U.S. Soaps.

What more can be said about the world of soaps? A microcosm of everyday folk, an exercise in wish fulfillment for the masses or a load of twaddle? Everybody has their own view. Regardless, a rich vein of femme fatale material would be missed if you never watch soaps. This article has a look at some soaps from the USA but another article featuring soaps from other countries is being planned.

I don't like the 1980's glossy American soaps, there I've said it. 'Dallas', 'Dynasty' and there siblings bore me silly.There were a few good plots featuring gun toting babes but that was the only reason I kept watching. Here are a few stills from the glossies featuring killer babes including the woman who shot JR (Mary Crosby/Kristin).

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Probably the best soap bad girl featured in 'Knots Landing', an offshoot of 'Dallas'. Val Ewing (Joan Van Ark) is threatened at gun point by Jill Bennet (Teri Austin) and forced to swallow a lethal dose of sleeping pills. When her nefarious deeds are almost interupted by the neighbours Jill threatens to shoot her, the neighbours and her children.

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Daytime soaps in the US are a whole different ball game to prime time soaps. Creaky sets, hammy acting, long meaningful pauses to increase the dramatic tension are all part and parcel of this genre. We don't tend to get these shows in the UK so I'm having to be rather selective in the shows I can talk about here. 'Sunset Beach' did make it to these shores and starred British born actress Lesley Ann Down. She was great, the rest of the show wasn't. Here she is confronting one of her many rivals who turns the tables on our Lesley.

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I think these clips are from 'Days of our Lives' but I certainly wouldn't stake my reputation on it. This time a woman's daughter has been double crossed by her scheming friend who now finds herself at the wrong end of the mother's revolver.

Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life?

Once again I am not sure but I think the source is 'Days of our Lives'. If it is then this must have been one of the prolific 'gun crazy women' in the history of soap - I still have a whole lot of different vidcaps (to be shown) which I think are also from this series. Anyway this woman has pulled out her gun to sort out the local Mafia family. Like I wrote previously, over the top storylines are the hallmark of daytime US soaps.

Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life? Days of my Life?

If I get the chance I'll finish off the US soaps and introduce you to some from elsewhere in the world.