Above: Susan Lucci and Richard Shoberg.
I, like many people who are writing about the cancellation of All My Children and One Life To Live are not actual viewers. Yet, the news is rather historic. Historic as it is part of a scary trend few seem to actually notice. If you don't watch soaps you might ask why you should care. I guess maybe...because television as a whole is moving towards becoming one big 24 hour commercial.
Above: Mark Consuelos
The replacements are going to be talk shows. Talk shows are basically a format for others to sell their products. Celebrities sell their books and their latest movie on them. Kitchen product demonstrations and food segments are really about buying a cook books and products. People who claim to be on to talk about your health are usually just really trying to push a product as well. Talk Shows are really one big commercial masked as an entertainment program. Reality tv already dominates night time (Would American Idol survive without Ford and Coke?), now talk shows (60 minute commercials) are going to dominate daytime. Networks have found a way to shove commercials down our throats all day long without many even noticing.
I don't thinks Soaps are leaving the air ways because viewership is down, I think Soaps are leaving the air (as all scripted television soon might) because we the viewers found a way to watch them without watching...the commercials. Although many look down on the genre of soaps the alternative is truly much more frightening.
Below: Josh Duhamel
Photos of Mark Consuelos and Josh Duhamel via Soaphunks
4 comments:
Daytime soaps just don't make sense anymore. Who has the time and patience to watch one show 5 days a week during the work/school hours? I prefer my soaps at night once a week. Like Glee, Gossip Girl, and 90210. I also consider some reality shows to be the best soaps. The Real World is a soap. It's not scripted but there is a ton of drama. Add the A-List to some of my favorite reality soaps.
-Chris
I was a HUGEfan of "Another World" until the end of its run late last century. It was one of the best soaps that had real characters and real storylines. Toward the end, Victoria Wyndham (Rachel Cory) had tried to get products on the show to try and generate more revenue for the show and Procter and Gamble (the owner of the show). But her efforts never went anywhere and the show got cancelled and cute hottie Matt Crane disappeared into oblivion. I'd say in 5 or 10 hyears, there won't be a single daytime soapleft. Then it'll be bye, bye Daytime Emmys. After the end of this year, what's the point with only 5 daytime soaps? I remember when there were almost that many on CBS alone!
I was never a follower of these two soap's, but I do agree with your opinion, We have been cast into the world of Info-mercial hell, and we have no way to get out. Reality tv shows nothing more than stupidity, and ignorance for the most part, and then we wonder why kids, and adults act the way they do. Hello, fix the programing to something more suitable than a no name running across the screen cussing and get rid of 10 csi's where kids dont see murder all the time get us some Barney Fife type programing back that may help!
And as long as viewers continue to watch showsn liken"Idol", "Dancing With The Stars', "Survivor" it is only going to get worse. As long as the sponsors are happy with the ratings, the stations will be happy and keep adding more shows. And they are CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP to produce. No "star salaries" to pay. Let the sponsors know you are not happy by not buying the products they advertise on certain shows. They will get the message in their pockets.
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