Carolyn Hinsey: Be Careful What You Wish For, Soap Fans

[ChitHappens]

Remember when the soap press held HWs accountable as opposed to ass licking? Now, they are just fan gurls singing the praises of Daytime's bigges hack since James Reilly!

If these shows were held accountable [and not just by Twitter], things might not have gotten so bad. I don't look forward to anything on Daytime anymore, and this is the 1st year in my 34 years of viewing that I'm not regularly watching at least one soap! Ugh!

[sungrey]

Since I gave up Days in 2012 I haven't watched a show in two years. And I was (and still am) a big fan of daytime. It's scary that I don't miss Days, but I think I've gone on record many many times as saying this isn't the Days I grew up with and that's the Days I want back.

So I guess I fall into Carolyn's story in a way. I don't refuse to accept new characters, but I want them introduced in such a way that they play well off the existing characters. That's why one of my biggest things I would do if I were in charge of Days was to wipe out most of the new characters, bring back a lot of fan faves, and then build new characters and new stories off of them.

If people want to accuse me of living in the past, so be it. I see the same stuff written about Y&R so I know it's just not me and Days.

[Skin]

That's another aspect that I was thinking about as well. Specifically the fact that these shows have turned themselves out in trying to make certain characters popular and omnipotent at all costs, first thing that comes to mind is OLTL's Todd Manning and the writers/hire up's absolute refusal to write him out because of his perceived popularity. They were going to keep him at all costs and that mindset set the entire soap community up for failure over the next two decades. I can certainly see how it goes both ways and soaps led to their own demise in this regard. There is no reason for fans to watch something that they don't wish to watch, and it's the soaps own fault in catering to these fan bases to the point where they've written several characters into a corner with no way out. I think Days is probably the biggest offender in this, where multiple characters have been held hostage by their larger then life super couples. But ultimately when does it become "fan service" and when does it become "killing your soap" to be cognizant of your fanbase and what it wants? How high should soaps show their appreciation for their fans opinions? Is it still possible to create a community soap that spreads the love equally to all characters and not create vehicles for breakout stars? Especially in this time and age where budgets are slashed to 80% of what they were, and film hours are limited?

I see that there is a lot of criticism for soaps trying to emulate Primetime shows, but does it come to a point where these shows have been forced to do so due to lost viewership? Obviously it makes no sense to blame the viewer, I am just trying to figure out how these problems could even be solved in this climate for Daytime.

Was it really that different back then? It seems that Daytime always had stars which were more important than other characters. How has this phenomenon changed between the times?

[Soapsuds]

Why is this woman even given a thread on SON?? She has no clue what makes a good soap. She hasn't in YEARS.

[EastMA2]

Weren't you leaving? LOLOLOL!

[amybrickwallace]

This woman took butt-kissing to a whole new level, didn't she?