Say It Ain't So: 'Another World' Cancelled?

This article is the result of over 300 e-mails I received from viewers, mostly American, who were screaming over the cancellation of AW. Because this is one of only two soap operas broadcast nation-wide on Canadian television (the other is "The Bold and the Beautiful", AKA. The Most Watched TV Show in the World), and because it has always gotten higher ratings in the US, I thought it would be highly appropriate for this category. Because of the high volume of mail I have received, I felt it only appropriate that next week I devote the column to Canadian viewer response -- quotes from affected Canadians.

After over three decades years on the air, "Another World" will sing it's swan song on June 25th, a mere seven weeks after the show's thirty-fifth anniversary. This decision was officially announced to "Another World" fans on Monday, April 12th, but had been made by the network long before that. Why was it cancelled? The official reason given is that "Another World" was cancelled due to low ratings, to make room for the new soap premiering July 5th, 1999, entitled "Passions". Just between you and me, I wonder why the network would make that particular decision, since "Sunset Beach", also aired on NBC, is lower rated. But then, "Sunset Beach" is owned in part by NBC ("Another World" is owned by Proctor & Gamble), and is filmed on the west coast, with the rest of NBC's daytime line-up ("Another World" is filmed in Brooklyn).

"Another World", more commonly refered to by fans as AW, first premiered on May 4, 1964, as a half-hour black and white serial. It was the first of the daytime serials to actually go to a one-hour format, and even ran for ninety minutes in the late seventies. Not only has it put out a number of short-lived spin-offs throughout the years (official spin-offs include "Texas" and "Somerset"), it also boasts of some pretty famous alumni. Before they were famous, Brad Pitt, Luke Perry, Ving Rhames, Janine Turner, Morgan Freeman, Kelsey Grammer, Melissa Joan Hart, Marla Maples, Billy Dee Williams, and Michael Jeeter. Some of AW's former long-term cast went on to hit it big in movies, the most noteworthy of which is Anne Heche. AW has also had a number of hot guest stars over the years, which have included country singer Jessica Andrews (in April of 1999), Dick Cavett, Roberta Flack, Gary Morris and Crystal Gayle (who actually sung AW's former theme song), Liberace (more than once!), Ronnie Milsap (country singer), Billy Porter (whose appearances on the show helped sell his first album), Sally Jesse Raphael, Joan Rivers, Al Roker, romance novelist Katherine Sutcliffe, Donna Hanover Giuliani (wife of New York mayor Rudy Giuliani), and Kevin Williamson (the man behind the "Scream" series).

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