On her official Instagram page, “Days of our Lives” star Deidre Hall (Marlena Evans) shared a heartwarming story about the late Bill Hayes, who played Doug Williams on the daytime drama series since 1970 and sadly passed away on Friday, January 12 at 98 years old. Hayes was the real-life husband of on-screen partner Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams).

In Hall’s message, she said, “When I say Bill & Susan Hayes, I think of the phrase with no separation between the words. If written, it would appear as Billandsusanhayes.

“I had the opportunity to see them up close and unguarded due to our professional and personal relationship. During any significant moment or event, it was each other’s eyes they sought out to share the experience. It could not be fully enjoyed until it was shared.”

Providing some insight into Bill Hayes’s personal life, including his and Susan’s dedication to the church, Hall noted, “Their deep and abiding faith made them pillars in their church community. Bill and Susan’s belief included action, not just providing emotional and substantive support. After 50 years of lending his voice to the Chancel Choir, he was honored by the church with the retirement of his choir robe and a permanent plaque that reads: ‘The Bill Hayes Chancel Choir Loft.’

“Whether sharing tales of their large family, their extensive travels, or plays made by their oft-disappointing Dodgers, they built on each other’s stories until a rich and entertaining visual was achieved.”

You can read Hall’s Instagram full message below.

When I say Bill & Susan Hayes, I think of the phrase with no separation between the words. If written, it would appear as Billandsusanhayes.

I had the opportunity to see them up close and unguarded due to our professional and personal relationship. During any significant moment or event, it was each other’s eyes they sought out to share the experience. It could not be fully enjoyed until it was shared.

Their deep and abiding faith made them pillars in their church community. Bill and Susan’s belief included action, not just providing emotional and substantive support. After 50 years of lending his voice to the Chancel Choir, he was honored by the church with the retirement of his choir robe and a permanent plaque that reads: “The Bill Hayes Chancel Choir Loft.”

Whether sharing tales of their large family, their extensive travels, or plays made by their oft-disappointing Dodgers, they built on each other’s stories until a rich and entertaining visual was achieved.

Many will speak of Bill’s unparalleled voice, not just the quality but the emotion contained within. When being greeted by Bill, you could hear the smile contained in your name. “Billy, Dee’s here.” “Deeeiiidddrrreeee!!” I’m not describing it well, but anyone who knows him will be grinning at the memory.

Regardless of where our last conversation ended, Bill would pick up the next with: “Say, how did your monologue work?” “Did you try that curry restaurant?” And, always: “How’s your SISTER?!?”

Many years ago, clearly having no idea personally, I asked Bill, “What makes a marriage work?” He gave it much thought before saying, “In all the years I have known Susan, she has never given me an insincere kiss.” It was not a casual response. I understood it to mean the constancy of sincere devotion. Upon reflection, it is the glue that held them together. It is the deep and demonstrable love and affection for each other and the life they had created.

Yes, they taught us how to love, and it was truly a Master Class.

Bill Hayes was the most loving and generous man I have ever known. Anyone lucky enough to have spent time with this gentle man, would surely agree they were “changed for good.”

Deidre Hall on Instagram (January 22, 2024)

Note: The post Deidre Hall Gives Insight on Bill Hayes, the Beloved 98-Year-Old ‘Days of our Lives’ Star Who Passed Away Earlier This Month appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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2 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

Patrick Mulcahey material starts airing in April?

2 hours ago, janea4old said:

Errol said above "co-head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor, whose scripts will air into March."

Depending on the specific date in March (unknown at this time), it's expected Mulcahey and Korte's material would begin the next day, which would likely be in March, too. But again, it all depends on the specific date in March we're talking about. We'll soon find out.

Just now, Lye-C said:

Tomlin?

Nope. If they hired him, they'd definitely have a lawsuit on their hands from the WGA for replacing writers shortly after a sanctioned strike by the guild vs. studios with a fi-core writer.

Just now, Vee said:

Oh, dude, don't do us like that. Play charades, give us something!

Oh, I'm just saying that I'm just happy it isn't someone currently at DAYS (no offense to that show or its writers), and it's not someone brought out of retirement who would have made the show even darker, albeit that's what goes for quality these days in Netflix/streaming shows.

14 minutes ago, reallyhateskateonlost said:

Is this going to be good or bad.

Better than I expected, honestly. At least it isn't certain *ahem* peeps I feared it would be.

Mulcahey has always been my favorite writer. His Carly with Sarah Brown was the pinnacle of what I tuned into GH for.

BREAKING NEWS: Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte Named New Co-Head Writers at ‘General Hospital’, Replacing Outgoing Writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor

https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2024/01/patrick-mulcahey-elizabeth-korte-new-co-head-writers-general-hospital-chris-van-etten-dan-oconnor-exit

ABC is going in a different direction with “General Hospital,” it was announced on Monday.

Patrick Mulcahey is returning to the fold as the show’s new co-head writer working alongside veteran writer Elizabeth Korte, who has been with the show since 1994 and has held various positions ever since, including her previous position as script editor and historian. Mulcahey and Korte are replacing co-head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor, whose scripts will air into March.

In mid-December, immediately following the show breaking its own record with 16 wins for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series during “The 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards,” Nathan Varni, the current series executive in charge of the show’s production who handles matters from the network level, made note that despite the show winning awards, his goal for the new year was to win back “lapsed viewers.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Varni said, “We have a lot of work to do but we’re all ready to work hard for YOU!”

