tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post2937232365634887242..comments2023-11-02T09:08:08.645-04:00Comments on We Love Soaps: TIMELINE: The Rise and Fall of Prospect Park, or, The Martyrdom of ALL MY CHILDREN & ONE LIFE TO LIVEKevhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13659344675956886092noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-74285155722402508982011-12-07T00:11:32.686-05:002011-12-07T00:11:32.686-05:00I don't buy into the conspiracy theories that ...I don't buy into the conspiracy theories that PP was in on "pacifying the fans from the beginning" as some claim. I truly believe they were sincere about saving the shows (at least OLTL) and had made lots of good plans in several areas. Their BIGGEST flaw from the very beginning though was boldly announcing that (a) they would retain the same 5 day a week, 36 minute format (b) they would start airing the week after they ended their ABC run...that was NEVER realistic. No matter what production company or network picked up the show, no one could have had everything ready that quickly (and even if they did it would be horribly rushed to be severely lacking in quality).<br /><br />Then when PP had to admit they couldn't accomplish the impossible task of having it ready to go by Jan 2012, instead of setting a new realistic start date, they just threw in the towel. THAT was unforgivable. If they just simply readjusted to an actual workable timeframe they could have continued the shows with much success - but they just simply gave up. Shame on them. We would have happily waited. None of us involved with trying to save the show never asked or expected the shows would be ready for immediate debut after the ABC run ended.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-53714409126764949962011-12-06T23:27:35.487-05:002011-12-06T23:27:35.487-05:00Kwatinetz has been around for a long time and one ...Kwatinetz has been around for a long time and one of his most famous traits is that he dreams big, way too big compared to what he can actually pull off. He's notorious for biting off more than he can chew. I think he believed he could do this, but like so many projects before it, the AMC/OLTL revivals never had a chance but he didn't realize that until it was too late.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-73256234592667810182011-12-06T21:24:04.340-05:002011-12-06T21:24:04.340-05:00dopWell abc just put soap fans off for months.Wars...dopWell abc just put soap fans off for months.Wars back on.Never really believed pp was real.Already producing other shows.Amazing isn't it they don't have funding,HUM!!!We where screwed and tatooed,mosjane58noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-70801209606096081852011-12-06T19:56:27.725-05:002011-12-06T19:56:27.725-05:00Frankly, the whole thing doesn't sound that di...Frankly, the whole thing doesn't sound that different from your typical real estate deal gone bust. <br /><br />You know -- there's this lovely, old, commercial building in the center of town. Very historic. Looks to have good bones, yet some whisper it could be a real money pit.<br /><br />Soon, a couple of out-of-state speculators come in. Put a deposit down (with contingencies of course) and tell the city planning commission that they have plans that could turn the old place into a cornerstone for urban renewal.<br /><br />They announce, "We're calling in inspectors and contractors! Putting out feelers to see if existing tenants will stay. We've got an experienced lead architect and designer on board, both very familiar with rehabbing these architectural gems! It's going to be beautiful, and we'll keep it all original. So stay tuned!"<br /><br />Then, after looking at things more closely and failing to get appropriate construction loans from the bank, they simply exercise one of the contingencies to back out of the deal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-52564838082500067982011-12-06T18:58:55.816-05:002011-12-06T18:58:55.816-05:00What really is curious is that the deal was announ...What really is curious is that the deal was announced to be dead withing days of OLTL's last tape date. If PP had been really serious, they would have said they were still going to try to get backing or alter the plan or something. But they dropped this deal like a hot potato the day after the show taped it's last show. I gotta cal BS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-27262668324100655722011-12-06T18:55:21.717-05:002011-12-06T18:55:21.717-05:00Rich Frank is a former Disney exec. and Jeff Kwati...Rich Frank is a former Disney exec. and Jeff Kwatinez is no novice to show business so how on earth they could have believed that they could produce the soaps the same way online as on the web is BS. FV also knew full well that the numbers would not support the deal being successful. The way this whole thing went down is fishy. I'm not saying any conspiracy bet. Frons or ABC to dupe the soap fans but something is really off. Some of us fans even said the deal couldn't be done. Trevor St. John said it would take a miracle for PP to pull this off. The sopas could have continued online-just not hour long episodes five days a week. More like the way soaps already online do things. Short episodes weekly with regular seasons. So many things don't add up but we'll never know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-55357856188339361852011-12-06T17:40:20.313-05:002011-12-06T17:40:20.313-05:00I am mostly upset Prospect Park had AMC and OLTL r...I am mostly upset Prospect Park had AMC and OLTL rewriting the endings with cliffhangers. I wish we could find out the original endings, if OLTL even had one. We know AMC did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-56230436355251765152011-12-06T17:24:29.742-05:002011-12-06T17:24:29.742-05:00*sigh*
I still have yet to understand just what p...*sigh*<br /><br />I still have yet to understand just what people are trying to drive at. That PP is the personal puppet of Brian Frons and ABCD? Kwatinetz is a hologram or something? They have two shows on the air, a music division that's had some hits, and now at least two drama projects in the works. They're a REAL COMPANY! They're not the minions of ABC! They bit off more than they can chew with soaps, money fell through, their PR department sucks, and they just didn't get it done. <br /><br />Frank Valentini is by all accounts a shrewd executive with a love of the genre. Do you think he'd be the VP of a fake company out to dash the hopes and dreams of soap fans everywhere? He and RC love OLTL; why would they participate in some kind of fraud? <br /><br />Also: "They have stolen our hopes for a sense of closure as we mourn two fallen icons of soap opera history." Seriously, WLS?Frankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03301077496668834657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2585163331194032530.post-52803859300051514122011-12-06T16:23:28.522-05:002011-12-06T16:23:28.522-05:00I doubt it was anything cynical. PP doesn't h...I doubt it was anything cynical. PP doesn't have any deals w/ ABC outside the soaps. PP main source of revenue are projects with NBCUniversal's cable channels.<br /><br />From all descriptions, they bit off more than they could chew and lacked the knowledge of how to create an online network and fund it. <br /><br />What's sad is that PP tried to dump the blame for this project's failure on the unions. It's obvious, with 1200 jobs at stake, the unions were willing to deal. <br /><br />Cady McClain's article points out numerous suggestions that the unions, actors, and other gave to PP on how to slice costs, but PP ignored them all. That's arrogance and stupidity. <br /><br />Moreover, PP did a terrible job of marketing the project. Instead of jumping out and communicating with fans and doing the smart thing, making a deal w/ Susan Lucci right away, and be willing to lose a little money in the first year, PP just couldn't get out its way.<br /><br />So, thus ends the glory of ABC Daytime. Killed by incompetence of Brian Frons and Anne Sweeney. Then made to suffer an painful attempt at resuscitation.<br /><br />:-(SoapFan78https://www.blogger.com/profile/16867531085107236880noreply@blogger.com