All: Article about the state of soaps

[dragonflies]

https://register.medianewsgroup.com/reg/log...?nclick_check=1

Death knell for soaps?

Viewership is down, and strike isn't helping

By Chuck Barney

STAFF WRITER

Article Launched: 11/28/2007 03:02:28 AM PST

When Pam Powers began listening to radio soap operas with her grandmother in the late 1940s, she considered them to be "an island of emotional refuge." And over the ensuing decades, the Benicia resident dedicated much of her life to the genre, logging time as a writer for "Soap Opera Digest" and penning columns about the TV shows for local newspapers. At the height of the love affair, she had personal contact with many of the actors and was tracking up to 15 daytime serials.

But earlier this year, for various reasons, Powers began to kick the habit. And one day, in the rush to get somewhere, she decided she really didn't need to set the VCR, after all. And that's how she became an ex-soap opera addict.

"There's a tug every now and then," Powers admits. "Like when I see ('All My Children's') Cameron Mathison on 'Dancing With the Stars,' or if I'm channel-surfing and come across SoapNet, I'll stop for a minute. But, really, I don't need it anymore."

Clearly, she's not the only one who feels that way. Ratings for soap operas have been in decline for years as some longtime shows have met their demise while others barely cling to life. That's why many who follow the genre are concerned about the possible ramifications of a drawn-out writers strike in Hollywood. They fear that an extensive stretch of repeats or pre-emptions -- such as the one that happened during the O.J. Simpson trial -- could cause the soap bubble to burst.

"It will possibly be the death knell if the shows go off the air," says Michael Logan, who covers the soap world for "TV Guide." "But everyone seems intent on not letting that happen."

Unlike fans of prime-time shows, soap devotees are accustomed to getting their fix on a daily, repeat-free basis all year long. And producers of the shows have already issued assurances that they've got a stockpile of episodes that will last through January.

Even if the strike does go long -- talks between producers and writers were scheduled to continue today -- some believe the soap episodes will keep flowing some way or another. During a five-month writers walkout in 1988, nonunion scribes were enlisted to keep the soaps going. There also were reports of Writers Guild of America members penning scripts on their own and getting their work into the producers' hands without physically crossing the picket line, according to Daily Variety.

"You'd hear stories about scripts being dropped off behind a trash can or in an alley," one soap veteran told the industry publication.

But strike or no strike, it's clear that these are dicey times for the soaps. The genre kingpin, CBS' "The Young and the Restless," averages only 4.6 million viewers -- a figure that likely would have gotten it canceled a dozen or so years ago. Meanwhile, the days could be numbered for "Days of Our Lives" (2.4 million), which is struggling for survival on NBC. Network officials have already gone on record saying that it might not make it past 2009, when its license agreement expires. It's the lone daytime soap still on the network's schedule.

"Maybe it will be like the Western," Powers says. "Maybe they eventually dry up and just disappear."

That scenario, however, is difficult for others to imagine.

"There's no question there has been audience erosion, but to some extent, the problem has been over-hyped," says Logan, who points out that network television has experienced an across-the-board decline in ratings. "It's too easy to say the genre is over and dead. But it's way too soon to call the coroner."

Kathy Carano agrees. She has operated http://www.pinevalleybulletin.com, a fan site dedicated to ABC's "All My Children," since 1988, and though she admits she has seen a slight decline in traffic in recent years, fan fervor has not waned.

"We've been hearing these doomsday scenarios for years, and there is probably some reason for concern," she says. "But soaps have been around before TV even began, and they'll continue to be around. There are only so many talk shows and game shows you can watch."

For evidence of the undying passion, Carano looks to Super Soap Weekend, an annual event in Orlando, Fla., where fans flock to meet their favorite stars of ABC daytime shows.

"It's more popular than ever," she says. "I stopped going because the crowds were getting too big. It's crazy."

But while the genre may still have life to it, there's no denying that these are trying times for soaps. Budgets have been hacked and many actors have been relegated to "recurring" status, a designation that allows networks to pay significantly lower salaries. It also appears to be a time of lowered expectations. For example, when NBC decided to drop "Passions" this fall, the show wound up on DirecTV, a satellite service that doesn't have nearly the reach of a broadcast network.