Varni’s post received approximately 145,000 views since it was published last month.

Following the months-long writer’s strike that ended in late September, Van Etten and O’Connor’s names reappeared in the show’s credits starting with the Monday, December 18, 2023 episode. One week later, we reported the series had hit a new season low among Total Viewers, with just 1.915 million people tuning in. This marked the fifth time overall the series had gone below the two million viewers mark this season, but the first with material written by the show’s regular writers. 

Since then, the show has seen three consecutive weeks of growth, each above the two million viewer mark. In fact, during the week of January 8-12, 2024, the most recent week in which Nielsen data is available, “General Hospital” hit a new season high with 2.192 million viewers tuned in, marking the third consecutive week of gains among Total Viewers which amounted to the show adding +277,000 viewers over the same three week period.

That said, the Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 sales demographics are what sell ad rates for daytime programming and keep the lights on. Among Women 18-49, “General Hospital” is experiencing its worst season ever, with just a 0.2 rating in the demo. During the week of January 8-12, 2024, the show marked its sixth consecutive week where it tied its series low. The other two remaining network soaps – “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” – also hit or are tying their series low in the demo, each with a 0.3 rating. In the case of “The Bold and the Beautiful,” this is the show’s 28th straight week tying its series low.

Van Etten had been the co-head writer of “General Hospital” since October 2017, replacing Jean Passanante, who decided to retire after 25 years working as a writer. Van Etten worked alongside the show’s remaining co-head writer, Shelly Altman, through much of 2019 until she also retired, leaving the door open for O’Connor to replace her. O’Connor began his tenure as co-head writer in November 2019.

Prior to head writing at “General Hospital,” Van Etten had been a breakdown writer at the show since May 2012, joining the writing staff, which was at the time led by former “One Life to Live” head writer Ron Carlivati (now at “Days of our Lives”). At “One Life to Live,” Van Etten was the assistant to the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, from 2001-2003 before he changed positions and became a writer’s associate. Soon after, he was promoted to the position of continuity supervisor before being named an associate head writer in August 2005. By November 2006, Van Etten had become a breakdown writer at the New York-based daytime drama series.

Also getting his start in daytime at “One Life to Live,” O’Connor was a writer’s associate from 2007-2011. Like Van Etten, O’Connor later joined Carlivati’s writing team at “General Hospital” in 2013, where he held the dual role of associate head writer and breakdown writer before being named co-head writer.

The last time “General Hospital” won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series was in 2009 under the show’s then-head writer Robert Guza, Jr., whom both Mulcahey and Korte worked under throughout the latter part of the 1990s.

Mulcahey’s writing career began in 1979 as a scriptwriter for the series “Texas.” He joined the writing team of “The Bold and the Beautiful” in 2005 and worked as a scriptwriter and story consultant there until 2019.

Note: The post Patrick Mulcahey and Elizabeth Korte Named New Co-Head Writers at ‘General Hospital’, Replacing Outgoing Writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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This week on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” R.J. (Joshua Hoffman) provides Luna (Lisa Yamada) with information that might help put a stop to the burgeoning relationship between Bill (Don Diamont) and Poppy (Romy Park) which is reaching levels neither have seen in years, with each catching feelings for the other. Speaking of relationships, Hope (Annika Noelle) gives Thomas (Matthew Atkinson) a decision about their relationship.

DAILY BREAKDOWN

Note: The post The Bold and the Beautiful PreVUE for the Week of January 22-26, 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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This week on “General Hospital,” Nina (Cynthia Watros) is out to revenge the revengers, Drew and Carly (Cameron Mathison and Laura Wright) now that Crimson has been taken away from her, and her relationship with her loved ones is on the rocks. Meanwhile, friends and family prepare to say goodbye to Trina (Tabyana Ali) and Spencer (Nicholas Chavez), but will Esme (Avery Pohl) let them go without getting the last word?

DAILY BREAKDOWN

Note: The post General Hospital PreVUE for the Week of January 22-26, 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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This week on “The Young and the Restless,” Victor (Eric Braeden) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) clash over what to do with Claire (Hayley Erin) when it comes to figuring out her place within the Newman family. Meanwhile, Devon (Bryton James) has the upper hand over Daniel (Michael Graziadei) as Diane (Susan Walters) is in attack mode against Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott).

DAILY BREAKDOWN

Note: The post The Young and the Restless PreVUE for the Week of January 22-26, 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Earlier this month, “Santa Barbara” co-creator and co-head writer Bridget Dobson died. She was 85 years old. Dobson was the daughter of the late Frank and Doris Hursley, co-creators of “General Hospital.” She had been married to her husband Jerome Dobson since 1961. Together, they co-created “Santa Barbara” for NBC, which aired from 1984 to 1993 and won three consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series (1988, 1989, 1990).

In a social media post following the news of Dobson’s death, “General Hospital” star Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) shared her sentiments about working with the veteran soap opera writer on “Santa Barbara,” where Grahn portrayed Julia Wainwright Capwell and won her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (tie with Debbi Morgan from “All My Children”).

On Instagram, Grahn said, “Bridget Dobson and her husband Jerry hired me to play the most curious, absorbing, complex, inspiring, character of my career. 

