I have about 25 concept articles in the works relating to this topic...here's one of them....

Why Frons Sucks, But is a Creative Genius!

Anyone that can cancel a show called "All My Children" in favor of a show called "The Chew" has some big balls in their pants and we don't mean the nuts.

Nope I agree with you. I have always felt ONE LIFE has sort of been handled with kid gloves from the get go because of it's rather liberal content...this is a show that featured a multitude of social intrigues surrounding African-Americans, Jewish, Irish-Catholics, and Polish-Americans front and center. I think as much as the network initially appreciated it for its diversity, Americans would have never embraced the show long term unless the introductions of Dorian Lord, Karen Wolek and the advent of the Buchanan family had been made.

Erik

I'm not sure the "libeal factor" comes into play. When it comes to structure, a soap is a soap is a soap. I just think that AMC for whatever reasons has always seemed to have a more-across-the-board appeal, it was well known as Carol Burnett's favorite soap, yadda yadda, while OLTL usually seemed like an experimental soap that didn't always have that same universal appeal. Even today, OLTL seems like an edgy, independent, underground niche soap, which believe me is a good thing in this era of homogenization. I think also that during what many people reference as the golden ages of AMC and GH, the late 70s through the early-mid 80s, OLTL was clearly a show in transition, so it was then that it may have taken on that rep as "that show between AMC and GH," which sort of seemed to stick over the years. By the time the show entered its golden age of the mid to late 80s, while AMC and GH began to falter creatively and ratings-wise, I think the luster of soaps was starting to disappear. Just my 2 cents from a viewer who has watched and loved both shows over the years.

The show had decent ratings in its first few years, then declined as the country moved away from social issues, and Agnes began moving on. The big reason for the ratings increase was the hiring of Jacquie Courtney and George Reinholt. Then OLTL built on this.

To me it seems the country wasn't that removed from social issues. People still tuned in to CHILDREN for Erica's abortion, and Phil and Tara's romance being challenged by the Vietnam War and how their families were impacted. But CHILDREN was about Anglo-Americans. Back at ONE LIFE they needed something to keep an audience and I did forget to include the characters of Tony Lord and Pat Ashley so thank you. However, I don't think the attempt to use Jacquie Courtney and George Reinholdt was that much of a fix despite how popular they had been as Steve and Alice on ANOTHER WORLD. I honestly think it was Nancy Pinkerton's Dorian who started to attract viewers with her character and all the evil things she was doing. I do give the late Jacquie Courtney credit though as on ONE LIFE TO LIVE she really came into her own.

I don't know if that was what got viewers for AMC. I think it was Phoebe and that type of thing.

I think that OLTL gained a million viewers as soon as Jacquie and George arrived, although I might be wrong.

That's not to say Nancy Pinkerton didn't play a part, but her story built over a long time.

Edited April 18, 201114 yr by CarlD2

Just my 2 cents from a viewer who has watched and loved both shows over the years.

I love/loved CHILDREN too...I was 18 in '94. I remember CHILDREN celebrating their 25th like it was yesterday. I taped the whole week and the primetime special just to see all the characters and memories...I couldn't fathom what 25 years from mow would be like but I felt it just had to be great. Then Sarah Michelle Gellar left and the show got weird. It became overrun with twins, doppelgangers, ever legacy character after Erica had some illegitimate son or daughter - Opal, Myrtle, Marian, etc., Let me ask you, do you think Erica would/should/could have just settled down by now? I mean seriously, stringing Jackson along since the day they met it actually discredits them both in my mind. Thank God Agnes and Lorraine are there to end her properly.

Erik

I always heard that Jacquie Courtney was extremely jealous of Judith Light's rise to popularity in the late 70's. She supposedly thought she was going to be the main female attraction on the show, even surpassing Vicki, but it never worked out that way. Once characters like Karen, Jenny, and Dorian took off, Pat never seemed to catch on as well.

I think Pat's character was too reliant on backstory, and also on a character who had little purpose once Reinholt left, in spite of multiple recasts. I also thought killing off Brian Kendall was a bit of an odd choice.

But I do think that her arrival with Reinholt was one of the few stunt cast moves that worked and helped give OLTL breathing room to make the changes that helped them have the great run in the late 70s.

I don't know if that was what got viewers for AMC. I think it was Phoebe and that type of thing.

I think that OLTL gained a million viewers as soon as Jacquie and George arrived, although I might be wrong.

That's not to say Nancy Pinkerton didn't play a part, but her story built over a long time.

Oh I agree, the characters on CHILDREN were fabulous...they were very nuanced, distinct shades of gray, though predominantly white. And given the way things were then vs. now...I don't think a lot of white people would have watched ONE LIFE. You look at a character like Sadie Gray or Ed Hall...most of Middle America probably couldn't relate, they needed ALL IN THE FAMILY to break that barrier I don't think Agnes Nixon had an issue with telling stories about diversity because when she got clearance to do so it was an enviable art form. I think she would have done more earlier but with viewers you sort of have to ease them in. As attitudes and behaviours slowly changed in the mid-70's then you saw that Pine Valley Hospital now had a black doctor named Frank Grant and he was in love with a black social worker named Nancy and Frank would have a nephew named Jesse...and of course Jesse met Angie and by 1984 we had the first African-American supercouple, right on the cusp of THE COSBY SHOW I might add.

Does anybody feel lost without these shows because they are sort of a lifeline to your past? Like when you have that hour a day to watch either or both it's like you can revisit that moment in time? I think that's what I am going to miss the most, characters like Viki, Dorian, Bo, Erica, Tad, Jesse, Angie, and Jackson, just because of the way they make me feel.

Erik

I think Pat's character was too reliant on backstory, and also on a character who had little purpose once Reinholt left, in spite of multiple recasts. I also thought killing off Brian Kendall was a bit of an odd choice.

