SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

mwpress I watched "Soap" with high expectations when it premiered in September 1977, but was sadly disappointed. It is nothing more than a cheap knockoff of the far superior, scathing satire of American life, Norman Lear's "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." The pilot for the latter was filmed in December of 1974, three years before "Soap" was created. "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" was not picked up by the networks, so Lear syndicated it on local channels across the country where it ran from January 1976 to May 1977. It received a loyal cult following and much critical acclaim. The networks, wanting to cash in once they saw the soap-opera framing and offbeat characters were successful, created a watered down version called "Soap." Some reviews note that "Soap" seemed like a Norman Lear creation, a la "All in the Family." This is because it was based on the Lear creation, "Hartman." Others note that it did not age well coming off as more slapstick than scathing satire today. Believe me, it seemed the same to me back in 1977. Please do yourself a favor and check out the first ten episodes of "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman." You will be hooked as I was in 1976 and again recently, when I re-watched all 325 episodes. They all hold up well. It is still on target in terms of American life (only more so today), intellectually stimulating and hilarious.

Syl Katherine Helmond and Cathryn Damon played sisters, Jessica Tate, and Mary Campbell, who lived in suburban Connecticut with their husbands, Chester Tate, and Mr. Campbell. Their families interact with each other. The sitcom was groundbreaking for having a regular gay character, Jodie Dallas (played by Billy Crystal) but it also showed infidelity. Jessica has three children and a butler, Benson Dubois (Robert Guilliame who would have his own sitcom series). Mary has two sons including Jodie and a son, Danny, in the mob. The husbands have as many secrets too. Robert Mandan's Chester Tate is an unfaithful jerk. Richard Mulligan's Mr. Campbell is responsible for Mary's first husband's death. The cast is first rate and so is the writing for the series. Despite a large cast, the series balances the company like an ensemble piece. I can't believe that I never got into it or the series ending after only four seasons. If you haven't seen this series, you have to see it to believe it.

lambiepie-2 While its done a lot now, "Soap" in the late 1970's was one of the most funniest soap opera 'knock offs' there was - and kept you hooked just like a traditional soap opera. Susan Harris brought subject matter to the fore that was ahead of television time and although you laugh, you'll also cry, have feelings for the characters and get hooked watching this.At the time, Soap was on a major network which got a lot of folks in an uproar due to much of the subject matter. But many of us youngsters who were watching Soap, have also watched the obscure "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" which wasn't on a big network, but was another Soap-opera-esquire send off with more racy adult overtones - and was as equally weird for this time in the life of television.Soap was more zanier and focused on the same formula as the soaps today - two families - The Tates and the Cambells, whom they orbited around including the centering around themselves! But the talent - its' the talent that will surprise you - everyone is there from comedians Billy Crystal to Jay Johnson, serious actors, just tons and tons of talent and they made their characters memorable.I liked the first few seasons and drifted away from the later seasons mostly due to getting into 'dating' and staying out late. I do intend on buying all seasons and watching the series in order to rekindle another historic time in television (as this series opened the network doors of change!), watch talent that are now superstars in acting and just enjoy one of the best spoofs EVER. I recommend this highly for the new generations to view for this is a lasting comedic treasure.

S.R. Dipaling ...when you watch this edition of...Soap! The words of the now late Rod Roddy opened and closed each episode of this groundbreaking sitcom that ran on ABC for four years. I was much too young to watch this show when it premiered in 1977(I 3was five)and,because it wasn't a habit of my family's to watch,I easily missed it when it closed shop in 1981(I was nine,still not exactly 'grown up',eh?),but I ended up catching this show as a part of my "doing good in school and being a good kid" when I got to stay up on Friday nights when I was in sixth grade(this was 1983-84). What I saw of the show(since they ran five episodes a week,naturally,I missed 80% of the story arcs)had me hooked,and eventually,over the next few years,I would steadily catch nearly all the eps of this show. Fast forward ten years. I'm in college and Comedy Central network,pre-"DAily Show" or "South PArk",runs re-runs of "Soap" practically three times a day during the week,and twice per day on the weekends. At first I don't really intend to watch,since I know I've seen practically every show(albeit not a one in a decade),and only watch the shows waiting for the "MST3K" one-hour,two-part "split" eps that followed. Sure enough,I found myself getting hooked again,even noticing and enjoying things I'd missed the first time around!This offering from producers Susan HArris,Paul JUnger Witt and Tony Thomas was probably intended as a simple send-up of soap operas(to counter CBS' "Mary Hartman,Mary HArtman" I'm guessing),was not only groundbreaking,it was keenly written and funny. The goings-on of two families,the well-to-do Tates and the blue-collar Campbells,connected by the fact that the matriarchs of each are sisters who happen to be very close:Jessica TAte(Katherine Helmond),a sexy,bright-eyed but dim lady who is painfully loyal and trusting,and MAry Campbell(CAthryn Damon),a patient,realistic and wounded woman who values her role as a wife and a mother. Their husbands couldn't be more different:Chester Tate(Robert Mandan)is a vile,cheating lech who takes advantage of his wife's nature,and Burt CAmpbell(Richard Mulligan,a fantastic comedic actor who I still miss),a likable construction foreman who believes he's cracking up. The rest of the characters are a wild and colorful bunch I feel staggered trying to describe all of,but they include MAry's gay son(a then-unknown Billy Crystal),Jessica's adopted daughter,the sisters' father,a senile Army General who's mentally locked in 1944 and Burt's son from his first marriage,a ventriloquist whose dummy is far more interesting(And mouthy,no pun intended)than he is. Mixed in are themes of infidelity(duh!),organized crime,blackmail,sexual orientation,suicide,kidnapping,political revolution,murder,rape,lost identities,interracial dating,demonic possession and UFOs! I ask you,how could this NOT be addictive?I've pondered,off-and-on,what would've happened to all the characters on this show,since it reached no conclusion when it did conclude nearly twenty-six years ago. I have my theories,but I mention that for this: any show that is thirty years old,only lasted four seasons and one that I probably haven't seen in quite a while can STILL evoke fond memories and tickle my imagination MUST be a great show! The themes that this show tackled(which,if I recall from some documentaries)stirred plenty of controversy in its day would,while considerably more commonplace now,still seem relevant,and I'm hoping to see it again on either TVLand or on DVD.