ABC cancels All My Children and One Life To Live, women weep

Soon, this legendary character, an icon of American television, will become part of television's past.

Yesterday, ABC announced that it canceled the legendary soap operas "All My Children" and "One Life to Live." Weak ratings and rising production costs prevented the shows from making a profit, and therefore, they decided to replace the shows with new, "View"-style lifestyle shows that will deliver better ratings at much cheaper rates. As a writer, I'm sad to see that shows with original writing (yes, the quality is debated, but it's writing nonetheless) being replaced with simplistic lifestyle shows.

Fans of the shows and soap operas as a whole are devastated by this announcement. The shows have been standards of ABC's schedules for over 40 years. However, when they premiered in 1970 and 1968, respectively, American culture was far different than it was today. The housewife was more common decades ago than it is today; as more and more women became working women, soap operas by and large went by the wayside.

Yet, even though fewer and fewer people watched the shows, many young and middle-aged women still have fond memories of the shows. Lord knows my mom and I spend many hours watching the two shows (and "General Hospital," before it got incredibly awful). I remember watching the shows in the mid 1990s, when characters like Hayley and Mateo (Kelly Ripa and husband Mark Consuelos) ruled "All My Children," along with the legendary Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). I remember getting a little emotional when Lucci's 19-year Daytime Emmy losing streak was broken in 1999. Many young women were essentially grandmothered into soaps, and it's a shame that by and large, they will not be around for future generations.

Sure, soaps were campy and outrageous - but that's how they were supposed to be. They were very self-aware, knowingly doing actor transformations mid-scene:



If soaps die, people can't keep coming back from the dead or inventing new twins. They're often silly, but they really did offer entertainment for years and years.

It just feels weird knowing that these standards of American television will no longer be on the air. Soon, the "ABC vs. CBS" soap wars will be non-existent. Soap opera magazines will be obsolete. I may not have watched the shows religiously, but it was oddly comforting knowing they were always there. My mom could (and would) update me on the show's plots - letting me know what shows were in creative slumps and upswings. I guess I always thought they could not be canceled, which was pretty naive.

Soaps have come and gone over the years. But now, they're just going, and not being replaced. It's a dying breed, and they'll be missed. Many actors and actresses' careers began on soaps like AMC and OLTL, and they've no doubt drastically changed the television landscape.

Are you going to miss AMC and OLTL? How are your mothers reacting to this news? What are some of your favorite, outrageous moments on any soaps?

RIP Party Down and NinjaVideo (but you didn't hear that from me)

Television cancellations are no fun. This was proven today when Starz announced they were cancelling Party Down and Gravity. I never watched Gravity, but I did enjoy Party Down, so this made me sad. It was like a mini-Veronica Mars reunion, with hilarious characters and great one-liners.

It doesn't come as much of a surprise, really. The season finale only garnered 74,000 viewers, and this season, star Jane Lynch left to join Glee full-time, and Adam Scott's hilarious role on Parks and Recreation would likely cause scheduling issues. No disrespect to Starz, but I wish a show this good could have been on a network like HBO, where it could at least benefit from a bigger subscriber base and a bigger influence when it came to marketing.

On the bright side, the show did go out in prime form before it got the chance to die a slow, painful death (like the Office), so I'll choose to look at this cancellation as a bit of a blessing in disguise for the show's quality.

Since so few people actually have the Starz network, I'm betting that they probably watched the program on the Internet. Well, those who watch television shows on the Internet were dealt quite the blow today when the feds shut down sites such as TVShack.net and, my personal knight in shining armor, NinjaVideo.net.

I know the piracy argument. I understand it. To an extent, I can agree with it. But, for now, I would just like to say one thing.

Last week, I blogged about how I had fallen in love with Modern Family. Do you know how I found all 24 of the season's episodes, while helped me experience the show? Not Hulu or ABC.com, who only have five of the episodes, but NinjaVideo. I now plan on being a regular viewer of the show in the fall.

The same goes for season 2 of Chuck; season 1 was on theWB.com when I watched it last summer, which helped me really enjoy it (see? Official network sites pay off!), but it was season 2, which was on NinjaVideo, that really cemented my love for it. Subsequently, I bought both seasons on DVD. I began watching Spaced on there, and I proceeded to buy the DVD set.

