ATWT Canceled

[Lucid]

http://www.welovesoaps.net/2009/12/as-world-turns-has-been-canceled.html

AS THE WORLD TURNS, the iconic television soap opera that debuted on April 2, 1956, has been canceled by CBS after 53 years.

Press release

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-the-world-turns-ends-on-cbs-in-september-2010-78768282.html

[AllAboutAngst]

Unfortunately, it's true

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/as-the-world-turns-ends-on-cbs-in-september-2010-78768282.html

Show Entertained Fans For Half Century

NEW YORK, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- As The World Turns, the long-running daytime drama, will complete its final season on the CBS Television Network in September 2010. CBS has decided not to renew the show for the 2010/2011 broadcast season, thereby ending its 54-year run on the Network.

"Throughout our history, As The World Turns has remained dedicated to sharing compelling stories that have entertained fans for more than five decades," said Executive Producer Chris Goutman. "We are disappointed and saddened by the news that the show is not being renewed. It will certainly be a loss for all of us, and for the show's loyal audience."

"As The World Turns has been a cornerstone of our business and a tremendous asset to the company," said Brian T. Cahill, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, TeleNext Media, Inc. "We are proactively seeking a new outlet to carry the show, and are open to exploring innovative formats and relationships that will enable the future success of ATWT."

The epitome of multi-generational, serial storytelling, As The World Turns has been entertaining generations of fans for more than half a century. The show boasts a well-loved and long-tenured cast, including actress Helen Wagner (Nancy Hughes) who spoke the first words on the premier broadcast of ATWT in 1956. To this day, Nancy is still at the helm of the Hughes family, earning Wagner the distinction of portraying the longest-running character in television history.

Other veteran cast members still on the show today include Eileen Fulton (Lisa Grimaldi) and Don Hastings (Dr. Bob Hughes) who each have played their characters for 49 years; Marie Masters (Dr. Susan Stewart) with 41 years; and Kathryn Hays (Kim Hughes) who has starred on the show for 37 years.

As The World Turns has tackled many contemporary themes over the years, including AIDS, Alzheimer's, alcoholism and more, while remaining true to the show's rich history and realistic characters. In 1988, the serial made history by introducing daytime television's first gay male character, Hank Eliot (played by Brian Starcher), for which it was honored at the first annual GLAAD media awards in 1990.

Created by Irna Phillips, As The World Turns premiered on April 2, 1956 as a 30-minute live television show, unprecedented at the time for a soap opera. Top-rated from 1959 to 1971, it was the first daytime serial with its own spin-off, Our Private World, which aired in prime-time. The show switched to color on 1967, and expanded from a half-hour in length to one hour in 1975. Over the years, ATWT has been awarded numerous accolades, including 58 Daytime Emmy awards.

Set in the fictional Midwestern town of Oakdale, As The World Turns launched the careers of many now-famous Hollywood celebrities, such as Dana Delaney, James Earl Jones, Julianne Moore, Parker Posey, Meg Ryan, and Marisa Tomei to name a few.

About As The World Turns

As The World Turns tapes in Brooklyn, New York and airs weekdays on the CBS Television Network. (Check local listings.) Christopher Goutman is the Executive Producer; Jean Passanante and David Kreizman are Headwriters. For more information, visit www.astheworldturns.net.

About TeleNext Media, Inc.

TeleNext Media, Inc. is a full-service production agency primarily known for producing the Emmy award-winning daytime serials As The World Turns and Guiding Light. TeleNext Media has produced twenty different daytime serials since 1933. TeleNext Media, Inc. is also the producer of The People's Choice Awards and continues to develop new multi-platform content in a variety of genres and strong industry partnerships, including the New York Television Festival. Headquartered in New York, TeleNext Media is a business unit of MediaVest, a full-service media and communications unit of Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), a subsidiary of the Paris-based Publicis Groupe network.

[Chris B]

Wow. At least they have a longer time to prepare for the end. I hope they do the show justice. We all knew it was based on November sweeps and since the show tanked for sweeps, it was as good as gone. I also find it funny you bring on David Kriezman and a month later the show is dead. I hope that is a sign to anyone who wants to hire him for another soap. Same for Ellen Wheeler. I actually think the show has gotten WORSE since he arrived. Compared to how it was a few months ago, it's not very good at all. The loss of the Hughes story hurt the show. If it's true that Lifetime wanted GL, but already had it's primetime schedule locked in, it'll be interesting to see if they try and do something with World Turns.

But damn. Jerry Birn has passed away and this. What an awful day to be a soap fan.

[Vee]

I knew it.

Sad, but not surprising. And frankly IMO a mercy killing just like GL. It's a waste, though, just like GL. Both shows could have been so much more in their last years. Even today, watching yesterday's episode, I thought of ways to try and improve that show, that it still could be done despite what Goutman's love of ADD pacing and plotting (and casting) had done to it.

This has been in the air for at least three or four years.

I'll say this for OLTL. I hope they get that much time to send it off when they finally go. I am extremely glad it did not go before this show.

[Sylph]

I bet Nelson is loving this! It's a different tune than the one people were playing yesterday. It did turn out to be true, the ancient prophecy: Hire Wheeler and you shall vanish.

[dm.]

ANOTHER sad day for soaps. There isn't much time left. So sad.

[TC]

Sad news. I wonder if this was in the air but unconfirmed when Branco made his "sad news" comment.

Yes. And I hope they get RC or better to carry it to the end.

[Lucid]

I really thought this was a joke, guess not, very sad day for soap fans

[Sylph]

Show-killers (Passanante, Laiman, Kreizman, Wheeler, Goutman) kill shows. Banal yet eternal.

[Cat]

Holy [!@#$%^&*]. I hate it when soaps get cancelled.

Glad they have some time to wrap things up. But ATWT fans must be devastated.

ATWT in the early to mid-1990s will always live on in my heart.

[Ann_SS]

Farewell, ATWT. Another show that lingered longer than it should have. I feel for the cast and crew. I'll always have wonderful memories from the Marland years when the show was golden.

Didn't NB say that ATWT had been renewed? To quote the great Redd Foreman, "dumb@ss!"

[Marco Dane]

WHAT !!!!!!!!!!!! I AM SHOCKED ONLY 2 REMAIN ON CBS

[Ann_SS]

I told you that the soap media never scoops the cancellation. It is usually tv/media mags.

Brad Bell needs to watch out. B&B's 18 to 49 women demo is about the same as ATWT.

[P.J.]

It sucks....and there's no way ATWT is in as bad a shape as GL was.

Sigh..."other outlets" my ass. Blogging crap is not "other outlets".

I'm completely devastated.

[JellicleCat]

OH NOOOOO!!!

I guess it was only a matter of time, but still.....

It hardly seems real that both GL and ATWT will be gone this time next year. They've always been around, and now they won't be. I feel numb.