Are Daytime Soaps Doomed - Yahoo.com

[Ryan]

http://tv.yahoo.com/blog/are-daytime-soaps-doomed--43

Are Daytime Soaps Doomed?

By Rebecca Detken | Thursday, November 20, 2008, 7:08 PM

Deidre Hall and Drake HogestynJeff Katz/NBCOn Wednesday, "Days of Our Lives" announced that it was firing two of the soap's biggest stars: Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn. I was shocked and saddened by the news. Can you imagine the town of Salem without Marlena (aka "Doc") and John?

Thanks to budget cuts "Days" execs reportedly had to let go of the highly-paid actors in order to keep their show on NBC for another 18 months, but with a bloated cast of 31, couldn't they have axed some of the newbies instead of these beloved vets?

When I asked my friend -- who works in the soap industry -- for his initial reaction to the news and what it means for the future of daytime, he responded, "You might as well sound the death knell."

That's what I was afraid of. I used to write for a soap magazine many years ago, so daytime holds a special place in my heart. I'm also fiercely protective of the genre, which people love to knock. "The acting's horrible" and "the storylines are ridiculous" are two common criticisms. Yes, at times they are, but let me remind everyone that Kevin Bacon, James Earl Jones, Tommy Lee Jones, Demi Moore, Julianne Moore, Hayden Panettiere, Ryan Phillippe, Meg Ryan, and Marisa Tomei are just a few of the Hollywood stars who got their starts in daytime. And since "Guiding Light," which is the longest-running drama in TV history, hit the radio airwaves in 1937, soaps' silly stories have provided fans with a daily form of escapism. Of course, it's been hard to keep these tales fresh over the years, which is why some writers have resorted to penning the absurd, supernatural plots that have turned many a soap fan off.

With that said, daytime ratings continue to dip, and it's really no surprise. Although there are plenty of male fans out there, soap operas were originally aimed at housewives. As we all know, there aren't as many stay-at-home moms as there used to be, and if someone does happen to be watching TV during the afternoon, they have hundreds of cable channels and programs to choose from. Plus, with everyone's busy schedules, people simply don't have the time to devote to a daytime serial anymore.

I'm not making any great revelations here. Everyone in the soap industry is fully aware of its problems, but they don't seem to know how to solve them. In an attempt to boost ratings, the network suits have decided that what they need to do is attract young, new viewers, which, let's face it, ain't happening.

According to my soap insider friend, instead of firing vets like Hall and Hogestyn, who longtime fans adore, the soaps should work on preserving what they have. “I don't really think you're ever going to get new viewers," he continued. "The days of moms and grandmas turning their kids on to their stories are long gone. The next best hope is to attract lapsed viewers -- fans who left for a reason, who were disappointed in how their stories were being written and how their favorites were being fired."

As much as I hate to say it, I’m not sure if the soaps can be saved, but in staying true to the genre's form, a dramatic death is inevitable.

[Juliajms]

I wonder if the economic crisis will help soaps at all. I've heard some say the unemployment rate is destined to hit 10%. That would result in more people home during the day. I imagine some of these people won't be able to afford cable. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws...I hate it when prime time shows I like are canceled. When my beloved soaps go it's going to be a hard pill to swallow.

[Vee]

I used to think daytime was doomed. I don't anymore. I think it can be saved if people want it to be.

For as horrible as Frons is, he does seem committed to the ABC soaps and I don't see any of them being in any immediate danger, the quality of GH or AMC notwithstanding. Compare that to CBS, where ATWT and GL are both on the precipice. And NBC clearly wants to be rid of DAYS.

Daytime can persevere - there will always be a market for serialized drama for people not in the 9 to 5 workforce. It's just a matter of allowing it to evolve while remembering where it came from and who watched it faithfully. Unfortunately, I don't think DAYS will make it. And that is largely down to Ken Corday, and his years of mismanagement. Too many supercouples, too little creativity, too many fears of taking risks, and too many bad risks (like the SSK killings and the return of JERk, and the firing of the DHs) that alienated a battered audience.

It won't matter if he brings them back. The audience now knows a drunken sailor has his hand on the till. Unless Corday relinquishes control DAYS has absolutely no chance, and that's assuming NBC gave a [!@#$%^&*], which they don't.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Honestly, I don't think these firings will have much impact on the ratings. Hall and Hogestyn haven't exactly been frontburner on the show lately, and DAYS is doing the same or better than it's done last year. We'll have to see how their firings impact the show's ratings months after they're done, I guess.

[marceline]

They're already dead. Soaps (in their present form) simply don't work anymore.

[Darlotto99]

thats why I say Corday should sell to the Bell's they would be able to come in and fix some of the problems but it looks like Ken is going to take Days down with him.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

The Bell's need to focus on their own shows, no need to inherit a show that is a financial mess.

