AMC and OLTL Will Move Online!

[SFK]

That's why I liked when Susan Lucci shared in those first post-cancellation inerviews that she was told by Frons that they were being replaced with a reality show that cost 40% less to produce. No tired line about soaps having seen their day blase blah...

[Max]

SFK, I see no reason why one cannot hate both ABC and PP.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this matter, but I'll never believe that PP had any real intention of saving these soaps for the long haul. Instead, it was my prediction that the company would drop AMC & OLTL after just one or two years; I always felt that it was PP's intent to lure the Nixon soap viewers to their online network and then pull the "bait and switch" on them after they became loyal viewers and had built up name recognition for their network. (I further believed that AMC & OLTL would have lost money on PP, but that PP would have been willing to put up with these losses for a year or two precisely for the reason I just gave.)

However, one thing that I failed to anticipate was that one of these soaps (or possibly both) would never even make it to the internet in the first place. Here, I was gullible enough to believe the soap press, who assurred all of us that this was a done deal. In the early weeks of the announcement, was there even a single member of the soap press who publicly questioned if this PP venture would get off the ground?

[dragonflies]

Trying what? They haven't even done that. Trying would actually be getting the show(s) online then going from there and seeing what happens. Right now it's just talk of one or both going online. Trying to me is making a real effort, which going by reports PP hasn't even done

[DRW50]

Brian Frons runs ABC Daytime so his attitude was pretty definitive for me.

I do remember Moonves seeming more than a little pleased in his comments after ATWT was going (a sort of snide "they've had their day") but it wasn't on the Frons level. But again the PR tried to claim these shows were going to be what they never have been. The Talk, billed as so important because it would be about mothers - that was dropped within a few months and they are now known mostly for constantly firing people.

There's no such thing as a long haul in today's TV, if there ever was.

I don't think that they would buy shows just to build up their other shows. There's no way of knowing that would work. I think they genuinely did want the shows, they are just incompetent.

[marceline]

I sure do.

I agree but IMO one or two years IS the long haul. I know some people will never accept this but these days a show that makes is five years with a regular episodic calendar is a classic. If PP had been able to do these soaps daily and year-round for another two years that would've been the long haul. There's a reason PP balked when SuLu tried to get them to commit for a year. A year on the web is like a decade on TV.

I'm just really glad the AMC actors learned from experience and didn't sign on. The only thing better than signing on to something good is knowing you didn't sign on to a disaster. It's like being bumped from a flight on a plane that crashed. You'll bitch when it happens but afterward you'll fall to your knees in thanks.

[John]

A Great Article

http://xfinitytv.comcast.net/blogs/2011/deep-soap/one-life-to-live-tapes-final-abc-episodes/

[marceline]

That's not an article. It's a blog post from Sara Bibel.

[Soapsuds]

I love Sophia!!

[~bl~]

I have no problem if someone hates ABC or PP or whomever they felt screwed up their enjoyment. If they act on their loathing, causing real harm to themselves, others who don't share their opinion or the object of their disgust it is another issue.

Susan Lucci asking for a year guaranteed is understandable from her side of things. I wouldn't want to put my life on hold and have to turn down other jobs if I was in her position.

[DaytimeFan]

I think in addition to the employment side of things...it's also worth considering that, artistically, if AMC didn't have a year airtime you really couldn't expect a decent story, arc or conclusion. Did she really want to endure another abrupt cancellation, this time without time for a finale? Lucci's business savvy (ditto Helmut) but she's also an actress, invested, in some way, creatively, especially for Agnes Nixon's vision. 3 months of airtime and then "AMC is dropped by PP" without a conclusion would sicken her.

[rhinohide]

The funny thing is they DO say it, and then they obfuscate by calling the fans fat and stupid.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/11/18/one-life-to-live-exclusive-final-taping-abc/

article about the final taping. Sniff. Pictures too.

[DRW50]

Tough to read that

Erika Slezak ever the classy professional, even to the end.

[R Sinclair]

Reports?! Oh, please! WHAT "reports?" This Prospect Park drama has been sponsored in part by blogger speculation, gossip, misquotes... and by the almighty opinions of viewers like you... Jesus, I wish you and that other one would develop balls as big as your mouth and own up to it. You never wanted Prospect Park to succeed because the show(s) weren't going to cater to your specific wants.

Yes, I know... we've been through this before, but apparently this thread thrives on redundancy.

[Vee]

Can someone explain to me rationally what exactly there is to 'hate' about Prospect Park's effort? They wanted to continue these shows; they still might. They have the rights for ten years and they are currently trying to amass funds and make deals with the unions. Could they have done it better thus far? Probably, but truthfully I don't know, I'm not a startup exec. I can see the benefit of focusing on the nuts and bolts, but I do wish Susan Lucci hadn't been left hanging. I do know they certainly have tried and are trying. What's to 'hate' about that? Honestly?

This thread has been nothing but a petri dish for the entire board's collective neuroses, petty grudges, privately held beliefs and barely contained resentments towards the shows, their choices, their personnel, and most of all the other board posters and other forums themselves since its inception. There's nothing remotely subtle about the little parlor games people play with each other in here and it's the reason I generally stay out now. I don't care about AMC vs OLTL, I don't care about what whichever show 'did' to you (my couple! my favorite! my story! who gives a [!@#$%^&*], you sad fanatic?) to make you turn on it and want it gone or favored or disfavored over the other, I don't care about pissing matches over our barely-knowledgeable accounting of various behind the scenes maneuvers from the comfortable space of our civilian computer desks, I don't care which loudmouth idiot blogger turned you off of what, I don't care about any of it. All I care about is a sober look at what may or may not happen, not what will make you or you or you feel most vindicated and appeased in your fandom.

Do not pretend there has been anything dignified, intelligent or rational about this thread in months. It's vapidity posing as cynicism posing as valid criticism. It's been nothing but sandbox fighting. Give it a [!@#$%^&*] rest.

[Khan]

You know, much of this could have been avoided if PP had tried developing spin-offs of AMC and OLTL rather than continuations.

I'm just saying.