Again, I can see the arguments against sites like NinjaVideo. But, it is just not rational that people are going to go out and blindly buy box sets of TV shows without previewing them. If official sites aren't going to offer them, people are going to turn to outside sources, like NinjaVideo. I watch whatever I can on Hulu or official sites, but they offer such a limited selection, they can only go so far. The Internet has helped me fall in love with television, and I would argue (and I doubt I'm alone), caused me to spend more money on the medium, because I never would have bought a big chunk of the DVDs I have without watching the shows online first.

Last week, I went to Cleveland and I found season 1 of the Channel 4 series Shameless at the library. I really love it; the problem is, there are 7 seasons of the show, and this is the only season of the show released in the US. So, I could buy season 1 here, but I would have had to have turned to NinjaVideo to watch the rest of the series. Now, I don't know if I'll ever finish it.

The Toledo-Lucas County Library, my home library, doesn't own season 1. I wouldn't have seen it had I not gone to Cleveland, so, how many people are now in the same boat? They don't have the luxury of previewing the show on DVD without buying it blindly, and have now lost a way to watch it in the first place. That could have been one more season 1 DVD sold.

Media companies should be willing to fully adapt to the demands of consumers, rather than turning to archaic methods to keep products away from consumers. 30-40 second ads on Hulu don't bother me, as I said, I try and watch as much as I can on there. But I'm not going to pay for it, and if I do pay for a full season of a show, I want a tangible DVD of it, a one-time purchase, which I can bring wherever I go, Internet or not. THAT'S portability. I will buy shows once I fall in love with them, not before I see them. I strongly believe that shutting down sites like NinjaVideo will prevent people from seeing TV shows, supporting them and giving them buzz.

I'm just really going to miss NinjaVideo. The video quality was amazing, and while I rarely watched new content on there, videos were posted so quickly after they aired. The site helped me discover so many shows thanks to its vast library. I wonder how many shows I would have fallen in love with on there had it not been removed, it's a shame.

Are you still reeling from the loss of a wonderful site? Are you glad sites like these are gone? Are there recent television cancellations that have brought sadness to your life? (Should I be terrified that the feds are going to bang down my door for admitting my love for NinjaVideo?)

Modern Family: Not Arrested Development, but still wonderful

This is Manny Delgado, one of the standout characters on last season's breakout hit comedy, Modern Family. Countless people, especially Andy Ouriel, kept insisting I watch the show. I'm late to jump on the bandwagon for this show, but I finally caught up with it, and I'm glad that I did.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it is a mockumentary which centers on the lives of the extended Pritchett family. Patriarch Jay Pritchett lives with his much younger, Colombian wife, Gloria and her son, Manny, a ten year old who alienates other children his age by acting more like an adult than many of the adults around him. Jay's daughter, Claire, lives with her husband, Phil (who is rather clueless but well-meaning) and their three children. Claire's brother, Mitchell, lives with his partner, Cameron, and their newly adopted Vietnamese daughter, Lily.

I initially dismissed the show after watching the pilot episode when it aired in September (which is what I also did with what has now become one of my favorite shows of all time, 30 Rock). I feel like I'm the minority for not finding the Lion King/Pride Rock imitation Cameron did to introduce Lily to the family very funny. Since my plate was already pretty full of other television shows in the fall, while I didn't hate the show, I didn't find it funny enough to warrant watching on a regular basis.

When I watched the show initially, I think I came into it with different, not necessarily higher, expectations than I should have. Shortly before the show premiered, I heard critical raves about it, and many comparisons to my favorite TV show of all time, Arrested Development. So, I expected a show that was filled with questionably ethical characters and numerous inside jokes.

While it's funny, I really don't get the AD vibe from it. Sure, it's a mockumentary in which the lives of an extended family living in Southern California are chronicled (but, unlike the Office, the camera crews have no direct interaction with the family, while it has Office-style interviews). That certainly fits the bill of Arrested. However, the humor on Modern Family is a little broader than Arrested, it doesn't have the subtlety of that show. This may work towards Modern Family's advantage, because it doesn't require massive devotion to the show to find the episodes funny, like Arrested regularly would.