Still, Logan sees signs of hope. In the case of "Passions," he's encouraged that the show was saved rather than killed. He also sees the emergence of the cable channel SoapNet as a positive development.

"You're seeing avenues opening up where soaps can go if the networks lose their faith in them," he says. "And there could be a lucrative future on the Internet, too, because these shows are much cheaper to produce."

How did soaps get into this predicament in the first place? Logan points to the obvious: The genre's primary audience -- women -- isn't sequestered at home during the daytime hours as much as it used to be. There was a mass exodus of fans during the O.J. trial who never came back.

But Logan also credits -- or blames -- the soapy nature of many prime-time serials.

"Viewers can get their fix in other places," he says. "Just look at shows like 'Ugly Betty' and 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Desperate Housewives.' Those are as close to soaps as you can be without calling them soaps."

Others also blame creative stagnation. Livermore resident Kathy Harris, for example, has been watching "The Young and the Restless" since the early '80s, but she's fed up with a "preposterous" story line currently playing out on the show.

"They've been stuck on it for a couple of months. It's like they're in a rut," she grumbles. "Sometimes I can't even finish watching the show, it's that bad."

Carano can definitely feel her pain. "If I see someone else come back from the dead on 'All My Children,' I'm going to scream," she says.

With this kind of plotline paralysis in mind, Powers thinks a writers strike might not necessarily be the worst thing to happen to the soaps.

"Maybe (replacement) writers would see a character or a story line in a different way," she says. "Maybe it would be like bringing in a second-string quarterback, who, in some cases, could do even better."

Reach Chuck Barney at 925-952-2685 or [email protected]. Also, check out his daily blog at http://cctextra.com/blogs/tvfreak.

By the numbers

Television soap operas reached their peak of popularity in November 1981, when 30 million viewers flocked to Luke and Laura's wedding on "General Hospital," which finished the season with an 11.2 rating. Close behind in the ratings race were "All My Children" (9.4) and "One Life to Live" (9.3). That season, 15 network soaps were on the air.

For comparison's sake, here are the most recent weekly ratings numbers for the eight current network soaps:

"The Young and the Restless" 3.8

"The Bold and the Beautiful" 2.7

"General Hospital" 2.2

"As the World Turns" 2.1

"One Life to Live" 2.1

"All My Children" 1.9

"Days of Our Lives" 1.8

"Guiding Light" 1.8

NOTE: Each ratings point equals 1,128,000 viewers.

SOURCE: A.C. Nielsen and soapcentral.com

[MoTheGreat]

I still think they new fresh blood writers. All these recycle writers isn't doing anything for soaps. These recycle writers aren't getting any younger so they tell the same old same old storylines like the viewers didn't see it before on other soaps. What storyline they couldn't finish on the soap that fired them they will finish it on the new soap that hired them.

[YRBB]

Well, Y&R has almost 6 million viewers each day

And DH, GA, and UB ARE soaps.

[Chris B]

I'm sick of these articles, even in soap mags, downplaying the quality as a reason for their demise. When Desperate Housewives and Heroes had their season two slumps, people immediately pegged the writing as the problem and made steps to fix things. In daytime they refuse to admit it and wait far too long to fix things! I'm so sick of giving all these mediocre writers endless chances, which is why I've stopped watching most soaps.

[DaytimeFan]

Granted, the writing is the main issue, but I think that the problems with soaps are also network specific.

When it comes to NBC it is obvious that the network isn't interested in the genre but that, for now, it makes financial sense to keep kicking DAYS around. NBC refuses to promote anything. Without promotion audiences don't know that DAYS has dramatically improved, hence the lack of viewers. The writing, as of late, is good...but nobody knows it because the show hasn't been promoted one iota.

