December 19-23, 2011

[Soapsuds]

The thing with MarDar is that they have NO stories. They have no ideas. What kind of writer is that? The Will story was already a go before they were even hired. I am sure they will botch that one too.

I dont know how well the Culltions know Days.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

They could, but Richard and Carolyn have left loads to be desired during most of their HW-ing stints...

Their strengths are as staff writers.

But come on, DAYS is gone in 2013 anyway. They could get a new HW, and that person could be successful for a while, but as history has shown, there's a better chance they'll fizzle out fast and the show will be in the same position it is currently.

[jpoliver78]

Some points...

1) "The Chew" (ducks, is it okay to mention that show in this thread?) averaged 2.59 million viewers for the week, not the 2.7 million mentioned earlier. That 2.7 million mark was the viewership for an individual day - Thursday, Dec. 22 - that featured that cry baby sore loser professional dancer from "Dancing With the Stars".

2) My biggest complaint is that "Days of Our Lives" storylines seem to be either 1) too slow, or 2) too boring. Nothing is more exciting than a Ponzi scheme storyline, right?!? The only buzz worthy storyline involves Will Horton being gay, and tearing a page out of the "As the World Turns" handbook, the writers are taking their sweet time...Will reportedly won't officially 'come out' until February. As for the other stories, I feel like they are largely snooze-worthy. Even the Abigail/Austin story seems out of left field. Since McPherson and Thomas worked on "Passions" - and "Days" incoming executive producer worked at "Passions" too - "Days" seems to have adopted that soaps plodding and moving in circles storytelling.

3) No wonder the soap genre is dying out, what with all the defeatist attitude going around ("who cares, "Days" is finished in 2013", etc.). We don't know that "Days" is going out in 2013, or that even "General Hospital" will close in 2012. Are they possibilities? Of course, but nothing is a done deal yet. The future of these - and all - serials depends on their ratings and their budgets. If everyone tunes out because "they are gone", then they will be gone...a self-fulfilling prophesy. And when the last soaps do go off, people will be on this board bemoaning that fact, even though they helped contribute to their demise with their pessimistic behavior. Before I am labeled as "naive" or "stupid", I realize that GH may be canceled to make way for Katie Couric or that NBC may well cancel "Days", but that doesn't mean that even if these decisions have privately been made, they can still be changed any time prior to being announced publicly.

[gtru1981]

In all honestly, theirs little hope left for these shows. If GH gets canceled, theirs no hope NBC would keep days. You got to remember, NBC has new owners and they are struggling real bad in Prime Time. They are going to want to save money and seeing how 4 soups have been canceled and the shows that replaced them ratings are still about the same while saving 60%, why would NBC not consider canceling Days since so many have considered the soap genre to be dead.

[gtru1981]

The stories are BORING! A great story can can as long as it can, as long as it has twist and turns and keeps you on the edge of your feet. These new writers, all their stories have been a disaster bc they were writen very poorly and the outcomes were stupid. John gets out of jail due to a IOU??!! Really!! Its like going to Bernie Madoff and telling him, hey we will give you a IOU if you tell us your involvement with the New York Mets (sorry had to use that since they owners of the team are being sued for a billion dollars due to a ponzi scheme by Madoff). The ending to Johns storyline was beyong stupid, just like alot of these stories.

[Carolyn1980]

There's NO HOPE for the remaining soaps. NONE.

The only hope soap fans have is that once the dinosaur soaps are cleared away, someone will have the bright idea to create a new continuing daytime story that will be hyped as a soap for the 21st century. I believe such an endeavor could be a real possibility, and might even lead to imitators....but not until a few years after the last current show is gone (obviously Y&R).

[sungrey]

Some points I'll raise here...

1. It's my hope that Days doesn't fire anyone at this point. If actors want to leave on their own, that's fine. However, one false move and I may shut off Days after over 25 years. I think the past firings (Crystal, Nadia, Louise) affected the numbers more than TPTB are willing to admit and to let someone else go risks losing that actor/actress' fan base.

