Frequently Bought Together
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Special Features
Encore Bonus Episode: Season 1 Pilot
The Creators Come Clean
The Creators Come Clean
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Soap - The Complete First Season
Even before it premiered on September 13, 1977 (Tuesdays at 9:30 pm on ABC), Soap was mired in controversy (including 32,000 letters of protest) and primed to make television history. Conceived as a primetime satire of daytime melodramas, this groundbreaking series toppled many of the TV taboos that remained after All in the Family and M*A*S*H, openly addressing a variety of risky topics (homosexuality, infidelity, impotence, familial murder) with a deft combination of irreverent wit, wacky slapstick, supreme stupidity, and--key to its success--engaging drama from characters you could really care about, regardless of their rampant quirks and foibles.
As a friendly announcer informs us, "this is the story of two sisters" in suburban Connecticut--wealthy dimwit Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) and blue-collar housewife Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon)--whose class-divided families are bound by enough scandalous secrets to make each of these 25 episodes (all written by creator-producer Susan Harris and directed by sitcom veteran Jay Sandrich) a polished gem of half-hour comedy. The integration of plot and character is flawless, and dirty laundry was rarely this absurd: Jessica's cheating on her cheating husband (Robert Mandan, the show's underrated lynchpin); stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is (gasp!) openly gay, and brother Danny (Ted Wass) has Mafia connections; daughter Corrine (Diana Canova) is in love with a priest; Mary's husband Burt (manic genius Richard Mulligan) is a would-be killer who thinks he's invisible; and all of them are suspects in a murder case that fuels the season's cliffhanger finale.
This is ensemble comedy at its finest, and is it any wonder Robert Guillaume--as the Tates' insolent servant Benson--got his own spin-off sitcom in 1979? His line readings (such as "You want me to get that?" when the doorbell rings) are instant classics, and while Helmond tops the cast with her inimitable brand of idiocy, there's not a weak link in the entire cast. All those protesting prudes fought a futile battle: Soap was never naughty without purpose (indeed, the show possesses subtle integrity) and a large and loyal audience propelled it to even crazier heights in subsequent seasons. (Technical note: Given the shortcomings of 25-year-old videotape, with minor glitches and color variations, these episodes look and sound remarkably good.) --Jeff Shannon
Soap - The Complete Second Season
It doesn't seem possible, but the second season of Soap is even better than the first. Only the greatest primetime sitcoms achieve triple-threat genius: Casting, writing, and direction reached their zenith as the 1978-79 season began with a resolution to season 1's cliffhanger murder. Chester (Robert Mandan) loses his memory and wander out west while his ditzy wife Jessica (Katherine Helmond) enjoys a fling with the detective (new cast member John Byner) she'd hired to find Chester. Across town, the working-class Campbells have their own melodramas to contend with: Despite being gay, stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is an expectant father and moves in with pregnant Carol (Rebecca Balding), and later a lesbian roommate; Mary (Cathryn Damon) suspects Burt (Richard Mulligan) of having an affair; Corrine (Diana Canova) and ex-priest Tim (Sal Viscuso) have a baby that's demonically possessed; and Burt is abducted by aliens!
Exorcisms and flying saucers might suggest desperation on the part of writer-creator Susan Harris, but the opposite is true: the controversy that plagued Soap's first season had subsided (thanks to valiant defense by ABC President Fred Silverman), and Harris and Jay Sandrich (who directed 20 of these 22 episodes) were able to push their spoofy plots to even greater heights of absurdity without sacrificing the show's core integrity. Jimmy Baio (as Billy Tate) gets his moment to shine, and Robert Guillaume (as Benson) deservedly won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Most impressively, Soap built its madness upon a solid tragi-comic foundation, with risky shifts of tone and characters invested with surprising depth and compassion. The episodes are consistently full of classic scenes and side-splitting dialogue. Simply put, it doesn't get any better than this. --Jeff Shannon
Soap - The Complete Fourth Season
Even as it struggled with lower ratings and ongoing backlash from conservative watchdogs, Soap entered its fourth and final season with big laughs and plenty of surprises. The series was beginning to lose its edge with interwoven plots even more preposterous than usual, but its primary strengths (a great ensemble cast, risk-taking writing, and a delicate combination of humor and pathos) are still abundantly evident as Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) emerges from a coma in episode 1. In the 20 episodes that follow, Burt (Robert Mulligan) will survive a blackmailing scandal and, as the new local sheriff, begin a political career; Jodie (Billy Crystal) fights for child custody, enters into psychotherapy, and begins to channel a 90-year-old Jewish man from a previous life; Mary (Cathryn Damon) suspects that her newborn child is an extraterrestrial, and devastates Jessica with a long-held secret about her past involving Chester (Robert Mandan); and the now-liberated Jessica gets involved with El Puerco (Gregory Sierra, from TV's Barney Miller), a revolutionary from the (fictional) Latin American country of Malaguay.
