Oops… They Did It Again: 30+ Times the Soaps Totally Screwed Up

Here at Soaps.com, we’re always, always rooting for our shows to get it right. But alas, they don’t, not all the time. (For the record, neither do we!) Consider the unfortunate list below of the major missteps made over the years by Young & Restless, Bold & Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and even daytime’s newest drama, Beyond the Gates.

All My Children established itself as a trailblazing daytime drama by having Erica Kane get soaps’ first legal abortion in 1973. Thirty-two years later, new execs shrugged off the milestone and altogether undid it — “Who needs continuity!” — by introducing the diva’s grown son.

In 2015, Bold & Beautiful attracted the rarest of rarities — actual mainstream attention — with its reveal that Maya Avant is transgender. Then the show capitalized on its moment in the spotlight by… Oh dear. Backburnering and writing off the vivacious character.

Photo : Jill Johnson/JPI

Fatal Mistake

Rather than recognize what a charismatic leading man it had in Robert Scott Wilson, Days of Our Lives made Ben Weston the Necktie Killer, then had to do backflips to redeem the serial killer so that he could be cared with Bo and Hope Brady’s daughter, Ciara.

Photo : ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

The Unreal McCoy

After General Hospital bumped off Duke Lavery, it tried in 1989 to replace Ian Buchanan with Greg Beecroft, a move that backfired so spectacularly that the storyline was yanked in only a matter of months. When the show finally brought back Buchanan in 2012, it demonstrated that it had learned, er, nothing by dispatching Duke yet again.

Photo : Sean Smith/JPI

Make It Work… or Not

After the cancellation of As the World Turns, Young & Restless managed to snag Maura West to play Diane Jenkins in 2010… and wrote the character so atrociously that the powers that be, if not Nick Newman, kissed her goodbye a year later.

Photo : Jill Johnson/JPI

A Devil of a Bad Idea

The 1994 storyline in which Days of Our Lives heroine Marlena Evans was possessed by a demon has gone down in soap history as a classic. Not everyone liked it, but boy, do they remember it — and its epic climax. But instead of come up with an original idea, the show trotted out this same old one in 2021 but without the emotional stakes or sense that had made the first time around hella compelling.

Photo : Jesse Grant/JPI

‘I Think I Love… Ew!’

Bold & Beautiful viewers are used to its quasi-incestuous undertones. But even they couldn’t stomach the proposed 2012 pairing of Ridge and Bridget Forrester, who’d spent their entire lives believing that they were either father and daughter or siblings. (We don’t blame ’em for closing their eyes, either; we did that, too!)

Photo : NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

The Kids Are All Right, But…

In 1985, Days of Our Lives shifted its focus from generational stories to youth-oriented plots, doing vet Jed Allan’s Don Craig the ultimate disservice in the process. His popular character was treated as such a nonentity, he was simply sent on a trip to the post office from which he never returned.

Photo : Jill Johnson/JPI

Nothing to See Here

When Steve Burton returned to General Hospital in 2017, the show basically said “pass” to the golden opportunity to play a love triangle between his real Jason Morgan, Billy Miller’s unreal Jason Morgan and “their” wife, Sam.

Photo : NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Th-Th-That’s All, Folks

Behind-the-scenes conflict with the powers that be led to Another World supercouple Steve Frame and Alice Matthews being broken up by the firing of their portrayers, George Reinholt and Jacqueline Courtney. But it was One Life to Live that had the last laugh, as it quickly snagged the fan favorites for new parts.

Photo : Suzanne Opton/Getty Images

Not a Good Look, Folks

As ALS took its toll on Michael Zaslow in the late 1990s, Guiding Light recast one of its brightest stars as Roger Thorpe rather than acknowledge that he and only he should play the iconic villain.

Photo : Howard Wise/JPI

LOL-Worthy

Yeah, it would be hilarious, the idea of Young & Restless deconstructing its hot Summer/Kyle/Lola triangle long before its expiration date and backburnering (and ultimately losing) future movie star Sasha Calle… if that hadn’t been exactly what happened in 2021.

Photo : ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

The Face Is Familiar, But…

In 1991, General Hospital granted Anthony Geary’s wish to play someone other than Luke Spencer. But the audience didn’t take to Luke’s cousin Bill Eckert nearly as much as Julia Barrett did, so the Emmy magnet ultimately had to get his hair re-permed and go back to his original role.

