feels like such an unnecessary step backwards.

 

[Seaviewer]

If Donna didn't have a miscarriage that would have been truly edgy, since Down's Syndrome and retardation don't exist in Soapland.

They did end up adopting a boy with Down's - a roundabout way of aging the character, I suppose - although he was then erased in the dream explanation.