“Realizing the role of Julia Wainwright, having the privilege of feeling my way through this beautifully constructed character’s relationship with herself and others was life altering for me. It advanced me as an actress and a woman. It introduced 140 some countries to me and me to them and it set the path to a career that has so far lasted 38 yrs. The effect just one person can have on your life is quite extraordinary. Rest in greatness, Bridget and thank you.”

Also remembering Dobson was A Martinez, who portrayed Cruz Castillo on the soap opposite Marcy Walker, who portrayed Eden Capwell. In a post on Facebook, Martinez stated, “Bridget and her husband Jerry eventually ascended into the realm of legend.  As is always the case with great writers who will not be denied, their obsession to build their own world –– and share it ––delivered emotional medicine for years to millions of people around the world, and the power of that medicine lingers to this day.  Thank you, Bridget.  May a warm wind carry you always.” In 1990, Martinez won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Cruz on “Santa Barbara.”

Lane Davies, who played Mason Capwell, love interest to Grahn’s Julia, said on Instagram, “Bridget was possessed of an indomitable spirit, irrepressible creativity, and a truly wicked sense of humor. Together with her husband of 60-plus years, Jerry, she gave us some of the most memorable moments and characters in the history of Daytime Television. She will be sorely missed by all who were lucky enough to have known her.”

In addition to “Santa Barbara,” Dobson worked as a writer and later as co-head writer of “General Hospital,” working alongside her husband. After exiting the writer’s room at the ABC soap in __, the Dobsons took over writing duties for “Guiding Light” and later “As The World Turns” before planning to retire in the early 1980s. Incidentally, NBC reached out to the Dobsons, asking them to create a brand new daytime soap opera that they would own and have full creative control over.

“NBC-TV called to ask if we were to own a show, if we were to be in complete charge of every creative aspect of a show, from sets and costumes and hairstyles and music to every minute detail of the production, acting and writing, would we be willing to work again? Nobody in history had ever been asked this question. Not before and not since,” Dobson said in an interview published by a “Santa Barbara” blog dedicated to the history of “Santa Barbara” created by Pierpaolo Dongiovanni, a close friend of the Dobsons, who was the first to announce the news of Dobson’s passing.

Note: The post Nancy Lee Grahn, A Martinez and Lane Davies Remember ‘Santa Barbara’ Co-Creator Bridget Dobson appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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With CBS broadcasting Super Bowl LVIII this year, the network has announced several of its sports, news, entertainment and syndicated programs will be taking up residence in Las Vegas, with the Fountains of Bellagio serving as the backdrop of the network’s central broadcast location, all leading up to CBS Sports’ presentation of the big game on Sunday, February 11.

Starting Monday, February 5, and through Sunday, February 11, shows across broadcast, cable and streaming will share four outdoor sets as they deliver original reporting and breaking news, welcome celebrity guests, and provide viewers with detailed game analysis, all live and in person, or taped segments for broadcast at a later date.

Hosted by Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood, CBS’ “The Talk” will broadcast live Monday through Friday as they welcome celebrity guests and highlight the happenings in Vegas. Meanwhile, “The Drew Barrymore Show,” hosted by Drew Barrymore, will tape “Drew’s News” and field segments throughout the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

“Entertainment Tonight” will see hosts Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner talking to all the stars in Sin City leading up to and after the game, while “Inside Edition,” hosted by Deborah Norville, will originate from Las Vegas leading up to the game.

The power of CBS News will be on display with the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell,” anchored by managing editor Norah O’Donnell,” airing live from Las Vegas in order to bring viewers all the action from Super Bowl LVIII, including the latest breaking news from across the country.

“CBS Mornings” will broadcast live on location in Las Vegas on Thursday, February 8 and Friday, February 9 while delivering original reporting, breaking news, top-level newsmaker interviews and artful storytelling with co-hosts Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson.

The CBS Owned Television Stations and affiliates covering Super Bowl LVIII will broadcast from the Bellagio during their local newscasts, the network noted.

As for sports, several CBS programs will be part of the action leading up to the game, including “The NFL Today,” the iconic pregame show with host James Brown and analysts Phil Simms, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, Boomer Esiason, JJ Watt, and lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones as they count down to kick-off of Super Bowl LVIII with detailed game analysis, features and interviews with the spectacular fountains serving as the backdrop.

Hosted by Adam Zucker, “CBS Sports Live” will be the place to join a rotating cast of analysts, including Matt Ryan, Charles Davis, Kyle Long, Amy Trask, Trent Green, Kevin Carter and Jonathan Jones each night as they offer news and analysis. Reporters Aditi Kinkhabwala, AJ Ross, and Tiffany Blackmon will also contribute to the show along with additional CBS Sports programming.

On CBS Sports HQ, the free, 24/7 streaming sports news network by CBS Sports, viewers will receive game coverage all week long, including more than 40 hours of programming, culminating with an extended Super Bowl LVIII post-game show. Notable daily programming that week will include the “Pick Six” podcast, SportsLine’s best bets shows, and “CBS Sports HQ Spotlight.”

On “NFL Monday QB,” Adam Schein, along with Matt Ryan, Trent Green and Jonathan Jones, will break down all of the quarterback action heading into Super Bowl LVIII, while “That Other Pregame Show” sees host Adam Schein, analysts Amy Trask, Kyle Long, Brock Vereen and Jonathan Jones offer opinions, analysis, predictions and interviews, with appearances by analysts from “The NFL Today.”

