Members TeamEric Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Teeny bit? I'm a sci-fi buff that accepted mythology evolves but CC just chewed his up and spit it out. Anyhoo, the best serialized primetime show hands down was IMO Babylon 5. Soaps do need more diversity. They need to retire baby switches and drawn out who's the daddy and other overdone, cliched plots I enjoy Natalie's CSI work because at least there's some attempt to keep up to date. Hated the MyFace stuff mostly b/c it reduced Dorian into such a juvenvile. That story was better used for Ford & Langston. Soaps, most of all, need to get back to generational storytelling. Isolating the teens from parents and grandparents is a mistake. Bo/Matt/Clint holds great promise if RC continues to explore the Buke family history and dynamics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TeamEric Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Very valid point on soap boards. But on True Blood boards, nostalgia is kinda a hard sell since it's only 3 seasons and so few episodes. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DRW50 Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 I meant a lot of different TWOP boards -- like their Doctor Who boards, Mad Men, Smallville, among others, although I don't really go to some of them now so I could be off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Saving ATWT Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Nostalgia for what was gets on my nerves: My mother misses 'good shows' like Little House and the Waltons; my Grandmother longs for the good old days when programs were more modest and less sexual--we all have a habit of over-sentimenalizing the past and it may have more to do with what was actually going on with us than the television shows. I'll agree that budgets are lower thus less sets and few extrs; however, basic story stuctures remain intact, albeit, the shows move at a quicker pace. I think the main problem may be that many shows are doing, recycling, the same stories told in 1980. Also, not everything from the 'good 'ol days' was so good--Danny and Lauren singing was annoying and no better than today's rock star Noah. The Nikki/Victor story was just as sexist then as it is today. Today, I'd argue that remaining vets get far more air time than in the youth-obsessed 1980's and certainly today's ATWT gave more airtime to older characters than did Marland's era with the show when no one near Liz Hubbard's age had so much air time. The same goes for B&B where older vets remain on front burner; in addition, OLTL shunned characters the age of Vikki and Dorian back in the day but uses these characters effectivly today. GH is the only show on air today that chose to basically elimate an entire cast but maybe this was a wise move considering the shows current rank as ABC's top soap. The genre has failed to evolve yet still maintains a niche following and produces a profit. Personally, when ratings first began to decline it in the 1990's, I think it would have been wise to cancel certain shows and try new more modern formats. Also, the creators of these shows would have had a vested stake much as Irma Phillips and Bill Bell did. Today, writers like JP, HS, SH, RC jump from show to show regardless of passion or talent and have no real stake in the outcome. Phillips, Bell and Dixon gave birth to thier shows and, as a result, devoted their lives to this vocation. I doubt writing for ATWT meant much to Passante given that she was accountable to Goutman and, after that, the network and, after that PGP. HS probably feel that same way at Y&R. Guza seems to be the only writer with any real freedom and maybe that is why GH ratings have been solid. A show can not be written by team or committee--this isn't how the creative process works. With all this said, I still don't think that today's soaps are bad. Yes, they could be far better but most of the shows still manage to put ut three or four good stories per year and this is why we all continue to tune in and endure the lame stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TeamEric Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 I read a post waxing nostalgic about JFP's OLTL and how it was so much better than current RC/FV and I had to laugh. I think soap fans in general DO view the past through some pretty strong rose colored glasses. Only watched ABC soaps, but I can't name a single year that AMC totally captivated me. OLTL's 93-94 were two stellar years back to back, but hardly balanced storytelling as Todd gobbled up half the show. For me, perhaps GH's 98 came closest to being the perfectly written year, IMO. I think we soap fans need to keep it real. The past was not perfect. There were some major stinking years in the past, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TeamEric Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Smallville is one of those rare instances where I've seen some fans recently really change their tune for the better. I laughed that the Superman music is uplifting our spirits lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Saving ATWT Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Eric, Thanks--I'm so over hearing about the glory days of soap and gow great things used to be. All of the 'great' writers made mistakes (Irma had a woman fall up the stairs) and the only real problem today relates to harsh budget cuts. I will say that soaps never had large amounts of money until the boom and I don't need a bunch of extras or perfect sets in order to enjoy a show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members marceline Posted October 18, 2010 Members Share Posted October 18, 2010 Baby switches and WTD are perfect examples of types of stories that should've been retired ages ago because the modern world makes them both less and less possible. Instead shows rely on them more than ever. Why should people tune into bad science fiction masquarading as daytime drama when they can turn to Syfy and tune into real bad science-fiction? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TeamEric Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 ICAM. I wish TIIC would love leave WTD to the likes of trashy shows like Jerry Springer and Maury Povitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Saving ATWT Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 I have no issues with baby switches provided it only happens like once every five years on a particular show. In general, there are too many babies and kids on soaps these days when all the stats say women are waiting until at the least 30 to have kids. Like, you know Nick Newman will be a grandfather soon and is only in his mid-30's and by that logic he would have become a father at about age 14. I really hated the Lilly and Cane 'lets have a baby before cancer kills me' story--hogwash! Nelson on Tvguide.ca is pimping OLTL gaining 250,000 new viewers due to Zimmer. How would he know that there are all new, as opposes to fallen away fans. I'm the first one to say that out of any soap, OLTL, has the greatest room for growth but Nelson is way too excited. Last week, repeats of Y&R probably hurt OLTL and, for a few weeks, many people--even those who deny it--will check out The Talk. I expect OLTL to grow over the next six months but there are going to be many ups and downs. I think the addition of TC will probably bring some buzz. Got a feeling she will be paired with Todd rather quickly and become a pathetic 'super couple'. Nelson wrote a rather long essay on ATWT and about how the ratings did not justify cancellation. Made a remark that ATWT did better than 'many primetime shows'. Aside from CW and My networks, there aren't many shows that rate 1.7 (.9) demos. ATWT was my show but Nelson seems, once again, to be going too far. BTW, is OLTL up against Days in many markets? I really could see ATWT fans watching Days, even older viewers with Maggie and Victor getting so much air time. Days, like ATWT, is ol' school even with the many teen characters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members marceline Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 The most destructive thing Nelson ever offers any actor or show is his love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fanOLTL Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 Sorta off-topic but according to early sources, The Talk's premiere on Monday did not beat OLTL in the ratings. http://www.deadline.com/2010/10/cbs-daytime-show-the-talk-debuts-ok/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Llantano Incorporated Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 Well it did tie it though... I do wonder what this will mean for OLTL's ratings. I figure OLTL will drop 100-150,000 viewers in the upcoming ratings.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JNewt Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 WOAH! what a surprise here. The View’s ratings are already pretty high but I really didn’t think that OLTL had a chance of beating The Talk and it really wasn’t that close. OLTL has been on fire lately quality wise and people love bragging about how good it is so that’s a really good sign right now that OLTL may have some room to grow here in the coming months. I did sample The Talk for about 10 minutes yesterday and quickly turned the channel it was a horrible rip-off of The View and Leah Remini was not used as well as I hoped they used her b/c I know she knows how to stir it up in a rant or a debate. I hope DAYS did well also although it wasn’t mentioned here. DAYS usually gets close to the ratings for their Monday shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scotty Posted October 19, 2010 Members Share Posted October 19, 2010 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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