Final 3 Soaps On the Air: What's Next?

[edgeofnik]

CBS' Daytime line-up is solid, except for TT. TPIR/Y&R are a successful combination. B&B holds it's own, despite following local news and not Y&R in half the country. Despite scripted primetime ratings dropping 10-30% in the past 3 years, Y&R and B&B are flat, which is remarkable. Except for TT, I doubt CBS changes the line-up in the next 3 years.

[SteelCity]

I wouldn't say one day a week, because that's not the nature of daytime soaps, but they could trim the fat and be more concise. There's no reason for such bloated casts that are mostly filler. You could have a main cast of about 15, and then have everyone else as recurring. Focus on clear storytelling and character development. Spyder Games, while a fail, unfortunately I might add, had the right idea. It had a beginning, middle, end with enough threads to continue. No episode was just filler and characters came and went as needed. That could work with the right team.

[Planet Soap]

fair points.

With DAYS gone, to put things in persepctive you can now watch every daytime soap live in the same day (presumably) with no timeslot overlaps. 

Edited August 18, 2022 by ironlion

[dragonflies]

Yep this! I think CBS soaps will be around for a long while, especially since the Bell's own BOLD and they do well internationally. 

I think GH is in dog sh*t once DAYS goes to Peacock cause it will now be the last rated soap on the air 

[edgeofnik]

I think PC's 13-week chapters is a soap format that could work now. I always wondered if PC had been slotted before GH instead of AMC, if it would've lasted longer.

[Vee]

Something like it is the only thing that can work now and is what should be done on streaming. Arc-based soap seasons, block taping with breaks. That is the only future the medium has in America, IMO but I doubt anyone will do it with the existing brands. The PP soaps came close but couldn't get there due to management.

Edited August 18, 2022 by Vee

[SteelCity]

Thank you! It's nice be heard without being shot down!

This is why an Edge of Night reboot could work right now! There's a show that could rock the arc based story format!

[Gray Bunny]

Once all four remaining soaps move to streaming, I could see them all becoming half-hour shows or no longer offered 5 times a week.

As for anything new or vastly revamped on broadcast television, you can forego that dream. 

[KMan101]

GH could easily move to Hulu. Not sure how well it does on there. Never forget AMC and OLTL were often ranked #1 and #2 when they dropped way back in 2013.

 

I have a harder time picturing Y&R/B&B making that transition but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

Streaming did better than cable/broadcast this last year so ... it's the future whether people like it or not.

[kalbir]

I agree, the main reasons being that Y&R/B&B primarily draw the 50+ audience and international sales.

[Planet Soap]

Not just soaps but talk shows seem to be struggling. What is the future of daytime just, short of all news? 

Edited August 30, 2022 by ironlion

[soapfan770]

 I hadn’t seen this until now but thanks for the update. I always did wonder how Frons reacted to the Chew being cancelled after he talked it up and what Susan Lucci said about him in her book. He hasn’t worked in television since definitely not the legacy he was hoping for I have to assume.

[DemetriKane]

!!!!! 

[Jdee43]

It's sad, the lack of visionaries in daytime. All My Children and One Life to Live should never have been canceled by ABC in the manner that they did it. If the shows had to go from broadcast TV, then ABC should have been more active in trying to transition them to streaming.

Such a wasted, missed opportunity. All we're left with are two dead properties that could have been profitably entertaining people on a streaming platform today, if only ABC had been visionary enough to fully support them.

There's talk of the network transitioning General Hospital to streaming; that's what they should have done to AMC or OLTL all those years ago. 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Jdee43