The all-women sports show “We Need to Talk” will air a special episode hosted by AJ Ross, Aditi Kinkhabwala, Andrea Kremer and Amy Trask. Meanwhile, the afternoon radio series “The Jim Rome Show,” hosted by Jim Rome, is live Monday through Friday and simulcast on CBS Sports Network. Look for Rome to offer compelling commentary on the day’s hottest topics, along with high-profile guests and signature callers weighing in on the day’s biggest sports news.

Finally, Adam Schein hosts “Time to Schein,” an hour-long weekday talk show covering the world of sports with interviews and commentary.

​​A complete schedule for each show will be released at a later date.

Watch a sizzle reel below featuring several of CBS’ personalities as they prepare for Vegas, baby!

Note: The post ‘The Talk’, ‘The Drew Barrymore Show’ and ‘Entertainment Tonight’ Among CBS Shows Heading to Las Vegas for Super Bowl LVIII appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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R.I.P. David Gail – ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, ‘Savannah’ And ‘Port Charles’ Actor Dies At 58

Best known for his portrayal of Dr. Joe Scanlon on “Port Charles,” Dean Collins on The WB’s “Savannah” and Stuart Carson on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” actor David Gail has died. He was just 58 years old. No cause of death was reported at press time.

Best known for his portrayal of Dr. Joe Scanlon on “Port Charles,” Dean Collins on The WB’s “Savannah” and Stuart Carson on “Beverly Hills, 90210,” actor David Gail has died. He was just 58 years old. No cause of death was reported at press time.

News of Gail’s passing was first reported via an Instagram story by Peter Ferriero, host of a “Beverly Hills, 90210” podcast which also features the show’s producers Charles Rosin and Larry Mollin as they discuss the iconic series and its impact on pop culture.

“Was just told by his friends that our David Gail has passed away,” stated Ferriero in the post, referring to Gail’s multi-episode appearance on the hit FOX drama where he appeared as Stuart Carson during the show’s fourth season. “I’m so upset by this news. So grateful I had the opportunity to chat with him.”

In a message posted on Instagram by Katie Colmenares, Gail’s sister, she said of her brother, “There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side always my wingman always my best friend ready to face anything and anyone w me the bears will never be the same but I will hold you so tight every day in my heart you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being missing you every second of every day forever there will never be another.” 

Colmenares’ post included an undated photo of the two hugging each other.

Shortly after posting about Gail’s passing, Ferriero posted a series of videos to his Instagram stories timeline on Saturday morning talking about how he learned of Gail’s death while also sharing a story on how he was able to get in contact with Gail to discuss his “Beverly Hills, 90210” experience on the podcast, including how he first got cast and was later told by producers to get acting lessons before they brought him back to the show as a different character.

In Ferriero’s videos, he said, “Late last night, before I went to bed, I got a DM from someone I didn’t know who I’m happy to know now, telling me that the actor, and her friend, David Gail, had passed away. This was absolutely shocking and devastating for me. I didn’t know David like we weren’t best friends like the person was, but we definitely – it took a long time to find him to bring him on the podcast – it took me a long time to find him, and Larry and I did everything we could possibly to find David Gail and then we did, and we started exchanging messages [back and forth] on WhatsApp a whole bunch over the last couple of years since he’s been on and he was just a really good human being, and I’m really upset by everything. 

“It was just the other day I was thinking we should bring David back for something, and I know that he had a bit of a struggle leaving Hollywood. There wasn’t a lot of work for him and whatnot, and his friend told me that being on the podcast and seeing him smile like that and talking about his work really made a difference in his life, and I never thought this podcast would do that for anybody… I just love talking about ‘90210,’ but I have so much gratitude that Larry and I were able to find him, that I got to talk to him via WhatsApp and that he got to come on the show and get all the love from all of us about how great he was on not just this but other [shows].”

Without going into specifics, Ferriero went on to say, “I don’t mean to be preachy in any way, but I think when something like this happens, I always just want to reach out to everybody I know and tell them that I love them and care for them. I’m so grateful for them being in my world and giving me the opportunities to interview them on the show or to work on a documentary or to read my script or whatever, or just to know them. So, yeah. Tough stuff. Really a good dude, and I’m super bummed by all of it. Anyway, just wanted to share the new guys.”

Born February 27, 1965 in Tampa, Florida, Gail first made a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in such shows as “Growing Pains,” “Doogie Howser, M.D.,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Matlock.” In 1992, he landed a series regular role as Danny Burke in the short-lived NBC drama series “The Round Table,” which also starred “Days of our Lives” actress Stacy Haiduk.

Before playing Stuart Carson on “Beverly Hills, 90210” over a seven-episode arc during the show’s fourth season, which aired from 1993-1994, Gail actually made his first appearance on the show during its first season as a character named Tom, which Gail talked about when he appeared as a guest on the “90210” podcast in April 2021.

As Stuart, the character was set to marry Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) after an impromptu dash to Las Vegas at a time when she was 18 and he was 24, and the two had only known each other for three weeks. Although the wedding was ultimately canceled, the pair remained friends until a few episodes later when Stuart showed his true colors to Brenda and they parted ways.

