While it’s not yet clear whether the recent ratification of the National Code of Fair Practice for Network Television Broadcasting (Network Television Code) is the culprit, as negotiations had been ongoing between actor’s union SAG-AFTRA and ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX, among other producers, for some time, industry insiders are whispering that the broadcast networks have asked their daytime dramas to find ways in cutting some of the fat in their casts.
In the January 26 issue of Soap Opera Digest, in its “Stuff We Know (and shouldn’t tell you)” section, the magazine states, “Insiders say a couple of daytime soaps will be slimming down their top-heavy casts due to network mandates. Sources report that a number of actors are concerned that they may wind up on the unemployment line in the coming weeks.”
Despite recent ratings upticks for CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “The Young and the Restless,” neither soap appears exempt from the rumored cast discharge, particularly “Y&R” with a new head writer and co-executive producer on the horizon. “Days of our Lives” films so far ahead that if it dropped anyone in its cast tomorrow it wouldn’t be felt until early summer. Meanwhile, “General Hospital,” which many agree has one of the largest casts currently in daytime, might benefit from a trimming as storylines are seemingly dropped before coming to a natural conclusion. The result of the recent mayoral election being a perfect example.
If your soap were to lose some of its cast, which characters do you think it could do without? Sound off below…