Soaps In The Time of Crisis

[amybrickwallace]

As a former newspaper employee who lost a job due to budget cuts with print media becoming less relevant, I truly feel for these people. My heart breaks for them. Still, with both print media as a whole and soap operas almost out of existence - this was bound to happen. I hope and pray that the employees who lose their jobs find work again as soon as possible.

[VanessaReardon]

Is Stephanie Sloane out of a job.......finally? lol

[Gray Bunny]

It's sad but a sign of the times, COVID or no COVID. This is likely to be the final nail in the coffin for Soap Opera Digest, and another loss to the tiny little soap world. The magazine that gave us the fun, often mocked, but jovial Soap Opera Awards of the 80's and 90's. 

 

I admit, I am a SOD collector, having entire years, of some 80's, all the 90's, 00's going up until 2017 when I finally cancelled my subscription because I found myself only reading the articles about the past, and there's only so many times you can read the same love story timelines of such supercouples like Bo & Hope, Luke & Laura, or Josh & Reva. Or, I wasn't reading them at all. 

 

Once upon a time, they were my soap opera lifeline, before the internet, and in the early internet days when spoilers weren't as widespread online and the articles were still worth reading. My first SOD, bought by my mother for me, was September 1995 with DAYS' Bo, Hope, and Billie with the exit of Lisa Rinna. 

[OldGHFan]

It's kind of sad.  I still have my first SOD magazine that I bought back in 1983.  And I still have so many more that I have saved.

 

But I agree, SOD's time has come and gone - regardless of COVID-19.  COVID-19 just put the final nail in it.

[Errol]

While the news sounds dire, let's keep in mind that American Media has just over 20 publications in its arsenal, and that number doesn't even include the National Enquirer. There's a chance this has nothing to even do with Soap Opera Digest (although I do believe it does), so let's not worry too much. 

[JAS0N47]

LOS ANGELES COUNTY EXTENDS STAY-AT-HOME ORDER THROUGH AT LEAST MAY 15...

 

The order means production of "Days of Our Lives", and any other Los Angeles-based TV shows, will remain suspended for at least 5 more weeks.

 

 

The 65-day shutdown of "Days" would be the second longest production break in "Days" history, just 2 days behind the 67-day break from 11/28/19-2/2/20.

 

Based on reports, YR and BB will run out of episodes by early May; GH has enough remaining 4-day weeks to air new episodes through May 21.

 

[ReddFoxx]

It would be surprising if the order wasn't further extended beyond May. Even when the order is eventually lifted it's hard to see production on shows resuming right way.

[Aback]

 

This.

[Chris B]

I wonder what the plan will be when the shows are completely done with episodes. Do they maintain weeks of repeats as you would in primetime? Just go off the air? It'll be interesting to see what they decide.

[Paul Raven]

Going to Fri repeats was one way of extending the number of weeks of new stuff but  it will take 4 weeks of that to get one extra week. Maybe immediately going to a 3/2 ratio might have been a better call. Perhaps they thought too many repeats would damage the ratings.

Just have to wait and see...

Edited April 13, 2020 by Paul Raven

[Chris B]

 

A 3/2 ratio would've been better because it would give them time to come up with a solution. I can't imagine it being good for the ratings if the 3 simply go off the air for months and are replaced by something else. You *could* do themed weeks of repeats, or just repeat entire weeks where something significant storywise happened. I just don't know if they'll put in the effort for anything like that.

[Paul Raven]

Themed weeks could be interesting.

Have Peter Bergman provide commentary on Jack/Nikki/Victor and show scenes from 89 onwards.

Or Tracey Bregman on the life and loves of Lauren..

So many veteran performers available to recap years of story.

Just a variation on the Nikki anniversary episode but going into more depth.

Better than going off the air altogether.

[Gray Bunny]

 

That's a great idea. That would entice viewers to watch even more so than just random repeats. That, along with a 3/2 ratio of new & repeats would help stretch it out.

 

I would say of the four soaps, General Hospital is in the most precarious situation. Y&R still garners a healthy amount of viewers, and B&B is right behind and has all that international backing. DAYS is stocked up on episodes through the next millennium, leaving only GH... I could see ABC expanding their Coronavirus coverage to two hours in the afternoon once new episodes dry up. And you know, once the network gets a little taste of how cheap it is to produce content for that time period, they may not want to bring GH back [for much longer]. 

 

Edited April 13, 2020 by Gray Bunny

[John]

GH has been ediing in Fashbacks to split what would have aired as one episode into two. This is another way to extend Original episodes beyond May 22

[DramatistDreamer]

Since this can go in several different threads, I will be posting in the movies thread as well as the COVID-19 thread but this reminds me of Jeanne Cooper's complaint of how desperately dirty the sets at Y&R were and that she feared someone would get very sick because of it.  Hiring and paying cleaning people well to clean the studios and sets on a consistent schedule shouldn't be an issue and I don't know why this is but no doubt, this pandemic has brought a reckoning.