I think there's something to be said for both models.

The serialized primetime dramas that are so acclaimed right now, IMHO, do work on the UK model to an extent. While, unlike most UK shows they don't usually have just one writer scripting each episode, they do have smaller writing rooms and the showrunner usually has much moreinput (due to time.) And I think this works better. I can see why those people don't like a longer season where they often have to allow some filler or even outright bad episodes through (look at, say, Buffy) and have less time to do final edits.

HOWEVER, those shows work differently than soap operas--and then primetime soaps like Peyton Place, Dallas, etc, even if Dallas (Peyton Place ran all year) and other 80s primetime style soaps did start to make a big deal of cliffhanger seasons endings. They are still far more open ended--like daytime soaps--than the current model of serialized primetime shows. Sure Mad Men, for example is sorta a mix of the two styles but it's still clear that the season is mapped out, thematically and plot wise, in a way that Dynasty never was.

I still think a good writing team can take adavantage of the more episodes a soap opera serves. It's a different style of writing than even writing a very soapy show like Scandal but the advantages are you fill it with scenes of character interaction and detail (and not--as is often done now the JER Passions style of just repeating the same scene to fill time.)

For me it's not an issue of writing, it's the production aspect that I think makes daily soaps unworkable. They just don't/can't/won't attract the audience numbers that that they used to and therefore they can't pay for themselves. The cost has to come down or the revenue has to go up and the revenue isn't going to go up. Not significantly. Not long-term. It's strictly a numbers game now. Do I love the idea of a new show every day? Of course I do. I'm a TV junkie. Feed me. But the business of TV doesn't favor that. Just like the business of banking doesn't favor you coming into the bank every two weeks to deposit your paycheck with a teller.

If you had told me years ago when I was watching Cliff and Nina's wedding that one day I would be sitting in front of my TV with whole seasons of Slings & Arrows, Buffy, Firefly, (a show that didn't even have one whole season on air), Doctor Who, House of Cards and Nip/Tuck along with movies like Imitation of Life and The African Queen literally at my fingertips, I wouldn't have believed it. Not to go all Rosie, but I'm old enough to remember what it was like to accidentally run across a favorite movie playing on the local UHF affiliate and being so excited because I hadn't seen it in years. Now I can order up those movies on Amazon.

Like it or not, the soaps have to evolve and right now we are smack in the middle of that evolution. It's got it's ups and downs, no doubt, but given that I wrote off the genre years ago, I'm down for the ride. Especially because, this product serves me better than the old one did.

Whatever happens with PP, they did the impossible: they gave me back my love of soaps. A love that had been beaten out of me over years. (They also created a world where Vee and I get along. You gotta admit, that's a [!@#$%^&*] miracle. )

Don't talk about Fight Club, marceline.

For me it's not an issue of writing, it's the production aspect that I think makes daily soaps unworkable. They just don't/can't/won't attract the audience numbers that that they used to and therefore they can't pay for themselves. The cost has to come down or the revenue has to go up and the revenue isn't going to go up. Not significantly. Not long-term. It's strictly a numbers game now. Do I love the idea of a new show every day? Of course I do. I'm a TV junkie. Feed me. But the business of TV doesn't favor that. Just like the business of banking doesn't favor you coming into the bank every two weeks to deposit your paycheck with a teller.

 

If you had told me years ago when I was watching Cliff and Nina's wedding that one day I would be sitting in front of my TV with whole seasons of Slings & Arrows, Buffy, Firefly, (a show that didn't even have one whole season on air), Doctor Who, House of Cards and Nip/Tuck along with movies like Imitation of Life and The African Queen literally at my fingertips, I wouldn't have believed it. Not to go all Rosie, but I'm old enough to remember what it was like to accidentally run across a favorite movie playing on the local UHF affiliate and being so excited because I hadn't seen it in years. Now I can order up those movies on Amazon.

 

Like it or not, the soaps have to evolve and right now we are smack in the middle of that evolution. It's got it's ups and downs, no doubt, but given that I wrote off the genre years ago, I'm down for the ride. Especially because, this product serves me better than the old one did.

 

Whatever happens with PP, they did the impossible: they gave me back my love of soaps. A love that had been beaten out of me over years. (They also created a world where Vee and I get along. You gotta admit, that's a [!@#$%^&*] miracle.  )

ITA with all of your points, especially the last one.  

As we have all learned over the last few months is PP is learning this new model as they go along. There have been many bumps along the way but ultimately I think they are going to find the right fit and all will work out well for fans and AMC. Even though we don't have the actual data from Hulu we can conclude that the soaps are very popular there and at times on iTunes. PP needs TOLN to work and since they are basing that success around AMC & OLTL I think they will do whatever they need to do to make that happen. I don't think cancellation is even an option for them at this point. If the shows were doing poorly I think we would know based on the rankings of popularity the shows are having on Hulu and iTunes. So what we do know is that the shows are doing well as far as hits on Hulu and purchases via iTunes.

I don't know if PP has found the perfect model yet but I do know they are closer than they were when the shows premiered April 29th. I know the next Season and or cycle of taping will be a lot smoother for them because they have something to compare it to now. They have over 80 episodes under their belts and have hired Writers I think that will provide viewers with compelling stories. They don't have a well oiled machine yet but I think they are much much closer to perfecting it to get there.

Also, I think revenue should be coming in from Advertisers because they have been up and running since April to generate some. Whether the revenue is at the level they want remains to be seen but revenue is coming in that we know for sure.

