The Tracy Quartermaine Lovefest

[nex4evr]

I just saw this and thought I would share.

According to Soap Opera Digest, via Twitter:

Hoover has announced that it will pull ABC advertising in protest over AMC/OLTL cancellations.

[ILoveTracyQ]

I actually said January of 2013, not 2012. I think it'll end before that though, if the talk shows replacing the other two take off.

[ILoveTracyQ]

It's a nice gesture, but I doubt it'll do any good. The decision seems firm. It is sad, but what, do people really think these shows should just keep going on, and on, and on?

I say let them die while the writers can still give them dignity. If too many people complain and make TPTB at ABC mad, they'll end the shows by killing the entire cast off.

[funny1]

ILTQ if luke and Tracy can't/don't ride off into the sunset then I'd rather see Luke take a bullet for Tracy or protecting her. Something like that.

Nex I see Hoover doesn't want any of that probloem with ABCD huh? The problem seems to be bigger than what abc anticipates and if Hoover doesn't want to be int he middle then others will as well. I hear people asking for Oprah's to get her network to pick up amc and/or oltl.

[nex4evr]

Here is what Hoover is saying on their FaceBook page:

To all the loyal ABC soap fans,

I want you to know from me personally that we hear you loud and clear. My wife and mother are both passionate viewers of All My Children and One Life to Live, as are many of my colleagues here at Hoover. We were and are as disappointed with this news as you are.

In fact, we will discontinue our advertising with ABC this Friday, 4/22. We're making every attempt to pull our spots from these programs sooner.

Because we feel that’s not enough, we also want to help get your voice heard with ABC. So, we’ve set up a special email address, [email protected], to help pull together the mass emotional outpouring of support for our beloved ABC soaps and get it to our contacts at ABC. Please, send your emails to us at [email protected], and we’ll get every, single last one of them to ABC.

We’re 150% committed to doing what matters most to you – so if there’s anything else we can do to help or you have any ideas, please email this address, and we will respond to you personally.

Thank you for standing up for what matters to you! We need more of that in this world.

Brian Kirkendall

Vice President of Marketing

Hoover

Edited April 18, 2011 by nex4evr

[remos]

I'm so tired of that one. Luke does not hate being a father nor does he dismiss his children. Guza has focused more on some unpleasant aspects of the character but he's pulled himself back. I don't give a sh!t about how Guza is perceived by those who hate that Luke isn't kissing Laura's ass all over hell and creation. LnL haven't been solid since SHE lied about having Nicholas. Retcon is the assumption that Luke was okay with everything back then and if dialogue around Ethan was actually listened to rather than inferred, Luke talked specifically about Laura forgiving him at the time of Ethan's conception because she knew the situation he was in. The one suggestion that Luke was a serial cheater (through Tracy who suggested he was a hedonist) was nipped in the bud pretty quickly.

Quite frankly, I think Luke's approach to parenting his grown children is the healthiest approach of them all. I'd rather his letting them work through their own problems and coming to him when they have a hitch over Edward's favouritism and manipulation, Mac's narrow minded control-freak behaviour, or Sonny's use of his children as pawns.

So no, Guza is actually the one having TRUE history put in the mouths of most characters - and interestingly the most used character to do that is a Spencer: Lulu.

[remos]

The reality is the Networks aren't making money regardless - ABC is owned by Disney, who makes its money elsewhere. Gestures won't make any difference at this point because it seems to be widely accepted that the medium is dying. We are back to the late 70's when it comes to the bias against Daytime as something anyone can do to get some experience under their belt.

The fact that Disney wants to replace SoapNet with yet another TV channel aimed at pre-teens tells me everything I need to know about where they think the future comes from. Apparently no one explained that these little urchins get their money from parents and grandparents who probably do or have watched soap operas.

The other thing in all of this is soap fans are people who invest in the show but not necessarily the products being sold. It takes nothing to persuade children/teens to purchase whatever the products are that support those shows, but with age comes a little more wisdom and *hopefully* a less gullible market. I doubt the products being advertised during soaps make that much money from consumers anyway.

As a lifelong fan of soaps part of me is really sad to see them going due strictly to crass commercialism and Capitalist Economics, but the truth is while I sat willingly with my mother and grandmother to watch soaps, I don't have my children sitting by me. Part of that is because they have other distractions, and part of that is quite honestly that younger viewers don't have the attention span. What we would have waited months to learn about without spoilers, these kids/young adults want now and then based on spoilers decide it won't be worth their time.

I'm also wondering if the puritanical nature of network TV isn't a large part to blame. We can only get the suggestion of actions that would be seen easily on what Americans know as Cable TV (it's all Cable to us). What would happen if Daytime soaps pushed the boundaries like online soaps do. After all, it's still a conversation to have a black/white pairing (heaven forbid any other ethnic group exists) and women have just been getting hyphenated names in the last few years. What were they preserving by keeping a 1970s world?

[hookedongh]

Gh will either be jan of 2012 or if tthey get a full season for 2012 it will be sept.

