Given all this disturbing talk about pay cuts on The Young and the Restless and the rabid (though apparently, unsubstantiated) speculation about the future of One Life to Live, it’s always nice to hear some good news about the ailing genre: James Franco is finally in the house – or in the medical ward, rather. ABC has confirmed that Oct. 30 was Franco’s first day on General Hospital, a gig we’d like to think he agreed to because he wants to see daytime soaps survive just like the rest of us (though it might have simply occurred because he shares the same manager as GH’s Steve Burton). The Golden Globe-winning actor will play a mystery guy who comes to Port Charles and gets up in the grill of Jason Morgan (Burton). His role will play out over a two-month period that starts airing Nov. 20, but Franco’s only contracted to shoot three days on the sudser’s Los Angeles set. No matter: any kind of star-studded appearance from a celebrity like Franco should do wonders for the soap world. Or can it?
Make no mistake, something has to be done to keep daytime dramas relevant. Viewer averages for soaps on the three broadcast networks have dropped 23 percent versus 10 years ago, and it’s even more dire in the all-important women 18-49 demo, which is down 41 percent during that same period. Going entirely on location with hand-held cameras isn’t the answer – just asking Guiding Light - nor is cutting expensive though immensely popular stars like Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn from Days of Our Lives (though an NBC insider insists that by lowering salaries and by cutting the show’s rich license fee to something south of $1 million per week, it managed to save the sudser). So is it the right idea to lure film stars like Franco? “I suspect if you talk to the network people overseeing these shows, they would say they innovate until the cows come home,” says one veteran TV executive with deep roots in daytime. “Come on… One Live to Live did a Grey Gardens musical number! The trouble is, these shows no longer have the reach or cultural influence where a stunt or even the return of a character can be heard above the din of regular life. Frankly, the last frontier may be changing the form of five hours a week. That’s going to have to be addressed.”
What? Airing daytime dramas only two or three days a week versus five? That’s not necessarily a bad idea since research seems to show that, except for those stuck-in-bed types, most soap viewers only average about two episodes per week. At the same time, it would seem sacrilege to ask the soap industry to cut back on production when it already operates as the most well-oiled machine in Hollywood (you’ll never see primetime soaps like Desperate Housewives or Brothers and Sisters cranking out episodes for south of $1 million a week). Unfortunately, it may have to come to that since many industry observers are already predicting the demise of yet another soap in the next five years – though we can apparently rule out OLTL. Despite rampant internet rumors about the serial’s demise, a spokeswoman for ABC said the soap is simply moving into the old New York production quarters of All My Children, which is heading west to Los Angeles in December (the new digs will help ABC save money because it’ll allow AMC to accommodate more standing sets). Nevertheless, Madison Avenue recognizes that something’s got to change in daytime, especially when game shows and yakkers like The View do a better job of attracting new viewers. And sadly, analysts don’t seem convinced that appearances by film stars – even those as appealing as Franco – will make a difference.
“Committing to five hour a week is a lot,” says Chris Boothe, president and chief operating officer of Starcom, a media buying firm. “There just hasn’t been a lot of innovation in daytime. Bringing in new characters here and there, or various bands or musical acts to appear in the cliché bar or hospital party, is not going to get someone to say, ‘I’m gonna watch this for five hours.’”
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I love that EW.com has covered soaps more frequently in the last months. People love their soaps and I think this genre will always have a special place in people’s heart. Is it a dying breed? Maybe. But so it all of broadcast TV, including primetime. Daytime is just at a disadvantage because it’s always had a smaller audience. But what is hastening the demise of soaps is two things: Network interference and an abandonment of traditional soap storytelling. TIIC (the idiot in control) need to go back and watch old tapes from the 1980s and 1990s and learn from what was successful back then.
I couldn’t agree more. The soaps soared when they were controlled by a creative people who weren’t completely controlled by the network. God bless Brad Bell, Agnes Nixon, & Gloria Monty!!
Sonny and Jason killed General Hospital. I stopped watching because of those two and when I try now I have to change the channel when they are on screen. jonathan jackson and the chance to see original Lucky and Liz on GH brought me back but then they lost me again because of too much Jason and sonny. They are horrible characters that are always made to be the heroes. I think a way to save GH is to kill off those two characters.
Are you crazy they make the show worth watchin,been watching GH since 1963!!
i admit that i have not been the most consistent soap watcher over the years. i used to watch Y&R, B&B, ATWT, and GH every day when i was in college (my classes were always in the early mornings and late afternoon/evenings), but now i only watch GH (and that’s because i’m unemployed but go to school at night). as for james franco saving daytime, is he really that big of a star? i’ll watch GH anyway, not cuz he’s going to be on the show. soaps aren’t what they once were, especially with other shows like gossip girl, ugly betty, 90210, etc. (which i don’t watch, but understand that they are kinda like soaps, but i could be mistaken) that are on in primetime. on the other hand, soaps have helped many of the bigger a-list celebs today get started: julianne moore, halle berry, meg ryan, etc. maybe it’s just a trend, maybe soaps will get popular again, maybe a young soap star now will become a big time star in a few years, who knows?
