Port Charles

Okay, it began as a simple spin-off of General Hospital, a very famous and very good ABC Daytime Soap Opera. It began with only a few main characters, including General Hospital's Lucy Coe, Kevin Collins, and the old character Karen Wexler. The show started off VERY slowly, with storylines progressing even slower. Character developement was OKAY, but Port Charles was missing something... exciting storylines.

About a year into the series, the writers decided to spice things up a bit with a truckload of new storylines, such as Courtney Kanelos making her way to Port Charles, and the most irritating storyline of daytime television: "General Homicide." This was, in my opinion, the writer's way of getting half the cast off the show. This was definately the worst plot I've ever seen.

When things looked bad, new writers came to the show and saved it. They came up with GREAT storylines, such as Joe's battle with possible HIV, and Karen's addiction to pain killers. Character development was at its peak.

Mid-2000. Enter "Port Charles Fate." NEVER IN MY LIFE have I seen such a dumb thing. Port Charles has a new format. Every twelve weeks there is a new storyline that involves new characters, while the other characters are left out completely. Can you say "no?" Some of the storylines are like science fiction novels! Will Port Charles ever change back to the decent show it used to be? Time will tell.

I watched this show from Day One, and it took a little while to get going, but once it hit its stride, it was a marvelously smooth machine. I hate one-hour soaps, more filler than plot, and hadn't watched a soap regularly since Ryan's Hope went off the air). Once we got to murder and business intrigue and mismatched couples, the show took off. Unfortunately, the ratings did not, and the producers took the low road and decided to scrap all credibility and introduce supernatural storylines. Well! I thought the time travel arc was @ least well-written enough that it had a modicum of credibility (for all its fantasy elements, the storyline was fueled by Frank searching for his "lost" love). After that, it was all downhill. The vampire saga was sub-retarded, and it lasted for not one arc but TWO. I suffered through the angels, but stopped watching completely once Eve was killed. I even stuck w/ it a couple more weeks just to make sure she didn't come back as a zombie--which could have happened on this ridiculous potboiler. The core cast has always shown extreme poise under the conditions in which they are expected to perform, and I would gladly return to a show with problems that involved real human beings. If you're going to rip off another soap, at least have enough couth not to steal from the worst of the worst "Passions"! Good heavens, do these people know nothing?! If this is being a soap producer, then where do I sign? I could pretend to be as dumb as the people who drove my beloved little soap into the ground. There: tirade over!

I have watched PORT CHARLES since it debuted on June 1st, 1997. I taped the first episode and watch it periodically. Anyway, I really enjoy the new format in which PORT CHARLES is produced. The new 12-week storylines are great. Hopefully Eve and Kevin will stay together, and Scott and Lucy find romance again. If you like GENERAL HOSPITAL, then you have to watch PORT CHARLES.

It doesn't surprise me that Port Charles has been cancelled. I was never a big watcher of it but I started heavily watching it during the last arc, which I believe was well I don't remember the name of the arc but it was on between about April and June of 2003. Then I started watching the next arc and then I just stopped watching because I couldn't keep up with all the tapes I had stacking up. I don't know really what to say about the cancellation. I feel that some of the actors on this particular soap can't really act. One of them is Erin Hershey-Presley. I really don't feel like her acting is superb and Lynn Herring, who's been a veteran soap star for years is lacking in substance too. Maybe the writing for them is too teeniebobpish. I guess they need to shoot some pilots and show them to test audiences. I feel like bad acting and indecent writing is the reason why Port Charles is being cancelled. What's next, General Hospital? This is another soap that is just reaking havoc on plots and characters to keep audiences interested and by telling viewers they can catch the entire episode on SOAPNET tonight is no good if 1) they don't have soapnet and 2) their cable/satellite provider does not carry it.

This show rules! I know that it's a soap opera and most people probably think that all soap operas are dumb, and I wouldn't know because this is the only soap opera I watch! My sister got me hooked on it a couple of years ago, and I've watched it as much as possible ever since. It seems like most soap operas are always just talking about stuff like their long lost twins, or who's the father and such, but this show is more exciting than that. They've had kidnaps, going back in time, vampires, angels, magic candles, a cute angel who found his way back to his true love and a evil spirit called the Avatar! The story themes change every 13 weeks. This Friday just ended a book entitled Torn. And Monday it's going to start the next book called Naked Eyes. Before that they've been called Fate, Time in a bottle, Tainted Love, Tempted, Miracles Happen, Secrets, Superstition, Torn, and now Naked Eyes! This show is seriously under rated and you should really check it out! It's on at 12:30 pm eastern time on ABC. Once you start and understand who everyone is, you won't be able to stop! Check it out, it's really great! ~~**Amanda**~~