But I do think that her arrival with Reinholt was one of the few stunt cast moves that worked and helped give OLTL breathing room to make the changes that helped them have the great run in the late 70s.

Some have said that Courtney and Joe Stuart, the producer at the time and probably the best EP OLTL ever had, were having an affair during those years, and he would shoehorn her into any and everything, even if it made little sense.

I still shutter to watch Pat's reaction when Karen revealed how Bryan died during her famous courtroom testimony. I thought Courtney was absolutely horrific in that scene, but barring that, there was absolutely very little reason why it needed to be revealed at that exact moment.

Edited April 18, 201114 yr by Y&RWorldTurner

Does anybody feel lost without these shows because they are sort of a lifeline to your past? Like when you have that hour a day to watch either or both it's like you can revisit that moment in time? I think that's what I am going to miss the most, characters like Viki, Dorian, Bo, Erica, Tad, Jesse, Angie, and Jackson, just because of the way they make me feel.

Absolutely. That, to me, is one of soaps' greatest strengths and one of the things I'll miss most when they are gone. I can correlate specific moments in Days history to moments in my own life -- high school, college, grad school, and my 20s are all so tied in with what was happening on Days during those particular times. It almost helps center me in my memories or something.

I have always felt ONE LIFE has sort of been handled with kid gloves from the get go because of it's rather liberal content...this is a show that featured a multitude of social intrigues surrounding African-Americans, Jewish, Irish-Catholics, and Polish-Americans front and center.

ABC wanted to gain a foothold in daytime, and Agnes Nixon had performed well as HW at ANOTHER WORLD and GUIDING LIGHT. Ergo, it made sense for ABC to pursue AN and give her a platform of sorts on their lineup. But don't think ABC wanted a show like OLTL b/c they wanted to be perceived as "hip" and progressive. Agnes Nixon could've given ABC anything and they would've taken it, b/c it meant more to them to take her away from P&G and hurt them in the ratings.

Furthermore, don't perceive Agnes Nixon either as dainty "Aunt Aggie," who created and developed OLTL only b/c AMC had been rejected before and she thought there was something "wrong" with it. It's a touching story, Agnes, but I don't buy it. (Nor do I buy the "Oh, dear, I lost my suitcase w/ the original bible!" story. But I digress.) AMC was her "baby," no doubt, but she was not willing to risk it getting killed by ABC before it had a chance. Ergo, she created OLTL first to show ABC she could deliver an audience. Then, when she proved she could (and away from P&G), she gave them AMC; and as soon as AMC proved it, too, could deliver the numbers, she sold ABC her first series at a considerable profit.

IOW...? As wonderful as OLTL has been to us over the years, don't ever forget that that show was always just a means to an end - both for the network, and for its creator.

Edited April 18, 201114 yr by Khan

So ask yourself, what can you do to save your soaps?

Nothing. There's nothing to be done. I'm not saying we, as a viewing public, have grown complacent about storytelling. We still love our scripted shows (and movies, and plays, and books), but we don't follow them in the traditional ways anymore. We do so in ways these execs cannot track or make money from. Ergo, scripted shows in general are dying, because they're becoming too expensive to produce.

I loved wrestling 10 years ago when they had all the soap opera stories, but part of the charm of the stories were they were all fairly moronic. I hope a real writer doesn't try to smarten them up too much.

It's virtually impossible to "smarten up" professional wrestling. Just the fact that pivotal moments will come down not to revelations and catharsis, but cage matches and tag-team ambushes, means the "storylines" will be less about character development, and more about "action."

LYNDA HIRSCH ON SOAPS -- GOSSIP

Allow me to be blunt. I know you would not want it any other way. Brian Frons, the head of ABC Daytime, is a liar.

Forget that he lied to the press about "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" not being in danger of being canceled. The press is used to being lied to or placated when they have an unfavorable story slant. Frons lied to his producers, actors and everyone who works on his shows.

Last week, actors from both shows were assured they had nothing to worry about. They were told speculation that the shows were going to be canceled was merely the press being pessimistic and in need of something to write about. A week later, he axes both of the shows. The actors were not told until after a release was sent to the press.

No, I have not talked to Frons about the turn of events. Why would I ask a questions of a person who has lied for over a year? Shows that have been on the air for over 40 years apiece are not canceled after a two hour pow-wow. This had to be in the works for months.

Perhaps even as "All My Children" actors were uprooting themselves and moving from New York to Los Angeles when the show was relocated the decision had been made. Everyone connected with the show had two choices — don't come to Los Angeles or take a major pay cut. At a time when the real-estate market was at its worst, many actors sold their homes for below value. They paid the expense of moving. Children were pulled out of school.

Perhaps Frons loves to be the chess master. All of the employees are pawns in his game. Years ago, when he was head of NBC Daytime — a job he failed at — his big pleasure was to park his Rolls Royce outside NBC at Rockefeller Center so everyone could see he was "The man." Oh, he is the man all right — the man who has ruined daytime.

http://www.creators.com/lifestylefeatures/fashion-and-entertainment/lynda-hirsch-on-soaps.html

Nothing. There's nothing to be done. I'm not saying we, as a viewing public, have grown complacent about storytelling. We still love our scripted shows (and movies, and plays, and books), but we don't follow them in the traditional ways anymore. We do so in ways these execs cannot track or make money from. Ergo, scripted shows in general are dying, because they're becoming too expensive to produce.

Everything is also so homogenized and cynical and empty now. For all the talk of more options, there is really less and less out there every year. I was startled, during the TV Land Awards, at the contrast between these legends of sitcom, some in their 80s or 90s, and the incredibly uncharismatic, gawky "Real" Housewives, who woodenly yelled every line they had.