AMC and OLTL Will Move Online!

[Jonathan]

I overheard a conversation between some people involved in this project. They said the words "pea" and something about a "pack," but I couldn't figure it out.

[John]

Jerry Ver Dorn said To SOW Is Most Likely OLTL will film where Royal Pains Films which is BroadwayStages

[EricMontreal22]

B&B is only about 18 minutes without commercials.

[Jonathan]

Yesterday's episode was 19 minutes and 27 seconds.

[Errol]

15 minute soaps make no economical sense. I was one who thought reducing the soaps to half an hour at least would not only save money, but also time as more episodes could be produced in a faster time frame. However, I've since come to the realization that the only way you're saving money is if you fire half the cast and crew because the money coming in to soaps now is for the full hour. Reducing that hour in half means half the income. Reducing it to 15 minutes means pennies to the networks and would be exact reason soaps are being canceled in the first place (no return on investment based on income received).

Nice thought, but lacking rational thought.

[Max]

I honestly wish they would fire half the cast.

If 30 minute soaps are still not feasible in any way, then I hope the option of airing AMC & OLTL just three days a week can be explored. Errol, would this pose the same financial problems as airing 30 minute soaps (five days a week) would?

[Steve]

ITA. I think 13-week arcs is a bad idea because soaps imo become your daily relaxation time and it's been difficult enough for me going 6 weeks without AMC, I can't imagine knowing it would constantly be off for 13 weeks! I also can't remember when stunt casting ever worked for a soap. I could get behind 30-minute episodes, though. When it was last on ABC, AMC was only about 40 minutes long each day anyway without commercials.

[DRW50]

I think you could easily lose half the cast of OLTL and probably AMC, although it sounds like a lot of AMC people aren't interested anyway (or haven't been approached). Of course several of the people I would have fired from OLTL have been signed up, so I guess that's not happening.

[JaneAusten]

Any change is feasible if it makes economic and creative sense. Producing a 1 hour show daily for 52 weeks a year is no longer econmically feasilble or creatively. THis idea that they can't be this or that seems to be the same mindset the execs have which is why there will soon be only 4 soaps and likely 3 left in another year. Add to the fact they are moving these shows to the internet just further fragments the already dwindling audience.

Its odd to me how primetime soaps can air once a week and run seasons, take 3-4 month breaks during the summer, air reruns frequently over the course of their seasons but somehow soaps have to be immune to that and couldn't survive. Last time I looked they aren't surviving. Less shows, smaller casts, fixed storylines and arcs might actually help the shows creatively giving writers more time to plot out well told cohesive stories.It boggles my mind that folks really believe what is airing now is working so well the model should be replicated when these shows move to the internet, which has its own set of challenges.

[JaneAusten]

The genre is bigger than any actor.But you know online fangurls/boys. If my fave is not on I wont watch, Not that any of these faves have helped the genre survive or are drawing millions of viewers to these shows in the first place.

[ellabelle]

I just want AMC to continue, and I'm more than willing to accept shorter episodes or fewer episodes if that makes it possible for the show to come back. I'm not picky. I'll take what I can get at this point.

[MontyB]

I hope not for the exact opposite. I gave up on AMC long ago and I don't want those show combined at all. Damn, who comes up with stuff. Sheeez!

[MontyB]

Completely agree with you here. The 13 week thing is a not a good idea IMO. I need my daily dose of my soap.

[marceline]

Look at True Blood. They run 12-15 episodes then vanish for almost a year. It certainly hasn't hurt them.

Well I'll cop to being guilty of that but I'll never be sorry for supporting actors I like. That said, I'm to the point now that it's not about seeing my "faves", it's about not seeing characters and stories I hate. I'm not going to watch Rylee/Zendall again. I'm just not. I'm not going to tune in for women having millions of babies. I'm not tuning in for alpha males and their concubines not even if I love the actors playing them. I don't care if they bring on Angela Bassett and George Clooney, I'm not going to support PP if they're going to be a retread of ABC.

[~bl~]

If Prospect Park chose to do so they could run One Life to Live as a 30 minute show and only have to hire or recast one or two more people to have it be feasible (see the size of B&B's cast.) They would save money that way, also if they continued to tape out of order like they do now, but have to do less content they will finish faster. This lowers studio costs across the board. The unions have different pay scales for 30 versus 60 minute shows for AFTRA (not sure about the other unions).

The 15 minute episode thing wouldn't work for me as I don't think the modern day writers are able to do that well. I'd rather have one episode a week than 15 minutes a day if those were my choices. The problem for me perhaps also is speed and pacing. GL tried those ITL things where at times they would condense what should have been days of episodes into one and that was awful. That of course, is another fear we get such a mess.