Allegedly the only reason gh didn't get canceled along with others was the replacement show was not ready to go yet.

I don't think Laura is an issue anyway as genie is on contract at y&r.

If Tony gets his way Luke will kill himself

I'd lije to see Edward die st the end if gh and his will being read and him leaving elq to Tracy and declaring his live and respect gor leaving his company in her capable hands--what she wanted to hear her whole life!

Edited April 19, 2011 by hookedongh

[GroovyTracyQ]

Completely happy? They got a divorce. And TG has made clear what a hideous misrepresentation of his character the Charles Street years were. He's played Luke for over 30 years, so I trust his assessment. And I wish they had given him the Emmy for the "Amityville Horror" adlib referring to laura's house.

I remember a scene with Luke and Lucky, circa mid-90's, sitting outside at night under the stars. Luke was talking about how this made him remember how great it felt to be "out there" as opposed to the white picket fence routine.

And then there was Felicia...So, solid is not a word I would use to describe this couple even during what was their only onscreen time of any length as a couple.

Edited April 19, 2011 by GroovyTracyQ

[GroovyTracyQ]

You're right on the mark, Remos. I don't think they're making much either. But they're promoting their primetime lineup and Disney movies like nobody's business. Honestly, some of these promos are longer than movie trailers. If they want the younger viewers, which they clearly do, no wonder they want out of the network soaps business. Children (and 12-17 are children, not "women" as the network calls them) don't watch soaps, at least not on TV! Did they just figure this out? It's been spelled out in the ratings for years. Viewers 12-17 number in the tens of thousands as opposed to the millions for what was previously considered the magic demo of the baby boomers.

One thing I believe could have saved soaps would have been effective product placement. What ABC apparently didn't understand is that product placement isn't about making an on-air spiel. You don't talk about it. It's just there. They could have been doing this for decades. Instead of supposed millionaries eating generic cereal and drinking bottles marked "cola", they could have been quietly selling Cheerios and Spite, and making zillions. Oh, well...

[Linnierose]

I have been thinking about ILTQ's question, and, honestly, I wouldn't mind seeing Tracy die when the show finally gets canceled. Several ideas come to mind such as Tracy being the victim of a hit and run or a mob shootout in which Luke gets to be the hero and avenge his Spanky's death. She could also get a terminal illness resulting in a heartfelt funeral that is attended by her sons, the Q's, and the Spencers. Luke could then kill himself when faced with the prospect of living without her. Actually, I am a fan of Bette Davis and there is a TV movie from the '80s called "Right of Way." Jimmy Stewart played her husband. They were an elderly couple faced with the prospect of the wife's death from a terminal illness. He decided he didn't want to live without her, so they decided to kill themselves. They told their daughter, who was against it. She contacted social workers to try to get them to change their minds. In the end, they go through with it. Their method was death by carbon monoxide poisoning--sitting in their car in the garage with the motor running. The daughter arrives while this is happening, and she decides to let them go through with it. Very sad story. However, I could see something like this with Luke and Tracy. She could be diagnosed with some rare terminal illness. They decide to end their lives. This would be the scenario I would want to see only if I couldn't get a happy ending for them.

[remos]

^^^I think Tracy will be on of those "Last Women Standing" types of characters. And I hope Luke doesn't die because while TG might see that as a fitting end (and in a lot of ways I agree) I think Tracy needs him around to grow old with. She's paid her dues - she deserves it.

[SeanM]

Hooke, do you have this information from your very good source? You have been telling us so many things in the past that came true, so I do actually believe you.

On how GH or any other decade long daytime drama ends, I just don't really care. Over the years there have been so many loose ends and character's that just disappeared. You just can't do it justice. I will have the ongoing stories in mind when I think about a canceled soap, not how it ended. SB, SuBe, ATWT, GL, were all great soaps,I have so many memories and I hardly think about there contrived endings.

[ILoveTracyQ]

Is this your guess, or have you been told? See, as popular as GH is with fans, in spite of ratings...I can't see the network NOT giving the public six months notice on GH's cancelling. And I do think ABCD wants to know how well those talk shows are actually going to do before they cancel their last remaining one. I think they'll give the first show six months at least to prove itself and find an audience. If it does at least as well as the soaps (and I believe it will do as well or better in ratings), then by January 2012 I can possibly see the announcement of GH being done, but I also think they'll give Guza six months to wrap things up. If they give the new shows a year to prove themselves, the first show will be a year old around August 2012. If it did well and they announce GH's cancelling at that time, six months of wrap up would end GH Jan/Feb 2013, which is where I came up with that month.

BUt then again, they have so little care for the audience, they could announce GH's termination today.

As SeanM asked, do you have inside info, or is that just your guess?

[ILoveTracyQ]

I agree she deserves it-but is it a realistic ending for the characters? I don't think it is. BUT if they did just end them in a lame kind of way, like them going off on another adventure and bickering the whole way...I wouldn't cry foul, exactly. I wouldn't see it as the best ending, but it would have to do, wouldn't it, since they aren't asking my opinion.