ATWT Canceled

[EastMA2]

Somebody should tell Moonves that the CBS Early Show's day is over. It's been last for decades despite him trying to pimp his wife out. Sure, ATWT had problems, but so does his wife's show.

[DeeeDee]

[DRW50]

The problem is the show's young demos are not good, and that was probably one of the main reasons they wanted something new in that slot. A 5% increase with older viewers is not going to impress.

I think they were going to cancel ATWT no matter what. Everyone knew it was going to happen after GL was canceled.

I grew up with ATWT and I hate to see the show leave. The show at its best was one of the finest programs anywhere on television. Even now, there are some strong moments. When they're written for, Bob, Kim, Lisa, Barbara, Lucinda, Emma, they can still cut you to the bone in a way few can. They are legends, they were built with blood, sweat, and tears for 20, 30, 40, 50 years. The thought of never seeing them again is hard to take.

I am not angry or surprised, but it does make me sad that some of the truly rotgut, empty soaps are still around and may actually be the last to remain on the air.

I hope this is a wakeup call for those shows, and that the hollow shells once known as Y&R and GH can improve, while they have a chance.

[Ann_SS]

I have many wonderful memories from the Marland years as well as the first couple years of Hogan Sheffer's stint. Emma, the farm, and hayloft. The Snyders marrying each other's significant others. LOL! Lucinda and Worldwide. The Iva, Kirk and Ellie triangle. The Angel abuse story. Susan's affair with Bob. The Hal, Margo and Tom triangle. Rex Smith as Darren. Paul and RealEmily dealing with James and loving each other. Damian and Lily. One of my favorite couples, Meg and Josh played by the wonderful William Fitchner. Courtney and Ethan. Andy and his drinking. Lien and Duke. Bob, Kim and Lisa. Nancy and Dan's final dance. James and Tonio as villains. Under Sheffer: Katie and Henry on the island. Katie and Simon falling love. Bryant's death. Hunt Block as Craig. The show is so unrecognizable now.

[DeeeDee]

Once TPTB recast Scott with Roger the show was in trouble.

[DRW50]

I would go as far back as what they did to Craig, when Hunt took over. When that was deemed a success, the hatchet jobs (in attempts at "edgy" characters) were given the green light.

I guess the ATWT I knew hasn't really been around in a long time, although some of the show still holds up, but what a legacy ATWT leaves. I watch that stuff now from Marland and it does not seem in any way dated. He tackled topics that would be too hot to handle for most soaps these days.

What drew me to ATWT then was the depth of the friendships and the family histories and the relationships. Every day, for months, even years, I would learn something new, that someone had once dated or been married to this other person, that this person had once been friends with that person. And all the history was there in the scenes, even years, decades later.

I also loved that we got to SEE people reacting to news. This was not shoved offcamera because someone thought it would be boring. I remember when Casey died, we didn't just see Margo, or Lyla, we saw Duke learn the news, we saw him tell Frannie. We saw Emma get a phone call. This is what happens in real life, and it made the show seem more real. It made us care more about the people involved.

ATWT was so rich at that time. I took it for granted then. For a long time I kept wondering, when will the show be like this again? And eventually I realized, "Never." But still, what they did have set a standard few others have ever or will ever match.

It just bothers me how casually the networks and a lot of the press are taking the deaths of these soaps, which were so reliable for so many decades and which were a training ground for many major TV and film stars. But I guess the soaps were always just moneymakers to them, so I shouldn't be surprised.

[DeeeDee]

Touche!

[Ann_SS]

I loved Hunt as Craig, but of course, Hogan had to go to far with the character much like what he has done with Adam. The show had been dead years before Hunt and Hogan showed up. There was only Carly and she had been ruined by that interminable romance with Jack.

You are right that the stories from the Marland years still hold up. The connections between characters is something that GH used to have in the 80s and under the Labines in the 90s. Where people spent time together and friendships developed that were not motivated solely by the plot. I wish there were more clips of the Marland years on YT.

I loved Lyla and Casey's romance. Also, Susan and Larry. I also enjoyed Betsy and Seth's romance. Marland was a masterful storyteller. If he had lived, I think that ATWT would still be on the air. It would have been tough, but he could have held ATWT's demos together.

[DRW50]

Marland was good at writing stories for teen characters. He seemed to understand a lot of their emotions and pain and their range of personalities, and he never condescended to them, which is one of the main reasons a lot of teen stories on TV are so awful. He also cast actors who generally were or looked like teenagers.

He said when he was at GL he used to ask his niece about her opinions and views, and he used that to shape the Kelly/Morgan/Nola triangle.

He was also very good at writing family relationships. These days, a lot of families on soaps just happen to share the same last name.

