The Soap Opera Encyclopedia [Mass Market Paperback]

Gerard J. Waggett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 3, 1997

Fascinating trivia, inside stories, history, nostalgia -- an in-depth look at every daytime soap opera on TV!

A unique look at TV's most endearing kind of show, The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is a must-have for any soap fan. Readers will find the history and stars of all the shows, including backstage anecdotes,year-by-year ratings and a who's who with cast lists of all the featured actors and behind-the-scenes personalities.Comprehensive and completely accessible, The Soap Opera Encyclopedia is the one and only reference to nearly 100 soaps from the first 50 years of TV. Discover:

• Which former General Hospital star's face was once insured for one million dollars.
• What Days of Our Lives love theme became a hit single
• What film legend once wrote Guiding Light a fan letter
• Which role on All My Children Susan Lucci originally auditioned for
• Which scene from The Young and the Restless was named 1985's Most Tasteless Episode by Soap Opera Digest 

And so much more!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gerard J. Waggett is the author of The Soap Opera Book of Lists and The Soap Opera Puzzle Book. He has followed soaps for almost twenty years and has written for Soap Opera Weekly, Soap Opera Update, and TV Guide. A graduate of Harvard University, Gerard now lives in Boston.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 644 pages
• Publisher: Avon (October 3, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061011576
• ISBN-13: 978-0061011573
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,715,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Pop Culture

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive book about soap opera's history!, December 12, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Mass Market Paperback)

This book gives you a complete detailed history of such soaps on today such as All My Children, Another World, As The World Turns, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our lives, General Hospital, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, Port Charles, Sunset Beach, and The Young and the Restless. An extenshive history of off the air soaps like Capitol, Generations, Love of Life, Loving, Ryan's Hope, Santa Barbara, and Search for Tomorrow. It also includes previous award winners of the emmy's and the digest awards. With biograhies on certain soap opera legends and 46 years of Neilsen ratings of all the soaps. It is absolutely any soap opera fans dream.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!, January 27, 2000

By 

daph (calif) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Mass Market Paperback)

All you ever wanted to know about soaps, past and present, can be found in this wonderful book. I have flipped through it for facts so many times that the book is beginning to fall apart. I can't wait til another info.-packed book by this author comes out!

5.0 out of 5 stars "Great Reading!", September 27, 2009

By 

Terry Richard "Terry Richard" (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Soap Opera Encyclopedia (Mass Market Paperback)

For lovers of one of the most cherished TV institutions of all-time, "The Soap Opera Encyclopedia" is a must-have for those who adore serials. Before the advent of the internet soap opera researchers only had this excellent book to study upon written by Gerard Waggett, a soap critic and follower widely known as being one of the biggest authorities on television soap operas. This book was obviously based on the original "Soap Opera Encyclopedia" written by Christopher Schemering back in 1985. Sadly, Mr. Schemering died in the early '90s, but luckily for us all Waggett continues what Chris did which was to document the events of soaps, review particular plots, detail the comings and goings of soap stars, and go behind the scenes. The book contains a wonderful Nielsen ratings index and lists the top rated shows for every TV season in its entirity from the early '50's to the late '90's. There is an Emmy Award section with Emmy winners and Emmy nominees, but the best chapter is called "The Soap Opera 100" in which Gerard writes on a who's who in soap opera from the genre's best writers like Agnes Nixon and Bill Bell to the format's most well-known actors like Jacqueline Courtney, Judith Light, Douglas Watson, Genie Francis, and Beverlee McKinsey. It has been 12 years since another edition of "The Soap Opera Encyclopedia" has been released so I am hoping Mr. Waggett will write another since so much in the soap opera industry has changed from dramatic ratings slides on every serial to the cancellation of "Another World" and "Guiding Light".