Struggling Soaps Seek New Niche - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 06-02-2009, 10:22 PM

Soap operas may be borrowing from one of their favorite plot lines--patient is in a coma, on life support, hanging on by a thread--but they aren't dead yet, and networks and studios are working to find ways to keep the genre viable.

Most recently, the cancellation of "Guiding Light" on CBS renewed fears that daytime TV dramas are fated to be written out of television's scheduling script.

"I think daytime soap operas as we know them--the regular five-day-a-week, long-running serialized stories--are going to be a quaint vestige of yesteryear," said television historian Tim Brooks, co-author of "The Complete Directory to Prime Time and Cable TV Shows." "I don't think they have a future in that form."

Even though daytime audiences have dwindled, advertisers still covet those highly engaged and loyal audiences that are still watching. The question is whether the genre can overcome the social changes that have led to soaps' difficulties, particularly the migration of female audiences away from the TV during the day.

TelevisionWeek spoke to some of the experts in the field and zeroed in on the top ways networks and studios have been exploring to keep the genre alive, and what to look for before another long-standing title is cut.

1. Explore online video as a delivery method and marketing tool.

Taking a nod from prime-time content delivery online, ABC ("All My Children," "General Hospital," "One Life to Live"), CBS ("The Bold and the Beautiful," "Guiding Light," "The Young and the Restless,") and NBC ("Days of Our Lives") all offer online access to their daytime staples, whether as clips or full episodes. Offering content online ensures that dedicated fans can stay up to date with the shows and remain loyal to the series, while the network and its site reap the benefits of those viewer numbers.

"It's never been easier to watch a television show, with all the digital technology available," noted Ed Martin, a TV critic for JackMyers.com and blogger for the Huffington Post who covers daytime dramas. "I'm not sure overall the situation is as dire as people thinks it is, it's just that people are watching shows in crazy ways that aren't being measured."

Online access to content can also help increase title awareness through the viral explosion of a particular clip or storyline, such as the Luke and Noah storyline on "As the World Turns." The fan channel LukeVanFan on YouTube, dedicated to providing updates on the gay characters' love story, has drawn over 3 million channel views, with its most popular clip nearing 2 million viewers to date.

2. Increase audience reach through cable network distribution.

Disney-ABC Television Group's SoapNet airs ABC's "AMC," "GH" and "OLTL" in addition to NBC's "Days" and CBS' "YATR" and some of the other networks' daytime dramas throughout the day, including prime time. That allows access for viewers who aren't watching during traditional daytime hours.

According to Brian Frons, Disney-ABC TV Group president of daytime, viewership on SoapNet accounts for about 25% of those titles' total impressions.

Using cable as a means to maintain or possibly increase viewership, however, may not be the solution for those titles that are struggling more than others.

"I think that if you took a successful soap to the right [cable] network that had broad distribution, high CPMs and a high subscriber fee, it certainly could work," said Mr. Frons. "I think if you have weak show, and it's weak on broadcast, then it'll be weak on cable."

Mr. Frons said Disney-ABC has no plans to move any of its soap operas exclusively to cable.

3. Keep story quality as priority No. 1.

While exploring different delivery methods and production models is important, it is vital that the writing quality doesn't decline, alienating viewers.

"It's all about the writing," said Jonathan Reiner, Emmy-winning writer for "Starting Over" and former editor at TV Guide Online and Soap Opera Weekly. "One of the reasons 'Guiding Light's' revamp failed is because the writing was too weak to overcome the amateurish production values. It really is all about the writing--the characters, the emotions, the relationships and the payoffs."

In the late 1970s, the advent of the Luke and Laura rape-turns-romance story line on ABC's "General Hospital" changed the game for daytime soaps and the way the genre told its stories. The show became a phenomenon through its controversial storylines. Some 30 years later, however, audiences may view those as clichéd topics.

4. Find new ways to expand the creative talent pool.

Bringing new writing and creative talent to daytime dramas seems like a quick way to bring a fresh voice to any title, but it is very difficult due to the nature of these shows' production models.

It's difficult to find new talent that can begin contributing to stories if they don't already know the extensive and intricate backgrounds of many of the characters. To begin anew and disregard the past would be insulting to viewers and potentially drive away more of them. The five-day-a-week episode model is also difficult, and it takes a certain kind of writer that can successfully work under those constraints.

5. Cut costs of production without sacrificing quality.

While it is important to retain characters on any series for the sake of story continuity, it becomes expensive for soaps to keep some of their long-time personalities on the show.

Some soaps, however, are finding themselves letting go of on-screen talent left and right for the sake of cutting costs, in addition to scaling back on location shoots and using fewer sets.

