All My Children
OPRAH addresses fans on Why She Can't Save the Soaps – Watch the Video!
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
Well, it finally happened, Oprah Winfrey has just come forward in this just released video, after all the requests for her new OWN cable network to pick up One Life to Live and All My Children, to let the fans know under no circumstances will she be moving the soaps to her channel or attempting to save them.
At the end of her clip Oprah informs the viewers and the soap fans that, “If there was a dime left to be made from them on broadcast television, it would still be happening. All things come to an end. All things have their time. I will not be taking on the responsibility to revive an institution that, for all intent and all purpose, indicates that time has come for it to be over. Thank for you for believing I can save them, but I really can’t.” Watch the Video after the jump, and let us know what you think of Oprah’s statement!
So what do you think of Oprah’s thoughts on the state of the genre? She makes some valid points, although hard to hear. But perhaps the delivery could have been a little less terse!
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One Life to Live & All My Children Reunion Event Photo Gallery
Over the weekend, actors who appeared on two beloved legacy soap operas: All My Children and One Life to Live took part in a reunion event held over GH Fan Club Weekend. And while the fans in attendance were excited to see some of their favorites, it was the former cast members themselves getting to see their former co-stars for the first time in years which made the event all the more touching.
Then, in big surprise to the attendees, none other than former One Life to Live star, Nathan Fillion showed up to give hugs to his former castmates including: Erin Torpey (Ex-Jessica), and James (Ex-Max) and Kassie DePaiva (Ex-Blair), among others. Fillion, who has gone on to primetime success with his show Castle, and his upcoming new series on ABC, The Rookie, has never forgotten his beginnings in show business as Joe Buchanan! Who can forget his on-screen affair with Robin Strasser’s Dorian, which sent Viki (Erika Slezak) into orbit!
Kassie DePaiva (now Eve on DAYS) told Michael Fairman TV on Fillion’s appearance that she had reached out to him to let him know about the event: “I knew the fans would love it. He is very proud of his roots.”
When asked about seeing the original Blair, Mia Korf, at the same event whom she had never met, Kassie said, “I went, ‘There’s the real Blair,” but it was really nice meeting her. You know with One Life to Live actors, even if you didn’t work with somebody there is such a camaraderie, which makes this show so special.”
All My Children fans were thrilled to see appearances by Rebecca Budig (Ex-Greenlee), Vincent Irizarry (Ex-David), Jordi Vilasuso, who will soon be seen in his new role on Y&R, and played Dr, Griffin Castillo in Pine Valley, and many more.
Check out our photo gallery of some of the past cast from both AMC and OLTL who showed up to say “hello again” to each other and the fans below. Then, let us know if it makes you miss Pine Valley and Llanview all the more in the comment section, and which photo you liked the most!
Photo Credits: JPI Studios
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I think she did say some hard truths. The fact of the matter is that Oprah is a businesswoman. She is looking to make good sound business decisions and taking on the soaps is not a good business choice for her. She knows the truth is in the numbers and she’s absolutely right when she says soaps don’t have the numbers anymore. Their desire for longevity has greatly diminished the ability of the soaps to evolve into worthwhile competitors in an ever expanding broadcast world. Many people have stopped watching soaps because there are so many more appealing choices out there. It is NOT up to Oprah to save the soaps, and people should not be upset with her b/c she isn’t.
SPOT ON!!!!!!!
On the business side of things, Oprah has made some valid points, however, the way ratings are calculated for daytime audiences are not reflective of how many people actually watch their shows. They do not take into account the number of people who dvr their shows and watch in the evening or wait until the weekends when their time is free. They also do not take into account the number of folks who are watching via the internet. I personally kept up with my shows via Youtube, prior to ABC offering their shows for free online. How many more people out there did the same thing? Daytime needs to install a new ratings system that reflects/includes the many ways their shows are delivered to viewers. I bet all soaps would see an increase in numbers.
IOO PERCENT AGREE WITH YOU– I HAVE TAPE ALL MY DAYTIMES AND MOST NIGHTIME SHOWS DUE TO NIGHTSHIFT NURSING WORK!!!! THE NETWORKS MUST ACCOUNT FOR ALL TAPED SHOWS, ETC TOO !!!!!
