In the early 1970's "Love is a many splendored thing" ended its run on CBS Daytime. The series finale was highlighted by the marriage of Betsy Chernack and her live-in boyfriend, Joe. Family members were troubled because the couple was living in sin. The value of wedlock and family values is shocking missing from the programs currently on daytime television.
There are no stable homes on daytime television
CBS currently has only two soap opera's left in its lineup; they are "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." On both daytime drama's, the characters go to bed with whomever they choose, and most times it is someone who has been involved with or married to a family member.
On "The Bold and the Beautiful," Katie has been kissing Wyatt who was her step son and the half brother of her biological son Will.
Indeed, this type of behavior has always gone on, but there was a time when on a Soap opera, there were only a very few who engaged in relationships with in-laws. Today it seems to be the norm on daytime television. There also are no stable long term relationships on the soaps. There used to be married couples who weathered the storms of life, such as Alice and Tom Horton on "Days of our lives," Today the closest thing to long term would be Victor and Nikki on "The Young and the Restless."
The Newmans have been in and out of each other's lives for close to 40 years.
They are not, however, an example of moral values. Victor and Nikki have been married and divorced four times and right now are separated working on number 5. That is not stability but chaos. Times and values change, but there are always couples somewhere who have remained together without cheating on each other. It's unfortunate that in modern society a stable relationship is considered boring, and respect for family values is decreasing.
The future of daytime television
CBS is a network television station and must compete with the R rated and X rated content of cable. It is understandable that to remain on the air; television programming must be competitive and change with the times. What the programmers need to realize is that there can be challenges to marriage and family values that do not involve sex.
It seems today's writers only know one way to keep things interesting, and that is by having couples cheat on each other.
It's understandable that young viewers need to be courted, but you don't throw out the baby with the bath water. There are viewers of daytime television between ages 40-80, who have been the core audience and should not be ignored. Current storylines on "The Young and the Restless" and also "The Bold and the Beautiful," are pretty racy, for many older soap opera fans. There should be a balance.
There need to be older wiser residents in Genoa City and LA that the young folk can go to for sound counsel. Right now Eric Forrester and Victor Newman, the patriarchs of the shows, are as messed as everyone else is.
This indeed is a false balance, because not every life on earth nor every marriage is beyond repair. CBS daytime should remember the core audience and show them some respect. In the real world, not everyone cheats on a spouse each time there is conflict.
