HAHA just for the record (and I'm not one to talk for typos) but it's Valent*INI* not Valente. I actually think this plays a tiny part. Soap operas have been focusing on more and more model perfect people (and more often than not one *type* of person at least when it comes to leading men and leading women), increasingly since the 1970s really--and tv, particularly American TV does anyway. But I do think the success of cable shows and even some reality tv shows that many people in younger generations (well maybe in general) are drawn more to seeing people who either look more relatable, or have more "interesting" looks (and of course I don't mean ugly by that ). Soap operas, with a few tiny concessions, really aren't catering to this whatsoever. I can't help thinking that many people flip past cuz frankly the young, model perfect people look the same from show to show and just aren't all that interesting or attention grabing (and back then for the record I found Luke/Van far hoter than Noah/Jake--lack of six pack and all).

Van/Luke is hot and real. Jake/Noah looked like a dumb jock and sort of plastic. The hair models on OLTL bug me. ATWT had pretty people who, regardless of 'faults' had sex appeal. Hated when they made a big deal about KMH being old! OLTL just feels air brushed!

I find it funny that ATWT ended up having both Real Andrews and Julie Pinson at one time, who both wound up on ABC Daytime after P&G originally turned them down for being "too sexy."

When was that?

Mid-90's. Michael Bruno said he tried to shop Andrews and Pinson to P&G and was declined because the brass thought they were too sexy.

Lord love Bruno. I assume that was before Playboy.tv's Stephen Black and Henry Stern were hired as HWs for ATWT

Actually, that might've been around the same time, if not a little later.

It is funny, though, to think P&G would consider certain actors "too sexy" for their shows. By the end, it seemed as if they'd have been thrilled if someone like Jenna Jameson had joined the ATWT or GL cast.

Amen. The Valentini comment confuses me--he's only been EP for... 7 years? Something like that--and the show hasn't climbed anytime durign that era signifcantly. It does remind of the shitty AMC EP situation too where JHC has been witht eh show as EP for God knows how long and how many writers, yet they never think to replace her (probably because Frons sees himself as EP anyway).

I DO admit Valentini is a good technical producer. Up until recently, OLTL(next to GH ) was probably the best looking soap in daytime. I think alot of the reason why OLTL looks so awful is because they're not taping in HD like The Kids, therefore, the show looks inferior to its siblings.

The demos argument for OLTL befuddles me. YES, I know demos are of utmost importance to soaps. But I remain unconvinced that a .1 higher demo for a soap really makes a HUGE amoutn of impact about what gets canceled, and I've simply never ever read anything *official* to imply that. It's all hearsay based on hearsay accepted as fact (a bit like the always mentioned fact that OLTL is somehow vastly under budget, etc).

A show has to make a significant impact in demos and in viewers to get renewed or to not panic about cancellation. A .1 difference will not keep a soap from getting the axe.

I like shirtless guys (though I have to admit I'm a bit sick of Valentini's take on what a hot shirtless guy--ie a hairless, overbuilt ken doll--should look like). I admit it. But if people are tuning in to the internet and cable instead of soaps to get their story fix, surely the horny yyounger demos (and yes I include women here--the most important demo) can and are getting their naked hunk fill thanks to the internet--everything from hardcore porn to beefcake webpages. Some skin and sex IS important for a soap to survive I think, undoubtedly. But I mean, look at what show over the last decade had the most gratuitous male nudity--Passions. Did it help much? (Yes, the show had better younger demos than older but I think that was more just due to it being a new soap with elements like Timmy the Doll).

Word to the part in bold.

And I agree 100% with everything you said there.

I DO admit Valentini is a good technical producer. Up until recently, OLTL(next to GH ) was probably the best looking soap in daytime. I think alot of the reason why OLTL looks so awful is because they're not taping in HD like The Kids, therefore, the show looks inferior to its siblings.

Fair point, and I agree--it's something that when done right, you can take for granted. Considering especially that for ages they were in one of the smallest spaces for any show (they have moved to the old AMC studios now, right?), and, while all the budget talk annoys me, it's undeniable that they have a tiny budget, he really does wonders there.

A show has to make a significant impact in demos and in viewers to get renewed or to not panic about cancellation. A .1 difference will not keep a soap from getting the axe.

OK, that's kinda what I thought... Thanks!

Word to the part in bold.

Haha! Glad you agree I dunno, maybe it was with the nude model this week, but it just kinda struck me that the types of guys we seem to have parading shirtless more and more on this show are starting to look more and more alike... (Even Eli went from lightly hairy to suddenly glistening smooth mid Ford invasion ) I suppose if I'm ever in charge of hiring a stripper for a party of Valentini's I'll know what type to look for.

Fair point, and I agree--it's something that when done right, you can take for granted. Considering especially that for ages they were in one of the smallest spaces for any show (they have moved to the old AMC studios now, right?), and, while all the budget talk annoys me, it's undeniable that they have a tiny budget, he really does wonders there.

I agree and make no mistake: Valentini does SD right. But it's just not enough when AMC and GH are both taping and broadcasting in HD. OLTL looks awful, small, and pixelated.

I also wanna see what his location shoots look like in HD. Those have gotten alot better over time.

Haha! Glad you agree I dunno, maybe it was with the nude model this week, but it just kinda struck me that the types of guys we seem to have parading shirtless more and more on this show are starting to look more and more alike... (Even Eli went from lightly hairy to suddenly glistening smooth mid Ford invasion ) I suppose if I'm ever in charge of hiring a stripper for a party of Valentini's I'll know what type to look for.

Men like Brandon Barash are sexy because of the fur. LOL. I'll be devastated if he shaves that.

We need more hairy types in daytime.

Ha I admit I like at least a bit of fur on a guy--so that's my bias, but when it's obvious they're so unaturally waxed all the time, and that's the one body type you see--interchangeable really--it just gets boring. LOL. Brody used to have a bit of trimmed hair--but the last time I swear he was waxed.

Anyway (Oh and I agree 100% about the location shots and seeing it in HD--to bring this back on topic )

Brody used to have a bit of trimmed hair--but the last time I swear he was waxed.

Which is amusing to me, since I think ML tends to have Wolfman-like qualities (or maybe it's just how his hair is cut?).