One thing you should know about a true soap fan: they never really give up on their shows, not for good. I can't count the number of times that I've felt like I did when I wrote my last post. It's a valid feeling, because the entire genre is in a sorry state, and you can't fault those who are tuning out for good.
But there's just something in a true soap fan that never really lets go, no matter how bad things get. Even if you tune out for months at a time, you know deep down that you're just waiting for things to get better, for the show to be something other than painful to watch again.
The great thing about soaps is that they go on. Day after day, week after week, year after year. They outlast meddling network executives and disastrous head writers and can rejuvenate themselves time and again, because the characters and the rich history are still there, waiting to be utilized.
A true soap fan knows this, and that's why they never really give up. It's also why, in spite of meaning everything I wrote the other day, I know that I'll be tuning into soaps for as long as they or I exist. They can get better, they can become meaningful entertainment again. Will they? Right now, it doesn't seem very likely, but the potential is there, waiting. We need a new generation of Douglas Marlands and Agnes Nixons to come along and for the networks to let them tell their stories.
That may never happen, but as long as there is a chance, soap fans will keep tuning in. If not tomorrow, then next week, or once a month, just to see how things are going with those familiar faces.
No comments:
Post a Comment