Ah, but one of her points is that “there just aren’t enough people who are at home in the daytime to watch them.” True. The current economy warrants many people to be working those hours. But the reality is, if she were to take on those soaps on OWN, she could air them at later hours in the day. I bet any serial on at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm would get double the ratings of an afternoon airing. Not to mention since it would be on basic cable, the story lines could be a bit more realistic instead desperately trying to cater to the conservative views of the sponsors. They could keep half the actors on contract and give them more airtime. The shows would be tighter, more interesting and cheaper to produce.
Her tone did come across a bit ‘snooty’, not to be confused with ‘snotty’, especially since this was shot to be able to see her gazillion Emmys so beautifully displayed in the background.
The rating system is unfair and all viewers are not taken into account. To prove my point, why put gadgets in VCR’s and DVD players if they are not going to be counted. Better to just deal with the TV sets. Viewing the shows on the Internet, are these counted at all when one may tune in on their lunch our at their computer or when convenient. Have you every called your cable company and learned that they knew exactly what you were watching? Let the cable companies take over the ratings; they certainly probably have the technology and if not can easily acquire it to at least get viewership even if the demographics leave something to be desired. PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK and the DAY OF SUSIE HOMEMAKER is what’s out; not ALL MY CHILDREN and ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Today’s ONE LIFE TO LIVE was a good example of how the team involved could move into a 21st century type soap (this has happened on more than one occasion over the past eighteen months). I guess someone at the network thought it might hinder it’s planned cancellation of AMC & OLTL. Anyway, don’t miss 4/22/11 OLTL and enjoy.
I would like to remind Oprah that she would not be leaving broadcast tv as rich as she is if it were not for these 2 now cancelled soaps because her show follows these soaps on many abc stations & it is only because she has had such a huge lead in from them that has allowed her to remain on tv as long as she has!
Regarding your comment above; one of the reasons I left the set tuned…her show followed AMC and OLTL.
AMEN! She said that AMC & OLTL had very low ratings? I dont beleive that! Her show had huge ratings. If no one is home during the day until after 5:00, then why did her show have huge ratings? Because we “ARE” home watching the soaps, and then after we watch them, we stayed tuned in and watched OPRAH! I wished I had changed the damn station now and watched ELLEN or whomever else was on! If there was so low ratings, why are ABC & Disney being flooded with huge amounts of calls? Why are there websites set up to save the soaps with huge amounts of people? She is just lieing with everything she said! She is part of the ABC crew, and is saying what she has been told to say! I used to have such respect for her, but it’s all gone now! I will never watch her again, or her OWN network! She has ruined her name now!
I respect that she has to do what she feels is good for her business, but the truth is that her feelings regarding the state of the genre is her opinion. It is nothing more than that. There are a lot of industry people that seem to feel that if there were better measures for ratings that the soaps are doing much better than what is being demonstrated. In addition, there is something to be said for having consistent, loyal viewers. Oprah is not going to support scripted television. She has made her living with talk show and reality television. I personally don’t like or view any of that type of show. If that is where all of television is heading, then I will have more time on my hands. I’m not going to watch an inferior product and that is what we are getting. I wish everyone would just turn it off, so we could get quality shows again. I want professional actors to entertain me. That is why I watch.
I still believe that some soaps could be saved….different time slot, evening, on a smaller scale.i loved my ATWT and still miss it…talk shows , reality shows, cooking shows etc. have their place, but so do soaps.And i don’t think there are fans more loyal than soap fans.I watch other types of shows but if I miss them i don’t care so much, but with my soap it was a different story and I think most soap fans feel the same way! Our world is certainly changing but not always in a good way!
I think she flaked out! I have been a long time supporter of Oprah-never again!
I wonder who is really behind this cancellation???? I hope the 700,000 people that I heard about keep working in their support concerning saving the SOAPS.
Oprah’s lack of imagination is astounding.
I certainly will not be watching the new OWN network.
Here is another person joining you on this and not just for the time we are going through now concerning saving the SOAPS; but for years and years to come.