Photo : NBC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection

Murder Most Foul

Another World achieved its desired shock when it killed off beloved Frankie Frame in 1996. But the NBC soap was dealt a nasty surprise of its own by viewers, who ultimately responded by tuning out in protest.

Photo : CBS screenshot

‘Who’s Up for a Lil’ Knife-Throwing?’

Jacqueline MacInnes Wood gave her all to the Bold & Beautiful storyline that turned Steffy Forrester into a drug addict. But when all was said and done, the plot was wrapped up and the character, completely recovered in as little time as it just took you to read this caption. That’s not how drug addiction works!

Photo : John Paschal/JPI

A Diss Is Still a Diss

As the World Turns denied that it had put a kissing ban on its gay supercouple, Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer. But furious fans thought otherwise, especially when “Nuke” was the only twosome not to smooch on Valentine’s Day 2008! (If you’re gonna BS folks, at least don’t be obvious about it!)

Photo : Jill Johnson/JPI

We *Won’t* Drink to That

Days of Our Lives should have had on its hands another great love-to-hate vixen a la Sami Brady in Gwen Rizczcech. But every time we came close to feeling something more than ambivalence about talented Emily O’Brien’s character, the writing undermined her yet again.

Photo : CBS screenshot

If This Was Breakfast, They Were Toast

Beyond the Gates made precious few mistakes when it premiered in 2025. But the one we’ll never get over is the amount of airtime that the otherwise zippy new soap devoted to Ashley Morgan and Derek Baldwin, a couple so dull, they brought to mind a margarita without tequila.

Photo : Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

‘A’ for Effort

Hoping to goose the ratings of brilliant but struggling Ryan’s Hope in 1984, ABC hired General Hospital MVP Robin Mattson to step in as Delia Coleridge. But the role was a poor fit, and OG Ilene Kristen was soon brought back to her infamous role.

Photo : Procter & Gamble Productions

Funny Business

From the time that Kim Zimmer returned to Guiding Light in 1995, Reva Shayne was given one silly story (she’s Amish!) after another (no, she’s a princess!) after another (time travel, anyone?) and another (“Let’s clone her!”). Pretty sure, had the show not ended, Reva would have been in outer space by now.

Photo : Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

Next Time, Say It With Flowers

Instead of champagne and an anniversary party, General Hospital gave Stuart Damon a pink slip in 2007, the year that he should’ve been celebrating three decades as Alan Quartermaine. To add insult to injury, Monica’s better half wasn’t just written off, he was killed off, leaving Leslie Charleson fuming to Soap Opera Weekly about “the blatant disregard for the veterans.”

Photo : Sean Smith/JPI

‘I Do’… Well, We Don’t

The 2012 marriage of Young & Restless’ Sharon Newman and father figure — not to mention frequent father-in-law — Victor turned the “ick” factor all the way up to 11.

Photo : Paul Skipper/JPI

Die Another Day

Ever since Days of Our Lives’ headline-grabbing but ultimately pointless Melaswen story in 2004, the show has seemed to kill off and resurrect characters so frequently that, at this point, their loved ones barely break their stride to bother mourning.

Photo : Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

Talk About Shooting Yourself in the Foot

After 15 years as headwriter of The Edge of Night, Henry Slesar had made the soap one of daytime’s smartest; its mysteries were worthy of Law & Order. Nevertheless, ABC fired him in 1983 and suffered the consequences: The show was dead and buried by the end of ’84.

Photo : Sean Smith/JPI

A Grave Mistake

Even Young & Restless seemed to realize how dumb it was to kill off Jerry Douglas’ beloved John Abbott in 2006. Afterwards, the show brought him back as other characters, visions, ghosts — you name it.

Photo : Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images

Character Assassination

General Hospital has historically shown no reluctance to recast Lucky Spencer. The show has replaced Jonathan Jackson twice, first with Jacob Young, then with Greg Vaughan (Eric, Days of Our Lives). So keeping Luke and Laura’s son away from Port Charles for a decade just made him seem like a deadbeat dad. That can’t have been the goal… right?

Photo : Howard Wise/JPI (3)

Haute Couture… or Not

In the fall of 2022, Bold & Beautiful went all in on avant-garde fashions for its characters. As a result, viewers couldn’t tell whether they were watching the Forresters and Logans reporting for work or attending a costume party.