Reality-based television series have been huge ratings hits in primetime for several years. Now, the reality is making its way to daytime television. Whether or not the ratings boost will find its way to the daylight hours, though, remains to be seen.
The reality-based storyline will begin this spring when All My Children's Kendall and Greenlee launch a quest to find the sexiest man in America for their new cosmetic company's, Fusion, ad campaign. According to ABC Daytime President Brian Frons the focus of the search will be less on physical attributes and more on what women "really" find sexy, like sense of humor and romance.
ABC will also begin on-air promotions for All My Children – airing around the clock instead of solely in the daytime hours – urging viewers to submit videotapes and photographs of the men that they feel are sexy. The field of entries will be whittled down to 25 finalists and viewers will ultimately get the chance to vote for their favorite during a five-week period. Votes can be cast via a special website or by cellular phone text messaging. The five finalists will then return to All My Children in September. Details on how and when to vote will be unveiled at a later date.
"Searching for America's sexiest guy is certainly a fantasy that fits into the emotional fantasy-fulfillment of soap operas," states Frons. "There is an undiscovered link between these two programming forms."
Indeed the blending of the two forms is a first for daytime television. While several soap operas have previously allowed fans to vote on how certain aspects of the show should unfold – AMC previously allowed viewers to vote on a wedding dress for Hayley and NBC's Days of our Lives let fans pick the father of newborn – this marks and unprecedented merging of the two entertainment forms.
The quest for the sexiest man in America will begin this spring.