There was enough of us asking for help that she addressed it in a video. she wouldn’t do that for 5 fan responses, that alone shows theres a passionate audience. OLTL and AMC aren’t perfect as they are, they need work and she could have taken on a challenge of reworking the shows or one of them. I don’t understand people who say good drama is a thing of the past, look at primetime..its not. We need help not just keeping our shows on air but then making them better. I’m not saying she’s wrong to do whatever she wants with her network but she, disney,and ABC are just unimaginative if they can’t see any potential in these shows.
ok and also why even air anything during the day…why not just put on dead air since “no one” watches. If they counted DVR recordings I would bet that more people record soaps than game or talk shows.
Frankly I think Oprah’s time has come. She’s made a big deal about the Oprah Show ending, but she’s not going anywhere. I don’t feel it’s up to her to save the soaps , but it sure gave her another un-needed ego boost, as if she needs anymore.
Ratings are down for ALL shows in daytime because people are working and because viewers are divided among the many cable stations. By Oprah’s reasoning, there shouldn’t be broadcast television during the day, if the ratings are low. Ratings are not really the issue. The issue is whether or not a show can generate revenue. Soaps do generate revenue but less than reality programming because soaps cost more to produce. Apparently, it isn’t enough to break even or generate a small profit on a show. Network executives are looking to maximize profits. They will simply produce what generates the most revenue, regardless of viewer preferences.
Supposedly, OLTL has been coming in under budget, so losing money isn’t the problem. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, I can’t believe, given the expense of primetime programming, that a small but decent profit couldn’t be made from OLTL with good marketing on the right network. But at this point, it seems everyone has been brainwashed by public relations spin to think soaps are money losers. But if this were really true, then why do they exist in primetime? OLTL could make money for some cable network, if someone was really aggressive enough to investigate and consider various options, including broadcasting less frequently, but most people are followers, not innovators. Nobody has the balls to go against the grain and figure out how this could work, which makes no sense when there are existing soap-like shows in primetime, and a very loyal viewer audience supporting OLTL that has increased over the last year.
Well said David, and quite true, on all counts!
Well said……….loved OLTL’s promo today for two of their Stars and the Monday promo. Way to go Frank Valentini, Exec. Producer OLTL.
I totally agree!
What a load of crap! If there aren’t enough people at home during the day to watch TV WHO is it she thinks has been watching HER show all these years, keeping HER ratings up? The SAME people who have been watching the soaps. So, is she saying the ratings for HER show have gone way down too? If she doesn’t want to get involved with it, just state that flat out but please don’t feed us that bull and play into the hands of ABC and Disney! Well, she’ll have her hands full keeping OWN going because I see that as a dismal failure now, as she has really upset her fans who are the same fans of ABC soaps! I just expected honesty and sincerity from her. I expected BETTER from her! It doesn’t mean I expected her to save the soaps necessarily. But I did not expect her to back up the bullcrap that we are being fed by ABC and Disney. It sounded like she is siding with them. The ratings ARE there for our soaps! We all know it! THAT’S the most irritating part! I did not appreciate how Oprah acted at all, and she will be losing me as a fan, and I’m certain many more from her attitude.
Good points. Her response seemed disingenuous and inaccurate. What’s really pathetic about OWN is that it has nothing but reality programming. The executives at OWN are being conservative by simply copying what already exists. They had a chance to expand their programming beyond reality shows and blew it. Few people are going to watch OWN anyway because it isn’t included in the basic Comcast package. Sponsoring these soaps would have encouraged existing Comcast subscribers to upgrade to the preferred package to get OWN. Oprah and OWN executives have no idea of the magnitude of their mistake.
Disney has changed……..ABC is changing………..; just wonder if it is really all about money or is it just another way to make viewers feel down……; taking away the little escape we sometimes want to participate in? It would seem that the new VIP’s at Disney don’t care about fantasy and I will remind my Gifter the next time she decides to renew our Annual Passes at Disney World for 6 people. Universal Studios maybe getting more visitors. Sorry Walt, we know you would have found a better solution and improved on the already established SOAPS instead of drowning them.
If there aren’t enough people to watch in in daytime then put some soaps on in the evening.Maybe not on a daily basis if they’re too expensive but I’m sure somebody could come up with something .It just seems that no one makes any effort!it’s not just ABC, CBS and Procter and Gamble did it to GL and more recently to ATWT.i still miss my ATWT and always will.I hope you OLTL and AMC viewers have better luck because it does leave a huge void even if you have a full life as so many of us do.And for those that don’t I’m sure it was like an old friend and a comforting place to be.Somebody wake up and save some of these soaps because if not one day they’ll all be gone!
