All:What is the appeal of the ABC,CBS,and NBC soaps

[danthig]

I want for as many posters on this topic as possible to know what their opinion is on the appeal of the ABC,NBC,and CBS soaps on their respective network and that includes soaps no longer on the air.This topic is not designed to say which is soap is better than the other to not cause trouble.In other words,like which kind of audience is appealing to an ABC soap and why you think and so forth.I want the forum posters to put fire into this thread.

[psychofan]

Well, I look for the same things in any soap that I watch. To really truely have me addicted a soap must have a psycho and a rootable !@#$%^&*] (Sami, Carly, etc). Those two things really bring me in to soaps.

But I expect different things from the networks. I expect more realistic stories from CBS. It don't neccesarily want them and I'm not disapointed when the aren't realistic, but they pretty much have the most realistic stories in daytime.

On ABC I expect !@#$%^&*] fights. We see these in every soap, but the ABC women really know how to bring it on.

On NBC (right now) I expect over the top music DAYS and PSSNS both have music that hightens the drama in certain situations and I really like it.

[juniorz1]

Ok. Here goes. Bear in mind, this is just what comes to my head immediately when this topic comes up.

CBS- The Consistent Network

Love CBS or hate em, they have been the most consistent network overall throughout their run. They produce quality drama year in & year out, and generally (though it's probably not the current case), if 1 CBS show is slumping, you can count on the rest of the lineup being solid enough to make up for it. Turn on CBS and you'll see countless actors who have been playing the same role on their respective show anywhere from 10-50 years. People watch CBS and will continue to watch CBS because they know Brooke, Ridge, Stephanie, Eric, Thorne, Lucinda, Kim, Bob, Lily, Holden, Jack, Carly, Reva, Josh, Harley, Beth, Rick, Blake, Victor, Nikki, Jack, Jill, and Katherine and care about what happens to them. Not to be taken lightly. If it's stability you're looking for in a soap (and who isn't these days), CBS is the place to be.

ABC- The "Hip" Network

ABC for some reason has always seemed like the trendy network to me, which is why its lineup as a whole has never appealed to me. Yes, I've watched their shows over the years and even enjoyed some of them (cough OLTL, AMC, LOV), but never in 25 years of soap viewership have I ever been able to call myself an ABCD viewer. Can't say the same for many soap fans (both closeted & out) that I know however. ABC always seems to be the hip, trendy network to watch, whether it be the Action & Adventure of the 80s, the emotional, thoughtful, and most importantly, topical turn of the 90s or the current fast & slick thing they got goin on over there in the new millennium. Love em or hate em, I can't deny that's it's so socially acceptable that it's almost "cool" to call yourself an ABC Daytime fan.

NBC- The Risk-Taking Network

NBC is always up for trying something new, even if it's doomed for failure. This is a trend that began in the 60s, with The Doctors, and re-invigorated in the 80s, ironically, with the cancellation of The Doctors and Texas. They decided to go in a new direction and picked up long-time CBS soap Search For Tomorrow, in the first of many bold moves. Next came Santa Barbara, the socially irreverent offbeat masterpiece created by Bridget & Jerome Dobson. SB was bold and brash in a time when NBC desperately needed something to get a buzz going. Next up came Generations premiere in 1989, with the first predominantly black cast in the history of soaps. Though the experiment didn't go as well as NBC had hoped (the series lasted 2 1/2 years), they still took the risk. Again, after dwindling down to 2 soaps, NBC went for it with a new soap from Aaron Spelling called Sunset Beach, not to mention the insanity of the 90s with the outrageous James E Reilly stories airing on DAYS. Bringing us to the millennium, with a new, supernatural-based soap called Passions from the highly regarded Reilly. Though they tended to not pay off in the long-run, NBC Daytime was always up for taking risks. Those days, however, are over.

[billyjill]

I think I more or less agree with juniorz. I think CBS is the consistent, considerable quality network, they're the Tiffany network after all. ABC I think tries for a mass/popular appeal, aiming for a something-for-everyone smorgasbord type approach. I think it is trendy but in a smarter way than NBC currently is. Right now NBC is very youth-oriented and is IMO at this point in time a stupider kind of trendy, in that its focuses don't really accomplish what TPTB think they'll accomplish. (Not a big fan of current NBC, can you tell?)

[PhoenixRising05]

CBS-Traditional, what you see is what you get, realistic and grounded.

ABC- Innovative, young, modern but also still grounded in reality for the most part.

NBC-Risk takers, off the wall, shock and awe, mix of traditional and the outrageous, willing to go where no one else would.

[juniorz1]

I guess you didn't get your wish!