[DaytimeFan]

Exactly. DAYS is dead. The Bells need to focus on getting B&B back on track and keeping the momentum going at Y&R.

[SFK]

It's a shame that no daytime execs have any spouses or children who are thinking soap fans like the folks on these boards. Sometimes all you need is a Candy or Tori Spelling to get the job done.

[Gray Bunny]

I'm glad that Deidre Hall (and Drake Hogestyn's, but really it's a big deal because it's MARLENA! The *star* of the show!) is making headline news. It *is* a big deal, for all soap fans and for any former DAYS/daytime fan. She's one of those figures you take for granted in thinking she's always going to be there anytime you turn on the tube to check out Salem.

[DaytimeFan]

You know something...Candy Spelling is the one who suggested Joan Collins for 'Dynasty' and Tori Spelling has surprised me with her pluck and entrepreneurial spirit, she works hard for her money selling jewelry on HSN and has produced both SoNoTORIous and Tori & Dean...of all the Hollywood offspring...those two have impressive pedigrees.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

One thing that might help: quit perpetuating the idea that soap actors are inferior and soap plots ridiculous. Some are. But no more than in primetime and the big screen. Seoondly, quit comparing apples to oranges. Soap opera are an entirely different genre than primetime (crimetime) and movies. Part of the problem is that viewers no longer embrace the uniqueness that is daytime, from the writing to the acting to the camera direction. Part of this started with Harding Lemay and Paul Raunch in the 70s. Lemay had such a contempt for daytime at one point he called it "s**t." And yes, while he brought a new sensibility to daytime while writing for AW, he also made many mistakes, like killing off matriachs and longtime fan faves, calling their acting too soapy. Well, guess what, folks? These are soap operas. They're meant to be melodramtic and over-the-top, while framed in the supposedly "real world." That's what they've been about for decades. Maybe the form will die a natural death, I don't know. But serialized storytelling has been around since Dickens. Yeah, viewers talk about the heyday of soaps in the 70s and 80s, when the ratings were so high, but there were no other choices out there. Cable as we know it didn't exist. And there was no internet where viewers come to gripe and complain (and nitpick) daily (hell, hourly) about this or that. Where's the love? Where's the support? Can the soaps do anything right these days with viewers??? It doesn't seem so. I keep up with posters on Media Domain. There's one poster in particular who goes from soap board to soap board, and post the same negativity over and over. After a while, you see other posters start to "think and write" like she does. That kind of stuff spreads, even when the criticisms aren't warranted. I think the majority of people in soaps today are trying their damndest to give the viewers what they want. The writers aren't all Bill Bells and Agnes Nixons, true. But if Bell and Nixon and Marland were writing soaps in this day and age, they'd probably been raked over the coals daily, too. It's true, a lot of the soaps have lost their way, but old-fashioend soap telling hasn't. OLTL is doing some of the best of that right now, whether you like or hate the Marty/Todd stuff or not. It's classic soap writing. So is Y&R and B&B. GL, ATWT, DAYS, GH continue to think that murder and guns and kidnappings are going to save them. They won't. A steady diet of violence in the daypart is just lazy storytelling (attention Goutman and Guza!), and not what an audience wants. Times are hard, people are feeling it. More than ever soaps need to be about escaping, but mirroring the harsh realities we see every day in the news. Sweeping love stories, multigenerational storytelling and romance are what soaps do best. Get back to those. Make it over-the-top, who cares? As long as we viewers are moved and touched emotionally. (I'm sure I'll take plenty of hits for this post, but I think it needs to be said.)

[All My Shadows]

Great post! I agree with most of it.

[alphanguy74]

I also think today's exorbitant production costs play a part. Everyone today seems to think thye ahve to have THIS, and THIS, and THIS to put on a show, when they don't. The reason NBC hasn't cancelled DOOL outright, is that they know full well that anyhting they put in it's place will not garner any higher ratings, it would just be cheaper for the network to license. That's why DOOL should trim it's cast down to about 20 (Keep Hall and Hogestyn), take teh show down to 30 minutes, and go back to shooting that show Live to tape. That's exactly how it was done in the 70's, and you had a nice, polished show... why not do it again? No need to pay a video tape editor. It's harder on teh actors, but the ones who can't cut the mustard can be axed. This is not a genre for the nambly pambly, or faint of heart. It takes real WORK. And I am DYING to know if ANY of the directing or production staff are taking any pay cuts as well, or if they are only trimming the ACTORS?

[dawn9476]

Days is done when this latest 18 month renewal is up. NBC has sold the lot its filmed on and they have to be totally out by 2011. Ellen has already moved to the WB lot. The Tonight Show moves to their new studio next year on the new Universal lot across the street when Conan takes over. I don't see NBC or Sony wasting money, time, and energy moving Days to a new lot.