AMC and OLTL Canceled!

[SFK]

Though only referred to as an ABC Daytime Health/Fitness talk show (3Ball Productions), today I saw a casting notice for what was obviously The Revolution. I'm not sure what this particular site's policy is on re-posting their items, so in brief, it basically said that it's a non-union gig with a $200 pay rate, recruiting extraordinary yet relatable women (only) 25-45 looking to lose 50-100 lbs. on a M-F talk show. They're looking for women who have a *story*, like a life challenge, putting others before themselves, women who want to lose the weight not only for themselves but for their families too. The show will provide them with a trainer, a meal plan, and all the right tools. Shooting begins in August.

[dragonflies]

SoapOperaNetwrk Soap Opera Network DEVELOPING... #SONY responds to #AMC / #OLTL rumors.

[marceline]

Given my constant bitching about how women are written on soaps, I found a recent interview with Julianna Margulies (or as I like to call her "my girlfriend") that reminded me of where we are right now:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/23/julianna-margulies-network-execs-assholes_n_865722.html

[marceline]

NPR just did an interesting little story on the "sea change" in daytime television, as they put it. It focuses on Oprah but also mentions the cancellations:

I find it interesting that they went to a nail salon. When you think about it, that's a perfect daytime TV focus group. It makes me wonder who Frons' focus groups are composed of.

http://www.npr.org/2011/05/24/136589995/oh-the-void-oprah-leaves-behind

[JaneAusten]

The entertainment industry continues to be the most sexist industry out there. *sigh

But I like that she recognizes the importantance of her show and some of the other female centered dramas out there. It also sends a message that women

are not dried up in this business after 40. On a side note, every character on this show is complex and compelling,especially the women. This IMO is by

far the best drama on TV today IMO. And if daytime wants a lesson on how to write INTERESTING female characters that don't have to bedhop, go crazy, be b*tchy,

or pop out kids to be compelling, just watch this show.

[DRW50]

A lot of channels, running the same handful of shows.

[JaneAusten]

And how has that changed over the years. I'm not advocating reality shows or anything, but television has copied successes time and time again.

Heck even in that Genie Francis interview she talked about how all the soaps tried to create their own super couples after the success of Luke and Laura.

The Cosby SHow became a runaway hit in the 80s and soon every network had their own family sitcoms, Rosanne became popular, and suddenly comic led

sitcoms were the rage. The challenge today is that there are no longer 3 or 4 networks copying it hundreds.

I goto my local health club twice a week during the summer and whats on. Talk shows, lifestyle programs, news channels. I don't think the nail salon example

is an exception. And as a woman who *gasp* actually enjoys some of these shows(not all of them), you start feeling beaten when you are told that if you enjoy

watching anything other than a soap, you must be dumb or somehow stupid because you prefer some non scripted shows. GUess what lots of women do like scripted shows,

lots of successes in Primetime and on cable to prove that. And shows that dont insult the audience by telling the same tired WTD, doppleganger, raperomance

crap that continues to be retold on daytime.

I am not picking on you and I can understand having passion for something but people don't have to be insulted or made to feel they are dumb and stupid because

they might enjoy watching god forbid a talk show or cooking show. Its this your either with us or not. There is no happy medium with some of these folks. I have not one bit of interest in seeing AMC saved and I loved that show for years. Why? But then I would probably be attacked for *gasp* expecting a better product versus accepting the slop this show has turned into just for the sake of keeping it on the air.

[DRW50]

I don't believe I said it had. The article says it changed.

To me, Frons' intro to these shows, which basically called viewers fat and stupid and in need of some miracle to improve their lives, was more insulting than most of the fan comments I've seen.

[JaneAusten]

Frons being insulting and condescending is nothing new. He's been like that for years. This just further went on to validate the douchebag he is. But I really don't see how Frons being the devil here justifies a group that thinks people like me are stupid and dumb because I might perfer watching a show like Whats Not to Wear for example or Iron Chef over AMC. Thats not a good tactic to try and unify people thats for sure

[marceline]

Frons' comments were no different than anybody else's when it comes to lifestyle shows. These shows cater to the insecurities in the audience. Always have. Makeover shows, medical shows, weight loss shows, even cooking shows. Whole networks are devoted to the idea that your life sucks now and they have the magic cure and judging by how many people went to Oprah to save soaps that idea was a pretty marketable one.

