If soaps had stayed 30 minutes...

[Paul Raven]

If...who knows??

Anyway,I like the idea of the networks having one 60 min show each-say Days,ATWT and AMC with all others being 30 min.

With everything an hour the schedules are blocked and there is less flexibility in programming- in the 70's you had gameshows and reruns in there as well and if one 30 min soap was cancelled there was room for something new.

As a viewer you could follow shows more easily-watch 3 shows in 90 mins as opposed to a 3 hr commitment.

Also there was more counter programming,so if soaps were your thing you could watch almost every show as only a few clashed.

30 min shows were easier to follow due to smaller casts.I know this could be restrictive to the writers but the opposite largely occurred with 60 mins;the shows moved away from the core, there were huge casts and frontburner stories were handed to new characters which ultimately damaged the identity of the shows.

Of course B&B shows that it's not the length of the shows but the quality and integrity of the writers and producers that counts in the end.

[EricMontreal22]

It's interesting that both Nixon and Bell prefered writing the 30 min format.

[SOAPSFOREVER]

Absolutely, soaps would be better off if they'd stayed 30 minutes. There isn't enough story to sustain an hour of drama, five days a week. Plus, it puts way too much strain on production and the acting company. I still wish the shows were live. It gave such energy to the acting. If they were 30 minutes, they could be.

[MoTheGreat]

I don't care how long or short the soaps are. Shitty writing & lack of diversity is causing the downfall of soaps. & I'm talking about not letting black, latin, or gays in their own little storyline. I'm talking about let them interact with the other actors.