Top 10 Sudsiest Primetime Soaps

Fox has a history of hosting some of pop culture's most scintillating soap operas, and the tradition continues on Monday, September 20, when the network's latest melodrama, "Lone Star," debuts. But before you get seduced by the new series, starring James Wolk as a conflicted con man caught between two lives and two loves, check out our list of TV's 10 sudsiest primetime soaps! [Share this slideshow on Twitter]Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

Set in sunny SoCal's Newport Beach, "The O.C." centered on troubled teen outsider Ryan Atwood, who struggled to adjust to his posh new lifestyle after being adopted by wealthy denizens of the posh enclave. The soapy series, which featured its fair share of sex and scandal, as well as a refreshing dose of self-reflexiveness, became a pop culture phenomenon after its debut in August 2003 and launched the careers of its four "teen" leads: Benjamin McKenzie, Mischa Barton, Adam Brody, and Rachel Bilson.FOX - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

Based on Cecily von Ziegesar's book series of the same name and developed by the brains behind "The O.C." (Josh Schwartz), The CW's "Gossip Girl" earned instant fame (and hordes of detractors) within weeks of its September 2007 unveiling, thanks to its overt (and painstakingly accurate) depiction of scheming, sexually charged, and privileged young socialites on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Despite the fact that the series is starting to show its age after three seasons, "GG" remains must-see TV, simply based on Leighton Meester's portrayal of Blair Waldorf, the small screen's best baddie.The CW/Andrew Eccles - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

Spinoff "Knots Landing," which premiered on CBS in 1979, a little over a year after "Dallas" debuted and quickly caught fire, featured four married couples (including "Dallas" alums Gary and Valene Ewing) living on Seaview Circle, a cul-de-sac in a fictitious coastal suburb of Los Angeles. Conceptualized as a "scenes from a marriage" type of show, the writers and producers eventually realized that ridiculously over-the-top storylines (including babynapping, extortion, and gruesome car wrecks) would attract more viewers, and boy, were they right. With the drama amped up, "Knots" hit its stride and cracked the Nielsen top 20 during its fourth season.Warner Bros. Entertainment - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

Initially declared an "American Beauty"-"Knots Landing" hybrid by series creator Marc Cherry, "Desperate Housewives" debuted in fall 2004 and immediately revitalized the soap genre, which had been struggling since "Melrose Place" and "Beverly Hills, 90210" ended their respective runs in 1999 and 2000. Focusing on the lives of four female neighbors and featuring their loves, losses, and lunacy proved to be just what ABC and audiences craved. The sudser — whose seventh season sets sail on September 26 along with Wisteria Lane's newest vixen (played by Vanessa Williams!) — will likely remain a top 10 hit for years to come.ABC/Bob D'Amico - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

In this era of sexting and "Gossip Girl," "Dawson's Creek" seems tamer than tame, but in January 1998, when the drama debuted on the now-defunct WB, parents, TV critics, and watchdog groups were up in arms, thanks to the show's racy plots and character's frank discussions of sex. As a result, Kevin Williamson's semiautobiographical show instantaneously generated a ton of interest from teens and young adults, who made the generation-defining series a ratings hit, created a cultural icon, and allowed it to pave the way for those snobby Upper East Siders.Sony Pictures - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

CBS (also home to "Dallas" and "Knots Landing") uncorked its third beloved primetime soap, "Falcon Crest," the vineyard-set family saga starring Jane Wyman as power-hungry wine matriarch Angela Channing, in December 1981. And while the grape-enhanced epic didn't last as long as "Knots" and didn't achieve "Dallas's" record-breaking ratings, the show's scandals (plane crashes, earthquakes — you name it) were often the most succulent storylines served by the small screen.Everett Collection - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

The never-ending back-stabbing and bed-hopping of "Beverly Hills, 90210" has made 90210 the hottest zip code on TV since its 1990 debut. Kelly confronts her mother's alcoholism; Kelly becomes addicted to diet pills; Kelly gets involved with an older man; Kelly is anointed Spring Princess at a school dance; Kelly becomes entangled in a love triangle; Kelly gets trapped in a fire; Kelly suffers from amnesia; Kelly has a miscarriage; Kelly joins a cult; Kelly dabbles in cocaine; Kelly shoots her rapist in self-defense, and that's just Kelly!Network/ Photographer - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

"Melrose Place's" official tagline said it all: Lying, cheating, stealing, seduction, betrayal, jealousy, greed, murder ... it's just another day at Melrose Place. But the "Beverly Hills, 90210" spinoff, which followed the uninhibited inhabitants of West Hollywood's wildest apartment complex, got off to a slow start in summer 1992. Thankfully, by the time Heather Locklear's vicious ad exec, Amanda Woodward, joined the fray full time in the middle of the first season, Darren Star's soapy series had become more than just a show — it became a spectacle, a spectacle that lasted for seven shocking years, produced 226 sleazy episodes, and delivered one of the greatest scenes in primetime soap history: Kimberly's wig removal/scar reveal.CBS - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

Long before Krystle ever threw her arch-nemesis Alexis into the lily pond at the end of the third season, "Dynasty" had solidified its status as the second-sudsiest soap of all time, thanks to ABC's willingness to do whatever it took to dethrone CBS's "Dallas." In 1981, with uber-producer Aaron Spelling at the helm, a talented team of writers (who stopped at nothing to deliver the campiest and craziest stories week in and week out), and the arrival of Joan Collins (at the beginning of the second season), "Dynasty" took drama to a whole new level. But back to that classic catfight: Not only was it the show's quintessential showdown (trumping Alexis and Krystle's wrestling match in the fashion studio and their mudslinging scene in the beauty shop), it's undoubtedly the most memorable fight in TV history.Everett Collection - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM

The granddaddy of 'em all, "Dallas," initially premiered as a miniseries on CBS in spring 1978, but thanks to its massive success, the scandalous show, which followed the wealthy, oil-obsessed Ewing family's infighting and infidelities, was rushed into production and eventually ran for 14 wildly popular seasons. Known for its lavish storylines and extravagant cliffhangers, including the iconic "Who Shot J.R.?" arc, "Dallas" will forever be known as the top primetime soap in TV history. [Share this slideshow on Twitter]Lorimar Television/Everett Collection - Monday, September, 20, 2010, 8:20 PM