Is ABC Preparing to Cancel AMC and OLTL?

[Jonathan]

That's what my tea leaves said.

I just figured ABC would wait until La Lucci's LA stop on her book tour which is tonight. She doesn't have another signing until the very last day of the month, so ideally I think tomorrow through the end of April would be the best time to announce anything major concerning the show.

But she was pretty adamant on Good Day LA this morning that the show is safe.

[leahanna]

I think if a decision was made to cancel a show at the meeting yesterday, something would have gotten out. I got to think if a show is done in Sept, we will know this week

[dragonflies]

[SFK]

Wasn't Katie on The View this morning? I wonder if any of that was even mildly discussed.

[DRW50]

Katie was a flop as a news anchor and she's too cold and fake to be able to host a talk show. Jane Pauley, who was much more natural, failed at this, and so have many others. I don't know why anyone would ever give her a show - I think the last time she was very popular with the public was probably over ten years ago.

[Vizion]

Ehhh, I disagree. I've met her several times and she is as pleasant as can be, I don't believe she's too cold and she has a wickedly sarcastic and fantastic sense of humor. This never fails to make me laugh

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The reason why she didn't work as a news anchor was because nobody wanted to see her doing hard news, they preferred her being the perky and fun Katie that she was on The Today Show. I also think she became a lot more endearing to the public when her husband passed, as bad as that sounds, whenever someone suffers a loss or tragedy, America suddenly loves them. I do think she'd appeal to a younger audience than Oprah though, because she's a bit "cooler"

I think both a Katie Couric show and an Anderson Cooper talk show would be successful if we're being honest.

[DRW50]

I don't know how she is in real life - if you say she's nice I believe you. I just don't think that it projects oncamera. I think even in her last years at the Today Show there was a fakeness and it did not sit well as the years passed. The problem with "perky" is you grow out of it. Just ask Meg Ryan.

I don't think any new talk shows would be a success unless there are strong production values and unless the host is charismatic enough to front a major program five days a week, and I can't say that about Anderson or Katie. Anderson was hyped for years by CNN and just ended up spinning his wheels. The only time he shows personality is with Kathy Griffin.

Honestly I can't see anything from ABC being all that well done because they are so incompetent.

[leahanna]

her contract with CBS is not up until Sept, so we are talking fall 2012 for this, maybe this might be a good sign that both or at least one soap is safe for now and a lot can happen in a year

[JaySherman]

I got the feeling after reading a recent commment by Ravenbeauty that the shows are safe. If anyone was planning on emailing/calling etc ABC, I still recommend doing so.

Earlier DaytimeConfidential reported on the status of the potential replacements. The much rumored Tori Spelling talkshow is dead in the water as is the male version of The View. The two remaining replacements don't seem like strong ideas at all.

Raven indicated that ABC had been surprised at the amount of feedback it got from fans regarding the rumors. I believe the word she used was "overwhelmed"

I suspect ABC MAY feel it would be in their best interests to not cancel. OLTL is still doing well all things considered and AMC may improve with Lorraine back at the helm.

If they are going to make a cancellation move, they have to do it soon.

[Jonathan]

^ Oh RavenBeauty. You vacillate so many times.

[leahanna]

I actually think they would have by now but if we hear nothing this week, then the soaps might be safe for awhile longer, but keep calling and writing or this will happen next year

[JaySherman]

I agree. It's understandable behavior to contact when there is something to complain about but I have rarely seen people contact to show support unless something is pushing them to do so.

I suspect that if it's going to happen, they'll pull the trigger late Friday night on one of the weeks prior to the upfronts. They can still have any new show ready for presentation and wait until the last minute to cancel.

[leahanna]

but wouldn't they give the shows time to wrap up? May cancellation gives them a month to wrap up

[AlteredStates]

Barbara tried, but Katie declined to confirm anything.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/12/katie-couric-the-view-barbara-walters-future_n_848159.html

[Kylie]

Well I can tell you that the biggest thing I heard being discussed in the book signing line was the cancellation stuff, and the fact that she (Susan Lucci) had said it was safe. I know people wondered if the fans would believe her word as gospel or not, I can't say that's the case without a doubt...but that was definitely the impression that I got. Susan said the show was safe. People believe her.

Whatever that means for the PR department if they're lying, I don't know...but she's speaking, and IMO people are listening.