News
Another Talker With Anemic Ratings! The Meredith Vieira Show To Get Cancelled? Wouldn't A New Soap Serve Up Better Daytime TV?
Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins
While networks, cablers, and syndicators continue to assault the daytime audience with one talk show after another, one lifestyle series retrending after another, there are only a handful that continue to take hold in the market and flourish, while the continuation of new talkers seemingly end up being canned!
Last month, we learned that Tyra Banks walked out on her own talk show, FABLife, which has delivered poor ratings and has not helped to bolster General Hospital, who could use a nice lead-in and lead-out to continue to drive eyeballs to it, since there is no longer an ABC Daytime programming block.
Now comes word via a report from Page Six that Meredith Vieira’s talker, The Merdeith Vieira Show is about to be cancelled. They report that, “The talk show is telling reps of celebrity guests that it will be canceled, and the plug will be pulled in March. The news comes after the network had already tinkered with Vieira’s format in an effort to boost ratings during its second season, but it hasn’t helped. The show debuted in its new format in September with a 0.8 household rating, down 50 percent from its first-season premiere.”
The Meredith Vieira Show is currently on hiatus for two weeks for the holidays. Production will resume in January with no announcement regarding a 3rd season having been made.
So this brings up these points: We all know soaps are much so more expensive to produce, and very difficult to upkeep, and traditionally have had to be on five days a week. We also know it’s difficult to make soaps revelant again to the majority of the mainstream, and the younger female demographic who has tuned out to soaps over recent years. But still, when soap fans and/or the female demo sit on the sidelines and continue to watch one celebrity guest hit all the numerous talkers in a span of two days pushing their latest product, is that truly more interesting programing than a soap? It doesn’t seem to be proving it in the ratings, either!
Will we ever see the day when one of the networks such as ABC or NBC will even try to put on a new or revitalized half-hour soap ( or even two half-hours soaps to fill the hour time block, or even an hour soap), when primetime clearly is producing series and pilots that are extra soapy? What about taking a lead from CBS’s successful The Bold and the Beautiful? What about coming up with a continuing story that can reach the younger demos and interest them by utilizing social media in the most inventive and intergrated way with the storytelling?
So, share your thoughts on the daytime wars …. the state of talkers vs. soap operas, and if you think any network programming executive will ever venture, or entertain the notion of putting on soap-type format in the daypart again?
A new soap would be great but-
There are no soap writers !!!
The pool of soap writers is near empty and the young vibrant in the 21st century writers see soap writing as obsolete.
What we have are senior citizens writing soap by the same old 80 scripts, that is what they know, the 80’s that is how and what they write… It’s all the same from decades past, they don’t move forward into new writing, new formatting, new anything.
And, yes the writers are older;
Jill Farren Phelps= 65
Jean Passanante= 63
Chuck Pratt jr= 60
Bradley P. Bell= 51
Frank Valentini= 51
Ron Carlivati= 45 <– the young blood/new ideas..
Ron was the young blood.. He was the modern writer..
Many a time, many, people would remark that GH was like primetime..
And it was..
So, as far as a new soap.. who would write..
Sure couldn't go back to the same old with the writers of yesterday.. Where would a crew of new 21st century media writers come from that would even want to write a daytime soap..?
ohh and before I get jumped..
I did not mean they are old like in old, they are old writers, been writing since the 80’s/whatever.. The soaps need young writers, 30-40yrs old, to bring the soaps out of the 80’s and into the 21st century, and what we have can not do that.
Su, I’m in that 30-40 year old category that you speak of, and I so strongly disagree with you. There isn’t anything wrong with the “older” writers continuing to write CLASSIC soap. That’s the problem — so many of them are trying to write trash that is for the young audience they so desire, but guess what? There’s no LOYALTY from the younger audience. Young people simply don’t care to be loyal to anything. If anything, should they bring in younger writers, then they need to work under older, more established writers in order to learn the CLASSIC style of the genre.
I am a LOYAL fan of soaps because my mom LOVED them. She was a stay-at-home mom and some of my favorite childhood memories involve sitting around with my mom during the summer as we watched our soaps. I continue to watch because I had that solid foundation. Kids today don’t have that. I don’t believe that most young (30-40 year olds) have that foundation, either.
Just as a side note, you mentioned that the older writers need to get out of the 1980s and move into the 21st century. Believe me when I say, you ABSOLUTELY don’t want that to happen to the soaps in regards to storytelling. I’m all for it when it comes to issues — especially the black woman/white man romantic aspect of it. Those couples are sorely lacking on daytime, and there were actually a few interracial couples in the 1970s and 1980s. They didn’t last, but they were there. Soaps today need to buck up and take the lead with such storytelling. Just like they’ve done with homosexual stories. They need to do the same with black woman/white male couples and not be afraid of the racists who will undoubtedly take issue with such couples. Develop black women/white men loving, caring, romantic couples that WILL last in 2015 and beyond. These couples are all around us in everyday life, and they should be shown on daytime. Don’t cower to racists!
But as far young blood needed to get the “creative juices” flowing — believe me, there is absolutely NOTHING romantic about this current culture of “Netflix and Chill.” If that is what becomes of the daily soap opera, I would be first in line demanding cancellation.
I would love to write a daytime soap! My first choice would be to write for DAYS, but I am all for writing something new. Personally, I think it’s time for daytime to step it up some and incorporate social media more! Fan input is key!
hi Trophy Lady.
the writers are from eras past..
the soaps need new young blood, to get out of the 80’s story telling.
You grew up with the soap, but the new audience needed most have not.
And yes, the people needed to keep soaps alive, are Netflix binge watchers, their 21st century media is cable and movies that have next to nothing to do with love couples and their triangles and love problem in tv and movies, that’s from grandmas time, to them.
The media has drastically changed, evolved since these writers were writing soaps.. I’d bet they do not know names of any rap stars nor one of their songs,(rap has been going since the 90’s) or the players of ‘their soap’ -> Games of Thrones.. just an example of then and now.
New young writers is needed.
RC is 45 and the young blood, go figure.
Not saying to drastically change the soaps,of course not.
but to modernize them,
and the current writers can not do that, they write as they are still lost in the 80/90’s..
LONG LIVE GH, long after J&S are shown the exit door..
Good writers come in all shapes, sizes and ages, It is about creativity and talent. Not age. 66-year-old Julian Fellowes writes about young women in 1912 England and wins an Emmy for Downton Abbey. And at 34, Gennifer Hutchison penned the famous “I am the one who knocks” monologue for Breaking Bad’s 50-something Walter White.
I don’t think good story telling is ever passé, for any generation. It’s a shame the networks didn’t seem to invest in building a “farm team” of daytime soap writers like baseball teams develop players. So now they are left with no one to carry the torch that still include the cornerstone of daytime soaps…family, community and relationships.
That doesn’t mean daytime doesn’t need to refresh ideas while keeping to the spirit of this genre…which seems to be a “kinder, gentler” mentality as opposed to prime time which includes way more gratuitous violence and really disturbed people who act out in more awful ways.
I would write, su. Better yet, Jimh is the best candidate for the job. How about it, Jimmy? What say you?
You would be great yourself, su. You do know all the angles around a good story, no? Later.
Su..If I recall you loved the online version of OLTL. I thought it was beyond crap. Throwing in the word shit every other sentence also impressed you.