After his time on the FOX series ended, Gail landed a starring role in the USA Network original drama series “Robin’s Hoods,” which followed a prosecutor who inherited a bar from her deceased husband that gave a job opportunity to young offenders on parole. The lead character, Robin (played by Linda Purl), utilized the skillset of the young men to help her with cases she was having trouble resolving. Gail portrayed the role of Eddie Bartlett in the series, which saw guest appearances from several soap actors, past and present, including Rick Springfield, Morgan Fairchild, Jessica Collins, Nancy Lee Grahn, Jennifer Basey, Thom Bierdz, Constance Towers, Shari Shattuck and Alley Mills, along with many other well known Hollywood stars.

With “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Robin’s Hoods” produced by Spelling Television, it came as no surprise to see the well-liked Gail landing a gig on another Spelling series, this time as Dean Collins on “Savannah,” where he appeared in all 34 episodes of the drama series which ran for two seasons on The WB.

By 1999, Gail was hired to play a recast Dr. Joe Scanlon on the ABC daytime drama series “Port Charles,” which would become Gail’s last regular role. He remained with the show for just about a year before the series again recast the character with actor Alex Mendoza.

Other shows in which Gail appeared following his departure from “Port Charles” included “V.I.P.,” a syndicated action series starring Pamela Anderson, NBC’s “ER” and CBS’ “JAG.” Gail’s most recent acting credit was voicing multiple characters in the 2019 video game “Blacksad: Under the Skin.”

You can watch Gail’s first full podcast appearance below.

Note: The post R.I.P. David Gail – ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’, ‘Savannah’ and ‘Port Charles’ Actor Dies at 58 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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During the week of January 8-12, 2024, ABC’s “The View” remained the most-watched daytime talk show and ranked a solid number one among all network talk shows and news programs with 2.509 million viewers tuning in. This marked a season high for the daily series and the show’s most-watched week overall in nearly two years – since the week of March 28-April 2, 2022 (2.509 million vs. 2.726 million).

In addition to seeing week-to-week gains among Total Viewers (+2%; 2.509 million vs. 2.453 million), the show also hit a five-week high in Women 18-49 with a 0.22 rating (best since the week of December 4-8, 2023). 

Compared to its performance one week earlier, “The View” also increased in Women 18-49 viewers (+11%; 149,000 vs. 134,000). Among Women 25-54, the talk show averaged 219,000 viewers in the key sales demographic.

For the week, “The View” had a 1.71 rating in Households and 2.509 million viewers to place first, followed by “TODAY 3rd Hour” (1.54 HH rating; 2.269 million viewers), “TODAY with Hoda & Jenna” (1.11 HH rating; 1.615 million viewers), “The Talk” (0.95 HH rating, 1.408 million viewers), “GMA3: What You Need to Know” (1.0 HH rating, 1.485 million viewers) and “NBC News Daily” (0.89 HH rating, 1.320 million viewers).

Featuring guest Barry Manilow, the  Tuesday, January 9 episode was the most-watched single episode overall with 2.635 million viewers, followed by the Wednesday, January 10 episode with guest Liz Cheney taking in 2.622 million viewers. The episodes were the show’s two most-watched single telecasts in over a year – since the January 3, 2023 episode which featured “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson as a guest.

In even more good news for “The View,” the talk show ranked No. 1 in Households (1.66 rating) and Total Viewers (2.45 million) among all network and syndicated daytime talk shows and news programs during the week of January 1-5, 2024, the most recent week in which syndicated ratings were available for daytime programming.

“The View” topped “Live with Kelly and Mark” (1.61 HH rating, 2.410 million viewers), “TODAY 3rd Hour (1.48 HH rating, 2.218 million viewers), “TODAY with Hoda & Jenna” (1.12 HH rating, 1.696 million viewers), “GMA3: What You Need to Know” (0.9 HH rating, 1.413 million viewers), “NBC News Daily” (0.86 HH rating, 1.303 million viewers) and “The Talk” (0.86 HH rating, 1.290 million viewers).

Season to date, “The View” is up in Total Viewers (+2%; 2.434 million vs. 2.375 million) versus the comparable weeks last season and continues to rank No. 1 in Households and Total Viewers among all network and syndicated daytime talk shows and news programs for the fourth consecutive season (2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024).

Ratings are based on Live+Same Day Data from Nielsen Media Research.

Beginning August 31, 2020, national ratings reported by Nielsen began to include Out of Home (OOH) viewing. Prior to that time frame, ratings did not include OOH. Nielsen averages are based on regular telecasts.

For a look at how “The View” compares to the rest of daytime broadcast, including the soap operas and game shows, click here.

Check out clips from Barry Manilow and Liz Cheney’s appearance on “The View” below.

Produced by ABC News and airing weekdays at 11:00 a.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT on ABC, “The View” is hosted by  Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro. The show is also available to stream Live and On Demand on Hulu.

Brian Teta serves as showrunner/executive producer with Sarah de la O as director.

Note: The post ‘The View’ Hits Season High Among Total Viewers, Attracts Largest Overall Audience in Nearly 2 Years appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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During the week of January 8-12, 2024, CBS saw the most significant gains across all of daytime broadcast with six of the network’s seven shows seeing growth north of +100,000 or more compared to their performances one week earlier.

