Simply running replays of daytime dramas isn’t enough for SoapNet anymore.

Brian Frons, who oversees SoapNet as president for daytime at the Disney ABC Television Group, is unveiling a new slate of original shows for the cable channel, including two weekly scripted serials, as the upfront advertising market approaches.

The channel also has acquired all seven seasons of off-net series “Gilmore Girls” and movie packages from Disney ABC Domestic Television and 20th Television that include “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” and “While You Were Sleeping.”

“We want to keep growing, and ultimately there’s a point where just growing your distribution—we’re up to 71 million homes now—is not going to be enough jet fuel,” Mr. Frons said. Maintaining the momentum requires new investments in programming to complement the daytime soap operas that are the core of the cable network’s primetime schedule, he said.

Programming spending is “increasing nicely,” despite tough economic times in the TV business. “We’ve actually been able to show that additional investment will bring additional profits.”

Last year, SoapNet ranked 40th among advertising-supported cable networks in total viewers in prime time. Its viewership rose 1% from 2007.

Ad buyer Ed Gentner, senior VP and group director at MediaVest, said SoapNet has done a good job adding programming that can bring in new viewers, particularly younger women.

Unlike many cable networks, SoapNet doesn’t need original programming to establish an identity, because it is so steeped in daytime drama, he said. Nevertheless, having original shows would be attractive for SoapNet.

“Whether it defines you or not, if you do have a successful original, it’s likely to bring in new viewers, so you’re not necessarily hitting that same soap viewer over and over again as an advertiser, and that strengthens the network, too,” he said.

Derek Baine, an analyst at SNL Kagan, notes that SoapNet got some nice buzz from hockey-themed series “MVP,” which it imported from Canada last summer.

Mr. Baine estimates SoapNet spent about $54 million on programming and generated $58 million in ad revenues in 2008.

The two scripted series SoapNet has in development are “Julia’s Tango” and “Santa Monica.”

“Julia’s Tango” is a Dutch show from Endemol about a woman born in Argentina, raised in the Netherlands, who returns to Buenos Aires and turns the family home into a bed-and-breakfast.

The show is being adapted by American writers with American actors, but it’s being shot in Argentina where costs are extremely low, Mr. Frons said.

“Santa Monica” is a dramedy about a group of 20-something best friends living together at the beach.

In these tough economic times, both shows give viewers a chance to “go on a little bit of an emotional fantasy, maybe a financial fantasy” by featuring “strong young women trying to make the best life they can, if not in material terms, in emotional terms,” Mr. Frons said.

Production is expected to begin later this month on “Holidate,” a reality special in which a woman from New York trades places with a woman from Los Angeles and they date the men in each other’s lives. “Holidate” is schedule to premiere in the fall.

The network also is working on an unscripted show in which celebrity mothers and daughters with relationship issues work out their problems with a therapist.

The unscripted shows are being produced by ABC Media Productions.

SoapNet currently is airing “Being Erica,” like “MVP” a Canadian import, and plans to launch “Southern Belles: Louisville” on May 21.

Mr. Frons sees “Belles” as “Sex and the City” in Kentucky. He said the women span different social and economic strata, steering away from a theme of conspicuous consumption.

SoapNet is counting on “Gilmore Girls” to help attract younger women to the channel, much as “The OC” and “Beverly Hills, 90210” did before.

Those shows have been appearing on weekends as part of a “Breakfast in Bed” block, which has increased ratings by 57% on Saturdays and 97% on Sundays. The shows replaced marathons of the previous week’s daytime dramas.

“Those marathons, which used to be the bread-and-butter of SoapNet’s weekend, just don’t have as much value,” Mr. Frons said. “By the weekend, people have had three or four chances to see their favorite soaps, so we’re trying to create weekends that have their own viability.”

Some of those young women who tune in for the off-net shows also discover the soaps, creating a new generation of viewers. “It’s the circle of life,” Mr. Frons said, repeating a well-known Disney refrain.