There will be a point of diminishing returns, however, when cuts can no longer be made without damaging a program's quality.

"Guiding Light" changed its presentation model to a hand-held, grittier and more realistic feel--an experiment in budget reduction that failed--and "Light" paid for that choice with the ultimate cost.

6. Leave soap operas alone entirely.

As one industry insider noted, it may be that the only way to keep the genre alive is to leave all shows alone, especially when the reasons for all drops in viewers may be completely out of networks' and producers' control.

"For all the DVRs, and the taping, and the SoapNet--attempts to find ways to move them around--the problem is that women, the target audience, don't have the time to devote to [soaps]," said Mr. Brooks. "When something is in decline, it might be unrealistic to say you can restore it to its previous glory, but you can delay its decline--you can stabilize it sometimes. The underlying social changes would be very difficult to reverse."

http://www.tvweek.com/news/

catlover79 · 06-03-2009, 08:50 AM

I hope that the soaps can find a way to survive...there are many good actors out there who deserve to shine.

80sTrivia · 06-03-2009, 05:37 PM

I'm hopeful that soaps will be around in the next decade, but I believe some drastic measures will have to be taken to make that a reality...

catlover79 · 06-03-2009, 09:55 PM

^

Schmoopie · 06-04-2009, 02:26 AM

Soaps have gotten so bad because they could care less about the vetran actors. Every day I hear about another vetran actor on the soaps being canned in favor of some teenager. People watch soaps for the longevity of it. They care about these characters and when the soaps write off beloved stars, it hurts them whether they realize it or not.

catlover79 · 06-04-2009, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

Soaps have gotten so bad because they could care less about the vetran actors. Every day I hear about another vetran actor on the soaps being canned in favor of some teenager. People watch soaps for the longevity of it. They care about these characters and when the soaps write off beloved stars, it hurts them whether they realize it or not.

I agree 100%. Plus the shoddy writing doesn't help matters any.

MickeyMac · 06-04-2009, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmoopie

Soaps have gotten so bad because they could care less about the vetran actors. Every day I hear about another vetran actor on the soaps being canned in favor of some teenager. People watch soaps for the longevity of it. They care about these characters and when the soaps write off beloved stars, it hurts them whether they realize it or not.

So so true. Also the veteran soap actors who have been on a soap for years you seldom see them now. Take As The World Turns for instance. Don Hastings and Eillen Fulton have been on that show since 1960 and they are hardly on now, and both their characters played cruicial parts in ATWT's history.

JT · 06-06-2009, 08:15 PM

You know, a very large part of the blame can be placed on the person who decided that soaps have to run for 30, 40, 50 years to be successful. Only in the soap industry will a run of 12 years and 3,169 episodes (Loving) be considered "short-lived" or a "flop."

Daytime should be ran the same way primetime is, IMO. You can't have a show run for decades on top of decades and try to stay true to the original focus. Times change, audiences change, etc. You have to change with it, but at the same time, you're making the show into another show. "General Hospital" was knocking on death's door in 1977 until Gloria Monty came in and turned that ship around by making it into an entirely different show. But why did she have to do that? Why couldn't they have just canceled GH and premiered a new show that was everything Monty wanted it to be? No, for some reason, GH had to be saved, but it really wasn't because in the end, what you had circa 1985 was completely different from what you had circa 1965.

Eh, it makes me think too much. I have too much love for daytime, soaps and game shows, to let it die without a fight, but at the same time, you really gotta look at the mistakes that have been made that's gotten daytime to this point.

McGillicuddy · 06-06-2009, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MickeyMac

So so true. Also the veteran soap actors who have been on a soap for years you seldom see them now. Take As The World Turns for instance. Don Hastings and Eillen Fulton have been on that show since 1960 and they are hardly on now, and both their characters played cruicial parts in ATWT's history.

Worse yet, Days of our Lives just fired Diedre Hall and Drake H. (I don't know his last name), as well as the actors who play Shawn & Belle, and Steve & Kayla, and added several winey, obnoxious teenagers. Are they trying to purposely kill this show?

catlover79 · 08-22-2009, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

Worse yet, Days of our Lives just fired Diedre Hall and Drake H. (I don't know his last name), as well as the actors who play Shawn & Belle, and Steve & Kayla, and added several winey, obnoxious teenagers. Are they trying to purposely kill this show?

Knowing NBC, I think you're right on the money. They need to add a 16th hour to Today.

Marvo301 · 08-22-2009, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markway895

Worse yet, Days of our Lives just fired Diedre Hall and Drake H. (I don't know his last name), as well as the actors who play Shawn & Belle, and Steve & Kayla, and added several winey, obnoxious teenagers. Are they trying to purposely kill this show?

