BREAKING: ATWT, GL Face Ax; Major Production Changes Instituted
Television Week's James Hibberd broke news earlier tonight that ATWT and GL are instituting major cost-cutting changes to their production in order to stay on the air. Both shows come up for renewal in July 2008 and are on the bubble.
Among the changes will be a move to digital cameras and pink slips for some camera crew members. The shows will also institute new enclosed four-wall sets, as well as permanent outdoor sets for exteriors a la Salem Place on DAYS. These changes will launch in January. Additionally, GL is said to be considering shooting multiple scenes at the same time to further reduce costs.
You know, CBS Daytime does such a good job of putting on their happy face, that I'm shocked when I see stuff like this from them. DAYS is panic central and ABC's a joke, but CBS always manages to seem above the fray, even with an increasingly weakened B&B and bottom-of-the-barrel ratings for ATWT and GL.
The piece also includes quotes from CBS Daytime Chief Barbara Bloom who sees the changes as part of an evolutionary process to CBS as a whole. Evolve into what?
And so the biggest cfliffhanger to hit daytime begins: Can the P&G soaps survive? Could we be sitting here a year from now with only six soaps on the air? And with the DAYS situation the way it is, could we enter Spring 2009 with only five? Looks like we'll be biting our nails for months to come.
(Thanks to Rashad Khan for the link to this story.)
While that's sad for the crew, I do think these kinds of changes could in
fact be really beneficial. Bringing in efficiencies and new technology
that don't have to kill story works for me. If they execute it properly,
which is always a big if in this medium - AMC shakey cam, I'm looking at
you. I'd certainly rather that than the genre disappearing entirely.
I feel like crying now...it's like a family member who's just been given a
year to live.
Who knew Judge Judy had those kind of ratings! LOL! I haven't even tried to
watch GL in so long, I used to hate the idea of it being cancelled but at
this point I can hardly care. Not all of this sounds bad...the outdoor set
though is a cool idea, Hollyoaks (I know) has that and while it gets a bit
ridiculous that everything happens in that one area, AT LEAST it's filmed
outside so it looks a bit more natural...
All these changes won't mean diddly as long as the hacks are still running
the asylum...
I 'm having a wait and see attiude about the whole thing. Any new set
would be better than what GL has been using as of late. But what the
network doesn't seem to get is that it doesn't matter what the set looks
like, if the story,i.e. writing is great, then the viewers don't notice the
cheapo sets. Too bad there wasn't a press release about concentrating on
finding better, original writers for their shows.