26 replies to this topic

[doolfan]

CBS brought back The Clear Horizon in the 1960s due to fan complaints after it had been off the air for a year. CBS then cancelled it again only a few months later, but still we have now found a soap that was brought back.

[Eric83]

That was 50 years ago, when soaps were dirt cheap and the networks wanted them on their lineups.

Edited by Eric83, 10 December 2012 - 09:49 PM.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Wasn't it on hiatus to be re-tooled but never officially canceled until brought back?

And why are we citing things from 50 years ago as if it's still the same industry today?

[doolfan]

That was 50 years ago, when soaps were dirt cheap and the networks wanted them on their lineups.

I know. lol but now we know that it isn't true when people say "No soap has ever been brought back".

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Both Edge of Night and Search For Tomorrow were canceled by CBS before ABC and NBC picked them up respectively.

I don't know where that "no soap was ever brought back after cancellation" myth comes from.

Again though, that was a different era and one that's bears no significance or relevance to today's world.

Edited by Y&RWorldTurner, 10 December 2012 - 09:56 PM.

[SFK]

SuBe wasn't cancelled but pulled for a few weeks to be retooled for the better. Ultimately, it didn't help. I see absolutely no reason why a miniseries-like one week run of AMC or OLTL wouldn't do well one summer. Soap fans are so thirsty at this point, they'd do better now than ever.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

Why do a one week mini series for OLTL or AMC and have to pay the actors a ton of money when you can do a miniseries with newbies though. Just thinking from a business perspective.

Passions got canceled, got picked up and got canceled again by the end of the year after DirectTv got new subscribers for a more recent example.

[SFK]

Why do a one week mini series for OLTL or AMC and have to pay the actors a ton of money when you can do a miniseries with newbies though. Just thinking from a business perspective.

Sure, why not? But you don't necessarily have to pay the former stars big money. They can't expect to make what they were making, and they can always turn it down if that's such an issue for them. But the lure of seeing one's favorite characters on their favorite cancelled story again is what such a project would be riding on. Even a newbie soap has to have something to clinch, usually in the form of a couple bankable actors.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

Sure, why not? But you don't necessarily have to pay the former stars big money. They can't expect to make what they were making, and they can always turn it down if that's such an issue for them. But the lure of seeing one's favorite characters on their favorite cancelled story again is what such a project would be riding on. Even a newbie soap has to have something to clinch, usually in the form of a couple bankable actors.

But they do and will come expecting big money.

[SFK]

But they do and will come expecting big money.

Then bitches be short.

[Eric83]

I really do not think it will be that much money, there was an article on Deadline last year about how AMC/OLTL cost $750,000-$1 million to produce a week's worth of episodes. That is incredibily cheap compared to one episode of a primetime show. I don't think it would hurt the network's pockets.

[Errol]

I really do not think it will be that much money, there was an article on Deadline last year about how AMC/OLTL cost $750,000-$1 million to produce a week's worth of episodes. That is incredibily cheap compared to one episode of a primetime show. I don't think it would hurt the network's pockets.

Cost isn't a factor if the revenue outweighs that cost. $750,000-$1 Million may not sound like much when compared to a primetime show, but when your intake isn't that much above your cost, why bother? The rate for a 30 second ad during Nikita is about $30,000. General Hospital gets about $8,000. That's a huge difference, especially for a show that takes up 5 timeslots a week compared to 1 timeslot for a show that is way behind the daytime show in ratings and demos.

[SFK]

Especially in the case of a short run series that would have to focus on a smaller cast, maybe even as little as ten characters. Essentially, what you'd be looking at is: Will Susan do it? Yes? Great. Now what do we build around that?

[SFK]

Cost isn't a factor if the revenue outweighs that cost. $750,000-$1 Million may not sound like much when compared to a primetime show, but when your intake isn't that much above your cost, why bother? The rate for a 30 second ad during Nikita is about $30,000. General Hospital gets about $8,000. That's a huge difference, especially for a show that takes up 5 timeslots a week compared to 1 timeslot for a show that is way behind the daytime show in ratings and demos.

