What happened to Fox entering the soap business?

[AbFabGL4ever7]

I could have swore I read that they were going to start producing soaps and already 3 soaps ready to go. One called "Born in the usa", a spinoff of the UK's Eastenders, & one by the people who make American Idol.

Was the plan dropped?

Did the product suck?

Was falling ratings for other soaps make them think twice?

I think they would have used the 3-7 time period to air their soaps. Which I think would have been successful.

Does anyone know what happened?

Or did I just miss the newsflash?

[JackPeyton]

nothing really happened, because nothing really started.

as far as i know it was just a bunch of talk. i dont think they actually made a pilor or anything.

it prob had to do with MyNetworkTV failing at soaps and current syatime soaps pretty much about to get the ax.

tho id kill to see Fox air Days at 7pm.

[Sylph]

I think it's better they didn't start a thing because - the shows sucked. Nothing was lost.

[AbFabGL4ever7]

That's too bad cause I think that A Martinez was a lead character in "Born in the USA".

The US version of eastenders would have sucked and the one that 19 entertainment was developing had the best chance of making it on the air because of it's affiliation with the American Idol PTB.

I think that FOX could still do it if they had 1 soap at 3pm, 1 soap at 4pm, News at 5 & 5:30, & then a soap at 6pm. Then the primetime shows would start at their normal time right after the 6pm soap.

They would really have no serious competition in those timeslots. With exception of Ellen and Rachel Ray, I could see it pay off very well.

[jcar03]

I think this was the show people thought was going to be daytime but the article that ran in Variety CLEARLY stated as a PRIMETIME soap.

[Cat]

What happened to Fox entering the soap business? Rupert Murdoch heard about the idea, laughed his ASS off, called the head of the Fox network up to his lair office, berated him repeatedly and in no uncertain terms, that FOX DOESN'T WASTE MONEY ON SOAPS. Not when we're producin' the #1 reality show in the US, you sheep-shagger. Now piss off and do your f*ckin' job!

Or so I would imagine.

[AbFabGL4ever7]

If it was gonna be a primetime soap it would have failed. If u look on imdb.com and look up Born in The USA. It clearly has a cast too large for Primetime. A Martinez and Diego Serreno as primetime leads.....uh no this show was meant for daytime. Maybe another show was created for primetime that also didn't make the cut.

Also I was confused, this show was by the makers of American Idol, 19 entertainment and was produced by Simon Fuller.

[dc11786]

"Born in the U.S.A." was a nighttime soap. A pilot was filmed, but it was never ordered. The initial announcement said the show could be aired several times a week, but the show was primetime

http://www.thefutoncritic.com/news.aspx?id=7317

I know when MyNetworkTV was trying to find an affiliate in Boston, the FOX affiliate said they would air the telenovelas in the 1-3 daytime period if an affiliate couldn't be found. I wonder if there are affiliates out there interested in airing soaps?

I would say the plan was probably dropped due to the low viewership of MyNetworkTV, which is too bad since the final round of novelas were top notch.

[DustyLives]

You mean finding out you are not the father of your pregnant ex-girlfriend's baby isn't a soap opera?