Oprah has been in business with ABC Daytime for 25 years. Of course she’s going to say what’s necessary to protect ABC. ABC Chicago gave Oprah her own talk show.
Look at OWN’s ratings: they’re pathetic. Not one show on OWN can approach the ratings and numbers of viewers that Y&R, GH, or OLTL deliver on a daily basis.
I like Oprah but I would have preferred that she just said sorry I can’t help and left it like that instead of carrying water for pals at ABC. The reality is that ABC IS making money on GH just as CBS is making on Y&R.
One need only look at Univision and Telemundo, two broadcast TV networks that air Spanish language soap operas w/ English subtitles. Both networks have had soaps that get better prime time ratings than several of their English language big network broadcasters!!
A look at the most successful prime time scripted show on ABC says one thing: soap sells! Yep, Grey’s Anatomy is one big ol’ hospital based soap opera filled with romance, melodrama, fantasies (ghosts) and (bad) musicals.
Oprah, I respect you in many ways but I’m embarrassed for you.
i can appreciate the fact that oprah can not help BUT i felt like she was also saying to us soap fans to accept the decision that abc made & just shut up about it – she really didn’t seem sympathetic at all towards our feelings for the devastating loss we are experiencing…..
Being a stay at home mom of three, the youngest being 5 months old, with a husband in the Navy who is deployed right now, I have barely had time to sleep, let alone watch tv. But when I do? Its my soaps. And sometimes Oprah, which I will not watch anymore or her OWN network now that I know she is really just more about the bottom line and not actually about happiness and “living your best life”. With the way things are today with the world, it would be nice to tune into something familiar and comforting, even if the soaps are not as good as they once were. It is ridiculous to say no one is watching.
Personally, I have never been a fan of Ms. Winfrey, one who follows her like sheep and reads the books she says you should read and votes for candidates for whom she says you should vote. I’ve always thought she is a self-important ego-maniac, and I’m not saying that just because she won’t save One Life to Live. I love One Life to Live, but I dislike Ms. Winfrey and her personal network equally, so I’m not sure I’d follow any programming to that network anyway. I’m not surprised that this woman refuses to save our shows, as they have already served their purpose for her. She can go on to richer, greener (more money) pastures and dump on the rest of the people who made her the out-of-control ego-maniac she is today.
Oprah I admire you so much for what you have done.
and I see where you are coming from but to sit there
and defend them when you know they are wrong I know
you got your show from them and you want to be loyal
but come on I really thank one of the reasons you don’t
to do it is your show you still have time on there and you
don’t want to ruffle any feathers .
If you look at your other shows on Own all I see is repeats
of ABC and the others are not worth watching
at least the soaps would give your network a boast
and buy doing that others may start watching your other things.
But then lets not step on ABC’S toes they may get mad at you then oh no.
I thank If you didn’t want to do it just say that and not a long dragged out video
protecting ABC
It would have been better to say that “for personal reasons she chose not to get involved and that she could understand and respect our thoughts on the matter. Yes, everyone is entitled to speak their mind, but her statement didn’t seem real and that old familiar thought…..I owe you……don’t go up against the Power Players; bad for business clearly comes to mind.
I am sure the ratings for her show have also dropped during the years. Her OWN network is not doing well. Does that mean her time has come and people are not interested in everything that Opie has to say? She can be another Frons; she believes that she can determine what people want. I respect her for what she has achieved over the years, but sometimes that ego can be TOO much!
All that Oprah said made sense (as she sees it, which is the only way she can judge it, and that is perfectly fine), but the main probably I had with the video was that she seemed insincere, and probably did it just as a necessary evil so that her channel is hopefully no longer bombarded with the “save the soaps” requests. Again, I say, what a strong group of supporters we are, to warrant Oprah to address the issue and us. I think the slight glimmer of hope probably remains in addressing the advertisers. If more big names, like Hoover, jump on the bandwagon, our voices just might not only be heard, but answered. Keep up the good work AMC and OLTL fans!!!!!
