OLTL Shelved

[Vee]

I think there were (and are) plenty of reasons to be cynical about soaps the way they'd been made over the course of the last 15 or more years on the networks, absolutely. And a lot of varied institutionalized sins before that. But frankly, that kind of up and down history you will find in any cultural institution. There's always a way to turn it back around. The problem with the soaps on network both a couple years ago and now was that most of them showed no interest in turning it around, or only did so fitfully.

But putting aside those hard times, or other past mistakes, the basic building blocks of serialized narrative - soap opera - itself is older than the written word. Soap opera was always worth reviving, and believing in. I knew it would survive, and I knew it would rebuild.

I think OLTL will too eventually. Hopefully sooner than later and it'll turn out this is just a real hiatus (while PP goes begging for money), but who knows. What matters, as always, is that soap opera goes on in a new way.

[DramatistDreamer]

I just read somewhere that Michael Fairman/TOLN had a podcast last night.

Did anyone listen?

I'm just curious because I thought it was Thursday nights when he did this?

[cassadine1991]

yeah it was for the season finale of AMC, Vincent Irizarry, Brooke Newton, Eric Nelsen and Cady McClain called in

[TeamEric]

Just wanted to make clear I was very excited about the reboot the first month.

Maybe as Soaplovers suggests, losing SBH really cost them because JP said they went in different directions after her departure????

I don't know what happened backstage. I just witnessed traffic slowed on two boards I visit, and I read many complaints similar to Soaplovers about OLTL losing steam.

Did the soap press really do a 180? Do you have examples? SOD just did that Todd & Blair spread praising their writing, but IMO it was a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. SID was always down on all things PP so I didn't ever see much praise emerging from there.

I've read a lot of complaints today that PP snowed fans, etc, today. Is that the 180 you mean?

I personally don't feel any different about PP than I did before. I never really trusted them but hey I trust the frackers at ABC even less.

If the writing had been firing on all cylinders the cut back from 4 to 2 episodes wouldn't have hurt.

The bottom line, for me at least, the general dissatisfaction with OLTL's writing is really at fault here. A normal network soap can rebound from a few bad months, but PP was very clear from day one these shows were on a short leash. I knew that which is why I worried when I saw many giving up. These were some long-time devoted fans that PP could have easily kept hooked, too.

[marceline]

I continue to be amazed at how the soap press has managed to hit new lows with their reaction to this situation. I checked out soap twitter last night and it was like swimming in a toilet filled with stupid.

[cassadine1991]

I know especially Michael Logan, didn't think he was in that pathetic clique, and it's funny how they think it's that simple and how it's about one thing, unless any of them are being subpoenaed by the courts they should just keep quiet because all they are doing is fanning the flames

[EricMontreal22]

Maybe Agnes didn't mind. Plus, as a full grown character she became an AMC one. But honestly, I think nobody, ABC, Agnes, nobody really cares about Loving or its characters

[cassadine1991]

that's a shame

[TeamEric]

To quote Obama,"Cynicism is a sorry kind of wisdom."

Serialized drama is alive and well in prime time network and cable shows. Shonda Rhimes gets hailed a genius for employing many old soapy cliches in fresh takes. Cynthia Cidre delivered arguably the very best episode of Dallas ever 30+ years later and completed a masterful transformation of John Ross into her next JR. From Sopranos to Mad Men to GOT, the list goes on of serialized dramas that delivered fresh, compelling stories for unique characters.

But also to quote Obama, "change must come."

Daytime serialized drama been in a creative rut for far too long.

The writers are either too old-fashioned or too cowed into playing it safe and conservative. I applauded AMC wrote a matter of fact abortion story but I can't help but feel Aggie took the easier out and made it an abortion due to rape. I winced when PP cut back on swearing because they were upsetting a small group of prudish vocal fans. Really, PP? You bowed to the safe choice versus blazed forward with the cutting edge soap you promised us. btw, Shelter isn't cutting edge, it's an outdated sleazy nightclub not hip and modern, or say my 21 year old niece wisely told me. I found PP's club set was written more realistic myself until I stepped back and shared her eye roll at some of the oldest cliches.