These and other plots--including an affair between Danny (Ted Wass) and Chester's new wife Annie (Nancy Dolman), and the climactic kidnapping of Jessica--ensured that Soap's final season was never boring for even a minute, and the one-liners are endlessly quotable as series creator Susan Harris (here backed, for the first time, by a stable of cowriters) dares to combine comedy with heavier elements of betrayal, alcoholism, life-threatening situations, and heartwarming reconciliation. These shifts of tone still qualify Soap as one of the most accomplished sitcoms in TV history (you'd be hard pressed to find a better cast capable of handling such a dynamic range of comi-tragic extremes), and with Sierra and a then-unknown Joe Mantegna providing the best laughs from an impressive guest-star lineup, the series mixed up its volatile ingredients with considerable aplomb and no small degree of genuine humanity. While some characters suffered due to the season's ambitious plotting, it's still clear that Soap could have thrived into a fifth season and beyond. Alas, it wasn't to be. Amidst threats of sponsor withdrawal and the inevitable fallout of ratings in decline, ABC pulled the plug on Soap, depriving loyal viewers to a resolution to this season's cliffhangers, which left several key characters on the brink of disaster. It's therefore regrettable that this DVD set lacks any bonus material that would provide a retrospective summation of what was, for its time, one of TV's boldest comedy experiments. --Jeff Shannon
Even before it premiered on September 13, 1977 (Tuesdays at 9:30 pm on ABC), Soap was mired in controversy (including 32,000 letters of protest) and primed to make television history. Conceived as a primetime satire of daytime melodramas, this groundbreaking series toppled many of the TV taboos that remained after All in the Family and M*A*S*H, openly addressing a variety of risky topics (homosexuality, infidelity, impotence, familial murder) with a deft combination of irreverent wit, wacky slapstick, supreme stupidity, and--key to its success--engaging drama from characters you could really care about, regardless of their rampant quirks and foibles.
As a friendly announcer informs us, "this is the story of two sisters" in suburban Connecticut--wealthy dimwit Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) and blue-collar housewife Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon)--whose class-divided families are bound by enough scandalous secrets to make each of these 25 episodes (all written by creator-producer Susan Harris and directed by sitcom veteran Jay Sandrich) a polished gem of half-hour comedy. The integration of plot and character is flawless, and dirty laundry was rarely this absurd: Jessica's cheating on her cheating husband (Robert Mandan, the show's underrated lynchpin); stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is (gasp!) openly gay, and brother Danny (Ted Wass) has Mafia connections; daughter Corrine (Diana Canova) is in love with a priest; Mary's husband Burt (manic genius Richard Mulligan) is a would-be killer who thinks he's invisible; and all of them are suspects in a murder case that fuels the season's cliffhanger finale.
This is ensemble comedy at its finest, and is it any wonder Robert Guillaume--as the Tates' insolent servant Benson--got his own spin-off sitcom in 1979? His line readings (such as "You want me to get that?" when the doorbell rings) are instant classics, and while Helmond tops the cast with her inimitable brand of idiocy, there's not a weak link in the entire cast. All those protesting prudes fought a futile battle: Soap was never naughty without purpose (indeed, the show possesses subtle integrity) and a large and loyal audience propelled it to even crazier heights in subsequent seasons. (Technical note: Given the shortcomings of 25-year-old videotape, with minor glitches and color variations, these episodes look and sound remarkably good.) --Jeff Shannon
Soap - The Complete Second Season
It doesn't seem possible, but the second season of Soap is even better than the first. Only the greatest primetime sitcoms achieve triple-threat genius: Casting, writing, and direction reached their zenith as the 1978-79 season began with a resolution to season 1's cliffhanger murder. Chester (Robert Mandan) loses his memory and wander out west while his ditzy wife Jessica (Katherine Helmond) enjoys a fling with the detective (new cast member John Byner) she'd hired to find Chester. Across town, the working-class Campbells have their own melodramas to contend with: Despite being gay, stepson Jodie (Billy Crystal) is an expectant father and moves in with pregnant Carol (Rebecca Balding), and later a lesbian roommate; Mary (Cathryn Damon) suspects Burt (Richard Mulligan) of having an affair; Corrine (Diana Canova) and ex-priest Tim (Sal Viscuso) have a baby that's demonically possessed; and Burt is abducted by aliens!