[JimTolkien]

I just love that man!!! Why should he have to pay for crap!!! When soap writers can actually learn to change with the times and write good stories then I will say he has nothing to say. And as fans we have to be able to adjust as well. Soaps are still being written and it's safe to say that they have not been able to pull in brand new viewers to the soap genre. They can't live on longtime viewers alone and when longtime viewers don't like newer types of stories or keep wanting things to be the way it were in the older days they leave, and you can't have sustainable growth that way, at least not in the manner CBS is used to.

But soap writers are not getting it done and I for one don't care if they have to make do with less, other companies still churn out good product on less. This is one time I am with CBS on this, I don't see why as a viewer I have to abide mediocrity and pretty much that's what coming out of CBS right now.

He probably has shareholders and a whole bunch of number crunchers breathing down his neck as well. Not a pleasant thing to deal with!!

[Soapsuds]

Colleen Zenk Pinter's Twitter and her reaction to ATWT cancellation

By now you all know. My heart is broken. We have given our all. And so much left to tell..

Heading to work in the morning.. little sleep tonight.. Will report how it is in Oakdale..

[Vee]

What I always found fascinating about Doug Marland episodes when I was lucky enough to see them, and this may be totally off-base, was how decent people seemed. Everyone seemed to be behaving kindly to one another, and any issues they had with one another were often just below the surface, at least in public; instead, at functions, people would put on a happy face and socialize and you wouldn't get the truth of what was going on outside some private moment or situation. And that is realistic. I would sit there watching episodes out of their original context, thrust into a new situation trying to piece together the underlying issues of what was really going on, because just like in real life, no one was going to cop to it in a public situation. The pace of the Snyder farm stuff and such was languid, and the characters were literate and heartfelt. You could tell they cared about one another, and it didn't have to be ironic or camp to show that about them; being good to one another didn't make them lame.

[Chris B]

As cheap as it is, it could have lower ratings than GL and do well. I think everybody knew that. The thing most people complained about is how awful the show is. First of all the game shows to renew, this one? Plus it's so poorly produced. Nothing to be proud of, IMO. I can't see the show having long term success for CBS. Not with those ratings when you compare it to Price is Right which does really well.

[DeeeDee]

Win.

[Actor87]

It amazes me that we have monthly discussions for the show that last 8 or 9 pages, at best. And here it is: the day we have received this sad, sad, sad news and there are already 13 pages. I'm mad, thinking "Where were all these people when ATWT was struggling? An outcry like this would've certainly shaken ATWT to fix something, anything, but at the same time, I'm overcome with pride. ATWT is a show with a heart of gold. It has one of the strongest and most talented casts out of the 7 remaining soap operas. It has one of the richest, most dynamic histories. And here are all these unexpected people. It's almost like being at a wake, and people you had seen once, maybe twice, coming in and paying their respects, telling you how much this beloved soap had meant to them. That, in some way, it had touched their lives, whether it be in passing, or long before things got bad. This sudden outpouring of empathy also goes to show the strong bond we all share. Soap operas have long been argued as "a dying genre". And now that the myth is turning into reality (more and more), we're coming together. And honestly....it's very touching.

I wish the best for the cast members (past and present), the crew (past and present), and the executives (past and present) that have been there--pouring their soul into this cherished serial for weeks, months, and years. I can not imagine the anguish that those people are feeling today--knowing that it's coming to an end). A day like this is sombering. It makes you take a step back and realize that all good things must come to an end.

I can not tell you how heartbroken I am. Words simply can. not. express. it. But am I going to give up early and say "what's done is done"? HELL NO. I'm going to be here until the curtain falls and Oakdale is nothing but a memory (and a legacy). People have been writing on my Facebook status all day long, wondering aloud why I'm so upset about a "tv show" being cancelled. One even went as far as calling me "demented" and telling me to get a job. But I can't even tell these people how much this show has meant to me. I grew up watching it with my mom. My Ninnie (who is no longer with us) watched the show since its start. It's a show about family, and relationships. Nothing on primetime today can match it. The storytelling, the characters, the places....they're all treasures that can't be matched.

The realization that this isn't some bizarre nightmare has barely started to sink in. I don't know what the hell I'm going to do when September 2010 comes around. I know it's just a soap, but....any soap fan can attest the bond that you feel with these characters. And although the storytelling isn't the same, it still takes you in. The simple fact that the world is coming to an end (so to speak) is, I hope, an awakening within the genre. Although, at this point, I think we're a little past redemption. Soap ARE a dying genre. In the past 3 years, we've lost 3 soaps. If that's not proof, I don't know what is. Times are changing. People aren't as patient and their attention spans are shorter. Plus, I think the onslaugh of reality TV has spoiled them against the bizarre and sometimes twisted storylines of soap operas today.

P.S.--Jean Passanante posted a comment on Tom Casiello's Facebook, stating that she was "still trying to process the news", and hoping Oakdalians would "live on in some other venue". After all the grief I've given that woman, I still respect her for getting the show this far. Hack writer or not, I like to think she tries her best. (But then again, today's made me uber-nostalgic)....