AMC and OLTL Canceled!

[SFK]

Ugh, I never commented on how Barbara made a point to smush it in Susan's face that she didn't get an Emmy nom. I just do no like that woman.

DeeeDee, that pic of Vonetta is gorgeous.

[beebs]

Seriously? The more I hear about Baba Wawa and her weird attitude with the soaps, the more I begin to dislike her. I'm sure SL handled it with the utmost dignity and class.

[DeeeDee]

Thanks. May she RIP.

[Khan]

Actually, SL got ethnic with her, telling her to "back that muthafuckin' train up," and that she was making money for the network long before Barbara ho'ed her tired, lisping ass off the "Today" show on NBC.

(I'm just kidding. But wouldn't it have been awesome if she had?)

[DaytimeFan]

It really would have been something.

Barbara was so weird in that interview, it's like she hates Lucci, but likes her at the same time. Respect and revulsion. Just such an odd contradiction to watch.

Lucci was her usual classy self. She saved her street language for Joy Behar's HLN show...

Behar: So you're pissed?

Lucci: Yes!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Wow, I didn't see this before. It's an interview with John Yorke, who is the BBC's Controller of Continuing Drama, and was the EP of the much lauded and highly rated 2000-2002 era of EastEnders. Anyway, AMC/OLTL get mentioned, and he talks about basic differences between the UK and US soap industry.

http://blogs.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2011/05/10/bbc-exec-john-yorke-responds-to-u-s-daytime-soap-cancellations/

[Vee]

I don't think it's really possible over here, as I suspect the networks are slowly dying period, but in 5-10 years down the line that's what I'd do, basically; adopt the British formula and run a soap three to four days a week, a la Idol as well, and run it between 5-7 PM at night for either 30 or 60 minutes. Make the final day of the week - either Thursday or Sunday - the biggest 'event' day of the week. And it's still early enough that it still retains some 'feel' of daytime, and you can perhaps run ancillary web content on some weekday or weekend mornings.

Crazy, but a thought.

[Bright Eyes]

We have to remember though that Corrie, Enders and Emmerdale all started with just two episodes per week and only expanding to 3, 4, 5, 6 episodes as they found built in audiences.

[Vee]

Yes, but that was the UK market. Our market was primed for 5 days a week for decades, so it's sort of simply going in reverse.

Still and all, two wouldn't be bad.

[Ann_SS]

Interesting interview with John Yorke. I'm glad that he pointed out that even with the advantages of prime time programming, lack of dependence on ad revenue, and government funding that the UK soap audience has also been declining. He acknowledges that the role that competitive programming has taken its toll on the U.K. soaps also. I actually don't think that all the UK soaps are sufficiently diverse, but they have done a better job than the U.S. soaps. Quality-wise I think that they have their fair share of crap. However, it is good to see Yorke speaking forthrightly about the challenges ahead for the UK soaps. I think that EE is doing a great job with finding young talent through its Web series and IPlayer is excellent. If this keeps up, they might be able to stave off their audience decline longer than the U.S. soaps.

[DRW50]

The UK soaps seemed to have stopped the decline in the last few years. While that may just be a calm before the storm, I do think that it shows these programs can still have a sizable audience if enough effort is made. I am not a fan of what has been done to Corrie or Emmerdale in the last few years (or longer) but it shows that you can have success when the network makes an investment.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, the ratings have stabilized or in some cases gone up for the UK soaps. Even with added competition and more ways to watch them, EastEnders or Corrie are still at or near the top of the weekly BARB ratings.

But these shows tend to be the cornerstone of BBC or ITV's schedule, thus more investment and pressure is put into them to succeed.

[All My Shadows]

In short, ITV and the BBC give a damn. ABC, CBS, and NBC do not.

[difficultdiva]

+1

IMO, it's very sad that for a genre that was started in the US, OTHER COUNTRIES (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, UK, Germany, Czech Republic, Japan, South Korea, China & Australia) all have THRIVING soap operas, while here in the US , we're in the death throws of it.

I've watched almost every US based soap opera that was on air from the time that I was a child, being watched by my grandmother until I was in my early 20's. I ONLY got back into watching soaps, because I read that ATWT had written a storyline that had Luke Grimaldi Synder, coming out of the closet. Then, somehow I found out about a similar storyline on a UK based soap called, Hollyoaks with their John-Paul McQueen character. I know that US based soaps want to provide "fantasy", but on the other soaps, especially the UK based ones, IMO are more successful in providing entertaining serial drama that doesn't make it seem like they're dumbing down their audience. I don't see or feel that misyogeny is the driving force of those soaps. It's not the norm that female characters are having 2, 3, and/or 4 children out of wedlock by different men. It's not the norm to have female characters falling in love with their rapists/abusers. It isn't the norm to have "secret twins" being discovered.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

And we love her for it!