Okay I know what you are thinking, another post by the crazy man about disliking programming that has been on longer then he's been around, correct? Well let's hold off the bashing until I finish talking...or rather typing I guess it is.
Recently I have been examining the soap opera industry trying to get back the passion and love that I had for the industry just a few years ago. But with the cancellation of the soap that got me into the industry (Passions) and my favorite soap of 2009 period (Guiding Light) I have been finding it harder and harder to enjoy these series.
Now As the World Turns is about to stop turning, and I cannot bring myself to tune into that dreadful series for fear that I will only hate myself more if I do.
The Industry as a whole has lost it's will to live. One Life To Live has never fully recovered from the 2007 writers strike, Bold and the Beautiful is banking on a few more years of Ridge/Brooke/Taylor triangle before they have to call that mess quits. Then we have the "NUMBER ONE!" rated soap having doppelgangers, fake deaths, baby switching, craziness along with horrendous acting.
With that said General Hospital and Days Of Our Lives have both been, arguably, good as of late. The problem is that both of those series have series issues. General Hospital completely blew (in the minds of a lot of fans and some crew) the whole Kristina / Keifer abuse storyline by essentially ending it to quickly and having no real long term conseqences come out of it except that Alexis ran someone else over. DAYS meanwhile just needs to continue to beef up its younger actors with um...more capable hands, and keep improving the day-to-day writing.
Now this post wasn't for me to say that I am "GIVING UP" on the industry, far from it! I truly want the industry to survive, but I am personally getting tired fo the same old crap being on my screen when I could spend that time watching another soap that is either still airing in another country, or I could be watching repeats of classic soaps (Like Dark Shadows, the Aussie soap Sons and Daughters, and many others). Will I give up on the current US line up? Not yet, but I might be tempted to cut back some of my US Soap Viewing if things continue the way they are.
Do you agree with the points I made? Or are you on the complete opposite end and think I am full of it? Let me hear your thoughts and lets debate it in the comments below.
SWJ, I pretty much haven't watched soaps in two weeks because I've been busy and...you're not going to believe this...I've really missed them!!!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I actually disagree with you about ATWT. I think it's been one of the better shows recently. The Kim/Bob episode was wonderful, the Carly/Jack/Janet/Dusty stuff was entertaining, and I REALLY like Luke and Reid (okay, I know I'm probably in the minority on that, lol). Is it a Great show? No, but IMO it's one of the better shows on right now. **but again, I haven't watched in two weeks, so...**
PLUS: Word has it that Billy Warlock is going to make an appearance on ATWT!!! EEEEEEE!!!!!!!!
Sorry, back on topic, lol. I have to say no show is Must See TV. Each have their moments, but they're not very consistent.
I'm hoping in a couple of weeks I can get back to my normal schedule of soap watching. I just hope there's something worth going back to!