• Featured Celebrities
  • Cliffhanger Friday
  • CONTACT US

Let's Talk About Soaps

News and Gossip From the World of Soaps and Soap Stars

  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
  • BLOG
    • CONTRIBUTORS & Cliffhanger writers
    • ARCHIVES
  • TV SOAPS
    • All My Children
    • As The World Turns
    • Dynasty
    • One Life To Live
    • The Guiding Light
  • Cliffhanger
    • Y&R Cliffhanger Friday
    • B&B Cliffhanger Friday
    • Dallas Cliffhanger Friday
    • Days Cliffhanger Friday
    • GH Cliffhanger Friday
  • MEDIA & PRESS
  • CONTACT US
You are here: Home / Archives for Eternalendrea

Follow the Money, trilogy, part 3 “How the Networks Treat Actors As Expendable”

August 18, 2014 By Tessa McKenzie

Bryan FronsI’ve mentioned in the past about the means by which a television network generates its income – makes its money – discussing factors such as the importance of advertising dollars, the way in which viewers consuming advertising and buying pitched products keeps that cash coming, and even how this producing this income itself stimulates local economies and becomes important to politicians wishing to benefit their city or state. But no discussion of this sort is complete without understanding and acknowledging the very fulcrum of the entertainment industry, without which there is no show, no viewers, and therefore, no money. So, let’s talk about the men and women who really make this all possible. Let’s talk about the actors.

You’d think it would be obvious, but networks tend to forget (or worse yet, actually manage to otherwise believe) that beloved actors and the characters they portray are the lifeblood of their programs. These are no easily replaced common laborers. They are talented individuals with the drive and dedication to spend years studying and refining their art, before fearlessly entering an industry infamously hostile to newcomers and carrying forward despite the difficulties. In so doing, they make television shows what they are, and what they are is what the viewing audience wants to watch.

Bryan Frons, ex President of ABC Daytime, in a veritable cataclysm of egregious disrespect for both his own actors and those who watch his networks’ programs, once stated that he could train his viewers just as he trains his dogs. Shortly after this, he canceled seven primetimes and 2 soap operas (AMC and OLTL )shows that were beloved by the fans, believing he could relieve himself of the wearying burden of paying the veteran actors sustaining them (who had most certainly earned their keep, considering the shows’ success) and replacing them with new talent for new programs. Not surprisingly, this was a disaster. As fallout of his outrageous comments and actions, a boycott of ABC/Disney Daytime erupted, and Mr Frons was fired a few months later.

And let’s be clear: Even when networks do cancel and replace shows with less dramatic turbulence, as happens far more often, the programs brought in to replace them (headed by new actors which the audience does not yet know) as usually failures. The Desperate House Wife and Brother and Sister were both canceled after ten years as leading primetime shows, only to be replaced (by a network that didn’t want to pay proven, veteran actors) by new tries that flopped in short order.

So, sorry, network guys. These dogs aren’t quite so easily trained. We like what we like – and whom we like – and if you don’t treat them with the respect they deserve, we just might have to bite.

By Eternalendrea

Comment, subscribe (upper right-hand corner), and let’s dish, discuss, and commiserate!

Related Posts, Soap Opera’s and Politics.

Follow the Money, (pt2, Making The Viewers Voices heard)

Follow The Money, (pt. 1 The Network)

How The Internet Is Eating TV Alive

Soap Box

Tagged With: Eternalendrea

Soap Box

May 14, 2014 By Tessa McKenzie

Disclaimer: this blog post is not advocating the movement of the soaps currently on the West Coast to NYC. We are saying that the five soaps that spent the majority of their lives on the East Coast–AMC, OLTL, GL, ATWT, and AW–should come back there.

On October 20, 1930, a new kind of entertainment program was created. Conceived at the time as a series of 15-minute radio shorts, these programs would emphasize the interplay between characters, focusing on romantic drama, family dynamics, and personal rivalries and alliances, all on occasion to a melodramatic extent. Because the shows were originally produced by soap manufacturers (Procter and Gamble prominent among them), they earned the name “soap operas“, a title that has stuck over the years. And from an early date, a time some might even call the genre’s golden age, they have been associated with one key factor: Production in New York City.