2. I don't think NBC will do anything with Days. The stations have all but one hour free to program with their own shows during the day, and NBC has a ton of problems at night. The network's trying to fix those problems, but so far it's been like trying to put a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound with heavy bleeding.

3. I'd leave the Cullitons as script writers. Richard's scripts have been very entertaining. All the characters act like adults. I can tell a RC script about 5-10 minutes into the show.

4. I'm still behind Marlene and Darrell. I don't want the haters to run off another set of writers (and understand by haters, I am NOT talking about anyone on this board... lol) and so far the scripts have been all over the place. Bring in a consultant. Sheri, maybe? Better pacing to the stories and the overall scenes.

[JONNYSBRO]

Soaps are OVER in this form FOREVER. The reason we have a defetist attitude is because we see the REALITY, we are no longer in pure utter DELUSION in what some other soap fans are in and DENIAL. If the Revolution on ABC bombs then ABC is developing other reality/alternative show pilots on deck to replace it if it fails. These shows are cheap, easy and not hard to create nor produce. Its easy u just cancel the CHEAP show for another CHEAP SHOW. What won't be happening is ABC keeping GH with its huge costs. OLTL was alot lower cost then GH and its canned with higher ratings. U think ABC will keep a lower rated soap thats more expensive. Its BUSINESS 101 some soap fans cease to look at. I wonder if there are any soap fans who currently work in fields of business and understand the basic dollars and cents. What its time for soap fans to start doing is accept reality. Maybe one day someone who is bright can bring these soaps back after they are all gone in a different cost effective form thats profitable with a new business model. Hey in Mexico telenovelas are HUGE and british soaps are big in UK but guess what they key is they are INEXPENSIVE.

[dan90210]

LETS be real dool will be gone 2013

[jpoliver78]

Not to be rude, but we should break out our best cheese to go along with some of the whining on this board, and its the same song every week. This soap or that soap is doomed, or the entire genre is doomed. Those of you who only make such posts, week after week, must be a real hit at parties...just don't apply for work with a suicide prevention hotline.

Seriously, no one can make a comment about any soap, whether it be changing writers or their sets, without some self appointed know-it-all expert bringing the whole room down with words of doom and gloom. Personally, I'm getting tired of it. Unless anyone who posts on this board works at NBC, CBS, or ABC, then they know nothing more about what will happen than anyone else. Could "Days" be gone in 2013, sure but it might also still be around. I can say that Barack Obama will lose his re-election in November - and it may well happen - but that doesn't make me an expert on politics. Besides, who cares when the current crop of soaps will end, the world is going to end in December anyway, so let people enjoy their soaps in peace!

And, finally...to Jonnysbro, it is not DENIAL to think that the current soaps will not be canceled when their current contract cycles are up. It's called being OPTIMISTIC. It would be "denial" if they were canceled, but someone refused to believe it, like someone still turning on ABC at 1:00 p.m. and expecting to see AMC. That would be DENIAL.

[skiman12082004]

+1

[MontyB]

LOL!!!!!! Love it!

[beebs]

+8284893

Seriously. I totally get the cynicism, but it's getting a bit stale, honestly. Yes, the US soaps suck and probably will be cancelled...that would be exactly the reason I've moved onto EastEnders instead of just talking about how they'll all end soon and how ratings don't matter...IN THE RATINGS THREAD.

Side note: been drinking, am on holiday. Less reserved than usual. I'll probably be aghast at what I've said tomorrow morning. Deal with it.

[jams1234]

Hehe lololol!!! Ohh WUB this!!! I nearly peed a little from laughing (out loud as the lololol suggested) And the bold red truthfulness is just priceless....gotta love a apt & succinct breakdown like that! Bravo!

Here's to the remaining soaps living on for YEARS to come!!! I'll also wish for all of our lost stories to make their way back to us..... Oh that wonderful bitch that is optimism.

Good thing for me....... MY soap..... AMC is still going strong ....although I keep tuning into ABC at noon and there are these 5 jackasses Chewing and gnawing about food ????? (Just Let me live in my river in Egypt)

[dan90210]

Toup when the rating coming out