Line #0 YMMV/Soap - TV Tropes


1	* AccidentalAesop: Jodie accepts a date with an attractive nurse, the night when Peter Campbell gets killed. When Jodie becomes a suspect, Burt says that he couldn't have done it because he had a date, only for Jodie to then admit [[spoiler:that he did not show up for the date, so he does not have an alibi.]] This could be a [[SpaceWhaleAesop good lesson]] [[spoiler:to show up for dates, so that if somebody gets murdered at the time, this would prevent one from being a suspect.]]
2	* AwardSnub: Richard Mulligan and Cathryn Damon both won Lead acting Emmys in 1980, but the show lost to ''Series/{{Taxi}}'' for Outstanding Comedy Series that year. Robert Guillaume's Supporting Actor win the year before was ''Soap'''s only other Emmy. Robert Mandan never getting a nomination despite his impressively deft navigation of Chester Tate's truly bizarre character arc is a notable snub.
3	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: When the show started airing in Sweden in 1978 (under the name "Lödder", meaning "Lather"), it became a surprising success despite [[ParodyDisplacement the type of show it was parodying being almost unheard of in the country.]] One possible factor is that Arthur Peterson actually visited Sweden while the show was airing there, making some appearances on TV to advertise upcoming episodes.
4	* HarsherInHindsight: This series isn't [[Series/TheGoldenGirls the last time]] that Creator/HaroldGould played a character who lost his [[HappilyMarried beloved wife]] to a DrunkDriver.[[note]]Which was also a Junger-Witt production[[/note]]
5	** The treatment of Chester re: his infidelity is alternately played for laughs or to show him as a scoundrel. On closer examination, Chester displays many of the signs of sex addiction, a psychological condition far better understood and sympathized with in the 21st Century.
6	* InformedAttractiveness:
7	** While Jessica Tate was by no means difficult on the eyes (and [[ThePollyanna her personality]] and [[RedheadsAreRavishing red hair]] certainly didn't hurt), the way the show set her up as being simply irresistible to virtually ''any'' man who crossed her path was a little over the top.
8	*** Likely done for humor: for example, when Jessica is in her hospital bed dying, her nameless physician suddenly declares he has fallen madly in love with her!
9	** Billy's Teacher. While she was certainly not unattractive, the way everyone was taken aback by her was also over the top.
10	* RetroactiveRecognition:
11	** Quite a bit of the cast, especially Billy Crystal (and for those of us that are old enough, Creator/RobertUrich).
12	** The announcer was Rod Roddy, who later did several game shows including ''Series/ThePriceIsRight'' and ''Series/PressYourLuck''.
13	** Stu Silver wrote 47 episodes. Silver is best known as creator and executive producer of ''Series/{{Webster}}'' and for co-creating ''Series/ItsALiving''.
14	** Dick Clair and Jenna [=McMahon=] wrote 12 episodes. Both are best known for creating ''Series/MamasFamily'' and ''Series/TheFactsOfLife'' and for co-creating ''Series/ItsALiving''.
15	** Danny Jacobson wrote seven episodes. Jacobson is best known as co-creator and executive producer of ''Series/MadAboutYou''.
16	** Creator/RobertEnglund as a member of the Sunnies cult only slightly less sadistic than Freddy Krueger.
17	** Howard Hesseman and Gordon Jump sharing a scene a year before they'd become ''Series/WKRPInCincinnati'''s Dr. Johnny Fever and Arthur 'Big Guy' Carlson.
18	** Himmel, the German detective Ingrid hires to find out who murdered Peter was played by Creator/WilliamDaniels.
19	** Jodie's hospital room mate from season one, Creator/HaroldGould, was one of the inmates from ''Film/PatchAdams'', as well as Kid Twist in ''Film/TheSting''.
20	** Juan One was played by Creator/JoeMantegna in one of his earliest screen roles.
21	** George Wendt played a diner employee in a fourth season episode, a year before landing his iconic role as Norm Peterson on ''Series/{{Cheers}}''.
22	* TheScrappy: It's pretty easy to see why Carol is so [[BitchInSheepsClothing hated]] [[TheBabyTrap by the]] [[ManipulativeBitch fandom.]]
23	** El Puerco doesn't have a lot of fans, either, given his unpopular storyline. This is also a BrokenBase as those who do like him, really like him

Context YMMV / Soap