I saw that, too. I have to wonder if there really is this great divide between online fans and non-online fans, though. I mean, it's not like being online automatically changes your opinion. On the other hand, I know a lot of people who agree with this or that on message boards because they feel like they "have" to. IDK, it's complicated.

The Fords alone probably wouldn't have made me tune out. My main bone of contention with this show was that I realized that nearly all of the couples I loved in 2008-2009 were trashed by early 2010 and that most of the characters I loved were trashed or shown the door. I couldn't deal with that nonsense. Then to try to turn my head with Corbin Fisher and Frat Pad rejects running the show with their "daddy issues"....that sealed the deal. Had they kept Rachel around and wrote for her, Kyle and Oliver around and wrote for them, didn't ignore and trash Roxy, didn't trash Langston and Markko, didn't trash Charlie and Viki, didn't center the show on poor misunderstood Todd and his harem (which includes his daughters), didn't trash Cole, didn't trash Cris and Layla, and didn't desperately and transparently and basically shoe horn La Zimmer into the show in the form of Echo, I might have been able to deal with the Fords, but all of that added together? No. Way. In. Hell.

I don't think there's a divide either, not really. I never have.

I think OLTL made a lot of mistakes with the characters of Todd and Rex, and those mistakes encompassed more and more of the show. Their stories were pure hell in 2009. Yet, they were rewarded for this, and one of the few stories which, while not great, was truly unique for the show and took OLTL back to its roots (the Kish story and their extended friends/family/confidantes), was not only trashed, but the actors were smeared and a very obvious statement was made that minorities were not welcome.

And after that was stamped out, they went back to more lousy stories with Todd and Rex, and then the Fords. No wonder ratings collapsed. If the show had ever been able to or had the guts to fix what they did with Todd and Rex, then so much might be different now.

They got the numbers switched around. Original article (unless Digest is going monthly soon, the NY Post got that detail wrong)...

"The two magazines now have combined circulation of around 650,000 -- 500,000 for the now monthly Soap Opera Digest and 150,000 for Soap Opera Weekly. With the empty pockets at checkout counters, insiders said AMI is already working on a newsstand special on reality-TV shows, covering Kim Kardashian and shows such as 'Housewives of Orange County.'"

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/drama_for_magazines_after_soap_opera_ymiCLz1DyWK9wAeWxfqHgI#ixzz1JoIzrRq4

They are behind the times again. The Kardashians are fading out, as far as I can see, and the OC Housewives is too.

There's a lot of things to blame for the end of soap operas. My list in no particular order...

- 10 to 15 year decline in quality of programming for various reasons (12-17, 18-34 & 18-49 focus, executive interference, copying elements that were successful for other programs even if it didn't fit, etc)

- The surge of cable & cable news, beginning with OJ Simpson

- The surge of the internet and it's own entertainment value. Young adults and kids don't watch soaps or television for escape and entertainment anymore, they get that from the various venues on the internet.

- The surge of reality television; real people doing soap opera type stuff

- The surge of women in the work place

- Failure of soap and network executives to adapt soap operas to the changing world

- Other ways to watch the soaps whenever you want that are not really counted including on the internet (youtube, ABC, CBS, NBC) and on cable (Soapnet).

Has anyone seen this clip? Cam is keenly aware of his acting range. LOL He seems like a really good guy and seems to know he's not the best, and that Ryan isn't the most expressive or best acted character.

- Failure of soap and network executives to adapt soap operas to the changing world

That one's the main issue.

The rest are just pretty basic for tv in general.

IMO, Mathison is a passable actor who's suffered from Frons' obsession with him and his character. Neither he nor Lavery should every have been the frontburner airhog that we've been forced to endure and I think he knows this and hates it as much as we do. I judge soap actors on two criteria: talent and respect/connection with fans. I don't consider him particularly talented but from what I've seen and heard he is gangbusters with the fans. Affable, generous with his time and attention and really fun. HE understands his place in the genre. It's Frons who never has. Anyway, I suspect Cam Mat has a long and wonderful future as a game show host.

