Is ABC Preparing to Cancel AMC and OLTL?

[Ryan Chamberlain]

As I said. I'm starting the 'They're Too Lovely' Initiative. It is voluntary. But, I was thinking about what matters more to be. The shows themselves. Or, the actors and behind the scenes creators who bring these shows to life. For me. It's the people who create. Not including the majority of the writers. Soapboy and I have done this already. If you would like to know what it's about. Read my status update.

[All My Shadows]

I read once back on the WoST boards that Colgate-Palmolive might have started keeping episodes of The Doctors from as early as 1973-1974, so that's like...steak dinner as far as any soap on the air at that time is concerned (for us old school soap devotees, at least). I wanted to bring it up in that Paley Center discussion in that other thread that they have episodes from the 60s, including the first episode and I believe a Christmas episode from 1968. So who knows. UCLA, of course, has the ten from 1971/1973 (not to mention all of GH's first eight years......gathering dust, never to be seen again, totally forgotten, etc.....ugh).

So I wasn't losing my mind when I saw Pawn Stars on Lifetime's lineup? Jeez. Me and my mommy loved us some Any Day Now with Miss Annie Potts and Miss Lorraine Toussaint.

[Chris B]

SFM Entertainment said they have over 5,000 episodes of The Doctors. They made it sound liek they had most of the series. I emailed them once and got this info.

That's the only soap we know that was pitched to Hallmark. They did seem very interested, but SFM wanted too much money. It was well publicized at the time. Now I agree it may have been a huge flop, but it was something that was in the works. They were shopping that show around for at least 2-3 years.

The guy who does the Daytime Emmys mentioned in Twitter he tried to work with them for a remake and they were too expensive.

[All My Shadows]

Yikes, that could be the entire run of the show, then. I really wish there was a way that these big production companies could post a database of their holdings online just for nosy fans to see. It'd be nice to see, once and for all, when exactly episodes started surviving. I'm sure a couple of those 60s soaps exist in their entirety.

[Jack]

Give it about 5 years and every media company will have their own online streaming sites for their content libraries.

[EricMontreal22]

Of course. It's really too bad Agnesnixon.com seems to be DOA...

[Jack]

That is a shame. I loved those classic eps.

[Vee]

Edge Of Night should've been revived years ago. It is ripe for it and was one of the most innovative and exciting soaps around.

I had wanted a couple EON characters - the Karrs and maybe Raven Whitney and Sky - to pop up in Llanview from Monticello during a murder mystery storyline. Just a brief spot, but EON was an ABC soap and Monticello an ABC town.

[Max]

If these rumors are true (and it sure looks that way), I'd like to apologize for criticizing so many last week (for getting so exicted after hearing this rumor from another internet source) and admit that I'm the one who's the real fool! However, before one can make the conclusion that I am a total moron, I still believe (as I previously stated) that I was correct when I predicted that AMC will not be cancelled before OLTL; I just failed to realize that AMC was in danger of getting axed at the same time as OLTL. (I felt this way not only due to AMC's much higher name recognition, but also because cancelling that soap so soon after the move to Los Angeles would be the equivalent of flushing tons of money down the toilet.)

The comments that Jack has posted have been among the most insightful that I have ever read on any message board, and I am so greatful for the effort he has put into them. Given his vast knowledge of the industry, I'd really like to ask him how Frons and the other ABC executives so badly miscalculated when they chose to move AMC to Los Angeles. How could they have made such a huge blunder, and--given that--how can investors and other ABC/Disney stakeholders have any confidence in the future of the new programming (that will be put into place by these executives) that is being produced for ABC Daytime?

Also, before I conclude, I do feel that if ABC wants to put an end both AMC and OLTL, it would be best to cancel both at the same time (as opposed to cancelling one of the soaps now, and then giving the other soap a mere six to twelve extra months to live). It would be very disrespectful to viewers of the soap that was spared if ABC essentially gave them the impression that their soap was safe, only to then cancel it so soon afterwards; from a business standpoint, it could result in AMC/OLTL viewers being even more pissed-off at ABC than if both soaps were dropped at once (which, would in turn hurt ratings for the replacement programming). Of course, the scenario that I am warning ABC against is exactly what happened at NBC with the fiasco that resulted from the way the cancellations of AW and SuBe were handled. I'm really interested in Jack's thoughts on this as well.

[DRW50]

To me that's a sign of how weak talk shows are compared to what they used to be. Most of these shows are going off the air or losing viewers or only successful because of effort years ago or because of the name value of the person outside of the show - and I can't see ABC Daytime managing to find anyone who will be able to do what Ellen or even Wendy Williams did. Not when the most they can come up with is Tori Spelling.

The telecoms want to kill streaming video and the networks will probably go along. Within five years I won't be surprised if only the very rich could watch streaming video, and the networks will still just put out the same handful of shows.

[EricMontreal22]

It's hte dilution of all network tv, really, isn't it?

[Llantano Incorporated]

I was just about to ask you if you worked in the industry Jack! Your professional knowledge (and rather corporate tone) remind me as a viewer that this is a BUSINESS. These shows are simply not viable anymore. Keep posting, it is eye opening (although a little depressing)..

Ditto to every word..

[Khan]

I'm so glad you said it, marceline. ICAM, and thank you.

[Khan]

I say they're going to put them both down at the same time - and by that, I mean, AMC and OLTL will air their final eps on the same day, which will be sooner rather than later. Take it from one of the ATWT and GL fans, though. It's much easier for things to go down this way than to have one leave one date, and then the other linger a bit longer before it too goes down. Watching ATWT limp toward its finale knowing there was no chance whatsoever for a reprieve was like some weird form of torture porn.

[dragonflies]

I think this might make people tune out more. They get in the habit of watching something else the day the soaps aren't on, the odds are they'll stick with it

I've always thought so, I think it does boil down to timeslot