AMC and OLTL Will Move Online!

[Eric83]

LOL.

[All My Shadows]

Totally agree. I'm all for criticizing. Even in the most baseless of ways. But there's nothing to criticize yet.

[Max]

You're exactly right, Vee, about the fact that "we don't know [for certain] what PP is doing or how they're doing it." This whole thread is just speculation based upon rumors others have stated/posted. And, given that this thread is all speculation, it is illogical for one to "remain quite optimistic about the venture based on what [one has] heard," while telling others that they shouldn't criticize or be pessimistic based upon what they have heard.

And based upon what I have read or heard (at SON or elsewhere), the following things give me reason to be very pessimistic about the PP venture:

1. Not one single rumor that PP is considering contracting AMC or OLTL back to 30 minutes. (Of course, I haven't read this whole thread; so if somebody can show me where PP has considered this, I'll gladly eat crow.)

2. Rumors that PP is giving serious thought about having both soaps follow the 13-week "arc" model (which proved to be a disaster on Port Charles).

3. Speculation--as well as just plain common sense--that both soaps will have a much smaller budget under PP than currently under ABC. And based upon what has occurred in the past, a lower budget has meant more outdoor park scenes.

[marceline]

Roll your eyes all you want but I've been on Symon's FB page since loooong before any of this Chew mess started and what some crazy soap fans have done to him and the people on his page is nothing short of psychotic.

[Max]

+1, Marceline

Even though I have criticized you in the past, you are one of my very favorite posters here because you have the courage to say unpopular things even though others may attack you for doing so.

[Cheap21]

So true bc thats how it always is. Lets not come here and pretend that the arent crazy soap fans out there. They've ruined it for others for years now and give soap viewers a bad name.

[DRW50]

Every fandom has crazy fans. At this point soaps are too irrelevant for anyone to give soap fans a bad name.

It's a shame anyone would take the cancellation of these shows out on the people who do The Chew or the other thing. I'm glad I never go on Facebook, I only ever hear bad things about it.

[marceline]

Thank you. That's very kind. It appears that as long as you and I stay away from politics (far, far, FAR away LOL!) we can have a pretty nice conversation. I have to admit that I've grown to respect you too. (But still the politics...OY! )

What's particularly disturbing about the behavior of the people going after Symon and these other people is that most of the people attached to these replacement shows know nothing about soaps. So what is their first exposure to soap fans? Some SOS person who spams every post on Michael Symon's page with ten lines of "SOS SOS SOS SOS SOS..." or "Death to the SPEW!!!!!!!" and then proceeds to private message everybody on his page with hateful comments about how "their" show will be dead in three months.

Tell me, who deserves an eye roll more?

[Eric83]

Why does it matter if it is 30 minutes?

Port Charles was always at the bottom so how was the 13 weeks arc thing a failure?

You don't know how much money PP has to spend. I doubt they would have took on these two AND their crazy ass fans if they didn't think they could keep the shows somewhat similar to what they were.

[dragonflies]

I agree, but what good does calling people out do? He's only encouraging the crazy.

[Khan]

Do we know for certain that AMC and/or OLTL will adopt a telenovela-like format when they move online? Has this been confirmed by PP? If that is where they are going, I say, give it a chance. Anything beats no AMC or no OLTL at all. (Well, almost anything; they really need to do something about the quality of acting and writing on both shows.) After all, if they try it and viewers don't respond well to it, they might be tempted to revert to a more traditional storytelling model. I'm willing to try anything as long as it is done well.

[marceline]

Again, this is something you wouldn't know unless you were a fan of Symon's but he went out of his way to placate the SOS psychos on his page. When they attacked him, he didn't block them the way a lot of people, myself included, suggested. He engaged them. He talked to them. He let them post their craziness. He was respectful and understanding. He made a point of showing appreciation for the soaps but admitted that he just wanted to do the best job on "The Chew" that he could. It was only after repeated attacks that he finally gave up trying to treat the soap fans like thinking human beings.

He's not encouraging the crazy. The crazy is already there and has been there for months acting like stone cold assholes. He took the high road and all that happened was that he and his supporters got terrorized. I'm glad he's calling them out. Not only are those people bad for him, they're bad for soaps.

Regardless of how anyone feels about soaps or the new shows, the [!@#$%^&*] that's been going down on Symon's page for the last few months has been completely, 100% out of line and utterly inexcusable.

[All My Shadows]

Crazy fans are crazy. Let's not pretend otherwise.

[LeClerc]

Apparently Susan Lucci taped her last episode last Friday.

So strange to think that she won't be there for the final day of filming.

ETA: Never mind. Apparently she is still taping this week, although she may have taped her scenes for the last episode (out of order) on Friday.

[Max]

As I stated before, the 30 minute length would hopefully allow both shows to get back to basics. (Although I concede that there is no guarantee of that.) Furthermore, 30 minutes would require much less of a time investment on the part of viewers. (Others have pointed out that 13-week arcs would do the same thing. However, the 30 mintue length--unlike 13-week arcs--would still keep both shows traditional in nature.)

Plain common sense states that a start-up venture like PP (even with government assistance) will not have the same type of money that ABC has to spend on these shows.

And, there is most certainly a good business reason for PP to take on AMC, OLTL, and their "crazy ass fans" (your words, not mine), even if this venture turns out to be a failure: by adding these two long-running programs to their internet channel, PP will get far more viewers and name recognition than they ever would have if they started two brand-new soaps (which, IMO, really would be in the best interests of the genre). It is perfectly reasonable to assume that after a year or two, PP (after having gotten their name out and increased website traffic) will drop both shows (in the ultimate act of betrayl towards Nixon soap fans) because they aren't bringing in an adequate amount of profit. With all due respect, the fact that you fail to see such a scenario possibly occurring (and instead assume that PP's motives are purely benevolent) is absolutely mind-boggling.