SoapNet also has a budget for movies, and is getting a big assist from Tom Zappala, senior VP of program acquisitions and scheduling at ABC Family, who now is also buying films for SoapNet.

“It’s allowing us to aggregate our money and share runs between the channels,” Mr. Frons said.

http://www.tvweek.com/news/2009/03/soapnet...ng_original.php

Interesting---I wonder if that means ABC Family loses Gilmore Girls.

And I'll admit it, I watch the Saturday Mornings on SoapNet.

Those shows have been appearing on weekends as part of a “Breakfast in Bed” block, which has increased ratings by 57% on Saturdays and 97% on Sundays. The shows replaced marathons of the previous week’s daytime dramas.

wow! 57%? Thats massive.

all the new shows sound good.

I wonder if SoapCity would have ended up like this?

I wonder if SoapCity would have ended up like this?

It's funny you brought that up. I always thought that if Soap City were to happen, it would have aired all CBS soaps plus Days. I also think that it most likely would have carried all of the CBS primetime soaps plus shows like Capital, Santa Barbara, and the former P&G soaps. I wouldn't see them picking up anything that had aired on ABC. Days would have been a part of their schedule because of Sony. Having the P&G soaps and the former CBS primetime soaps like Dallas, Falcon Crest and Knots Landing would have brought CBS viewers in who may have stopped watching daytime and through that could have joined again once seeing their soaps on Soap City. I know Soap Net aired Knots and Falcon Crest in the beginning, but hands down if Soap City were to compete with Soap Net, Soap City would have gotten those rights first.

I would like to know what others think Soap City would have been like. I know it's hard to speculate it's outcome for sure, but I don't think it would have shed it's original mission as much as Soap Net has.

I wonder if SoapCity would have ended up like this?

If they wanted to stay on and MAKE money, then yes it would of. People need to understand the concept that soaps don't bring in money anymore which is why SoapNet has turned their attention to other avenues. They still show plenty of soap opera stuff just not daytime but One Tree Hill, 90210 and The OC are STILL soaps they are just primetime soaps. Now those stupid movies they show, not so much.

Santa Monica sounds like fun.

Everything sounds BLAH to me...

Those shows could work if they were well-written and acted, but I don't have high hopes for that at all. We shall see.

You know, I understand that soaps aren't going to bring in the numbers anymore, but if that's the way it's gotta be, they need to stop lying to their audience by calling themselves SOAPnet. That's just blatant disrespect.

It's funny you brought that up. I always thought that if Soap City were to happen, it would have aired all CBS soaps plus Days. I also think that it most likely would have carried all of the CBS primetime soaps plus shows like Capital, Santa Barbara, and the former P&G soaps.

Santa Barbara actually WAS slated to air on SoapCity.

If they wanted to stay on and MAKE money, then yes it would of. People need to understand the concept that soaps don't bring in money anymore which is why SoapNet has turned their attention to other avenues. They still show plenty of soap opera stuff just not daytime but One Tree Hill, 90210 and The OC are STILL soaps they are just primetime soaps. Now those stupid movies they show, not so much.

But lots of cable networks have survived without selling out. And sometimes, when you DO sell out as a network, it comes to bite you in the ass. Just ask GSN: "The Network For Poker Games." Unless SOAPnet has plans on creating an online channel dedicated to same-day rebroadcasts and classic soaps(not this SOAPnetic crap that someone has to pay for with Verizon to see), I hope it backfires miserably on them.

And I have serious doubts about Ryan's Hope's survival after this latest wave of programming.

I do think it's a plus that they acquired Gilmore Girls. I've heard many a good things about it. And at least it's better than acquiring Dawson's Creek or The Hills.

But lots of cable networks have survived without selling out. And sometimes, when you DO sell out as a network, it comes to bite you in the ass. Just ask GSN: "The Network For Poker Games." Unless SOAPnet has plans on creating an online channel dedicated to same-day rebroadcasts and classic soaps(not this SOAPnetic crap that someone has to pay for with Verizon to see), I hope it backfires miserably on them.