Sorry, but I totally disagree with Oprah’s statement about soaps running their course. In today’s economy people can’t afford to remain at home during the day so they have to DVR or TIVO their soaps to watch at another time more suitable to their schedule. Producing soaps is still a viable commodity contrary to what TIIC say. I will no longer give talk, game or cooking shows the time of day anymore. It’s not worth my time or energy.
Oprah is right, if the major networks can’t afford to keep the soaps going, then neither can a cable channel, especially one that is still trying establish itself and find its niche audience such as OWN. Reasons shows like Law and Order: CI made it successfully after being bought by USA, is that USA has credibility, a niche audience, enough programs to lead in, and the show is affordable.
Soaps are not that affordable. If you want your soap to be bought by a cable channel, please do not complain later on that they are ruining the soap when the channel ends up making necessary cuts to keep the show going. And by cuts I mean, cut it down to 30 minutes, 2 or 3 airings a week, and a shortened cast followed by new writers. Soaps are expensive because they air every day nearly ever week of the year.
But instead of asking people who have nothing to do with soaps to save your soaps, why don’t the rest of you put up the money to fund them? It makes sense that no company wants to take on a soap, the soaps currently on air have a small niche audience compared to programming aired at night. You can save the genre of soaps, but with the direction current soaps are going in, you can’t save the soaps on air today…not unless you change the soaps. Its not the business peoples or the networks fault that soaps died, its the writing of the soap, the acting, and then the social/cultural revolution in society that killed it.
The ABC soaps are bringing in ratings! ABC is not telling the truth! Also, I will agree that writting can be better, but that was Brain Fron’s fault, head of ABC. It was his doing to purposely hire the bad writters. The fans complained to him regarding the writing constantly, but he refused to listen. Now we know why! He has been planning to destroy the soaps for some time! The acting is some of the best in the acting world, so I don’t know why you think that needs a change. We fans have all said, we have no problem with soaps moving to nights, or being shorter, or a weekly show vs. daily. We don’t care, we just want them to stay! We are here, and we are watching! Isn’t that obvious as much as we are trying to let people see how many of us are out there? We are trying to shout as loud as we can! Can you hear me now ABC/Disney? GOOD!
I am not going to be quick to lay all the blame on Frons. It takes more than one guy to ruin the soaps. I think the soaps biggest problem is that the way television in general is done today is very different than 20 years ago. Because it hasn’t changed with the times (not just in story lines but in format), it is falling behind.
Every show has an audience, every single show. The problem isn’t that, its just how big of an audience it has. No network wants to go bankrupt and as a result, they have to get rid of the shows that are becoming too costly but not returning a profit. Who wants to waste time and energy making something that doesn’t show real results? In a perfect world, networks would love to keep a show going out of respect for its fans, but in the real world, it can’t, not unless it wants to go bankrupt.
I am not going to boycott ABC either. There are other programs I like on that network and I refuse to punish other shows because of the actions of a daytime executive.
I wouldn’t have cared if ATWT had been shortened.Just to see it on a steady basis would have made me and so many other fans happy.I would rather have something than nothing and i can only bet that OLTL and AMC fans would say the same!
Also, those of you upset that networks are looking at the bottom line, have you forgotten this country is in major financial straits? If they air a show that is not bringing in enough money to cover all the expenses of a show, then not only are you going to have to worry about your show being canceled, but you are also going to have to worry about the entire network disappearing because of bankruptcy.