Soaps are a genre. They’re continuing stories. GH is continuing from the 80s and before. The whole joy of watching a daytime soap is because it IS different from other forms of media. I loved the mob stories…in The SOPRANOS. It couldnt get more gritty than the prison drama OZ. It couldn’t get more sexual, raunchy or more hilarious than CALIFORNICATION. I love GAME OF THRONES, THE LEFTOVERS, RAY DONOVAN and many others…
My point is daytime soaps are not any of the above. And they don’t try to be. A soap is like a familiar friend. You tune in every day…or you binge watch…but it’s the ongoing stories, romances, friends, families, twisted, convoluted relationships, loyalties, beyrayals…humor, heartwarming stories about people. People viewers feel they know.
Soaps are never going to be the way you envision them. And they shouldn’t be. For when they become that they’ll no longer be daytime soap operas. They might be good shows…but they’d be other shows. The vision you have and want are not daytime soaps.
Yes, the genre is phasing out. Unfortunately. As you say, and which is obvious, it’s a different time. So we viewers who appreciate soaps as they were conceived to be will continue to watch as long as we still care about the characters and their lives. And writing human stories is timeless. Kiki, Morgan, Maxi, Johnny, Elizabeth, Kelly…these are not old or antiquated characters. And we follow them because of their lives and loves…just like fans did during Ann, Robert, Luke, Laura, Lucy, Scotty, Bobby…all the vets who were younger then…and are still loved and wanted today. Just as Jason Thompson said in his exit interview…they should write more for John York (Mac). Not because he’s an action figure or a crime lord, but everything you hate…warm and fuzzy.
There are a lot f other shows…genres…that have what you’re looking fir. But theyre not “our soaps.”
I get that you like talking, critiqing and stating soaps are no longer relevant in today’s world. I honestly don’t understand why you watch them. I mean it seriously. Why waste time watching something you feel outdated and boring…
Daytime audiences are not what they once were. More people work, others watch cable. There are a host of reasons why it’s difficult for many shows in dayrime to survive. But how many nightime shows can say they’ve been on firty or fifty years? They all wind up getting canceled in a few seasons.
As another poster always ends with, “Long live GH!” And may it never resort to modernizing to appease the few… 😉
@Rebecca1
Get off of my cloud. Do not click on my personal space. I want to receive nothing from you on my inbox. Please refrain from doing so. Click on your own ‘reply’ and stay away from mine. Happy New Year. Try, anyway.
hi rebecca1.
No, I was never a lover of OLTL.. I did watch but was not my fav.
It is not about soap fans..
It is about new soap that would get no more viewers than the soap fans now, a small about viewers and soaps not evolving to get new viewers…
IF there were to be new viewers to keep the soaps alive, they would be tuning in now. They are not tuning in because they don’t want to watch these soaps.
If they did the numbers would rise and rise, they are not.
Soaps are old fashioned and will not attract many new viewers, the young would not invest daily to even get to know the chatterers and the backstories, it takes awhile to even know what is going on, they would not do that.
The new viewers would be;
Newly Retired people…. (not of demo wanted/needed) and they might not even care to watch a soap.
Disabled peoples, who will be home with the time and want to become involved in a soap by putting in the time to get know who is whom and what’s is going on..
And daughters and Sons of parents now watching IF they even watched along to continue to watch.
The now fans have soap burnout and are tuning out.
Soaps are repeats of the 80’s scripts; been there done that a 100 times, tune out.
To keep the fans that are, new fresh writers new fresh stories are needed and we get that from new younger writers.
The left writers from eras past can give new fresh perspectives stories, they did not live in the world of past decades to connect.
Soaps will live longer with new writers and stories.
Lol Su. Okay. We’re never going to agree on this but I always appreciate your response and humorous posts! 🙂
CeeCee.. I never reply personally to you. I did this time in the hope you’d get my message. I’m sick of this animosity. Too many real problems in life for us to get crazed over stuff like this.
Peace and Happy New Year!
I would love to see another soap added to the daytime lineup. You would think since the talk shows essentially pay their audience to attend (gift giveaways), that the money could be put to better use in a soap. It’s been said that the soaps used to pull in so much money that they funded the night shows; too bad it doesn’t work the other way around. Truly miss the #ATWT cast.
I think ABC should try a half-hour soap format, like B&B. It would be cheaper to produce, & have a smaller cast. EDGE OF NIGHT & CAPITOL were half-hour formats IIRC, & they were not boring. If they don’t want to reinvent the wheel, they could try transitioning one of the online soaps to daytime since the audience would be built-in. I know they’ll get a lot of flack from the OLTL & AMC fans. But, those soaps are still tied up in court w/Prospect Park.
Great idea!
And the entire cast could come from a pared down GH!
Could you also please get rid of “Fab life” and “The View”. They are 2 really horrible shows.
RIGHT ON…CANNOT BELIEVE ANYONE WASTES THEIR TIME TO WATCH THESE SHOWS!
Fa life is an imbarisment to ABC ! The view is a trainwreak !
I pretty much tuned her out when she put all those talking points on at the beginning, not interested in anymore of that junk, it ruined her show for me
It seems every talk show is trying to copy the format of “The View” and “The Talk” Last week, I watched seconds of the talk show with Loni Love/Tamar Braxton. Painful. Then there is the Tyra Banks fiasco talk show. Meredith changed her format to include Lance Bass, but it came across as more of a copycat of the other shows.
Here is an idea. Create a new 30-minute soap opera and follow the same business plan as “Bold and Beautiful,” a huge success in other countries. I would love to see the show tape in New York and have many of the unemployed actors from “Another World,” “As the World Turns,” “Guiding Light,” “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” as cast members.
Another idea is to follow the lead of CBS and realize that “Let’s Make a Deal” and “The Price Is Right” proves that game shows are not dead. I would love to see an updated version of “Password” or “Concentration” instead of another talk show. If Katie Couric and Meredith can’t make it work, someone needs to realize we don’t need another one.
I do agree with your observations, Ray, except that THE TALK is not an original format, as you indicate. It too, copied THE VIEW, which has been the leader for twenty years. THE TALK is the biggest copycat…..to the letter; literally. But, I just can’t warm up to that show.
And, speaking of game shows…. I agree. I am crazy about the passe’ shows. I DVR most shows on BUZZR TV every night….my favorite? SUPER PASSWORD.
Cee, there isnt a brick close enough to my TV when Sheryl Underwood comes on The Talk! She is one of the most annoying people on TV! I remember when Steve Burton announced he would be on Y&R and made an appearance on The Talk. When he came out she “Mounted” him and screamed for about five minutes. It was disgusting and he seemed so uncomfortable!
@Timmm.
Exactly. I was going to specifically name names, but then I changed my mind. Cheryl thinks she’s funny. I don’t really watch….albeit I have caught several eps. She just ‘hogs’ guests as they come through greeting the panelists. She’s another one with the personal sexual innuendoes. I am no prude because we all make them, but, we do not get personal. That is do base.
Then, there’s Whoopi with her ‘vibrator’ experiences. …..thing is, I LOVE Whoopi, but, I do not like hearing about her ‘dates’ with her vibrator.
the original PASSWORD was the best with the lightning round popping out of the desk and SMART stars. amble on over to YouTube and watch the shows with elizabeth montgomery.
