Why is ATWT so underappreciated?

[P.J.]

I think an absolute like "never" aside, ATWT's acting was far and away better. Sure, Silbermann was wooden (although in his defense, I always thought he was better when not in scenes with Hansis). But he wasn't driving story 5 days a week either. Most other shows have horrendously wooden leads (OLTL is the most egregious offender now with THREE in Easton, Lavoisier, and Howarth) on the frontburner.

As for Colleen...while the kidnapping went on way too long...Barbara has always been somewhat over the top as a character. And I LOVED the dark turn she took in '01-'02. I loved to hate her---to the point I was enraged that she was blithely caring for Parker after having Carly kidnapped.

[quartermainefan]

AMC has been blessed with a plethora of memorable character actors. Ruth Warrick, Dorothy Lyman, James Mitchell, Louis Edmonds, Eileen Herlie, Matthew Cowles, Gil Rogers...they all created such memorable characters and brought them to life even with unrealistic and OTT material. Mark Lemura, Kathleen Noone, Gillian Spencer, Micheal E Knight, Sarah Michelle Geller...the list of talented actors is nothing to sneeze at. David Canary, as great as he is, never outshined Susan Lucci in a scene. Mock her all you want, she held up her end of every scene she was in no matter how talented her co-stars were.

[Max]

Thank you all for the interesting responses this thread has received so far.

Regarding me being "bitter and disgruntled," I just wanted to clarify exactly what it is that I'm bitter and disgruntled about. I am not upset that ATWT did not get to move online (in fact, I'm glad it did not move online, because we got a good ending), since the quality of the product would have likely suffered, and the chances of failure would have been at least 98% (given that ATWT's older audience would have had so much difficulty making the move, even if the online version got P&G's full support). Rather, the bitterness stems from the fact that so few made a big deal at the time of its cancellation (in contrast to the dual AMC/OLTL cancellations), or even seemed to care at all.

[EricMontreal22]

As others said, I think it unfortunately got lost a bit in the zeitgest. GL was the longest running scripted show on TV, the longest running show in all broadcasting on radio and tv, etc. AMC still has familiarity with many of the people who do these articles, posts, etc as it was so big in the 80s--and of course Susan Lucci. OLTL was also big at the time (the three hour ABC soaps all were with college and high school aged students who now run things). ATWT's top rated era was pretty much in the 60s and 70s.

[edgeofnik]

Actually, GL received a ton of press, including a 60 Minutes promotion. The oldest soap, blah, blah, blah. It's just unfortunate that ATWT was cancelled less than three month after GL went off the air AND they had another 9 months to go. By the time, the end came it was old news. It's just incredibly sad that a show that was #1 for 20 straight years; if it were for EF, there wouldn't be a SL; etc. I could go on, but it will only upset me! It's been so sad without ATWT.

[juppiter]

If you really look at it, ATWT was the soap that kept the highest number of vets the longest. The only soap that comes close is Y&R, maybe DAYS as a third. I really echo the words of Kelley Menighan-Hensley... she said, "I really wish somebody had looked at our show and said, 'This is worth saving.'" Chris Goutman apparently begged for years to reduce the show to 4 days a week instead of 5. Maybe it could've worked?

[DRW50]

I don't think 4 days versus 5 days would have made a big difference. It would have been cheaper, but something else is always going to be cheaper. And he would have used that as more of an excuse for Janet overload.

I'm just sorry no one gave a damn. But then a part of me thinks someone did, and P&G refused. Say what you will about the delusions of GL moving online, but Crystal Chappell and Grant Aleksander seemed serious about it. If P&G had agreed, then we might still be able to see some of our old friends from Springfield, then perhaps Oakdale, even Bay City. But P&G wanted it both ways - shut it down and nail the coffin shut.

[Mitch]

Never understood that, why not just let someone else buy the rights...( I know they were close to doing that with CBS in the 90s, which may have bought a few more years of the shows.) and go on. Its not like a new viewers would equate the online version to P & G.