A television genre best known for romantic storytelling, daytime soap operas have for decades spun tales of couples embroiled in passion, lust and adventure. Yet it was not until the early 1980s that star-crossed lovers became standard and the term “super couple” was coined by the media, marking a new era of experimentation and growth in daytime soaps.
This book documents the phenomenon, tracing its history, legacy and impact on the soap opera industry and on popular culture at large.

Henrietta Roos is an avid viewer and expert on American daytime dramas, and has followed the developments and trends of the genre for more than twenty years. She lives in Sweden.

Henrietta Roos
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 228
Bibliographic Info: 9 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6217-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2710-6
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments v
Preface 1
Part I: The Super Couple Phenomenon
1. Historical Overview 3
2. Screen Magic 25
3. Sex and Love 36
4. Storytelling 46
5. Cultural Impact 56
6. Viewer Response 70
Part II: The Super Couples
Introduction 75
ABC: General Hospital
Luke Spencer and Laura Webber  76
CBS: Guiding Light
Josh Lewis and Reva Shayne  92
NBC: Days of Our Lives
Bo Brady and Hope Williams  104
Shane Donovan and Kimberly Brady  120
Steve “Patch” Johnson and Kayla Brady  135
NBC: Santa Barbara
Cruz Castillo and Eden Capwell  153
Mason Capwell and Julia Wainwright  174
Chapter Notes 191
Bibliography 204
Index 215