Posting the most significant gains was the two half hours of “The Price is Right” (4.102 million / 4.654 million), up +167,000 and +179,000 viewers week-to-week, respectively. The two half hours of “Let’s Make a Deal” (2.341 million / 2.769 million) followed, gaining +128,000 and +161,000 viewers, respectively. “The Young and the Restless” (3.350 million) was up +123,000 viewers over last week while “The Talk” (1.408 million) was up +118,000 viewers and hit a new season high among Total Viewers. “The Bold and the Beautiful” (2.824 million) saw an increase of +83,000 viewers compared to the week ago period.

“General Hospital” again hit a new season high with 2.192 million viewers tuning in, up +17,000 viewers over last week, which was the show’s then season high. This marks the show’s best performance in the category in at least a year, and the show is up over its performance during the comparable weeks in 2021 and 2020.

The week’s episodes were dedicated to the memory of Jacklyn Zeman, a 45-year veteran cast member who died last year after a short battle with cancer. Zeman portrayed the iconic Barbara Jean “Bobbie” Spencer on the daytime drama series off and on starting in December 1977. Among Women 18-49, the show’s 0.24 rating marked its best performance in five weeks (since the week of December 4-8, 2023).

In addition to “The Talk” and “General Hospital,” shows also hitting season highs this week were ABC’s “The View” (2.509 million) and “GMA3: What You Need to Know” (1.485 million). Meanwhile, “NBC News Daily” (1.320 million) was tops among the afternoon network talk shows and news programs. For more on the performances of “The Talk,” “GMA3: What You Need to Know” and “NBC News Daily,” click here.

What follows is a breakdown of how the daytime broadcast shows performed during the week of January 8-12, 2024 in Women 18-49 Rating, Women 25-54 Rating, Households and Total Viewers, including a look at their comparable performances in 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (pre-pandemic), which provides readers with a clearer picture of how the shows are performing overall during a five-year period and/or the basis for an overall trend. A closer look at the daytime soaps, including their daily performance breakdown in the demos, will be posted shortly.

Week of January 8-12, 2024 Rankers

Women 18-49 Rating (Rounded)

Women 18-49 Rating (Unrounded)*

Women 25-54 Rating (Rounded)

Women 25-54 Rating (Unrounded)*

Households

Total Viewers (In Millions)

The numbers above are calculated using Live+Same Day viewing and DVR playback, defined as 3:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m. and are courtesy of Nielsen. Household ratings are the percentage of TV homes in the U.S. tuned into television, each of which represents 1,250,000 homes as of the 2023-2024 television season.

LEGEND

Note*: Officially, the demo ratings are sorted by the rounded figures released by Nielsen. “NBC News Daily” 2022, 2021 and 2020 figures are compared to the performance of “Days of our Lives,” which moved to Peacock exclusively beginning September 12, 2022. “GMA3: What You Need to Know” 2020 (pre-pandemic) figures are compared to “GMA3: Strahan, Sara & Keke.”

Year-to-year comparisons (2024 vs. 2023) for most daytime broadcast shows among Households and Total Viewers will be unavailable for the foreseeable future due to figures being unavailable to Soap Opera Network during that period.

**Notable Preemptions/Schedule Changes

• There were no preemptions and/or schedule changes reported by Nielsen during the week of January 8-12, 2024.

Note: The post Daytime Broadcast Ratings for the Week of January 8-12, 2024 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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After a delayed start due to the dual Hollywood strikes, NBC’s “Law & Order” and One Chicago franchises returned with significant year-over-year growth.

Leading the charge among Total Viewers was the season premieres of the network’s Wednesday lineup on January 17, consisting of “Chicago Med” (6.9 million viewers), “Chicago Fire” (7.0 million viewers), and “Chicago P.D. (5.8 million viewers). All three shows were up by single-digit percentages over their last season premieres (+5%, +4%, and +6%, respectively) while up double digits vs. the final four episodes from last season (+24%, +16% and +19%, respectively).

According to fast affiliate ratings for January 18, Thursday dramas “Law & Order” (5.2 million), “Law & Order: SVU” (5.6 million) and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” (3.8 million) saw double-digit gains vs. their final four episodes from last season with “SVU” (now celebrating its 25th season) up +31%, original recipe up +29% and the most recent iteration up +12%.

Last season, the three “Law & Order” shows opened their new seasons with a three-show crossover where “Organized Crime” opened the night at 8:00 p.m. with “Law & Order” finished things up at 10:00 p.m.

As is always the case, all six shows will see substantial increases in delayed viewing in Live+3 and Live+7 and from streaming on Peacock.

For the show’s 23rd season, “Law & Order” introduced a new detective to the squad, Detective Vincent Riley (Reid Scott), replacing Jeffrey Donovan as Detective Frank Cosgrove, who opted out of returning to the series due to creative reasons.

On “SVU,” “All My Children” alum Kelli Giddish appeared as a guest star, reprising her role as Amanda Rollins on the veteran series. In recent seasons, the show has introduced a few new characters, including Octavio Pisano as Detective Joe Velasco.

“Chicago Med,” “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago P.D.” air on Wednesday nights from 8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Meanwhile, “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime” air on Thursday nights from 8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. Stream episodes the next day on Peacock.

Note: The post ‘Law & Order’ and One Chicago Franchises Return with Substantial Year-Over-Year Growth appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Returning for all-new episodes after a multi-week break, “Saturday Night Live” returns to NBC with all-new episodes kicking off 2024 on Saturday, January 20 with actor Jacob Elordi making his hosting debut. Elordi currently stars in the award-nominated films “Priscilla” and “Saltburn.”