Exorcisms and flying saucers might suggest desperation on the part of writer-creator Susan Harris, but the opposite is true: the controversy that plagued Soap's first season had subsided (thanks to valiant defense by ABC President Fred Silverman), and Harris and Jay Sandrich (who directed 20 of these 22 episodes) were able to push their spoofy plots to even greater heights of absurdity without sacrificing the show's core integrity. Jimmy Baio (as Billy Tate) gets his moment to shine, and Robert Guillaume (as Benson) deservedly won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Most impressively, Soap built its madness upon a solid tragi-comic foundation, with risky shifts of tone and characters invested with surprising depth and compassion. The episodes are consistently full of classic scenes and side-splitting dialogue. Simply put, it doesn't get any better than this. --Jeff Shannon
Soap - The Complete Fourth Season
Even as it struggled with lower ratings and ongoing backlash from conservative watchdogs, Soap entered its fourth and final season with big laughs and plenty of surprises. The series was beginning to lose its edge with interwoven plots even more preposterous than usual, but its primary strengths (a great ensemble cast, risk-taking writing, and a delicate combination of humor and pathos) are still abundantly evident as Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) emerges from a coma in episode 1. In the 20 episodes that follow, Burt (Robert Mulligan) will survive a blackmailing scandal and, as the new local sheriff, begin a political career; Jodie (Billy Crystal) fights for child custody, enters into psychotherapy, and begins to channel a 90-year-old Jewish man from a previous life; Mary (Cathryn Damon) suspects that her newborn child is an extraterrestrial, and devastates Jessica with a long-held secret about her past involving Chester (Robert Mandan); and the now-liberated Jessica gets involved with El Puerco (Gregory Sierra, from TV's Barney Miller), a revolutionary from the (fictional) Latin American country of Malaguay.
These and other plots--including an affair between Danny (Ted Wass) and Chester's new wife Annie (Nancy Dolman), and the climactic kidnapping of Jessica--ensured that Soap's final season was never boring for even a minute, and the one-liners are endlessly quotable as series creator Susan Harris (here backed, for the first time, by a stable of cowriters) dares to combine comedy with heavier elements of betrayal, alcoholism, life-threatening situations, and heartwarming reconciliation. These shifts of tone still qualify Soap as one of the most accomplished sitcoms in TV history (you'd be hard pressed to find a better cast capable of handling such a dynamic range of comi-tragic extremes), and with Sierra and a then-unknown Joe Mantegna providing the best laughs from an impressive guest-star lineup, the series mixed up its volatile ingredients with considerable aplomb and no small degree of genuine humanity. While some characters suffered due to the season's ambitious plotting, it's still clear that Soap could have thrived into a fifth season and beyond. Alas, it wasn't to be. Amidst threats of sponsor withdrawal and the inevitable fallout of ratings in decline, ABC pulled the plug on Soap, depriving loyal viewers to a resolution to this season's cliffhangers, which left several key characters on the brink of disaster. It's therefore regrettable that this DVD set lacks any bonus material that would provide a retrospective summation of what was, for its time, one of TV's boldest comedy experiments. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description
This outrageous spoof of daytime soap operas stars comedian John Byner joining cast members Billy Crystal, Richard Mulligan, Robert Guillaume, Katherine Helmond, Cathryn Damon, Robert Mandan, Diana Canova, and Jimmy Baio. Nominated in its second season for three Emmy® awards Soap won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Guillaume).
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
544 of 569 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
SOAP is truly one of the best comedies of all time! Great actors (well acted as well), Great comedic timing, and great plot twists. So before I go any further, the show itself is a 5++ star rating. This review is not about the show, but how the DVD set that is NOT COMPLETE and how the Studio who produce this (Sony/Columbia Tristar) have shown an injustice to a great T.V. Show.
