Tuesday, October 5, 2010

RESULTS: Indie Soap of the Week Poll

Here are the results from the WE LOVE SOAPS TV "Indie Soap of the Week" poll for the week of September 26-October 2, 2010. THE BAY aired two new webisodes and captured the top spot in a closely contested race with the most votes ever cast in this poll. VENICE kicked off its second season with a strong showing in second place.



Indie soaps that aired one or more episodes last week were eligible. Check back on Saturday when this week's polling begins.

Watch last week's indie soaps below:
- ALPHA PLANET Episode 5 "Snake in the Grass"
- ANACOSTIA Sesaon 2 Episode 2 "What Will I Tell My Heart"
- AS THE CORN GROWS Episode 53
- AVE 43 Chapter 18
- DESIRE AND DECEIT Episode 19 "Why Does Everyone Want Something From Me"
- OBLIVION Episode 5 "How Low Can A Punk Get"
- SQUARE ONE Episode 7 "Damage Control"
- THE BAY Chapter 1 Webisodes 2 & 3
- THE BEST FRIEND Episode 5 "Working Girls"
- THE CAVANAUGHS Episode 11 "Let Me Finish"
- THE OMEGAS Episode 4 "The White Room"
- VENICE Season 2 Premiere (two parts)
- VENUS SPA S2.2 "Use the Sex Option!"

RELATED:
- Check out our Indie Soap Beat Fall Preview Guide here.

41 comments:

  1. I'm crying foul! At least 10 people in my office tried to vote for Venice and the site said they had already voted - THEY HADN'T

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  2. Congratulations to The Bay. I enjoyed last week's episodes and also Anacostia.

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  3. Wow! That sure was a close race between Venice and the Bay. I of course voted for my Venice, but congrats to the Bay. I'd be interested to hear the final total vote. Thanks again We Love Soaps! :)

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  4. The site wouldn't let me vote for Venice either. There was a difference of one percent between #1 and #2 at the time. Kind of suspicious.

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  5. @Kathy - Probably your office co-workers are on the same network as you. It must be nice to work with that many Venice fans. Bet you guys have a lot of water cooler discussions. :)

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  6. One vote per IP. Nothing suspicious about it. Not sure where that came from. The show with the most votes will win every week. It's been that way since the beginning.

    Hopefully people voting sample some of the other shows. My main goal is to spread the word about these shows.

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  7. They removed the water cooler - so no discussions around it, unfortunately.
    Roger - my co-workers voting have no home computers, so their votes don't count I guess.

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  8. Kathy, I'm open to suggestions but without some type of IP block the same person can vote all day and skew the poll. There may not be a perfect system. I'm stoked to see all the excitement though. Lost in the close race for the top was some of the new shows got quite a few votes and hopefully fans sampled each other's shows. I got an email from at least one producer who said he did.

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  9. Kathy and Amy:
    Same thing happened in my office, 6 co-workers who by the way are Venice fans, could not vote. (even from their home) Thoughts? Thanks,

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  10. I had co-workers try to vote for The Bay and they weren't able to. Must be an IP thing which makes sense.

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  11. Great idea for a poll. I hadn't heard of some of these shows before. I liked The Omegas, The Bay and Oblivion.

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  12. Roger is a producer on the Bay,now that seems suspicious that Bay beat Venice..

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  13. Venice fans are full of sour grapes. I thought after such a great premiere I'd tune in this season, but no thanks. You all seem to want to be part of an exclusive club so have at it. You should be so exclusive that you aren't included in these polls any more.

    Number 2 is no slouch. It was a tight race. Accept that lady lovin and dead prostitutes aren't for everyone and grow the hell up.

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  14. Brenda, that's actually quite an INSULTING statement. I didn't cast any votes in this poll. It's about what the fans voted. I do this to promote all the indie soaps. I have been an ardent supporter of these shows for two years now. To insinuate anything else is beyond sour grapes, it's rude and wrong.

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  15. I find it very hard that "The Bay" got the #1spot in this poll.When other web series have been on alot longer with an established fan base.And i might add that Roger Newcomb is an associate producer of "The Bay" http://thebaytheseries.com/cast.html

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  16. I don't get why Venice fans think they deserved to automatically win the poll. I watched the episode linked here and it was mediocre at best. I will vote for what I think is the best soap each week. Venice fans are full of sour grapes and it's quite ugly to see. Everyone else seems so gracious.