@CeeCee – I agree 100%! Happy Newer Year!
Ray, you make a good point, why not sell these soaps to other countries. American TV adopts some foreign shows and or their ideas. Theres money in exporting our TV shows, for sure.
Foreign countries don’t won’t to pay thousands of dollars dubbing a a 250 episode soap opera. It would help if American soap had a hiatus. The networks were to lazy are didn’t care enough to change the format. Cable show would love to rerun our soaps. But their is no beginning middle or end so its hard to know where to begin.
Quite a number of soaps from the states have been sold to foreign countries . Santa Barbara , Young and restless , Bold and Beautiful , Days , Another World , Sunset Beach , General hospital , Passions , Guiding light , All my children , One life to live have all at one point been broadcast in some countries internationally . Many of these soaps were cancelled in some international countries due to low ratings . Many of these countries caught up late on the soap genre and many of these soaps didn’t screen from the beginning . Currently all 3 soaps at the exception of General Hospital are shown on foreign tv’s . But in some countries some of the 3 soaps if not all of them have either been cancelled or sent to pay tv . In Australia you watch Days and Young on pay tv , Bold is still on free tv in Australia , General Hospital was cancelled in Australia a long time ago .
A new soap will suffice. But is has to be different format than the five day a week without a hiatus. Daytime has to change in order to attract younger viewers.
Lou, you bring up a great point and discussed it on one of your replies. Soaps need to adjust to the times and yes, have seasons. It give the actors free time to do other projects and saves networks money. Then maybe we can shop these shows oversees.
Limited run daily soaps have been sellable for years. Have them run for as long as only 13 to 20 weeks with a complete beginning, middle and end.
All the talk shows are the same and we’re sick of them, they all have the same stars on them to push the new movies. Leave Kelly and Michael and The View where they are and give us a soap after General Hospital. It would get watched, I tune to NCIS or Bones after GH is done, and we don’t watch any normal programing till 4 when the local news is on. Talk shows get pretty boring after all, I tried watching Meridith, as I liked her on The View, but not on her own, it just didn’t do it for me.
Forget a new soap. I’m waiting to hear if Days of Our Lives will be renewed beyond September 2016.
I am not surprised Meredith is getting the axe as the show isnt very good in my opinion. Katie Couric had a better show. A new soap would be nice but I doubt if ABC will go with that. They could have a re-run hour showing classic AMC and OLTL. How much would that affect their budget?
ABC, CBS and NBC will never produce a new soap.
As an advid soap fan I will continue to boycott ABC. I’m a 58 yr old college educated woman who’se watched the soaps my entire life. Who do they think is in the work force spending money on tech for their kids. I’m not interested in another talk/cook/lifestyle show when I get home after a hard days work I want to escape for a while.
Very well said.
TOTALLY AGREE…NOT AT ALL INTERESTED IN ANOTHER TALK/COOK/LIFESTYLE SHOW!!!
Amen, sister!
Yes…a new soap: ” EVERDAY PEOPLE!”…When wealthy Gordan Bennett finally awakens from his coma, will he accuse his society wife Elizabeth of attempted murder…what caused these mysterious blackouts Caroline Marshall have been having that made her drive her car off the road resulting in her sister Julia’s miscarriage…why did Steven Grant really return to Bently Falls after serving five years in prison for a murder he didnt committ…will Alan Marshall leave his wife Caroline for her sister Julia…what is Bennet Houskeeper Louise Tate’s secret connection to Gordan Bennett and ex convict Steven Grant..did Alan Marshall frame his old friend Steven for the death of Erik Douglas who was blackmailing Alan after learning Alan had been embezzling money from Bennett Enterprises…Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting episode of “Everyday People” on most of theses stations!!!…ok, enough fun…would love to see a new soap but doubt networks will go there because of the costs ect. but it sure would be wonderful if they gave it a try!!!
oop…’ Everyday!’
Giving it a try (with good stories) couldn’t be that much more expensive than all of the misses the’ve had.
JimH…bit of trivia…Not an EVERYDAY PEOPLE, but recently I read Fred Astaire watched The Guiding Light and As The World Turns everyday
Tallulah Bankhead was an Edge Of Night fan…one time she got anger over a character cheating on his wife…she called the studio and suggested they have her shoot the-begins with a B-lol…Elizabeth Montgomery and Jackie Kennedy were fans of Dark Shadows…Liz Taylor liked GH…Carol Burnett liked AMC…Sammy Davis was a fan of Love Of Life and Judy Garland watched Another World…there were many famous people who watched the soaps but i didnt know Fred Astaire was one of them…thanks for info…its back to bed for me…i got the flu. Later!
That would be nice if they would introduce two half hour soaps, but these networks have proven that they don’t fully stand behind the daytime community or its viewing audience. I still to this day miss my OLTL and AMC….and you are so right with pointing out how the Primetime lineup is soapier and soapier with each new program that airs…But my guess is, once they pull the plug on The Meredith Viera show, they will just replace it with another cheap talk show that no one is interested in.
Oltl please
One can only hope. A revitilized One Life to Live, perhaps? I’ll just dream on.
Will this finally wake up the powers that be at ABC to see their failed? ? Bring back AMC, OLTL and other soaps!! NOONE WANTS ANOTHER TALK SHOW OR INFORMATIVE SHOW. PERIOD!!
Yes, yes, yes….a new soap would be the ticket to happiness for many of us. But, why new? Bring back OLTL. Answer my prayers, ye gods!!!!!!
Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree – I know I’m a broken record but they should combine the remnants of ONE LIFE TO LIVE with All My Children and present that as a lead in to GH but please don’t attack me for saying that – don’t worry it won’t happen anyway for I do not know who owns the rights to the shows at this point.
ABC-TV did not even CONSIDER another model for the shows, nor trimming them down to one show, nor combining them. So, let the chips fall
where they may.
Excellent piece, Michael! No more talk shows, it is overkill. I need OLTL and AMC back. I believe the ratings for these shows were much higher than this current fare. At least CBS has a balance of soaps, talk shows and game shows. When will ABC wake up and realize that people don’t want talk shows, they want their soaps back.
I love Meredith, but her talk show was boring to watch. We need One Life To Live back. I know I am dreaming but we need Viki Buchanan back, Clint David Vickers, Nora, Nigel and sexy Roxy. Please Please bring back OLTL. Man do I miss that soap. Too many crappy talk shows out there, I know there cheaper to produce. but they are garbage, same crappy topics lol. I hate the chew. all has beens lmao. But I have to say , I love the Talk. That’s all I watch now. I hope they renew Days Of Our Lives. News is coming soon, regarding the soaps future. I have a feeling Days will get another 2 year extension.
I miss our beloved One Life to Live every second!!!!!!!!!!! I also really enjoyed the online All My Children. We want interesting characters and stories. We want someone to care about. Meaningless talk shows do NOT cut it.
their are way too many daytime talk shows,and are only a few good ones. one of the reasons General Hospital’s ratings have gone down because ABC daytime crumbled and it has no lead in anymore. Look at CBS and their mixed daytime lineup of soaps,game shows,and a talk show,they have something for everybody. One of the reasons Y&R is the number 1 daytime drama is because of The Price is Right lead in,which is the number 1 rated daytime show. General Hospital is all on it’s own now. The View has collapsed in recent years,recentaly being de-throned by the talk. abc ruined their daytime lineup,and now their paying for it. Although soap ratings have gone down over the years,they still rate higher than a lot of other daytime programs. B&B delivered it’s highest rated season in a decade with it’s great transgender storyline. Chuck Pratt has raised Y&R’s ratings by giving it a primetime feel. DAYS ratings have gone up. GH’s demos are horrible,and I have seen no changes,their the worst soap right now,and instead of fixing it,they roll out horrible talk shows. abc is probably losing a lot of ad money. soaps can succeed if the networks care
While we’re at it, let’s start taking pictures with film again. Then we can go back to putting all music on LP only. While I’m listening to my records, I can wash my clothes by beating them on a rock and hanging them up to dry. While I’m waiting for them to dry, I’ll compose a hand-written note to the networks saying how much I love soaps, and I’ll mail it to them so they’ll get it right away (4 days later).
The point is that time marches on, and it is time to move on. People do not watch them anymore. They had their chance, just like the dinosaurs, but it’s OVER. The fact that talk shows do no better does not change the fact that soaps will never return to their glory days. They just need better replacements.
Actually vinyl LP records have made and continue to make a comeback. Adele’s record-selling album…pun not intended but oh-so appropro…has come out in vinyl.
Hand drying dishes and air drying laundry is favored by some who prefer healthy living and clean air over convenience.
The art of letter writing is not dead. It’s more personal…and partcularly recommended when sending a thank you follow up to a job interview.
Tony Bennet sings alongside Lady Gaga, Tom Jones still brings in a crowd of all ages, young musicians respect the rock, soul, blues music gods before them…rock n roll will never die….and all that jazz….
I get your point. I just think the genre needs better marketing… better lead-ins…and actually a return to days of yore, nkt more of a departure. Most fans of GH miss the OLD GH. The stories, families, relafionships, adventures, vets….
Bring those back, add their kids, grandkids…extended families. Hang out at Ruby’s. Refer to tbe past with al ook to tbe future. GH loses viewers with each vet they kill off or ignore. Killing off the past is killing the soaps, not the other way around
Great post! Love Tom Jones!
Rebecca1…I think you’ve made some really eloquent comments on this story. The thing that bothers me most about a lot of comments on this and other stories is that there seems to be such animosity and lack of respect expressed about new/old and young/ old. We all want a successful GH. Maybe find a better middle ground, and listen and appreciate different opinions without taking it as an attack. GH has always been multi-generational and the characters all seemed to get along. I’d like to think touchy-touchy fans could do the same. 🙂
rebecca1, gotta luv you!
vinyl has never went totally away. The connoisseurs of music prefer the vinyl..
What is done now..
Downloading.. downloading your tunes to iPhone, put them on clouds in your playlists.. to be listened by all devices anywhere any time, TV, PC. Tablets, phones and so on, by a click.
That is done world wide, the download of music..
Most now do not even have a stack of CD’s, they are fading out too.
It is a digital world ..
((I have umm 6 Cd’s, no stereo, and the best music via bluetooth to soundbar or PC hooked great speakers, and as low or loud as wanted in digital clean sound..))
And for the millions who have never heard of nor seen Tony Bennet they will know Lady Gaga lol .. a good reach out to all, ad.
And. many people text a ”thank you lol
(people break up and are proposed to via text, sad but true)
And if younger can’t watch it on their phones in 15 mins, they just skip onto the next whatever… Netflix binge watching is always a good downtime weekend..
hey Timmm..
”’Tom Jones”
I seen him in Vegas, he played our hotel..
He was bad really bad!
20 minutes of him was more than enough for a life time LOL ..
LONG LIVE ALL THE SOAPS! they are sooooo loved !!
Timmm…Tom Jones! Lol…so do I!
Rose…thank you. Yes, I agree. The age issue comes up repeatedly on this site and it’s ridiculous. And as I wrote, it’d be great to have the vets along with the generations after them. But we need our vets back…
It’s a handful of posters who confinually bring up age. As I’ve said before…they critique how a person dresses, how much sex and lust fhey feel is “appropriate,” or not, based on age…if the person should still have dreams and goals. While of course they’re referring to fictional characters, they’re still aiming their comments and opinions at that age group. Which means in REAL life people past 40 or 50 shouldn’t be crazy attracted to each other should wear turtle necks and give up their goals. Lol…and it’s repeated constantly! It’s simultaneously funny and sad. And maddening.
Perhaps the writers can create The Middle Aged and The Rsstless. And then, hey…we can skip a stage and go straight to The Decrepit and The Restless. But enough of this…all this talk of age is making me… restless….
Thank you, me……..some people object to that. I love my soaps…..every genre. But, this is not the same world. I wish soaps could remain the same and forever. Time does march on, as you say, and we must follow the beat. This is exactly what su is trying to impart. Nonetheless both she and I get jumped for saying just what you said, in a different way…….or mention a word, a phrase that does not resonate….get my drift? You hardly ever post anymore, me. I wish you did; you are so en pointe when you write. I love that! Live and let live, I say, for Grinch sakes.
Talk shows are over because they are now full of dumbed-down material, guests and games. Most of the audience is too smart for that. Many talk shows make you feel bad. Or stupid. Or both.
A continuing story, serial drama, soap–whatever you want to call it –is more challenging to the mind, and if done well, makes you feel great. A show with compelling stories and characters, will bring the audience back day after day. Viewers will want to see what will happen, and return to that good feeling a familiar show can bring. Soaps are the ultimate in appointment-viewing TV.
They need to create a new soap and promote it in a way that creates serious buzz. Make everybody want to watch it. It does not have to be about young people to get young people to watch. It just needs to be really good, so audiences of all ages will feel they have to get on board. Shows such as Homeland, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Empire, etc. don’t have a lot in common–except they all have compelling stories and characters that keep people watching–and talking.
Personally, I just want to see One Life to Live back. But, a new soap can be a success if done right!
You bet, Louisa. OLTL forever!!!!!
Speaking of talk shows…uhmmmm, I know what you mean. I do not want to hear about the panel’s sex life or lack-thereof. I don’t care about those stupid references to ‘vibrators’ either. Too personal and too disgusting for public consumption. I used to love THE VIEW. Now, it has become a joke, with the revolving door, letting anyone join the panel at any given time. I suppose I like structure. THE TALK is made up of hypocrites, but I do like Julie and Sara, though.
I enjoy THE View when politics are discussed or medical breakthroughs….I don’t care about the time and energy spent on the Kardashians’ gypsy lifestyle or the topsy-turvy crazy world of any reality TV. I love AMERICAN IDOL and THE VOICE and GAME SHOWS.
Great topic . This enables me to inform the fans in the United States that the soap ” Days of our lives ” is being cancelled for good in France . France 2 which runs the soap and ran it since september 2000 has decided to extend its morning talk show ” Telematin ” ( French equivalent of the Today show ) and of course the extension just happens to cover Days’s timeslot . Days had good ratings and in fact was winning its timeslot so it is just a cost saving decision . No need for the station to finance the dubbing in French , no more broadcasting / licence fees to be paid . ” Telematin ” being a homemade network based talk show France 2 gets all the profits . I hope this trend doesn’t start in the States . If they start cancelling soaps that have good ratings just to save money it could be the end of daytime drama . Days ran as a half-hour show in France ( each hour long episode was divided into 2 episodes ) . Back in September 2000 Days was already 2 years behind the States but due to the stupid half hour business the French are only now seeing episodes from january 2007 . The french met EJ for the first time only last Friday and guess what ? Days’s last episode screens at the end of this week . My point is that there is no respect for tv viewer worldwide and that the soaps are no being treated with the respect they deserve . The cancellation of All my children and One life to live still make viewers bloods boil . Replaced by food and talk shows and with that familiar tune of ” it costs less ” . Let’s start praying for our soaps !
Cancel all the soaps, replace them with reality shows.
Kevin have you lost your mind? lol. Reality shows suck. We need to support the remaining soaps.
all i can say is “another one bites the dust”!!!!!!
It’s scary it feels like daytime will become this dumping ground for talk shows or worst, informercials. I truly feel there is something that can be done and that half hour soaps could work but probably money is the biggest factor and till that’s not an issue then who knows what can happen .
Yeah, a few of my aunts complain about getting their MTV back…..the way it used to be. It is truly unwatchable now. No music.
So, I think, you are on the right track, Aria. TV will eventually become one big infomercial, cooking shows or annoying chatter.
Hi CeeCee,,
I like ”catfish” on MTV..
The New 24/7 (like old MTV but much better is now-
— Palladia — (on cable)
Shows the concerts and festivals from woodstock era to date.. And bios of bands etc.
(at this moment it is- Pearl Jam, it’s twenty years… playing..
(next up Smashing pumpkins then Dolly Parton and then Paul Mccartney Wings )
@su.
That’s the point. I don’t know how MTV used to be in the 70’s and 80’s, but apparently it was continuous music videos. My aunt keeps talking about a Nina Blackwell or Blackwood and Martha Quinn. I never watch MTV. I just watch THE VIEW, my soaps, old game shows and a few recorded shows…..usually late at night, in bed with this guy next to me. Lol.
I do love watching Woodstock clips. I love the music.
Must look into it. Thanks, babes.
I don’t think we will ever see another soap on daytime network television. Would lover to see GL resurrected but very doubtful. Heck a new soap staring Kassie DePaiva would be cool too!
Come to think of it GL on NBC would be outstanding. Number one it is where GL started in radio and number two DAYS/GL crossovers could be fun!
I miss Springfield.
“Jesse’s Girl” rocked!
Why not try to get OLTL and/or Y&R on one of the other stations (WB, Fox, etc.)? I’ll never trust ABC/D again. I can’t imagine the actors from these 2 beloved soaps would trust them again, either.
I miss the soap channel (Soapnet)!
ABC could not get rid of the 2 soaps after they were canceled not one, not one, network wanted them,, and now with low ratings and high cost no network will take them on..
I doubt seriously the alphabet network tried to sell AMC and OLTL. Both are their property and the alphabet people are known for not wanting to part with what is theirs.
Oops, I meant AMC, not Y&R.
So the rating are telling you something, NOBODY wants what you Are offering us in the programming . So when you start listening to the people who watch the soaps maybe you will bring them back. God knows it seems like you want them at night time so what is wrong with daytime soaps again. Listen to your viewers because they are NOT watching what you are offering. So you either want viewers or not, you are so.busy shoveling this poor programming down our throats just so you don’t have to admit YOU made a mistake. So bite the bullet and admit you screwed up and bring our soaps backs
The one soap that I think could make a comeback is Edge of Night. It was a mystery based show that could be made to appeal to male and female viewers.
I miss E.O.N. and would love to see it return but it would be difficult to find a mystery writer as good as Henry Slezar-one could hope…i wouldnt mind a primetime version!!!
I would give anything to to a reboot of Edge of Night. A new soap doesn’t have to be on 5 days a week. The networks can have a talk show or game show on for two days of the week and the other three days a soap. It would save the networks tons of money.
the Edge of Night was always my favorite show..
after it was cancelled by cbs it got picked up on anc and floundered in the daytime there…..
some of the writers and actors moved over to oltl.. thats when i started to watch One Life….
They should have NEVER messed with the soaps in the first place!!! All that is on now is crap! Put OLTL and AMC back on,,,they may be surprised by how many would love to have them back
;; many ;; would not want them back, only their old fans would want them back, and many are long gone or aged..
only low numbers of their fans are left to even tune in, not even nearly enough to invest in and they are not what the sponsors want (the young demo) anyways.
In this day no executive/network would ever invest in daytime outdated soap operas that mainly older people watch (not of the prime demo), soaps are dinosaurs, and they will never invest in new soaps…
I hate hate hate that, but is fact 🙁 🙁 .
daytime tv is going out, soon no doubt it will be all junk tv, reruns of inexpensive stuff and infomercials lol
Best keep what we have left alive!!!!
The thing that they forgot is that the soap fans were the loyal talk show viewers. Who do,you think helped Oprah skyrocket into fame? The soap fans, especially the OLTL & AMC fans are too angry with ABC to tolerate them spoon feeding us this drivel we are supposed to like and forget that they cancelled our shows.
Well, I am probably the average demographic soap viewer. I’m 57 and well established with a lot of disposable income. The networks need me and those like me but are too stupid to realize. I despise being handled and told what I will like to watch. I won’t get over them cancelling my shows anytime in the near or distant future.
I take my boycott to the next level and don’t watch ABC prime time either. I used to watch ABC almost exclusively from the eye opener to Jimmy Kimmell (when he was on AFTER Nightline).
The idiots in power need to say that they know they made a huge mistake and will try to rectify it. I won’t hold my breath. Instead, it’s never mentioned. Like Kelly Ripa didn’t even mention David Canary’s passing on her show!! She tweeted about it but on her show????? NOTHING!!That was a calculated move and I’m sure she was told not to mention it because it might stir up the fan base. How disrespectful can ABC be?
Like I said, I hate to be manipulated. It doesn’t work on me. ABC seems to be doing that a lot lately. “Varnishing” and spinning, ugh!
I understand how you fell Liz. I have not and will not watch anything aired on or produced by the alphabet network or the mouse company since the last day One Life to Live aired.
Thank you for pointing out the fact that Kelly Ripa failed to acknowledge David Canary’s passing on her show. It would not surprise me one bit if TPTB instructed her not to say anything. After the millions and millions of dollars David Canary helped generate for the alphabet network, that omission is beyond disrespectful. It is completely heartless.
Kelly is a network puppet! RIP David.
Oh, Wow! She did? I don’t watch TV that early in the morning, so I missed that. Golly, David played Kelly’s father forever. How could she have not mentioned his passing? That is just so weird, rude and insensitive.
I would give anything to see the soaps ” Santa Barbara ” , ” Guiding light ” , ” Another World ” be revived with brand new episodes but 5 days a week and indeed in a half hour format . I miss these soaps so much . It took me years to get over the losses of ” Santa Barbara ” and ” Another World ” . Cruz and Eden , Mason and Julia , Keith and Gina , Lionel and Augusta , Kelly , Ted , CC , Sophia … Josh and Reva , Blake and Ross , Maureen and Ed , Beth and Phillip , Alan , Lillian , Harley etc … Felicia and Cass , Wallingford , Mac and Rachel , Amanda , Matthew , Vicky and Marley , Sharlene and John …. These soaps , these characters and stories are still so vivid in my mind and will forever be in my mind and heart . I want them back on the air !! You are wrong Brian Frons ! Viewers don’t want talk and stupid reality shows , they want fantasy , dream , humanity , love , entertainment , they want for a few hours a day to escape life and the struggles that go with living that life ! Is it too much to ask to respect the soap viewer and deliver to that audience ?
Soap operas were always known for pushing the envelope but it seems like they didn’t keep up with the times. If TV execs think we want more talk shows, they’re insane. They can figure out a way to make soaps popular again and get back all the viewers they lost and then some.
Soaps are daytime tv.. no younger peoples are home to watch. And wouldn’t spend 3 months trying to involved in them, not gonna happen..
Soaps are for and of the older demo that sponsors do not want.
When these 4 are gone that will be it, gone forever.
You have to keep in mind that the days when soaps were considered to push the envelope were also the days when there were a very limited number of channels available and most primetime shows were wholesome family fare. Topical stories like AMC’s Erica Kane having the first abortion on TV was a story that you’d never see in primetime and so was groundbreaking for the time but I don’t know what kind of story a soap could tell today that isn’t already being told by other network and cable shows and is often told better because those other shows can tell those stories without the burden of having to pull every punch to protect and prop “fan favorite” characters who emerge from every situation unscathed.
There’s no real drama in soaps anymore because of this mentality. No fan favorite is ever really dead, no deadly disease is ever really fatal. No serious injury that results in paralysis or a coma is ever permanent. Everything is written for the dramatic impact of the moment in the belief that it can just be unwritten with the stroke of the pen.
I think this sort of writing is what has really killed soaps much more so than not keeping up with the times. Fans have gotten tired of knowing nothing permanent will ever really happen so they drift away.
I think CBS has the perfect format for the modern time two game shows two soaps and a talk show. ABC would do well to create a 30 minute new soap that melds OLTL into AMC sort of how Loving turned into The City. Then do a half hour new or revived game show. They would then have The View, new AMC/OLTL, new game show, The Chew and cap off with GH. That would give them a nice full daytime block to work with. And build upon what people loved from the network.
NBC would need the most help but keeping Days and the Kathy Lee and Hoda hour of Today (rebranded into its own show and not as part of today for ease of DVRing and moving around for other markets) they would then need a new Edge of Night style program. Something with a base of stable characters and an ever revolving plot line and guest cast. Going towards a good fusion of classic soap opera with modern telenovela mechanics and some Law and Order theming. Then a classic quiz show like 21. NBC would have KL&H followed by a the game show, the new EON style procedural soap and then Days of Our Lives and if need be for the network throw in AHLive after KL&H.
The issue is a lack of commitment on the part of networks to ride out the bad time. Someone needs to remind nbc that if they had given up on friends right away they would have missed one of their biggest hit programs. But daytime needs a strong block of NETWORK programming. The days of talk shows are coming to an end. But if each network could rally itself to create a self owned block of daytime viewing I think it could bring back lapse viewers. I know many people that left daytime because shows were being cancelled and they just gave up due to lack of stability. A clear direction and network backing could change the landscape of daytime.
What do you mean by AH live?
Access Hollywood Live.
GH had a great lead in the Chew and it still failed. Yes the Chew had and has better ratings than GH and even propped GH with GH actora appearing on the Chew. How about GH being good enough to stand on it’s own without needing help. GH is terrible under this regime. Scrubs are leaving and they are still using Robin to prop Liz, Sam and Jason instead of giving her more airtime for herself and SCRUBS. Robin shoukd have told many people off including her mother, husband and people like Liz and Sam instead of thanking them.
I think ABC needs to bring back One Life to Live in place of. The horrible Fab. Life. I also think that. The. View needs to end andmove the Chew to that timeslot and bring back
All my Children. The network needs to admit their mistake. Everything excewpt. The
Chew has failed.
The sad reality is broadcast television as we know it is dying out and is being replaced by streaming services such as Netflix and the like. This is where the money and talent is going which is why these services are offering better fare than network. And since streaming allows viewers to watch when they want to watch the old boundaries that existed between daytime and prime time are going the way of dodo bird. So no network is going to invest the time, money or talent into creating a new daytime soap. But steaming does lend itself to the telenovella type of soap that has a limited number of episodes, which is I see will be the future of soaps. But sadly the daily show airing at the same time and place is on it’s way out.
However in the meanwhile it would be an interesting experiment if one network would run classic encore presentations of previous daytime dramas that used to be on to see if those shows could garner better ratings than another new, but lame talk show.
hi Mary SF..
I doubt that will happen.. it would have a very small audience.
only the long time soap fans would watch and not all of them except from that era, for sure.
They will not invest in what older, not of the coveted demo, people would watch.
No younger people will tune in to watch, not going to happen.
Their soaps, now called series are on cable and Netflix and absolutely nothing like PG daytime.
Did I hear correctly that the rights to One Life and AMC go back. To ABC if
Prospect fails??
AMC and OLTL are leased and in possession of of Prospect Park for 10 years since 2012.. unless that has changed I have heard of no change and ABC will not get them back until 2022 LOL .. something as that.
I agree with Liz and Trophy Lady completely – of course we need a GOOD lead in for GH and bringing back OLTL & AMC would be it – but NOT with the newER writers that took over on HULU – there were tremendous storylines yet to be unfolded with actors that knew their craft – bring them back, give them classic storylines and watch the viewers come back! GH is great right there…supporting them all the way! I watch no talk shows – opinions being rattled all day long – read the papers instead of listening to people just go on and on and go home with a paycheck to say what they say! Let’s have some fantasy again!
Bring back one life to live and amc in a half hour format each. Just admit you made a mistake abc and you ll get back some of those viewers who left your network when you cancelled these iconic shows.
After so many mistakes it’s a bit surprising that ABC doesn’t understand the incredible ratings bonanza they could have with a well produced, well written, highly publicized return of One Life and All My Kids. Soaps are an art form that needs to be preserved.
How dare you call a spade a spade, Suzie Q? LOL. They are old, you are not saying anything untrue, su. I know what you mean. And, I do agree on many of your points. But, young or old, romance never gets old, and a good writer knows that.
I would watch revived versions of Santa Barbara , Guiding light and Another World but only if the standard and quality is there . No point in bringing back a show if the quality isn’t there . If the networks can’t revive these soaps why not rerun a few episodes of them over the summer holidays or something . Rather watch a good soap than a stupid info/ talk or reality show . Can’t believe the networks are letting the soap industry die !! I had no idea only 4 soaps remain on air at present .
England has a soap called Coronation Street that has been around for 50 yrs. Maybe import this show or a soap opera from Australia? It has to be cheaper than producing a new soap. PS I refuse to watch The Chew because it took the place of my soaps.
I love the chew, AMC deserved to get cancelled. the ratings fell and the storylines were terrible. OLTL willcome back to ABC, its a matter of time. I know some scoop about Brian Frons, and its not pretty.
You really think so, Helen? OLTL will come back? Be still my heart!!
Brian Frons needs to whipped, and locked in a jail cell. I hate the man for cancelling AMC AND OLTL. Bad karma is coming to this idiot.