The characters are extremely likable on Modern Family, too. Phil Dunphy is a little thick like Gob Bluth, but he doesn't have the narcissism and oddness as Gob. Much as I love Gob, I mean that as a compliment. Manny is weirder than George Michael Bluth, but is not as, for lack of a better word, creepy as George Michael (while occasional jokes about Manny possibly having a crush on Claire and Phil's daughter, Haley, it's nothing like George Michael's incestuous love for his cousin, Maeby). The flaws in the Modern Family characters are minor compared to those of the Bluths on Arrested, and so, unlike the Bluths, people may be able to relate to them more.

So, while I enjoy the show, I don't think it's on the same page as Arrested Development, nor do I think it's meant to be. Don't start this show looking for the next Arrested, and you'll really enjoy it for what it is.

I'll admit, I may have had an unfair prejudice against the show due to its network. Laugh tracks are a major turnoff for me when it comes to TV shows, and while Modern Family does not have one, I think I looked at Modern Family and assumed it would be as unfunny and groan-inducing as other ABC comedies, such as According To Jim. I'll be honest, I wonder if my hatred of Two and a Half Men may influence my dislike of How I Met Your Mother (I can see why people like it, and I love Neil Patrick Harris, but I just don't like it) and my disinterest in the Big Bang Theory.

Liking Modern Family has helped me realize I shouldn't be so dismissive of comedies based on their network, because a network's identity doesn't define a show's quality. After all, while I view NBC as a strong comedy network, I grew to hate My Name Is Earl. (Yes, I realized I used the word "strong" to describe NBC. What an oxymoron.)

However, if you get a chance to catch up on the episodes over the summer, I'd recommend doing so. It's an episodic show, and therefore, catching ABC's reruns over the summer (Wednesdays, 9 p.m.) would suffice. It was far superior to the Office this season (not that that took much), and while I still think 30 Rock was better this season, I wouldn't be too upset to see it take the Best Comedy Series Emmy this year.

Crashed and burned: shows dead on arrival

It's almost that time of year when television networks announce their upcoming fall season schedules. After the pilots are filmed and the deals are made, networks are ready to tell audiences and critics about the shows that they hope will become their network's new flagship shows. This allows for television viewers to eagerly anticipate that season's crop of new shows, and the shows will develop a certain amount of hype.

Sadly, oftentimes shows that are often greatly hyped do not deliver. One of the side effects of the Internet's popularity is that people can become more excited about TV shows before they premiere, because the Internet can provide plenty of fodder and discussion about the shows, and I think that for a lot of people, that can make them more excited about television shows, increasing their expectations.

Over the past decade, many TV shows with plenty of promise failed to captivate an audience or television critics, and they are canceled quickly. Here are some of the most disappointing shows that did not live up to their intense hype.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip:" I have to admit, I watched this show when it was on NBC in the 2006-07 season, and I enjoyed it for the most part, even though it was imperfect. However, now that I have seen creator Aaron Sorkin's other television shows, "Sports Night" and "The West Wing," I see why people were so disappointed in "Studio 60." The show-within-a-show faced the difficult challenge of debuting in the same year as "30 Rock," which quickly outpaced "Studio 60" with critical acclaim. It reeked of self-importance, especially the executive producers of the fictional titular comedy show, played by Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford (when I watched the show, I was never a fan of the main characters, rather, I enjoyed seeing the writing staff of the show, namely Nate Corddry and Lucy Davis' characters). Sorkin developed two great "behind the scenes" shows in the past, but it seemed as though this show became unrelatable to the audiences, and was a Hollywood insider show. However, Hollywood critics were unimpressed, and ratings kept sinking.