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  17. Jean, I had no idea that Roger Newcomb is an associate producer for the Bay. That explains a lot about the results. I also had difficulty voting in this poll and never have difficulty in voting for Days in the Soap of the Week poll. Hmmm.

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  18. My thoughts on THE BAY were published here. I have always been totally objective and have consulted on a number of web series. I produced my own in the past and will again in the future. That doesn't preclude me from supporting all the other creative talents out there working hard to try to get their shows out there. If anything, I'm harsher on shows I work with than the others.

    To try to call into question my integrity over a soap poll meant to support ALL shows says a lot more about some of the fans than it does about me.

    Support the indie soap revolution!

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  19. Wow, people leave Roger alone - of all the soap sites, I've found We Love Soaps has tried the hardest to bring measured and fair coverage for a wide range of soap projects - they honestly love soaps. And they don't go ga-ga over just a few stars/soaps, and I like it that way.

    And please, the one vote per IP is not new nor mysterious (AfterEllen does the same thing for their Hot100) - no, its not perfect, no web poll is, but necessary given that there's so much obvious passion here. Lots of passion projects on this list.

    Honestly, you're turning off any potential new fans to Venice by this poor sport behavior...and here I thought soccer mobs were scary. By the way, Anacostia had a great ep this week, but Leccia won me over (sorry she's hard to beat)

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  20. Wow!! Roger Newcomb you are a busy little bee.You are also an administrator On "The Bay The Series" Facebook.

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  21. Thanks, Laura. Much appreciated.

    Jean, would you like to post your full name? I own everything I do and do it with integrity and honesty with my real name. I don't hide behind fake names to insult people. In fact, I don't insult people period.

    The poll was fair just as it has been every week and will continue to be. But to Laura's point, I imagine this response has been quite a turn off to any potential Venice viewers. I hope not, because I think they have worked hard to make Season Two a good one.

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  22. It is beyond immaturity and absurdity to suggest Roger would EVER do a thing in his life without integrity, honesty, and transparency. He has always been outspoken and supportive of VENICE, as well as all the other soaps nominated this week. He has never made any secret that he a producer on THE BAY.

    Anyone who has worked with or met or been interviewed by Roger knows what he is about. He is by far the most ethical person I know. Any hints or allegations otherwise is based simply on the projections on the part of the accuser.

    I encourage anyone who has seriously doubts about this system to ask Roger, to look at the technology with which the data is collected, and let the record stand for itself. It is not possible, nor of anyone's interest, to fudge data. We don't do that on this site, never have, never will. If you have reason to believe otherwise, please have the integrity to your real name to contact one of us.

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  23. Im a fan of the actresses in Venice and I just want to thank you Roger for keeping me informed about other shows.

    I wouldve never found Alls Faire, Anacostia, The Bay, or a ton of other shows if it hadnt been for you.

    Its obvious that your a man of Integrity and a great supporter of Indie soaps, INCLUDING Venice.

    I appreciate everything that you do, and would hope that you know the majority here would agree with me.

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  24. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  25. Mr. Newcomb and Mr. Damon have been very supportive of websoaps in general. Please accept my apologies on behalf of the Venice fans that are not "sour grapes". Thank You for your support of Venice.
    Please keep doing your good work!!!
    Well said Maya…..

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  26. Someone mentioned that they don't trust this poll b/c Venice is more established and should have clinched number 1. The truth is, if you follow this poll every week you will notice that the number 1 spot most often goes to the newest show on the block. I think that that's because when an Indie show is new, you really want to rally your fans to come out for you to prove that you're in the game, alongside heavyweights like Venice, Gotham and Anyone But Me.

    I am one of the co-creators of Empire and I know when we were first eligible for this poll we were rallying troops. After a few weeks however, we decided we needed to put our rally efforts into getting our fans to watch the show rather than to vote in a poll, so we were overtaken by newer shows in the poll. Did we still think we were better than them? Yes, of course, we were really proud of what we created. But did we want to put our efforts toward getting our show seen or winning a web poll? The choice was clear for us. And we stayed (mostly) in the top 3 which made us feel pretty cool.

