ALL: Will SOAPnet ever acquire all current shows?

[Gray Bunny]

5 of the 7 soaps are replayed on SOAPnet. As the World Turns is pretty much out of the running. So would The Bold & the Beautiful ever show up on Soapnet? I don't know the legal issues behind the scenes regarding who owns it and all. Y&R is the only CBS soap on Soapnet, but B&B seems to be the only other likely contender. Plus, with rumors of One Life to Live's impending death, the cable network might need another hour (okay, half hour) to fill. Thoughts?

[bellcurve]

The better question is...will SOAPnet even WANT daytime soaps by the time OLTL is canned?

[Chris B]

The daytime soaps and Knots Landing, Dallas, Dynasty, etc. from back in the day are what made SOAPnet what it is. Now they're using that money to get as far away from soaps as they can. Just like when daytime soaps were keeping those expensive primetime shows on air. They can't even get respect on a soap network.

Look at all these new shows that aren't soapy at all. Back on Mom and Dad? First of all, that's the worst idea for a reality show I've ever seen. Second of all....what does it have to do with soaps? It's self contained for heavens sake! Bravo has more docu-soaps than SOAPnet! I expect a name change within five years.

[Cheap21]

SN doesnt want soaps!

[JackPeyton]

I dont blame soapnet tho. Since they made a shift and added shows from up north and crappy reality tv it has really boomed and became a money maker. Soapnet is now mentioned in articles of what cable networks are doing th best, They never would have been there with just soaps.

I wish we had real numbers, but its obvious that reruns of 90210, one tree hill, the oc, gilmore girls do better than the soaps. An soapnet did give soaps and older primetime soaps a legit chance, it just wasnt there.

I would love a network to only show old legit real soap operas, it wont happen. The internet is our best bet IMHO.

I agree about a name change, it will come soon. Question is if soapnet will keep current soaps reruns at night or not.

[MarkH]

Yup--agree with everything.

I thought about this the other day. I think with networks like WE ("Women's Entertainment") and "Lifetime - Television for Women", ABC ought to just take a page from their "ABC Family" brand, and re-brand Soapnet as "ABC Women". They could continue to show soaps as long as it is profitable, but it would better capture their expanded brand, and give them more leeway to program women-oriented movies, reruns, talk shows, and reality programs. It basically would legitimize what they are already doing.

And, as a side note, it would totally keep me away from the channel ...but they don't care about that.

[Chris B]

Press releases show that the daytime soaps are successful and have been for a long time. Particularly Y&R, AMC and OLTL. I know Knots Landing's contract was renewed before the pulled it and started airing all those teen soaps. I think there could be a balance. Do you really need two episodes a day of OC when it only ran four seasons? They could air one episode of 90210, OTH and OC and it opens up more time slots. They could add a Knots Landing or Dallas or Ugly Betty or anything to add some variety.

SOAPnet got where it was because of soaps not in spite of them. The only successful reality show they've launched is Southern Bells, btw. All others haven't been successful. The only successful drama is Being Erica, the others have flopped. That shows you that this current plan isn't the grand savior that it's cracked up to be. This is simply the new vision that they want.

[Ann_SS]

All the evidence says otherwise. From the media reports, SoapNet was struggling financially until last year when it dumped most of the soaps and add the movie reruns, prime time serial reruns and those tacky reality shows. There is not market for a full time soap channel. SoapNet changed its programming to survive. It needs the Beverly Hills 90210, O.C. and OTH to get the younger viewer compared to Dallas and Knots Landing. Also, I am certain that ABC only allows SoapNet to run Ugly Betty at specific times.

[MarkH]

I agree with Ann_SS.

The original and vintage soaps (daytime and primetime) got old people to call their cable companies and get Soapnet on the lineup.

But then those old people were bad for advertisers. Advertisers want that 18-49 demo.

So, once they had all the households lined up, then they needed to scare away the old viewers and bring in the desireable demo. That, of course, explains the current lineup.

Part of a network's success in these cable realms is less RATINGS (as Sara Bibel has said, they are hard to measure reliably with these small numbers), and more "buzz". Sadly, KL/Dallas/AW/RH, etc do not bring "buzz". They bring "nostalgia".

Clearly, 90210 and MP still have cultural currency. (Just ask the CW). So Soapnet is trying to use this to bring the desirable demo to their network.

It's not RIGHT, but this is how all the cable nets work.

[bellcurve]

And watch it backfire bigtime on their asses.

GSN tried to turn itself into some blackjack/Texas Hold 'Em Network and it was an epic fail.

There are too many channels like SOAPnet out there that are exactly the same as SOAPnet. ABC/Disney are majorly shooting themselves in the foot by doing this to the lineup. Without soaps, the network will not survive.

[All My Shadows]

I still wonder why they dropped MP and never brought it back after the new version was announced.

Some cable nets are really realizing that they just need to stick to what they're known for. TV Land has tried so hard to distance itself from classic TV these last few years, but their number one shows continue to be "Bonanza" and "The Andy Griffith Show." They aired a special anniversary marathon for "The Brady Bunch" and its numbers were so good that they brought it back to the primetime schedule, when just months ago, primetime was dominated by "Roseanne," "Married with Children," and "3rd Rock from the Sun."

[Gray Bunny]

Yea, sad/interesting that Melrose Place wasn't "relevant" or getting enough ratings.

P.S. I love Roseanne on TV Land... but am glad to hear the numbers are still good for the older shows. There needs to be a channel for every niche, every age group, every genre. It's possible. And if Soapnet's new incarnation makes money, it can help finance a Soapnet 2 with its vintage and nostalgic programming. Just my hopeful opinion.

[All My Shadows]

I really hope that that's the direction things are going in: instead of channels dedicated to certain audiences, channels dedicated to certain types of programming. I hate it when Lifetime claims to be "Television for Women," because...well, what about the women who don't like what they show? And the men that do? Same with channels like BET and now TEENick.