As the World Turns Spoilers

Lily Walsh Snyder (in all her incarnations) occupied a special place in the fan’s hearts. Whether Lily was wrestling with Holden’s marriages and affairs (Angel, Julie, Emily, Julia) or her own (Derek, Damian, Keith, Dusty), the fans have wanted to know what would happen next.

Finding As the World Turns Spoilers

As the World Turns spoilers can be found on CBS soap boards, Soap Central, Soap Opera Digest, and other sources. Daytime fans enjoy following the storylines of their favorite characters (including those they love to hate).

Be Wary of Spoilers

Fans should always be wary of spoilers. The essential idea behind spoilers is to ‘spoil’ a plot development or a story changing element in an upcoming storyline. Spoilers can also lead fans down a false path with speculations that are either better than what they see on the air or worse. Either way, they can be misleading.

For example, in 2004, the fan sites lit up with the rumors of Sarah Brown’s return to daytime television as a member of the As the World Turns cast. Brown’s fans were happy to see the actress in a regular gig again. But a second spoiler began making the rounds that Brown would be playing a character named Julia. Since recasts of old parts with new actors is a common soap opera staple, ATWT fans were equal parts worried and excited that the demented Julia Lindsay was returning to town.

The spoilers reached a fever pitch when word hit the Internet that Brown’s first scenes would be with Michael Park (Jack Snyder). Park’s Jack was deeply involved with Julia Lindsay. When Brown debuted as ‘nurse’ Julia, it was soon revealed that while she shared the same name, she was not the same character.

For fans who were invested in the return of Julia Lindsay, this set of ATWT spoilers turned out to be a huge let down.

Spoilers and Mysteries

The drawback to the wealth of spoilers on the Internet is the lack of ‘needing’ to watch the show. Often, fans that are too busy to catch the episode daily will scan upcoming spoilers to decide whether they need to watch the soaps or not. As the World Turns, like all other daytime dramas, took a severe ratings hit in the mid-1990s and have been in steady decline ever since.

Arguments have been made that attribute the initial decline to the O.J. Simpson trial that dominated the airwaves for months, constantly pre-empting the daytime soaps. However, this is the time spoilers were growing more prevalent on the Internet as the Internet itself was just beginning to truly expand. While no absolute link has been proven, it seems to be true fans who read spoilers they don’t like are less likely to tune in than those who read spoilers they do like or those who don’t read spoilers at all.

Where to Find Spoilers

Remember when tracking down spoiler sites and reading spoilers, such as the Julia spoilers described above, they are not always accurate. Often, spoilers are mingled with speculation and until it actually airs on the screen, no spoiler should be considered valid and binding.

• Soap Central – Soap Central’s As the World Turns spoiler site features scoops and upcoming storyline information.
• CBS Daytime’s As the World Turns – The official site features interviews, news, scoops and video.
• Soaps.com – ATWT spoilers are featured here by the week as well as down the road.