Dramas, intrigues and really big emotions – the telenovelas Red Roses and Storm of Love are veterans on TV. Even if the daily soaps are considered dusty relics of the past, they cannot be killed. Especially in the media library it should rain top view numbers. Nevertheless, ARD is now putting the red pencil on: The episodes of the popular soaps will be cut in half in the future.
Red roses and the storm of love will soon only last half as long
Red roses and storm of love have been with her since First broadcast almost twenty years ago permanent fixtures on German television. Even if the ratings on classic TV haven’t looked too rosy recently, the soaps have been extremely successful in establishing themselves in the media library. That’s precisely why it’s surprising that those responsible have now initiated major changes.
The cuts that have been decided are tough: In the future, the episodes of the telenovelas will only last 24 minutes instead of the previous 48 minutes. It remains to be seen to what extent halving the length of the episode will affect the pace of the narrative.
There is no official reason for the change, but it can be assumed that the broadcast schedule will be revised. So far, the two soaps have taken up two hours in the afternoon program, In the future they will only share a one-hour slot. It remains to be seen which formats will fill the freed-up hour. ARD has previously experimented with new afternoon programs, but has not yet celebrated any lasting success.
This is what those affected say about the cuts
Even if the halving of broadcast times entails drastic changes, there doesn’t seem to be any bad air behind the scenes of the ARD daily soaps. The cast and crew are probably happy that both shows will continue to be produced for several years.
“Rote Rosen” producer Jan Diepers is positive to DWDL.de. He emphasizes that the station’s promise for the future creates a good mood among fans and participants:
We are very pleased that there is now a prospect of continuing to produce Rote Rosen as a half-hour series until 2027. Over the years it has become an important part of life for many viewers and employees.
Sturm der Liebe producer Marcus Ammon also thanks those responsible. He is happy about his show “will be extended for two more seasons until 2027”. Fans can breathe a sigh of relief – so nothing stands in the way of a series marathon in the next few years.
Diepers also points to changing consumption habits of those watching. He might be alluding to this, that in the age of TikTok and Co., quickly digestible content is booming:
We see a great narrative opportunity in changing the episode length to adapt the format to current usage habits in daily broadcasts and in the media library.
Whether fans actually prefer the shorter episodes will become clear when the TV broadcast begins.
When will the cuts to Red Roses and Storm of Love take effect?
It is not yet known when the 24-minute episodes will be shown on TV and in the media library. Since the telenovelas always take breaks and are pre-produced for many months, it will probably take quite a while before the changes reach those watching. Experts do not expect shorter consequences before 2025/2026.