You have no idea how much. The perfect example being OLTL and what happens behind-the-scenes there. You have no idea.

Yes I do. The OLTL trainwreck is my personal fave.

As for ATWT, my mom watched ATWT for years. When I told her that ATWT got canceled, she was surprised it was even still on. She's not like me. She didn't leave soaps out of anger or disappointment, she just lost interest and found something else. If you asked her why, I'm not sure she could even tell you.

Oy vey ismir

That's Yiddish, right?

That's Yiddish, right?

It ain't Swahili.

They have endured probably because they didn't know what to replace them with. If they find a more lucrative but cheaper business model, they will cancel them all.

See that I believe it truer than anything else. Why has reality TV taken over primetime? Why is it that primetime rarely gives a show today more than a few weeks to generate interest or draw an audience and if it doesn't it gets cancelled. Money. In Primetime, the days of critically acclaimed shows like Cheers or Taxi or even L&O when it first started airing would never ever be given the opportunities to stick today like they were back years ago. One show is gone, they quickly replace it with another or a cheap reality show.

It ain't Swahili.

I speak both. It's the same for me.

Jack of all trades, master of none!

I speak both. It's the same for me.

Luga moja haitoshi!

See that I believe it truer than anything else. Why has reality TV taken over primetime? Why is it that primetime rarely gives a show today more than a few weeks to generate interest or draw an audience and if it doesn't it gets cancelled. Money. In Primetime, the days of critically acclaimed shows like Cheers or Taxi or even L&O when it first started airing would never ever be given the opportunities to stick today like they were back years ago. One show is gone, they quickly replace it with another or a cheap reality show.

I just wonder for how long that will continue. Probably until they self-destruct completely.

Luga moja haitoshi!

It's sure isn't.

I just wonder for how long that will continue. Probably until they self-destruct completely.

But you notice the same thing doesn't seem to happen with shows developed for stations like USA, TNT, Lifetime or HBO or Showtime or even Bravo. Those shows seem to be given more of a chance to succeed or else they just don't have the same demands in terms of audience volume because they have revenue sources other than advertising dollars.

Getting off topic I guess

But I think the original stmt was probably true. If the networks had something less costly that could generate comparable viewing numbers or revenue, no doubt soaps would be gone. I'm actually shocked they haven't gone to showing reruns of popular shows during those timeslots like many of the successful cable stations like TNT and Lifetime have done. Heck it was I think TNT's original deal of showing L&O reruns that helped generate more viewing and interest in the show on primetime. NCIS reruns on USA certainly has seemed to help the numbers for the show on CBS.

Edited December 10, 200916 yr by JaneAusten

I have been with this show the entire 56 year's. I will miss it dearly. Another part of my life is ending AGAIN. I knew when P&G sent GL writer's to ATWT's they wanted it GONE. I said this over and over on the internet. You don't send writer's that sink one show over to "save" another show. They want these soap's gone because they cost to much money to pay the cast. I can understand they want to be rid of them but to tell viewer's they are "trying to find a new home" so we don't stop buying thier product is degrading to all of us that has watched most of our lives. If I had to buy a P&G product they would be out of business. Not because they cancelled these show's but because they have lied to us so much. I haven't watched any CBS show except ATWT's since Gl's cancellation and I will never watch any CBS show. They can go straight to hell as far as I am concerned. I don't accept it when my son lie's to me and I won't stand for it when anyone else does either.

That's lovely, but I don't believe it.

Don't forget the viewership kept bleeding even when Bill Bell, Harding Lemay and Douglas Marland wrote shows. They couldn't even stabilise them.

Psst.... Cable-TV arrived in the early 80's; Alternative choices.

Edited December 11, 200916 yr by Gray Bunny

I honestly envy those of you who have expressed a cold acceptance of "the death of soap operas." I think those of us who are fans of ATWT or OLTL or Days or whatever are also being made to feel somewhat stupid for caring. By Les Moonves -- and by people here on SON. Perhaps this is our way of beating ourselves up over the slow, painful end of Daytime drama.

I remember feeling heartbroken when the soaps I loved were cancelled. I remember discovering AW after it had been taken off the air and mourning the fact that I never embraced this gem when it was around. I honestly believe that ATWT, for all its faults, has been snatched from us before its time.

Man, I wish I could not care! I wish I could walk away and easily replace my viewing of a soap with, say, People's Court or L&O! But none of these shows excite my imagination the way a soap does. I am not emotionally invested in them. I love the soap opera. I love the way it used to be and sometimes I love the way it still is. A habit, an addiction, perhaps. But I do not want these shows to leave! It's not the same as saying goodbye to a Primetime show which put in three solid seasons. For one thing, PT has the DVD sales to fall back on. We Daytimers should be so lucky. If the daily serial leaves, then its loss will leave a void. There isn't really anything on TV that fills that void for me.

I wish I were a super-rich philanthropist and could subsidize a handful of soaps on a particular network, to be shown between 5-8pm! I swear I wouldn't be a Bloom. I'd buy out all the advertising time, bribe the affiliates, handpick competent and dedicated talent, and try and nurture the genre back to health. LOL.

Edited December 11, 200916 yr by Cat

I honestly envy those of you who have expressed a cold acceptance of "the death of soap operas." I think those of us who are fans of ATWT or OLTL or Days or whatever are also being made to feel somewhat stupid for caring. By Les Moonves -- and by people here on SON. Perhaps this is our way of beating ourselves up over the slow, painful end of Daytime drama.

No, I don't think people are trying to make other people feel stupid. I do, however, think that some are trying to say that you should be careful with what you wish for and careful with deceiving yourself. None of these executives, and now even some writers, producers and directors, cares anymore. They've been burnt too many times, and fans were burnt too. So it's not people saying to other people You're a moron!, it is people being cautious and accepting the reality. In some degree or totally. Everyone here likes a soap opera, SON does not need another division, and especially not the one those who love soaps and those who do not. That just creates more toxic fumes and nasty fights.

I wish I were a super-rich philanthropist and could subsidize a handful of soaps on a particular network, to be shown between 5-8pm! I swear I wouldn't be a Bloom. I'd buy out all the advertising time, bribe the affiliates, handpick competent and dedicated talent, and try and nurture the genre back to health. LOL.

People would take advantage of you and you would go straight into bankruptcy and ruin.

Don't kid yourself.

Edited December 11, 200916 yr by Sylph

My intention is not to create division on SON. At all. I know people here love soaps. I am just envious about the ones who are clear-eyed about Daytime's fate (and I'm still pissed off at Moonves laughing about it). ATWT was never "my" show but it was one I kept up with and the news has hit me harder than I thought. IMO ATWT had the best actors in all of Daytime. I wish I could feel rationally about all of this but I can't, really.

My intention is not to create division on SON. At all. I know people here love soaps. I am just envious about the ones who are clear-eyed about Daytime's fate (and I'm still pissed off at Moonves laughing about it). ATWT was never "my" show but it was one I kept up with and the news has hit me harder than I thought. IMO ATWT had the best actors in all of Daytime. I wish I could feel rationally about all of this but I can't, really.

People grieve in different ways. Many are heart-broken, but there's not much they can do and they just accept it... Others can't accept it. Many will never forget the show, and some might never get over it.