Maureen, apparently you are not on top of the information about this whole fiasco! Let me share some factual info with you. The blame does lie with Brian Frons. It has been disclosed by many individuals connected WITH the shows, that Brian Frons has been trying purposely to get rid of the soaps for awhile now. He purposely brought in BAD writers and had a huge hand in the story lines. Soap fans were writing in constantly regarding the poor writing, but Brian ignored it. This was acknowledged to us fans as true by many of the actors. There is much behind the scenes that the public is unaware of. Trust me, Brian Frons has been ruining the soaps on purpose! This is why the fans are so upset! He has been lieing to the fans and the actors & crew of the ABC soaps for some time. He has also made comments that have leaked out to us, such as, that viewers just need to be trained like dogs to get them to watch what he wants. Still want to take up for Fronsy now? Also, in regards to your comments about expenses of these shows? OLTL has been operating, working UNDER budget!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is a fact! So why is that show being canceled? Also, out of all of the soaps, showing their ratings from this time last year, and this year, OLTL is the only one with an increase in ratings! Again, so why is that show being canceled? Because Brian Frons does not like the soaps, many people connected with the show have been saying it for some time now. There are many, many things going on that of course ABC does NOT want us, the fans, or the public in general to know about! ABC is trying to make everyone believe that these shows did not have the ratings, which is the biggest lie! Obviously, they did. Look at how many people are fighting to keep the soaps! They are trying to convince people that no one is watching daytime TV, as everyone is at work. Well, if that was the case, why did OPRAH have such high ratings? Because people that work during the day would still be at work when her show is on. Everyone that watched OPRAH, was the same people that were watching the soaps! She has the soaps actually to thank for her success actually. AMC/OLTL/GH were the lead in to her show! All of us soap fans, after GH, kept the channel on and watched her! Trust me, there is much that you just don’t know about, and of course ABC does not want these things revealed. Brian Frons knows that info. about what he has been doing for some time is being leaked to us fans, and he has basically bullied all of the cast and crew, and told them to be quiet! However, many of the actors are sick of his lies and bullying tactics, and are speaking… Read more »
Keep denying all the real problems that are canceling your soaps. If you and your friends would prefer to blame Frons, Oprah and even lowly old working class me for why your soaps are dying then fine. But don’t you dare get upset when the last 4 soaps are canceled. You are not fixing the actual problems. You are only making scapegoats to avoid all the work that goes into really finding what is making the soaps die.
I am not going to fight with someone bent on blaming whomever doesn’t agree with them for the death of their soaps. I am not going to waste my time dealing with ignorance.
You say the soaps are worth saving, but none of you have stopped blaming other people once to actually ask the question: Is there more to this than what meets the eye?
Frons is not responsible for the cancellation of every single soap that was canceled in the last 5 or so years. He is just one man. The problem clearly goes deeper. But if you want to ignore all that and just keep blaming Frons. Then do so. But don’t be surprised when they eventually make the announcement to cancel GH too.
I am saddened that she came out with this stand especially since these shows may have helped her build her audience. I never thought she would be afraid to try anything that could help so many people keep there jobs. Why not offer the shows 6 months to turn a profit?
Hey Maureen, do you work for ABC/Disney or Oprah? Are you a soap watcher/fan? We are here trying to save what is left of our shows and to support each other. I am sensing such a negative vibe from you. I don’t think we really need that here. Do you have anything positive to add?
Lew,
This saving our SOAPs have grown bigger than the VIP’s expected, so who really knows where the negative, cold words come from as we work together to save our SOAPs. If you notice, the comments seem contrived and unreal; forcing extreme negativity to get their point across. Don’t give up…keep up your support with the rest of us. Our comments are warm and friendly; not hateful. OLTL 4/22/11 was exceptional today (promo for two Stars and a Monday preview). I watch faithfully on my computer and that is apparently not counted.
That is rather sad that you assume that anyone who is being pragmatic and realistic is some kind of ABC crony.
Saying the truth is not being negative. Denial isn’t going to save your soaps. If you want to save it, then you have to stop creating scapegoats and get to the real problems that are making soaps fail. Keep blaming people like Frons, ABC, Oprah and Rachel Ray and all you will end up doing is seeing ABC get out of the soap business altogether followed by NBC and CBS.
We as soap fans are not in denial. People are not looking at the bigger picture and seeing how many people actually are watching these shows. If the views on soapnet were counted, or the views on the internet, many would find that the ratings are enormous. But the ratings systems are biased and do not count all the actual viewers.
Can you please stop with the blame game? People have got to stop blaming the problem of soaps on everything else. If you want to save the soaps, stop making scapegoats out of everything else. Sure, there are faults with the ratings system but not enough to kill the soaps.
If you aren’t in denial then why are you playing the blame game? Soaps are dying for a myriad of reasons and no one on this board wants to admit that. Why? Why is it so hard to admit that there are alot more problems than just blaming Oprah, Nielson ratings, ABC and Frons?????
I would easily pay $10/month or $120/year to watch OLTL. How many other viewers would be willing? With viewer subscriptions, advertisers, and syndication, the show could survive and make a profit, but right now it needs a genius of a sponsor who could act on and coordinate various possibilities.