Any new soap project would essentially be a Valentine to the fans, so I wouldn't blame TPTB for trying to make it as cost effective as possible. It's still possible to deliver a quality product on a shoe string, especially if you manage to build a team of talented, creative people who know how to dazzle on a dime (theatre folk are pros at this). I can definitely understand the "why bother?" argument because all too often, we've seen how these things are poorly conceived. I have great faith in the potential of such projects, less faith in the usual soap suspects who would most likely get hired for the job.

[Khan]

Will Susan do it? Yes? Great. Now what do we build around that?

I vote for a mockumentary series, one that follows La Kane as she relocates permanently to Los Angeles in order to give her acting aspirations another try.

[SFK]

I vote for a mockumentary series, one that follows La Kane as she relocates permanently to Los Angeles in order to give her acting aspirations another try.

Okay, that could be hilarious in the right hands.

Imagine if Chris Guest or Tina Fey were diehard AMC fans and wrote that?

[Khan]

IKR? You have Erica, her new assistant, who'd make Felix DuBois look like Stanley Kowalski; her business manager, who must keep up the illusion that she is eternally "under 40"; and her personal stylist and best friend in all the world, Opal.

Edited by Khan, 11 December 2012 - 12:46 AM.

[SFK]

IKR? You have Erica, her new assistant, who'd make Felix DuBois look like Stanley Kowalski; her business manager, who must keep up the illusion that she is eternally "under 40"; and her personal stylist and best friend in all the world, Opal.

+4

[EricMontreal22]

Guiding Light wasn't actually the continuing story from 1937 that they often advertised.

In 1943, Irna briefly tied three of her radio soaps into The General Mills Hour (the last 15 minutes was apparently un-connected "inspirational" programming). GL, Woman in White (where Agnes started as writer) and Today;'s Children. Characters would cross over between the three soaps--in a way sorta creating a forty-five minute soap (Guiding Light had already created the spin off Right to Happiness in 1939, which ran twenty years, but Irna wasn't head writer long).

Then in 1946 Emmons Carlson, a former writer for Irna, sued her claiming he co-created the soap with her. An irate Irna refused to settle out of court, as she was suggested to, and it cost her $250,000. At around this time soap opera soap operas were moving from their base in Chicago to New York, but General Mills was moving the ones they sponsored to Hollywood. Because it was wrapped up in the court case, they dropped GL and Irna created the short lived Masquerade which moved with the other two to Hollywood. Irna then shut down The Guiding Light in 1946.

Six months later Proctor and Gamble wanted three soaps from Irna, for New York. She sold the ones that she still owned- and ressurected Guiding Light (this was when the change in location for the soap's story happened) which they bought for 50 grand, along with Road of Life for 50 grand, and at the time the top rated Right to Happiness for 75 grand. As part of the deal, Irna stayed with her new fave, Guiding Light and got full story credit on every episode (which was rare back then) as well as $250 per 15 minute episode (again, a good deal at the time). So in a way it was canceled, or dead, and then ressurected...

[marceline]

But they do and will come expecting big money.

Given how many of these actors are now doing web series, I think it's possible to manage some expectations. If the material is solid, I think even some decent non-soap actors would be willing to give one "season" a shot

Especially in the case of a short run series that would have to focus on a smaller cast, maybe even as little as ten characters. Essentially, what you'd be looking at is: Will Susan do it? Yes? Great. Now what do we build around that?

Once that happens all you need is one breakout actor or character to create some buzz and not the "Oh look! The headwriter is losing his [!@#$%^&*] on some blog" kind of buzz but more the "Who's that in your gif?" buzz. One Sofia Vergara from Modern Family, Lafayette from True Blood, Wilson from House, etc... But that means making the most of your small ensemble and it means not trying to force the audience to like a character.

A short run series also offers something that soaps don't have in any way which is a way for new viewers to get involved. If the short run of "Raising Kane...Again" works and the audience is there, there's no reason not to do a second season. Isn't that what the BBC does a la Luther and Sherlock?

Edited by marceline, 11 December 2012 - 09:59 AM.