The end of another year is upon us and it's time to look back at some of the stories that have shaped the soap world over the past twelve months. In reviewing each of the stories that made news here on the Soap Central web site since January, we've selected those that we feel have had the most impact on our readers. Some of the items selected are not a single new story, but rather a combination of similar news stories that affected more than one soap. While you may not agree with the ranking of these stories, there is no denying that these are ten stories that definitely changed the way that soap viewers looked at the soaps in the year 2002.
The first part of our special six part coverage begins below. As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments. You can send them to soc_yir_2002@soapcentral.com.
On behalf of everyone associated with Soap Opera Central, I would like to thank you for your continued support for the Soap Central site. Here is wishing you, your family and your loved ones a healthy, happy and prosperous 2003.
Dan J Kroll
Founder/Owner, Soap Opera Central
With America still on edge following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, another shockwave was sent through the soap world when, in May, a gunman stormed into the sprawling CBS Television Studios complex in Los Angeles on Tuesday and kept police at bay for four hours before shooting himself.
The lone gunman, identified as 31-year-old Raymond Derouen, Jr, rammed a pickup truck through the security gates at the complex and allegedly tried to shoot a mailroom supervisor.
The incident held up taping of The Young and the Restless and The Price Is Right.
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Though many skeptics claim that the soap opera is a dying genre, the Disney-owned SOAPnet cable network continued to grow in leaps and bounds. The network retooled its image, changed its name (sort of) to SOAPnet (from SoapNet) and launched its very own daily talk show.
Hosted by daytime stars Lisa Rinna (ex-Bille Reed, Days of our Lives) and Ty Treadway (Troy MacIver, One Life to Live), SoapTalk features the latest and greatest from the world of daytime television with guests ranging from soap experts and costume designers to the biggest stars from the most popular soaps.
"A successful talk show starts with a fabulous host. When the idea for the talk show came up, we remembered how smart, funny and personable Lisa was when she co-hosted with Regis," said Deborah Blackwell, General Manager of SoapNet. "Ty, with his quick wit and sense of humor is her perfect complement. They have great chemistry together."
SoapTalk has seen its audience continue to grow since its launch in June and the ratings in the timeslot are up by 150% among 18 to 49 compared to one year ago.
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CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE TO PART TWO OF OUR SPECIAL REPORT