His name is Drake Hogestyn.

catlover79 · 08-22-2009, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

His name is Drake Hogestyn.

Actually, Drake is his middle name. His real first name is Donald, if you can believe that. He doesn't look like a Donald!

Marvo301 · 08-22-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catlover79

Actually, Drake is his middle name. His real first name is Donald, if you can believe that. He doesn't look like a Donald!

When I think of Donald I think of either a duck or a billionaire with a bad comb over! Not a soap hunk.

catlover79 · 08-23-2009, 12:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvo301

When I think of Donald I think of either a duck or a billionaire with a bad comb over! Not a soap hunk.

That's probably why he dropped his first name.

Bronson · 08-30-2009, 04:49 PM

Soaps have had a good run starting since the late 1940's longer than any genre. Genres have had their timelines. Looks at the gangster films, westerns, war films, and of course Cold War movies and shows.

The Telenovas are pretty good and maybe that might come back.

Soaps can continue with better writing and writers. GH's writers have this obsession with the mob and the ones over at BB stick with the same old Ridge/Brooke/Taylor stuff over and over again.

06-02-2009, 10:22 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,108	Struggling Soaps Seek New Niche Soap operas may be borrowing from one of their favorite plot lines--patient is in a coma, on life support, hanging on by a thread--but they aren't dead yet, and networks and studios are working to find ways to keep the genre viable. Most recently, the cancellation of "Guiding Light" on CBS renewed fears that daytime TV dramas are fated to be written out of television's scheduling script. "I think daytime soap operas as we know them--the regular five-day-a-week, long-running serialized stories--are going to be a quaint vestige of yesteryear," said television historian Tim Brooks, co-author of "The Complete Directory to Prime Time and Cable TV Shows." "I don't think they have a future in that form." Even though daytime audiences have dwindled, advertisers still covet those highly engaged and loyal audiences that are still watching. The question is whether the genre can overcome the social changes that have led to soaps' difficulties, particularly the migration of female audiences away from the TV during the day. TelevisionWeek spoke to some of the experts in the field and zeroed in on the top ways networks and studios have been exploring to keep the genre alive, and what to look for before another long-standing title is cut. 1. Explore online video as a delivery method and marketing tool. Taking a nod from prime-time content delivery online, ABC ("All My Children," "General Hospital," "One Life to Live"), CBS ("The Bold and the Beautiful," "Guiding Light," "The Young and the Restless,") and NBC ("Days of Our Lives") all offer online access to their daytime staples, whether as clips or full episodes. Offering content online ensures that dedicated fans can stay up to date with the shows and remain loyal to the series, while the network and its site reap the benefits of those viewer numbers. "It's never been easier to watch a television show, with all the digital technology available," noted Ed Martin, a TV critic for JackMyers.com and blogger for the Huffington Post who covers daytime dramas. "I'm not sure overall the situation is as dire as people thinks it is, it's just that people are watching shows in crazy ways that aren't being measured." Online access to content can also help increase title awareness through the viral explosion of a particular clip or storyline, such as the Luke and Noah storyline on "As the World Turns." The fan channel LukeVanFan on YouTube, dedicated to providing updates on the gay characters' love story, has drawn over 3 million channel views, with its most popular clip nearing 2 million viewers to date. 2. Increase audience reach through cable network distribution. Disney-ABC Television Group's SoapNet airs ABC's "AMC," "GH" and "OLTL" in addition to NBC's "Days" and CBS' "YATR" and some of the other networks' daytime dramas throughout the day, including prime time. That allows access for viewers who aren't watching during traditional daytime hours. According to Brian Frons, Disney-ABC TV Group president of daytime, viewership on SoapNet accounts for about 25% of those titles' total impressions. Using cable as a means to maintain or possibly increase viewership, however, may not be the solution for those titles that are struggling more than others. "I think that if you took a successful soap to the right [cable] network that had broad distribution, high CPMs and a high subscriber fee, it certainly could work," said Mr. Frons. "I think if you have weak show, and it's weak on broadcast, then it'll be weak on cable." Mr. Frons said Disney-ABC has no plans to move any of its soap operas exclusively to cable. 3. Keep story quality as priority No. 1. While exploring different delivery methods and production models is important, it is vital that the writing quality doesn't decline, alienating viewers. "It's all about the writing," said Jonathan Reiner, Emmy-winning writer for "Starting Over" and former editor at TV Guide Online and Soap Opera Weekly. "One of the reasons 'Guiding Light's' revamp failed is because the writing was too weak to overcome the amateurish production values. It really is all about the writing--the characters, the emotions, the relationships and the payoffs." In the late 1970s, the advent of the Luke and Laura rape-turns-romance story line on ABC's "General Hospital" changed the game for daytime soaps and the way the genre told its stories. The show became a phenomenon through its controversial storylines. Some 30 years later, however, audiences may view those as clichéd topics. 4. Find new ways to expand the creative talent pool. Bringing new writing and creative talent to daytime dramas seems like a quick way to bring a fresh voice to any title, but it is very difficult due to the nature of these shows' production models. It's difficult to find new talent that can begin contributing to stories if they don't already know the extensive and intricate backgrounds of many of the characters. To begin anew and disregard the past would be insulting to viewers and potentially drive away more of them. The five-day-a-week episode model is also difficult, and it takes a certain kind of writer that can successfully work under those constraints. 5. Cut costs of production without sacrificing quality. While it is important to retain characters on any series for the sake of story continuity, it becomes expensive for soaps to keep some of their long-time personalities on the show. Some soaps, however, are finding themselves letting go of on-screen talent left and right for the sake of cutting costs, in addition to scaling back on location shoots and using fewer sets. There will be a point of diminishing returns, however, when cuts can no longer be made without damaging a program's quality. "Guiding Light" changed its presentation model to a hand-held, grittier and more realistic feel--an experiment in budget reduction that failed--and "Light" paid for that choice with the ultimate cost. 6. Leave soap operas alone entirely. As one industry insider noted, it may be that the only way to keep the genre alive is to leave all shows alone, especially when the reasons for all drops in viewers may be completely out of networks' and producers' control. "For all the DVRs, and the taping, and the SoapNet--attempts to find ways to move them around--the problem is that women, the target audience, don't have the time to devote to [soaps]," said Mr. Brooks. "When something is in decline, it might be unrealistic to say you can restore it to its previous glory, but you can delay its decline--you can stabilize it sometimes. The underlying social changes would be very difficult to reverse." http://www.tvweek.com/news/
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