I love Coronation Street…it currently my favorite series…some may not understand the accent…i rarely have a problem with that…their realistic stories center around the middle class working families dealing with issues we can all identify with, children age at a more normal rate and the dead usually stay dead…the vets get front and center treatment even if not their storyline…but in England even their soap viewership is down-still wish it could be aired on one of the three networks!!!
miss OLTL like hell. in the meantime I found CORONATION STREET. agree — it takes me about 10 minutes to adjust my ear to the accent, but they’ve got great storylines. and they toss in great brit talk (“gobsmacked” and “hoover the carpet.”) hulu has several years’ worth for free. I binge-watch them about five at a time.
I know that they tried with Neighbours but it was a flop in the states . Home and Away and Neighbours both flopped in France
Meredith is a nice lady. She is a lady you can sit down with and carry a conversation. Oprah was an institution! What she said was law. She could make dreams come true and attract top celebrities. Before her it was Phil Donahue. I loved him. His show was usually more serious but he would throw you for a loop every so often and do a pop culture show. These two shows were MUST SEE. What is anymore? The Kardashians? [Hurry, get me a bucket!] Talk shows are dead! Everything we need to know is one TWEET away! So what do you do if your ABC? Infomercials or “Home Improvement” reruns? We want a soap. Here are two options:
One: A new soap. Gear it to the 18-29 age bracket. A lot of young actors and social media plays a heavy role!
Two: “One Life with All my Children.” Settle the lawsuit and combine the two former soaps. Use the best stories and actors from the past two shows. And before you complain about each shows history, its better than nothing and we get to see some of our favorites from BOTH shows return!
Yes either of these ideas would be more expensive than maybe Kylie Jenner trying on lip balm BUT I am sure OLTL and AMC fans would support a new soap before another blah, blah blah!
The network won’t invest in another daytime soap because they don’t make money. Teens and young adults of today didn’t grow up watching soap operas. There parents worked and didn’t pass on this tradition. The networks will have to repackage daytime serials to fit today’s audience.
Exactly! There are new soaps, but they are web series. Young people want to watch what they want when they want it. There are more scripted TV shows than ever before, and people don’t want to wait. American soaps didn’t keep up with technology and make their content averrable on streaming, so users pirated scenes on youtube killing viewership.
If people love characters and a story, they will run to youtube from school or offices on their phones or desktops. Nobody is going to wait until they get home anymore because they don’t have to. In the UK, soaps are still popular but they make the content available online right as it broadcasts.
My 70 year old mom has a Roku. She stopped watching soaps because she can get the Big Bang Theory whenever she wants. She likes to laugh, and she loves those characters.
I have no idea what can fill network space and draw viewers during the day, but I know that serial dramas will thrive on youtube and vimeo and of the networks were smart – they’d cultivate that audience and a new generation of writers that can create characters and stories audiences love. The people who produce soaps know how to produce content quickly, on a budget and its not stuff that needs to be seen on a big screen. That could be a goldmine, but they are clinging to an outdated business model. It’s not Daytime or Primetime anymore, it’s anytime.
I understand what you are saying Kaylie15 and I was one of those who subscribed to HULU (which I watch on a Roku Device) so that I could follow ALL MY CHILDREN and OLTL in their on-line inceptions. Unfortunately, due to the mismanagement of Prospect Park or for what ever reason, the shows did not do well presented in this manner.
I do watch Days of Our Lives but I watch it on the NBC App – through a Roku device. So, yes, viewing habits have changed and I wish that these two shows would have thrived because it might have encouraged more on-line soaps to do the same.
The ABC pretty much tried repackaging in the late 90s with the GH spinoff Port Charles. It still had enough familiarity (in theory at least) to appeal to core GH fans but was also designed to appeal to a younger audience who didn’t need 20 years of history with the show to make the characters and storylines accessible to new fans. It floundered until they bought a couple more years copying Passions witches and vampires camp in the vein of the old Dark Shadows which attracted a cult following for a while but all three soaps only lasted maybe 5 years.
Then ABC tried again with the limited run soap Nightshift on their Soapnet cable channel. Again, limited success but not enough to be profitable for their cable channel let alone as a network show.
Soaps are still out there in various forms just not in the 5 days per week/52 weeks per year format we think of as classic soaps and there’s a reason none of the major networks have attempted to launch a new one in over 15 years.
As Oprah said, if there was money to be made on ABC’s cancelled soaps, someone would be making it. Prospect Park didn’t even banking on an existing and supposedly staunchly loyal pre-existing audience of over 2 million per show and when Oprah did agree to run the shows on her OWN she had no better luck than PP.
I’d love to see my old favorites back as much as the next person but I just can’t see ABC or CBS/P&G spending the money to try to revive something they threw away years ago.
OLTL and AMC were really popular on Hulu and itunes. The problem was ad revenue from Hulu wasn’t enough to keep production afloat. On top of that PP had to pay ABC/D royalty fees. If PP would have charged a subscription fee on their TOLN network, I think both AMC and OLTL both productions would be online today.
I honestly feel like ( I might be naive to say this so call me out if I am) if one of the networks invested in a new soap that the loyal viewers of the other four soaps would definitely all invest time into watching it especially if it was very well done with both writing & acting, ect. Soap opera still work & they can work so well. Yes ratings are down from its heyday but all ratings are down & yes soaps are more expensive but when they are done well they definitely succeed. It really is just a matter of having an amazing line up for daytime programming, invest in advertisement & a full-time publicist & having some damn good story telling on the soap its self. So revive an old soap or start from complete scratch. Also a half an hour format soap would be great to sell overseas as well, there is a huge reason B&B is so successful around the world, like B&B could legit go in minus with the ratings & still stay on there air.
hi sarah,
A thought-
Many watch 2, 3, 4, soaps now.
How on earth could they squeeze another into the list.. That would be 5 hours of soaps watching, daily.
I watch 2 soaps, and I gotta say- its all I have time for.. I could never handle another one lol .. I watch online and that really scoots the time way down, for both.
thats why the half hour format would work so well because most people DVR these days or watch it on POP if they miss it. A half hour soap runs between 17-19 minutes without commercials. At the moment I do watch B&B & GH so I would certainly have to time to pick up 1 more soap if it was in the half-hour format yes not everyone is going to want to ad another soap to their line especially if they are currently watching all four soaps but I could easily see people who are passionate about the soap opera genre definitely investing the time if they can in watching.
Thats the nail on the head lou, IF there was money to be made, there would be 10 daytime soaps on the air today!
Bring back OLTL and AMC..Both 30 minutes show with smaller casts , crew and sets: hence, money saved!
I bet the ratings for that hour will go way up than any other lifestyle/talk show ..A bit more money, but more viewers = more ad revenue for the network! We are a loyal core fan base.
Both OLTL and AMC trend older. In order to attract the 18-34 ABC/D would need a name change, revamp the shows to appeal to today’s audience. Young folks won’t sit down and watch a show five days a week.
News
Steve Kent Exits Sony; Will Serve as Y&R’s Executive in Charge of Production
While as previously reported, Steve Kent is out in his role as Senior EVP of Programming at Sony Pictures Television, where he oversaw both Days of our Lives and The Young and the Restless, now comes word that he is going to continue at the top-rated soap opera.