As mentioned by a reviewer before me....the packaging is the worst of it's kind. I already have the seasons sets (which the packaging is 100 times better), but I wanted to check the new complete series (online reviews and at Best Buy) to see if there is anything new/extra and or different than the season sets. The packaging is VERY FLIMSY. And it is as described by the prior reviewer in a spiral format (like you buy blank DVD's or CDs). Even tvshowsondvd.com gave it the worst packaging ever (see the following link for details on how bad the packaging is: [...] )
In addition to the bad packaging, both, the complete series and the individual season sets, the episodes have been cut. Each episode should run approximately 25 minutes.....some episodes have been cut down to 22-23 minutes. Why is this? Frankly, I don't know why? The reason I do know they have been cut is I originally bought the VHS tapes from Columbia House years ago, and they were in the original ABC broadcast form. In particular to the first season, there used to be a "parental discretion" by the announcer in the beginning of the show. Also, there is a scene in the first season with Jody (Billy Crystal) who is trying on Mary's clothes. That scene has been cut short. The only thing I can think of why it was cut, is Jody is singing something while looking in the mirror (possible music rights? How petty can this be?).... Read more ›
As mentioned by a reviewer before me....the packaging is the worst of it's kind. I already have the seasons sets (which the packaging is 100 times better), but I wanted to check the new complete series (online reviews and at Best Buy) to see if there is anything new/extra and or different than the season sets. The packaging is VERY FLIMSY. And it is as described by the prior reviewer in a spiral format (like you buy blank DVD's or CDs). Even tvshowsondvd.com gave it the worst packaging ever (see the following link for details on how bad the packaging is: [...] )
In addition to the bad packaging, both, the complete series and the individual season sets, the episodes have been cut. Each episode should run approximately 25 minutes.....some episodes have been cut down to 22-23 minutes. Why is this? Frankly, I don't know why? The reason I do know they have been cut is I originally bought the VHS tapes from Columbia House years ago, and they were in the original ABC broadcast form. In particular to the first season, there used to be a "parental discretion" by the announcer in the beginning of the show. Also, there is a scene in the first season with Jody (Billy Crystal) who is trying on Mary's clothes. That scene has been cut short. The only thing I can think of why it was cut, is Jody is singing something while looking in the mirror (possible music rights? How petty can this be?).... Read more ›
112 of 117 people found the following review helpful
By Stuart Mohr
Format:DVD
This is a great price for one of the best comedic shows of the seventies. It includes all four seasons and ends with the unresolved cliffhanger at the end of season four. For this alone I would give the set four or five stars but the packaging is so infantile and atrocious that I actually recommend NOT buying this set and waiting for the individual seasons to drop in price or go on sale. The packaging is a cardboard slipcase that contains what basically amounts to a molded plastic spindle (like you would buy a pack of 50 blanks) that fits in the cardboard box. The discs are all stacked on top of each other! There's no episode guide. Nothing. This is as about as far as you can take "No Frills" without just putting the discs in paper sleeves. I'm actually going to purchase blank DVD cases and scan the cover to make my own cases. Get the series for this great price but only if you dare.
89 of 93 people found the following review helpful
By Scooter Dan
Format:DVD
Agreeing with the other reviews, I contacted Sony Home Entertainment regarding the terrible packaging and here's their reply:
Thank you for your email. We appreciate your questions, comments, and feedback of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) products.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Company Policy does not include replacement of the items you requested.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued patronage and taking the time to contact us.
Regards,
SPHE Consumer Affairs Team
Obviously, Sony doesn't care (as of yet) and wants my DVD collection to get as scratched as possible (so I eventually replace it).
Buy the individual seasons. I'm sorry I sold mine...
Thank you for your email. We appreciate your questions, comments, and feedback of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) products.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Company Policy does not include replacement of the items you requested.
We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued patronage and taking the time to contact us.
Regards,
SPHE Consumer Affairs Team
Obviously, Sony doesn't care (as of yet) and wants my DVD collection to get as scratched as possible (so I eventually replace it).
Buy the individual seasons. I'm sorry I sold mine...
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By so-cal
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
The packaging is rather strange, and as other reviews stated, the DVD's come stacked on a single spindle (sort of crappy), much like purchasing blanks at Staples, etc.