I would pay more than that to keep my soaps alive. I pay 14.99 for my premium movie channels and I would hapilly match that keep my soaps alive
Why couldn’t OLTL be on PBS?
Perhaps Oprah feels her network could not accomodate the cancelled soaps in their current form but her creative management, while surely pushed already to program a new network, could indeed have provided a new springboard for a better product and brought a built in audience and advertisers to her daytime schedule. Soaps need not be a five day a week program perhaps. Maybe two or three days a week would suffice. Dallas survived many a season with only one episode a week and that truely was a soap opera.
It’s also too bad that ABC sees fit to constantly promote its nighttime programs all over the screen while their soaps run but never returns the favor supporting its daytime programs. Apparently they did not deem their daytime programming worthy of any advertising suport.
I always record the soaps and watch them in the evening. Perhaps I’m not counted as a daytime viewer. Trust me I’d much rather watch the soaps most evenings than watch whatever the nighttime fare is.
I know that people will be angry with me for saying this, but I agree and understand what Oprah is saying. The soap operas are just too expensive to produce for the amount of money they are able to attract from sponsors because of the low ratings. There may be an audience (and perhaps, there could be more of an audience if the quality on soaps were better), but the reality is that the audience is not big enough anymore to be able to keep the soaps on the air.
Soaps may be too expensive for a fledgeling network, but they are not so out of the ball park for any of the top three networks. OLTL especially was coming in under budget and has the ratings, not to mention all the critical acclaim it has received. The ratings for OLTL and AMC are higher than the ratings for many primetime programs, not to mention the fact that the viewers have been loyal for *decades*. Those are the types of viewers the networks and advertisers should be trying to cater to because those are the viewers who will be brand loyal as it were.
Now, I have no problem with Oprah saying she can’t take on the soaps, but the tone with which she made the video was condescending and repeating the ABC/P&G mantra about soaps being a dying genre. Mind you, I never watched Oprah other than this video, so that may just be how she talks in general, I don’t know. I only watch scripted TV, no talk shows, no game shows, and no reality tv because I want to be entertained by professional actors.
The cancellation of AMC & OLTL is putting 800 people out of work and taking the last soap opera out of NYC. Unless they reverse this decision, I won’t be watching anything on ABC, Disney, or buying anything from the companies that advertise on those networks. There are very few shows I would do a total boycott for, but I feel that this is worth it.
First of all, there is nothing wrong with the quality of soaps, and if you don’t watch them you should keep your opinions to yourself. The audience is massive, the problem is soapnet and internet views, these should be counted in the ratings are they are not. This is the problem, not the quality of these shows
This is why we soap fans are so upset. It is a lie that the ratings are low. They are not. They claim it’s only 3 million (which is still higher than some night time shows) but the fact is that it is wayyyyyyyy higher. They are not counting the ratings correctly at all. That is more than I want to get into right now, but there is an abundance of information about it currently all over the internet. Plus they are not counting people who DVR, or watch it on ABC.COM, etc. We have prooven how many fans are watching. So, its obvious that the low ratings is a lie to get rid of the soaps. Plus sources from within the soaps have even been saying well before the cancelations of these shows that Brian Frons is trying to destroy the soaps. This from numerous sources connected with the shows. So what does that tell you Maureen? We have been staying informed of the facts about this situation, have you? The fact is, there is blame, and lies! Thats why people are as upset as they are!
This perpetuation of misinformation has got to stop. Oprah is wrong. ABC is wrong. The Nielson system is antiquated and needs to disappear or be updated. There are MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WATCHING ON DVR! Seriously, people, get with the times! The decision to pull the soaps was solely based on GREED! Sure, it costs some dough to operate ANY tv show. But it costs next to nothing to create more vapid reality tv shows and redundant cooking and talk shows. Networks make money on their advertisers. Some of the largest companies in the world advertise on soaps. And guess what? People buy their products. If the shows were doing as poorly as ABC says (again, citing the old Nielson rating system) then why do HUGE companies continue to advertise during soap operas. Oprah, you need to do some research, and then hopefully you will retract your horribly misinformed statement. If not, consider me an ex-fan. I thought you were smarter than that.
