The start up costs and risks of making a new major soap are prohibitively problematic as any industry figure would tell you.
The era of creating new major soaps is over.
However that's no bad thing necessarily...
Not sure I agree on this. I think a major new soap would be a breath of fresh air, and I wouldn't be surprised if in five years time, when the networks finally wake up to the fact that the ratings for the big three are in terminal decline, they cut back on episodes to make room for a new soap, in a desperate bid to save the genre. But I can't help but feel that perhaps it's all too late.
I think soaps will always play a part in British TV schedules, but in the end the audiences will be low and loyal, meaning they can only survive in a daytime, teatime or post-watershed slot. I predict one of the big three will fall in the next decade.
They were rating above 1 million in the final year (according to Barb).
C5 cancelled the show to save money, apparently. The show had a budget of £1 million, and that seemed to be too expensive for them at the time. Nothing they've aired in that slot has done as well as FA did (bar Kate's shooting episodes of Neighbours last year).
If it was too costly as it was, I don't know why they didn't just cut the budget or have them film more episodes per week.
People are saying DTC was responsible for the Costellos storylines, but he was a Story Producer under Sean O'Connor, who was Series Producer in the last 2 months of the show, and was responsible for the transition into more OTT storylines. I don't think DTC was on the show during the time the Costellos won the award.
Not sure I agree on this. I think a major new soap would be a breath of fresh air, and I wouldn't be surprised if in five years time, when the networks finally wake up to the fact that the ratings for the big three are in terminal decline, they cut back on episodes to make room for a new soap, in a desperate bid to save the genre. But I can't help but feel that perhaps it's all too late.
I think soaps will always play a part in British TV schedules, but in the end the audiences will be low and loyal, meaning they can only survive in a daytime, teatime or post-watershed slot. I predict one of the big three will fall in the next decade.
Correct, what will they do when the big 3 finally get axed?
You do know one of there most successful shows is Wentworth prison an australian remake of Cell Block H and ITV also had alot of success with Bad Girls
Thats why I know this type of soapy drama would work, the inmates, corrupt guards, makes great viewing.
They'd need to do something really different to make it worth their while. The newest soap I'm watching is Red Rock on Irish TV. It's good but they haven't exactly reinvented the wheel. It opened with a murder and a Romeo & Juliet love story that's been done a hundred times over at this stage.
One angle that hasn't really been touched in years is period drama as soap opera. There was ITV soap The Cedar Tree and Aussie soap The Sullivans in the 70's but there hasn't been anything since then I don't think. I know Downton and the like are quite soapy but I'm talking about a year round soap airing a few times a week. At least the setting would be different and there would be scope for different types of drama depending on the era it was set in. The soaps we have are an interchangeable merry go round of affairs, murders and misery. Hollyoaks is probably the only one of the primetime soaps that stands out as being a bit different and that's only because the plots are so much more OTT than the other three.
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Not sure I agree on this. I think a major new soap would be a breath of fresh air, and I wouldn't be surprised if in five years time, when the networks finally wake up to the fact that the ratings for the big three are in terminal decline, they cut back on episodes to make room for a new soap, in a desperate bid to save the genre. But I can't help but feel that perhaps it's all too late.
I think soaps will always play a part in British TV schedules, but in the end the audiences will be low and loyal, meaning they can only survive in a daytime, teatime or post-watershed slot. I predict one of the big three will fall in the next decade.
C5 cancelled the show to save money, apparently. The show had a budget of £1 million, and that seemed to be too expensive for them at the time. Nothing they've aired in that slot has done as well as FA did (bar Kate's shooting episodes of Neighbours last year).
If it was too costly as it was, I don't know why they didn't just cut the budget or have them film more episodes per week.
People are saying DTC was responsible for the Costellos storylines, but he was a Story Producer under Sean O'Connor, who was Series Producer in the last 2 months of the show, and was responsible for the transition into more OTT storylines. I don't think DTC was on the show during the time the Costellos won the award.
Correct, what will they do when the big 3 finally get axed?
Thats why I know this type of soapy drama would work, the inmates, corrupt guards, makes great viewing.
Who knows! What I will say though is I just don't see Corrie EVER being axed.
They certainly will. Its the most successful television show in the world.
Telenovelas, C4 did this in the 80s with Dancing days
I dont think the new owners will they will try and drop the price of it
One angle that hasn't really been touched in years is period drama as soap opera. There was ITV soap The Cedar Tree and Aussie soap The Sullivans in the 70's but there hasn't been anything since then I don't think. I know Downton and the like are quite soapy but I'm talking about a year round soap airing a few times a week. At least the setting would be different and there would be scope for different types of drama depending on the era it was set in. The soaps we have are an interchangeable merry go round of affairs, murders and misery. Hollyoaks is probably the only one of the primetime soaps that stands out as being a bit different and that's only because the plots are so much more OTT than the other three.