December 15-19, 2008

[Rakesh]

Well said. ITA!

[RoseVioletDaisy]

It's not sad, but it's not surprising either. GL is saving boat loads of money because it isn't a soap opera anymore and that's exactly what EW wanted when she embarked on this little project of hers. GL is now a cheap, barely scripted reality show. It's cheap as hell to produce and looks even cheaper than that. That's why there are a few spare dimes in GL's bank account and not in AMC's. Because Julie Carruthers still has to put on an actual soap opera with like...you know... real sets, actual makeup artists and hair stylists, a half-way decent wardrobe, competent lighting, and a cast that actually has more people in it than were at my Thanksgiving dinner. Things vital to shooting real soaps that GL can no longer afford. The new format takes a lot of getting used and even when you do get used to it, you still hate it although the outside stuff looks a lot better than the interior stuff. The four-walled sets are so freaking tiny and without an open end, the cameramen and lighting guys (usually at least four of them) are wedged right in there with the actors. It's very claustrophobic and, along with the crappy generic music, really deadens the sort of dramatic vibe that soaps thrive on. It's hard to feel any urgency, especially when people are just kind walking around everywhere. It's even worse when they use the "sets" that are really just a few pieces of furniture from IKEA shoved into a corner of someone's office.

I think the promo for Phillip's return is horrible. It sets the absolutely wrong tone on every note. The promo gives the distinct impression that Phillip is still insane, will be out for revenge, and his entire family looked utterly pissed at the prospect. That is NOT what the viewers want from this return. We want sane Phillip to come back, as himself, to atone for the things he did before he left town. We want his relationships with Beth, Lizzie, Alex, and Rick repaired. Rick and Alex weren't even in the promo. Nor was Olivia, the mother of his daughter Emma. But Bill was?! WTH?! I wouldn't be shocked if Phillip's return is as just another lame Bill/Lizzie obstacle and his character gets neglected.

That's been rumored for nearly three years now and has yet to happen. I'll believe it when it's confirmed.

How do you know that Hurst is better than Kreizman? She's never written for any other show in any capacity and she's never been a HW before, other than the handful of recent months that she's been one of GL's four HW's. She's been a "story consultant" forever but that's it until recently. She may very well be the second-coming of Doug Marland but it's just as likely that she'll be another Kreizman, someone who can talk a good game about knowing and respecting history and might even put on a good show for a month or two but when push comes to shove, doesn't really get it. I honestly don't know how good or bad she'll be. I don't think anybody does and won't until we actually see her work in the long term. The tone of that Phillip promo doesn't bode well though.

[TMOTVSoaps]

Somebody from another soap site posted these predictions for the 2009 Emmys and they looked interesting.

I think OLTL should no doubt get the best show next year. Ron C. has turned that show around big time.

Bryton, Brandon Buddy, Billy, Van, Blake, and Texas would make an interesting younger actor category interesting. This is one category that is going to be tough choose. Texas Battle came in and rocked B&B forever, but unless they get him another storyline in time it should go to Bryton or Brandon who played the hell out of Cole this year.

Anybody know what day the Emmys fall on next year?

It should be CBS this time and do a better job at it. Hopefully NBC starts broadcasting it again since they got second life out of the soaps again with DAYS.

Best show

b&b,cbs

gh,abc

oltl,abc

y&r, cbs

leading actor

michael park,jack,atwt

ronn moss, ridge,b&b

maurice benard,sonny,gh

trevor st.

John,todd,oltl

eric braeden,victor ,y&r

leading actress

judith chapman,gloria,y&r

jeanne cooper,katherine ,y&r

susan flannery,stephanie,b&b

susan haskell,marty,oltl

maura west, carly,atwt

bree williamson,jessica,oltl

supporting actor

tyler christopher,nikolas,gh

trent dawson, henry,atwt

mark lawson,brody,oltl

kyle lowder,rick,b&b

greg rikkart,kevin,y&r

best writing

atwt, cbs

b&b, cbs

gh,abc

oltl,abc

supporting actress

kathy brier, marcie,oltl

sarah brown,claudia,gh

adrienne frantz,amber,y&r

gina tognoni,dinah,gl

heather tom, katie,b&b

younger leading actor

blake berris,nick,dool

brandon buddy,cole,oltl

van hansis, luke,atwt

billy magnussen,casey,atwt

bryton mcclure,devon,y&r

younger leading actress

kristen alderson, starr, oltl

julie marie berman, lulu,gh

vail bloom,heather,y&r

farah fath, gigi,oltl

jacqueline macinnes wood, steffy, b&b

rachel melvin, chelsey,dool

best directing

amc, abc

b&b,cbs

gh, abc

y&r, cbs

let me know.. Seany

[Soapsuds]

Excellent post RVD!! The show is toast! The production values just kill any chance they have to survive. They should have just cancelled GL before they went the Real World route. Hell, even the RW has better production values.

