In 1980, News 8’s Janet Zappala went behind the scenes of soap operas for a three-part look at their appeal with growing audiences. In part one, Janet found one reason: the 13 soaps that were on at the time portrayed sex scenes even more than prime time television. Maybe that’s why fans of the shows were growing to include teen and male viewers. Soap-lovers explained that the shows could be informational and also therapeutic as a form of escapism. Even the stars of the shows themselves told our reporter about their fandom for soaps. In part two, Mike Hanks the casting director of “The Young and the Restless” talked about his process for finding talent for the show and gave Janet a chance to test her acting chops. Actors from various soaps also talked about the dramatic story lines and how much of themselves they brought to the role. In part three, Janet spoke to the actors more about their characters and experiences playing them. Gloria Monty, at 6:45, is credited with turning General Hospital into a wildly popular soap when she took over in 1978. Emily McLaughlin portrayed nurse Jessie Brewer on General Hospital when the show debuted in 1963 until her death in 1991. Meg Bennett (Julia Newman) and Nick Benedict (Michael Scott) talk about their roles and the trials and travails of being on a soap opera.

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