Another Soap Bites the Dust
Once upon a time when a soap was cancelled there were two clear reactions. One, absolute disgust at a network punishing a fine soap for not finding an audience, poor advertising, or lack of recognition from critics. Or two, bittersweet emotion saying goodbye to an old friend that was clearly past its' prime. But in reality what really spells the demise for most soaps is major tinkering to a formula that worked and clearly brought in more viewers. This happened with Ryan's Hope, Another World, Santa Barbara, The Edge of Night, The Doctors, and Search for Tomorrow. Some tinkering was worse than others were and some soaps were axed just before they got a real chance to make things right. Far fewer soaps were just victims of not getting a deserved audience, but that doesn't make it any easier for the select fans.
But even since the controversial canceling of Another World, soaps as a whole have lowered their quality so far; danger of cancellation comes from all sides. Soaps lose viewers, lose sponsors, lose money, and lose quality as they desperately try stupid stunts to keep viewers in. Whatever the problems those already in soap heaven have suffered don't compare to the mess nearly every other soap is in. There are only two, maybe three soaps that I see having a longer shelf life than two years. If network executives decided not only were soaps expensive liabilities but that they would probably expand the lifeline of reality television were they to put it in daytime instead, I wouldn't cry. Well, I would cry for what soaps used to be and what could have been, but my actual connection to any soap and my horror of seeing it go off the air has evaporated. When I learned Days had barely escaped cancellation I was disappointed. I've always loved Days, it was the third soap I ever watched and I hold a special place in my heart for several characters that have been in Salem. I bet thousands breathed a sigh of relief when the show was not only renewed but also learned would be written by the man who gave the show success in the early nineties. And yet all I could think of was how someone should stick a fork in it now before there is a chance it will be turned into Passions. Actually, I've been thinking for quite a long time that a few soaps should bite the dust quickly. I think the saying all bad things happen in threes should come to pass and three soaps, preferably long running ones, should all go bye-bye in quick succession. Didn't really matter which, but the industry would be shaken and just perchance, so would the networks and executives who are flying by the seat of their pants.
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