Like newspapers, like soaps

[ScribePharisee]

I don't watch it personally, but when a 72-year show bites the dust, it's somewhat historical.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090401/ap_on_en_tv/tv_guiding_light


I can remember being at grandmom's and her watching this stuff. It predates TV.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

*******.
That's a shock.
My mother watched "As The World Turns," "Guiding Light," and "The Edge Of Night" every damn day while I was growing up.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

It began as a 15-minute serial on NBC Radio in January 1937 and debuted on CBS television in 1952, focusing on the Bauer family of Springfield.

THEY HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME!

 

[ScribePharisee]

And you thought I was firing political crap.....fooled you, didn't I?

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Isn't DOOL ending soon too?

I used to love that show.

 

[ScribePharisee]

What exactly is going to "get" ratings at 2 p.m.?

TV people view this **** the same way newspapers do.

There's more media, more choices. This isn't NBC, ABC and CBS anymore. Cable cut into it and now, satellite and the Internet.

If continuing stories don't work, there sure are some surviving (not called soaps) on primetime. And "The Young and the Restless" has been solid for years at the top of the polls.

My grandmother is 98 and I just called her to see if she's heard. She never understood the comparative ratings on the show which have always been low, but there's a ****load of talent that was on that show at one point or another. Meg Ryan and Kevin Bacon way back when, to name a couple.

 

[Pancamo]

Guiding Light is on at different hours of the day depending on the market.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

And you thought I was firing political crap.....fooled you, didn't I?

All political crap must take 10 unpaid furlough days sometime in the second quarter. Sign of the times.

 

[BYH]

Man did I love this show in college. Got hooked on it the summer before I went away and planned my schedule around it my first two years of school. You can imagine the **** I caught once the other folks on the newspaper figured out I was going back to my room everyday at 3 pm, not to class or something. (Guiding Light at 3, Animaniacs at 4, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers at 4:30 back to the office at 4:30...living the dream!)

Then the local affiliate moved it to 10 am and I still watched it, albeit on tape. Watched it deep into the 90s but eventually lost interest when they cloned Reva. Oh God. Here, just take my man card.

I can't believe the show lasted this long.

To piggyback on to what Scribe says, soaps are like newspapers in that they keep trying to alienate their dwindling audience by appealing to people who have no interest in and will never have any interest in their product. You are never getting young kids into the show...ever. So stop going ape**** casting young, vapid people and stop aging your children to make them young, vapid 20-somethings.

Soaps' best bet, beyond 60-somethings, is to ensnare some Generation X housewives. My sister has gotten into "As The World Turns" since she became a stay-at-home Mom.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I can tell you that in my market "Guiding Light" is on opposite "Days of our Lives", "General Hospital," "The Doctors" and some judge shows at 2pm.

The doctors and the judges kick the crap out of the soaps. Yesterday "GL" got a 1.0, "DOOL" got a 1.0, and "GH" got a .6. "The Doctors" got a 1.6, and "Judge Alex" got a 2.4.

Almost anything will get better numbers than the afternoon soaps, and will be cheaper to produce.

 

[BYH]

GH is lower than GL in your market? Wow. I thought GH was one of the safest soaps...right there with the Y&R and B&B combo on CBS.

 

[BYH]

Hmmm...something I just pondered: Any chance this is an April Fools' prank to bring some attention to a show that hasn't gotten any press in decades?

 

[ScribePharisee]

Does AP do practical jokes?

 

[PCLoadLetter]

GH is lower than GL in your market? Wow. I thought GH was one of the safest soaps...right there with the Y&R and B&B combo on CBS.

Last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday "General Hospital" got a .5, .5, and .3.

Don't know how it does in other markets, but it gets infomercial numbers here.

And no, it's no April Fool's joke. It's a goner. I'll be pretty surprised if more soaps don't follow suit soon. They've actually started killing off characters to eliminate the actor salaries.

 

[forever_town]

Then the local affiliate moved it to 10 am and I still watched it, albeit on tape. Watched it deep into the 90s but eventually lost interest when they cloned Reva. Oh God. Here, just take my man card.

Nah, just get a vagina installed. We'll wait.

 

[BYH]

Does AP do practical jokes?

AP didn't cancel the show. Its story is just cleaning up a press release.

PCLL is right, soaps are dying, but I still wouldn't be shocked if this was a joke.

 

[ScribePharisee]

Some have indeed started killing characters as cost-cutting measures.

But then again, check out some of the top-shelf actor and actress salaries on these.

The only ones making this in your newspaper biz are the guys doing the slashing.

 

[slappy4428]

Man did I love this show in college. Got hooked on it the summer before I went away and planned my schedule around it my first two years of school. You can imagine the **** I caught once the other folks on the newspaper figured out I was going back to my room everyday at 3 pm, not to class or something. (Guiding Light at 3, Animaniacs at 4, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers at 4:30 back to the office at 4:30...living the dream!)

Then the local affiliate moved it to 10 am and I still watched it, albeit on tape. Watched it deep into the 90s but eventually lost interest when they cloned Reva. Oh God. Here, just take my man card.

I can't believe the show lasted this long.

To piggyback on to what Scribe says, soaps are like newspapers in that they keep trying to alienate their dwindling audience by appealing to people who have no interest in and will never have any interest in their product. You are never getting young kids into the show...ever. So stop going ape**** casting young, vapid people and stop aging your children to make them young, vapid 20-somethings.

Soaps' best bet, beyond 60-somethings, is to ensnare some Generation X housewives. My sister has gotten into "As The World Turns" since she became a stay-at-home Mom.

Year after college trying to get a job, spent the days hanging out at a buddy's whose mom got him hooked on it. That whole summer was spent watching Guiding Light. There's some guy on a different soap and when I see him on a commercial while Ms. Slappy's watching GH, I shout LUJAK!

And I never found Kim Zimmer pretty. I also feel ashamed for knowing her real name. Come on, Beej. Let's go buy some Mydol and tampoons...

 

[ScribePharisee]

Does AP do practical jokes?

AP didn't cancel the show. Its story is just cleaning up a press release.

PCLL is right, soaps are dying, but I still wouldn't be shocked if this was a joke.

AP doesn't verify the source?

Soap Opera Digest is reporting the same thing.

 

[BYH]

I'm just saying, Scribe, that a cleverly executed hoax would not shock me.

And slappy, I can top you. I know many more names of the actors on the show. Don't make me prove it!!!

Were you around when the rapist of Buzz' daughter re-appeared as a chick? That was ****ing outstanding. Mmmm, Mydol!!!