Ugh. I get hostile just flipping past TVLand while channel surfing. In the daytime, it's fine. I was watching "Good Times" this morning and laughing my ass off. But primetime? No thank you. "High School Reunion" is ridiculous, "She's Got the Look" is ridiculous, and this one they have coming up with the older woman dating younger men is ridiculous too. Has absolutely nothing to do with classic television at all, and neither do the movies they continually show. I can respect them for no longer using the "classic TV" slogan, however. "TVLand" can be interpreted to have several different meaning, but "SOAPnet" is pretty straightforward: it's a network for SOAPS.

The cable net that I love the most right now is Hallmark Channel. Their core audience is well over 55, they know it, and they embrace it. "The Golden Girls" was a brilliant pick-up for them.

And I have serious doubts about Ryan's Hope's survival after this latest wave of programming.

I agree. They're only keeping it on because they know that there's a devoted fanbase for it. They run absolutely no promos at all for it, keep it in the graveyard timeslot, and there isn't even a page for it on the website anymore. It's a shame how they just [!@#$%^&*] on the show.

I do think it's a plus that they acquired Gilmore Girls. I've heard many a good things about it. And at least it's better than acquiring Dawson's Creek or The Hills.

IMO, Dawson's would have been better than Gilmore.

According to this, Gilmore is going to start in April and only air two episodes each on Saturday and Sunday nights. It says 9PM and 10PM (eastern) for Saturdays and 6PM and 7PM for Sundays. The GH marathon is gonna be pushed up to accommodate the Sunday airings, but there's no word on what's going to happen to the Saturday night Y&R marathon. If they mess that up, I'm gonna be one real pissed off viewer. I usually watch that marathon on Saturday nights and go out afterwards!

Edited March 10, 200917 yr by All My Shadows

ABC Family had the rights to the GG re-runs before, so they're just keeping it in the family - moving it to another Disney network. ABC Family has already run through the whole series a few dozen times, so I'm sure they're just tossing GG off on Soapnet because their ratings have dropped.

from SoapNet's website

SOAPnet will start airing all seven season of "Gilmore Girls" starting Saturday, April 4th. You can rely on us for your Lorelei lovelife fix every Saturday at 9 and 10pm, and every Sunday at 6 and 7pm

Interesting--wonder where there Y&R block will go?

I watched one episode of MVP and I thought it was wretched. These "reality" shows are a dime a dozen and there are already many more interesting versions on WE or Oxygen.

At least when AMC dumped everything their channel was meant to represent, they eventually changed the name and came up with a few high-quality programs.

There are so many networks that have gone from showcasing classic TV to dumping it, like Nick at Nite, TV Land, FX (I still miss the original FX in the big apartment), but Soapnet was the only channel which was about soaps. Now it's about bad Tori Spelling movies and stuff the Canadians probably force out of their country in a heartbeat.

Why can't they show stuff like You Can't Do That on Television? At least show us some entertaining Candian programs. And Alanis Morisette is edgy, circa 1996, which is where Frons seems to be anyway.

I do have to say that I've seen some people refer to SOAPnet's movies as Lifetime movies, and as a huge fan of Lifetime movies, NO. NO. NO. NO. Lifetime movies would be a huge step up from most of the movies SOAPnet shows. Lifetime movies are actually soapy. "Outrageous Fortune," "Clue," and "My Boyfriend's Back" are not.

SOAPnet just needs to find one identity and stick to it. If they want to be the new teen drama network, I could get behind that and support that if they went full steam ahead. I'd flove a channel that showed original 90210, The OC, Dawson's Creek, Friday Night Lights, Swans Crossing, Hollyoaks, and all incarnations of Degrassi. But don't call it "SOAPnet" and try to be two stations at once.