You know what was topical? Snoop reading Matt the riot act on how many brothers abandon their babies and the need to man up. AA Jeffrey was raised by a single mother, and could have followed up on this excellent scene to create real drama with Matt. Here's a rich white boy who knocked up an AA girl and he just threw some of his parents cash at her instead of manning up. I'd have killed for a REAL STORY of Matt a racist and ashamed of Drew. Let him deny it then explore his own feelings. Give me some real layers and complexity not a cliched Hannah II story. Ugh, make that triple ugh.

I can't help but note the continued lack of gay and minority characters on network television. Felix and Brad do not count, RC. They are ciphers, not real layered characters.

GH has wasted the talented, charismatic TR. They'll probably lose him versus give him a meaty, dramatic story of the likes of his new movie. RC doesn't have the courage nor chops to address the implied racism of Rafe/Molly/TJ/Taylor, so instead he shelled out-dated, gimmicky teen romance scenes.

I'm told Sabrina is a Latina. Really? There's not a hint of it anywhere onscreen because RC doesn't write it proving finally it was really Florencia who fought for Téa's cultural heritage to be a mainstay.

Franco's crimes were whitewashed versus daring to write him more along a unique Tony Soprano or Dexter type.

I don't watch DOOL, BB or Y&R but I haven't personally read a single daring storyline in years from them either.

PP had a real shot to modernize two daytime dramas. Was it wasted? At OLTL, at least I feel they blew it. I'll let AMC fans weigh in if it proved really cutting edge or not.

[marceline]

http://www.examiner.com/article/prospect-park-suspends-one-life-to-live-production

Pretty much more of the same but I was intrigued by this:

If this is true, good. look at what works. Also...

I concur.

[allmc2008]

I actually like that idea. A lot of times when you have a white couple that is somewhat liberal or at least accepting and not prejudge/racist there kids will turn out to be the opposite because they grew up in neighborhoods/schools with little minority groups thus the ignorance becomes inevitable.

[Vee]

Most of the soap press - including the last of the mags - never really embraced the new shows, no. They sidelined them in print and online for as long as possible. There was a conventional wisdom and a narrative inside most of that incestuous social bubble that they all stuck to, and they're really not interested in anything else. Or in soaps, for that matter - that is to say, they don't seem interested in soaps that aren't being put out by the same system and people they already know or like, or at least have come to understand. The new shows are not produced by a system that validates their continuing existence and relevance within the old parameters and "rules".

That's not to say PP does not sometimes come off like it's full of tweaking, water-on-the-brain incompetents. But the shows they put on for a thumbnail of the network budget look, sound and modernize better than the network soaps still produced for however many millions. (And yes, that absolutely includes OLTL.) If you say you want the future of soaps, you can't then turn around and tell me that Ron Carlivati's riding the wave and doing right by women or by people of color while Marty Saybrooke got re-raped and went nuts for laughs, Connie/Kate became a living joke, and characters like T.J. and Shawn are backburnered and probably dogmeat. For all his talent - and he does have quite a bit - Ron has never been about the future. At his best he's been about tradition and history and heart, and at his worst, he's been about rancid 'accepted' industry conventional wisdom and double-standards tarted up with new set dressing.

[allmc2008]

I am OK with there being a beginning/middle/end but I also like how soaps are open-ended and can go on for decades. I wonder if it is possible for there to be an open-ended conflict that can keep the show going?? I am afraid if they go that route there will be a possibility one season could be the last but at the same time, there wouldn't be a lot of loose-ends so I wouldn't have my anxiety attacks whenever I drop a bar of soap in the shower then have flashes of the last episode of AMC or become defensive with random people on the bus when they knock soaps because that triggers my hatred for ABC/Frons.

[~bl~]

I would hope that Matthew having a biracial half-sister wouldn't be racist against his own child. That said I would have understood why Matthew would resent having a child as he had no say in the matter. Actually a part of me wishes that Destiny would have also pushed her kid away and Nora would have been "stuck" with the baby as she was the one who convinced Destiny to not have an abortion.

[marceline]

That's one of the most on-the-nose observations I've ever read. You just perfectly nailed a whole host of people that I've run across in my life.