CBS Has Cancelled As the World Turns

[miliosr]

As I predicted, As the World Turns is the next soap to fall. After 54 years, CBS has cancelled it. Only six daytime soaps remain:

NBC -- Days Of Our Lives

CBS -- The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful

ABC -- All My Children, One Life To Live and General Hospital

Only Days continues to add viewers (up 500,000 since last year.) I fear that the soaps are going the way of ocean liners in the age of jet travel!

Prediction: The unloved "middle child" of ABC daytime, One Life To Live, will be the next to go.

[Helene]

No more Erika Slezak would be very sad.

[dirac]

Sad. There is a cable channel devoted to the soaps. I wonder if they will eventually migrate there?

Thanks for the update, miliosr.

[sandik]

Sad. There is a cable channel devoted to the soaps. I wonder if they will eventually migrate there?

Thanks for the update, miliosr.

I don't get that channel -- do they continue to make new work, or is it primarily reruns. (that would be quite interesting in itself)

My mother was a One Life to Live person, and I used to watch with her when I was home sick from school. I spent a chunk of time in grad school avoiding my master's thesis watching several soaps. and I have a very soft spot in my heart for them.

[miliosr]

SoapNet is affiliated with ABC and airs same day repeats of All My Children, Days Of Our Lives, General Hospital, One Life To Live and The Young and the Restless at night. SoapNet also airs original programming on occasion (i.e. Night Shift, which was a General Hospital spinoff.)

There is a lot of talk on the soap boards about As the World Turns moving to NBC (to bolster NBC's afternoon lineup) or Lifetime or SoapNet. I don't see it because, as the New York Times rightly pointed out in the story it ran on the cancellation, the median viewer age for As the World Turns is 57. Simply put, that is not the kind of demographic advertisers are chasing -- As the World Turns' viewing audience is literally dying out.

What puzzles me is how quiet Mayor Bloomberg's office has been about all of this. CBS has cancelled The Guiding Light and As the World Turns in the space of a year and ABC is moving production of All My Children from New York to Los Angeles. The only soap that will still be filming in New York is One Life To Live. These are good, high paying jobs that are disappearing but you would never know it from Bloomberg's office.

[perky]

As The World Turns is the other soap opera I grew up with. My memories of watching it are entwined with memories of my mother.

We loved to hate John Dixon. What an awesome shades of gray bad guy. How could a man who loved his wife (Dee) so desperately hurt her so despicably? His selfishness and desire to wreck havoc on the poor citizens of Oakdale made for wonderful viewing for many years.

And I loved Lucinda Walsh from the moment she made her first entrance. She was like a big black crow screeching at all the brown drab little birds to get off her tree! I adored it when she and a young nasty Craig were getting in on. So much fun.

The cancellation is not a surprising announcement, but it still stings. I would rather the show die a dignified death now than move to another network though.

[dirac]

There is a lot of talk on the soap boards about As the World Turns moving to NBC (to bolster NBC's afternoon lineup) or Lifetime or SoapNet. I don't see it because, as the New York Times rightly pointed out in the story it ran on the cancellation, the median viewer age for As the World Turns is 57. Simply put, that is not the kind of demographic advertisers are chasing -- As the World Turns' viewing audience is literally dying out.

The same article also pointed out that the soaps are expensive to mount, which would make moving to another channel dicier still.

I would rather the show die a dignified death now than move to another network though.

Thanks for posting, perky. There's nothing undignified in a show's getting picked up by another network, though - on the contrary it would indicate that someone believes in the property and that it might do better in the right spot.

[perky]

If ATWT gets picked up by another network I sincerely hope you are right Dirac. I just don't see what another network or even time slot could do to revive the viewership for this great show.

Just a thought, does anyone think soaps expanding from the 1/2 hour format to the hour format was too much? I realize the expansion happened in the late seventies I believe. Should the networks go back to the 1/2 hour? Would that help?

[miliosr]

Should the networks go back to the 1/2 hour? Would that help?

The Bold and Beautiful (the only 30 minute soap in the US) is a good illustration of the advantages and disadvantages to the 1/2 hour format. Its costs are lower than the other soaps because it employs fewer actors. In addition, the shorter length of each episode makes it easier for people to commit to it every day. The shorter length has also made it easier to syndicate the show worldwide. (Not surprisingly, The Bold and the Beautiful is one of the most popular soaps in the world.)

