I Used To Love The TV Show Soap

[+ Gar1eth]

It had one of the first openly gay characters Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas. He was really stereotypical to begin with. But then after several seasons had relationships with women while maintaining he was gay. So not the best depiction. But a depiction. I was 16 when it came on. I don't think I knew I was gay at that point. I may have had some suspicions -it's so difficult to remember what I thought 38 years ago. When this first came on, I hadn't even masturbated yet. That milestone occurred later in the school year.

 

Ted Wass who plays his brother Danny Dallas was really handsome. And so was Robert Urich who played Peter Campbell. For some reason I really liked watching them.

 

Here is the first episode. I still found it funny.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-jNYSHrkD4

 

 

Gman

[Kevin Slater]

It's the same people who brought you Golden Girls. I loved Soap, but not Golden Girls.

 

Kevin Slater

[maninsoma]

I enjoyed this show when it was on and I still find it funny when I happen to see it today. Don't forget that while Billy Crystal's character was stereotypical, his football player boyfriend Dennis (played by Bob Seagren) wasn't stereotypical and was handsome, too. Too bad that character didn't last very long.

[maninsoma]

Oh, I should add that even though I knew I was gay and I loved this show, I didn't so much care about the Jodie Dallas character. The best part of this show was the character Jessica Tate, played by Katherine Helmond. Very funny and very touching at the same time.

 

And, since this is a place where muscle men are frequently admired, let's not forget the hunkiest character on the show, Dutch, played by Donnelly Rhodes.

 

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/photopost/data/739/dr1.JPG

[+ Gar1eth]

It's the same people who brought you Golden Girls. I loved Soap, but not Golden Girls.

 

Kevin Slater

 

I liked the Golden Girls-but I wasn't a fanatic about it as gay men are often stereotyped to be. I probably like Empty Nest also by Susan Harris just as much.

 

Gman

[Nebost]

Soap stands out for me as a show I really liked when I was very young too. I think both Soap and Golden Girls dealt with sex and especially sexual repression very openly for their time, with a sense of humor. As a repressed little gay boy I could really relate to that.

 

As for Susan Harris's depiction of gays...I was thankful she acknowledged we existed at all, pretty much no one else on prime time did.

[Tonyko]

I never saw this show BUT had heard of it and was at a party and the older guy I was with kept trying to get me to remember this show because there was a guy there (kinda short blond hair like in his 50's) who was a "ventruiliquist (sic)?" on this show??? That make sense lol??

[mmk123]

I have all 4 seasons on DVD and I love watching them. That show was so ahead of it's time. The sad thing is that Susan Harris designed the show to only be 5 season and they had one more season to go and then got cancelled.

 

For as funny as that show was it could be just as touching. Plus, even though Billy Crystal's character was portrayed as being stereotyped, it was a major accomplishment to have a main character like that on a show back in the late 70's.

 

To me, that show is timeless. I feel that show could be brought back with the right recasting and with a few small re-writes in the script could be shown today.

[+ Gar1eth]

I never saw this show BUT had heard of it and was at a party and the older guy I was with kept trying to get me to remember this show because there was a guy there (kinda short blond hair like in his 50's) who was a "ventruiliquist (sic)?" on this show??? That make sense lol??

 

Chuck and his dummy Bob. The ventriloquist's real name is Jay Johnson.

 

http://tvseriesfinale.com/assets/soap48a.jpg

 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Johnson_(ventriloquist)

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

Soap stands out for me as a show I really liked when I was very young too. I think both Soap and Golden Girls dealt with sex and especially sexual repression very openly for their time, with a sense of humor. As a repressed little gay boy I could really relate to that.

 

As for Susan Harris's depiction of gays...I was thankful she acknowledged we existed at all, pretty much no one else on prime time did.

 

I just thought it was funny. I don't think either Soap or the Golden Girls really appealed to me due to my sexuality. If I remember right, golden Girls came on Friday or Saturday. My lack of a social life and love of sitcoms probably contributed to my watching it more than anything else.

 

Gman

[+ Gar1eth]

I never saw this show BUT had heard of it and was at a party and the older guy I was with kept trying to get me to remember this show because there was a guy there (kinda short blond hair like in his 50's) who was a "ventruiliquist (sic)?" on this show??? That make sense lol??

 

PS As you can see, he is nowhere in his 50's -early thirties tops and probably in his 20's.

 

http://tvseriesfinale.com/assets/soap48a.jpg

 

 

Gman

[Tonyko]

PS As you can see, he is nowhere in his 50's -early thirties tops and probably in his 20's.

 

http://tvseriesfinale.com/assets/soap48a.jpg

 

 

Gman

You didn't read correctly ....was at a party and the older guy I was with kept trying to get me to remember this show because there was a guy there (kinda short blond hair like in his 50's) who was a "ventruiliquist ... etc THERE meaning at the party. The guy I was with said see that guy? He was on a show called Soap etc etc etc . This was two years ago btw.

[+ Gar1eth]

You didn't read correctly ....was at a party and the older guy I was with kept trying to get me to remember this show because there was a guy there (kinda short blond hair like in his 50's) who was a "ventruiliquist ... etc THERE meaning at the party. The guy I was with said see that guy? He was on a show called Soap etc etc etc . This was two years ago btw.

 

You are right. I didn't read it correctly. Was he the entertainment? He's not known as far as I know as being gay. I grew up in his birthplace. But he apparently didn't grow up there. He grew up in my birthplace-or at least a near suburb of my birthplace.

