Tom Casiello's Blog

[Ryan]

You can message him on his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/tommiecas

[PhoenixRising05]

What a wonderful blog entry by Tom. He has all the reason in the world to be upset and the fact that he can set that aside and just look at the big picture only makes me like him even more.

I've always said that the answer to saving soaps and getting them on the right track is not tuning out, especially in today's culture. Soaps are on a ledge as it is and tuning out and pushing the ratings down will only result in one thing: cancellation. Yes, TPTB did this to themselves but why punish the cast and crew of these shows? They didn't do it. The people in charge did and, to me, when people stop watching something out of protest, it serves no purpose. It drives a show down and soaps may never be able to get back up because it's pretty clear some people can be affected by what others think and say. If a large group of people just stops watching, new fans may read that and stay away or some fans wanting to watch again may get afraid and stay away. That shouldn't happen but many act on how others react to things. TPTB we have all come to know don't seem to act on ratings, at least not that quickly. That also never happened in the past. People were more inclined to fight first and do everything possible to fix their show. Now, it just seems like many take the easy route and tune out. I know TPTB of these soaps have pissed people off far too much but this is about survival. It's about the future of daytime and it's about the hard-working cast and crew, many of whom we have come to love. This is about their jobs and about the feeling we all get everytime we hear the Days theme or Y&R theme or whatever. It's about our love for the genre and these soaps. Nothing else. This is bigger then Higley or Corday. It's the big picture and not watching just seems like it accomplishes nothing but convincing the network execs that soaps are a dying breed. Networks aren't going to care anymore about investing time and energy to fix the soaps. They will just up and cancel soaps eventually. It would only help the networks in many cases. GH, Y&R, and B&B are probably the only ones exempt from this.

I think Tom is right in that as far as Days goes fan campaigns have worked pretty well lately. Not always but moreso then other shows and if you can hit a show HARD, it can work. Hell, write to sponsors. Hurt the shows where it hurts. We know TPTB read boards like this. Let's have more threads that make suggestions or have reasonable ideas as to how to handle things, not just posts about how much we hate Higley or how much we hate story A or whatever. Let's offer a way to improve it. It's just like how some say that calling a show and complaining is more effective if your rational and calm. I think if TPTB saw reasonable reactions with quality suggestions that are not only unbiased but that acknowledge both the pros and cons of things they will be more likely to listen. They could still ignore it but I think it's more effective and have heard it is in some respects.

Eileen said last night she believes shows listen. Tom has said that too. Maybe they listen to what they want to. I just think quitting is too easy and I think we all love this genre and that needs to be the focus. Yes, we can't stand by and let crap air on screen but there is more that can be done then by simply tuning out. The survival of soaps and the soap genre is bigger then how Higley and Corday manipulated things or how bad a show's dialogue is or why J&M didn't have a sex scene. There are bigger problems now. Large amounts of people can be out of work. Our beloved shows may be lost to us and for some who have quit watching, let me just say I hated many things about AW, including the writer at the time, and thought I wouldn't miss it and, guess what, after it was gone, it hit me. HARD. If and when our shows leave, I feel safe in assuming there will be similar reactions.

I know this sounds like some sort of mobilizing speech but reading what Tom said was inspiring because he put aside all the [!@#$%^&*] Corday and Higley pulled and any problems he feels the show has and chose to look at the big picture: the survival of a show and genre that has been with us for decades. It wasn't about how one note a character was or how plot-driven something was. It was about passion. About the feelings someone has about a show and genre. It was about caring and it's so refreshing to see a reaction like this and not the usual "Well, if we quit watching, we can show them" logic. Love Tom and I will take what he said to heart.

[dragonflies]

Tom is awesome!

[maconrich]

I seriously LOVE this man. He can write, he's a big fan of soaps and he's willing to put what was done to him aside and encourage people to be positive about Days. Too bad his class didn't rub off on a couple or so people that are still with the show.

[Roman]

So........if the show is bad, and we hate it, we should still watch it no matter what? The fans who don't watch is the reason why Days is not doing well. Not because of whose writing at the time or KC. It's because of the fans.

[Darn]

I have no sympathy for these shows. I don't want the genre to die but if you SUCK loud and hard for years on end...maybe you need to close up shop. I'm just sayin'.

