You do realize ATWT and GL's contracts are up next year and PGP is evidently not big on renewing them.

That being said, what UP with Elle?:

"ow, a real New Jersey town - Wheeler declined to name which one - will double as Springfield for exterior scenes."

Um, girl, this isn't like the identity of John Black's killer in the hit-and-run on "Days." There is NO good reason for you to "decline to name" which city will be used for the exterior shots. I mean, GET REAL. SPILL THE BEANS ALREADY!!!

I'm guessing because they don't want the dozen or so GL fans that are left to check out where they're filming.

I'm interested in seeing how GL and ATWT will look 6 months from now, but if it's anything like those on-location shoots where they had characters in a freakin' bathroom at their studio, I'll pass.

You do realize ATWT and GL's contracts are up next year and PGP is evidently not big on renewing them.

I realize that, but my point is this. If they weren't REALLY big on helping them, why would they do anything at all. Honestly, if this were the case, wouldn't they kill off Reva on GL, Lily and Holden on ATWT and then give them both just one set if they REALLY wanted to get the show canceled? I mean, I don't see how changes are a bad thing. Doing nothing, IMO, is a bad sign. This sounds VERY promising to soaps.

The show right now has all the depth of an episode of Sesame Street.

Perfectly said, Dan. I love GL, and I watch mostly out of habit these days. But this is exactly how I feel. There are no long-term impacts with SLs on this show anymore.

I WISH the show would go out with dignity. Screw the budget, get good writers and then give the show six months, but I know it isn't going to happen.

This is a fantastic idea. It would be wonderful if TPTB thought this way as well.

Fox news, which I normally LOVE, has no F'in' idea what they're talkin' about. PGP is not trying to kill the soaps. That makes no sense. If it were, it'd let them putter along as they have. I think these concerted efforts to CHANGE the look and production (and budget) of the show are good signs.

PGP is saving face by saying they are making cosmetic changes, but in theory, slashing the cost of the show because GL and ATWT budget for 2008 has drastically shrunk. GL hasn't be able to hold decent, "almost middle-of-the-pack" numbers since Johnathan and Tammy were still on.

This sounds VERY promising to soaps.

How many times have we heard that speech? We heard it when LOVING was transformed into THE CITY. We heard it with SUNSET BEACH and the MyNetworkTV shows and regardless of why they failed...they ALL failed.

As much as I would like to see a more-experimental soap, the genre simply cannot afford to do anything technologically awkward to its audience without the risk of alienating them even more.

I don't get what's so hard about writing good stories. When will someone do an experiment where the writing on soaps is good? Because no one is acknowledging how piss poor the writing is for these shows and has been for quite sometime.

i hope this means main street is gone! and maybe the bauer bbq will actually be a bbq!

http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/The...lson.htm?isfa=1

Guiding Light (CH/CBS) — Budget cuts force soap out of the studio

Executive producer Ellen Wheeler is turning lemons into a lemonade martini once again. CBS has ordered GL and ATWT to cut costs yet again by modernizing and streamlining production (it costs approximately one million dollars a week to produce soaps). According to TV Week, the soaps will ditch their traditional sets in favour of an expansive series of three-wall sets, with all exterior scenes being shot on permanent sets in a small town in New Jersey. Expect the new look to debut next year in January. Wheeler previewed her look to the New York Post, saying, “it’s not going to look anything like what it looks like now.”

The top honcho also assured fans that GL isn’t in danger of being cancelled. “I want to efficiently and effectively deliver Springfield to my audience,” she deadpanned. CBS vice president Barbara Bloom notes, “We all agree now is the time to really challenge the form. How we can do it different, better, faster, and more impactfully?” Just don’t forget about the writing, folks — it’s all starts on the page.

I wonder what this will look like, and how it will affect the shows. The reporter is right though, they need to remember the writing....

Why do they ALWAYS forget the writing?

It's as if they themselves believe that the writing (or soaps in general) are so bad that they can only be saved by visual improvements....

http://entertainment1.sympatico.msn.ca/The...lson.htm?isfa=1

Wheeler previewed her look to the New York Post, saying, “it’s not going to look anything like what it looks like now.”

That scares the crap out of me.

Having all your characters live out of one hotel room is one thing. Completely different story when you're pretty much balls to the wall against nature, trying to figure out when the best day will be to shoot a certain episode outside.

I just hope we don't see lots of "telenovela"-like mistakes...with Cassie wearing a jacket one minute and the next she's not.

And I'd be way more excited if they were making these shows look filmed. I don't think they are even attempting to do that, which is silly IMO. It will make that handheld stuff look 100X better!

Wheeler previewed her look to the New York Post, saying, “it’s not going to look anything like what it looks like now.”

That could be a good thing or a bad thing - and I totally agree with you bellcurve, it scares me too. To me, ATWT looks MUCH better than GL does nowadays, it is nowhere near as cheesy. I definitely don't want ATWT to sink down to GL's level and build cheap sets and film scenes in bathrooms and hotels. The whole thing just depresses me.

What about a creative overhaul for both shows including the long-awaited dismissal of Passanante, Laiman, Goutman, Wheeler and Kreizman? That is the only way to "save" both shows. And a little K**a B**f would not hurt at all. Imagine Curlee and B**f HW together?

When will PGP decide GL & ATWT's fate? Winter 2008? Spring 2008?

Just stop.