SOAPnet Does It Again - A Sitcom This Time

It's becoming tiresome and repetitive to complain about SOAPnet, but I can't resist so here we go again. As if the Sunday Movie Night wasn't enough, this morning featured a “Notes from the Underbelly” marathon. Say what? It's a prime time comedy series and not a good one at that. WHY do they think soap fans would be interested in a marathon of this?

SOAPnet put out the following press release:
SOAPnet showers its viewers with a "baby" marathon of four episodes of ABC’s “Notes from the Underbelly” this Sunday, December 2 from 10 AM – 12 PM ET/PT. Fans of the show as well as new viewers can catch-up with the series that returned for its second season on November 26 and airs Mondays on ABC at 9:30 PM following “Samantha Who?.”

I get that Disney owns SOAPnet and ABC but can't they air this crap on one of their other many channels? How about a marathon of classic soaps? If they can't spend money on new shows, why not classic AMC, GH or OLTL? PLEASE.

Meanwhile, don't forget tonight starts SOAPnet's Sunday Movie Night. Here's the latest press release on that:
As part of an ongoing strategic effort to increase SOAPnet’s reach, target new viewers and expand the genre, Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group announced today that SOAPnet has acquired 12 movies from Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Each of the titles offers an entry point for new viewers, while staying in line with SOAPnet’s brand. Movies will air Sundays at 10:00 p.m., beginning Sunday, December 2.

The theatrical titles from The Walt Disney Studios include Miramax Films’ “Deception,” starring Viggo Mortensen, “Full Frontal,” starring Julia Roberts, “Kiss of Fire,” starring Christina Applegate and “Tangled,” starring Rachel Leigh Cook; Touchstone Pictures’ “My Boyfriend’s Back,” starring Traci Lind and Hollywood Pictures’ “A Pyromaniac’s Love Story,” starring William Baldwin. Made-for-television titles making their basic cable premieres include “Dangerous Indiscretion,” starring C. Thomas Howell, “Deadly Sins,” starring Alyssa Milano and “Double Cross,” starring Kelly Preston. Other titles include “Betrayed by Love,” starring Patricia Arquette, “Blindfold: Acts of Obsession,” starring Judd Nelson and “Keys,” starring Marg Helgenberger.

“SOAPnet is making strides to expand its ‘soapy’ programming, and movies are the next logical step. We recognize that movies can be just as soapy as daytime drama,” said Frons. “Our viewers love the drama, fantasy and anticipation ripe in traditional soaps, and we are stretching their equity to incorporate reality, primetime, daytime and now movies into our lineup. “

Strategic reach? Expanding it's 'soapy' programming? BANGS.HEAD.ON.DESK.