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Old 23-02-2004, 11:24
garymonc
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The USA cable network LIFETIME are planing a gay and lesbian soap opera!

It will be a primetime one hour long drama set in florida. Its thought to be called GOLDEN BEACH.

I wonder if a UK channel will buy it.
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Old 23-02-2004, 11:34
scarlett1
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If, and it is a big IF, any UK Channel will buy it, it would be FIVE.
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Old 23-02-2004, 12:38
theresa16
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whats the point having a soap like that?
i wont be watching it. will you/ home and away should be on prime time. dont you think?
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Old 23-02-2004, 12:58
pony
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I'd watch it. It'd probably be funny for all the wrong reasons, just like every other US soap!
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Old 23-02-2004, 15:33
tonywilson
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A gay soap is an incredibly bad idea, Queer As Folk was bad enough.
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Old 23-02-2004, 15:48
garymonc
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i cant beleave all the homopobes on this forum!

first of all, the makers of this gay soap allready know that homophobes wont watch it, and dont care about them. However, they also know plenty of gays plus their familys & friends will watch it!

Please remember that a cable show only needs about 1,500,000 million viewers to be considered a success!

A gay soap will definetly get more than that, probally about 4 million viewers! Never underestimate gay viewers or there power!
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Old 23-02-2004, 15:53
Rita's Kabin
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Originally posted by tonywilson
A gay soap is an incredibly bad idea, Queer As Folk was bad enough.
Why is a gay soap an incredibly bad idea? Don't judge something before you've even seen it. Why shouldn't the gay community have a show aimed at them? They pay TV licenses like anyone else & have little to no programming that caters for them.

Imagine the world in reverse. The majority of people are gay & you're in the straight minority. The TV programmes are all gay orientated & there are little or no programmes aimed at the heterosexual community. Wouldn't you, as a heterosexual, feel a bit miffed that you were paying a licence fee but had no programming aimed specifically at you?

At the end of the day, if you don't like it, don't watch it. Nobody forces you to have the TV tuned into that channel when it's on.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:06
A Beaverhousen
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Sorry - but what IS a gay soap? Given that most of our soaps are based in one street or one square, or one motel. Is it a soap where absolutely everybody's gay? Where most people are gay but with the odd straight person? I'm not homophobic, just don't see how it could work. Although if it's American I guess it could be based somewhere where there IS a large gay population.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:07
chrisbailey
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Why shouldn't the gay community have a show aimed at them? They pay TV licenses like anyone else & have little to no programming that caters for them.
So you're telling me that there's not a single programme on television that interests you? The only thing that's not shown on British TV is hardcore porn and you're not going to get hardcore sex in a teatime soap.

Just because there is only one gay man in Coronation Street doesn't mean it's only aimed at straight people. I imagine as many gay people enjoy it as do straight people.

first of all, the makers of this gay soap allready know that homophobes wont watch it, and dont care about them. However, they also know plenty of gays plus their familys & friends will watch it!
Sounds like they're using gay people to make a bit of money.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:09
tonywilson
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A gay soap is a bad idea because no doubt it will include all the typical stereotypes much as Queer As Folk did. A gay soap just isn't needed, a soap with gay characters in it is fair enough but why do people have to make such a big issue about their sexuality. All a gay soap would do is alienate homosexuals more.

Let's face it how is it going to be different from any other soap apart from the fact that the majority of characters in it are gay?

As a major Crossroads fan I have seen the best and the worst of gay characters, Vinve Vaccaro the gay chef was a typical gay stereotype who I found quite offensive, however his boyfriend Murray was a great warm character simply because he didn't feel the need to prance about like an idiot.

The US sitcom Ellen was a great comedy until it became gay, gay, gay. And soon after it became a gay sitcom people got bored of it and the network axed it.

i cant beleave all the homopobes on this forum!
I haven't really seen any homophobia on this forum yet? Oh and by the way, I'm gay myself not that it's important.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:14
Rita's Kabin
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Originally posted by chrisbailey
So you're telling me that there's not a single programme on television that interests you?
Perhaps I didn't explain myself very well. The point that I was trying to make is that from a gay person's point of view there are few or no shows that deal with gay lifestyle themes. The majority of characters in soaps, dramas, comedies etc are all heterosexual.

