Would an 5-night a week night soap work?

[ian]

we all know that theres no way any network would give such a huge primetime block to a show, especially starting out, but would you be willing to watch a show that's on 5-nights a week? I believe it's worked in other countries... it'd have to be different than daytime, but do you think this would be doable?

[CSF]

I always thought that Port Charles should have premiered as a 5 night a week primetime summer series. It could have tied in with stories currently unfolding on GH that way there would be a lot of cross viewership. GH audience follows PC at night and the primetime viewers who have either left soaps or don't watch them, get hooked on PC and then tune into GH. The same with GH Nightshift. I think there is potential in that idea.

[YRBB]

Personally, I would definitely watch if the show was good. If one of the major channels went for it, it might actually work but it's something completely out of the ordinary for the US audience and I'm not sure many would be willing to go for that.

[ian]

well actually after i wrote it, I thought of soapnet and that was kind of their deal... so the idea has been put forward, we just haven't had any nibbles yet.

[jcar03]

They did them a few years ago on MyNetwork TV and they did not do well at all.

[ian]

Right those short little telenovellas... I didnt hear how they fared.

[Faulkner]

Yeah, they sucked, though...totally cliched, '80s-style, "catfighting" crap.

[quartermainefan]

I thought during the strike rather than show "America's Fattest Nanny Makeover" they should have taken one of the soaps, GL as it turned out because of its eventual fate, and aired it in the 8-9 slot daily. Even three days a week you could retool a soap like GH with their mobsters to make it primetimable. You would need better writing, sets, lighting, and actors, but there is no reason why this shouldn't be tried. If Jay Leno can go primetime, a soap can.

[bellcurve]

Fashion House, although the more popular, is a terrible example of MyNetworkTV and its then-potential.

[All My Shadows]

No indeed. First of all, none of the networks really want soaps on in the daytime. My, why in the world would they want to blemish their "immaculate" primetime schedules by putting a.....ehhhhhhsoooooap operaaaaa?!!.....in the midst of such life-changing, earth-shattering series from the likes of David E. Kelley, JJ Abrams, Joss Whedon, and whatever other pretentious, overblown writers/producers they got running nighttime.

[ian]

Don't forget Bruckheimer... think we're due for another CSI any minute now

[Southofnowhere]

I would love to see someone try to do a 5 days a week primetime soap as a Summer thing ,June- end of August.

Then if it was a hit bring it back every Summer. Don't think it would work as a 12 month a year deal , but 3 months could work and keep it fresh.

would LOVE for HBO or Showtime or HBO do a soap , curse words and naked peeps and all!

[CSF]

I never got a chance to watch Fashion House when it was one, but didn't it form some cult following. I know a bunch of people who watched it and loved it. I think if it aired weekly on NBC or if it aired 5 nights a week during the summer, it may have done well.

[MarkH]

Isn't HBO doing precisely this with In Treatment? What kind of numbers is that show pulling?

I'm actually with Goutman. In this day and age, no 18-49 year old woman (or man) is going to give a consistent 5 days a week to a new show. Not in any kind of meaningful sustainable numbers. That kind of commitment is a turnoff. A very brief (13 week or less) telenovela COULD work, but so far the recipe hasn't been successfully altered to US non-Latino tastes.

These daytime shows will play out their daily missions a little longer. But when they are gone, their successors will be primetime, once-weekly, MAYBE 13-week seasons. In that context, the serial is still creatively quite strong (AMC, FX, HBO, Showtime). Until we stop having Americans (and I'm keeping this specific to the US) who are less stressed, overworked, battling multiple role strain...we will not have a viable 5-day-or-night-a-week serial again. Americans do NOT need, and will not accept, one more daily commitment, IMO.

[CSF]

I don't believe that people just won't invest. What Goutman said is a bunch of bs and ATWT is in it's current state of despair because of his poor decisions and mismanagement. First of all, there are many people who DVR their soaps. If that isn't counted in with the rest of the ratings, something needs to be done to fix that.

Another thing which I know many people have said over and over is that daytime has lost a generation of viewers, which is true. Regardless of how that happened is besides the point. Producers, writers and network executives, have done very little in trying to lure back viewers and trying to lure in new viewers in a way that is practical. Most of their attempts have been meaningless. If you want viewers, you need to be edgy, interesting and true to the shows core. Go above and beyond in promoting the show, much like Gloria Monty did with GH. Why watch B&B if it's not gonna be about fashion? Why watch AMC if it's not gonna be about social issues. What's the point of tuning into GH if it's not a medical drama, it's a knock off of the Soprano's. Who is going to care about the once great Y&R when the crap you are seeing on your screen is really crap? Once they get it together, get the shows well written and nicely produced and get an audience who will be committed because they find these shows interesting and an escape from their daily lives (which is what they used to be), people will continue to tune it.

What was that quote by Agnes Nixon when McTavish wanted to do all those plot driven stunts during her first run as HW? People aren't going to tune in for some tornado, they are going to tune in to see stories about the characters they care about?