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Post by lolaruns on Jul 24, 2008 6:05:16 GMT -5
Actually the ratings were much higher at the beginning of the year. And they are generally much lower than they were a couple of years ago (there is much talk about how VL used to get around 15 and 16 percent in their timeslot and currently only gets around 12 percent; how they had times when they used to scratch on the 3 million mark and now haven't been able to reach 2 million in months).
And unlike in the US this is not a part of a larger rating trens where people just stop watching soaps. The GZSZ soap used to be much, much lower last year and especially the year before that and is top again. AWZ was higher in winter and is lower now in summer. So all soaps are sort of zigzagging around, but unlike with the US soaps there is still growth potential with the right story.
I think the problem is that at the moment VL lacks strong central romances. Ollian isn't really central and Sebastian and Lydia as well as Ansgar and Nathalie who are supposed to be central aren't convincing to most people.
Now the youtube hits... on one hand they aren't that many. When the storyline is high Nanna gets/got about 30.000, 40.000 for one clip. Even if all these were in Germany (which they aren't) or were watching live and being counted (which they aren't), even if every sngle one was taken to be an unique viewer that still wouldn't really bump VL's ratings in a significant way. 30/40 thousand aren't really much if you would rather have half a million or a million. Or at least a couple of 100 thousand. And just because there is a lot of internet buzz around the couple doesn't mean that there is real life buzz too, you know, around the water cooler or in the magazines or news. It's more like a hermetically sealed phenomenon. And even if there was buzz it would be much harder to sell now that Ollian don't really have a storyline.
Also, IMO, no offense, but I think it might be harder for non German speakers to judge the acting because line delivery is a larger part of it. For example, Constantin is fairly good with his face, but his line delivery is poor on occasion. And characters like Adrian and Ansgar are particularly beloved for the snarky way they deliver their lines with.
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Post by aussie54 on Jul 24, 2008 6:06:28 GMT -5
seven14, I think we're more likely to have bumped YouTube's ratings. But considering the millions of views they get, we're probably just a little blip on their radar. ;D
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seven14
New Member
James Marsters-My Spike!
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Post by seven14 on Jul 24, 2008 6:55:03 GMT -5
Plus, aussie54 if say, 100 people are like me, wherein I have watched the episodes from Nov through April ...at least 10 times --collectively or various episodes I like/love---I probably should be ashamed to say :-), but I am not :-)...then the numbers are not all accurate on YT either....
Darn! I'm just happy they aren't like here in US...ratings don't hit a high enough number and show gets cancelled...of course Soaps weather the storm on that front....but sometimes I wish no matter the audience number...if a program is good...leave it be :-)!!
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Post by Bonobochick on Jul 24, 2008 11:34:48 GMT -5
AWZ was higher in winter and is lower now in summer. I wonder what was going on last winter that is not going on now. I think for AWZ, DeRo and Diana/Julian were huge draws. Right now all that is good couple-wise is Annette & Ingo. Could it be that the lack of romance is the biggest issue? You could be nailing one big problem on the head. I've heard that about ATWT as well; that the best storylines are maybe on once a week and the others that either irritate or bore people are on the other 4 days. Is VL like that as well? I don't watch the whole eps. I do for AWZ and Unless VaDeRo, Simone or Anngo are on, I FF. For me, the main problem is when it becomes more plot than character and characters are written and re-written constantly to fit in with the plot versus staying true to what the audience knows about the character. Huge turn off for me.
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Post by lolaruns on Jul 24, 2008 11:38:03 GMT -5
It's hard to tell. The ratings were still high in March where Diana was gone and DeVa was going full force.
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Post by aussie54 on Jul 24, 2008 19:09:02 GMT -5
Plus, aussie54 if say, 100 people are like me, wherein I have watched the episodes from Nov through April ...at least 10 times --collectively or various episodes I like/love---I probably should be ashamed to say :-), but I am not :-)...then the numbers are not all accurate on YT either.... I'm one of those 100 people too ... I don't know how many times I've watched certain episodes over and over again. I have a question about the actual acting ... does it worry anyone else that the boys seem to fold their arms a lot? Thore seems to do it the most, but Jo does as well, and now I'm noticing Andreas (is that Gregor?) doing it a bit. I know it must be hard just standing there, but if you think about it, when you're chatting with your mates, what are you doing with your hands? I'm not sure how often I'm in a situation when I'm just standing in the middle of a room chatting. I'm usually sitting, or if I'm out and about I have a handbag to hold onto ... Perhaps it doesn't bother anyone else, but now that I've noticed it, it really bugs me.
