Another World Discussion Thread

[watson71]

Still hard to believe that 18 years ago on June 25, 1999- AW aired its final episode... 

 

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[NothinButAttitude]

^

If anything, tomorrow is gonna mark the anniversary of the day that soaps officially died. Once AW was cancelled, it seemed like the entire genre started to unglue and fall apart. They haven't recovered since. 

[cassadine1991]

What was the reason given for AW's cancellation 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Low ratings, P&G wanting out of soaps--the same reasons P&G got rid of GL & ATWT.

[vetsoapfan]

 

In addition, Victoria Wyndham later revealed that the suits at NBC had said AW was not the type of program they wanted on their network. Whatever that is supposed to mean.

[cassadine1991]

Seriously? 

[BetterForgotten]

Well, look at the soap that replaced AW, and the success they had with Reilly's DAYS in the 90's...

[vetsoapfan]

 

Yep. She also said that in attempts to weaken the show, in order to justify cancellation, the suits purposely tried to sabotage the character of Rachel.

 

 

Yes...both painful, both better off forgotten. UGH.

 

I knew Passions would fail. Gimmick shows may have an initial burst of popularity due to the audience's curiosity, but it never lasts. Even Dark Shadows burned out after a few years, and that show had much better writers than Passions ever did.

 

The moment Marlena started levitating over her bed, I knew that DAYS, the real DAYS, intelligent, adult, witty, and sophisticated, was dead forever.

Edited June 25, 2017 by vetsoapfan

[BetterForgotten]

Things seemed very messy at AW in the late 90's - If I remember correctly, JFP left on her own accord and gave an exit interview where she alluded or talked about what a challenge it was to work on the show and how that there were a ton of cooks in that kitchen...

[vetsoapfan]

 

Not that I would ever defend the work of JFP (except, perhaps, in her early TGL period), but dealing with clueless network suits and their constant demands and interference must have been dreadful. 

[NothinButAttitude]

 

Sucks NBC felt that way as AW made them tons of money early on and was their breakout daytime series. I hate how these networks forget that it was the soaps that funded the entire networks at times and built their loyal audiences. 

[DRW50]

NBC seemed to have a lot of backstage issues for years and years before it ended. In some ways it's amazing the show lasted as long as it did, especially since it was nearly canceled several times (I think it went down to the wire in 1993).

 

Anyway, I was watching this old commercial and there's Russell Todd right at the start, I guess during his WTBA days. He's more animated here than he was during his entire AW run.

 

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The thing with Passions is the advertising didn't mention any of the supernatural elements so clearly NBC had some doubts. I don't think it would have been a hit even without that as soaps were just on the wane, period, but that and the Diana thing was a bizarre way to start a show.

 

I also think NBC, intentionally or not, made a big mistake in essentially pitting AW and Sunset Beach fans against each other and acting like only one could survive when they knew they were canceling both shows all along. It just made two very different fan groups less likely to watch.

Edited June 25, 2017 by DRW50

[watson71]

 

NBC knew all along that they were going to cancel both Another World  and Sunset Beach.  They just neglected to tell the public this, and this pitted fans of both shows against one another.  NBC waited til the last possible minute to cancel AW in April 1999.  This was done on purpose so that the show would have to wrap up quickly, and so the show could not be shopped to another network- remember the rumors of ABC wanting AW either as a replacement for Port Charles or as a possible series for the just launched Soapnet.  

 

On the day it cancelled AW, NBC gave Sunset Beach a cryptic 6 month renewal knowing all along it would cancel the series as well.  AW had to be cancelled first.  AW had higher overall ratings than SB and a "core" audience that would watch no matter what time slot NBC placed the series.  NBC knew that if they kept AW on the air, AWs ratings would be higher than those of Passions for July-December 1999.  It would be harder to cancel the higher rated AW than Passions in December 1999.  By keeping SB on the air for six more months, Passions ratings were slightly higher and benefited from airing in AWs time slot after Days.  They could cancel SB based on the fact that it was NBCs lowest rated series in December.  

 

NBC did Days no favor with this type of "game playing."  Today, it is essentially the only series on NBC daytime, besides 4 hours of the Today Show.  Days was never able to garner high ratings, like it did in the 90s, after AW was cancelled.  At the height of its popularity, NBC Daytime programmed series from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM - 6 and a half hours of programming.  Today, CBS still airs 4 and a half hours of programming- a mix of soaps, games shows, and talk shows.  NBC could also be airing the same amount of daytime programming had it not alienated its audience throughout the years.  NBC always had a history of canceling daytime shows, then giving the hour back to local affiliates for syndicated programming.

[adrnyc]

It's so frustrating to read all that!  P&G wanting out of the soap frustrates me to no end. If they wanted out, why couldn't they just sell the shows so they could continue. Just cause P&G didn't want to make them any more didn't mean that no one should make them!

[watson71]

 

I'm shocked that P&G has not made a deal to air their soaps on a retro channel like Antenna TV, MeTV, or Retro TV.   One of these channels could air a P&G block of soaps and air P&G commercials during the shows.  I would hope that P&G would archive their shows, but it makes you wonder... The Doctors has been airing for a few years on Retro TV and most of the episodes have been well preserved for a show that hasn't been broadcast in 35 years.