In 1986, CBS decided to take the soap opera Capitol off the antenna and look for a production site that would attract a larger audience with its plot. To this end, a script competition was announced between the couple William and Lee Bell.
The couple's script was called "Rags", and it covered both behind-the-scenes games and family problems in the fashion world. The idea grew in popularity with such productions as "Dallas" and "Dynasty" and was liked practically by people at CBS. This is how one of the longest broadcast soap operas was created, known in our country as "Moda na succes".
After minor changes, including the title on "The Bold and Beautiful", On March 23, 1987, the saxophone (and iconic today) opening of the series resounded in American homes . The adventures of the Forrester fashion house quickly began to attract new viewers to the screens, who followed the more and more confusing fates of the heroes with bated breath.
Basis is drama
Numerous marriages, divorces, remarriages, intrigues, scandals, deaths, murders, resurrections, betrayals and morally questionable relationships, all firmly rooted in luxury. The level of absurdity in "Fashion for Success" grew over the years, attracting more and more viewers. It was a conscious effort by the creators of this soap opera. William Bell himself was to repeat that the key to the show's success is to "complicate everything as often and as much as possible" .
"Fashion for Success" has become a standard example of its genre, not only in terms of the plot. Nasty dialogues, a not-so-elaborate acting, and action that stretches over many episodes are other features that have been openly criticized and parodied. And the icing on the cake was the so-called SORAS (eng. Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome), or accelerated adolescence syndrome in soap operas .
"Fashion for Success" Ronn Moss, Katherine Kelly
It is characterized by the fact that the children of the characters are born, are briefly present on the screen, then disappear, dropping in for a moment as delightful toddlers, and then disappear again, to return as adolescents or young adults. Hence, they can officially begin their lush professional and love affairs alongside their (completely inconsistent with their age) parents.
First of all, this procedure made it possible to complicate - already difficult to explain - family relationships. In this way, i.a. one of the beloved ones, the real Femme Fatale - Brooke, could have been joined by her daughter's boyfriend, whom she had stolen from the girl herself.
On the other hand, SORAS is a procedure aimed primarily at the audience of soap operas, who are largely housewives. For them, series of this genre are a form of escapism. These women do not watch this kind of production in search of a reflection of their reality, but in order to detach themselves from it. Therefore, they are not interested in such mundane topics as raising children.
By the way, not only American housewives caught the fever on "Fashion for Success". To this day, the series is considered the most popular soap opera in the world. Emitted in approx. 140 countries, thanks to its record audience it was included in the Guinness Book of Records . Apparently, he gathered the most fans in front of Italian receivers, but in our country he also gathered a large group of fans who for many years lived the rich fate of the Forrester family.
Polish phenomenon
"Fashion for Success" hit Polish screens at the perfect moment. The first episode was broadcast on September 5, 1994. The series was broadcast three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) at 8:00 a.m. and then repeated at 4:00 p.m. Although its broadcasting began with the 216th episode, which was numbered 1 in the Polish numbering, it did not prevent it from gaining a wide audience in a short time. At its peak, over 2.5 million people watched "Fashion", and the regular viewers were mostly women aged 50 plus .
When the Forrester family's fate began to be shown on Polish TV screens, our country was waking up from the communist dream and craving for everything "western". Fashion, on the other hand, enchanted with a reality that was a fairy tale for us. Beautiful women, elegant men, rich and sumptuous interiors of houses and the vicissitudes that allowed many to break away from reality for a while.
Through the series, many people later came in or left work earlier. Hairdressers shaved their clients a la Brooke, and during coffee breaks you could hear conversations about what happened or will happen in the upcoming episodes. The series has become a daily ritual, a moment of respite for many people.
The increase in popularity of "Mod" was also supported by the slow action and a large number of flashbacks and reminiscences. They allowed for quick and easy finding in the plot. There were also jokes that you could turn on "Mod" at any time and after a short broadcast you could be up to date with all the events . However, it was one of the keys to the success of this production.
The interest in this soap opera was also boosted by the development of the Internet. Fan clubs, "Fashion for Success" pages and internet forums began to emerge, where not only past events were fiercely discussed, but also what was going to happen in the future.
The cast of "Mody na Success" in 2010
Polish viewers, despite later changes in the TV schedule, still lagged behind the fate of the heroes, so they willingly exchanged information with compatriots living abroad, where the action of "Mody" was more pushed in time.
Unfortunately, the phenomenon of this series on our land could not last forever.
End of a fairy tale?
The second half of the first decade of the 21st century brought a slow decline in the popularity of the soap opera. The fate of the Forrester family attracted a smaller and smaller group of viewers in Poland and finally TVP announced that due to the constantly falling bars and too high a price of the series, it would have to end its broadcast.
The Forrester family in 2008
The last 6047 episode of "Mody na success" was broadcast on December 9, 2014. Since then, the series has appeared on other channels and VOD platforms. However, its viewership in our country continued to decline and the production has never aroused such interest as it had before.
However, this issue does not concern the rest of the world. On March 14, 2022, CBS aired Episode 119, Season 35, "The Bold and Beautiful."