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Post by GayTime on Jul 24, 2008 19:11:43 GMT -5
Plus, aussie54 if say, 100 people are like me, wherein I have watched the episodes from Nov through April ...at least 10 times --collectively or various episodes I like/love---I probably should be ashamed to say :-), but I am not :-)...then the numbers are not all accurate on YT either.... I'm one of those 100 people too ... I don't know how many times I've watched certain episodes over and over again. I have a question about the actual acting ... does it worry anyone else that the boys seem to fold their arms a lot? Thore seems to do it the most, but Jo does as well, and now I'm noticing Andreas (is that Gregor?) doing it a bit. I know it must be hard just standing there, but if you think about it, when you're chatting with your mates, what are you doing with your hands? I'm not sure how often I'm in a situation when I'm just standing in the middle of a room chatting. I'm usually sitting, or if I'm out and about I have a handbag to hold onto ... Perhaps it doesn't bother anyone else, but now that I've noticed it, it really bugs me. The German man in the room says: I fold my arms at least as much as Thore does in conversations
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Post by amber80 on Jul 24, 2008 19:18:36 GMT -5
Lol! I noticed the arm folding too! It's very obvious when you look at all the screencaps... But maybe it's a German thing; at least Wolfi does it too... ;D
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Post by aussie54 on Jul 24, 2008 19:27:57 GMT -5
Perhaps all the Aussie guys are too busy holding their cans of beer. ;D ETA: I was going to say "holding their stubbies" but I thought people may not know what I meant.
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Post by floatilla on Jul 24, 2008 21:32:23 GMT -5
IMHO I think that the chemistry between Thore and Jo is really coming through in their perfomances... especially for Christian. When I look back at older videos, I notice that he has relaxed more and seems more comfortable with his character, and thus comes off as a better actor.
Plus he smiles more which does not hurt
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Post by synapticmisfire on Jul 25, 2008 18:56:17 GMT -5
ETA: I was going to say "holding their stubbies" but I thought people may not know what I meant. I'm not gonna lie to you, my mind would have gone to a dirty-yet-hilarious place if you had. Hell, it kinda did anyway! ;D Can't say I had noticed the arm-crossing all that much to be honest - I know plenty of guys who do that all the time, so it never stood out to me. I'm more a hands-in-my-pockets kind of guy, but to each their own.
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Post by aussie54 on Jul 25, 2008 21:19:38 GMT -5
Re the arm crossing - it's funny how once I've noticed something like that, it bugs me all the time! Olivia's doing it now. ;D I'm a fan of the Harry Potter movies, and a lot of people complain about Emma Watson's eyebrows. Yet I've never noticed them at all. Oh, and I wonder if the actor playing Judith is looking so much different now because she doesn't have a fringe any more. I think that could be part of it.
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Post by ivaniv on Jul 26, 2008 3:05:01 GMT -5
I don't think YT means much as for number of viewers, but I am sure that it must feel good for the actors when they get emails and mails from around the world. Especially the snail mail, because it goes through other people's hands at VL and the word must be spreading ;D
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Post by alessis on Oct 2, 2008 19:42:34 GMT -5
I know you've all forgotten about this thread by now, but I just have to add my 2 cents anyway. About Thore... He's stated in interviews that it was a difficult decision for him to play gay, he wasn't sure he could make it convincing, and he saw it as a chance to learn and grow as an actor. I would say that's exactly what he's done. At the age of 23 he was faced with a substantial CHALLENGE like nothing in his life before, I would imagine, and such things can make people grow and blossom way beyond what they or others thought possible. He probably had help from Jo, who seems to be both very openminded and smart and thoughtful, and from early on they both had the warm support of international fans. I know we don't contribute to the show's ratings, but Jo and Thore have expressed again and again how much it means to them personally that we love them and Ollian so much. Surely all this "applause" has boosted Thore's confidence and helped him commit all the more to the part. In the earlier clips he didn't use his expressive face nearly as much. Now he's using his face and whole body in wonderful ways, and also it seems to me the camera pays more attention to him. Like they've adapted the shooting to the fact that there's more to see in Christian's face these days. Does that make sense to anyone or am I imagining it? (Just a note: In a perfect world of course it shouldn't be anything special to be required to play gay, but even Germany is not quite there yet, and Thore himself claims to have been a little bit prejudiced before. Whatever your opinion about that, the fact remains: it was a challenge to him.)
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Davian
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Post by Davian on Oct 2, 2008 20:53:24 GMT -5
Hi Alessis! Do you mean that Thore had prejudice against gays/playing gay or that he has suffered prejudice since he plays gay?? Thanx, Davian
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Post by alessis on Oct 2, 2008 21:23:52 GMT -5
Davian, I meant a little bit prejudiced against gays. This is what he said in the reFRESH interview:
"I gained inspiration from the movie Brokeback Mountain. I know that might be a little exaggerated but I try to aim high. After watching that movie I was surprised in a positive way. The movie showed how realistically and beautifully you can portray the love between two men, without making prejudiced viewers – and I numbered myself among them before – feel uncomfortable."
In the same interview (of which you can download a PDF somewhere on this message board) he also said:
"The decision to play a homosexual wasn’t easy for me. The risk as an actor in a soap opera not to be seen as the actor Thore Schölermann but ‘only’ as Christian Mann was even boosted because the story about two homosexuals stands out in the TV-series very much. I thought about that fact being able to restrict me in the future. As a straight person I wasn’t even sure if I feel like gazing after a man five days a week and to even kiss him. A very important question was if I could make it. Well, but that’s my job – to portray someone I’m not. But I considered the storyline as a challenge and a big chance to learn and grow as an actor."