The disadvantage to 30 minutes (or, really, 22 minutes after commercials) is that the producers/writers can only employ/feature so many characters at one time and this leads to a kind of incestuous quality among the characters. (For instance, the Brooke Logan character has been married to Ridge Forrester, his brother Thorne and their father Eric.) This is the #1 criticism the show's fans level against it -- the inability to bring in new characters causes an endless recycling of storylines and relationships.

The Bold and the Beautiful's ratings have trended downward like most of the other soaps so even the 30 minute format does not confer immunity to the massive pressures the major broadcast networks are under. What I could see happening is that The Bold and the Beautiful becomes a purely syndicated show untethered to a network. CBS doesn't own it -- the Bell family does. They could go down that route and CBS couldn't stop them.

I hope this helps!

[sandik]

What puzzles me is how quiet Mayor Bloomberg's office has been about all of this. CBS has cancelled The Guiding Light and As the World Turns in the space of a year and ABC is moving production of All My Children from New York to Los Angeles. The only soap that will still be filming in New York is One Life To Live. These are good, high paying jobs that are disappearing but you would never know it from Bloomberg's office.

This is indeed an interesting feature -- you know if any of the Law and Order shows died or picked up stakes and moved the entertainment press would be all over that aspect of the change.

And, from another posting, yes -- John Dixon. It was at the point if I saw the actor in something else, I still thought of him in his soap-ish character.

[papeetepatrick]

I see Eileen Fulton (Lisa Hughes) is, acc. to IMDb still in the show--since 1960. I always thought she was beautiful and easily the best of all the soap actresses. Anybody seen her in the last 20 years? because I haven't watched soaps for maybe 40. Did the once-wicked Lisa turn into this nice, sweet grandma? I used to like 'Ellen' too, but don't remember who played her. Also Nancy Hughes, the matriarch, was perfect casting.

[carbro]

These are good, high paying jobs that are disappearing but you would never know it from Bloomberg's office.

This is indeed an interesting feature -- you know if any of the Law and Order shows died or picked up stakes and moved the entertainment press would be all over that aspect of the change.

Nope. L&Os are still here, with their trailers parked on our streets and avenues, No Parking signs plastered on meters, etc.

I was never convinced that Without a Trace was shot in New York, tho. Distinctive exteriors (mostly from helicopters, yes, but I suspect the acting was done elsewhere.

[bart]

Regarding soap operas in Manhattan: I remember, during the 70s, that at least one soap was shot at the ABC studios near Lincoln Center. Actors were often visible in the neighborhood, at restaurants, etc. I knew people who could identify them as readily as others could identify NYCB dancers. The actors, and especially the actresses, added a welcome touch of show biz glamour, even for those of us didn't have a clue who they actually were.

[Helene]

That was "All My Children". It's moving to California Unlike "Another World", which moved to Brooklyn.

[perky]

I see Eileen Fulton (Lisa Hughes) is, acc. to IMDb still in the show--since 1960. I always thought she was beautiful and easily the best of all the soap actresses. Anybody seen her in the last 20 years? because I haven't watched soaps for maybe 40. Did the once-wicked Lisa turn into this nice, sweet grandma? I used to like 'Ellen' too, but don't remember who played her. Also Nancy Hughes, the matriarch, was perfect casting.

The last time I really watched the show on a regular basis was in 2000, by that time Lisa had become more of a busybody old lady than the mean vindictive Lisa she used to be.

Nancy Hughes was at that time only used sporadically. Brought out for holidays or when a matriarch needed to sprout some wisdom. It's a shame because the actress who played her (her name escapes me at the moment) had a warm, lovely manner.

[papeetepatrick]

Nancy Hughes was at that time only used sporadically. Brought out for holidays or when a matriarch needed to sprout some wisdom. It's a shame because the actress who played her (her name escapes me at the moment) had a warm, lovely manner.

