AMC and OLTL Will Move Online!

[Soapsuds]

You'd think JPL was an Oscar winner the way RC is praising his work for this story.

I thought the whole premiere to David's movie was stupid. The porn fiasco [!@#$%^&*] hilarious but just too stupid for words. David being popular and this big star...please.....RC writes pure trash...trailer trash material...it does entertain me for the hour but this is not soap opera brilliant material. JPL with a gun....lol....had me laughing out loud.

The only suspense was the 2 Todds a the end but even that story is going to be hard to explain by RC.

[marceline]

GH has already been canceled there just hasn't been an announcement yet. It was obvious when they announced Katie Couric's show that GH is dead. I don't understand the comparison to DOOL. That's a different network and a different company so the concept that somehow they deserve to go just because ABC's shows went makes no sense to me. They've just dealt with the market realities by making the show cheaper and hawking Wanchai Ferry.

At first I was really excited by the news that the shows were moving to the web because I was hoping that meant they would be completely revamped and part of me still hopes that. But the more I see people demanding that these are going to be the same shows with the same actors and the same writers, the more I've just started to give up on them. (The suggestion that they'll be seasonal still gives me some hope though.) A lot of people seem to be assuming that everyone will move to the web and are waiting to hear who won't. I've been assuming no one will move to the web and I'm waiting to see who will because if certain people make that move, I'm done.

[Eric83]

But they were the lowest rated soap on CBS.I don't think cancellation depends on what is on another network, it's about what's happening on the show's respective network which is why I don't mind DAYS outlasting AMC/OLTL with lower/the same ratings. Corday and NBC are interested in keeping the show going, ABC wants out of soaps.

[DRW50]

I think GL's move to TV was pretty necessary. The radio genre wasn't dying yet, but it was very close. The only way to have longevity was to transition to daytime.

I guess what does or doesn't deserve to be canceled is subjective, but I do think SFT deserved more support from CBS. So did Secret Storm, and I also think ATWT would still be around if someone at P&G or CBS had given a damn over the last decade.

I think there are a lot of fans who genuinely, passionately love OLTL and have for a long time. I think there are also fans who are more in love with hype and who think of the show as some sort of cool clique. It's a lot of glib winking and elbowing that the show has been full of over the last few years. So I do wonder how many of these "soapy goodness" fans will still be there when the show moves and may change.

As for the proper ending to OLTL, the way I see it is that the best way to have a happy ending is to move the show into another format. Don't get me wrong, I do look forward to Viki having the last scene (presumably) and there will probably be a few other nice moments, but the end of a 40+ year old show shouldn't be:

- Jessica happily ever after with her rapist

- Natalie, increasingly irrelevant to everyone around her, being "happy" because the unwashed deadbeat who can barely stomach her has "saved" her from the psycho of the month

- no Dorian

- Blair, who no longer has much of a relationship with anyone, going back to 1995 so she can deal with the noble rapist

- Tea, if she's still around, fighting for the honor of being punched in the face

- The twitching twerp tripping over his lower lip as Bo enables his latest misognyistic tantrums, probably ending in Clint begging to be his "Pa" or Gigi weeping over his perfection

- Judy Garland Jr. with her mouth hanging open

- David debuting his new rap song, "Pastepmapapa HAVEASEAT Pastepmapapa HAVEASEAT"

[Max]

Carl, I do concede that there is no guarantee that AMC or OLTL will get a decent ending were those shows to die after they go off ABC. However, I do have a sinking feeling (albeit just an assumption) that things will get much worse under Prospect Park. (For one thing, I'm sure the budgets will be slashed even further.)

[DRW50]

I guess I don't really care about budget as long as there's decent writing and interesting performers. I know I'm in the minority there.

[Vee]

That would make you as narrow-minded as the people you initially chastised for being skeptical about the move. And frankly, you were incredibly naive if you thought no one would move to the web. It was never going to be an all-new cast. Perhaps largely new, but all-new? Never happen. Not this soon. They were always going to keep at least some people. And why not?