    Venice fans, I admire your dedication to your show. It's a damn good show, you should be proud of it. But number 2 is nothing to scoff at and Roger initially posted that it was the tightest race ever which should make you happy. You can't act like The Bay is some dark horse coming out of nowhere. It's been building momentum for months, it's already got a multi-country TV deal and it's got some daytime actors fans haven't seen in far too long and are so happy to see acting again.

    I love you Venice and I would love for us all to be one big happy Indie Soap Family. But you can't question the validity of this poll. If you look back on the history of this site you will see Roger has been championing Otalia and CC/Jessica and all their endeavors forever. He's a producer on The Bay, sure. He donated to Empire to keep us around for a 3rd Season. If there was a kickstarter to bring As The World Turns back for a 55th Season, I bet you Roger would have contributed to that too! He's a cool guy and he loves the soaps. Most people in the world of soaps, indie or otherwise, are simply thankful for his enthusiasm.

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  27. Thank you Greg, and also Esquire and Maya. It's not fair to attack Roger and question his integrity for no reason other than you are upset about losing a poll. I'm a fan of Venice and Empire both, and am now also a fan of The Bay. It's a great show with a lot of great actors I am thrilled to see again. Congrats to all the shows for chartering into this new and exciting territory. I hope you all succeed!

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  28. I just wanted to add, that We Love Soaps has been really good to Venice. They have been one of the few press sites to offer fair and balanced critique as well as praise for the show. They have supported Crystal and Jessica. Heck, they even wrote an article at one point about the Otalia fandom (since many Venice fans were once Otalia fans)and how kind and cool we were.

    It was a close race. I watched the lead flop back and forth all weekend (under the view results portion of the voting). Did I think the Bay was the best? No. Is it in the same league as Venice and other indie web soaps? Totally. Heck, I sorta like their opening credits a bit more than Venice's.

    All in all, it's exciting to see more quality, independent drama out there on the web. :)

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  29. I hope that all of the webseries exceed as well! They all would not exist if their was not competition. I am just questioning the objectivity of a poll on a media site where one of the people who I expect to be fair and objective has a "vested" interest in one of the shows in the poll. I feel as though my point is valid. I would not be debating this issue if one of the owners of this site was not listed as "assoicate producer" on the Bay and as "administrator" on their face book. You make valid points and so do I. Does anyone here see where objectivity may be lost? So I guess we will all just agree to disagree.

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  30. Hello "Hello." I understand what you're saying, but 1)Even if Roger had a "vested" interest in the success of The Bay, what does winning this poll give The Bay? Trust me, as an indie soap writer and producer who has won this poll, all it gives you is bragging rights. It doesn't get you on TV Guide's What To Watch List, which The Bay is already on. And 2)If you knew Roger personally you wouldn't question this. He wants ALL of these shows to succeed. Emotionally, he has a "vested" interest in the whole genre, and I truly believe that.

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  31. @Hello

    If you wanted to use your real name and actually meet Roger, there would be no way you would question this. As Greg pointed out, Roger has an emotionally "vested" interest in ALL Indie Soaps thriving, and he has spent tireless time and energy demonstrating his dedication to their growth and survival the past two years. Suggesting the poll is skewed is ethically offensive and scientifically irrational.

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  32. I am shocked at people questioning this poll or Roger's integrity. this poll was more fair than many, many I have seen and participated with online. One vote per IP. I voted and could not vote again, nor did I need to.

    Roger giving advice to The Bay or any other show does not mean he fixed a poll and to even suggest such is not only insulting to Roger and We Love Soaps but it's insulting to every Venice fan who doesn't think this way. I want to also point out that it makes Venice and the production team look terrible as fans are a reflection on them. I do not think Crystal or Kim would want this kind of behavior from their fans. I am myself appalled at the suggestion this poll was in any way not fair.

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  33. If stating facts is an insult to you Mr.Newcomb then i stand guilty as charged.And as for my name being fake that is an insult.I've been Jean since birth.TYVM

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  34. I would like to clarify my earlier post. I have watched The Bay and enjoy it and do not begrudge it it's win. I have also checked out other web series but I happened to prefer Venice this week and wanted to cast my one vote for it and wasn't able to. I vote in this poll weekly and this was the first time I had trouble voting and wouldn't have said anything if it seemed to be a fluke but other's seemed to have the same problem. I am not casting aspersions on Roger's character or doubting his dedication to new media. Next time I have an issue voting, I will handle it in a better way and go to Roger or Damon directly.

