Three of the last four covers of Soap Opera Digest have been about baby switches which made me think about how truly sick of this overused plot twist I really am. Baby switches have happened in real life, usually due to some purely accidental set of circumstances, but not with the frequency with which they do on daytime soaps. The latest baby switch on DAYS OF OUR LIVES with Sami/Nicole has been going on for what seems like an eternity. I actually like stories that are played out over a longer period of time, but some of the plots twists here have not been engaging and I don't really care what happens at this point. And now THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS seems to be doing a switcheroo of their own with Adam arranging for Ashley to have Sharon's baby.
I know some fans did not like the GUIDING LIGHT realistic look and stories of the past year, but it sure made me long for the days when soaps were about character's relationships more than shootouts, explosions, tornadoes and baby switches. One of the annoying parts of the recent baby switch storylines on soaps is that they are telegraphed a mile away. Did anyone not think Ashley would eventually end up with Sharon's baby on Y&R? I'm sure we'll get some wonderful acting from everyone involved, but if the writers want us to invest in a five-day-a-week soap, it needs to be less predictable.
My suggestion to Soap Opera Digest is to stop featuring repetitive baby switch storylines on their cover, and especially three times in a month. Digest has the most prime real estate in super market checkout lines and lapsed fans that see this probably just roll their eyes and think to themselves, "I'm glad I gave up the soaps." Even ONE LIFE TO LIVE, which is lucky to even get an inset picture on the Digest cover twice a year got a partial cover when Starr got her baby back. How about promoting the indie soap movement with a Tristan Rogers, Martha Byrne and Crystal Chappel cover? Give people who love soaps, and there are many, something to look forward to and hope for the future.
DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS
