Fashion House/Desire Ratings Bomb

[JER Soaps Fan]

Um, actually, my WB affiliate became The CW and my UPN affiliate will NEVER change to My network TV. They've already sent out a press release saying they're changing the station in October to become completely viewer dictated, though there will be some mainstays. For instance, the new lineup with include mostly reruns (think a FREAKING FOUR-HOUR marathon of "The Simpsons" most days of the week; I kid you NOT; how stupid is that?!!) and viewers can log on the internet and pick what SHITTY FOOTBALLgames they want to see. (I hate football and wish it would die. Forever). So that's what we're left with. No MNTV. Just football and crappy reruns. I am LIVID!!!

[Ryan]

Ummm actually, I wasn't referring to you directly. I never said that any station that doesn't change over to CW will become MyNetwork TV.

[Danni]

The US has telenovelas. They're just on the Spanish channels like Telemundo and Univision.

[Matt]

Yeah. These are our first English language telenovelas. The traditional US market hasn't really required telenovelas because of our wealth of traditional never-ending soap operas. The current English telenovela craze is only coming about because it seems so...well... novel.

[dc11786]

I know that some of the affiliates were working around their contractual agreements to get the MyNetworkTV programming on the air. I'm guessing that some weren't able to do that since Rick says that his affiliate isn't launching until September 21st.

About the numbers, the official word from MyNetworkTV executives mid-summer was they had no expected numbers. Earlier in the summer, Roger Ailes, chairman of FOX, stated he expected the new network to pull in a 1.8 in its first year in the 18-49 demo. I think that its premier episodes were 0.8, so they'd have to pull up a ways to meet the goal, but thats not a completely unrealistic goal in my opinion.

Ultimately, this is part of the reason the network has a poor start. I saw a lot of previews this summer. On FOX, on FX, on the 20th Century FOX movie channel stating to look for it on your local schedule. That's hard. It's just like syndicated programming.

But when said favorite show isn't there because of its a repeat or been postponed, MyNetworkTV will be there. I think that the shows will develop a certain following because of the format. They'll always be on, you can easily pick up the story because you'll know who the characters are. Its will, for a brief time, become a familiar fixture that you can catch when your favorite show isn't on.

I think it's a very different programming strategy that probably won't really catch on until there is no competition.

There are also Latin American countries where telenovelas are the highest rated shows in the country. Telemundo lost almost its entire audience when it switched from telenovelas to Spanish language adaptations of American shows in the late 1990s. I think to compare it culturally is going to be hard. "Desire" was based on a top rated show in Columbia where "Fashion House" was based on a poorly received soap in Cuba and the ratings are pretty much the same, FH was even higher at one point. I think time will tell how the telenovelas fair.

USA Network is developing telenovelas that will air three times a week. Lifetime is airing one that will air once a week. CBS was considering ones that would air twice a week.

I don't think Wikipedia lied. A lot of areas have the coverage, but they are for some reason part of cable packages. So it is available in regions, but people don't seem to get it if it isn't a part of the package. I've read lots of articles stating that the network is available in 94-96% of the United States.

There are six more set for this year. "Art of Betrayal" about a woman (Tatum O'Neal, originally Sean Young) whose looking for revenge against her ex-husband (Gordon Thompson) by having their sons marry his stepdaughters, stealing their fortunes, and framing him for murder. "Watch Over Me" about a love triangle between a man with shady connections (Marc Menard), his psychology student fiancee (Dayanara Torres) and their bodyguard. "A Dangerous Love" is about a woman (Julissa Miro) in love with the man (Scott Bailey) who killed her brother. Maria Conchita Alonso plays the girl's mother. "Rule of Deception" has a man (Dylan Bruce) in love with two best friends (Annalynne McCord and Rachelle Woods). The summer novelas haven't been cast but one is called "To Live and Die" about an heiress falling in love with a pilot after a plane crash. "Friends and Enemies" is about a woman who pretends to be a psychiatrist a falls in love with her patient.

One simple reason. Costs. Renewing contracts and continuing to get 13 weeks out in 11 weeks wouldn't go well on anyone. I did read one recent article that stated that the network would be asking back actors that become popular to play different roles in new novelas. I also think that this is a matter of format. How many networks have kept shows past their prime?

I get Boston area affiliates, and the WB beame the CW and the UPN is becoming an independent station. I still get MyNetworkTV on a local cable station that converted to MyNetworkTV. Check out on line for affiliates. You might actually have one, but you also might not.

Actually, this isn't really the first attempt. It's the first major attempt. In the mid-1990s, some branch of FOX produced three telenovelas for some of their affiliates. I believe the first was "The Guilt" with George Hamilton playing a murder victim. The show's were dubbed in Spanish and sold overseas. I believe FX tried one called "Crystal Empire" but the only information I was able to find on it was a cast list from IMDB and a brief posting on an old message board about "SB" alum Henry Darrows appearing in the new series.

Paul Bucceri, the defacto head of MyNetworkTV, noticed how his mother-in-law would sit in front of the television from 7 to 10 and watch her stories every night of the week. He looked into it for FOX and thats how the syndicated series "Desire" came about. Then the WB-UPN merger came about and local stations were buying the series up for prime night time viewing slots so they converted the show into a network. Univision success last summer with "La Madrasta" and the Nielsen Co. starting to tabulate the ratings for Univision and Telemundo has helped bring telenovelas to the attention of US programming executives.

