http://carolynhinsey.tainteddreamstheseries.com/2014/08/06/be-careful-what-you-wish-for-soap-fans/

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.

Also the interference from the higher-ups

I think everything you say is true, but I don't watch a soap for that. I watch a soap for the whole show, not just one couple or character. I think it's a big problem when other fans do, and personally, while this is unrelated, I never even fast-forward (especially not on a show like Frank Valentini's GH, where the editing is carefully and often very obviously tuned to their story intent).

And more importantly, what you say goes both ways. It's not just about the audience, it's about the product and management. Y&R and GH have both shown a willingness to overturn their whole canvases for a handful of stars and couples.

And I get very, very, very tired when every single valid critique of a show's problems is met with a breezy statement from the management or the writers saying 'well, you should be watching our show for everyone, not just the people you like or the couple you're worried about.' Because these days the fact is they have no room to lecture me. I'm not the one with that problem in this equation - they are.

These soaps have readily adopted and promoted the mindset of the myopic couples and actor fanbases - these EPs and HWs are obsessed with Michael Easton, Michelle Stafford, Billy Miller, Amelia Heinle, Steve Burton, James Scott, Roger Howarth, you name it. These shows and their management are sick to death at the thought of losing what they see as their biggest gets - actors, couples, etc. - and they are willing to not bother with anything else on their show so long as they keep their precious ones. I know very well that Y&R has known they have an issue with Amelia Heinle as Victoria for at least three to five years, but they haven't done [!@#$%^&*] about it. Why? Because they love this couple and that's more important to them than the larger show.

It is a circuit and we can debate who started it, but the fact is these soaps and their crews are the ones finishing it. They're blowing it themselves.

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.

Never, ever in the eighties and nineties do I remember feeling like vets were being neglected. Many actors moved on, other times, shows just had the balls to write characters out usually with a happy ending, or best, they were well utilized as reliable supporting characters.

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?

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

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

Weren't you leaving? LOLOLOL!

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