ALL: With BTG garnering so much attention, should the other networks jump on board the Daytime Train

[AmandainNC28655]

With Beyond the Gates receiving so much press here lately and viewers seeming to be tuning in, should the other 2 networks revive their daytime line-up?? Would ABC reviving OLTL or AMC be beneficial or would you like to see them create a new show???  I know it is still early in the game, and while Beyond the Gates is working on fixing its little nuances, I am optimistic for perhaps a revival of daytime

[Maxim]

I think there should be a revived soap in my lifetime. I just want to experience it. It's incredibly popular as of late... to revive all kids of things... People are buying it. Sex and The City got a second life with And Just Like That and as I recall the revival was and IS extremely successful commercially wise and brought sooo many new subscribers to HBO+.

And I think All My Children has the greatest potential to come back, because of how embedded it is in popular culture. They can re-vamp it and just... give it a clean slate feeling, while preserving some core themes and returning some iconic characters. 

I don't think the world has seen the last of Erica Kane. I just don't. Maybe I'm wrong, but we'll see.

I think A LOT of this depends on how WELL BTG does. That's why I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[BetterForgotten]

With P&G back in the soap and production content business, it may be a good time to revisit a revival of The Edge of Night. True crime and crime procedurals have a huge market for them. It would be interesting to have a soap again where the focus is more so on crime and mystery than just simple domestic drama.  

It doesn’t even have to be a true reboot - call or something else or use the EON name and have it set somewhere else. I just think the premise would be a lucrative one in today’s world. 

[Contessa Donatella]

I have always said that of ALL the classic soaps the one with the biggest chance of a successful reboot today is in fact EON! Maybe the only one. 

[Alan]

Sure why not? Soaps have proven to be a consistent source of subscriptions for the streamers as evidenced by NBC's move of DOOL from the network to Peacock. It makes more sense to invest in something that can provide your platform with relatively inexpensive content year-round rather than gambling on the popularity of prestige shows like White Lotus which only churn out 6-8 episodes every two years. Lots of people deactivate their subscriptions after they finish the latest seasons of shows like Game of Thrones or Stranger Things only to reactivate a year or two later when the new season starts. You don't have that problem with soaps.

As for relevance, I would argue that daytime's grand dames - AMC, OLTL, ATWT, GL, and even AW - are more culturally relevant in 2025 than lots of other shows that have been rebooted for streaming. I don't think anyone was clamoring for a Punky Brewster reboot yet we got one on Peacock. The other great thing about streaming soaps is that demos don't matter as much. The money of a paying subscriber outside of the key demo is just as good as the money of a female 18-49 subscriber.

Netflix has already already launched a daily soap, Valle Salvaje for Spanish speaking territories, and is about to launch a new French soap. And these are ongoing dramas, not novelas. Despite the recent failure of Neighbours on Amazon, I think it would be wise for Netflix or other streamers to start commissioning English-speaking soaps, new or revived. I hope BTG is successful and will sway them in that direction.

The Edge of Night would be perfect for the Cop Broadcasting System. I could absolutely see EoN returning as a hybrid serial-procedural. CBS could even air omnibus episodes during their Crimetime Saturday night block, perhaps with the serialized aspects edited out.

[Maxim]

AMC and EON - it's time! Soap Gods - DO IT. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Here I am again with your daily required minimum of nitpick & technicalities! NBC had no power or authority to do anything to/with/for/about DAYS except renew, cancel or cut their budget yet again. Peacock & NBC are peer level entities of UNIVERSAL. Peacock had dealt successfully with DAYS in the Beyond Salem projects & were interested in more. DAYS was reciprocally interested in Peacock & the deal was struck. Obviously neither Sony nor Universal had objections. NBC figuring in at this point? Nope. I hope this helps rather than hinders. This idea that NBC gave the show to Peacock persists & is wrong. 

[Chris B]

If they were to bring back a soap I feel like the only one that would work would be All My Children. I still hate the idea of a primetime reboot didn't come to fruition for them. Beyond that, if BTG is successful I do think other platforms and networks should look into launching a soap. The key is that they have to be intentional and develop something that could work.

Personally, if I were tasked with creating another soap I'd create a supernatural soap to help broaden soaps overall fanbase. A Dark Shadows or Port Charles reboot or honestly, Passions.

[Contessa Donatella]

Why? 

DS or PC/Caleb-ish, okay or Twin Peaks but NO to PSSN. 

[Chris B]

All My Children is still talked about in pop culture which is why I feel Disney has been trying to get a reboot off the ground. It would be easy to get enough of the cast back as well whereas I feel like the same can't be said for a ATWT or GL or OLTL. 

People clown on Passions but it was very popular with younger viewers who are now in their 30s and 40s and the show is always going viral on social media. At the very least I think there would be a huge value in streaming the original series.

[Bright Eyes]

It was just the delivery that made Passions a mess. The initial set up on paper was one of the strongest of any soap. This is why when Hidden Passions came out, a lot of people were annoyed that the backstory established from it wasn't followed through on the show. 

[Contessa Donatella]

At the level of non-soap fan name recognition both "Erica Kane" and moreso "Susan Lucci" punch that button, it's true.

In general, I don't think rebooting a classic soap is something that is actually going to happen. The reason I think EON is maybe possible is because of the crime/mystery angle.

I don't know what you mean by "clowning" on it, however it gets a great deal of criticism that I think is fair & it likely would not be a draw as strong as a vampire soap or other gothic or different/quirky venture. It's a real shame that Kindred: the Embraced didn't get the shot it deserved. 

[dragonflies]

Yes do them but put them on streaming, the budget would be a lot better. it works for DAYS now

[Vee]

I will always think AMC and OLTL on streaming in an hour block (30 mins each) are viable. They have very unique flavors vs. each other, very different tones and both strike at the heart of the country in different ways.

Do I expect ABC/Disney to do it? Nope, not any time soon.

EON remains the most viable soap and it's insane to me no one has ever touched it. So many shows have its DNA even if the showrunners have never heard of it.

I have told @DRW50 and others many times before that I think GL is uniquely viable given its historical roots and simple/wholesome Americana flavor (a la AMC in some ways, though that show can be more whimsical) but I would be legitimately surprised if P&G revisited it. Then again I was legitimately shocked they came back to soaps, lol.

I will admit digging deep into the Marland years made me think about ATWT from time to time. But I also think the show got so bland and creaky by the end, and had so many rough periods long before that besides that I think you would need to almost totally clean slate, and then what's the point of doing it? I just found little inspiring in ATWT's new or veteran cast by the end, and the ones I loved are mostly gone.

Edited February 28 by Vee

[DRW50]

@Vee I do think GL and Edge (and maybe OLTL) are all shows that could be revived today due to the core of the show and how easily it still translates today (maybe even more because you don't have to worry as much about pleasing old fans), but in case anyone says no that won't happen, I'm aware. Still, it's always something I'd hope for.