The Fate of ATWT, With Input From Ellen Dolan & Michael Park

[stenbeck212]

Here is a quote from Laura of the Beth Chamberlain fan club:

[Ryan]

Thanks for bringing this over Stenbeck. I really hope ED or MP don't get in trouble for their statements. It's nice to see the actors echoing the statements of the viewers.

[whyamcwhy]

WOW! It is really scary to think about how close these shows are to be canceled and gone forever. Hasn't GL been on the air for 70 some years?!? A part of me thinks that the industry has just given up on the genre and is ready to see it die. With the possibility of Days being canceled and now GL and ATWT, I wouldn't be surprised if ABC cut out at least one soap too. Yikes.

[Chris B]

It is very shocking that PGP apparently isn't interested in helping their soaps when they do promotions line Inturn, the PGP Soap Channel and Daytime Dollars a while back. I also find it strange that CBS hasn't done anything either. ATWT was very competitive in the ratings up until late last year. How can they justify letting the ratings get so low? Even if they love Goutman/Passanante, you must know something is wrong.

You don't go from beating GH to regular record lows and do nothing.

[Soapsuds]

Gotta love Michael and Ellen. One saying the writers and Goutman sucks. The other saying Goutman is a jackass.

I hope CBS buys ATWT from P&G. If not it looks like maybe DirectTV for ATWT too? If not it looks like ATWT is gone in late 2008. It will be a sad day if that happens.

[WorldTurner]

I applaud them for speaking out and I also hope they don't get in trouble for this. I noticed she said she had Ellen's permission to state this but didn't say anything about Michael giving her permission to repeat what he said.

Things are a mess and I can only imagine how frustrating it is for them. I would really hate to lose the show too but if there isn't a change in the writing soon, then I have to think PGP is just trying to kill it.

[stenbeck212]

I think those parts are more like paraphrasing or the author's embellishment.

[Soapsuds]

They are unhappy. And I am glad they spoke out. I wish Terri would have done the same thing instead of bashing the ATWT fans. It's obvious the actors aren't happy with the lack of storyline or material they are getting.

Goutman and Pissanante should have gotten their pink slip long time ago. The whole show needs an overhaul.

[stenbeck212]

The SAVE ATWT Campaign

No, cancellation isn't imminent just yet, but news of the actors' statements in this thread has already prompted people at the P&G Board to initiate a letter writing campaign to initiate changes that will ensure Oakdale's future. The fans don't want to wait and see the World stop turning this time next year. So if we're going to get rid of the Goutman/Passanante regime, let's get going! So far, the plan is to tactfully express dissent to TPTB and include Douglas Marland's philosophy in the statement, beginning with a snail mail blast on Halloween. Here's how you can help. Write to:

Barbara Bloom

Senior Vice-President, Daytime Programs

CBS Television

7800 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Richard Mensing

CBS Daytime NY

51 W 52nd St., Suite #586

New York, NY 10019

Procter & Gamble Productions

World Wide Plaza

825 8th Avenue

New York, NY 10019

How Not To Wreck A Show

By Douglas Marland

*Watch the show.

*Learn the history of the show. You would be surprised at the ideas

you can get from the back story of your characters.

*Read the fan mail. The very characters that are not thrilling to you

may be the audience's favorites.

*Talk to everyone; writers and actors especially. There may be

something in a character's history that will work beautifully for

you, and who would know better than the actor who has been playing

the role?

*Don't CHANGE a core character. You can certainly give them edges

they didn't have before, or give them a logical reason to change

their behavior. But when the audience says, "He would never do that,"

then you have failed.

*Build new characters slowly. Everyone knows that it takes six

months to a year for an audience to care about a new character. Tie

them into existing characters. Don'e shove them down the viewers'

throats.

*If you feel staff changes are in order, look within the organization

first. P&G (Procter & Gamble) does a lot of promoting from within.

Almost all of our producers worked their way up from staff positions,

and that means they know the show.

*Don't fire anyone for six months. I feel very deeply that you should

look at the show's canvas before you do anything.

*Good soap opera is good storytelling. It's very simple.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

If ATWT goes, then GL goes as well. I don't think CBS has any plans to fill those two hours, should those two soaps die in Sept 2008.

ATWT and GL are both renewed on a yearly basis, so that's nothing new.

Oh and CBS owning its soaps have never been a good idea. LOL! I believe they bought The Brighter Day from P&G in the 50's, and under their ownership, the show didn't last long

[stenbeck212]

What's new is that a legendary soap like DOOL can get a 1.7 rating, which puts the P&G shows next on the chopping block. I don't think the network's decisions 50 years ago should stop a rescue attempt in the present.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Seriously, do you think CBS is interested in saving or buying the two PGP soaps? CBS has never been interested in directly owning their soaps, and soaps are always the forgotten stepchildren of the networks. If they aren't pushing for changes at ATWT and GL right now, I doubt they will even consider buying those shows outright.

[stenbeck212]

^What does using a 50 year old business decision to form a modern opinion have to do with whether I believe CBS will buy the shows? I want whatever works to be done. If they bought them or simply pushed for new management, who cares? It seems like you've already mourned and moved on!

[Soapsuds]

ATWT's ratings have been in the toilet for a while. Nothing has been done to relieve the problem. Jean is still writing this [!@#$%^&*] and Chris is still producing this [!@#$%^&*]. I thought today's directing by Michael Eilbaum was pure [!@#$%^&*]. It was awful! There were so many holes in that remote shoot. The remote shoots are getting more pathetic the more Chris the hack Goutman has on the show.

Why is it taking so long for some BIG changes to happen? Fans are outraged.......Actors are unhappy.....What is the hold up????

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Because I have no faith in CBS, ABC, and NBC when it comes to daytime programming. Barbara Bloom, Annamarie Kostura, and Brian Frons have all said the soaps are costing the networks more and more money each year to produce. Most productions are shifting to locales in Canada, where productions costs are a lot less. However, all eight network soaps are still produced on either New York or Los Angles, where costs continue to skyrocket. Soaps have been a dying breed to all the networks for at least 15 years now, I don't see them avoiding canceling them anytime soon, unless they have something to gain from them (e.g. NBC owned part of Passions and pushed for it to go to DirectTV).

It's nice to be optimistic, but Barbara Bloom and her cronies at CBS have been less than reassuring when it comes to soaps these past few years. Why are Latham, Goutman, Passanante, Wheeler, and Kreizman still employed, despite record low ratings and wise spread fan protest? Has CBS actually thrown us a bone to show that they indeed care? I'm just trying to be realistic.