Why shouldn't the gay community have programmes that are aimed specifically at them?
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:18
tonywilson
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Originally posted by Rita's Kabin
Perhaps I didn't explain myself very well. The point that I was trying to make is that from a gay person's point of view there are few or no shows that deal with gay lifestyle themes. The majority of characters in soaps, dramas, comedies etc are all heterosexual.

Why shouldn't the gay community have programmes that are aimed specifically at them?
What on earth is a "gay lifestyle theme"? How in 2004 is a gay persons lifestyle different to a straight persons lifestyle?
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:28
chrisbailey
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Originally posted by Rita's Kabin
Perhaps I didn't explain myself very well. The point that I was trying to make is that from a gay person's point of view there are few or no shows that deal with gay lifestyle themes. The majority of characters in soaps, dramas, comedies etc are all heterosexual.

Why shouldn't the gay community have programmes that are aimed specifically at them?
Because straight people don't get programmes aimed at them? Even things like 'Love on a Saturday Night' which has so far only featured heterosexual couples isn't aimed at straight people - if there's a topless bloke then the women are going to enjoy it and so are the gay men.

The same with home and away - the topless blokes are in it for the gay men and the women.

majority of characters in soaps, dramas, comedies etc are all heterosexual.
Well you've got Will and Grace, and I know loads of gay people that watch it, not because it's funny, but because there are gay men in it...

What on earth is a "gay lifestyle theme"? How in 2004 is a gay persons lifestyle different to a straight persons lifestyle?
Well you've got to come out to your friends and family, which is something straight people don't have to do. Looking for a boyfriend isn't something straight men do either. I would say there's a gay lifestyle to some extent.
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Old 23-02-2004, 16:49
Rita's Kabin
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Originally posted by chrisbailey
Because straight people don't get programmes aimed at them?
Oh, come off it!! The majority of programming is aimed at a straight audience. It's only recently that some programmes have started to feature gay & lesbian characters. Look at the complaints that flooded in after the kiss betweeen Craig & Luke in The Bill. Most programmes are too afraid to feature gay people showing affection for each other.

Will & Grace: Mmm. The exception that proves the rule.

Perhaps lifesyles was a bad choice of words. What I'd like to see are more positive role models on TV. Maybe this might help to reduce the number of teenage suicides are there was a more positive representation.
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Old 23-02-2004, 17:04
raymond901
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I shall reserve jusdgement until i hear more details, but I think a gay soap is a bad idea.

If it is a soap filled with gay characters and very little straight characters then it will just be totally unrealistic because there is no such thing...

The reason why there are so few gay characters in soaps as it is is because gay's are a minority. A programme like Queer As Folk was a good idea because it took a snapshot of life in the gay community... however I cant see how they could keep a gay soap interesting...
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Old 23-02-2004, 22:54
chrisbailey
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I don't see why a gay soap would be any better than a normal soap. Gay people aren't different from straight people apart from their sexual preference, so basically it will be just like every other soap except everyone is gay...?
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Old 24-02-2004, 01:19
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garymonc is right. It's supply and demand. If there is a gap in the market for a gay soap, then one will be made. If people watch it, then they will keep making it. As a lesbian, I would be intrigued by the idea of a gay soap. I can certainly watch programmes predominantly about heterosexuals; there is room for ONE soap most likely on cable TV that is mostly about gay people and I don't know why anyone would say it shouldn't in fact be made. If you don't see the need or don't want to watch then that is up to you, but there could be money in this for the TV people, so of course they will consider it.

As for this comment: Even things like 'Love on a Saturday Night' which has so far only featured heterosexual couples isn't aimed at straight people - if there's a topless bloke then the women are going to enjoy it and so are the gay men.

To an extent I understand what you are saying, but perhaps gay men want to see a story unfold, perhaps a story to which they can relate e.g. a gay coming out story or love affair, rather than just look at blokes with their tops off. You know Page 3 does nothing for me; but a drama about lesbian women, I might watch. And as a young single-ish person with no kids, a job and disposable income, perhaps advertisers would want to buy timeslots in a show I am interested in.
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Old 24-02-2004, 02:59
WalfordWill
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I personally would like to the current soaps we have now in Britain and Ireland, incorporating gay characters more than they do now. Soaps like Coronation Street and particularly Eastenders which is meant to be "real life stories" have so far only had two storylines between them that featured a gay couple.

