Soap Opera Digest "Just My Opinion" One Life to Live

[Errol]

In order for foreigners to want to watch GH, the soap would have to "re-launch." By that I mean, at least a weeks worth of shows introducing the canvas to new viewers, while not necessarily taking away from the ongoing plots that American viewers are currently being entertained by. I'd imagine this would be done a year before the show aired internationally so that when it began airing Disney/ABC would have enough international networks signed up in order to get a profit out of it as well as provide enough time for promotion.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

GH is not appealing to international viewers. Right now it still doesn't have the elements to appeal to international viewers. There is not even one good romance on the show right now. My mother got hooked on Y&R back in the 80s when everyone in her country was obsessed with the show and she said they really liked the romances and the drama.

[Errol]

Of course, storytelling is a major factor. But, from a business stand point, what I said is all the show would need to get off the ground internationally.

[frequentsoapfan]

They didn't need to do that in the past and I really don't think they need to do that now in the day and the age of the internet where you can look up everything you need to know about the characters on a wiki page

[Errol]

Some countries block some websites, and not everyone is going to research characters on a website just to know about characters before a show debuted in their country. With GH being on the air for 50 seasons, some major work would need to be done to get people invested in the show and its history. I can't imagine them just throwing the show on the air in some foreign country and expect it to do well. I didn't happen in Europe when Disney launched ABC 1 a few years ago and it can't happen now.

[SFK]

I forget which country it was, but B&B did this years ago. Instead of starting at the beginning, they started around where the show currently was in the U.S. and had people like Flannery and McCook tape "catch up" segments letting the new viewers know the show's history and what had been going on recently.

When you look at U.S. soaps that were very successful in Italy like B&B, Capitol, and Santa Barbara, one can spot the glitzy through line, and in at least two cases, the 30 min. format. Loving also did well in Italy, as did GL, which I guess was their most popular traditional American "family" soap.

[VirginiaHamilton]

I find it funny (not really) that OLTL fans are considered to be "entitled" by some, although I've seen plenty of entitlement from certain GH viewers who have been whining about "their soap" being "taken over" for damn near a year.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

Do you honestly think current GH would do well now? It didn't work out a few years ago when it had the mob action. I don't see anything on it that would grab an international audience now.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

All I have to say to anything this woman spews is:

[ChitHappens]

GH fans have a right to want to see their show in it's final years, months, days. Not one GH fan is out of line here! As GH fans, a sense of entitlement is in order as this is the show of which we are fans. I purposely skipped OLTL, so I won't have it forced on me. It's time for FRon to prove themselves as GH writers. So far, they have not done that.

[Errol]

If you're speaking of quality/storytelling, that is subject to debate and would be based on one's opinion. I do think GH has improved, but it isn't where I hope it will be yet. That, however, does not mean the show can't be successful internationally based on current storytelling. What one likes or dislikes, doesn't mean all like or dislike. My input in the GH going international discussion was based on a business perspective alone.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

Exactly. I have to agree with you I've seen alot of OLTL entitlement online. I haven't seen GL or ATWT fans act the same way about their shows or demand for their characters to be on Y&R or B&B.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

ABC/Disney never aggressively marketed their soaps worldwide, like Sony,the Bell's, and New World did.

The soaps with the big international followings tended to be really high on glitz, glamour, high end camp, and escapism. IMO, the ABC soaps never really captured these elements as successfully as Santa Barbara and B&B did/do for example, hence why they were never that successful internationally.

Santa Barbara was a show that had very little success in its home country, but it was a different story internationally. IMO, Europeans especially, really "got" that show in ways Americans did not.

[chicklitsandfantasies]

There is nothing glamorous,sexy, or, contemporary about current GH. And there are no proper leads I can see new viewers investing in on the show.

[Eric83]

OLTL's sets were torn down and I thought Katie was shot in OLTL's old space. There is absolutely no way it's coming back, this woman is a lunatic for even suggesting the possibility.