Thanks, Perky. It's Helen Wagner, and you can look at her resume here. STILL doing it, according to this. I was interested that she had done some very early TV as well:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905924/

[miliosr]

Longtime cast members Eileen Fulton (Lisa Grimaldi) and Helen Wagner (Nancy Hughes) are still with the show, although in a greatly reduced capacity. (Much to the annoyance of the show's fans who feel that the show has underused all of its veterans -- including Kathryn Hays (Kim Hughes), Don Hastings (Dr. Bob Hughes), Elizabeth Hubbard (Lucinda Walsh), Marie Masters (Susan Stewart) and Kathleen Widdoes (Emma Snyder).) Helen Wagner is 91 and her health may preclude anything but the occasional appearance but Eileen Fulton is still very spry when she appears.

[miliosr]

No more Erika Slezak would be very sad.

Yes it would considering One Life To Live is one of the few soaps that really writes for its older leading ladies (Slezak and her arch-rival on the show, Robin Strasser as Dorian Lord.)

[carbro]

Regarding soap operas in Manhattan: I remember, during the 70s, that at least one soap was shot at the ABC studios near Lincoln Center. Actors were often visible in the neighborhood, at restaurants, etc. I knew people who could identify them as readily as others could identify NYCB dancers. The actors, and especially the actresses, added a welcome touch of show biz glamour, even for those of us didn't have a clue who they actually were.

Yes, indeedy! In fact, every afternoon, a little group of young fans (of both sexes) would camp out on a stoop across the street from the studio. One day, when Susan Lucci appeared, they leapt up and screamed, as excited as if she were, well, Nureyev! I know this not because I was one of those fans but because I lived there.

[sandik]

That was "All My Children". It's moving to California :( Unlike "Another World", which moved to Brooklyn.

Well, Sesame Street has always been in Queens, I believe.

[sandik]

Kathleen Widdoes (Emma Snyder).)

I have a videotape of her in a Joe Papp production of Much Ado About Nothing as Beatrice, with Sam Waterston as Benedick (just to add the Law and Order connection!) It was set around 1900, in a semi-American town (or as American as you can get with all that talk about princes) and she was just lovely.

[canbelto]

I loved Lucinda! A real villainous matriarch in the tradition of Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light or Stephanie Forrester on Bold and the Beautiful. What I always liked about As the World Turns was that it seemed to cast normal-looking people and really focus on "normal" storylines.

[perky]

I loved Lucinda! A real villainous matriarch in the tradition of Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light or Stephanie Forrester on Bold and the Beautiful. What I always liked about As the World Turns was that it seemed to cast normal-looking people and really focus on "normal" storylines.

For the most part you are right about the normal storylines, however I do remember a howler of a freaky storyline right around the time I stopped watching on a regular basis. This was the kidnap/rapid aging storyline involving Carly and some others that had them at some fiendish spa getting experimented on. It was absurd and not in a good way.

[miliosr]

Kathleen Widdoes (Emma Snyder).)

I have a videotape of her in a Joe Papp production of Much Ado About Nothing as Beatrice, with Sam Waterston as Benedick (just to add the Law and Order connection!) It was set around 1900, in a semi-American town (or as American as you can get with all that talk about princes) and she was just lovely.

This is another downside to the collapse of the soaps in New York. Whether you like the soaps or not, they sustained New York theater actors for decades. (And not just the leads -- the recurring/one day/extra parts kept a lot of New York actors eating for a lot of years.)

I loved Lucinda! A real villainous matriarch in the tradition of Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light or Stephanie Forrester on Bold and the Beautiful.

She had a great storyline at the beginning of 2009. Unknown to Lucinda, she had married a closeted gay man, Brian (Laurence Lau, Greg Nelson from All My Children), who kissed Lucinda's gay grandson Luke (played by Van Hansis) after he had too much to drink. Talk about a soap triangle -- the grandmother, the grandson and the grandmother's closeted gay husband! (As soapy as it all sounds, there were actually some poignant scenes as the Brian character finally admitted to himself and others that he was gay.)

[dirac]

This is another downside to the collapse of the soaps in New York. Whether you like the soaps or not, they sustained New York theater actors for decades. (And not just the leads -- the recurring/one day/extra parts kept a lot of New York actors eating for a lot of years.)

Yes, it's all up to Law and Order now.