[PhoenixRising05]

If a show is bad, fight for change. Organize campaigns. Mobilize others who agree. Send emails, letters, whatever. Do the same to sponsors who advertise for the show. Tell them you are upset with one of the shows they advertise during and that if changes aren't made then you may stop watching or the show will end and they will lose a critical advertising avenue that is important to their demographics.

Not watching a show used to be effective at getting things done. It isn't now. The networks would like nothing more then to watch some of these shows bleed out to nothing and then they can justify canceling them and then you are left with none at all. For some, maybe that isn't a problem but considering we are on a soap board, I will assume that many would be very saddened to just see these shows go. I'm not saying we should accept crap but if we feel things are not what we and many others don't want them to be, then the only way to bring change is to fight for it. I know many will say they have fought in the past and nothing happened but you never know and if you quit watching, sometimes the message doesn't get across. TPTB may think people quit for reasons that have nothing to do with the real reasons why someone quit. It just makes things more of a mess. In Days' case recently, fan campaigns have a better success rate and Corday does tend to react to things (Granted, it's sometimes too late or ends in him making a stupid decision) and I think with Ed Scott there we have someone who will acknowledge the fans. I think with Days fans have a better chance at being listened to then at ABC with Frons in charge. I know people can only fight so much but, as Tom said and Eileen Davidson said in an interview the other night, it can be effective and it may be all we got now.

Of course, some people may just want to be entertained and don't care so much about fighting for a show or the genre and if a show ends, so be it. That's fine and your entitled. However, I know there are people out there who would hate to see these shows end and this genre continue to fade and those are really who I think Tom and others, including me, are speaking to.

[Roman]

So you are equating the people who don't watch as not caring about the soaps.

[aMLCproduction]

I think Frons ABC does care what their fans say. I give them mad props, bringing back Jessi/Angie, Rebecca Budig, new writers, New writers at OLTL ABC is trying. The Days is a former shadow of it self and I am for one tired of waiting and praying it gets better. I am too busy and I have found other things to do then to jut hope and pray Days gets better. Granted Days is better than Hogan's Pen but it's nothing what it used to be. if you really want to know what is killing soaps it's technology and the internet

[Tishy]

You can organize all the campaigns that you want but seriously, has it brought MM and BB back? No. I am not going to start watching a show again that I find unwatchable. Instead, I am supporting the genre and switched over to two other shows, Y&R and B&B. With all due respect PR, just because they aren't shows you might watch doesn't mean I don't support the genre. I am not going to waste five hours a week on something that IMO, is poorly written and is aboput as entertaining as watching paint dry.

[dragonflies]

I could NOT disagree with you more.....

ABC doesn't give two shits about what their fans say, if they did, B&E would be gone, as would Guza, Carruthers and Phelps, and Frons too. If they cared they would hire people who can write and not focus on bringing back all these characters to distract from the bad writing.....

[daysfan]

Phoenix, all respect intended, I must disagree. Sometimes, yes, networks will listen. It would be a lie to say they never ever listen to fans and never will. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

But to tune in to the show just because it will save the genre or whatever you want to call it might keep it alive but it will make it worse. If all the viewers decided to stick by Days when it has a bunch of crap airing(even though currently Days is ok and not horrid just yet), Corday or Higley or whoever is in control of things will just worsen it. They will think what fans want are sucky stories, so they'll write even suckier stories that they think are fabulous ones.

But not watching, while they may not take notice anymore, can help it in some ways. Eventually, it will get things to change. Or maybe it won't. But what I know is that if I kept tuning in when something stupid is being shoved onto my screen, they'd think they were doing things right. This goes for any show.

[aMLCproduction]

Well it seems everytime Frons?ABC change up writers and proudcers the ratings get lower adn lower so I would'nt be changing the writers too many times.Like Tishy said Poor writing is poor writing. There's no excuse. Like her I have switched to Y&R and B&B YEARS AGO and they are still GREAT

[John]

Tom should be hired back on ATWT this time as HW. He has a passion for soaps and thats whats needed.

[dragonflies]

Why should people watch a show that sucks? Watching something that is bad just to keep it around is more hurtful to the show than anything. Nothing will change if networks thinks people are watching while there is bad writing happening.