Set to join Elordi as a musical guest will be singer/actress Reneé Rapp, also making her “Saturday Night Live” debut. Rapp’s discography has amassed over 568 million streams and she is currently starring in the film “Mean Girls,” in theaters now.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, January 27, actress Dakota Johnson returns to host “SNL” for the second time. Johnson stars as the titular character in “Madame Web,” hitting theaters February 14.

Justin Timberlake will take the stage for his fifth solo musical guest appearance during Johnson’s episode. The Emmy and Grammy Award-winning performer and singer-songwriter has previously hosted the popular late-night show in 2009 and 2011 and pulled double duty as host and musical guest in 2003, 2006 and 2013. He first appeared on the show in 2000 when he and his bandmates from *NSYNC performed in an episode hosted by “Dawson Creek” star Joshua Jackson.

“SNL” is set to air an original episode on Saturday, February 3 with guests to be announced.

Check out promo clips from Elordi and Rapp’s upcoming “SNL” episode below.

Produced in association with Broadway Video, “Saturday Night Live” is broadcast live on Saturday nights at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on NBC and is available to stream live on Peacock. Viewers can now also stream every season of “SNL” on Peacock. Lorne Michaels is the show’s creator and executive producer.

Note: The post Hosts and Musical Guests Announced for ‘Saturday Night Live’ 2024 Kickoff appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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“Judy Justice” will kick off its third season on Monday, January 22 with the release of three all-new episodes, which will be available to stream on both Amazon Freevee and Prime Video in the United States, the United Kingdom and Deutschland (Germany). Thereafter, a new episode will drop every weekday on both services through April 5, followed by a second batch of episodes, which will be released later this year.

“Judy Justice” is an arbitration-based reality court program helmed by television icon Judge Judy Sheindlin, a retired Manhattan family court judge adjudicating real-life high-stakes claims.

The show’s cast also includes newly minted lawyer Sarah Rose, who is Judge Sheindlin’s granddaughter and serves as the law clerk; court stenographer Whitney Kumar, a board-certified court reporter in the state of California; and bailiff Kevin Rasco, a retired Los Angeles probation officer. 

Since its premiere in 2021, “Judy Justice” has produced 255 episodes across its first two seasons, with season one having 120 episodes and season two having 135 episodes. All episodes are currently available – both on demand and the “Judy Justice,” “Amazon Originals” and the “Judge & Jury” FAST (Free, Ad-Supported Streaming Television) channels.

“Judy Justice” is executive produced and directed by Randy Douthit and co-executive produced by Amy Freisleben. Scott Koondel is also an executive producer.

Watch the season three trailer below.

Amazon Freevee is a streaming video service with thousands of premium movies and TV shows, including Originals and free ad-supported (FAST) Channels, available anytime, for free.  No paid subscription is necessary.

Featuring limited ads, Amazon Freevee is available as an app on Fire TV, Fire Tablets, and within the Prime Video app. Amazon Freevee is available as an app on third-party devices, including Roku, Samsung Smart TVs (2017 and later models), Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Comcast’s Xfinity Flex, Xfinity X1, Chromecast with Google TV, NVIDIA SHIELD and other Android TV devices, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles, as well as LG Smart TVs (2018 and later models). The app is also available on iPhone, iPad, and Android mobile devices.

Note: The post ‘Judy Justice’ Season 3 Premiere Date Set by Amazon Freevee and Prime Video appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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I merged the topics as @Soapfan123 originally posted this post on Saturday when their account wasn't active yet. 

Currently celebrating its 60th anniversary, which makes it one of the longest-running game shows in television history, CBS has scheduled a special Diamond Jubilee episode of “Let’s Make a Deal” to air in primetime in honor of the veteran daytime series.

Starting with a rousing opening number, titled “Working for the Dealin’” led by host Wayne Brady and his musical group, “Dëaler,” the one-hour special episode airs Wednesday, January 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT as part of “Let’s Make a Deal Primetime” and offers up over $600,000 in prizes in the show’s trademark games, including a guaranteed $60,000 cash prize, a chance to win an Aston Martin valued at over $300,000, and more, as long as contestants can avoid the dreaded Zonks.  

The episode also pays tribute to its original stars – host and creator Monty Hall and model Carol Merrill – with an antique living room setup from the ‘60s, classic clips, and sentimental memories of Monty and Wayne together.

Watch a preview clip of the special primetime episode below.

Now in its 15th consecutive season on CBS with Wayne Brady as host, the current cast of “Let’s Make a Deal” includes announcer Jonathan Mangum, who is also marking 15 years on the show, model Tiffany Coyne and musician Cat Gray.

“Let’s Make a Deal” originally premiered on December 30, 1963, hosted by the late Monty Hall, with model Carol Merrill and announcer Jay Stewart.

In addition to its daytime and primetime iterations airing on CBS, “Let’s Make a Deal” is also available to stream on Paramount+.

Episodes are available to watch via the “Let’s Make a Deal Channel” on Pluto TV 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service will offer encore airings of the “Let’s Make a Deal Primetime” 60th Diamond Jubilee episode, airing Saturday, January 27, Sunday, January 28, Saturday, February 3 and Sunday, February 4 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Produced by Fremantle and broadcast weekdays (check local listings) on CBS, “Let’s Make a Deal” is executive produced by John Quinn.

