Back in December 2013, TVGN (now Pop) aired the special: Who Shot The Daytime Soap? The special featured over 40 daytime drama veterans including: performers in front of the camera, executives and behind the scene personnel, and journalists and historians, who discussed the rise and fall, and rise again, of the soap opera! Produced by Associated Television International’s President Worldwide Media, Jim Romanovich, the program discussed what led to the genre’s decline, cancellations, and more.
However, because there were countless hours of interviews shot and culled that were never used for the one-hour television special, Romanovich is bringing something very unique to soap fans – the opportunity to hear from those in-the-know and what they experienced repackaged in a new podcast series, Who Shot The Daytime Soap? RAW debuting this Sunday, September 20th on the online platform Radio Retropolis!
Episode one which bows at 12 midnight eastern/9PMPST discusses the OJ Simpson Bronco chase and subsequent murder trial that forever changed the face of television programming-especially the daytime soap which suffered the most. Hosted by Romanovich with a a line-up that includes: Matt Ashford, Susan Lucci, Alicia Minshew, Crystal Chappell, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Michael Bruno, Judi Evans, Linda Dano, Colleen Zenk, Tristan Rogers, Sean Kanan, Maria Arena Bell, Wendy Riche, Marc Berman, Sam Ford (author), Michael Logan, Michael Fairman, Stephanie Sloan, Michael Lowry, Frank Dicopoulos, Rick Hearst, Robin Mattson, Jacklyn Zeman,Lilly Melgar, Michael Muhney, William deVry, Bradford Anderson, Kristoff St. John, and Charles Shaughnessy.
Access is free to the site, and to be able to listen to the live stream or to download the podcasts via iTunes, Stitcher, or Podcast Republic. Just fill in your name and email on the sign-up form below on the homepage, and you will be sent a password immediately to the premium area. That is where the series of podcasts are located. And, if you sign up right now, you have immediate access to the initial Who Shot The Daytime Soap? RAW podcast live stream even before Sunday night’s premiere.
Romanovich has six more episodes already slated from October through February 2016 which include as topics: The 90s Aftermath- What now?, Black Thursday-Killing Two Birds with One Stone (the cancellations of All My Children an One Life to Live), Michael Muhney: Dark Knight (Recorded before the popular actor’s exit from Y&R), Michael Bruno:Acid Tongue Reflex, and Breaking Down Barriers (discussing groundbreaking stories, and character and social issues on the soaps). In addition, Radio Retropolis features other pop culture podcasts hosted and produced by Romanovich, including some on the TV cult-classic Dark Shadows, and more!
So, what do you think of the concept? Are you interested to hear what some of your favorite daytime personalities had to say about some of the more difficult and challenging times the genre has ever faced? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Can we see as well as hear the interviews? I want to see the live interviews instead of just listening to talk over a podcast.
It seems like “old news” at this point. Why go back there now? I would rather hear Soap Opera stars talk enthusiastically about the future!
Fabulous idea! Would love to see or hear the interviews! You had me at Lucci & Minshew! 🙂
I remember watching that special and seeing so many actors and actresses from my old shows. It was a great rip down memory lane. I’d be glad to see it again along with the new stuff.
I will try to listen. The demise of soaps has been quite a soap opera, better than most of the shows. I remember the commentator who scooped some of the cancelation news.
I don’t really think that “soaps” are dead, I think that the concept of an afternoon TV daytime drama may have had it’s hay day and peaked in the 90’s but I don’t think continuing dramas are dead and gone by a long shot. It’s too bad that both “all my children” and “one life to live” didn’t work as on-line shows, I for one watched every episode on-line (via HULU Plus) – they had a rough start but they were finding their footing. I thought it would launch a whole new craze of on-line soap viewing, with other shows… Read more »