Well maybe if soaps had better writers and stop with all these gimmicks it wouldn’t be going out in flames. In the 90’s I couldn’t stop watching GH if I wanted to. I finally stopped in 2007 after the Liason relationship blew up. I tuned back in now that Liz is has a great storyline. They need Claire back to write for GH. Less Al Pacino wannbe Sonny and his T2 Jason. Also Y&R use to be a great soap. I don’t know what happened. The Black characters are only shown on the 1st and 15th of the month. Victor is super annoying. He causes so much pain and damage and never gets punished for it. For people to stay with soaps, they need to write it better. Like OLTL. Besides the horrible Todd/Blair thing, that show it super good.
I agree about Victor on Y&R. I was soooooooooo hoping Eric Braeden would stick it out and make the show find a different villian.
As much as I love long standing characters on daytime, there is only so much the writers can do with them to keep them in the forefront (Erica Kane, Viki Lord, Lucinda Walsh, Adam Chandler).
Exec’s need to recognize when to cut the cord on some of these actors/characters before they actually start to bring down the shows. Days got rid of Deirdre and Drake just in time. It was not all that they had no good storylines that could have played out for them, it was a question of salary. Each of them had been on the show since the early 80’s. The money that was going to their salaries are probably paying for the salaries of 10-12 younger actors or back stage people, any of whom can come out to the fore as a star/director in the future.
Personally, I’d be cool with a Mon, Wed, Fri soap, since it seems nothing really exciting happens on all 5 days.
” be cool with a Mon, Wed, Fri soap, since it seems nothing really exciting happens on all 5 days.”
So true . That is definitely where soaps could innovate, changing up the predicable rhythms and structures of how stories are told… Have climactic moments and cliffhangers introduced on Tuesdays and Thursdays and not let everything always be a big Friday reveal … but would changing the format in such a way be jarring for some long time viewers, probably. And Soaps still need to work on their diversity of characters – not just ethnically , but in regards to professions and class.
I agree with Kvivik and Buzz. A Mon, Wed, Fri soap format would be something to try. Yes they nedd more diversity in all areas.
I agree with you, Sina. It always comes back to writing. Y&R has had a horrible past few years with stories that don’t make any sense and run off on illogical tangents. Same with GH. Get rid of Sonny. I don’t get how a gangster has become a hero. And he’s not much of a gangster, either! He’s always being investigated by the feds, yet he never seems to do anything, let alone anything illegal. Also, if Sonny was really a Mob boss, he’d be heavily involved in drugs, gambling and prostitution. Not exactly the role model most people want their kids to see on TV. Either figure out what he really is, good guy or bad, or get rid of him altogether.
Sorry, forgot to add that I agree with Sina’s point about black actors, as well. What the heck happened to Neil? He’s barely ever on. He was having what looked like a nice budding romance with Tyra, then she slept with Neil’s son (WTF?!?) and then left the show! Seriously?
I agree with both posts. Remember when the Winters were on all the time. Imiss Malcolm and Drew.
I’ve never watched a single episode of General Hospital (or any other soap,) but I’ll definitely DVR the show for Franco’s stint. I love him!
I say that General Hospital needs to end its Run.Its been on the Air since the 1960s.Its time for a new show to Takeover the 2:00pm spot.
No, No, No GH is in my blood. I have been watching GH longer than I have been alive. Yes, I am addicted and yes, there has been some crappy years for GH but to not have my GH oh, how sad
No, another show on ABC at 2:00 wont do.
its a 3pm spot. actually and sonny and jason make the storyline almost every week, so you should probably stick to what you do as a day job; clearly you can’t see what writing works.
The hell it does. Who cares that it’s been on in the air for a long time. I need my GH fix and so do many others, don’t want to see it end. I hope all the shows you love end soon too.
I am a huge GH fan since ‘72. I was only 2 yrs old but I clearly remember the Laura and Scotty storyline and then when Luke crashed the party. I have watched other soaps, but I have consistently watched GH nonstop. While agree there is too much focus on the Sonny/Jason/Mob storyline, I will never stop GH unless it’s cancelled.
I’ve been a soap watcher since college, especially GH which I have watched on and off since 1977. People (not the magazine but in general) talk about the death of daytime dramas because the ratings are so down. But you have to take into account back in 1977-1978 when GH was in its heyday and made the cover of Time Magazine, there were only about seven television channels to choose from while now some people have seven HUNDRED or more.
GH is a fine example of an excellent cast that is being chained to bad story lines and worse writing. Then you have a show like ATWT which suffers in the ratings but has such excellent writing I don’t understand why! Can daytime dramas be saved? The answer is YES with the condition that the networks want to save them. If they do not, they are already on the right road to kill them…especially such stalwarts like GH that has to be about the worst written show on TV, daytime or primetime.
Linda, check the ratings. ATWT and GH are usually within 1 rating point of another. The only soap not swapping postions week to week is Y & R which has been #1 for 20 some years.
Anyone who thinks that soaps are dead, should come to my office and view the gasping group of professionals that sit around Y&R in our breakroom. It’s hilariously awesome.