ITA. I'm willing to cut PP slack because they're working with a new business model and they are doing their best to ensure these shows bring in as many viewers as possible.

Today's show-runners lack imagination and fundamental ability to properly pace a show beyond 13 episode seasons. I think that if each show had multiple stories paced at different intervals (i.e. one story starting, one story heating up, one story climaxing, and one story dealing with fallout) then they should have no problem with writing a 22 episode season. The problem is that most shows are structure on one continuing story arc per season. Desperate Housewives was a perfect example with their season mysteries.. while all the subplots were dropped for episodes on end then bought back up out of the blue.

Old school Dallas, Knots Landing, even early Dynasty could juggle multiple stories... It can be done, it's just we need show runners that have the ability to do it.

AMEN!

For me it's not an issue of writing, it's the production aspect that I think makes daily soaps unworkable. They just don't/can't/won't attract the audience numbers that that they used to and therefore they can't pay for themselves. The cost has to come down or the revenue has to go up and the revenue isn't going to go up. Not significantly. Not long-term. It's strictly a numbers game now. Do I love the idea of a new show every day? Of course I do. I'm a TV junkie. Feed me. But the business of TV doesn't favor that. Just like the business of banking doesn't favor you coming into the bank every two weeks to deposit your paycheck with a teller.

If you had told me years ago when I was watching Cliff and Nina's wedding that one day I would be sitting in front of my TV with whole seasons of Slings & Arrows, Buffy, Firefly, (a show that didn't even have one whole season on air), Doctor Who, House of Cards and Nip/Tuck along with movies like Imitation of Life and The African Queen literally at my fingertips, I wouldn't have believed it. Not to go all Rosie, but I'm old enough to remember what it was like to accidentally run across a favorite movie playing on the local UHF affiliate and being so excited because I hadn't seen it in years. Now I can order up those movies on Amazon.

Like it or not, the soaps have to evolve and right now we are smack in the middle of that evolution. It's got it's ups and downs, no doubt, but given that I wrote off the genre years ago, I'm down for the ride. Especially because, this product serves me better than the old one did.

Whatever happens with PP, they did the impossible: they gave me back my love of soaps. A love that had been beaten out of me over years. (They also created a world where Vee and I get along. You gotta admit, that's a [!@#$%^&*] miracle. )

ITA. I love having so many old shows and movies available at my fingertips (and I'm glad to find someone else who watched Slings & Arrows). Soaps will evolve and if that means airing only 2 or 3 times a week in the future, but having the quality PP has brought back to AMC & OLTL, I'm along for the ride!

Edited August 11, 201312 yr by Steve

I love the mentions of Slings and Arrows--and have nothing else to say except I agree.

Congratulations go to Susan Lucci and Paula Garces for Devious Maids renewal for a 2nd Season. Guess Erica and Lea will be tied up elsewhere. Calling Kendall. Paula a new baby coming and renewing Devious Maids and Susan doing just so great too. Maybe Primetime Emmy love here? Congrats to both.

I dont believe PG plays a big role on DM as she was filming AMC while DM was still filming its first season in Atlanta

Paula/Flore's story on DM should be done at the end of this season--Marc Cherry said her murder mystery would be wrapped up, and her role has basically only been flashbacks and dream sequences anyway.

Well, it looks like ABC/Prospect Park are moving ahead with another project.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/abc-developing-murder-trial-drama-from-kelly-masterson-prospect-park/

I am looking at the Wiki page and they say they have around 7 other projects in different phases of development.

If anything were to happen to AMC and OLTL, this company is still in great shape with moving on to other projects and always keeping plan B, C and whatever. Sometimes I get this feeling that they want AMC and OLTL to succeed but if they don't and get cancelled, it would not be a big deal or a problem for PP since they have other things at the ready for them to just move on to. I am still just getting vibes as to the real sincerity of PP with the productions of AMC and OLTL.

Linda, they're not cancelled. Sorry.

#SNEAKPEAK: #toln's brand spanking new website for @allmychildren @onelifetolive - UNVEILING Monday, Aug 19 pic.twitter.com/2QDuMq3U53

— The OnLine Network (@TOLN)

August 15, 2013

Well, it looks like ABC/Prospect Park are moving ahead with another project.

http://www.deadline.com/2013/08/abc-developing-murder-trial-drama-from-kelly-masterson-prospect-park/

I am still just getting vibes as to the real sincerity of PP with the productions of AMC and OLTL.

Where are these voodoo vibes coming from... Oh right, just from you wanting the shows gone so you can keep your memories of how they were even if those memories are largely wrong (and you don't even watch OLTL...)

PP already has other shows on networks (I think Royal Pains is one?) However, the TOLN brand they are working so hard to make in their own name still only really has these shows--it's very different from them doing a pilot for ABC--and they clearly want to build that brand.

#SNEAKPEAK: #toln's brand spanking new website for @allmychildren @onelifetolive - UNVEILING Monday, Aug 19 pic.twitter.com/2QDuMq3U53

Too generic and bright for these shows I think, but I'll roll with it. Cool.

Production companies produce many things. In fact PP is not just limited to TV they also do film & music. I guess you think all they should produce is AMC & OLTL?

Rich and Frank have decades of History in Production. They know what they are doing. But a day without negativy re PP from you, would be like a day without Orange Juice

Edited August 15, 201312 yr by John