New CBS daytime soap in development?!?

[Jimmy Owen]

Another scenario would be to move The Talk to LMAD's slot and make LMAD a weekly prime time show.

[steveleb]

The talk is still more cost-effective than a traditionally produced soap and provides the company with a promotional outlet that adds to what they get from ET, Mornings and Colbert.  As long as they can avoid negative publicity they’re likely to survive.  Ratings are secondary to cost-efficiency. Especially now .

If the network is truly looking for diversity (I’m dubious as noted) then they should put their money where their mouth is.  Do a test week of shows in the B and B time slot of The Gates, promote it via P and G marketing (remember that’s how the network soaps were populated back in the day) and get legitimate audience feedback and ratings.  Push it out on Paramount Plus.  Promote it in Price and Y and R.  Maybe repeat the episodes on a Saturday night in prime time?  Since the executive pushing this is attached to B and B, and apparently believes there is diversity money available via P and G, there’s an actual business model that can be applied if indeed they are serious.

But honestly folks—the more I dig into this history and the apologistic policies of current management getting ready to cash out, I seriously doubt anything will come of this. 

[SamPrainito]

What about cutting LMAD down to 30 minutes?

I don’t watch the show often, but it seems like there’s a lot of padding to fill the hour.

That might also be better for the production team, given the space and storage issues at Haven.

[aaron sica]

In one case CBS actually put together a feed consisting of network programming + feeds from their CBS News and Sports HQ streaming feeds in the local holes and provided that to the provider during the outage.

I can't find it now, but DirecTV had a channel that did just this up in the 9400s that was clear for awhile - it was ABC programming, following the network schedule, but during non-network time, it fed ABC News Now. In some cases, there seems to be a standard schedule for the O&O's - in NYC and Philadelphia, for example, with WABC and WPVI respectively. For virtually the entire broadcast weekday, except for overnights, the schedule is the exact same.

[steveleb]

I’m curious, Chelsea, where your extremely strong opinion comes from.  My understanding is that you have worked at local affiliates.  Respectfully, depending upon market size, there’s a bias and not necessarily accurate understandings of the budgets and ROIs.  Local time is limited so I doubt any local sales team would be bullish on a show like The Talk especially with low linear ratings.

The reality check is The Talk fills the same car wash need as GMA3 or Access Live, which have comparable ratings.  It’s additive to the power they have elsewhere with ET and Colbert.  It’s a strategic investment on the network side and my sources—which include plenty of those execs—would strongly suggest that short of another scandal involving talent the plusses of The Talk far exceed the minuses.

NBC affiliates complained for years about Days of Our Lives. Those that could delayed it and some even outright pre-empted it.  The network kept renewing it in spite of those protests.  It was only after the whole Covid mess and their focus on keeping 10 pm in line that common sense finally won.  I was personally involved in the negotiations on the Sony side, and we were consistently stunned at how much we were able to get out of a show that brought virtually nothing but animus to the network.

I strongly suspect the situation at CBS is much the same.  I simply do not believe The Gates will ever see the light of day. And I don’t believe they have any better idea for The Talk, including the streaming hour option suggested.  NBC did that with their news because it’s a corporate priority.  Until the fate of Paramount is determined I don’t believe anyone in charge will care enough to make a dramatic move.

[colonial]

https://deadline.com/2024/03/cbs-new-soap-the-gates-the-talk-1235856210/

Deadline has another new story out regarding "The Gates," suggesting "The Talk" is the daytime show on the chopping block if the sudser gets picked up.


JD

[steveleb]

Well this does seem to point out a few more facts that would indeed make this plausible.  Sounds like the declining ratings and internal turmoil are greater than many including moi thought.

I have little doubt that the show runner herself is pushing this heavily, and she apparently has 35 years invested in what she sees as the mistake of what she saw was the premature cancellation of Generations.  And she is likely currying favor with the initiative and advertisers who would disproportionately support such a show. 

If she can make it a cost-effective enough proposition to make it worth serious consideration, the timing might eventually be robust enough for the chance.  I still think until the company figures out its future it’s still all rhetoric

[Jimmy Owen]

Considering CBS strong-arms affiliates into clearing weekday soccer and golf, they may force the takeback of an hour of daytime.

[steveleb]

CBS affiliates would only use the time for still more local news, and post election the demand won’t be there. 

The syndication division has been devastated by layoffs and consolidations so don’t expect anything like a Drew Barrymore, let alone anything else, emanating from it anytime soon.

Pure and simple, if Black-friendly advertisers will guarantee revenue that will make The Gates viable, they’re a more likely bet that at least I thought.  But at the risk of redundancy, I still don’t believe any of this happens until Shari cashes out.

[aaron sica]

Apropos of nothing, if this came to pass and it would be an hour show, it would be the first CBS daytime soap that debuted in the hour-long format.

[aaron sica]

Looks like "The Talk"'s time has come to an end...

https://deadline.com/2024/04/the-talk-renewed-15th-final-season-ends-december-2024-1235883079/

[steveleb]

My inside sources say that right now the ball is in the producers’ court to figure out a way to deliver THE GATES to CBS on effectively a barter basis that will include the purchase of spots elsewhere across the Paramount Global platforms.  It’s essential how P and G did business with CBS during the glory days of daytime.  CBS had inventory to sell on their own while P and G maintained premium positions and billboards.  Given the uncertainty attached to the potential acquisition of Skydance don’t expect an immediate decision.  It’s also entirely possible they will find another option such as an hour of CBS News 24/7, akin to what NBC did to replace Days. 

But I promise you—whatever they do, it won’t be a game show

[snowpeck]

And it's official. "The Gates" premieres in January.