Longest Ever Running Storyline in Soap?

BeethovensPianoBeethovensPiano Posts: 11,689
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What's the longest running storyline to have ever appeared in any Soap? This Lucy saga must be in the running?
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  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    I once started a thread on this, and it seemed to be decided that Sharongate, at 3-4 years, was the champion.

    The Carla/Tony/Liam saga in Corrie was about 3 years from start to finish though, so that's another contender.

    Back in EastEnders, Mark's HIV was also another real long-runner.
  • NoughtiesMusicNoughtiesMusic Posts: 15,914
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    I won't be at all surprised if Bryan Berkwood stretches out the Patrick/Maxine storyline for another two years in HO.
  • zerotheherozerothehero Posts: 21,438
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    I dont know if it counts but it took Nick 30 years to tell his mum the truth about Reg Cox
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,910
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    Most of the storylines in Sunset Beach were dragged out for the entire 3 years of the shows run. 755 episodes of Ben and Meg trying to get it on and always finding something comes between them ^_^
  • Aurora13Aurora13 Posts: 30,243
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    Grant & Michelle baby Mark. He must be late teens by now.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 577
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    I dont know if it counts but it took Nick 30 years to tell his mum the truth about Reg Cox

    I'd say it still hasn't been wrapped up properly anyway because it was never solved and not everyone found out. The actual mystery lasted until Nick confessed in prison though.

    http://youtu.be/KkmjWqUMC40
    http://youtu.be/VHnHy0uvMkU;-)
  • bass55bass55 Posts: 18,319
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    Sharongate technically ran for about 5 years - from the Mitchells' arrival (1990) until Sharon's exit (1995).
  • casa_novacasa_nova Posts: 5,757
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    Richard Hillman storyline went on for 2 and a half years.
  • dubgazdubgaz Posts: 2,908
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    Patrick and Maxine in Hollyoaks. It just goes on and on and on and on
  • Hank1234Hank1234 Posts: 3,756
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    Angies little lie
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,370
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    Who Killed Tom King (2006) still hasn't been officially solved.
  • Hank1234Hank1234 Posts: 3,756
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    Aurora13 wrote: »
    Grant & Michelle baby Mark. He must be late teens by now.

    they mean storylines what stay dominent in the show
  • TellMeMoreTellMeMore Posts: 1,067
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    It's still Sharon and Phil's wedding day in some universes.
  • David the WavidDavid the Wavid Posts: 2,319
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    The life of Ken Barlow. 55 years and counting.
  • Irma BuntIrma Bunt Posts: 1,847
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    The life of Ken Barlow. 55 years and counting.

    And in terms of actual story, he had a fling with Susan Cunningham in 1960, but didn't discover they had a son together (Lawrence) until 2010...
  • kitkat1971kitkat1971 Posts: 39,175
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    I suppose it depends how you quantify 'storylines'. If it is things like fueds which drive characters for revenge on each other, some go on decades. Dallas would be a prime example with the Barnes/Ewing fued (most predominantly JR and Cliff) driving much of the original 11 years and the 3 seasons of the reboot.

    A British contender like that could be Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin in Corrie.

    But arguably they just provide motivation rather than being a story with a beginning, middle and end.

    Re sharongate, it also drove Grant's departure in 99, he said he slept with Kathy as revenge for Sharon.
  • bass55bass55 Posts: 18,319
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    kitkat1971 wrote: »
    Re sharongate, it also drove Grant's departure in 99, he said he slept with Kathy as revenge for Sharon.

    One could argue that Sharongate was finally resolved when Sharon married Phil in 2014. But I guess that is pushing it a little :)
  • callumfreemancallumfreeman Posts: 12,399
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    Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin's feud (1983-2006)
  • Mark_Washingto1Mark_Washingto1 Posts: 19,273
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    Most of the longest running stories belong to Days of Our Lives:

    Mike Horton's paternity: That story went from 1968-1975 where Laura Horton was raped by her brother in law Bill and resulted in her getting pregnant with Mike. She told her farther in law Tom and the two agreed to keep the truth from Laura's husband Mickey.

    Kristen and her look-a-likes ran from 1996-1998: Kristen was desperate to hold on to John and after she miscarried his baby. Stefano found pregnant look-a-like Susan and planned to pass the baby off as her's. Susan's siblings Thomas and Sister Mary Moira showed up as comedic relief. After all Kisten's lies were exposed she was found dead floating in a pool, but in actuality it was Susan's long lost sister Penelope who was in the wrong place at the wrong time when Susan's fiance Edmund had mistaken Penelope for Kristen and accidentally killed her. No one realized this except Kristen so she pretended to be Susan married Edmund and sold the real Susan into a harem. The real Susan escaped, exposed Kristen as a fraud, sold Kristen into that same harem and the real Susan, Edmund and baby Elvis moved away to England. In what has to be a record, actress Eileen Davidson played the roles of Kristen, Susan, Sister Mary Moira, Thomas and Penelope.

    Brandon Walker's paternity 1999-2005: Brandon shows up in Salem and for some reason he hated police captain Abe Carver. It was later revealed that Brandon's mother and Abe had an affair when Brandon was a child and at different points there were hints that Abe was Brandon's father, however when Brandon decided to leave town in 2005 he finally revealed to Abe that he was infarct his son and had known this all along.
  • iveivaniveivan Posts: 1,378
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    Who shagged Kat.

    At least, it felt like the longest story in the history of soap.
  • JeanetteBJeanetteB Posts: 205
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    Sharongate in EastEnders.
  • Neil_NNeil_N Posts: 6,026
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    Nikki Shadwicks rape in 'Brookside'? That was the death knell of the show, as it went on from December 1999 to January 2001.
  • Dr. LinusDr. Linus Posts: 6,445
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    iveivan wrote: »
    Who shagged Kat.

    At least, it felt like the longest story in the history of soap.

    How long did that go on for? It really did feel like about a year.

    God, things really were terrible back then!
  • lady_xanaxlady_xanax Posts: 5,662
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    Who Killed Tom King.

    The mystery of what happened to Jane Harper in Night and Day ran for over a year and lasted until the end of the soap.
  • c120701c120701 Posts: 714
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    What happened to Connor O'Neill in 2006 in Neighbours. Finally resolved in 2012.

    Did Sarah sleep with Karl? Began in 1997, resolved in 2013.
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