At ABC, well, two words: Brian Frons. Age discrimination is the trademark issue at ABC. Hit 50 and watch your contract get terminated and your status become recurring and then watch your character get killed during sweeps. So far, only one vet comes to mind who told Frons & Co to f*ck themselves and that was Julia Barr. Without veteran performers many viewers feel that their shows have been totally overhauled and creatively assassinated. That's how I feel anyway. The moment I found out that Jackie Zeman had been demoted to recurring was the moment I decided that I wouldn't be able to watch GH ever again. I think my reaction, while pretty severe, is actually more common than not. The writing at ABC is atrocious but I think it is because Brian Frons micromanages everything and forces his take on what a soap should be filled with: models who cannot act.

At CBS, well it's about ownership. The Sony owned Y&R has issues (LML!) which stem from conflicts between Bell Dramatic, Corday Productions and Sony, basically too many cooks spoiling the broth. B&B works well because it has a singular voice and a singular owner: the Bells. ATWT and GL have the issue of being P&G soaps that young audiences just refuse to latch onto (as well as shoddy writing and producing). The writing at CBS is very up and down and all over the place. Y&R needs its talented Bill Bell crew back pronto, B&B needs to keep with what they have now and ATWT and GL need new everything.

Daytime, it appears, is fraught with neglect and laziness. Does that mean that new, young, primetime writers are the answer: not really, look at Y&R filled with primetime writers and the show is a mess! I think what needs to happen is the execs stick to what they do best: numbers and marketing. EP's need to stick to running the show and HW's need to stick to writing. There are no boundaries in daytime anymore, all the lines are blurred and the industry is hurting because of it.

[Faulkner]

I think the man's a total douche, but this interview with Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner says a lot about what went wrong with soaps. Here, he's talking about how he survives in another "dying" industry - print magazines.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/FineO...-depth_int.html

Soaps have to learn not to stop mindlessly imitating primetime and film and start returning to what they do best - multigenerational, community-based, character-based stories that unfold in real time. Primetime has stolen a lot of daytime's game, adapted it for their own uses and perfected it, but daytime has one MAJOR advantage - the ability to take its time with storytelling. Daytime doesn't have to skip from A to G because of time constraints. Soaps can attack a story from every angle, and truly, get every character on the canvas involved in some way. When soaps are done REALLY well, there's not another medium that can match its entertainment value.

Plus, there's a sense that soaps are our families. Primetime series can't foster that same feeling. When TPTB screw around with our vets, it's like screwing with family members. These characters are a part of our world. Who wants to tune into a show and find that their whole "family" has been "killed off"? New characters are like in-laws - they have to be eased in.

And people will stick the shows if the writing's good, momentum is kept up, actions are believable based on character, and stories sloooowly build up to a knock-your-socks-off climax that 1.) provides a payoff, 2.) creates new story, 3.) dovetails with other stories, 4.) is both inevitable and wholly surprising, and 5.) keeps an eye on the bigger picture. Daytime needs people with longterm vision, and they just don't have them anymore, mostly because the people running the show don't even really believe daytime has a real future anymore. Sure, soaps are fighting for a smaller piece of the pie - who ISN'T these days? - but this really forces them to truly assert their identities. Ironically, you see serial-based shows like THE WIRE, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, and THE SOPRANOS (RIP) and how thorough and forward-thinking the writers are - and they don't even "need" to be.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

I'm sick of these articles, even in soap mags, downplaying the quality as a reason for their demise. When Desperate Housewives and Heroes had their season two slumps, people immediately pegged the writing as the problem and made steps to fix things. In daytime they refuse to admit it and wait far too long to fix things! I'm so sick of giving all these mediocre writers endless chances, which is why I've stopped watching most soaps.

ICAM! When primetime shows decline in quality, action is almost always taken to at least attempt to repair the problem before the whole show has to be scrapped. In daytime however there seems to be this fatalistic "soaps-are-dead-anyway" mentality that keeps the shows and networks from ignoring their very fixable problems. This keeps the already mediocre shows on their downward slide, which only makes things worse because as the show gets worse and worse, more and more people tune out, the budgets get cut, and nothing gets fixed because the show is presumed to be doomed no matter what. Thus this notion of soaps being doomed is really a self-fulfilling prophecy on behalf of the shows and networks themselves.