Best of Soap: Jessica's Wonderful Life on AllMovie

Soap, a late-'70s sitcom, ruthlessly imitates the overdramatic vices of daytime drama by creating absurd twists in plot and breaking the logic-enforced rules of dramatic writing only previously skirted by the very soap operas it parodies. Featuring famous comedic performers like Billy Crystal, Richard Mulligan, and Robert Guillaume, the program found popularity with empathetic fellow soap critics, but controversial publicity before the show's debut thwarted potential for high success. In "Jessica's Wonderful Life," excerpts from celebrated Soap moments are incorporated into the tale of Jessica's life, as she reflects on it with Bea Arthur's character, who serves as heaven's gatekeeper. The chaotic development of events proves that there is still much tumult for Jessica to deal with on Earth, and thus the end of her life is reconsidered.