06-03-2009, 08:50 AM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I hope that the soaps can find a way to survive...there are many good actors out there who deserve to shine.
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

06-03-2009, 05:37 PM	#3
80sTrivia Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 23, 2002 Posts: 21,715	I'm hopeful that soaps will be around in the next decade, but I believe some drastic measures will have to be taken to make that a reality...
	__________________ Perfect Gift Books for Pop Culture Fanatics: Thank You for Being a Friend: A Golden Girls Trivia Book The Bouquet Residence: A Keeping Up Appearances Trivia Book Cooking With the Golden Girls: Fun & Delicious Recipes from a Hilarious Miami Kitchen Love in the Afternoon: The Ultimate Soap Opera Trivia Book The Last Great Decade: The Ultimate 90s Trivia Book Betty White: A Celebration

06-04-2009, 02:26 AM	#5
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	Soaps have gotten so bad because they could care less about the vetran actors. Every day I hear about another vetran actor on the soaps being canned in favor of some teenager. People watch soaps for the longevity of it. They care about these characters and when the soaps write off beloved stars, it hurts them whether they realize it or not.
	__________________ In memory of my wonderful husband. I love and miss you more than words can say, but I will always and forever keep you in my heart. September 23, 1961-January 14, 2019

06-06-2009, 08:15 PM	#8
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,219	You know, a very large part of the blame can be placed on the person who decided that soaps have to run for 30, 40, 50 years to be successful. Only in the soap industry will a run of 12 years and 3,169 episodes (Loving) be considered "short-lived" or a "flop." Daytime should be ran the same way primetime is, IMO. You can't have a show run for decades on top of decades and try to stay true to the original focus. Times change, audiences change, etc. You have to change with it, but at the same time, you're making the show into another show. "General Hospital" was knocking on death's door in 1977 until Gloria Monty came in and turned that ship around by making it into an entirely different show. But why did she have to do that? Why couldn't they have just canceled GH and premiered a new show that was everything Monty wanted it to be? No, for some reason, GH had to be saved, but it really wasn't because in the end, what you had circa 1985 was completely different from what you had circa 1965. Eh, it makes me think too much. I have too much love for daytime, soaps and game shows, to let it die without a fight, but at the same time, you really gotta look at the mistakes that have been made that's gotten daytime to this point.
	__________________ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrEbJBFWIPk

06-03-2009, 09:55 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	^

08-30-2009, 04:49 PM	#15
Bronson Member Frequent Poster Join Date: May 27, 2007 Location: Connecticut Posts: 274	Soaps have had a good run starting since the late 1940's longer than any genre. Genres have had their timelines. Looks at the gangster films, westerns, war films, and of course Cold War movies and shows. The Telenovas are pretty good and maybe that might come back. Soaps can continue with better writing and writers. GH's writers have this obsession with the mob and the ones over at BB stick with the same old Ridge/Brooke/Taylor stuff over and over again.