Soap debuted while I was in high school and, if you can imagine, was deemed risqué. I loved it and am ecstatic Antenna TV brought it back (January, 2022).
The laughs are distributed pretty evenly, so the combination of great writing and delightfully wacko characters COMBUST in rollicking FUN!
There are characters who, incredibly, stand out among the stellar cast: a young Billy Crystal perfecting his chops as gay Jodie, The Major dragging around his taxidermied dog and still commanding troops in World War II, the sarcastic and bickering "couple" Chuck and Bob, and the irreplaceable, irreverent, inimitable Benson.
Then there's Burt, played by the brilliant Richard Mulligan at his stammering, frenetic best. If the show was total garbage (certainly NOT), his performance would still make it worth watching.
If you need a female counterpoint to Burt's lunacy, there's the Queen of the Airheads, Jessica Tate. Ever optimistic, Jessica is constantly off on tangents and delightful streams of goofy consciousness. She is also responsible for some touching poignant and moving scenes.
Soap is absolutely not played for desperate-in-your-face puerile laughs; there is a feast of great acting and beautifully played serious moments, too.
I believe the best comedy is funny played straight and Soap delivers big time, every time.
Watch this show if you're too young to have seen the first run and definitely watch it if you were just a kid the first time Soap came around and used to a diet of forgettable tv. From my perspective, watching now is like reuniting with a beloved old friend. First timers may need guidance with the cultural references and the pre-internet time.
In the VAST wasteland of television "comedy," which is littered with utter crap, Soap is a rare gem deserving of its groundbreaking place in broadcasting history.
.
The laughs are distributed pretty evenly, so the combination of great writing and delightfully wacko characters COMBUST in rollicking FUN!
There are characters who, incredibly, stand out among the stellar cast: a young Billy Crystal perfecting his chops as gay Jodie, The Major dragging around his taxidermied dog and still commanding troops in World War II, the sarcastic and bickering "couple" Chuck and Bob, and the irreplaceable, irreverent, inimitable Benson.
Then there's Burt, played by the brilliant Richard Mulligan at his stammering, frenetic best. If the show was total garbage (certainly NOT), his performance would still make it worth watching.
If you need a female counterpoint to Burt's lunacy, there's the Queen of the Airheads, Jessica Tate. Ever optimistic, Jessica is constantly off on tangents and delightful streams of goofy consciousness. She is also responsible for some touching poignant and moving scenes.
Soap is absolutely not played for desperate-in-your-face puerile laughs; there is a feast of great acting and beautifully played serious moments, too.
I believe the best comedy is funny played straight and Soap delivers big time, every time.
Watch this show if you're too young to have seen the first run and definitely watch it if you were just a kid the first time Soap came around and used to a diet of forgettable tv. From my perspective, watching now is like reuniting with a beloved old friend. First timers may need guidance with the cultural references and the pre-internet time.
In the VAST wasteland of television "comedy," which is littered with utter crap, Soap is a rare gem deserving of its groundbreaking place in broadcasting history.
.