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  35. Lord people its just a poll we should all be so happy that we have these polls to vote in. Lets just enjoy our shows. I watch Venice, The Bay and so many more web soaps we don't have to fight over which one is "better" because we'd never all agree.

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  36. I am a fan of this site (always learn something new)...of soaps in general...of the new web series genre in general...and of Venice in particular. And the rude accusations posted here (bordering on bullying) regarding this poll do not speak for nor represent me.

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  37. Congrats to Gregori and The Bay. It's a shame that a fun and spirited competition turned into something so negative. There is no cause to question Roger's honesty and integrity on a public forum. If you think there were issues with the poll you should contact him directly. I appreciate the Venice fans who have expressed their disappointment in some of the posts that have been made. While I am first and foremost a Bay fan, I certainly have nothing against anyone associated with Venice. My thoughts are simply that the more quality web shows there are out there like The Bay and Venice, the more successful the genre will become as a whole. In that case, everyone wins.

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  38. The fact that people would question Roger's integrity over this poll is beyond asinine.

    Roger has helped with many web soaps, including one I worked on for a time. I know, personally, that he has helped on MANY web soaps. He's been a tireless advocate for the entire genre. Questioning his integrity is beyond idiotic, so get over yourselves.

    If you want Venice to win the poll next week...vote. Pretty simple, that.

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  39. Congratulations to The Bay, Venice, and Anacostia for snagging the top three positions in this poll. Congratulations also to the fans of the soap opera genre who are discovering that there is a future for soaps, and no longer do we have to worry that they will one day disappear, never to been seen again. It is disappointing to see that some think this poll was ‘fixed’, or that Roger Newcomb is anything less than honest and fair in both hosting and conducting it. As one of the fan club presidents for The Bay, I can tell you I was contacted by a few Bay fans who were also disappointed that they too, weren’t able to vote in this poll. After some discussion, we concluded it was because they had opted to view the results before voting, and in doing so, may have registered a rogue vote by mistake. We also realized it could have simply been a glitch caused by heavy site traffic. Whether or not either is plausible remains anyone’s guess. But both the fans and I have no doubt whatsoever that this poll was both fair and honest at all times.

    The results in percentages can be seen HERE. The Bay won by a 9% margin. IMO, winning by 9% does not warrant suspicion. The LANY Films team and The Bay fan club presidents were very vocal about this poll, and we did encourage fans to vote. Winning by 9% shows that they did.

    The fact that Roger Newcomb is an administrator on THE BAY The Series Facebook page is moot at best. There are several administrators, including the fan club presidents. The main purpose behind this is so those listed can post pictures and news articles about The Bay to the photo album, and/or post pertinent information under the discussion tab. It all reality, it serves as a convenience to those who are willing to share news, updates and photos related to The Bay, and nothing more.

    As a representative for fans of The Bay, I would like to thank Roger for not only keeping The Bay fans informed and updated, but doing the same for fans of all the indie and network soaps. Your work and your reputation speak for themselves, both being impeccable.

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  40. @Kathy...Appatently you can only vote once per network. I have a friend who is on "The Bay" so I voted to support them, but then my parents couldn't vote from their computers. But trust me, "The Bay" fans showed out so I highly doubt there was any foul play involved.

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  41. As the Producer of ANACOSTIA I have met with both Damon and Roger before and they have been nothing but supportive with one hell of a passion for what it is that they do.

    I know the fans can be die-hard for their favorite show but we HAVE TO realize that we are all in this TOGETHER...We love Venice, The Bay, Diary Of A Single Mom..the list goes on and one...We debuted at #1 last week and went to #3 this week and we are HAPPY...HAPPY because just maybe we got a few more viewers that may not have ever heard of our show before..isnt that what this is really about...getting the shows exposed to new viewers..lets work together instead of pulling each other apart over a web poll..let the network shows fight over positions.

    I love being a part of this web family we have here..so lets concentrate on uplifting each other more

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