Soap Opera Weekly Cancellation Articles

Well what is there left to say about the cancellation of Sunset Beach? It stinks. My sympathies go out to the actors and production staff. But many of those people will undoubtedly find employment elsewhere. The industry in which they have chosen to seek their fortunes is probably the least stable they could have picked. It's the nature of this particular beast that it can rear up and bite you on the butt just when you think you can relax and buy that country house. Aaron Spelling while certainly bloody from his experience in daytime (and with NBC in particular), is even more certainly unbowed. His phenomenal prime-time entertainment jaggernaut will roll merrily along, and he can chalk up his foray into the world of daytime as a failed experiment, a nerve-racking exercise in futility. The people who I feel really lost the most are the fans, an amazingly loyal and supportive group considering how brief a run Sunset had. I know there's been some talk of the show moving to another network, and that would be wonderful, if doubtful. Personally, I think it would be a terrific show to air in the 11 or 11:30pm spot on a network like Lifetime or USA. The show could even be a little racier and adult and not have to worry about pandering to the youth demographic. The show is successful overseas, and this makes it an even more desirable property. There would be no start-up costs; everything is in place and fully operational. So, let's keep our fingers crossed; if anyone can sell this idea, it's Aaron Spelling. If the show can't be saved, I wish everyone involved with Sunset speedy re-employment. They're a talented (not to mention really nice) group of people.

SUNSET BEACH is NBC's best soap. Unfortunately because it's not as big as Days, or outlandish as Passions, Sunset is suffering from a bad case of "middle-child syndrome".

Since being spared a turn on the chopping block (Another World, unfortunately, was axed), Sunset has been forging ahead with strong storytelling, a brisk pace and a plethora of strong performances. The show seems determined to prove it is a daytime force to be reckoned with. Since July, Sunset has been must-see TV. The Ricardo/Gabi/Antonio saga reached an apex when Ricardo suffered a stroke after viewing the infamous tape of Antonio and Gabi's lovemaking. Gregory, the Richards family patriarch, was revealed to be Francesca Vargas' killer. Tess and Tim orchestrated a scheme to break up Ben and Meg and Sara and Casey that was a thrill to watch. And the Amy/Sean/Emily triangle finally heated. With all this excitement, the question is: Why is this "Jan Brady" of NBC consistently in the ratings basement?

The blame for Sunset's woes falls partially on NBC, which keeps on packaging Days and Passions together, all but excluding Sunset. That seems very strange because, the last time I checked, Sunset was an NBC soap! Another blow is that since it's almost cancellation in July, and the reshuffling of the lineup for Passions, many affiliates have either dropped Sunset or placed it in a timeslot only a night owl could love. Also, with Sunset's future in doubt, many viewers have given up on it, not wanting to invest time in a something labeled a sinking ship.

Sunset is a show worth watching and saving. Now is the time for first time viewers, and those who have given up prematurely, to tune in.