Well, dear readers, a new year is upon us. Many of you have probably made some resolutions for 2016. We at LTAS have too! But before we tell you about those, we wanted to review some of our accomplishments during 2015 that we’re most proud of. This is also important to do to review and bring home points salient to the soap renaissance we wish to hasten the coming of. Vegetation has not bloomed anew, and many animals still can be found curled up hibernating in deep slumber. Before they and we glow with the reinvigoration of spring, now is a good time to reflect on what we achieved last year.
We pointed out in one blog that the embarrassing chapter in television history called “Reality TV” is coming to a close. The pandering to the lowest common denominators such as the voyeuristic impulses of human nature; the celebrating of people with nothing interesting to say and no discernible talent simply because they are willing to allow themselves to be manipulated into creating “drama” in their lives and have that “drama” recorded; the coming and going of train wreck “Reality Stars” and their shameless and overbearing behavior, regrettable attempts at imitating what dramatic actors do that has come to be collectively known as “Reality TV” has one foot in its grave and continues to insert itself further into it. Witness, for example, the abysmal ratings of two shows in the lifestyle show sub-category of reality TV: The Chew and FABLife. Talk shows have fared little better. Viewer rejection has darkened the stage of more than one talk show this year, even that of the familiar and well-liked Katie Couric.
Another LTAS blog based on an article that appeared in TV Guide helped articulate viewers’ desire for scripted television. We asked three soap community members to show that networks wary of the cost and risk of scripted television could use franchises already familiar to viewers to create new, successful shows. Wisely, CBS is airing and heavily promoting, Supergirl, a spin-off the old ABC cult classic, Lois and Clark.
In 2015, we brought home the point that soaps, with their sprawling backstory, beloved characters, and multigenerational viewing constitute the most familiar franchises of all, ones that, with a little support from their networks, viewers can hold dear in symbiotic and long-standing embrace. If that failed to grab the attention of ratings-obsessed network executives, hunched over giant conference tables in Hollywood, trying to figure out “the next big thing,” we would be surprised. And sorry copycat shows like Blood and Oil do not cut it when it comes to “familiar franchises”. Why not give a Dallas reboot another chance instead?
Remember ABC and P&G: we reminded our readers our boycott of your products and services continues. And it will until you bring our soaps back. What all our 2015 blogs, and LTAS as a whole, showed and show is we soap fans are a powerful, loyal bunch. We can make or break you, depending on how well you treat our soaps. So let 2016 be the year of daytime soap opera rebirth!
These were just some highlights of our original Monday blogs. Stay tuned for more in 2016