Note: The post ‘Let’s Make a Deal’ to Celebrate 60th Anniversary With Special Diamond Jubilee Primetime Episode appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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For the first time since the passing of her husband, Bill Hayes, “Days of our Lives” star Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) has posted a public message of thanks for all the loving and kind words people from all over the world have shared about Bill and how much he meant to them.

In a post on her Instagram page that she shared with her husband, which included a black and white photo collage of the pair taken in a photo booth during their early years together, Seaforth Hayes said, “To all of you who honored my Billy with a word of remembrance, a sense of personal loss, or even a tear- I thank you. 

“You touched my heart by seeing in him the goodness and joy I experienced every moment of our wonderful marriage. May we all embrace life with the gusto of Bill Hayes- and enrich it with grace and love.”

Originating the role of Doug Williams on “Days of our Lives” in 1970 and continuing to play the character off and on ever since, Bill Hayes passed away on Friday, January 12, 2024. He was 98 years old.

In addition to his starring role on “Days of our Lives,” Hayes also appeared in numerous television shows and movies throughout his career, including “True Story,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “The United States Steel Hour,” “The Yeomen of the Guard,” “Decoy,” “The Cardinal,” “The Bell Telephone Hour,” “Cop Rock” and “Frasier,” among others.

As a singer, Hayes was well known for his rendition of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” which spent five weeks at the top of the music charts in 1955.

Prior to making a name for himself in the entertainment industry, starting in 1941, Hayes began to serve the first of three years in the Navy Air Corps during his freshman year at DePauw University. Following the war, Hayes returned to school, where he double majored in music and English and was a Rector Scholar at the University. Soon after graduating in 1947, Hayes became a regular on “Your Show of Shows,” a popular variety television show at the time. 

In 2018, Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes were dually presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at “The 45th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.”

Note: The post Susan Seaforth Hayes Speaks on Passing of Husband Bill Hayes appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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“Quantum Leap” is set to return for the second half of its second season on Tuesday, January 30, NBC recently announced. The series is moving to Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT, taking over the slot most recently occupied by “Found,” which wrapped up its first season earlier this week.

Season 2 of “Quantum Leap” premiered in the fall and aired eight of the 13 episodes ordered by the network. The five remaining episodes will air weekly with a two-hour season finale scheduled for Tuesday, February 20 from 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT. All episodes will be available to stream next day on Peacock.

Taking place nearly 30 years after the original series, which aired on NBC from 1989-1993 and followed Dr. Sam Beckett as he stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished, the new iteration brings viewers to the present day where a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. When Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, he leaves the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. 

At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Bassett), a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job and who appears as a hologram only Ben can see and hear. Meanwhile, at the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses, who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chu (Nanrisa Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.

As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leaps and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

“Quantum Leap” ranks among the top 5 highest-rated dramas this season in the Adults 18-49 demo (Live+7) and is averaging 4.9 million viewers across all platforms (Live+35), according to the latest figures released by Nielsen.

Martin Gero and Dean Georgaris serve as executive producers along with Deborah Pratt, Chris Grismer, Alex Berger, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Quinn’s House Productions.

Note: The post NBC Moves ‘Quantum Leap’ to Tuesdays, Sets Premiere Date for Second Half of Season 2 appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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Although “NBC News Daily” remained in last place among the three afternoon network talk shows and news programs in Total Viewers, the show still managed to outpace its competition among viewers in the key Women 18-49 and Women 25-54 demographics during the week of January 8-12, 2024.

For the week, “NBC News Daily” averaged 1.320 million viewers, the show’s second-best outing of the season, behind only the week of November 20-24, 2023 when it averaged 1.323 million viewers. 

By comparison, ABC’s “GMA3: What You Need to Know” averaged 1.485 million viewers and CBS’ “The Talk” averaged 1.408 million viewers, both of which were season highs for each respective program. For “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” this marked the show’s best performance among Total Viewers since the week of July 24-28, 2023 (1.485 million vs. 1.541 million).

Among Women 18-49, “NBC News Daily” was the clear winner with 116,000 viewers in the demo, followed by second place “The Talk” with 111,000 viewers and “GMA3: What You Need to Know” taking in just 93,000 viewers, albeit the ABC News program was up +29% compared to its performance one week earlier (93,000 vs. 72,000).

In Women 25-54, “NBC News Daily” averaged 163,000 viewers while “The Talk” attracted 139,000 viewers and “GMA3” averaged 138,000 viewers, also marking week-to-week improvement for the ABC News program compared to one week earlier (+5% – 138,000 vs. 132,000).

For the season, “GMA3: What You Need to Know” ranks No.1 in Total Viewers versus “The Talk” and “NBC News Daily.”

“NBC News Daily” is a daily series featuring an assortment of NBC News anchors who provide viewers with the latest national and international news, including consumer, health and personal finance reporting and up-to-the-minute local news reports via insertion through the NBC affiliates group.

Vicky Nguyen, Morgan Radford, Kate Snow and Zinhle Essamuah host the series at various points throughout the show’s four-hour broadcast via the NBC News Now streaming service, with one of the hours carried live in each time zone on NBC stations for what becomes “NBC News Daily.”

Note: The post ‘NBC News Daily’ Tops ‘GMA3: What You Need to Know’ and ‘The Talk’ in Key Demos appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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