I must say though, I really don't have a problem with the package as I wanted and purchased the content of the disc, not the package itself. I own a DVD jukebox, therefore the packaging is irrelevant as all discs are stored in the jukebox and the packaging is stored in the garage until I discard the discs.
As for the content of the DVD's, love it!
I must say though, I really don't have a problem with the package as I wanted and purchased the content of the disc, not the package itself. I own a DVD jukebox, therefore the packaging is irrelevant as all discs are stored in the jukebox and the packaging is stored in the garage until I discard the discs.
As for the content of the DVD's, love it!
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I read several professional and customer reviews on this product before buying, and for the price I think it is a mistake to pass on it if you really like the show. I got the complete collection for just under $25, so about $6 a season. First to respond to some of the complaints.
From everything I read there are only a few syndicated episodes in the first season and none in the later seasons. One reason for shorter running times is that the quick update from the last episode that originally aired for each episode has been removed. From a puriest perspective that means they have been cut but it does not mean they are syndicated episode or missing any real content since from what I recall those were in the shortened syndicated releases. So for me that is a minor issue since I don't tend to wait a week between epsiodes when watching on DVD, so I don't need the update from something I just saw (in fact I prefer it to be removed).
While I can see that the 90 minute special catch up shows between seasons could be a nice extra. Again, not a big deal for me since I'm not typcially waiting a summer between watching seasons, so why do I need a refresher.
As for the last season, these were apparently originally aired as 1 hour double episodes. But on the DVD's, except for the season premier, they are presented in there 1/2 hour installments. Nothing missing, just not joined together. This is another small issue for me.
The packaging does leave alot to be desired but the price makes up for this, in my case.... Read more ›
From everything I read there are only a few syndicated episodes in the first season and none in the later seasons. One reason for shorter running times is that the quick update from the last episode that originally aired for each episode has been removed. From a puriest perspective that means they have been cut but it does not mean they are syndicated episode or missing any real content since from what I recall those were in the shortened syndicated releases. So for me that is a minor issue since I don't tend to wait a week between epsiodes when watching on DVD, so I don't need the update from something I just saw (in fact I prefer it to be removed).
While I can see that the 90 minute special catch up shows between seasons could be a nice extra. Again, not a big deal for me since I'm not typcially waiting a summer between watching seasons, so why do I need a refresher.
As for the last season, these were apparently originally aired as 1 hour double episodes. But on the DVD's, except for the season premier, they are presented in there 1/2 hour installments. Nothing missing, just not joined together. This is another small issue for me.
The packaging does leave alot to be desired but the price makes up for this, in my case.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life that has a funny bone
What a cast of actors and characters! This rivals, in its way, "Keeping Up Appearances" and even when they both were winding down due to age and material, few shows... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Scott McVittie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Olf Funny Sitcoms
I haven't watched the entire first series yet, but I have remembered how funny this was for years! So happy to have it & plan a marathon "SOAP" watching day sometime soon!
Published 1 month ago by Alanna
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny Show
I actually gave this as a gift and have only seen 1 episode. I thought it was pretty funny and the person I gave it to loves it.
Published 1 month ago by allaboutstyle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun memories
this was one of our favorite shows...we took this on a motorhome trip out west and enjoyed watching the old episodes.
Published 1 month ago by Jim Larson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soap
Loved this show growing up, just wanted to review it and watch one of the funniest shows ever produced. I would recommend this to anyone.
Published 2 months ago by Matt Wolf
5.0 out of 5 stars
Out Loud Laughing!
I've been wanting to see this series again and it has definitely lived up to the humor that I remembered. And now I've got my husband hooked on it, too. Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. P. Ginther
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's Soap!
This is a great series from the late 70's. Funny stuff. One of Billy Crystal's first television shows, and the precursor to the Benson series starring Robert Guillaume.
Published 2 months ago by Kevin Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bezstes show ever!
Just too funny for words! Susan Harris is unbeilivable!
Even men get on board with the wit.
Truely one of a kind!
Even men get on board with the wit.
Truely one of a kind!
Published 2 months ago by Chuck Monson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny!
I remember watching this show back in the late 70's and always laughing! This show is deliriously funny! Burt, Billy Crystal with the puppet and the whole crew. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Fournier
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great to watch this again
I am so enjoying these cd's. I watche Soap years ago when it was on TV, and watching it again is just as funny. Read more
Published 2 months ago by orangehair
Look for Similar Items by Category
|
