AMC and OLTL Canceled!

[DRW50]

That sounds like astroturf to me. There is nothing "real" on any of these shows, and I've never heard anyone who watches them praise them for being "real." It's entertainment, not daytime verite.

[marceline]

Believe it or not, there is some excitement about The Chew by foodies. Not tons of it but on various food blogs and chef sites there's some curiosity. But I doubt anybody is going to ABC to thank the programming geniuses for filling this entertainment (non)void. There's a lot of people on both sides trying to wag the dog here.

[All My Shadows]

I don't understand what the "REAL change" is, though. Real change from what? I can understand a person being frustrated with the crap that has been AMC and OLTL for years, but I don't get how these shows are supposed to satisfy frustrated soap fans. It's like if the quality of iCarly went down the tubes and Nickelodeon replaced it with reruns of Tales of Wells Fargo. I see prepubescent girls everywhere sighing sighs of relief, "Yes! THIS is what we've been wanting all along!"

[All My Shadows]

Well yeah, that's a given. I know those who follow the food entertainment biz are probably excited to see this, and I do not begrudge them that. It's just the assumption that soap fans are going to be deep into this show that I don't get. Of course there will be people who watch AMC's finale on the 23rd and tune in for the food program whenever it premieres and like it, but eh...it don't much add up to me. But then again, it could be my bitterness (which is fully intact) peeking out today, grasping at anything and everything it can to trash this food program.

[DRW50]

I don't buy it either. I can see that a lot of people are looking forward to this show and I can understand why but I don't believe anyone would say that.

Maybe they think Rebecca Budig has replaced Sabine Sligh as one of the hosts.

[marceline]

These shows aren't supposed to satisfy frustrated soap fans. It's supposed to satisfy people who don't watch soaps and if the soap audience comes along, fine. Nobody wants soap viewers. Not even soaps.

[All My Shadows]

I know :( Just keep reminding me of these things. I need you to help me stay sane.

[marceline]

If you're counting on me to help you stay sane, baby, you're screwed.

[Ann_SS]

Some soap fans are psychos.

I think that ABC would be thrilled if the soaps' 18 to 49 women demo give these new shows a chance, but you are right that it isn't the primary audience that they are targeting with these shows. Based on that promo, the Chew is definitely targeted at the white upper middle class housewives with the disposable income to buy more expensive food and time to devote to lifestyle issues.

[DRW50]

I think Frons does want soap viewers - he just assumes that they are all fat and stupid and will now be happy to learn how to stop being so fat and stupid. Or that's what I got from his comments anyway.

I don't think there will ever be a ton of people who avoided daytime and will now start watching because soaps are gone. Either they still watch daytime in spite of soaps, or they just find these programs elsewhere (and generally The Chew and Revolution can be found elsewhere). If there are then ABC's usual mismanagement will probably make them tune back out.

[marceline]

Yep. When I said that nobody wants the soap audience, I meant the real soap audience. Older, minority, lower income... Isn't that supposedly who really watches soaps? These shows are like putting new ammo in the same gun in hopes of getting the people they want, not the people they get.

[Ann]

My sister is very interested in watching "The Chew". And, quite honestly, I'm a total foodie and watch all kinds of food programming. My

late-husband was a gourmet chef and we watched food programming since it was prominent on PBS stations. You know Justin Wilson, Julia

Child, Jacques Pepin, The Galloping Gourmet, and I love to watch these kinds of shows. I am a Food Network junkie and watch the Cooking

Channel, Top Chef, etc., etc. And, I would be lying if I said I won't watch "The Chew" because I know I'm going to have to check it out.

[Ann_SS]

I don't know that any of this is true. Given the demographics of the this country and shear number of people at home during the day, there has to be tons of people who don't watch daytime tv, period, and a lot of them obviously refuse to watch soap operas given the demos. I have no idea how many people will watch The Chew and The Revolution, but people watch The View and I think that it is dreck so there is no accounting for what becomes a hit with any segment of the viewing audience.

[DRW50]

I wonder how many of those people are going to have a lot of time or patience for the revolving panel of hosts, most of whom are more known for TV work than for lifestyle or cooking.

I think those fans will be more likely to find somewhere else to go - if Nate Berkus didn't do well outside of Oprah then I'm not sure Carla and Clinton, as likeable as they are, would be any draw.

[DRW50]

People watch The View because they want to see ugly fighting and shock value stuff and so on, and people bickering. At least that seemed to be when the ratings went up. Unless Mario and Carla are going to spew insults at each other in split-screen, those viewers may not be interested.

The party line for years has been that no one has time to watch anything in daytime anymore. So I don't know if this program is going to be enough to get that interest back. The ideas on this show are ideas you can find on many TV channels and TV shows already.