The Story of Soaps

May 19, 2020

2h 0m

★ 7.0

Overview

This ABC/PEOPLE television special highlights the impact of the soap opera. In today's shifting television landscape, "The Story of Soaps" traces how female creators migrated from radio to television to become the dominant force in daytime for more than three decades. Today, the legacy of the soap opera continues all over prime time and reality t.v. An extensive look is taken at this iconic, impactful genre.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

MaggieVision Productions

Four M Studios

The Story of Soaps Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Self

Shelly Altman

Self

John Aniston

Self

Alec Baldwin

Self

Maurice Benard

Self

Lorraine Broderick

Self

James H. Brown

Self

Carol Burnett

Self

Marc Cherry

Self

Andy Cohen

Self

Bryan Cranston

Self

Mary Crosby

Self

Eileen Davidson

In the spring of 1984, a strange new comic book sat beside cash registers in select shops, too big to fit in the racks, and too weird to ignore. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles presented a completely original breed of super hero. It was too bizarre, too crazy. It broke all the rules and should never have worked. Until it sold out. Again and again and again. For 30 years. Now, peek under the shell and see how this so-called "happy accident" defied every naysayer to become one of the most popular and beloved franchises in the world.

7.2

This Is It

Oct 28, 2009

A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

6.7

Cat Nation

Jul 20, 2017

A journey into the unique, often bizarre, world of Japanese cat culture. Cat themed cafes, bars, temples, cat islands, cats with human jobs, cat friendly businesses, and the origins of the iconic beckoning cat statue.

No Image Available

0.0

Prince

Jan 1, 2014

A man performs the same ritual every day: he cleans his shoes, dresses up in his shiny blue suit, wears his white gloves and grey hat, and spends his time walking around Brazzaville. His presence generates an absurd apparition in the urban chaos of the city, which reflects the imaginary produced by one of the upmost icons of pop culture.

6.0

Dark Glamour: The Blood and Guts of Hammer Productions

Aug 6, 2017

The greatness, fall and renaissance of Hammer, the flagship company of British popular cinema, mainly from 1955 to 1968. Tortured women and sadistic monsters populated oppressive scenarios in provocative productions that shocked censorship and disgusted critics but fascinated the public. Movies in which horror was shown in offensive colors: dreadful stories, told without prejudices, that offered fear, blood, sex and stunning performances.

7.8

Disclosure

Jun 19, 2020

An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.

7.8

Miss Americana

Jan 31, 2020

A raw and emotionally revealing look at one of the most iconic artists of our time during a transformational period in her life as she learns to embrace her role not only as a songwriter and performer, but as a woman harnessing the full power of her voice.

No Image Available

0.0

Grandpa Called It Art

Jul 15, 1944

This MGM Passing Parade series short takes a look at changing definitions of art in the United States.

7.9

The Greatest Night in Pop

Jan 19, 2024

On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event.

5.7

A Brony Tale

Jul 8, 2014

Vancouver-based voice artist Ashleigh Ball has been the voice of numerous characters in classic cartoons such as Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cinderella and more. When Ashleigh was hired to voice Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash for Hasbro's fourth series to use the My Little Pony name - My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - she had no idea she would become an Internet phenomenon and major celebrity to a worldwide fan-base of grownups. Bronies are united by their belief in the show's philosophy. This documentary gives an inside view of the Pony fan-world, and an intimate look at the courage it takes to just be yourself...even when that means liking a little girls' cartoon.

10.0

Sheldon Leonard's Wonderful Life

Jan 1, 2011

A loving tribute to a forgotten pioneer of the golden age of television. Starting out as a Runyonesque character actor, Sheldon Leonard went on to produce some of the most beloved and groundbreaking shows of all time, such as The Andy Griffith Show, The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Spy. A rare treat, this film is a delightful retrospective of Leonard’s body of work, including priceless clips from his productions— as well as his hilarious appearances on shows such as The Jack Benny Program—and interviews with many of his friends and colleagues, including Mary Tyler Moore, Andy Griffith, Dick Van Dyke, Carl Reiner, Ron Howard and Leonard himself.

6.4

30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story

Sep 20, 2017

The Garbage Pail Kids are 30 years old. Celebrate their gross-out greatness with artist interviews, superfan collections, and more.

0.0

One Day in the Life of Television

Nov 1, 1989

One day in the life of television is a documentary that was broadcast on ITV on 1 November 1989. Filmed by over fifty crews exactly one year earlier, it was a huge behind-the-scenes look at a wide range of activities involved in the production, reception and marketing of British television. The project was organised by the British Film Institute and produced and directed for television by Peter Kosminsky. A book by Sean Day-Lewis was published to accompany the documentary. It contained the thoughts of people throughout Britain, including industry professionals, who recorded their feelings and experiences of television viewing on 1 November 1988, the day that the documentary was filmed.

7.1

Batman & Bill

May 6, 2017

Everyone thinks that Bob Kane created Batman, but that’s not the whole truth. One author makes it his crusade to make it known that Bill Finger, a struggling writer, actually helped invent the iconic superhero, from concept to costume to the very character we all know and love. Bruce Wayne may be Batman’s secret identity, but his creator was always a true mystery.

No Image Available

7.0

Beast Wishes: The Fantastic World of Bob and Kathy Burns

Jan 1, 2012

Documentary about Bob and Kathy Burns, the goodwill ambassadors of science fiction film fandom.

5.9

Star Trek: 25th Anniversary Special

Sep 28, 1991

This documentary is hosted by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and they take us through the history of Star Trek. We also get to see bloopers from the original series and the current space program and how progression has been in reality, hosted by LeVar Burton.

7.7

Wolfman's Got Nards

Aug 1, 2018

A documentary that explores the power of cult film told through the lens of the Monster Squad and the impact it has on fans, cast and crew and the industry.

6.5

Videosyncracy

Sep 7, 2010

As the dissociated convenience of the Internet and globalized corporate culture continue to shut down brick-and-mortar video stores, what will happen to the longstanding, local hangouts with their rugged individuals known as clerks and the communities who love them? Videosyncracy follows three very different video rental stores as they negotiate their survival in three distinct Los Angeles neighborhoods: Old Bank DVD in the Downtown arts district, Vidiots in sunny seaside Santa Monica, and Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in bustling North Hollywood. Their stories chronicle not only the birth and twilight of a particular kind of corner store, but also decades of personal lives intertwined with those of their communities, the new challenges and facilities of a rapidly changing world, and an enduring love of the movies, a slice of Americana on the brink of disappearance yet defiant to the end.

7.1

Of Time and the City

Oct 31, 2008

British director Terence Davies reflects on his birthplace of Liverpool - his memories of growing up there and how it has changed in the years since - in the process meditating on the internal struggles and conflicts that have wracked him throughout his life and the history of England during the second half of the 20th century.

6.6

Christina Aguilera: Pop Diva

Jun 11, 2015

A biography on the life of Christina Aguilera.