Best of Daytime Soap Operas in 2024

Check out my thoughts below on the Best of Daytime Soap Operas in 2024.

BEST SOAP
General Hospital

The average episode of GH was typically somewhere between good and very good during 2024. From the dramatic and poignant deaths of Spencer, Gregory and Sam to the excellent returns of Lucky, Ric and Lulu, the stories were the most "must-B&B in the genre.

MOST CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT SOAP
The Bold and the Beautiful

B&B continued to revolve around Ridge, Brooke, Steffy and Hope in 2024. The characters were sometimes maddening but mostly consistent with their histories. The stories made us invest in watching the show every day but you never knew when an about-face might happen. Like Luna, the innocent young heroine who we later learned was a mudererer. Or Thomas suddently being over Hope after years of obsessing. The turns felt jarring, and like the writers changed course mid-stream. But tune in any day and it feels like you were watching B&B, your story, and that's a win after 37 years.

BEST PERFORMANCES
Sharon Case (Sharon, The Young and the Restless)
Case delivered one riveting performance after another leading up to Heather's death and then the fallout.

Daytime Soap Operas: Nelson Aspen's Best & Worst of 2015

We Love Soaps contributor Nelson Aspen reveals his Best & Worst in daytime soaps for 2015 below. Look for a comprehensive list from editorial director Roger Newcomb in the coming days.

Best Soap Opera: Days of our Lives

Most Improved Soap Opera: General Hospital

Best Actor: Billy Flynn (Chad DiMera on Days of our Lives)

Best and Worst of Daytime 2013

The year is almost over and it has been full of good news for fans of daytime (and anytime) soap operas. Ratings for all the broadcast series went up, two canceled shows returned online and viewers were treated to one standout performance after another. Check out our "Best and Worst of 2013" list below and be sure to add your own "Bests" and "Worsts" in the Comments section below.

BEST SOAP OPERA
DAYS OF OUR LIVES

Other Emmy contenders: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, GENERAL HOSPITAL, ALL MY CHILDREN

BEST WRITING
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Other Emmy contenders: GENERAL HOSPITAL, DAYS OF OUR LIVES

The Best (& Sometimes Worst) of TV 2011: Shout-Outs and Take-Downs for OLTL, GLEE, REVENGE, Frons, Storms, Kirkendall and Many, Many More

We Love Soaps has made our choices for the best television of 2011. The best of the web will be honored at the 3rd Annual Indie Soap Awards on February 21. Unlike the Awards, this list is totally unscientific, but if you happen to disagree with our "winners," we do hope that you will tell us why in the Comments section, below.

First, some general observations. It was an up and down year for every daytime soap, and for some, it was mostly down. ONE LIFE TO LIVE was the most consistently good all year long (although it remained addicted to writing blunders), and it's enduring watchablity only exacerbates the pain of its impending departure. ALL MY CHILDREN became good again at the end, although it's hard not to be frustrated forever by the unresolved cliffhanger of the last episode. Jonathan Jackson kept us riveted on GENERAL HOSPITAL, although the writing continues to frustrate. On THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, we think there was too much of Steffy/Liam/Hope/Thomas. As for DAYS OF OUR LIVES, we're glad it improved and rebooted, but it needs to become "must see" more frequently; can we pick up pace just a little? And then there's THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, which was off the rails for much of the year.

But as long as our daytime faves are on the air, there's always a chance stories will improve. We've seen this ebb and flow for decades. As committed fans, we offer constructive criticism out of love and dedication, knowing that shows can always get better, if only they have a chance. It is very, very sad that ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE no longer have that chance.

What about primetime? The big paradox of 2012 was that while daytime soap operas were suffering, serialized dramas were exploding all over the evening broadcasts. In fact, many producers actually cited daytime soaps, as well as primetime favorites like KNOTS LANDING or DALLAS, as inspirations. Even as the number of daytime TV soap operas continued to dwindle, their legacy and influence were felt more then ever.

Below are our picks for the best (and sometimes worst) of the year. Who did we miss? Please feel to honor them (or call them out) in the Comments section, below!

We Love Soaps Best of 2009

As promised during last week's special "Best of 2009" episode of WE LOVE SOAPS TV featuring Roger Newcomb, Damon L. Jacobs and Soap Opera Weekly news editor Mala Bhattacharjee, here are the picks in the categories that aired along with some additional categories that didn't make the show.

Favorite Individual Episode
Roger Newcomb: Frank and Natalia's wedding on GL (okay, it was a whole week)
Damon L. Jacobs: Gay Weddingathon on OLTL
Mala Bhattacharjee: Ann’s death on B&B

Best Inanimate Object
RN: Y&R's Mr. Kitty
DLJ: Pam's lemon bars on B&B
MB: Y&R’s Mr. Kitty, with an honorable mention for Nash’s corpse on OLTL