According to Deadline, Kent’s Senior EVP Programming role is being eliminated and Kent’s responsibilities will be taken up by other members of the SPT production team going forward. Kent will now be the executive in charge of production on The Young and the Restless, as his sole show.
Steve had been overseeing both DAYS and Y&R since 2007. along with being in charge of development and production of original local language productions including Outlander, Nikola and more.
Photo: JPI
Before coming to Sony in 1996 as Vice-President of Production for then-Columbia TriStar Television, he was the supervising producer on Santa Barbara from 1984 to 1993. Throughout his tenure, he picked up three Daytime Emmys.
Photo: JPI
No word on who will handle Days of our Lives from the Sony side or if its as noted being divied up between the SPT production team which absorbs Kent’s duties.
So, what do you think about Steve joining The Young and the Restless as its executive in charge of production? Comment below.
General Hospital
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
Fitness Guru, Richard Simmons has been recently sharing many stories about his time in Hollywood and his career on his X account as he reflects on his life and prepares his biopic.
In a string of posts, containing moments from his time on General Hospital, and meeting many of who would be his co-stars in Port Charles, Simmons opened up about how he landed on the soap in its hey day.
Simmons began by explaining that after an appearing on an ABC local morning show with Regis Philbin, he got a call two days later about GH, and things took off from there.
Photo: JPI
Richard expressed, “I met with the most powerful woman in daytime television. Gloria Monty. I also met with the head writer Pat Falken Smith. These ladies were very smart. They told me their idea. I would teach exercise classes in a disco for all the ladies on the show.” He added, “A week before taping the show the studio asked me if I could drive over and do some promotional photos. In my car I brought with me six jogging suits….My make up…some towels and five pound weights. I still could not believe I was going to be on a soap. lol.”
When he got to GH’s studio, Simmons shared, “The first person that I met was Genie Francis (Laura). Her father was Ivor Francis an actor who had been on Broadway and many TV shows. Genie was so young and innocent looking. I clicked immediately with her.
Photo: ABC
“The second person I was introduced to was Anthony Geary (Luke),” recalled Richard. “Some people called him Tony. ..but I did not. He was an actor’s actor. Mr G had curly hair like me. When he was not acting he was sitting in his dressing room learning all of his lines. His door was always closed. One day when it was open. I asked if I could come in and sit and talk. This man won 8 daytime Emmys for playing Luke.”
“Now what can I say about Jane Elliot (Tracy)? She had an aristocratic face,” says Simmons. “One moment her character was very nice then she was the queen of mean. She allowed me to come into her room and chat while she was putting on makeup.”
Photo: JPI
Then, Richard recalled the late, great Stuart Damon (ex-Alan) and Jackie Zeman (ex-Bobbie). “I then met Prince Charming. Stuart Damon. He had been in a lot of TV shows and played Prince Charming on a special about Cinderella. Jackie Zeman was so cute. She had a pixie face.”
Simmons recalled when Rick Springfield joined the cast as Noah Drake, sharing, “While he was on the show his father passed away in Australia. I went to the news stand and bought him a bunch of magazines to read on the plane. How many times have you sung Jessie’s Girl and Don’t Talk to Strangers? When he came back from Australia he resumed his role.”
Courtesy/ABC
Noting his humble beginnings on GH running the aerobic classes at the Campus Disco, Richard recalled, “My first scene was in Luke’s Disco. All the nurses and other actresses were there dancing with me. I had never memorized lines before. So much was going on in my head. At the end of my scene, I heard the sound of heels clicking on the floor and everyone froze. It was Ms Monty and she was talking to me. ‘Richard the television is this big . You are talking like you are on a screen in a movie theater…bring your voice down.’ So I did.”
What do you think about the sentiments shared by Richard Simmons on his reflections on his time on General Hospital? Check out this OG GH scene with Richard leading the exercise class at the Campus Disco with some beloved Port Charles notables. Then, comment below.
General Hospital
Tristan Riggs is General Hospital’s New Aiden
Looks like there is another new actor in the younger set on General Hospital. Tristan Riggs is taking over the role of Elizabeth Webber’s (Rebecca Herbst) son, Aiden.
Previously, Enzo De Angelis played the part of Liz and Lucky’s (formerly Jonathan Jackson) son since 2021. Soap Opera Digest confirmed that Riggs is now firmly in the part.
The switch happened on today’s Thursday May 2nd episode in scenes. Recently, Aiden came out as gay to him mom after admitting his interest in one of his classmates.
Photo: ABC
As Riggs begins in the part, it looks like Aiden is being bullied at school. Elizabeth is trying to get to the bottom of things and made an appointment with school counselors to find out what’s going on, after seeing his book bag had pink paint on it.
Riggs has been acting since he was 7-year-0ld and has appeared on the TV series Walker, True Lies and Best Foot Forward to name a few.
So, what do you think of Tristan Riggs as the new Aiden? Do you hope Aiden’s story becomes more front and center? Comment below.
Steve Kent Exits Sony; Will Serve as Y&R’s Executive in Charge of Production
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: Jack and Nikki Hit Rock Bottom with Riveting Performances by Peter Bergman and Melody Thomas Scott
Tristan Riggs is General Hospital’s New Aiden
(WATCH) B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Annika Noelle Talk Lead Actress Emmy Nominations and Brooke and Hope’s Mother/Daughter Relationship
GH’s Laura Wright Previews How Carly Gets Clued-In to Sonny’s Behavior: “All the Questions That Anybody Would Have, We Hit on Them”
Lane Davies Joins the Cast of General Hospital Setting up a ‘Santa Barbara’ Reunion with Nancy Lee Grahn
DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: EJ is on the Warpath After Finding Out Sloan’s Baby Is Not Hers!
Tristan Riggs is General Hospital’s New Aiden
Kimberlin Brown Back to The Bold and the Beautiful
Richard Simmons Recalls His Time On General Hospital and Meeting Tony Geary, Genie Francis, Rick Springfield and More
(WATCH) B&B’s Katherine Kelly Lang and Annika Noelle Talk Lead Actress Emmy Nominations and Brooke and Hope’s Mother/Daughter Relationship
Juliet Donenfeld is the Temporary Recast as General Hospital’s Georgie
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Deacon and Finn Make a Shocking Discovery and Find Sheila
GH’s Laura Wright Previews How Carly Gets Clued-In to Sonny’s Behavior: “All the Questions That Anybody Would Have, We Hit on Them”
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As The World TurnsApril 27, 2024Jon Lindstrom and Cady McClain Announce They Have Ended Their Marriage
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General HospitalApril 29, 2024GH’s Laura Wright Previews How Carly Gets Clued-In to Sonny’s Behavior: “All the Questions That Anybody Would Have, We Hit on Them”
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General HospitalMay 1, 2024Lane Davies Joins the Cast of General Hospital Setting up a ‘Santa Barbara’ Reunion with Nancy Lee Grahn
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Breaking NewsApril 25, 2024REPORT: Nicholas Chavez Not Returning to General Hospital
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Days Of Our LivesApril 28, 2024DAYS OF OUR LIVES Preview: EJ is on the Warpath After Finding Out Sloan’s Baby Is Not Hers!
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Days Of Our LivesApril 27, 2024Serena Scott Thomas to Days of our Lives, But What Role Will She Play?