CAN US SOAPS DO LIKE UK THE UK SOAPOPERAS?

[Andrew]

I`m in a rather hurry, but i try to post this. Many complain about people not getting enough airtime, and that`s something i have always thought of, look at Lindsay Harper (Theresa, Passions, when did she have a vacation lately, the same goes for Alexa Havins (Babe, All my children and Steve Burton (Jason, General hospital, to name a few. They are always on when you watch, and some other really great actors and actresses are never really featured.

Now if American soapoperas could do like the english ones, in Coronation Street OR Ememrdale, everyones and awhile the actors go on vacation, take the younger generation of Emmerdale for an Example, they where heavily featured in April, with Jack Sugden being shot and Diane getting hysterical, Andy, Robert, Katie, where some of the ones who where heavily featured, but then after they had appeared a lot, what happened in May, they where not on, the actors had vacation and let some other actors and actresses who where on there vacation in April have airtime in May, this is something us soapoperas should take after, this would meen, for Theresa for an example, she is on every day in January for an example, then she goes on vacation and stays away the entire next month and leaves way for other actors and actresses, and the same for the other soapoperas, everyone of you guys understand what i mean?...........

[Manny]

I don't like this idea either... because I don't want someone being on EVERY day one month, then off of my screen for the next... The simple solution is BALANCE! Rotate all the actors through a week... it's not THAT hard to do...

Actor being off the show for a month would severely hurt the pacing of the story... the story would have to stop for a month while an actor is vacationing... maybe in UK their storylines could end in a month (like they do in Croatia), but we know that US soaps take their time with stories (which I like more, unless they stretch it for really long time.. lol)

[All My Shadows]

I agree with Manny. If TPTB aren't talented enough to handle a full cast of 25-35 people all at once, they need to find a job somewhere else. None of this month-on/month-off nonsense and definitely none of what we already have, the same people hogging airtime every single day. Balance. Balance, balance, balance! BALANCE!!!!!!!!!!

[Ben]

Firstly I've gotta point out that the actors don't just go on vacation. With your example of Emmerdale, this break in actors were simply storyline dictated. After Jack was shot, the storyline had come to it's natural conclusion, so to speak. It's basically been backburnered for a month or so.

I don't know of any soap that works on the principle of having characters appear on and off every other month. It just wouldn't work. It's normally always story dictated, unless the actors personal lives contradict this.

Balance is one of the most important things, yet seems to be a difficult thing for TPTB to accomplish. The Australian soaps have it right. Each actor has it in their contracts that they must appear in at least 2 episodes a week. Some are allowed 3 and any more is storyline dictated. It works, 'cause every character has a storyline, or is involved in one. No one disappears for months, unless it's the actor's scheduled break. It works, and that's what both UK and US soaps could do with taking note of.

[Andrew]

Well everyone should get backburned. I Have read people being mad last year when Deidre and Drake disapeard for months, for me it sounds like heaven, months without two of the worst actors on soaps, but then again, they have false comments to each other of how much they love eachother, that makes you want to puke.