New York is the cradle of the soap opera. And for a long time, it was the soap opera’s nursery as well. Early soaps, played on the radio, were broadcast live from New York’s studios. But somewhere along the line – mostly in the 1960’s and 70’s – that changed, so that live-action television soap operas came to be produced predominately in Los Angeles. The reasons for this are manifold: A warmer climate, greater access to acting talent, an established filming infrastructure. But what’s true in so many avenues of life also applies here, and if you want the most prominent reason of all for the egress of the soap opera from New York, you need only follow the money. It became more cost-effective to produce these shows on the west coast, so that’s where the shows went.

But the process also works in reverse. Provide economic incentives for a return to New York, and a return to New York you shall have. The easiest way to accomplish this is with tax breaks. The equation is really quite simple: Fewer taxes on a given business, equates to more of that business. Modest subsidies for cinematographic production would achieve the same effect, and together they would make an excellent two-pronged strategy. Throw in relaxed industry regulations for an even greater lure. The idea here is to cut the costs of filming in New York, so much that even Los Angeles cannot compete. Do that, and the Big Apple gets its soaps back.

The benefits of soap opera’s return to New York for that city would be immense. In addition to the prestige of once again hosting these beloved daytime shows, New York’s economy would grow appreciably. Bringing business brings money, because the people who work in that business live and trade in the city where their business is conducted. Satellite enterprises spring up – in this case caterers, nearby restaurants, any imaginable outlet that could provide services to the production crews. More people would be employed, with they and their employers paying taxes to the city. The math is simple – where is the will?

No one is saying this is going to be easy. But it will most certainly be effective. Do what it takes to bring the soap opera back to New York, and all New Yorkers will reap the benefits.

——

Editor’s Note:

One easy thing we can all do is sign this asking ABC to bring All My Children, One Life to Live, and SOAPnet back. Here’s the link: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/savedaytimetv

You can also register for our blog in the upper right corner. And we LOVE hearing what you have to say, so please comment! Let’s get a discussion going!

Stay Soapy,

Akbi

Written by Eternalendrea,

Tagged With: Eternalendrea

LTAS - Logo Microphone Flag 01 ATTENTION! GUEST BLOGGERS WANTED! Soap fans! We @ LTAS need guest bloggers to write one or more posts on all manner of things soap-related. You would get some great blogging/ writing experience. Help us restore the soaps to their original glory, and resurrect the soaps you want back. We look forward to hearing from you! . Contact Us

STAY CONNECTED

FacebookInstagramTwitter

Recent Posts

  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/28/20: Happy New Year
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/20/20: How Long Can It Be Held
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/20/20: murder is not very Civil
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/12/20: Welcome Home Joey
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 11/16/20: Get The Hell away from my Son
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 11/16/20: Salem Thanksgiving
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 11/16/20: Tripp Tripp Tripp
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 11/017/20: Hate the Jate
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 11/09/20: Congratulations Tripp ??
  • Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 10/30/20: Blackout pt 2

Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/28/20: Happy New Year

Bob, Marco and others who just exited a building are standing around an undisclosed location   Bob is on the phone “thanks warden” he said then hung up “Brings back memories doesn’t it Marco” “Yeah great times” just then a van pulled up and men pulled a secured Brady over to them “What’s going on here Bob,” […]

Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/20/20: How Long Can It Be Held

The annual Christmas Party’s can’t believe you talked me into this Doc,” “It’s for Charity, “Its mental,” “Thanks for playing along , Marlena, John, Nicole., Ben, Chloe, Kayla. Kate, Blanca it’s for a good cause” What’s going on here?” went Eli “why are all these people tied up?” “It’s okay Eli we agreed to this” […]

Days of Our Lives Cliffhanger Friday 12/28/20: Happy New Year

Bob, Marco and others who just exited a building are standing around an undisclosed location   Bob is on the phone “thanks warden” he said then hung up “Brings back memories doesn’t it Marco” “Yeah great times” just then a van pulled up and men pulled a secured Brady over to them “What’s going on here Bob,” […]

Copyright © 2021 Let's Talk About Soaps · Sitemap · Privacy Policy ·