ETA: LOL! Kylie beat me to it!

Edited April 17, 201115 yr by marceline

Newest tweet from Jamey Giddens: Taped a bombshell hour of Daytime Confidential w/ TV Guide's Michael Logan.

Hmmm, hopefully they post this soon. I'm pretty curious as what what Michael Logan had to say.

Like many have stated, ABC will get more backlash with AMC/OLTL gone then CBS got with GL/ATWT.

I am excited to see what bombshell things they were talking about but I am holding my breath considering it is Jamey Giddens.....thinking everything he says is a bombshell...

- The surge of women in the work place

I think this is the real reason. The networks don't really make sense in that it is 2011 but they want the audience from 1951. The young, upscale demographic they are trying to reach are just not home. And then the people who are not home DVR the shows, but the networks say "sorry, you don't count."

I have two weeks of DOOL in my DVR to get to, 3 hours of The Killing, to weeks of The Borgias, and I think I have family ties repeats from The Hub, sitting in my DVR almost a month. That's the reality. The sports divisions are much better at adapting. If you are a wealthy male 25-54 and you are not home to watch The Masters golf tournament, have no fear: You can watch it at Masters.com, CBS.com, ESPN3.com and probably someplace else too. The UK never ran Eastenders in the morning, and consequently it was able to find eyes to look at it. Looking at all the horrible reality shows ABC runs at night, I don't see why they couldn't retool AMC to air 3 night a week at 8 pm. Isn't that better than America's Fattest Nanny?

One of the callers just said that they're all saying "prayers to turn around the All My Children situation,"

*sigh* I can actually picture this.

He's a nice guy with a nonthreatening milquetoasty quality that appeals to the women of Middle America. That's his niche. I wish him well in his future endeavors.

I agree. He seems like a really nice guy, who happened to be dealt a soap opera body and knows that's the only reason why he is around. He seems very likable to me even though his character overstayed its welcome years ago.

Newest tweet from Jamey Giddens: Taped a bombshell hour of Daytime Confidential w/ TV Guide's Michael Logan.

Hmmm, hopefully they post this soon. I'm pretty curious as what what Michael Logan had to say.

Logan of course was the first to accurately report OLTL was in just as much danger as AMC was.... I'd be interested too if there was some way I could filter out the parts where Jamey is speaking....

Logan of course was the first to accurately report OLTL was in just as much danger as AMC was.... I'd be interested too if there was some way I could filter out the parts where Jamey is speaking....

Seriously. His voice is almost painful to listen to. Then there's those bizarre segues.

cannot wait for this. michael logan will have some hardcore details. My guess is his sources, after the announcement became official, gave more details.. who knows...cannot wait.

Logan of course was the first to accurately report OLTL was in just as much danger as AMC was.... I'd be interested too if there was some way I could filter out the parts where Jamey is speaking....

That's why I said, I'm looking forward to what Logan has to say, not Logan and Jamey.

I hope Logan revealed everything he knows. Let it all hang out Michael!

Edited April 17, 201115 yr by wingwalker

There's a lot of things to blame for the end of soap operas. My list in no particular order...

- 10 to 15 year decline in quality of programming for various reasons (12-17, 18-34 & 18-49 focus, executive interference, copying elements that were successful for other programs even if it didn't fit, etc)

- The surge of cable & cable news, beginning with OJ Simpson

- The surge of the internet and it's own entertainment value. Young adults and kids don't watch soaps or television for escape and entertainment anymore, they get that from the various venues on the internet.

- The surge of reality television; real people doing soap opera type stuff

- The surge of women in the work place

- Failure of soap and network executives to adapt soap operas to the changing world

- Other ways to watch the soaps whenever you want that are not really counted including on the internet (youtube, ABC, CBS, NBC) and on cable (Soapnet).

That one's the main issue.

The rest are just pretty basic for tv in general.

This and this.