 

Gman

[Tonyko]

You are right. I didn't read it correctly. Was he the entertainment? He's not known as far as I know as being gay. I grew up in his birthplace. But he apparently didn't grow up there. He grew up in my birthplace-or at least a near suburb of my birthplace.

 

Gman

LOL No he wasn't the entertainment, there was no dummy, it was an unveiling party at Sardi's (for new characatures) NO idea why he was there no relation to the 2 ppl being unveiled etc but it was him.

[+ WilliamM]

I liked the Golden Girls-but I wasn't a fanatic about it as gay men are often stereotyped to be. I probably like Empty Nest also by Susan Harris just as much.

 

I am always surprised that for some gay men "Golden Girls" is more popular than "I Love Lucy." Whatever you may think of the real Lucy as a person, it's difficult to say that Lucille Ball was not extremely talented, as reflected in the TV show.

[+ Gar1eth]

You are right. I didn't read it correctly. Was he the entertainment? He's not known as far as I know as being gay. I grew up in his birthplace. But he apparently didn't grow up there. He grew up in my birthplace-or at least a near suburb of my birthplace.

 

Gman

 

LOL No he wasn't the entertainment, there was no dummy, it was an unveiling party at Sardi's (for new characatures) NO idea why he was there no relation to the 2 ppl being unveiled etc but it was him.

 

Just as an FYI-"unveiling" is also a term we Jews use for the placement of the gravestone which usually occurs about 11-12 months after the burial. When you wrote "unveiling," my 1st thought was, "Why was a ventriloquist at an unveiling?"

 

Gman

[Tonyko]

Just as an FYI-"unveiling" is also a term we Jews use for the placement of the gravestone which usually occurs about 11-12 months after the burial. When you wrote "unveiling," my 1st thought was, "Why was a ventriloquist at an unveiling?"

 

Gman

LOL I know I've been to a few and no there were no ventriloquists with their dummies there (some brought VERY tiny old relatives) but I prolly should have put "caricature" in FRONT of unveiling ps I've since looked up some pix, youtubes etc of this show since it was before my time and yah it was obvs WAY outside the box for it's time. (and the ventriloquist guy was kinda cute too

[caliguy]

It had one of the first openly gay characters Billy Crystal as Jodie Dallas. He was really stereotypical to begin with. But then after several seasons had relationships with women while maintaining he was gay. So not the best depiction. But a depiction. I was 16 when it came on. I don't think I knew I was gay at that point. I may have had some suspicions -it's so difficult to remember what I thought 38 years ago. When this first came on, I hadn't even masturbated yet. That milestone occurred later in the school year.

 

Ted Wass who plays his brother Danny Dallas was really handsome. And so was Robert Urich who played Peter Campbell. For some reason I really liked watching them.

 

Here is the first episode. I still found it funny.

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-jNYSHrkD4

I love how all these characters went off into their tv stardom afterwords. Benson, who's the boss, and Empty nest that I fondly remember watching as a kid. Hard to believe their all in their 80's or dead now.

 

Gman

I love how all these characters went off into their tv stardom afterwords. Benson, who's the boss, and Empty nest that I fondly remember watching as a kid. Hard to believe their all in their 80's or dead now.

[caliguy]

It's the same people who brought you Golden Girls. I loved Soap, but not Golden Girls.

 

Kevin Slater

Turn in your gay card today! That show was ahead of it's time.

[Tonyko]

I love how all these characters went off into their tv stardom afterwords. Benson, who's the boss, and Empty nest that I fondly remember watching as a kid. Hard to believe their all in their 80's or dead now.

Hard to believe Rue McC was FIFTY ONE when Golden Girls started lol!! NOW it seems like...WTF lol?? But THEN in 1985 when I was in HS, it seemed like, yah ok, these are old ladies

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Loved both shows. But Soap was a game changer.

[samhexum]

Ted Wass who plays his brother Danny Dallas was really handsome. And so was Robert Urich who played Peter Campbell.

 

Urich's wife died on Xmas eve.

 

Canadian actress Heather Menzies-Urich, best known for her roles as Louisa von Trapp in the 1965 Oscar-winning film “The Sound of Music” and Jessica in the TV series Logan’s Run, has died.

 

Menzies-Urich, widow of Robert Urich, died Sunday night after recently being diagnosed with cancer, her son Ryan Urich told Deadline’s sister pub Variety. She was 68.

 

The Toronto-born Menzies-Urich had her first screen credit in the 1964 TV series “The Farmer’s Daughter,” but it was her role a year later as Louisa, one of the von Trapp children, in “The Sound Of Music” for which she is best remembered. The film, starring Julie Andrews, went on to win five Oscars, including Best Picture.

 

From “The Sound of Music,” she went on to appear in features including “Hawaii,” “Piranha,” “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” and “Endangered Species.” On the TV side, she was known for her starring role as Logan’s female companion Jessica in the “Logan’s Run” television series.

 

Her other TV credits include “Dragnet,” “Bonanza,” “Marcus Welby M.D.,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” “Vega$,” “The Love Boat,” “Spenser for Hire” and “T.J. Hooker,” among others.

 

Menzies-Urich created the Robert Urich Foundation in honor of her late husband, who died in 2002 of a rare form of cancer. She spent most of her time in recent years devoted to the non-profit organization that raises money for cancer research and patient care.

[+ sniper]

I saw the ventriloquist in an off-Broadway show he did in the early 2000s talking about his career. It was called "My Two and Only" if I recall correctly. He noted that the writers of Soap clearly knew nothing about ventriloquism because they named the dummy "Bob" and the "B" sound is the only one you can't make without moving your lips, so ventriloquists avoid it.