SOAP was a sitcom that parodied the soap opera genre.  It was created by Susan Harris and ran for 4 seasons between 1977-1981.  It followed the lives of the Tates and the Campbells, two families who came from opposite ends, connected by two sisters: Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell.  With voice overs by the late Rod Roddy, each episode led to the next and included plot lines similar to actual soap operas such as kidnapping, murder and adultery.

Soap was controversial from the get go, and over it's 4 year run, earned several Emmy Awards and Nominations and in 1979, Benson, the wisecracking Butler (played by Robert Guillaume) was spun-off into his own series titled 'Benson' that ran for 7 seasons between 1979-1986


SOAP featured early appearances of actors who became more well-known when SOAP went off the air ...

Ted Wass (Blossom)
Katherine Helmond (Who's the Boss)
Billy Crystal
Richard Mulligan (Empty Nest)
Dinah Manoff (Empty Nest)
Robert Guillaume (Benson)
Robert Urich (Vega$, Spenser: For Hire)
Doris Roberts (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Gordon Jump (WKRP in Cincinnati)
John Byner (Bizarre)
Donnelly Rhodes (Danger Bay, DaVinci's Inquest)


All 4 seasons are available on DVD.  Have you got yours yet?

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SOAP also had a casting error so to speak:  On SOAP, Caroline McWilliams played Sally, the mistress of Chester.  She would later go on to play Marcy Hill, the Governor's secretary on 'Benson'

I watched it but I always felt like the person who never got the joke... I was quite young when I was watching it... 9 or 10

I really should try to watch the shows now that I have nicely developed warped sense of humor.

This was shown on Friday nights in the UK.  Not sure I got all the jokes but I remember laughing a lot.  I know that for a while it was a family thing to say "all these questions and more will be answered ont his week's edition of Soap" when mum had been asking a lot of questions.

Great topic! You have to remember this one...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwDbd4jQpkA&feature=related ;D ;D ;D

Some  of the funniest moments involved the dummy (Bob). Some of my favorite funniest moments:

1. The dummy gets ready to throw up around the table after a night of drinking, and everyone jumps back.
2. Bert finds the dummy in the refrigerator and freaks out.
3. The dummy tries to look under Mary's dress and she pulls her dress down quickly.
4. Benson kills a rat in the basement and says "Got that mutha".
5. Chester in the hospital "I'm Gunga Din".
6. Chester in the hospital referring to Jessica "Big Balonga's".

Lot's more, I'll post later.

The best was after Burt got abducted by aliens, they sent down a clone of him to earth and he was acting like a mindless zombie ;D

Whenever I think of "Soap", I think of "Chuck and Bob" (with Burt doing the hand motion). I will never forget Bob in the refrigerator.  :D ;D ;D ;D  I will also remember the line, "Do you know that the light stays on in there?". 



Cat

Of course it had some v sad moments.  I remember in the last series (I think it was anyway!) Jessica was very ill in hospital and tried to cry without smudging her make up.  Also one of the Campbells was ill and needed a transplant and Mary had to confess to an affair.

Of course it had some v sad moments.  I remember in the last series (I think it was anyway!) Jessica was very ill in hospital and tried to cry without smudging her make up.  Also one of the Campbells was ill and needed a transplant and Mary had to confess to an affair.



The one I thought was very sad was when they killed off Dinah Manoff's character. (Oh, I hope I'm not spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.  :-[ )




Cat

All I remember is Jody being gay.

Liking Chuck and Bob...I think that's why I watched it in the first place.....

and what's her names possessed baby


OMG I just flashed on Ted Wass and Lynne Moody...there was an interracial storyline as well.... I totally forgot about that...okay- netflix here I come!

Also one of the Campbells was ill and needed a transplant and Mary had to confess to an affair.


Danny Dallas.  He ended up getting shot, and needed a kidney transplant, and the only one who had a useable one was Chester Tate which made for a great storyline because the Tates and the Campbells were like the Hatfields and the McCoys ;D

All I remember is Jody being gay.

Liking Chuck and Bob...I think that's why I watched it in the first place.....

and what's her names possessed baby


OMG I just flashed on Ted Wass and Lynne Moody...there was an interracial storyline as well.... I totally forgot about that...okay- netflix here I come!





Wasn't it Eunice who had the possessed baby?



Cat

great topic.


the minute i saw the word 'soap' the theme song began in my head.  funniest show with an amazing cast.



Wasn't it Eunice who had the possessed baby?



Cat


that's the first eposide that came to mind. 

Corinne was my favorite.

Wasn't it Eunice who had the possessed baby?



Cat


It was Corrine

Soap was and always will be one of those great comedies that pushed the boundaries but never quite got the recognition for their efforts. Just think of all the current and past popular shows/"dramadies" that owe a lot to this show.

One of first successful comedy spoofs of soap opera series, first with a openly gay character (still hard to believe thats Billy Crystal in the role), first with frank depictions and discussion of abortions, sex, religion..and all within a comedy setting.

Its odd, because at the time the show first aired, I was only 11 but laughed along. I certainly DID understand what they jokes were about, but somehow it felt that the jokes were funnier because I wasn't supposed to know what was going on, and I shouldn't of been watching it.

I'm almost certain this show and others like it helped fashion my very odd sense of humor.

BTW, is it just me or is it hard to imagine "Benson" spun off this show, it has such a different feel from Soap...Never liked Benson, seemed to me the character changed too much and lost his "bite". :P

Soap was and always will be one of those great comedies that pushed the boundaries but never quite got the recognition for their efforts. Just think of all the current and past popular shows/"dramadies" that owe a lot to this show.

One of first successful comedy spoofs of soap opera series, first with a openly gay character (still hard to believe thats Billy Crystal in the role), first with frank depictions and discussion of abortions, sex, religion..and all within a comedy setting.

Its odd, because at the time the show first aired, I was only 11 but laughed along. I certainly DID understand what they jokes were about, but somehow it felt that the jokes were funnier because I wasn't supposed to know what was going on, and I shouldn't of been watching it.

I'm almost certain this show and others like it helped fashion my very odd sense of humor.

BTW, is it just me or is it hard to imagine "Benson" spun off this show, it has such a different feel from Soap...Never liked Benson, seemed to me the character changed too much and lost his "bite". :P






The character Benson did change just slightly from show to show but not as much as Lou Grant changed from Mary Tyler Moore to his own show. At least Benson still had that biting sense of humor like he did on Soap.



Cat

great topic.


the minute i saw the word 'soap' the theme song began in my head.  funniest show with an amazing cast.



I thought that also happened to me.  But now I've sung the theme through I've realised its to a totally different show. :-[

How about having to wait till next season to see who killed Peter Campbell. He was killed by 1 of 6 people...could hardly wait till fall.

The character Benson did change just slightly from show to show but not as much as Lou Grant changed from Mary Tyler Moore to his own show. At least Benson still had that biting sense of humor like he did on Soap.

Cat


Benson did still have his bite that's for sure.  He was used to living in a house full of crazy people, so he turned his wisecracks to Miss Krause cause she was an easy target ;D

The best on SOAP was when the doorbell would ring, Benson would sarcastically say "I s'pose you want ME to get that" and Jessica would say "If you DON'T mind" ;D