I'll be celebrating the end of soaps.

You won't be alone.

Unsung is a great program yet very inexpensive to produce. Honestly, Unsung always leaves me feeling like they've just scratched the surface, I usually enjoy them so much I could go for two hours.

Amen to that. Every one of these Unsung episodes leave me wanting more. The one on Sylvester was one of my favorites.

Wny doesn't BET do their own soap? Prime time or otherwise? I mean if there's this HUGE untapped viewership just waiting to be gleaned...

For the same reason everybody else wants out of the soap business: it costs too much for too little return. There's not an huge untapped viewership for any of these shows. The viewership has been tapped and lost. They've lost viewers of all "stripes" and they aren't getting them back. You can debate why they lost them and where they went - as we have ad nauseum - but nothing will change the fact that a daily scripted soap running year-round with a large cast simply doesn't make a business case.

For the same reason everybody else wants out of the soap business: it costs too much for too little return. There's not an huge untapped viewership for any of these shows. The viewership has been tapped and lost. They've lost viewers of all "stripes" and they aren't getting them back. You can debate why they lost them and where they went - as we have ad nauseum - but nothing will change the fact that a daily scripted soap running year-round with a large cast simply doesn't make a business case.

I might agree about the network soaps, but I don't think that has to be true for cable soaps, especially if they have one that runs 2-3 days a week instead of 5.

I might agree about the network soaps, but I don't think that has to be true for cable soaps, especially if they have one that runs 2-3 days a week instead of 5.

Agreed but right now cable doesn't seem interested. I think eventually they'll come around to some version of the telenovela model but when they do they'll have to step up from the types of stories they tell and how they tell them. There'll be no more taking audiences for granted just because they've always been there. They'll have to treat their viewers like customers instead of like a necessary evil.

But like I said we've covered this ad nauseum. I long ago gave up the hope that these shows and the people who run them will ever evolve. There's nothing left to do but see how this whole thing ends.

I might agree about the network soaps, but I don't think that has to be true for cable soaps, especially if they have one that runs 2-3 days a week instead of 5.

My younger sister watches House of Anubis on Nick. It's a teen soap that has already had two seasons the interesting way they run it is it's in the 5 day a week format but it only runs for about 2 months each season.

My younger sister watches House of Anubis on Nick. It's a teen soap that has already had two seasons the interesting way they run it is it's in the 5 day a week format but it only runs for about 2 months each season.

Exactly. Cable networks have pretty much given up on the idea that a season has to be 22 shows straight through. The norm seems to be a run of 11-13, a break then another run of the remainder. Given the fact that TV viewing is pretty much on demand networks could be a lot more flexible with scheduling. It's just a matter of letting go of the past and concentrating on making a good product.

Exactly. Cable networks have pretty much given up on the idea that a season has to be 22 shows straight through. The norm seems to be a run of 11-13, a break then another run of the remainder. Given the fact that TV viewing is pretty much on demand networks could be a lot more flexible with scheduling. It's just a matter of letting go of the past and concentrating on making a good product.

And the thing about that show is it's a joint production with the UK, takes an entire year for a season to premiere and she's still excited about the next season. And the viewers are children and teens who have a very short attention span. But they like the drama and the mystery enough to wait.

My cable provider carries the Gospel Music network and I think a black soap (even once a week) would do well on there. They air a lot of original Chitlin' Circuit-esque taped plays (a la the dvds of Tyler Perry's recorded live plays but in the format of his sitcoms) on their network that apparently do well for them. They are morality themed and soapy as hell (oof, heaven?). When you mix that with a traditional soap format what you basically have is Generations meets Another Life.

For the same reason everybody else wants out of the soap business: it costs too much for too little return. There's not an huge untapped viewership for any of these shows. The viewership has been tapped and lost. They've lost viewers of all "stripes" and they aren't getting them back. You can debate why they lost them and where they went - as we have ad nauseum - but nothing will change the fact that a daily scripted soap running year-round with a large cast simply doesn't make a business case.

And alot of this can be chalked up to corporate greed as well. Soaps DO make a profit... but nobody in hollywood in interested in making a quality show, being PROUD of it, and making a modest profit. If they can't make a killing for little or no effort, they don't care. That's the same reason Cher was dropped from her label just 2 years after she had the biggest hit of her career, her follow up ONLY sold half a million copies, so they threw her under the bus. And that's why the music business is tanking just like daytime. And for every person who will watch cheap reality shows, there are 10 like me who won't, and aren't interested, unless it's a reality show about celebs. Who cares about housewives in Atlanta? Theyr'e a bunch of effing nobodies! At least that's how I see it. Joan and Melissa, I watch. Celeberity fit club. I watch. Celebrity apprentice, I watch.

Edited September 2, 201213 yr by alphanguy74

OWN has team up with Tyler Perry for him to write a couple of series.

Bye Bye, ABC, CBS, & NBC.

Edited October 18, 201213 yr by MoTheGreat

OWN has team up with Tyler Perry for him to write a couple of series.

Bye Bye, ABC, CBS, & NBC.

Terrific news! I'm a bit annoyed with Tyler and his movies, but this could be a collaboration for the record books. Oprah and her poorly planned network needs this!