I loved GH, and then they broke up my favourite couple and I broke up with them. But now that that couple is apparently back together, I just can’t justify the 5 hours a week. If GH was only 2, I’d probably welcome it back into my life.
I’m sorry but to break up with a show because they broke up your favorite couple…your not a fan because true fans don’t break up with a show because something happens on it you don’t like. FYI, favorite couples are supposed to break up with each other, IT’S A SOAP OPERA!
I don’t get why people don’t understand that. Soaps been breaking up couples since the dawn of time yet when Jason and Sam broke up their fans were ready to riot.
I stopped watching the soaps because my favorite couple left the show. I considered myself a true fan. The rest of the show was horrible. So yes if the only good thing about the show was the couple in her oppinion, and she stopped watching it, it doesn’t not make her a true fan. Why waste your time if the stuff is going to be crap. I also hate it when they break up and make up couples over and over again. There is more to soaps then that and any TRUE fan of soaps would know that.
Better writing would save soaps. Y&R is a perfect example of shoddy writing. They have ruined the Adam character whom I actually liked when he first came on the scene. The new Billy doesn’t cut it either, and the art storyline with Deacon is a snooze.Bill Bell would roll over in his grave if he saw the demise of this one consistently great show.
Y&R is the only soap I watch, I actually think, as far as writing and acting, it’s superior to the others. But I agree with you about Adam. He was always a little shady, but he has turned into full on creep, and just plain evil. And I really hope this Ashley raising Sharon’s baby thing doesn’t go on for YEARS. As far as Deacon goes, I actually like him! I am really intrigued with this whole Deacon/Ryder/Ryder’s mom thing and can’t wait to see how it plays out. And I think Amber is better matched with him, her and Daniel do not go together at all. I actually like Billy, just NOT with Mac. They have zero chemistry and she has absolutely no personality.
I stopped watching General Hospital about a year ago. Both ABC and General Hospital talk a good deal about respecting family, romance and history and yet when they brought all that together with Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber — two of the most historic families in the series’ history — and gave them a child, they took 3 years to get to the point of being a couple, then ended them overnight. It made zero sense. Now Elizabeth is unrecognizable, Jason is intent on taking down a woman because she harmed a childed while sleeping with the woman who harmed HIS child. He looks awful. There’s no romance on the show. No family. No history. Just stunts. They deserve to lose the audience. 5 days of junk or 2 days of junk. It’s all the same in the end.
Yes a Webber/Hardy and a Quatermaine together. That is history also considering that Liz’s father use to be married to Jason’s adopted mother Monica. Also Liz’s father was married to Jason’s birth mother’s cousin. So much history and then nothing. Stupid.
The only thing that can really save soaps is for the networks to stop meddling beyond hiring people that actually love and respect soaps to write and produce them. So long as writers like Robert Guza and Charles Pratt are allowed to dumb down soaps and turn them into live action cartoons filled with morally ambiguous or downright morally bankrupt characters, soaps have no chance of survival. Guza has slowly decimated the quality, creativity and ratings of GH over the course of multiple years and he doesn’t seem to be going anywhere – and Pratt is currently trying to out-Guza Guza.
I’ve been watching General Hospital since I was 8 years old and that was 30 years ago. I tivo it everyday and it’s my guilty pleasure that I look forward to. Yes, it’s stupid. Yes, the writing is pretty bad. Still, I look forward to my 45 minutes of someone else’s drama each evening. I would hate to see it disappear.
I’ve watched every soap that’s on right now at one time or another. I have turned the tv off. The storylines aren’t gripping anymore. I agree with the posters who say writers need to look to the past for inspiration. search the archives of the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s.
All of these soaps need better writing. It needs to smart.
I think it wiser to cut eps to half an hour (ala B&B) rather than only air them two or three times a week. At least they could then have a consistent timeslot, and I think only having to commit to 30 minutes would probably help busy viewers.
I’m in the demographic 18-49 demographic that apparently all the networks are losing and have been faithfully watching General Hospital for the past several months. I’m still a little new to all the history on the show, but I enjoy the show. The writing could be better, but actors on there make the most with what they are given. I think soaps should be less controlled by networks and more by writers who are passionate about writing quality material and hiring great actors to play them. I mentioned that James Franco will be on GH to a work friend who used to watch GH and that got her interested again. As long as something new can be brought to the table instead of the millionth, “who kidnapped the baby” or “whose the father” storyline then maybe more viewers will come. On GH, I came for Maxie and Spinelli, but will keep watching for Lulu and Dante!
Agreed..Lulu and Dante are gold! I hope the writers don’t screw them up.
I really hope daytime can find a way to stay alive. I love my daily GH fix after a long day!! Although there is no way I would watch if I didn’t have PVR.
Totally agree about Lulu and Dante! I started watching GH a few years ago in college, stopped watching for a while and recently started watching again in anticipation for James Franco and because I was intrigued by Johnathan Jackson as Lucky and I have to say that the Lulu/Dante storyline is what’s keeping pulled in.