Prospect Park Wants to Air AMC and OLTL On Cable Network

[Clear Drama]

If AMC ends up on TNT, and keeps it's strong actors. That's a big loss for ABC. TNT is gonna sell that w/ "Dallas" that might change the soap game for years. I still don't get the latest news.

[SFK]

Jane, you're right, I wonder if and/or how being on TV as well would affect their funding for New Media.

Like AMS, my initial hunch was Hallmark. I think Oprah's feelings re: OWN will stick. I know this may sound silly and at the risk of offense, I just feel that the shows airing on one of the women's networks won't be as good for them as airing on a hip, gender neutral one. I of course know what the soaps' target audience is, but I think being affiliated with forward thinking PP for the innovative "online infotainment" channel and airing on a TNT, USA, or FX-type channel might broaden their appeal. Particularly, if the soaps themselves become a little more forward thinking in their approach. I guess I am and I am not saying that the soaps may need to be a little less soapy to work in their new homes. But take Degrassi for example. I think their novella format did extremely well, didn't it? These shows do stand a fighting chance in the right hands.

[Money]

Oxygen, Lifetime, Hallmark, WE, and the like will be the death of the rebirth of these soaps. I could see them on those networks before cancellation but if these soaps are to thrive and reach a new, edgier audience they must be on networks that targets that audience. USA or TNT would be better choices given they already air nightly soaps.

[Chris B]

Honestly, adding two daytime soaps would be a good idea for TNT since they're trying to broaden their audience by adding Sci Fi shows, serialized dramas and then Dallas, which THEY'RE calling a soap. The network is also well known and gets good viewers. I say put it on anytime 4 or 5 PM back to back and that could work. USA has aired soaps before and Prospect already has a relationship with them. The only problem in both cases is that these networks are now so male-skewing and haven't really revisited their soapy pasts in ages.

[DRW50]

Considering how poorly cast Dallas is I'm not sure how long it's going to be around. Then again I don't know how long AMC or OLTL would air on them.

TNT does have the crime shows with female leads.

I think Lifetime would be a good home for them and Lifetime has less and less to brag about, so they may need AMC and OLTL, if these shows can do OK and aren't that costly.

[Vee]

I think Dallas could work and I admire them for trying a new primetime soap, regardless of how the quality turns out. I think putting AMC and OLTL on at 4 and 5 or so - or 6 and 7 - could be genius.

Don't both TNT and USA do those female-centered procedurals? That's a way in for the two soaps.

[JackPeyton]

TNT has The Closer, thats ending, Hawthorne, and that female cop show but i believe they are devolping more. They are 50/50 on male/female shows.

USA is pretty male dominated, with WWE, White Collar, Burn Notice, etc... but they have that new show and Cover Affairs. Their shows seem rather gender neutral for the most part tho, be it lead my men or women.

I wonder if ABC still owning them will come into play. As in, would the shows be more likely to go to a abc owned cable network or do they not care/have no say so at all?

Lifetime, i just dont see them going there. Hallmark & Oxygen would be the likely two, i think.

But i guess none of us really know, this is fun to speculate on.

[All My Shadows]

I don't see them going on USA or TNT at all. Those networks seem to be very set in what they are, and I'm sure they get decent numbers for their daytime reruns. Even if they were to go with daily original programming, I don't think it'd be soaps.

If it turns out that they must go on a Disney-owned cable net, I can see them at least trying out ABC Family. They're more youth-focused right now (and of course it's working for them very well), but I could see them doing a trial run of AMC and OLTL in the early afternoon.

[JaneAusten]

Plus USA and TNT IMO already are successful brands. Those 2 shows as they are written would not fit.

A broderick like written AMC with women featured more and less man crazy would work on a network like Hallmark Lifetime eh not impressed with their victim of the week movies. They were much better airing Golden Girl reruns. But then OLTL might fit there.

[JaneAusten]

Bingo on Dallas. I have to say I am tired of retreads trying to recapture some past glory.

Lifetime I wonder how well they are doing now. I know they did well, dropped off a lot but then they have had a couple of successful programs of their own now but if they are still in the red, it could fit who knows.

[Money]

I just don't see an longevity for these soaps on networks that cater to the status quo. If they're going to be on networks like Lifetime, Hallmark, etc... then the traditional writing catering to the victimization of women isn't going to garner a new audience. The goal is to give these shows life and unless they have no intentions of actually reformulating these soaps they're going to be DOA. TNT continues to reinvent itself with original programming, serial dramas and primetime soaps so it would be a perfect fit. A two hour block between Law and Order and original programming will target the audience needed to sustain these shows. And the fact that TNT and USA are successful brands makes it the ideal choice

[marceline]

+1

[Soapsuds]

I doubt either soap will be picked up by cable. I can only seeing it going the Passions route..channel 101.

[All My Shadows]

I understand what you're saying, but I sorta disagree. There are more options beyond just going with the current shtty status quo and totally reinventing the shows in the image of whichever cable network they end up on. Of course, they must change what they are now because a huge reason why we're in this predicament is because the shows have become just plain laughable and sad (to soap fans and non-soap fans alike!), but I'd rather them go somewhere where they can get back to what each show's traditional, core identity is. I'm definitely not saying that they need to be dusty antiques stuck in the past, but a soap like old school AMC can easily be modernized to fit into the contemporary television landscape (and if it can't? cut it...but that's just me). I could be totally wrong, but I don't think restructuring them to fit into USA or TNT's lineup would do anything toward restoring what the show is supposed to be about, and one of the biggest gripes many AMC fans is that the show forfeited its identity a long time ago to try to be something it's not.

[JaneAusten]

I think there is a difference in maintaining an identity and moving forward. Unfortunately I think a lot of die hards think these shows are fine as they are or those wanting what they had back think that they need to go back to 1970 and that writing like that is somehow going to fix everything. Nothing is written or produced the same as it was 20 30 40 50 etc years ago. (Its one of the reasons I am not overly excited about the changes at Days but time will tell). You can maintain and identity and evolve. Unfortunately I think they tried to evolve but the idea of evolving became the Lifetime soap version of women being victims of the day. And all the shows, especially the ABC shows became carbon copies of the other to an extent.

I don't know that the network any show may end up on would have any influence on how these shows need to change. I like the idea of OWN only because I like Oprah's vision for the network but the shows don't fit as they are now and there is a risk if they change too much they might chase the diehards away.