"Sit Down, Shut Up:" It breaks my heart to put this on my list. Like "Studio 60," this show was greatly hyped because of the creator. Mitchell Hurwitz, who created the excellent, amazing and genius "Arrested Development" reteamed "Arrested" cast members Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Henry Winkler, along with Will Forte and Kristin Chenoweth to create this series. Telling the story of a group of disaffected high school teachers, the animated comedy was seen by "Arrested Development" fans as a sort of sequel to the brilliant but cancelled show. However, "Sit Down, Shut Up" lost much of the charm of "Arrested Development." It took the most juvenile moments of "Arrested," which were few and far between but always brilliant, and tried to make a complete series out of them. Unlike its predecessor, these characters were not unlikeable but endearing, they were just plain unlikeable. The show was canceled by Fox even faster than "Arrested Development" was, and us desperate "Arrested" fans are still left without that long-promised movie.

"My Big Fat Greek Life:" It was the little indie movie that could. I first heard about "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" because *NSYNC's Joey Fatone was to be featured in the film, and as your typical 12-year-old girl who supported everything the group did, I planned on seeing this movie. Little did I expect it to become one of the highest-grossing romantic comedies of all time. As a result of the movie's success, this show, based on the movie, was commissioned by CBS in 2003. Lacking one of the movie's star, John Corbett, as well as the heart and passion of the film, the show only lasted seven episodes. Instead of entertaining audiences past the movie, it simply appeared to be a last-chance way to keep the trend alive.

"Dirt:" The premise of this FX show seemed fascinating; Courteney Cox starred as a tabloid magazine editor who attempted to gain the often tawdry scoop on celebrities. It was like an "E! True Hollywood Story" about the people who would make "E! True Hollywood Story," it was a brazen and lifeless show. The characters were not sympathetic, and, even against channel-mate "Nip/Tuck," it reeked of desperation, using ridiculous and controversial plots to gain attention. When they brought in Cox's "Friends" costar Jennifer Aniston to engage in a lip lock with Cox, I knew that this show was grasping at straws.

"FlashForward"/"Invasion:" In 2004, ABC debuted "LOST," which changed the game for television shows in terms of storytelling, audience participation and plot twists. The show was such a success that ABC tried to recreate that formula, first with "Invasion" in 2005. Granted, I think a lot of "Invasion's" failure stems from ABC and unfortunate circumstances. It depicted a Florida town whose inhabitants were being taken over by aliens after a hurricane hit; it was scheduled to premiere shortly after hurricane Katrina. Tensions in America were high following Katrina, and I don't think audiences were ready to watch a fictionalized and more disturbing account of what they had been watching on the news all month, and ABC was more than willing to sideline the show in terms of promotion. However, the show itself lacked the suspense of "LOST," and it really was not as frightening as it could have been.

Last year, the network tried again with "FlashForward," a show about the aftermath and search for the cause of a worldwide two-minute blackout, in which people got a glipse of their lives six months in the future. I was very excited about the concept of the show, because it was original and seemed addicting. However, as with "Invasion," there was little suspense, and the show is rather boring. Nothing happens in the first 35 minutes, and then they drop a bombshell in the last segment, leaving you wondering why you wasted so much time watching it, when you could just skip to the end and understand it. However, there isn't much to understand or to care to understand, it's confusing, but unlike "LOST," it doesn't leave viewers with a desperation to find answers. Additionally, for reasons I cannot explain, Joseph Fiennes' character bothers me beyond belief. After a long hiatus and behind-the-scenes creative conflicts (it's already on its third show-runner), it looks like "FlashForward" will suffer the same fate as "Invasion."




I know I'm not the only person who has been burned by the promise of a great show. What shows have disappointed you? Did you enjoy the ones on my list?

Baffled by "The Bachelor"

I hate to do so, but I have to admit to watching my fair share of pointless reality shows in my life. I will not recall Christmas 2009 as a white Christmas, but rather an orange Christmas, as a result of my pathetic fascination with the mostly deplorable but oddly hilarious "Jersey Shore" cast. "The Real World: Las Vegas" was incredibly trashy, but my parents and I watched it religiously every week (yes, I sat around the television watching this show with my parents, because they could trust me knowing that I wouldn't turn out like the people on the show.), it remains my favorite season of the show that I watched (I've since given it up). I tend to be harsh on the reality genre for its poor quality and pointlessness, probably unfairly so. However, there is one show whose appeal I never understood, and that is "The Bachelor."

