Soaps In Depth
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Soaps In Depth is a series of magazines created in 1997 by Bauer Publications with its headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to give American soap opera viewers more variety in their soap-related magazine purchases. Instead of buying a magazine like Soap Opera Digest, in which all soap operas are covered, Soaps In Depth gave the soap viewer and potential shopper individual choices from the "Big Three" networks: ABC Soaps In Depth, CBS Soaps In Depth, and NBC Soaps In Depth. Each magazine is devoted to only the shows on the network the edition covers and is published biweekly.
The NBC edition was discontinued after only two years in 1999 after NBC cancelled Another World and Sunset Beach, making it superfluous to cover only two programs, while the ABC and CBS editions continue to be sold.
Magazines
CBS Soaps In Depth
First published in early 1997, this magazine focuses only on the CBS soaps The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. Previously, Guiding Light and As The World Turns were covered as well, before their cancellation. Each issue also includes brief news coverage, previews, and recaps for the ABC soaps, as well as Days of our Lives. When the CBS edition debuted, each issue cost $2.99. Currently, the CBS edition costs $3.99 American and $4.50 Canadian.
ABC Soaps In Depth
First published in February 1997, this magazine focused on the ABC soaps at that time (All My Children, The City, General Hospital, and One Life to Live). A few months later, The City was cancelled, and coverage began on the new soap, Port Charles. PC was cancelled in 2003, and coverage continued on the other three soaps. The ABC edition also includes news coverage, previews, and recaps for the CBS soaps and Days of our Lives. Its initial start up cost was $2.99 an issue, with an occasional $1.00 issue. Beginning in 2003, each issue costs $3.99. After the cancellations of AMC and OLTL in 2011 and 2012, respectively, with GH being the only ABC daytime soap to still air to this day, the ABC edition now alternately covers its NBC soap Days of Our Lives and the CBS soaps.
NBC Soaps In Depth
The NBC edition is now defunct. When it was first published, coverage focused on NBC Daytime's soap line-up, which was Another World, Days of Our Lives, and Sunset Beach. In 1999, NBC cancelled the long running AW, as well as Sunset Beach. Passions took over one time slot, but with this drastic move in NBC Daytime, the need for its own magazine was no longer there. NBC's last remaining serial, Days of our Lives, still holds brief news coverage, previews, and recaps in the ABC and CBS editions. It receives more coverage in the ABC edition, as ABC itself only has one soap opera remaining on the air (General Hospital).
Features
Not specific to a given show
Each issue consists of several recurring columns not dedicated to a specific soap:
- News - Updates on important news stories.
- Ins and Outs - Updates on cast changes.
- Set Your DVR - Previews for the coming two weeks.
- On the Town - Candid photos of stars at events, parties, award ceremonies, and actors/actresses who may be doing a Broadway show.
- In Depth Cover Story - Major plot twists coming up on a particular show, with sporadic Cover Stories for each show.
- In Depth Previews - Upcoming plot twists for shows that don't make the Cover Story.
- Hottest Stories - Shocking plot twists coming to each show.
- Each issue also includes Message Boards, Up Close and Personal, and games or puzzles, such as a crossword.
After each soap is featured, there are several additional articles. These include:
- Keeping Track
- Editor for a Day
- A Minute of Your Time Please
- Why They Really Left
- Hey! Wasn't That?
- From Soap Kids to Superstars
- Gold Star
- Candid Camera
Specific to a given show
All three soaps in both the CBS edition and ABC edition have their own special sections, mostly scoops from cast members, writers, or executive producers. These include:
- Remote Patrol - The editors' opinions on glitches in current storylines.
- Speak Out - Viewers' opinions on storylines/cast changes.
- Readers' Poll - Results of poll questions asked in a recent issue, as well as top couples, actors, and actresses.
- In Depth Answers - Fan questions answered.
- Beauty Secrets - Fashion and beauty questions asked by the fans, as well as questions for the actors, asked by the magazine.
- Star Search - Upcoming appearances by actors and actresses.
- Star Talk - Question asked by the magazine for the actors and actresses.
- All-Star Scrapbook - Old photos of the actors and actresses.
- Plot Points - An at-a-glance guide to recent goings-on; mainly consists of deaths, marriages, divorces, and births.
- Standout Scenes - Shocking moments that recently occurred.
- Storyline Recaps - Article explaining major storyline twists that occurred in the last two weeks.
- Soap Style - Brief articles about what an actress (and sometimes actor) wore to an event.
- In the Next Issue - Previews of articles in the upcoming issue.
- In Depth sections for each show - these include special features such as:
- Feature Interviews
- Behind the Scenes
- On the Road
- Off-Duty
There are also several special articles for each show. These include:
- Farwell sections for an actor or actress who may leave a show
- Daytime Emmy coverage from the awards ceremony
- End of Year Recaps/Milestones
- A special section may also appear whenever a soap or actor reaches a big anniversary.