[DRW50]

I think daytime as a whole is dying and has been for a long time. I don't mind talk shows or cooking shows, I just don't think these two upcoming shows, which seem to be a mess and are run by an incompetent ABC, have any real chance, unless ABC suddenly has serious structural changes. Almost nothing on any of the main network channels in daytime can pull in viewers now, and the few shows that can, I find unwatchable. Not because I want to purify daytime of talk shows, but because I would rather watch just about anything that does not involve Joy Behar and Baba smirking as Whoopi Goldberg fumes and Sherri Shepherd reminds us that the Earth is flat.

It's like when Guiding Light was canceled. I heard some talk that Let's Make a Deal should be supported because it was nice to see a game show again or this might bring back game shows. Did that happen? Instead, it's just a bad show that no one seems to watch and CBS seems to avoid mentioning at all.

Instead of moving on from soaps and finding good quality talk shows or cooking shows or game shows that can also bring in viewers, the networks are just moving into another arena of being cheap and treating viewers like morons.

When people talk about how soaps have been dying ever since 1949 or whenever and that nothing could ever have been done to save them, I get annoyed, but I don't let that change my opinion of the genre, as I'm sure you don't let criticism of cooking or talk shows replacing soaps change your opinion.

If I seem to be personally belittling all talk or cooking shows, my apologies. I'm belittling the sorry excuse for today's daytime TV, and the probability that it will continue to be sorry and offensive, with or without soaps.

I think a lot of people are more interested in venting than in unifying. I wouldn't take it personally. I don't take it personally that people feel soaps are doomed and anyone who supports them or ever feels they were worthwhile is delusional/pathetic/crazy.

A competent public figure can sell insecurity in a friendlier and more acceptable way. Oprah, or Dr. Oz, even the awful Dr. Phil. Frons was basically smirking and telling viewers they were morons who were now going to be able to crawl out of their own filth and see the light. If that type of attitude is in any way indicative of how ABC is going to run these shows, then it's not good.

[Ann_SS]

I don't think that daytime is dying at all, it is going through a transition which make soaps in their current format are no longer sustainable. The highest rated tv show is now Judge Judy which I totally enjoy watching when I am home. People watch a variety of programming on both network and cable. It does not matter if the programming is repetitive. They like watching these shows. Those Law & Order marathons are addictive and the Two and a Half Men repeats are also doing well. This is the reality that the networks are dealing with. Frankly, soaps are just more repetitive junk so their cancellation won't make it any more or less offensive, imo.

Many of these attacking soap fans are insanely myopic. It was the same deal when GL was cancelled for Let's Make a Deal. Apparently, everyone who watched game shows were the dumbest that ever were dumb. Even though game shows existed since radio, have gone through many reincarnations, and have their fans have a huge online presence. You just have to roll your eyes and bitch back at them because frankly, they deserve it.

[DRW50]

.

Judge Judy seems to be an exception, along with a few others like The View, and some of the shows like Dr. Oz. Most of the new attempts seem to stay stuck in neutral or go lower and lower.

It matters if the programming is repetitive if the media constantly parrots the line that people have options, as I often feel like that gives some of the lazier cable channels too much credit. It's basically an option to watch the same show on a different network. People can now just watch a handful of repeats elsewhere instead of turning the TV off or leaving it on a network channel as background noise.

I do think if the networks had better shows, then people would stay with them. It's not like they're seeing anything good on cable the last few years. But no one cares now. Look at how CBS has let The Price is Right, one of their most popular daytime shows, rot away.

Or the networks could start showing reruns again. They did that for most of the 60's and early 70's. I think the daytime lineup is probably going to be reruns within about 5-10 years.

Based on how horribly that show is put together, apparently the LMAD people/CBS agree.

[marceline]

We can go back and forth on this forever but I think the women in the nail shop are the judge, jury and executioner on this. When given a choice of what to keep their TVs tuned to all day long, the soaps weren't even an option. And those women are offliners i.e. the real audience. They don't post to message boards or vote in online polls but they do keep the television on all day as a part of their business. For some reason, the soaps lost the fight for that audience and I know we all have definite opinions about why that is, but it doesn't change the fact that's what happened and all the rallies in the world are meaningless if you can't get those women to watch...and you can't.

[DRW50]

I wasn't really trying to disagree with them. It was the slant of the article that annoyed me - the article ended up undercutting them, by talking about all these options, when the women in the nail shop were saying precisely what I feel, that there really are very FEW options.