SOD: Interview With Barbara Bloom (CBS Daytime Vice Prez)

[AntiNWO]

SOD: Eye On The Prize: Part II By Jennifer Lenhart

We had so much left over from our interview (from the 8/30 issue) with CBS's Barbara Bloom, senior vice president, Daytime, that it's enough for a whole other article. Here's what we couldn't fit, from her favorite storylines to GL's budget cuts.

By Jennifer Lenhart

Soap Opera Digest: What did you learn from your head-writing experience at PORT CHARLES?

Barbara Bloom: I learned it's really hard to write a breakdown [laughs].... When we got into doing the really specific supernatural [arcs], beginning and ending in 13 weeks, what was compelling about that was that you really had to launch a story and define a universe in six weeks.

Digest: What are your favorite current storylines on each show?

Bloom: I can't talk about that. That's like asking me which one of my kids I like better.

Digest:You can choose one from each show. Do you ever have to stop yourself from playing favorites, like praising GL too much?

Bloom: Yeah, but I always feel bad for GL because they don't get the attention. They are like the middle child. I think they are so great. On YOUNG AND RESTLESS, I think the Cassie/Daniel story has been great. I really love the way in which they brought conflict out of both families. And bringing in Roscoe Born [as Tom], which will evolve into this larger storyline with the return of Sheila. This is going to be exciting. The stuff on BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL, finding out about Stephanie, that she faked a heart attack — Susan Flannery is so extraordinary. The fallout of that and what is going to happen with Nick and Bridget is really wonderful. [AS THE WORLD TURNS's baby switch] story just keeps going and folding and switching and you think you know what the story is, but it will dovetail into another story. I really think they have done an amazing job this summer using some of their core characters to revisit and introduce these newer characters and I really think Jen Landon [Gwen] and Jesse Soffer [Will] are doing great jobs.

Digest: It's got a lot better. There was a little bit of a lull in the early part of the year for ATWT, but it's really bounced back.

Bloom: We had a little bit of lull and Hogan [sheffer, former head writer] wanted to take a little rest.

Digest: And he's back now.

Bloom: He started back yesterday as a writer on the team. He's very thrilled to be doing it. It's what he really needed, and we really love his voice and having his voice on the show. But it's a stinkin' hard job.

Digest: It is a big responsibility. It's almost 50 years of history, all of which is very important to the fans.

Bloom: The conundrum when you have shows that are as old as these shows is that you do have a fan base that wants nothing to change. On the other hand, you have an evolution happening of a form. If nothing changes, nobody watches because they just think it's there. It's like the comfortable old sweater you keep in the closet and you'll take it out and wear it someday. The characters have to evolve and grow. They have made a huge effort on that show to play [multi-generational] stories.

Digest: What was your reaction to the media coverage of the GL budget cuts?

Bloom: It's a very difficult time for the show. What was upsetting was that contracts, relationships and people's livelihoods, I don't take lightly and P&G doesn't take lightly. And there were a lot of things that none of us were able to talk about because it really impacts people's day-to-day life. Honestly, what you are trying to do is protect the situation as best as possible. Change is hard. We have to evolve the form to protect its longevity. Any change that is happening right now for the shows, people assume it's bad. It's not intended to be punitive. The reality is that when you look on the business line, which is a huge part of television, the business model is not delivering. You can't pay for a business model that's not delivering on what it used to. You have to re-evolve the business model and re-evolve your expectations so that they match. That's the way you preserve a legacy and move forward. Ellen [Wheeler, GL executive producer] is working tirelessly. I spent all day with her today and I'm going to see her again tomorrow to come up with ideas, suggestions, improvements, because we all want to move forward.... I cannot tell you the number of people who have stepped up to the plate: actors, directors, writers, who have said, "I'll take less. I get it. I have built a life here. I am happy to work for you." The other thing was that Digest had a chat right after it happened, and there was an outpouring from the fans saying, "Do what you need to do to keep the show on the air." What was interesting is that they were like, "I got downsized last week," or "I'm working two jobs." "It's hard for everyone, but we shouldn't lose the show over this. We should all work together." That just blew me away. And that is what this is about. This is not about taking away, it is about preservation.

Digest: Does the 10 a.m. time slot for GL in some parts of the country have anything to do with it?

Bloom: When I first got here, people said, "It's the market, it's the market." Then I actually heard it does very well in some markets at 10 in the morning; that it actually does better. The biggest problem I have about the morning period is that if there is a pre-emption, it always hits GL. And pre-emptions hurt us.

Digest: Is there anything you can do about that, like complain to the news division?

Bloom: We have internal conversations, but the reality is that there is breaking news to get out.

Digest: Are there any plans to show the CBS line-up on a SOAPnet-style channel?

Bloom: I would love to find a way to repurpose some of the shows. I think everybody would. I don't know how long the concept of this amount of television as disposable is beneficial to the form. But where you put it so you don't bastardize your audience, how you don't interfere with your affiliates, how you do it to the best of possible worlds…. Those are challenging questions you have to look at.

Digest: Is the rest of CBS supportive of daytime?

Bloom: Daytime is not front and center at any network. I don't think we deal with issues that are much different from any of the other networks. We get our support primarily at what you would call, if you were a phone company, "off-peak hours." We get six or seven weeks of support in the summer, where we really push and get prime-time [ads]. We get it when they are out of the season. They have been pretty supportive of me. The challenge is that in prime-time, there is always a movie or a particular episode that is on fire this week. I'm on fire 52 weeks a year. You constantly have to fight a little bit of complacency within the medium and without. Everyone assumes since it's been around forever that we will be around forever and I wish I could say that that is a reality, but I don't know that to be true.

[whyamcwhy]

Very interesting article. Thanks for posting it!! I like her a lot better than I do Frons. He always manages to stick his foot in his mouth with his interviews. And he is not above pimping his favorite characters, couples, and GH (his favorite show). She sounds like she actually cares about her audience and daytime. I don't know a whole lot about her so I could be wrong but I liked what she said in this article.

[juppiter]

I think she's smarter than Frons in that she keeps a low profile, but she's made some pretty dumb decisions. CBS soap advertising was better under Lucy Johnson, and we used to get classic episodes during the holidays under Lucy Johnson too. I dunno. She's not a horrible exec like Frons but she's not great either.