BTG: History, Behind the Scenes Articles & Photos

[Contessa Donatella]

CompuServe 1969/1979

Usenet 1980

In 1995 soap traffic had grown to such quantity that the group rec.arts.tv.soaps was split into 3 groups - rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc, rec.arts.tv.soaps.cbs & rec.arts.tv.soaps.misc 

Delphi 1981

From 1985 on, we had an active Soap Opera Forum & held chats with stars.

Prodigy 1984

AOL 1985

Digest had chats both for stars & for Editors with fans, hosted on AOL.

Genie 1985

Adding: National Videotex Network (NVN) was an online service launched in 1992 by U.S. Videotel. Defunct June 1994. 

Eddie Drueding's Another World Home Page, basic up Aug. '94, full up Apr '95

Most AW actors had individual web pages as of '94-'95. These were created & maintained by fans who acted as web page managers for the actors.

Anyone know when WoST went up?

Just a guess, but I don't imagine IMDb or Wikipedia were things until the hypertext framework of the World Wide Web was in place, initially in 1993, although there was very little in the way of content, for a few years & then it got going like gangbusters. You might remember when all companies set up webpages but didn't really know what to put on them!!! 

 

Edited March 7, 2024 by Contessa Donatella
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[te.]

I've had my IMDB account since 1999, so...

Wiki didn't come until the mid-00s.

[Errol]

I'm mostly joking, but at least we we might get NAACP Image Awards nominations again for the daytime soap actors, if not the soaps themselves. No way NAACP passes up up the chance of nominating a show it's involved in. Just saying.

[Errol]

Another P&G Studios production, this time a documentary which is a followup to another documentary released on Netflix last summer.

Harder Than You Think and P&G Studios announce new film to coincide with Paris 2024

● Harder Than You Think and P&G Studios announce the next chapter in the Rising Phoenix story – a documentary feature film due for global release in summer 2024
● The film follows on from the success of the double Emmy Award winning film Rising Phoenix, released in 2020
● The new film will be produced by a critically acclaimed team, including Academy Award nominee Jim Lebrecht and Academy Award winner John Battsek. The film will be directed by Sheridan O’Donnell, who identifies as having a disability.

https://www.paralympic.org/news/harder-you-think-and-pg-studios-announce-new-film-coincide-paris-2024

[Taoboi]

Yeah, this could be kinda of crazy fun now that times have changed enough that perhaps a soap launch...with good backing...can have both.

And you said it well. The fact that some form of news is spreading as is. If played right, there is such a great chance of exposure. And exposure can definitely get notice. Not to mention eyeprints.

[BetterForgotten]

Yeah, I wonder who those other folks are. This entire group seems like corporate heads that will have a producer credit because they can. Ducksworth oversees that entire joint venture studio between CBS and the NAACP, and Doebereiner’s role at P&G is more expansive beyond these scripted productions.

MVJ seems like the sole creative head and probably the only one from this group overseeing it in a day to day capacity (at least in her “showrunner” role).

I assume when they fill out the staff, they’ll need to hire technical producers who handle the day to day production of the actual show. That’s potentially when we’ll probably hear of any daytime talent we’d be familiar with. 

[te.]

I think it's worth remembering that even if shows like The Talk is cheap, it literally has zero value beyond it's initial airing especially on streaming. Surely, that must be something CBS have taken into consideration with developing a new soap, particularly one they have a stake in.

[ajsp35801]

I am shocked by this news. So shocked that I watched yesterday's Y&R after years of not watching (to see Victoria Redd and Mishael Morgan scenes) to satisfy the nostalgia the news made me feel. It's been years since I have been to this site but I had to come here to see what you guys thought about the new soap. 

I feel as if all the letters and emails I sent over the years have finally been answered. I'm getting everything I want...majority Black cast, wealthy, soap opera. Super excited to see the casting and character names and how this will all turn out. May we all be satisfied with the product.

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[te.]

Another thought re: profitability and this being a majority black cast. 

In prime time we've seen a lot of shows break out that's either been majority black or black led like Empire or Abbott Elementary. However, the issue with these shows that attract a large African-American audience is that despite rating well, they don't attract premium advertisers because they're usually from low-income households. Star was essentially cancelled due to this. It was rating well in the 18-49 demographic, just not in high-income households making it unprofitable for prime time.

Daytime doesn't have this issue; there's no pressure to attract higher income audiences because well, everybody needs and buys soap and that's the advertisers that it's supposed to sell to. So it makes sense to develop this from that perspective.

[Paul Raven]

Yes the available daytime audience is way different to primetime so things have to be adjusted accordingly.  Always had been really and they suffered when key advertisers reviewed their strategies and pulled money out of network TV.

As for development time Y&R was formally announced in November 72 I think and made it on the air in March 73.

Santa Barbara was in development for more than a year.

So it all depends on how quick CBS would want it on the air and how much time they would want/need for studio space,casting etc

[AbcNbc247]

It still just seems like too much initial investment to me, both for fans and for the actors, writers, etc. Pretty much every soap that debuted at 60 minutes didn’t last that long. 

With 30 minutes, especially in today’s market, you have a higher chance of keeping people’s interest and allowing your storyline to flow better. 

[Maxim]

And I swear just... two or three days ago I told my husband... the soap genre will never die. I actually believe it's about time for a new soap. I swear. Sometimes I think I am psychic.

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[DramatistDreamer]

Most posters probably either weren’t members back then or members don’t really remember this but does anyone remember several years ago when I posted that article about P&G/PGP wanting to dive into producing dramas colloquially known as “Choose Your Own Adventure” programming to sell their products? I stated the that it sounded so much like the basis of their entry into production of serial daytime drama.  Right then and there, that told me that they were receptive to producing entertainment again, dramas in particular. I knew than that if any entity was going to produce a daytime soap at that point, it would be the company that literally still sells soap.

Also, a few years ago, I posted a YouTube clip in the ATWT thread from P&G basically Bragg about their association with the first televised daytime serials. Initially I found it galling that after dumping AW, GL and ATWT, they had the gall to produce and post this mini documentary but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they must have been mulling something over. People can say what they want but someone there must have remembered that at one time these serials were highly successful in moving their products and they brought a measure of prestige when they began to win awards.
The timing did surprise me, even when you think it’s going to happen, you’re never sure when. But the fact that it was them to decide to produce the first daytime television soap in how many years, doesn’t surprise me. Nor does the association with the NAACP. Someone at P&G is looking at the demos and sees where the highest potential viewership is.

Edited March 7, 2024 by DramatistDreamer
Added a qualifier

[Liberty City]

I'm praying the casting for this is a mixture of veterans and newcomers. Plus, I'm hoping for more east coast hires than west coast hires for some real rich acting.

[MichaelGL]

I think CBS is taking note of the success (at least talk wise/watercooler discussions) of shows that are centered around African Americans. BMF, All American, heck even Tyler Perry produced written shows such as The Oval and All The Queen's Men; they all have an audience of sorts, one that every now and then are vocal online and social media. I think creating a black daytime soap, while surprising, when you look at the big picture it makes sense.