DISCOVERY CENTER

At this time last year, we encouraged readers to embrace the spirit of the holiday and discover a new world... or, at least, a new soap.

It's still good advice. To help you leap into life in Bay City, Monticello, Henderson or Houston, check out our catch-up primer, below!



Another World on AOL/PGP Classic Soap Channel: After spending over a decade scheming and plotting and lying and vamping to keep Steve away from his true-love, Alice, Rachel is finding that the tables have turned. Now Alice is engaged to Rachel's ex-husband, Mac. And Rachel isn't at all happy about it. She claims she wants to move on with Mitch, which is why she's suing Mac for custody of their daughter, Amanda. Meanwhile, Rick and Marianne are trying to make their marriage work despite Rick's suspicion that Marianne is still in love with Jamie. Rick found a note about Marianne in Jamie's appointment book, unaware that Jamie's ex-wife, Cecile, planted the incriminating appointment in order to convince Jamie's stepbrother, Sandy, that Cecile and Sandy's affair was justified; after all Jamie was having an affair of his own! The mysterious Mr. Black was on his way to Bay City, keeping a special eye on Alice, Rachel, and Jamie (if you can't guess who Mr. Black really is, then you simply must start watching this show because obviously you have not watched enough soaps). Sandy decided to investigate the shadowy figure, which set him up for even more conflict with Jamie. Also, Clarice was being stalked and plagued by obscene phone calls. Husband Larry was very worried, but the cause of the threats was closer than even he suspected....



The Edge of Night on AOL/PGP Classic Soaps Channel: It's Perry Mason meets A Chorus Line as dancing cop Calvin counsels Jody against signing a professional contract with Svengali-wannabe Gavin. Meanwhile, non-dancing (singing, though) cop Derek is furious that Deborah insists on investigating the death of Nadine Scott. Deborah believes that Derek is protecting Nadine's money-hungry daughter, Raven. Also, Emily has suffered a nervous breakdown following husband Draper's recovery from amnesia and the realization that he has another wife, April, and that it's April he actually loves. Emily's story will eventually dovetail with Nadine's "accidental" death, but not before a few more bodies pile up... and several innocent people are accused of the crime.



Search for Tomorrow on AOL/PGP Classic Soaps Channel: Liza loves Hogan but marries Lloyd. (Liza adopted a teen-ager, TR, who turned out to be the long-lost daughter of Lloyd and his first wife, Estelle. TR desperately wanted her new Mommy to get together with her old Daddy, so they... did.) Estelle is back from the dead with designs on Martin, Jo's ex-husband (turns out Estelle and Martin share a grown son), not to mentioned her once kidnapped daughter, TR. Sunny wants Hogan who just knocked out Lloyd for marrying Liza. There's a revolution plagued, Banana Republic island called San Marcos (one has to presume it's just a hop, skip and a jump from San Cristobel and Montega), plus a frequently shirtless Viggo Mortenson!



Texas on AOL/PGP Classic Soap Channel: Unstable vet Barrett has kidnapped his son, Stephen, by convincing the boy that his mom, Ginny, and new step-dad Ryan, have no time for the child. Lurleen deals with Bubba's attempted rape. Reena seethes over Justin and Ashley's marriage. Ruby plots to take over local morning television -- but the man she's scheming against is no fool. Elliot and Paige deal with the fall-out from Dennis' breakdown. And coming up soon, Raiders of the Lost Ark.... Texas-style!