How are the actors contracts set up? Are they paid per episode or is their pay set for the length of the contract?

I would think per contract with renewal options at the end of the contract cycle. Now recurring characters maybe per episode???

It does concern me. But at first blush I think it has more to do with the production schedule than the money - the latter just doesn't make total sense to me given the first batch of numbers. And I know AMC was apparently at the point where they were taping stuff this week for airing next week. That's not sustainable and would warrant some kind of change. I also think if it's true that they're going back into production in August then that is a good sign.

People tend to jump to "CANCELLED!" way too quickly. It could absolutely happen. I just don't think it's happening yet. I also think cutting the shows to 2 a week is a mistake.

Exactly how I feel. I admit I'm used to watching several hours of soaps a day (and sometimes binging to catch up) so the reduced time seemed insanely manageable to me personally, but I have spoken to people who, much to my surprise, are as much as 6 episodes behind...

Come on.

So shady.

Exactly how I feel. I admit I'm used to watching several hours of soaps a day (and sometimes binging to catch up) so the reduced time seemed insanely manageable to me personally, but I have spoken to people who, much to my surprise, are as much as 6 episodes behind...

Well I found myself 4 episodes behind on OLTL today and 3 episodes behind on AMC. And it's not even that I can't find the time to watch or had planned to binge watch but I had no compulsion to watch. But that's my own thing.

I dont see thie as any different than when they were on tv. Of course people would fall behind. Thats something thats always happened. The current format made it easier to catch up, if that were to happen. IMO, it screws over those that do keep up. I wish they had scaled back to 3 instead of 2 bc that just seems too drastic

I agree, except I think PP has more to lose when people just skip one of their episodes than the networks did, in terms of revenue.

I wonder how FX Canada will adjust... I also hope that somehow the writers will be able to make some last minute changes to try to re-adjust--even though obviously it's largely too late for AMC.

However, for those who say this makes decisions like Susan Lucci not jumping on board make more sense, I disagree--if anything taping less episodes (and keeping her on screen more without having to make tons of excuses why she's gone again) would make her return more likely.

It does concern me. But at first blush I think it has more to do with the production schedule than the money - the latter just doesn't make total sense to me given the first batch of numbers. And I know AMC was apparently at the point where they were taping stuff this week for airing next week. That's not sustainable and would warrant some kind of change. I also think if it's true that they're going back into production in August then that is a good sign.

People tend to jump to "CANCELLED!" way too quickly. It could absolutely happen. I just don't think it's happening yet. I also think cutting the shows to 2 a week is a mistake.

I am thinking they got caught in a bind with noticing that the editing and post production was taking longer than they expected so in that dilemma, they had to make a decision. Taping shows this week for next week airtime is simply cutting it way way too close.

But on the bright side, the show is still on and we will be able to see our favorite characters.

I always said that when things calm down and the shows settle into themselves, some adjustments are inevitable.

OLTL films for 4 weeks starting Monday. Then production on both resume in August

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by John

Jeeze. I have been swamped with other things and haven't even gotten around to watching the reboots yet. But I will. That's online viewing, to me. Sounds like they need to chill, or things are tanking. Two episodes really isn't enough if they're not ~45 minutes each.

Exactly how I feel. I admit I'm used to watching several hours of soaps a day (and sometimes binging to catch up) so the reduced time seemed insanely manageable to me personally, but I have spoken to people who, much to my surprise, are as much as 6 episodes behind...

I am a binge watcher myself but I watch everyday because I want AMC to succeed.

I honestly think it would be better to take a break than to cut the shows back to 2/week. I waited a year to see the show again. If they took four weeks off to catch up, I would probably go back and watch all over from the beginning again and wait for the next run. I also think it would be better to let one show run for 8 weeks or so, and then run new episodes of the other.

I adapted to 25 minute shows. I can adapt again.

Either way, I'm thrilled that the GH fuckers can't write for OLTL characters anymore.

It's the truth. Why should I keep watching this mess if I'm going to be getting a grand total of 50 minutes of story? Soaps are not structured to work like that. We'd STILL be waiting for JR to wake up from his coma if they started that way.

I know this sounds defensive, but I don't agree with your last statement. On AMC on network tv under, say, McTavish, or even Ron Carlivati JR would have probably taken a month of false starts and nobody seeing him move his fingers--if not 2 months even. It's been a mixed blessing, and taken some adjustments from the writers (and they aren't there yet) but it's obvious the new soaps play these soap clichés out MUCH MUCH faster. So while it's fair to complain you have less viewing time, and for you a big part of the appeal is watching daily for a certain amount of time, story wise even cut in half the actual story beats will continue to play much faster on them. I mean look at the mess of GH--there's no way we would have 6 months of Relish nonsense in the online format (I would hope the writers wouldn't even start it, but you get my point.)

Exactly how I feel. I admit I'm used to watching several hours of soaps a day (and sometimes binging to catch up) so the reduced time seemed insanely manageable to me personally, but I have spoken to people who, much to my surprise, are as much as 6 episodes behind...

I am a binge watcher myself but I watch everyday because I want AMC to succeed.

I honestly think it would be better to take a break than to cut the shows back to 2/week. I waited a year to see the show again. If they took four weeks off to catch up, I would probably go back and watch all over from the beginning again and wait for the next run. I also think it would be better to let one show run for 8 weeks or so, and then run new episodes of the other.

They couldn't do that. It would be like having to relaunch them. And that takes too much time and too much money.

Clusterfuck. Thats what its gnna be. Bank on it!

I just cancelled my subscription to Hulu. Here is what I wrote:

I just learned the soaps One Life to Live and All My Children are being cut back to two episodes. I have no reason to continue this subscription as I no longer intend to watch on the shortened schedule.