AAR

[Claire]

I can't believe it. Soap operas are a dying art form and it makes me so sad. I started watching Guiding Light when I was about 10 with my mom and grandmother. It's really unfortunate they can't be picked up by a cable channel or shown at night or fewer times per week, or something.

It scares me to think GH may be next on the chopping block. I do watch and enjoy that one. I just started watching it again when Brenda (Vanessa Marcil) came back last summer.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/04/abc-daytime-chief-on-why-amc-oltl-were-axed-general-hospital-katie-couric/

[LinnieGayl]

Really sorry about this. I've come to enjoy OLTL a great deal over the last few days. It has a fantastic cast, with genuine story lines for the more "mature" women in the cast.
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LinnieGayl

[PWNN]

I watched both of these as a kid off and on from the late 70s/early 80s to 90s. There used to be a time when soaps were so financially lucrative they paid for news and evening programs. It seems like OLTL has been on shaky ratings ground for years but AMC always seemed to be the jewel in their crown - I'm shocked it's being cancelled. [Edit: Just saw ratings in the Deadline comments and OLTL has more viewers than GH and yet it's cancelled?]

Aren't these the last of the NY soaps? A real shame since I always thought when I watched soaps (including AW and GL) they had the stronger casts because they culled so much from theater actors - or they used to. I think the scrabbling for ratings as they eroded over the last 10-15 years (due to shorter attention span, less time to watch, changing workforce etc) have lead to too much storyline and character turnover that helped hasten decreasing viewer loyalty and thus more decreased ratings.


But now to be replaced by more copycat fluff talk shows that may be cheap to produce but no one will watch let alone record or Tivo? Daytime has become a wasteland

I think networks have really missed the boat with soaps by not offering DVD packages of older and new episodes. Could you imagine how well a Luke/Laura packaged arc would sell? So many shows on TV now only exist because of the DVD and re-run revenue they bring in.
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[Claire]

[Cora]

This is really depressing. The US was the country that developed the soap opera format, first for radio and then for TV, a format that was adapted in many countries all around the world. And now while soap operas are still going strong in other countries (the British soaps regularly hit the ratings top 10 and the German soaps are doing well, too), the US is abandoning the format it helped to pioneer for cheap talk shows, game shows and crappy reality programming.
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[cdnreader]

I'm sorry to hear about All My Children, I like Susan Lucci. I use to watch General Hospital back in the Sonny/Brenda/Jax days.

[xina]

I have only watched one soap opera in my life. I started watching Another World in college and continued on with it for years. I went through a bit of withdrawal when that was cancelled, so I sympathize to all the loyal viewers of these soap operas. They have certainly had a long run.
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[AM78]

The closer it gets to the end of oltl, the more depressing it is to watch. The show is so good lately. I'm already missing these characters.

I suppose everyone knows the news about GH by now, but I repeat it here. GH's timeslot has been given to Katie Curic. GH can't move into amc and oltl's time because they are being replaced by cooking and talk shows. So where does GH go? My guess the soap has already been cancelled but an anouncement hasn't been made yet.

[Claire]

Hey AM... I've heard that about GH too. How sad that its not even been announced since the writing seems to be on the wall. What I don't understand is why they didn't try alternate ways of showing the soaps. Why not make them into weekly night shows? They have all the sets and the actors and writers in place. And now they finally get rid of Bob Guza and one of the other head honcho's and bring in a new team. GH really needs new blood but its almost like whats the point? I've heard two major male cast members may be gone by fall. Speculating here but I wonder if Tony Geary is one of them. Have you thought about trying Y&R, B&B or Days? I think I might like DOOL. I watched back in the days of Jack and Jennifer. Sorry to see OLTL and AMC go and so soon.. I heard abc daytime used to pay the bills!

[AM78]