GL: Ratings and Budget Decline?

[Vee]

I just had some questions for anyone who might know; when exactly did GL's ratings start this steady plummeting? Was it under Weston and Conboy, as I suspect, or earlier? I know Conboy consistently blew the budget. And when did Ellen Wheeler start phasing out all the sets, exactly? Was an explanation given for why everyone lives at the Beacon?

I think it's a shame and disgrace that a show with such talented actors and at least dialogue writers has been reduced to scraping the barrel and I'd like to know how and why it came to this.

[bellcurve]

This may be a better question for Dan, but GL's ratings started to fall under Rauch...then they started to tank under Conboy. Wheeler and Kreizman were able to hold onto GL's momentum and even gain new viewers(surpassing ATWT, AMC, and OLTL at one point or another), but they never stayed and the ratings would go back to where they were.

Everyone began living and working at the Beacon and Main Street around late fall 2005. It was painfuly obvious at the beginning of January that almost all of the shows took place at the Beacon Hotel room...often using the same set for two rooms on the show.

Another weird thing I noticed was Reva and Josh's house. The characters used the back door for the entry when I started watching again in late 2005, but when they new year rolled around, they completely cut out the foyer and sealed it off and made what used to be the beck door, the front door.

As far as explanation in the writing? I know Harley and Gus stayed there till their house could be liveable...although now that they are living in it, why don't they just cover up the walls with paint instead of leaving it looking like a construction site? Matt and Vanessa stayed there because they had sold their home when they moved away. On certain episodes, you'd see Josh and Cassie hanging out at the Beacon, and that's because that room was used for "business purposes." Olivia owned the Beacon, so of course, she would live there. I'm sure there are others(for characters liek Dinah and Mallet).

These were all flimsy excuses, but for alot of 2006, the writing for GL was pretty good, so it didn't really bother me that everyone hung out on Main Street or that everyone lived at the Beacon.

[RogerNewcomb]

Luckily with the new taping technique that GL and ATWT have already started using, we are going to see a lot more sets in 2008.

[Khan]

Actually, Vee, GL's ratings started declining during the Michael Laibson/Megan McTavish era. Many longtime fans felt alienated, as the show began catering to fanbases, and telling more outrageous and gimmicky stories.

The ratings improved somewhat during the first half of Paul Rauch's, and Barbara Esensten and James Harmon Brown's, reign. This was true for GL's 60th anniversary, when fan-faves such as Harley and Jenna returned (and in some cases, stayed), as well as during Annie and Reva's trial, when Annie accused Reva of causing her unborn baby's death. (She didn't.) However, too much emphasis on Annie, coupled with a sudden onslaught of Santoses and San Cristobel "rejects" (Edmund, Richard, Olivia, etc.) squashed whatever goodwill the team had restored with the fans.

WesCon, though, marks the point where some of the diehards (online, at least) truly began losing hope that GL would ever recover. Myself included.

You must be talking about the Maureen Garrett Memorial Baseball Field. Lovely, wasn't it?

Shortly after her arrival, as a matter of fact. IIRC, the first set to go was Ross Marler's former residence, the old Carriage House, which had been "in operation" since the Dobsons' era (and aside from the Bauer kitchen, might've been the oldest-standing set on the show).

Not really, although, it was no secret that falling ratings, coupled w/ Conboy's apparent lack of regard for the budget, forced the network to reduce the show's licensing fee drastically. At that time, the talk was, GL would continue, but 1) the on-contract cast had to be cut to 18, and 2) those remaining would have to accept a paycut. (That is, until KZ decided to call them on their obvious bluff.)

[bellcurve]

What else have you heard?

I'd LIKE to believe that GL and ATWT will have a bunch of new sets come 2008, but my biggest fear is that it will be all outdoor stuff. Which, isn't so much a bad thing, but I just hope they make an effort to match up the outdoor/indoor stuff.

And GL tapes in a tiny studio according to many published reports. Will GL and ATWT, in order to keep its budget down, tape a lot of scenes in one day in one set, ala telenovela?

This should be a big challenge for the seasoned actors, but a disaster for those who you can tell, have a hard enough time trying to figure out character motivations in the one episode a day they tape.

I was proven wrong in 2006 when GL had its budget slashed. It survived. Maybe the same will happen for GL and ATWT.

But I still don't see CBS renewing those shows unless they outright own them.

[bellcurve]

Don't EVEN get me started on that mess! That was *the* biggest waste of money, IMO, of any soap opera. EVER.

Not to mention that Shayne was NOT a character that deserved that much money or attention devoted to him.

[Vee]

Oh, God, yes. The baseball field! With the storyline devoted to Josh the psychotic "bat dad" and Conboy enjoying the sight of Marty West in a starched white baseball uniform (and a nice sight it was, but honestly). God, if only we could get Billy Kay back.

If I ran the show, if nothing else I would have to demand the Bauer kitchen return. Although I imagine all the sets have been dismantled.

[Khan]

Oops, sorry, bellcurve, lol.

(And, you're right.)

[Khan]

And let's not forget, either, Shayne's reaction when he learned Josh signed that contract w/ the Cubs without his knowledge or permission: "You did WHAT!? Okay, cool, whatever, I'M GOING TO PLAY FOR THE CUBS!"

[RogerNewcomb]

Mandy Bruno on the new sets:

http://welovesoaps.blogspot.com/2007/12/ma...new-taping.html

Van Hansis referenced new sets in a conversation with a fan:

http://z13.invisionfree.com/vanhansis/inde...?showtopic=4207

[Khan]

So, ATWT and GL get to bore the hell out of me everyday with more realistic settings? Win-win, indeed.

[RogerNewcomb]

They will make a better looking show for less money. That's great news. Doesn't fix the quality of the show's writing, but it may be enough to keep them on the air so they have a chance.

[Chris B]

GL has a chance at being saved if these new sets work out. Hopefully by building the outdoor studios they'll have more room for indoor sets. Honestly, forget the writing, the production values are what keep me away from GL. I've NEVER seen a soap look as cheap as it does now. I can't blame the budget, because PSNS on DirecTV manages to look good still. This is poor set design in GL's case.

ATWT already looks pretty good. Their problems have been recent with the lack of sets.

[Vee]

Also, the hospital looks like a sushi restaurant. The walls are paper and matzoh crackers. I expect people to walk through them like Homer on The Simpsons.

[Chris B]

The hospital set is a total disaster. Dare I say WORST set in soap history? Maybe Main Street is worse, I dunno. Hopefully the set designers will make more of an effort to compete with the outdoor sets.