[smadleyb]

But with Days and AMC and other shows slashing their budgets - either they'll end up looking similar to GL and they will all limp around those low 'real world' ratings of 1.3 to 1.6 (albeit at a meager profit) or all go, and I'm not sure I want to see the genre die all together - though I guess your point is if this is their ultimate fate they've already died. It's just a shame there is nobody there to think outside the box just a little more and experiment in later daytime hours or even prime time (heck, Leno can get 5 nights a week on NBC next year why not have CBS or ABC sample the shows in the empty slots left vacated by failed primetime shows - could a repeat of a soap be any more expensive than repeating a primetime drama? I'd love to see what kind of primetime ratings they get or if the daytime version gets a boost!)

[EastMA2]

Here's where I'm at with the GL situation. After seeing the mess that this show has become and what a laughing stock it is in the tv industry, I wish the show had gone off the air a couple years ago while it had a little dignity left. It's no surprise that EW saved alot of money - just look at the show. It bears no resemblence to a daytime soap opera. A high school production is better produced.

BUT, since the show is still on the air and you keep hearing more and more how GL and ATWT are pretty much a package deal, and that P&G will most likely NOT keep only ATWT on the air, if ATWT's future is indeed tied to GL's, I hope that GL can keep enough viewers so they don't bring ATWT down with them. I'd hate to see all the cast and crew from 2 shows without jobs, not to mention that would only leave 6 soaps left. I hate what Ellen Wheeler did to GL and will never forigve her for ruining a once GREAT show, but since the jobs of so many people depend on the show and quite possibly ATWT surviving, I hope they can find a way to make it.

[Ann_SS]

I'm defending Ellen Wheeler when it comes to the production. I believed that by implementing this production technique, she saved GL from being canceled a couple years ago. They had to go as cheap as possible to save money along with firing Grant in the first place. It is using the money saved that allows them to rehire Grant and give DAM what appears to be a short stint.

There is no defending Wheeler re: the crappy hack writing that she does, but with the exception of a few newcomers GL has one of the most talented cast on the soaps, especially when compared to the horror that is OLTL. It is the talented cast that saves the show from becoming an absolute joke.

All this said, I stopped watching GL months ago because I simply cannot watch that pathetic production technique any more and frankly killing off Remy's baby Max was the last straw for me story wise. The return of Grant and DAM only tempts me a little to watch.

[jfung79]

I believe Van was 26/27 last year so is too old for this category now.

About GL, I think the new production model is fine, and I like the show's writing too mostly -- what intense Beth/Coop, Beth/Lillian, Buzz/Beth, Buzz/Coop scenes lately. But the "ums" in all the dialogue in other scenes take naturalism a bit too far. The show would benefit from being written more dramatically.

[mamasita]

There is no GL anymore, it is like a new show and the history of GL died a long time ago (check old episodes on the internet) , i agree with the post above, it would have been better to say goodbye with dignity, nowadays, GL is much worse that a bad produced afterschool special. I think it is the worst soap overall ever (Passions is a jewel compared to GL today)...and the very low ratings show it week after week, people left the soap and moved elsewhere...even the actors are leaving ( 2 ex-GL supercouple are currently at AMC ). Too sad, since GL was one of the great soaps, not anymore. If they were honest, they change the name to Springfield Bunch, Springfield's Hope or A New Guiding Light

[YRBB]

It is soooo good seeing Y&R back to mid-5 mils/3.9's. Shows you that, if there's consistent quality, the ratings can go up. It doesn't happen instantly--but stick with it, and it does.

[JONNYSBRO]

You cant compare Y&R which as the highest budget in daytime and a show that costs a fortune to GL which almost went off the air last year. I will say the production has slowly improved. They need to do better in the writing and maybe Hurst can do it for them. She has been with the show forever since 1994, in fact since the JFP days. I am sure all the money they saved has gone to Grants return fund. They wanted him and need him back. The show comparable to compare GL with is OLTL whose show looks expensive as hell and is actually underbudget/cheap to produce.

[YRBB]

Unless I am mistaken, DAYS OF OUR LIVES is the show with the biggest budget in daytime and I do not see what the budget has to do with the fact that Y&R has been consistent in its quality (according to what people say) and it has started paying off in ratings.

[MarkH]

As a non-regular viewer, I agree with all you say in the first paragraph.

Wheeler is NOT the writer, though. You have correctly identified that this is where she has been let down...I believe the show could find itself creatively, in a way that engages loyal long-term viewers and works more organically with the intimate, tense scenes that the production model demands. They just need to find the right writer, with the right vision, and let that person work as unimpeded as possible.

[brimike]

Not anymore, it doesn't...

[JONNYSBRO]

DAYS during the Reilly days had the biggest hugest budget but over the years it has dwindled badly. During it's renewel in 2003 when Higley was stinking up the show and Reilly took over, they renewed it with a massive paycut. DAYS used to be the soap that would be renewed for like 5 years because ratings were so high and big budget. Now they are doing really badly. Their budget is so bad right now. They are worse budget wise then GL. Actually GL has more money in their account then AMC or DAYS has. It is not a ton but Wheeler saved a fortune. I predict if GL is canned, Wheeler will be reassigned to a CBS postiion.