Friday, October 14, 2011

IT'S UP TO YOU!

On January 10, 2011, I wrote on this blog:

Seth MacFarlane's animated sitcom, Family Guy, was canceled in 2002, only to return to the air in 2005 after DVD sales of the series went through the roof.

The same thing happened to Futurama; canceled in 2003 and revived (on a different network) in 2008, due to strong DVD sales.

In other words, no matter how many passionate, articulate letters fans write in support of their favorite shows, the only thing that matters to TPTB is money. Are people willing to spend money on our product? If they are, let's give them more. If they aren't...

Unfortunately, there are no DVDs of canceled soaps available with which to make this same point...

But, wait now there are!!!!!

SoapClassics.com
announced the release of a 20 episode As The World Turns DVD set, to be followed by a 20 episode Guiding Light set and then possibly even streaming episodes of both shows on-line! If there is enough interest in those two titles, they are looking at releasing DVDs and streaming reruns of Another World, Edge of Night, and Search For Tomorrow, as well!

This is phenomenal news for fans of P&G Classic Soaps, but it will only happen if, like I said above, the first ATWT DVD set makes money. The future of those shows is, as always, in your hands! Let's show the world what we can do!

In related news, I'm not sure if there is a connection or if it was just a weird coincidence, but, thanks to the passion and purchasing power of soap fans, yesterday my book, Soap Opera 451: A Time Capsule of Daytime Drama's Greatest Moments had it's best day yet, landing as the #1 Best-Seller on Amazon in the category of Television Guides and was #65 overall of ALL Television Books (print AND digital) sold.

I can't thank you all enough, and I've got gifts to prove it! (Click here for details!)

3 comments:

Derek said...

Hello Alina - First your book and now this news about Procter & Gamble offerings being made available to fans have made my year! Thank you so much for this notice.

Derek

Alina Adams said...

You're very welcome, Derek! Isn't it all so exciting!

And remember, my book, Carolyn Hinsey's book, the ATWT DVD set... they all make wonderful Christmas presents!

Let's blow the roof off this holiday season and show TPTB what soap fans can really do!!!

Derek said...

Here is the thank you note I posted on the About SoapClassics comment board:

----

Hello to the team at SoapClassics -

Thank you, thank you and triple thank you for introducing this initiative.

The AOL On-Line venture of a few years ago gave us a taste of the invaluable holdings in the Procter & Gamble archives for millions of TV soap fans past and present. It was wonderful to come across news of SoapClassics and this first As the World Turns set on the web sites of Alina Adams' Soap Opera 451 and We Love Soaps.

I was a huge fan of Texas and still have scratchy copies of the last few episodes from December 1982 that were passed on to me from another fan who recorded them on a primitive VHS. Please sign me up now for Texas holdings either in DVD or on-line archive form.

I also grew up being exposed to Another World and Edge of NIght which were broadcast on the two main Canadian English TV networks for decades. I would also purchase the 20 classic episodes (and more) for each of those two soaps.

For Another World, there would be a huge demand for the St. Croix remote episodes from early 1980, not to mention the stellar follow-up episode from later that year where Douglass Watson's Mac Cory realized on the witness stand of his TV wife Rachel's trial that he was not the father of her new baby. The writing, directing and acting did not come any better than that.

I also have some 1979 Another World episodes lodged in my brain where the late, great Beverlee McKinsey's Iris was being held hostage in her penthouse. She is greatly missed from the TV landscape.

The 1989 25th Anniversary episodes of Another World would also be wonderful to have along with the whole segment from that same period where Mac Cory learned that daughter Iris had betrayed him.

There was wonderful use of humor in the mid-80s on Another World with the characters of Cass, Felicia, Cecile and Wallingford and I would purchase a box set dedicated to that period. The Majorca remote sequences from 1984 were well done.

I was a late-comer to As The World Turns and Guiding Light, but would happily purchase any box sets featuring the characters of Luke, Noah and Reid.

Thanks again. I am passing on word to some soap message boards filled with dedicated Procter & Gamble fans.