ABC May Be Ready To Trim Its Daytime Drama Lineup: Will 'All My Children' Go?

Dang, you guys are ruthless! LOL He's lying, doesn't know what's going on, or is telling the truth. Since you guy say the last option can't be true, I tend to think he really doesn't know yet. I doubt he'd lie. Unless he and Chriselle are both being told to Twitter the "lie".

Oh....ha ha.

That's all I have to say.

There's a lot of truth here--and it is ironic that just as audiences got more sophisticated (and I say that with some irony as I don't buy that old time soap audiences were really all that less sophisticated, though they prob were less savvy about some things we now all know--like the way a hospital actually works etc, or at the least more willing to suspend disbelief), soaps got scared of ratings dropping and started to play it safer, which I do think just eroded the ratings more. They were less willing to tackle controversial subjects, more willing to pander, less willing to hire different types of actors (by which I mean race, age, as well as not hiring only models for your young characters--didn't even Frons claim he was tired of how people on soaps all looked so perfect and similar?). So all their attempts to hang on to slipping ratings if anything IMHO just caused them to fall quicker and lose what many liked about their shows.

That said, I kinda do think daytime, network scripted drama is DOA. I don't believe the genre is dead, and I don't mean that soaps won't make a comeback, but I don't think they will on network daytime tv. The media is just too scattered now. And I do agree that it no longer even really directly reflects the quality--ratings might go back up a bit, but not to any huge degree. But yeah, I don't think the actual genre is dead. I also think there is desire for daily scripted entertainment to tap into, though I don't know how--I don't remain very much convinced by any of the online soap attempts, although with the sudden popularity of things like Netflix Streaming that all could change.

Like another great American culture, back in the 70s there were ENDLESS articles about the death of Broadway (both theatre and musicals) which wasn't helped by the resentment to the British invasion of megamusicals from there in the 80s. But the genre has survived and even thrived as of late, albeit in a different way than it once did. Sure some might complain that the shows aren't as good, but I think in time people will see the ratio of good to crap shows is basically the same as it ever was in the "golden era".

It's like that cliche, everything old is new again...

I do wish someone would try an edgy, risk taking soap that didn't need to rely so much on the family unit but, instead, a collection of co-workers, neighbors or friends. Rent was the musical that brought Broadway back and it was, at the time, a somewhat risky move.

I also think the soap needs to consider primetime due to the larger audience. Sadly, husbands seem to control the remote. This really stands out when you take a look at the top TiVo/DRV ratings with shows like Grey's and Housewives commonly at the top of the list. I can only guess that girlfriends and wives watch these shows the next day when they are alone. Oddly, you never see 'dude' shows on the list

In response to anonymous writer in FOX News piece....I'm in the process of writing an article called "Chronicles of a Shady 'AMC' Writer" on the website

Excerpt of Intro:

You know who you are, you know what you have done. While millions of viewers wait on pins and needles to find out if their favorite daytime soap is about to get canned by the network it has aired on for over 41 years, you are looking for work in reality TV. Shame on you!

Should be posted in the next half hour or so.

The chronicles of a shady Kreizman should be the title. B/c lets be honest he's the only one w/ a short term contract and the you know what to talk to press. Everyone else on AMC seems w/ a lid on it.

Oh hell, say I'm wearing sunglasses (not blinders)...but maybe the hack is out looking for work because he got fired. Not because AMC is getting canceled!

Edited March 23, 201114 yr by Kylie

Posted

The Chronicles of Shady 'AMC' Writer

I also think the soap needs to consider primetime due to the larger audience. Sadly, husbands seem to control the remote. This really stands out when you take a look at the top TiVo/DRV ratings with shows like Grey's and Housewives commonly at the top of the list. I can only guess that girlfriends and wives watch these shows the next day when they are alone. Oddly, you never see 'dude' shows on the list

Agreed, except your last point--sci fi shows that often would be called dude shows also often top the list.

I just think there's only one thing to say about the condition of daytime drama:

As if that classic sitcom moment weren't camp enough, the fact that it's taped off of the TV just sends it over the edge.

If the boom is lowered before I wake up, I will miss you AMC. And here's hoping ABC gives them 6 months to wrap up.

Edited March 23, 201114 yr by Kylie

They wouldn't just seize ops. it likely is given atleast until Sept.

I hope ABC can maybe make some timeslot changes instead of cancelling AMC outright. Maybe even scaling it back to 30 minutes. AMC does extremely well for affiliates in some markets and I know affiliates don't won't to lose those ratings for an unproven talk show. There's a slot open with Oprah gone now so maybe there's going to be some news there or its being given back to the affiliates.

One thing I know for sure ABC has big plans for their daytime changes for next season so I do believe that but I'm not 100% sold until I hear it that its a full cancellation of one of their soaps mainly AMC. ABC affiliates are going to be extremely vulnerable without Oprah in the picture so to lose Oprah and All My Children in the same year would be insane for ABC. They minus well give their time back to the affiliates if they lose both of them.

I honestly hope B&B starts looking for a cable network or syndication real soon b/c once their recently signed contract expires in 2013 I believe they'll be gone. Their future is not on CBS anymore, I say this for B&B b/c the soap is still doing very well overseas and I know Bell can syndicate the show some suitor here in the States.

For NBC, they have a favorable chance at bringing back a two-hour soap lineup so that DAYS has a companion soap. If AMC does go away then that hour is the perfect slot for a new soap to get established or moving DAYS.

I just feel like the remaining soaps need to start looking at the future and stop thinking their time is safe on their current networks.

Edited March 23, 201114 yr by Kryptonite

AMC could (I won't be awful and use past tense yet) be saved, easily. That show could still work with the right care. But there are two people definitely putting it in the ground, and that's Julie Hanan Carruthers with her mismanagement as a producer, and then Brian Frons is number one with a bullet. He knew what he wanted this show to be and he worked hard to make it happen year after year, which is why we're still stuck with Rylee, a couple no one wants. So much ripples out from that epicenter, that singular example of creative micromanagement. AMC does not have to be in this position, but Brian Frons put it there.

Edited March 23, 201114 yr by Vee

Totally agreed. While I don't believe Frons wants any soap canceled the way some claim, there's no denying what you say.