Soap Opera Characters Who Deserve More Screen Time

Published on June 14, 2018. Updated November 11, 2021

With daytime drama ratings that continue to dwindle, soap opera budgets are slowly decreasing as well. Four shows remain strong on the air; however, the pressure to increase audiences is always hovering in the air. With only 30 minutes to an hour of airtime each day (depending on the soap), this often means that certain characters get major storylines, with some popular ones that get lost in the shuffle. Below are 12 soap opera characters who deserve more screen time.

Want soap spoilers delivered to your inbox every week? Sign up for Fame10’s weekly soap opera spoilers newsletter.

12. Y&R’s Christine Blair

Cricket used to be a main staple on the Young the Restless (Y&R) during the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. As of late, it seems she only gets pulled into a scene when her D.A. duties allow for a storyline. As one of the most popular Y&R character over the years, it’s time to develop an arc where Christine becomes the main focal point of the story.

2

11. DOOL’s Lucas Horton

He’s a Horton, as well as Kate Robert’s son and Will’s dad, and he’s still got a ton of stories to tell within Salem, but Lucas doesn’t really get the screen time he deserves. With this renewed romance with Chloe Lane, here’s hoping that fans get to see Lucas Horton a little more each week.

3

10. DOOL’s Chloe Lane

Speaking of, years back, Chloe was part of one the biggest storyline on Days when she secretly hid being Nicole Walker’s surrogate and kept her baby away from her for months. This was mainly because she didn’t want Deimos anywhere near baby Holly, and the storyline itself was explosive. Nadia Bjorlin hasn’t been on screen as much as fans might have hoped this year, but this could be due to the fact that was pregnant and also took some mat leave.

4

9. GH’s Scott Baldwin

The General Hospital (GH) veteran is the sleazy Port Charles lawyer we all love to hate; however, as of late, it seems he only gets pulled into storylines when his son Franco needs him. Scott Baldwin is a charismatic soap character with a ton of personality and many GH audiences wish he had more screen time.

5

8. DOOL’s Roman Brady

Since Josh Taylor took over the role of Roman Brady in 1997, the character has lagged considerably with storylines, romances, and screen time. Roman is part of one of the most popular families in Salem and it’s a shame that the character isn’t seen as much as he should be on the daytime drama.

6

7. GH’s Felicia Jones

Anna Devane still embarks on some incredible spy adventures … why not Felicia too? With DOOL pulling on some of its major past (and staple) stars when it comes to huge storylines, many GH fans wonder why this show doesn’t do the same. Felicia was a staple on the show for so many years and now only appears here and there to help Maxie deal with her problems. She deserves more.

7

6. Y&R’s Ashley Abbott 

Actress Eileen Davidson is back on the canvas due to turmoil in her daughter Abby’s life. Previously, she had turned heads when she returned as Kristen DiMera in Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem. Now that she’s working with her ex, Victor, on ways to help their daughter, let’s hope she gets caught up in other storylines as well. She’s a powerful presence on the CBS soap, and we’ve missed her.

8

5. DOOL’s Justin Kiriakis

So, there may be a very good reason why Justin Kiriakis doesn’t get as much airtime as many Days fans would like: the actor who plays him does pull double duty on two daytime dramas, appearing on both DOOL and GH as Ned Quartermaine. The silver lining around all this is that both Salem and Port Chuckles fans get a taste of Wally Kurth on a weekly basis.

9

4. DOOL’s Adrienne Kiriakis

Adrienne has been a part of some huge DOOL storylines in recent years. She was involved in a love triangle between Lucas and Justin (she chose Justin), dealt with breast cancer, and then there was the Bonnie doppelganger fiasco of 2017. While Adrienne plays a pivotal role on the show as the owner of the Spectator newspaper, perhaps she is taking a breather from being a key part of storylines. Here’s hoping writers can bring her back into the spotlight soon.

10

3. GH’s Lucy Coe

Lucy Coe has everything a soap opera character should: she’s entertaining, overly dramatic, comical, and beautiful. So, why is that GH fans only see her around the Nurse’s Ball event or inserted into scenes when a real estate agent is needed? Lucy Coe deserves more screen time on GH, and there are many viewers that would love to see Lucy have a bona fide storyline of her own.

11

2. Y&R Paul Williams

Doug Davidson, the actor who plays Paul Williams, is currently the longest-serving actor on the show. Paul has history in Genoa City. He’s charming, smart, entertaining and a joy to watch on the small daytime screen. While Paul’s done it all, many Y&R viewers would love to see more from him. It seems like Williams is only pulled into a storyline these days when the police chief is investigating a crime.

12

1. GH’s Mac Scorpio

It was amazing for many fans to see Mac Scorpio back in Port Charles recently, as he and Felicia have helped Maxie get over the death of her hubby Nathan West. While this was great, the role he played was simply one of support. If his brother Robert can swing into town for some spy action, why can’t Mac do the same?