The Story of Soaps Primetime Special

[DramatistDreamer]

 

Oh no, I didn't mean for ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox to be entrusted to do this. PBS would be ideal or even AMC, hell even HBO would do a better job.

[Darn]

 

I hate his trashy programming but I will say the man is a genuine daytime fan. 

 

I'm mostly mad that almost every clip was GH (which I understand because it's ABC and still on the air but NOTHING from OLTL?) and that they included a shot from Desperate Housewives when they couldn't even give that show a one hour retrospective when it went off the air. I'm pretty sure this'll be like every other special about daytime,  almost wholly focused on the 80s and about all the celebrities that emerged from their grunt work on soaps. I'm not enthused.

 

Also the audacity to make this after unceremoniously dumping AMC and OLTL and running GH into the ground. Soap fans don't forget.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Darn

[soapfan770]

Hopefully it will be entertaining at the least, although Denise Richards as guest and that promo showing a clip from Desperate Housewives leaves me a bit doubtful. Remember when ABC made that silly Dynasty BTS movie with the Borg Queen from Star Trek playing Joan Collins? 

[All My Shadows]

We really, really don't forget.

For example, I remember the trend of the networks celebrating their anniversaries back in the early 2000s and how NBC did not include a segment on daytime (going so far as to making a joke during the actual program about it), CBS had Patricia Heaton come out and talk about watching soaps and college before presenting a "before they were stars" montage set to "It Had to Be You" (they had Jeanne and Flannery RIGHT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE), and ABC did a similar sequence, but they at least showcased actual scenes, picked people who mostly had important roles, and very quickly shoehorned in a set of "groundbreaking moments" from the soaps to follow it.

It's been nearly 20 years since those things aired, but my faith in the networks to properly tell "the story of soaps" is not high. The only thing that I will say is that since the soapocalypse of 2009-2012, there seems to be more respect for the genre and its actual heroes.

[Errol]

If ABC were to reboot "All My Children" in particular, and Susan Lucci returned with Lorraine Broderick as head writer. What if one of the driving forces for the reboot involved Andy Cohen with him as a consultant on the revamped show. Would anyone be opposed to the show returning then if that was the clause to getting it back on the air, and potentially on ABC itself?

[All My Shadows]

I would be interested in the show returning in any form, but I'd have an extremely hard time with AC coming on as a consultant. Why in the world would Lorraine Broderick need to consult with AC to make a show she's been involved with for over 40 years?

 

Yes, there is value in bringing in new blood, and I like to let every dog have his day, but if I'm making predictions, it would be the same type of thing that hollowed the show out in the mid-2000s. Frons wanted it to be Sex and the City. I have a hard time believing AC wouldn't view the show as a predecessor to Housewives.

How much power would a "consultant" even have, though?

[soapfan770]

That dreadful CBS at 75 special. I believe it was Morey Safer who called a “75th year of failure event”. Or something like that. Clips of Mira Sorvino as temp Julie and Calista Flockhart in Day player role for “major GL stars” was awful.
 

I don’t remember NBC’s 2002 special but I know their 90th Anniversary special was a complete disaster and got very low ratings. I doubt any network will do any self-indulgent anniversary like that again. 

Edited April 23, 2020 by soapfan770

[Soaplovers]

I'll stick with the soap special from the 90s.

[Soapsuds]

Who would EP it? Behr or Goutman?

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Flush Andy...this guy is such an attention whore.

Edited April 23, 2020 by Soapsuds

[KMan101]

Why would Andy Cohen even need to be a consultant? If that's the ONLY way, sure. Whatever. LOL. For a daytime fan he could air some soaps on his network. Why doesn't DAYS air same day repeats on BRAVO? I know they aired "reruns" from like 2011 for a hot minute in the early hours. I don't count the Housewives trash.

[Soapsuds]

So is Nene Leakes going to be the new Angie?

[Errol]

 

LOL. 

 

By consultant, I meant provide story ideas like he does on the Housewives shows. Not like an EP. But you never know.

 

God help us, no.

 

You know how executives are today. They "think" they know what viewers want. They can't be faulted for thinking it though since the shows they would use as benchmarks ("The Bachelor," "The Real Housewives," "Love & Hip Hop," etc) are hits for a reason. Water cooler talk and ad friendly. Cater to the female demo they desire.

[Soapsuds]

If AMC would return...would they ask Jacob Young to return as JR? I sorely miss him on a soap. If not get .....the role of JR is now being played by Chandler Massey......teehee......

[BoldRestless]

 

There's lots of people sitting at home now bored and looking for a bit of nostalgia. Maybe this will remind some of the casual fans that they used to like soaps. If they like Days, that will work out for them.  Otherwise, maybe they'll tune into some classic episodes and stick with it. I try to see the positive side. This sounds like it's going to be all cheesy stuff with a 30 second montage of "serious social issues" at best.  It's not what we want, but the alternative to this isn't a thoughtful retrospective; the alternative, sadly, is we get nothing.

 

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by BoldRestless

[titan1978]

I cannot stand Andy Cohen.  But I also know tons of people that watch multiple or all of the Housewives, and that is their soap now.  And at least he was a fan from when the show was good and still viable and the characters were well rounded.  It’s not like he started watching in 1998.

 

These daytime soaps would kill to have as many complex women as the Housewives franchise has.  I do not watch any of them anymore, but it’s hard to deny them.