I am still very interested in where this is going. This thing doesn't belong to anyone anymore; it's all up for grabs and if some of the core characters remain to provide a throughline for the history, well, that's only the right thing to do and I think, very smart. These shows don't all have to "burn" to be revitalized - it just has to have a new ethos, a new approach and try new things, it has nothing to do with either of our personal pet peeves with some of these shows' choices. That would make us no less insular or out of touch than the fans you called out.

[Chris B]

If done right I could see these soaps becoming absolute gems on the web. Sure the budgets will be slashed and the cast as well, but they'll have the freedom to really tell stories and create the show they want. I just hope it's a GOOD show. With OLTL we still don't know who the HW will be. Old school soaps didn't need much so I don't see this as being an obvious failure. Even the existing web shows prove you can still have location shoots and do a lot within the budget. I think the seasonal idea is also a good idea. I hope it's more like a cable series with a good set of stories that run over say six months in sets. Might be easier to convince actors to stay and also it would cut the costs down if they wanna do 4-5 episodes per week.

[marceline]

Actually we don't know who the HW will be for either of them. I know we've seen "talk" that LB will be writing for AMC but it's pretty obvious PP hasn't gotten that far.

I'd be surprised if we got that many episodes. If I had to place my bets, I'd guess it'll be more like 2-3 episodes a week over 13 weeks. Again, that's pure conjecture on my part.

[Chris B]

I think 3 episodes a week should be the most they consider. Especially if they do end up trying to produce the show all year around. 5 episodes is a lot to expect people to keep up with on the internet. And if its a big success they can always negotiate more episodes. I wonder if Prospect plans on pushing the shows in other countries still for regular syndication. Those TV sales could go a big way to making these soaps profitable as well. Only problem would be the countries it's already airing in because they're so many years behind. Securing deals in Canada and new markets owuld be important.

[JaneAusten]

I for one am keeping an open mind as it comes to these shows. I think AMC and OLTL will be test cases in a lot of ways. I didn't have any illusions they would be completely different even if its what I want, I know that they have to retain some of their cast and identify from the original shows. I don't think the cast is as necessary but thats JMO. TO me this really isn't about OLTL and AMC surviving it about the potential future of the genre. I will say if they bring along the same people they have now its chances are less. BUt I expect over time even showrunners and writers will evolve. I struggle to see why PP feels JHC is necessary other than she has relationships with much of the cast and crew and might initially make it easier to convince some of the other talent to join. But her hiring already smells of Frons tinkering. And the people who run this thing are former Disney execs. BUt they are in business to succeed so with that I am going to continue to be optimistic.

As for the shows, why can't they do one show a week? Why does it have to be 5 shows a week or even 3? The current web soaps don't run daily?

[Chris B]

For a soap I don't think once a week would work. That's more primetime. They'd have to cut the cast even more than they'll already have to.

[Eric83]

How are you going to have one show a week with a cast of 20 or more people? I think their best bet is to do 3 shows a week maybe in cycles. Like January-April all new episodes and then go on hiatus until July. They could rotate characters in and out. For example Todd/Blair/Tea/Starr etc. Have one arc then the Buchanans get an arc next. At least that's what I would do because no way will people watch a soap 5 days/52 weeks a year, but if they do it seasonal/in arcs they need to promote it so people won't forget about it and move on.

[marceline]

Primetime is the only place soaps are working in this country. I challenge anyone to say that Grey's Anatomy or even my beloved The Good Wife aren't just nighttime soaps even if they don't call themselves that. Of course they run on network TV not just the web. But I agree, that to get/keep people interested they would have to do several eps per week at first, if for not other reason than to gain momentum.

[JaneAusten]

WHo says these show have to have the cast sizes they have today? Why do they need 20 actors or 30? Why not 10 or 12 characters?

And why do soaps have to be more than 1 day a week. And I mistaken about shows like Dallas or Knots Landing or Falcon Crest or Dynasty. And I think all those shows had relatively diverse casts at least at the onset. Pick a couple of families from each show to center the shows around(not 4 or 5) and move on with that.