Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I swear I feel like some of the posters here are watching a different show. We're 3 1/2 months in and I feel like for a brand new show, BTG is definitely excelling and finding its way.

We're getting to know 40 plus characters and that's going to take time. I want to allow the show at least 6 months before nitpicking everything. I am choosing to trust and believe in MVJ and her team. I'm still thoroughly enjoying the show, very much.

6 minutes ago, DemetriKane said:

Has Tamara Tunie ever been nominated for a Daytime Emmy?

No, which is criminal. She did receive two Soap Opera Digest Award nominations (1995 and 2003) for "Outstanding Supporting Actress".

Just now, Liberty City said:

No, which is criminal. She did receive two Soap Opera Digest Award nominations (1995 and 2003) for "Outstanding Supporting Actress".

I figured as such. Thank you for informing me.

Just now, skiman12082004 said:

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I swear I feel like some of the posters here are watching a different show. We're 3 1/2 months in and I feel like for a brand new show, BTG is definitely excelling and finding its way.

I agree, but again, it's their opinion, and it does not affect my watching/liking of the serial, and I urge everyone to continue to take that route, as well. Every soap is going to have its negative Nancy's (in our eyes), or those that will "dog" the serial. It's what comes from a soap opera (regardless of being American, Australian, or British).

2 minutes ago, skiman12082004 said:

We're getting to know 40 plus characters and that's going to take time. I want to allow the show at least 6 months before nitpicking everything. I am choosing to trust and believe in MVJ and her team. I'm still thoroughly enjoying the show, very much.

I agree; it's still taking its shape a bit, but they've laid a good foundation for themselves as to what works for them, and what will be their "base line".

 

13 minutes ago, skiman12082004 said:

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I swear I feel like some of the posters here are watching a different show. We're 3 1/2 months in and I feel like for a brand new show, BTG is definitely excelling and finding its way.

We're getting to know 40 plus characters and that's going to take time. I want to allow the show at least 6 months before nitpicking everything. I am choosing to trust and believe in MVJ and her team. I'm still thoroughly enjoying the show, very much.

In the end of the day, I'm here to comment on the show and not obsess over what other people think of it. I really couldn't care less if someone else is completely in love with it or hates it... It won't change my perception. And yeah, everyone's perception is subjective. We can't all like the same stuff, the same style of things. I swear... I've seen people on social media say that Bold is doing amazing this year and to me that is just... shocking. But I really won't lose any of my time to stop and correct them. It's their perception, I'm okay with it. There is an audience for E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G in this world.  As I've said - I have up and down moments with this show. I've praised it when I loved it and I've also said when something is not working for me. The issue I have is that sometimes when I don't praise the show or am expressing a more critical opinion of it... some people take it personally and react as if someone is bad mouthing their mother. I get it, soap communities can be primitive and reactive like that... but let's be honest - it's a freaking soap opera, not solving global warming. 

I think she has a great foundation as well, but if I were MVJ, I would welcome all feedback, especially the criticism. She should want honest opinions and views about her show; right now is not the time to be a yesman. 

1 minute ago, DemetriKane said:

I think she has a great foundation as well, but if I were MVJ, I would welcome all feedback, especially the criticism. She should want honest opinions and views about her show; right now is not the time to be a yesman. 

Amen! 

29 minutes ago, Maxim said:

The issue I have is that sometimes when I don't praise the show or am expressing a more critical opinion of it... some people take it personally and react as if someone is bad mouthing their mother.

That's how I feel, too. Look, I'm still enjoying the show, but when I think something is off and I want it to be better, I'm going to post about it. 

I understand giving a new soap a honeymoon period of 6 months or even a year, but in this social media-run world, that doesn't fit the reality. Opinions are formed quickly. We're now at almost 75 episodes, and we're going to call out what's not working.

 

36 minutes ago, DemetriKane said:

I think she has a great foundation as well, but if I were MVJ, I would welcome all feedback, especially the criticism. She should want honest opinions and views about her show; right now is not the time to be a yesman. 

Yep. I would hope someone from Gates looks for internet comments/discussions, welcoming the feedback from viewers who are this engaged. We watch the show every day -- we're not occasional viewers who  tune in twice a week.

I want this show to survive, and to last, and being a yes man to everything does not help.

The only thing I would say for those that keep saying BTG needs time is that BTG is a labor of love from people who really know soap operas and want it to succeed. It wasn't solely a network decision in hopes of cashing in with a new project. Although money is always the bottom line, most networks in this climate would have invested in something cheap and easy to turn a profit. A soap opera is not that. 

So while I am always open to hearing both sides, I don't think some of the missteps that have happened on BTG are all just about giving it time. There are things that IMO should have already been avoided because we are working with people who know, care, and truly understand the genre. There are other things production wise that will always take time because it is an adjust as you go thing, but some of the story elements and choices have been a bit sloppy so far (not to say there couldn't have been some interference behind the scenes that has also played a role in this).

I'm all for people having their opinion, good, bad, or ugly. We can agree or agree to disagree and keep it moving. 