For eight years, ABC has broadcast 14 seasons (and five of the spin-off "Bachelorette" series) of a good-looking, and often financially gifted man's quest for love, because apparently in the real world, those two attributes wouldn't help these men find a woman, and they need the help from a national television show. All season long, the contestants are whittled down to one "winner," who on many occasions is proposed to by the bachelor. In the meantime, ridiculous sexual escapades, staged romantic dinners and awkward moments (returning contestants, bad singers, and in one "Bachelorette" season, a contestant who used his camera time to discuss his foot fetish, complete with mimed actions) fill up the 42 minutes each week.

I just cannot understand the show's continued popularity (the last season's finale drew a depressingly high 15 million viewers). The main reason I find the ongoing success of "The Bachelor" so baffling is the fact that the show often yields completely pointless outcomes. As of season 14, only one couple is married, one is currently engaged (but that is because it was the season that just ended two weeks ago. Give it time, this may end like the others.), and one couple is dating. That's less than one quarter of the couples surviving long-term. Why would you want to waste your time watching this "drama" unfold with the rose ceremonies and the shameless sexual moments when chances are, the people on screen are not compatible once the cameras are turned off and the cash stops flowing from ABC?

One other reason I have a problem with the franchise: like many other reality shows, they are just made up of actors who are looking to get their face on TV, and will appear on a show under the guise of a "reality" competition. If a person is likable, they will have a certain amount of job security. ABC is becoming notorious for its synergy between their shows, first with the "Bachelorette" spin-off, and now "Dancing With the Stars." Season 14's Jake Pavelka will be on the show starting Monday, and season 13's proposal pick and eventual reject Melissa Rycroft participated last year ("Bachelor" Jason Mesnick proposed to her, but later broke it off to marry his runner-up, Molly Malaney). I do not blame these people for looking for work, but I just cannot buy into this fake show. In fact, I feel guilty thinking about the show long enough to write this blog.

So, "Bachelor" fans, why do you watch? Am I completely missing the point of the show, or am I just an awful cynic who hates love (well, actually, I don't know if I'll debate you on that.)? Plead you case for interest in the show in the comments.

Hulu highlights, part two

For many students, it's almost time for spring break, which means there are numerous exams, papers and projects due before break. Therefore, we all need some television to distract us. Last week, I provided a few shows to waste your time, but if you're a procrastinator like me, you need more. Therefore, I offer part two of my "Hulu highlights" series.

"Spaced" (Channel 4 UK, 1999-2001): Before Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright brought "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" to American audiences, they were a part of this absurd look at the lives of twentysomethings struggling to find their place in the world. Pegg and Jessica Stevenson star as strangers who pretend to be a couple in order to secure a London flat, and the show chronicles their lives and their friends’ antics. Filled with rapid-fire popular culture references and jokes both subtle and absurdly obvious, "Spaced" is a great look at what it’s like to live in the modern world: you’re without a purpose, but popular culture keeps you sane. Plus, on a personal note, I see a lot of Stevenson’s character’s struggles as my present and future attempts to be a writer.

"The Unusuals" (ABC, 2009): I bet ABC is regretting the cancellation of this offbeat New York City police comedy-drama last year. Its star, Jeremy Renner, wasn’t well-known when the show premiered last year. Now? He may win the Best Actor Academy Award for "The Hurt Locker" on Sunday night. Harold Perrineau and Adam Goldberg’s hilarious characters steal the show, and you’ll find yourself missing them incredibly when the ten episodes are done.

"The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-1998): Jeremy Piven pre-hair plugs. I could probably leave that as the only reason to watch this show. Garry Shandling, George Bluth Sr. (sorry, I mean Jeffrey Tambor), Don Geiss (or, my favorite alleged bank-robber, Rip Torn), and Romy and Michele’s classmate Heather Mooney (alright, that one’s a bit obscure, I’m referring to Janeane Garofalo) star in this show-within-a-show about the ins and outs of running a late-night talk show. In light of Conan O'Brien’s drama with NBC (side note, make sure to follow Conan on Twitter!), this show proves especially poignant, and it’s a great show for people interested in the media.

Enjoy!