What becomes a semi-watershed moment most in the big 4 soaps ?

[Jimmy Todd]

Ted Shackleford said that when Sid died on Knots Landing it was a game changer because it now felt as if anything could happen.
All the primetime soaps had that kind of moment early in their runs that made the audience say, "Wow! This show really is different!" On Dynasty, I would say it was when Alexis caused the accident that killed Krystle's child. On Falcon Crest it was the reveal that Julia, a part of the main cast, was Carlo Agretti's murderer(and they kept her on the show for a season and change (nstead of killing her off right away) Dallas had "Who Shot JR?" Although I think JR himself was the game changer because audiences had never seen a character quite like him before this.
My question is, are there any "semi watershed " moments that really stand out in these series(as well as Flamingo Road and The Colbys if you like) that could have been such a "anything can happen" moment?
One that stands out for me is on KL when Lilliemae ran down Chip with her car. It really made the show feel unpredictable and different.

 

[Ukdallasfan]

For me, got to be when Pam fell out of the hayloft due to JR lunging at her and lost her baby. JR and Sue Ellen were like the Macbeths afterwards and when I watched it the first time it was a wow moment- something I’d never seen before. Complete TV game changer

 

[Sarah]

Really good thread!

I’m sure Dallas has so many. Off the top of my head the whole Calhoun saga had moments like that for me. Like what is he going to do with Sue Ellen, will John Ross live, will he kill JR, how will they turn this around etc... I loved that storyline.

 

[James from London]

I think JR himself was the game changer because audiences had never seen a character quite like him before this.

Yeah, the mere fact that the bad guy could get to the end of an episode without getting his comeuppance - whilesmiling - well, that just seemed to break all the rules of TV drama.

Flamingo Road

One word: voodoo!

The Colbys

The strength of Stephanie Beacham's performance changed the dynamic of the show. It added grit to the gloss and elevated everything around it.

And Gary leaving Val for Abby and Pam divorcing Bobby took their respective shows into uncharted territory in the same way that Julia being the murderer on FC did.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Yeah, the mere fact that the bad guy could get to the end of an episode without getting his comeuppance - whilesmiling - well, that just seemed to break all the rules of TV drama.

One word: voodoo!

The strength of Stephanie Beacham's performance changed the dynamic of the show. It added grit to the gloss and elevated everything around it.

And Gary leaving Val for Abby and Pam divorcing Bobby took their respective shows into uncharted territory in the same way that Julia being the murderer on FC did.

Yes to all your points! I remember starting to really like Flamingo Road during its second season when David Selby joined the cast and launched his plan of vengeance against everyone.
When he and Constance cruelly humiliated Lute Mae, and then he gleefully pulled the rug out from under Constance, that really felt as if anything could happen.
I also clearly remember Val driving out of the cul-de-sac after finding Gary in coitus Abby. That moment truly felt as if a new era of KL had begun and nothing would ever be the same.

 

[Willie Oleson]

Ted Dinard killed by the show's patriarch.
Jason and Sable's divorce. Even though the whole first season had been building up to that moment, it still made me think "but, what now?"
The Moldavia massacre is the infamous game changer that wasn't, but in that season finale it looked like, well, something else.

Dynasty's "hidden" watershed moment is when Alexis appeared in the first season finale.
It's not bizarre that something-something was going to happen, but no-one could predict that it would actually change the whole tone of the show.
The next season was almost like a soap opera sequel to a mini-series (but still a very good soap opera).

 

[cobbles]

I know nothing about the American soaps, but it becomes pretty easy to do this in UK ones.


- Coronation Street - Richard Hillman storyline
- EastEnders - Dirty Den back from the dead
- Emmerdale - The Plane Crash

 

[Monzo]

Jock's death changed Knots Landing a lot. Gary suddenly had money and writers thought "mo money, mo problems" and created rich Greg Sumner, also Karen and Abby got money thanks to an aunt. I wonder if Jim Davis hadn't died in the 80's, would KL remain the sweet little neighborhood soap?

Sue Ellen not falling into JR's trap by divorcing him after finding him in bed with Kimberly made sure that she finally improved. She even outsmarted JR by making Kimberly her ally, so JR would not run Weststar.

 

[Daniel Avery]

Gary leaving Val for Abby

I tend to think there were three 'watershed' moments of this extended storyline. The first was when Abby made sure Val saw Gary with Judy Trent. The Gary/Judy affair was not An Affair For the Ages by any stretch, but Abby's manipulation of the situation delivered a severe blow to the Ewing marriage. After Gary dumped Judy, Abby entered his office and asked coyly, "Are you ready for me now?", with the viewer well aware of the double meaning of her line. To me, that line (at the close of an episode for emphasis) was Watershed #1. The second one was of course Karen, then Val walking into Gary and Abby's love nest, followed by Val burning rubber out of the cul-de-sac. But the third, and I often find people overlook this one, was a conversation Gary had with Laura shortly before Gary married Abby. He was on the fence, so to speak, and Laura wisely pointed out that if he decided to go back to Val, he had better mean it (that is, no more wishy-washy Gary drifting into affairs) because going back to her--only for them to break up again--would be more hurtful to Val than simply staying away and marrying Abby. In essence she held the Val/Gary reunion in her hands at that moment, but convinced him that the best thing he could do for Val would be to let her go. And he ended up marrying Abby, trying his best to stay away and let Val move on, though of course that didn't stick.

 

[Seaviewer]

I know this is not really an answer to the question, but I found the first six or so years of Knots Landing to be a continuously shocking series of events I'd never seen on TV before and couldn't believe I was seeing now, culminating of course with the theft of the babies.