Edited June 14Jun 14 by GLATWT88

19 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

Yep. I would hope someone from Gates looks for internet comments/discussions, welcoming the feedback from viewers who are this engaged. We watch the show every day -- we're not occasional viewers who  tune in twice a week.

I want this show to survive, and to last, and being a yes man to everything does not help.

 

19 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

I'm all for people having their opinion, good, bad, or ugly. We can agree or agree to disagree and keep it moving. 

Couldn't agree more with both you guys. If I didn't see such high potential in the show, I wouldn't even bother to comment or get irritated by some of these missteps. 

I think we were spoiled a bit by the first week of BTG.

Nicole rolled up to the Fairmont Crest Country Club in her Mercedes with the Emotions' "Best of My Love" blasting. We got some great outdoor shots there and had location shooting in that first week. Since then?

I didn't expect the budget to support charting music all the time and location shooting every week, but I'd be lying if I said I thought we'd get more than we have.

I think the problem is that MVJ probably should leave some of the day to day decision making to more experienced people.   Sometimes a creator is too emotionally invested in their creation to be objective and that sometimes someone else can be more objective and fix what isn't working.

Case in point... Sally Sussman's Generations struggled when it started until some heavy hitters came in and helped right the ship.   And in most shows on tv, the creator of the show usually isn't the showrunner.   Not everyone is a Bill Bell or Agnes Nixon.

I think the show has improved steadily as it's gone along. Building the relationships between the character is important and that seems to be a primary focus of the writers.

43 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

The only thing I would say for those that keep saying BTG needs time is that BTG is a labor of love from people who really know soap operas and want it to succeed. It wasn't solely a network decision in hopes of cashing in with a new project. Although money is always the bottom line, most networks in this climate would have invested in something cheap and easy to turn a profit. A soap opera is not that.

I agree; it's not like they all woke up one morning and said, "Hey! Let's produce a new soap opera!" From what Sheila Ducksworth stated, this was ultimately part of a "four-year effort to break new ground in the genre" since she assumed her position with CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, and to me it shows in the product. And of course with the support of George Cheeks, it happened; remember, even Michele Val Jean stated she doubted it would happen.

48 minutes ago, GLATWT88 said:

So while I am always open to hearing both sides, I don't think some of the missteps that have happened on BTG are all just about giving it time. There are things that IMO should have already been avoided because we are working with people who know, care, and truly understand the genre. There are other things production wise that will always take time because it is an adjust as you go thing, but some of the story elements and choices have been a bit sloppy so far (not to say there couldn't have been some interference behind the scenes that has also played a role in this).

I agree, to an extent. This is a new soap opera, produced in a new location (Georgia versus California and New York), so some kinks will be different. Of course, Val Jean, Ducksworth and everyone brought in people with some history in soaps (i.e., directors, producers, writers, etc.), but in a new setting. Plus, with this being a new soap opera, they didn't have the pitfalls other soaps have had (i.e., a new executive producer/head writer coming in to make changes they want to make). They have had the benefit of writing their own rules and setting their own standards of practice, and it shows in how things are done, production-wise, and I think that's beautiful.

And I think that's where some pushback from the social media/message board posters comes from⏤I see a lot of "Well, [this soap] does this and [that soap] does that," and Beyond the Gates isn't those other soaps. It is its own soap, and that's beautiful.

13 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

I think the problem is that MVJ probably should leave some of the day to day decision making to more experienced people.   Sometimes a creator is too emotionally invested in their creation to be objective and that sometimes someone else can be more objective and fix what isn't working.

I feel like she does; Julie Hanan Carruthers, from what I've noticed, is pretty prominent on the set daily, so I'm feeling pretty sure she's there running the day-to-day operations on the ground, while Val Jean and Ducksworth work more in the background, especially when they're both in Los Angeles, etc.

6 minutes ago, ReddFoxx said:

I think the show has improved steadily as it's gone along. Building the relationships between the character is important and that seems to be a primary focus of the writers.

I agree; since May Sweeps, I do feel like we've begun to weave through the relationships between characters (Dani with Chelsea/Kat, etc.), and they're beginning to be fluid in what's happening.

9 hours ago, skiman12082004 said:

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I swear I feel like some of the posters here are watching a different show. We're 3 1/2 months in and I feel like for a brand new show, BTG is definitely excelling and finding its way.

We're getting to know 40 plus characters and that's going to take time. I want to allow the show at least 6 months before nitpicking everything. I am choosing to trust and believe in MVJ and her team. I'm still thoroughly enjoying the show, very much.

I agree with you and I've been loving the show, including last week. Even in "slower" weeks, I love seeing the characters develop and getting see everybody get in the mix. Y&R is heavily promoting this Dumas reveal which has taken six months. I love that BTG isn't wasting time like that and instead is rotating stories in and out so we don't get bored, or at least I'm not bored.

For me real criticism will come around the 6-7 month mark. I want to give them time to implement any viewer feedback which wouldn't air until the fall. I don't mind people who are critical now though, everybody has their own way of looking at things but for me I feel like they've laid a strong foundation and I feel like the show is getting better each week.