Although Corrie is only running it's first such storyline, I have to say it's doing so very well. The thing with British soaps is that the media sensationalise things like a gay kiss, a lesbian kiss, a same sex relationship. I find in most of the tabloids these type of reports are written in a very negative manner i.e. "Ohh god Todd kisses Nick, an then falls for a nurse!!! oh my god!" You know sensationalising everything. I think Corrie in fairness to them are trying their best not to write the storyline as a form of titilation, a bit of spice in the show. But reflecting what a character such as Todd might go through.

Eastenders did it way back in 1987, thats when it was real. And then there was Simon and Tony ten years later. Are we to believe to there are no gay people in East End London, only the odd passer by every ten years? I just think the soaps could do with incorporating gay characters into their stories more often than they do. Maybe then they could educate the idiots who ring up complaining about a harmless little kiss between two guys.

I think more programming handling gay issues in a more responsible manner are needed I do agree. I don't see why we should have a seperate soap for that to happen though. We all live in the same world, in the same streets, go through the same day to crap. It should be reflected in the current soaps and we should have more programmes relfecting gay issues in a more responsible manner, an not just for eye candy or soft porn lol
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Old 24-02-2004, 03:43
Mirage
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Originally posted by tonywilson
A gay soap is an incredibly bad idea, Queer As Folk was bad enough.
I'm a straight female and loved Queer As Folk (British version), so much so I have bought the dvd's.
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Old 24-02-2004, 09:25
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Originally posted by Mirage
I'm a straight female and loved Queer As Folk (British version), so much so I have bought the dvd's.
I'd have thought QAF made a great base for a continuing serial - in fact I think there was a rumour of such but it never came to pass. Although the main characters were gay it never excluded their families and straight colleagues. My main stereotype problem was that everyone smoked which distanced me more than it should.

As with racial minorities or the disabled, gay people can only ever be a token presence in mainstream soaps for the forseeable future. If an able bodied, white heterosexual character leaves a soap and then is replaced by an able bodied, white, heterosexual character no-one notices. If you have a "minority" character leaving and you replace them with another "minority" character it would look like "political correctness gone mad" to some. It won't change quickly.

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Old 24-02-2004, 12:18
tonywilson
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Originally posted by Mirage
I'm a straight female and loved Queer As Folk (British version), so much so I have bought the dvd's.
That's funny, as a gay male I hated it and thought it was totally unrealistic. And as for the soundtrack, yuck, yuck, yuck. If that's what they listen to in gay nightclubs I'm quite happy to do without.
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Old 24-02-2004, 12:47
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It seems that generally (i can only speak for those amongst my friemds who watched it) gay people hated it because it perpetuated stereotypical views on the gay lifestyle and sensationalized everything, playing to the straight viewers to get ratings, straight people loved it for exactly those reasons.
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Old 24-02-2004, 12:57
cobaltmale
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Originally posted by drakaina
It seems that generally (i can only speak for those amongst my friemds who watched it) gay people hated it because it perpetuated stereotypical views on the gay lifestyle and sensationalized everything, playing to the straight viewers to get ratings, straight people loved it for exactly those reasons.
I'm gay and generally non-scene - I loved it and I'm SOOOOO glad RTD has taken over "Doctor Who".

It was never meant to represent all gay men, only 3 people on the specific Canal St scene. "Tinsel Town" was not meant to represent all Glaswegians.

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Old 24-02-2004, 14:02
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i think that maybe the fact that they chose to portray that 'scene' rather than a typical gay couple or whatever, was seen by some to be playing on the typical view or gays rather than the general reality, mainly to get ratings.

i hardly watched it so am only passing on the views of friends who watched it and i'm not saying they are right. Or wrong. It's nice up here on the fence!
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Old 24-02-2004, 14:05
cobaltmale
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Originally posted by drakaina
i think that maybe the fact that they chose to portray that 'scene' rather than a typical gay couple or whatever, was seen by some to be playing on the typical view or gays rather than the general reality, mainly to get ratings.

i hardly watched it so am only passing on the views of friends who watched it and i'm not saying they are right. Or wrong. It's nice up here on the fence!
At that time they took a risk - the ratings were not much kop until the furore was stirred up. Becks beer pulled out as sponsor at the last minute.

Gay men were not considered titillation back then.

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