Maureen, you want the truth? Bones recent ratings were 2.2 million viewers. OLTL recent ratings were 2.3 million. AND that’s using the CRAPPY Nielson ratings system. You really need to do some REAL research.
Yes, sure lets blame everything on the Nielsen ratings as if there was no other reason for the problems with soaps. Only naive people think this is a simple problem with a simple solution.
Maureen, i provided you with actual facts about the viewership, in direct response to your assumption that “no one is watching”. You ignored the facts and continued with some more drivel. And i wasn’t “blaming nielson” as you so vaguely put it. It is ABC itself that is blaming the ratings as the reason for cancelation. As i stated, i believe this to be a hollow reason without facts to back it up. If you wan to talk about possible solutions to making soaps cheaper to produce, I would be happy to chat about that. I have a lot of ideas because I am NOT naive about the conundrum of making soaps viable as money-makers. Did a soap opera do something horrible to you as a child? Why are you on this blog “hating” on soaps? What did we, soap viewers, ever do to you? When you have a valid point that you can back up with facts, repost, by all means. I’d be happy to debunk your points again.
Maureen, The best to you and your viewing habits.
Oprah may have made some valid points but I had to watch this video twice. The first time I walked away and couldn’t get it off my mind. So I watched again. My take. She sounded too rehearsed, and too defensive of ABC’s decision. Could it be the network that broadcasts the Oprah show “asked” her to make this statement in their defense? I hear her network is not doing so well in the ratings. So if AMC pulls in a 1.9 and OLTL pulls a 2.0 she can’t use those added viewers to her network? For a cable network those are pretty good numbers. I have watched ABC’s lineup faithfully since 1970! I only starting watching Oprah because she followed GH. I know alot of people out there can say the same. She needs to be reminded of that. Also ABC’s decision to cancell theese shows BEFORE SoapNet goes off the air is just plain stupid. Don’t they reallize that the amount of viewers would have gone up after SoapNet ends? They didn’t try their best to keep these shows on the air. Brain Frons HATES the soaps so he killed them.
DITTO! And AMEN!
Hey guys, do you think Maureen is really Brian Frons checking in to find out what is being written about him on the websites? HA!
That thought crossed my mind as well. lol
I agree with someone’s earlier post….if the ratings are so bad in daytime then why wouldn’t she pick the shows up and run them in the evening. I am a fan of Oprah, and have tuned into her network, and was not at all impressed. I mean hours and hours of watching “Season 25: Behind the Scenes” is not what I call great program entertainment. I mean right now, I turned on my program guide and she has: The Best of Trading Spaces, Mystery Diagnosis, Say Yes to The Dress, Dr. Phil, Prince William Special, The Judds and more of that Season 25 crap…..All of these shows can be found on other networks, with the exception of a few. Let’s face it, Oprah, your lineup stinks. You would be so lucky to have the 2 million viewers or so that AMC & OLTL would bring in. I’m just saying, it should be something that is taken into serious consideration.
This video was a big turn off for me, an Oprah “ultimate viewer” since day one of her show’s debut many years ago. The truth is no one can accurately measure the number of people still watching daytime soaps due to the internet, DVR, heck there are probably some VCR recording still going on. The Nielsen Ratings are a joke, using a “sampling of viewers” not even large enough to get a true sense of normal customers viewing. I have been an avid TV viewer since birth (over half a century ago) and lived east coast, west coast and have yet to meet anyone who has a Nielsen box in their home. I cant believe they are still in business. How do they choose these so called households that predict what we do or dont get to see? Maybe there should be an investigation into that. Do they poll hospitals? How about inner city, disabled or low-income homes? What about college dorms? Nursing homes? For those she mentioned not home during the day they watch Soapnet at night. The advertisers on ABC Daytime have done very well, otherwise they would have stopped long before Hoover. It’s so true Oprah owes most of her high ratings to ABC soaps and it would have been nice if she had stated that. I have lost much more interest in her after this cold, seemingly rehearsed “its all about the benjamins” statement. I called my provider and downgraded so now I cant get the OWN anymore and I’m saving money in the meantime. Thanks Oprah on teaching me that final lesson about wise decision making. From now on I will cancel you, before you all decide to cancel on us !