[JER Soaps Fan]

dc, not likely for me. I have satellite, not cable. So, no My Nework TV for me. I know for a fact that no local affiliate carries it, either.

[Greenlee Smythe]

In my state there are a lot of small towns that have My Network TV programming on one of their digital subchannels of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. These same local stations are also adding The CW to their digital subchannel as well.

It's additional revenue for local stations who have these digital subchannels who needs programming for these channels.

So what you could do is call or e-mail one of your local major broadcast affiliates who have a digital subchannel and ask them will they add My Network TV to one of their digital subchannel.

Also, check with your lcoal Fox affiliate since My Network TV and Fox are both from News Corp. and see if they will add My Network TV as either a digital subchannel or a secondary affiliate.

Be sure to ask to speak to the General Manager of these local TV stations. You can send them e-mail or you can call them.

[Chris B]

You honestly believe MyNetworkTV is being to put a dent in the ratings for NBC, CBS, FOX, hell a fricking cable network during the summer? Primetime shows have gone on summer hiatus' forever.

The flashbacks may be integral, but as long and as many as there are, it makes it difficult to even want to watch all 5 episodes. The Saturday recap show looks like the only thing you'd need.

If it's a hit, they'll stay. Bo Derek seems like a big name because she's known for the film 10, but beyond that she hasn't done much. Fairchild is a soap actress so she'd be likely to stay with a soap. And O'Neal, Catherine Oxenberg and Casper Van Dein have been desperate for hits for YEARS. Sure some people will leave, but overall I don't think it would be a big problem.

This is why I think there should be less, instead of more. From what I can tell, all these novellas seems the same. After a while it's not going to be interesting or exciting. Maybe if they created their own stories instead of remaking it would be a different story.

These are smart people! I imagine the stories will be more original as well.

[dc11786]

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You honestly believe MyNetworkTV is being to put a dent in the ratings for NBC, CBS, FOX, hell a fricking cable network during the summer? Primetime shows have gone on summer hiatus' forever.

In Los Angeles last summer, Univision was the most watched network for several weeks due to the success of the telenovela "La Madrasta". This is what really got NBC, CBS and FOX into looking into the novelas. I think that MyNetworkTV could be a surprise summer hit.

The filming schedules are rough to keep costs down. No one would want to do that for much more than they are currently in for.

That's like saying that all soap operas are the same. I think you do have a valid point though. Telenovelas are formulaic, much like daytime soap operas. Remakes as a cheap way to launch a network seems like a sound business model for a formula that hasn't been tested nationally before in English.

They aren't adaptations, but will they capture the formula? I think that if "Bianca: Journey to Paradise" does well, Lifetime will keep it as a weekly soap opera rather than a novela. USA is airing them late at night so I don't know how those will perform.

[bellcurve]

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You honestly believe MyNetworkTV is being to put a dent in the ratings for NBC, CBS, FOX, hell a fricking cable network during the summer? Primetime shows have gone on summer hiatus' forever.

How the heck do you explain the popularity of AMERICAN IDOL, SURVIVOR, WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?, and(to a certain degree) BIG BROTHER? All of these shows premiered over the summer, with GREAT results. Since then, MILLIONAIRE has crashed and burned but has found modest success in syndication. SURVIVOR is still a CBS staple that has spawned an entire genre of adventure/action reality shows(including the critically acclaimed AMAZING RACE). And we all know that AMERICAN IDOL is practically a household name.

I don't expect a #1 household rating for these serials over the summer, but I think their modest success will be something that can't be ignored.

I think the networks won't want to do a telenovela this summer, because they've seen the MyNetworkTV model "fail." And that is where the network will creep up and grab their viewers.

To some people, yes, but it depends on how hardcore you are about it.

Well, they've gotta keep the costs down somehow. I think MyNetworkTV will be smart enough to pick novellas that aren't the same and don't have a predictable ending all the time.

USA should have been smart about five or six years ago and finished developing THE AVENUE, the daily soap they were planning on putting in production around 2000.

[Chris B]

Of course I know there are successful summer series, just look at 90210 and The O.C., but this is different. Not only do the novellas not air in 100% of the country, but there aren't any hits to even have people at the network to build an audience right away. If they had some alternative programming like a hit reality show, it could get people to see the novellas. Like Univision, this is not a novella network. It is a popular network with music, news, etc. There are shows to lead into their novellas and get the viewers in.

I don't see the ratings getting any better than a UPN rerun, but if you look at it like a cable show, that would be good ratings.

[alterlisa]

I like the idea of a nite time soap with recaps on Sat if you miss a nite. However, the overly long intro and constant flashbacks make me feel ripped off. I invest an hour(although I do tape the episodes so can fast forward) but feel I am getting only 10 to 15 minutes of new story line. Also, not real inpressed with the acting so far. Going to have to pick up the pace or the viewers will quickly tune elsewhere.

[PJA]

Yes the flashbacks are too much especially on Fashion House. And they were terrible on Monday. I know in one scene there were like five flashbacks. If they are going to do a recap episode then they don't need to be so heavy on the flashbacks.

[Bree]

These upcoming telenovas sound like cheesy romance novels. I'd like to see a mystery one, where a murder is investigated and solved in the course of 13 weeks. I know they want to focus on romance and backstabbing, but that alone will not hold viewers' interest.