Just to make my own views on this perfectly clear: I like that he's honest about where he was coming from. I'm sure he was never against gay rights or outright homophobic, just slightly thoughtless "Ewww" like a lot of young men. And I don't think it's wrong to admire him for going from that, to this amazing commitment to his character that he has demonstrated for so long.
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Davian
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Post by Davian on Oct 2, 2008 21:48:11 GMT -5
Thank you Alessis! I agree with your final thougts (sorry but I don't know how to do that square thing to quote). I believe that makes him even more "admiration worthy" (is that correct?) Being a hot young straight man and taking the risk of suffering prejudice (and to overcome his own) is something to admire. I think he has grown as a person lately. So does his belly. Tchuss! D
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Post by aussie54 on Oct 2, 2008 22:50:43 GMT -5
I really think that Jo has had a big influence over Thore here. In real life I think Jo's a pretty easy going guy, and he and Thore have hit it off very well. That would have to make a huge difference in how Thore handled the challenge. So as much as I admire Thore for responding so well, I think Jo gets a lot of credit too.
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Post by alessis on Oct 3, 2008 10:04:04 GMT -5
Thanks davian. Quoting: go to the post you want to quote and click on "quote" in the upper right-hand corner. Your reply post is then created automatically with the quoted post inside. And yeah aussie54, I agree with you about Jo.
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Post by brookie on Oct 3, 2008 10:26:55 GMT -5
Hi! I´m new here in this wonderful message board, but I want to add my 2 cents to this topic as well. I totally agree with alessis - Thore (and Jo as well, I think) did grew with the roles, they´re playing. The acting became an easiness in the course of time. Both, Jo and Thore, complement one another perfectly. If I watch older clips, it seems to me, the acting is more "stiff" (don´t know, if you use this word for what I mean, in german we would say "hölzern"-->"wooden"). I hope, you know what I mean. And I agree, it´s really brave, that they decided to take the risk of playing a gay role. But I`m hopeful, that it will be NO risk for a career any longer. I think times are changing. Slowly, but changing. I just hope, they don´t get bored about their roles - Ollian needs a new, interesting and intriguing storyline for the future!!! So, if the writers need any ideas - I´ve got a load of highly dramatic ones!!! Sorry for my english, it´s got a little rusty in the course of times! Bye, brookie
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Post by alessis on Oct 3, 2008 10:41:07 GMT -5
Thanks brookie and welcome to this indeed wonderful message board! I think by now, at least in Germany (and Sweden), times have changed to the point where you don't have to be exactly brave to play a gay character, and it's not a danger to your career (maybe the opposite – look at the attention Thore and Jo are getting now). I would think any barriers that need to be overcome are more of a personal nature. As for Jo, he already went through that years ago when he first played Olli on VL, so I'm sure he didn't have to think much about it this time, and he could probably offer Thore a lot of help and support. And yeah, it's amazing how easy and natural they've become with each other. I must say I haven't seen anything like it (between any couple gay or straight) on this or any other soap.
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Post by brookie on Oct 3, 2008 12:53:19 GMT -5
Thanks for your welcome, alessis! Well, I think although times are changing, an actor still has to be brave to play gay. And maybe a soap-actor more than movie-actors, because they´re stuck to the role (and the image) a lot longer than a movie-actor is. There still is no A-list actor in Hollywood openly gay because of the problems they would have if they´re open. This week there is a very interesting article in the german "Gala"-magazine (sorry, it´s not online) about Perez Hilton outing celebs (well, I´m not really consent on outing someone, who doesn´t want to be!). There are a lot of actors, who don´t want to play gay roles because of the problems and prejudices they expect (and it doesn´t matter if the actor himself is gay or straight).
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Post by alessis on Oct 3, 2008 13:33:56 GMT -5
Brookie, to me it seems there's a pretty big (and growing) difference between the US and Europe when it comes to gay. I think it's much less of an issue here, you being in Germany yourself, don't you agree? Here in Sweden I feel like my country, and most of Europe (I mean heck even a Catholic "macho" country like Spain had gay marriage legalized years ago) is pretty much over this bump, while in the US there's very much a serious struggle going on. One of the things that form a widening rift between the US and Europe, in my opinion. This is going OT (which is totally my fault not yours), so unless we bring the discussion back to The Acting, we should probably continue it in the General Discussion thread.
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Post by brookie on Oct 3, 2008 13:41:41 GMT -5
;D yeah, totally OT, sorry. ------> I continue at the "General discussion" with this....
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Post by Princess Ollian on Oct 3, 2008 16:37:33 GMT -5
;D yeah, totally OT, sorry. ------> I continue at the "General discussion" with this.... Thanks guys, self regulation - do love it when you make it easy for us...
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