Forever And A Day (A NEW Soap Opera)

[Y&Rbiggestfan]

Forever And A Day is a new soap opera that is going to be airing in a podcast/audio format, that takes the genre back to its roots, just in time for its 90th anniversary. It even will star Beth Ehlers, bringing her out of acting retirement. And, it's written by Casey Hutchison, Candice Mack, John F. Smith, Thom Racina, and Karolina Sivas. James Lott, Jr. is the executive producer.

 

WEBSITE: faadseries.com

TWITTER: @FAADPodcast

FACEBOOK: Forever And A Day: Podcast

[Aback]

When will the first episode be released?

[Y&Rbiggestfan]

It will debut in August on the JLJ Media Network

 

https://www.spreaker.com/user/jljmedia

[Soaplovers]

Podcasts...a modern day radio soap opera.  I hope it spurs a trend of more podcast soap operas. 

[Darn]

They need to hire a new graphic designer, that is very amateurish.

[GLATWT88]

When I saw this posted on a different thread, my first thought was that the title sounds like a soap parody. 

[Aback]

I like the title! I agree I don't like the graphics though. It just makes it seem like the whole project is amateurish, which is a shame.

I would never be able to set up a site or even make a picture collage for Instagram, but if you guys could work on some new, refined, simpler graphics I think your project would benefit tremendously

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[Y&Rbiggestfan]

Got a write-up in Daytime Confidential

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2020/05/26/john-f-smith-and-thom-racina-to-pen-podcast-series-forever-and-a-day

[cassadine1991]

I tried to listen to it. Couldn’t finish it

[robbwolff]

I listened to the first episode. It was challenging to get through. Uneven audio. Too much narration. Too many characters to keep track of. No real hook to keep me listening.

[AbcNbc247]

I admit I had to listen to it twice to keep track, but I enjoyed it.

[Soaplovers]

They should have listened to old school radio shows to see what the format was..since podcasts are a lot like radio of yesteryear 

[cassadine1991]

It’s the narration that had me tune out. 

[SteelCity]

It was the name of a soap that Sandy got a role in on Melrose Place

[Lust4Life76]

So, at the time of this posting, I have listened to all four out of four “Forever and A Day” episodes offered…

 

  I would like to give “Forever’s” creator Casey Hutchison credit. Not everyone can follow in the footsteps of our revered storytellers like Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon, Bill Bell, and the list goes on and on and on…

 

  The art of creation is intensive work. Creating the right alchemy of diverse characters to populate your Anytown, USA. Upon creating those characters, driving a contemporary story while keeping track of continuity yet keeping an eye on detail. Again, intensive work. And that’s only the tip of the ice burg of what storytellers and creators do, in my opinion…

 

 “Forever and A Day”, makes it evident, Casey’s passion is to create soap opera, and that he has written a valentine for a genre he personally believes in, as do we.

  I feel, Casey’s “Forever and A Day”, offers a serial that helps us as listeners forget about the current pandemic, because in Augustus, Illinois, Covid-19 has yet to be mentioned. In that, it seems Casey has mastered a cornerstone of soap opera – "escapism". Also, “Forever” offers diversity, not for the sake of having it and bragging about it, but because, I believe, Casey seriously believes diversity is very much a part of the world, he/we live in. “Forever”’s team of writers create very truthful moments in their character's exchanges while trying to acknowledge political differences, sexual identities, and exploring the way people relate to one another...

  It’s a challenge to write for radio/podcasts. Where most mediums “show” character, radio is about “telling”. All in all, “Forever” is created to tell with the best of intentions…and there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from; that just because it’s different to what we’re all accustomed to doesn’t mean to dismiss it completely.

 

However…

 

  ...with all that said, given some of the previous comments, and as someone else who has created, ironically a serialized podcast, I want to offer Casey, albeit unsolicited but respectful, the following creative suggestions:

 

  I don’t feel the general public's attention span can sit through an episode that runs 30 minutes at a time, especially those times the podcast/episode is currently being released on every Monday and Friday. That’s too long a listen, and too long a wait for a new episode. Try the idea of breaking the episodes down to 12 minutes, daily, and then…

 

…Add three more minutes of sponsors at some point in the podcast. If I seem to recall, this brainchild was created in the wake of a pandemic, borrowing from radio, because entertainment options being what they are...But businesses are challenged as well. There must be a local business Casey favors that would allow themselves to be used for the sake of publicity, and in return offer a small donation to “Forever and A Day” for the national exposure…A few "words from our sponsor" might help break things up vs. a narrator solemnly stating “Act I, II, III…” Which brings me to…

 

  “The Narrator” role, which is problematic for me (and a few others). Essentially, to me, because it’s the reading of stage directions and it comes off static at best. If at all possible, could a brunt of the narration be incorporated into the lines of the characters? “The Narrator” can still be in it maybe with more of a purpose in emphasizing character through insight? 

 

  Also, are there sound effects on the horizon? We heard a *slap* last episode, but what about doors slamming, glass breaking, footsteps, a character's personal ringtone,  etc.,? These would be effective conventions in the midst of a ubiquitous voice saying - "Leslie enters the apartment brushing past Stephanie. Stephanie turns around shutting the door." Sometimes, as the listener, the staging can be left up to our own imagination. 

 

  Lastly, another positive in this creation is the use of music. One way it is effective is how it is used to underscore the dramatic situation. There even seems to be a 10 second theme song/bumper to bridge the opening teaser scenes into the first act. Is there a slightly longer version of that piece? And in addition, could the audience have a prologue giving us a little bit more depth as to why the title "Forever and A Day" was chosen? For example, "Like Sands Through the Hourglass...so our the the Days of our Lives..." gives the audience something epic to remember and in turn will make them realize, okay, this is not a send up.

  Also...though I don't feel there are too many characters, I feel there are too many character credits that are being given at the end of each episode. Just only mention the voices used for that specific episode and that will help people remember who characters are and who are the voices. 

 

 Whether such suggested changes need to be made, “Forever” might already be aware or it might not be any issue. Ultimately, it's their call.

  Again, there is a foundation Casey & Co has laid down and can continue to build from...so we'll see where that goes under his creative helm.

 

Good Luck 

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Edited August 16, 2020 by Lust4Life76
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