JoeCool

@kalbir CBS Daytime took off in the second half of 1989 and by the end of the year was unstoppable and unbeatable. GH really begins to drop in 1989/early 1990. CBS Primetime was a mess though.

@kalbir Also BB showing growth. BB beats ATWT for the first time the week of 6/12 and beats both ATWT and GL both for the first time the week of 6/19.

Moving AMC to 12:30 would have been better for ABC. I think though Restless would have still become Number 1 but when and for how long who knows. ABC was not willing to do it and they eventually lost the daytime ratings crown. This is my opinion, I think AMC would have done well going up against Restless and would have done well through the 80s and 90s. I think ABC was too worried and focused on GH than AMC. AMC also lost ratings momentum in 1975 when it was moved for RH. So I think moving AMC to 12:30 in 1983 would have been a move of strength and would have increased Loving's ratings at 1:30 or if RH went there. RH was awful at 12:30PM. ET in the early 1980s.

ABC approached Agnes Nixon about creating a 30 minute daytime drama in the early 80s. Why ABC wanted it is beyond me. Agnes always thought Loving was to replace either Edge or RH and she did not want Loving to premiere at 1130AM. RH and Edge were at the bottom of the ratings in the early 1980s and by 1983 were awful ratings wise. ABC should have cancelled either RH or Edge or both. ABC misplayed their hand badly.

ABC Daytime was too rigid in its scheduling and really paid the price in the 1980s. Clearances really doomed RH, Loving and PC and of course Edge. ABC never really recovered once Restless moved to 12:30PM and ABC was not aggressive in trying to lessen Restless. RH overstayed its welcome on ABC and ABC starting Loving at 11:30AM doomed it from the start.

In the late 70's, Fred Silverman and Jackie Smith created the 3 hour block of 1 hour shows back to back and ABC never wanted to break it up. ABC should have shook up its schedule. because CBS shook up the schedule once Restless went to an hour and eventually Restless went to Number 1 and CBS Daytime went to Number 1. As for PC - it was doomed going up against Restless just like RH and Loving were destroyed by Restless.

Agreed. Capitol was canceled not for its ratings but because CBS wanted another Bill Bell soap. Ryan's Hope had its best days in the 1970s and by the time the early 80s came around, RH was falling in the ratings. Ryan's Hope should have been canceled in 1983. Loving replaces it. AMC moves to 12:30PM. Loving at 1:30 then followed by OLTL at 2 and GH at 3ET. ABC owned RH by then in 1983. The Labines did not want to expand to an hour when ABC wanted it in the late 70s. RH's time was up by 1983 because Restless crushed it in 1983.

Starting off Loving at 11:30AM doomed it from the very beginning. Ryan's Hope was already fading in 1982 and 1983. Historically, RH was given AMC timeslot at 1:00 PM when it premiered in 1975. AMC moved up to 12:30PM. Agnes fought the time slot change for AMC and was very angry with ABC. AMC's ratings went down and RH lost ground in the 1PM. Then AMC got the spot back in 1977 then went to an hour. Loving was an average show but was its writing any worse than Capitol? or RH? or Search or AW? No. And having Restless crush RH for years ..that did not affect AMC??? Of course it did...and Restless beat AMC after a while vs. when AMC and Restless were head to head it was an even match. RH was an awful lead-in for AMC and so was Loving. SO placing Loving before OLTL might have hurt but not as much I think. ABC should have given Agnes what she wanted. Ryan's Hope already had many chances and RH would have tanked against Days and ATWT.

@kalbir Agreed. Agnes wanted Loving at 130 to 2. She was horrified when they placed it in the morning. Agnes wanted what Bill Bell got with B and B after Restless. Agnes wanted AMC at 1230, Loving at 130 and OLTL at 2. ABC screwed up big time. After B and B premiered, Agnes told ABC she could not focus solely on working on Loving and told the network she was focusing on AMC. Loving never belonged in the morning. Essentially ABC told Agnes we know better than you! I do not think so!! Agnes and Douglas Marland created Loving so they knew a lot more than ABC. @FrankoThat is what Agnes wanted. Remember when Restless went to an hour it was moved directly opposite AMC then CBS moved it up to 1230 to get a chance to beat AMC and it did in time and destroyed RH and Loving.

As for ABC, both Ryan’s Hope and Loving should have been canceled in 1989. ABC would have been just fine with the 3 hour block of soaps. It could have done a 30 minute game show or news program for the 1230 Et slot. It would have cost less than a soap.

All My Children getting stronger and rebounding from December 1988 and January 1989. AMC will continue to strengthen in 1989 and will rejoin the top 3. OLTL is very strong but beginning in the summer of 1989 it begins to fade and falling during the fall of 1989. GH is still strong but will start to slip in 1989. AMC will finish Number 4 for the 88-89 season. YR, GH and OLTL are the top 3. Restless gets stronger as 1989 progresses. Days begins to fade in 1989. B&B gets stronger as 1989 progresses as well.

Agreed. But I thought it was interesting about OLTL.

@JAS0N47 @kalbir The week of August 24, 1987 to August 28, 1987. There was a three way tie for Number 1 between All My Children, 7.6 25%, One Life to Live, 7.6 26% and Young and the Restless, 7.6 27%.

Exactly. ABC should have canceled RH in 1983. Moved AMC to 12:30 and put Loving at 1:30PM as Agnes Nixon wanted. The Labines told ABC no when ABC wanted to expand RH to an hour and then wanted to buy it back after ABC bought it. ABC made a mess of their late morning schedule.

Ryan's Hope's cancellation will be announced at the end of October 1988..it should have been canceled about 2 to 3 years before. You can see the clearance issues really affecting Loving and RH. Agnes Nixon returns to AMC in the fall of 1988 and overhauls the soap and its ratings slowly improve to where AMC finishes No. 4 for the 88-89 season then No. 3 the following season. DAYS will be affected by AMC's improvement. OLTL will finish out 1988 strong but in 1989 will be begin to decline as ATWT gets stronger. GH will begin its descent to Number 2 then to Number 3..the adventure stories on GH fizzle and the ratings take a hit.

Thanks. I did not watch GL but I was just shocked. @JAS0N47 So OLTL hit number 1 for the week of 8/29/88, was there any other week prior where OLTL hit number 1 or tied for No. 1? I think the week of 8/29/88 was the first week OLTL hit Number 1 outright. @JAS0N47 OLTL tied for Number 1 with GH during the week of 12/7/87. Checking your website!!

Wow! The first time I have ever seen One Life to Live at No. 1. I think this maybe the first time in its history. DAYS is still strong but starting to weaken. WHAT also is shocking is that Another World Beat Guiding Light one week? Why are GL's ratings so low?

Eventually All My Children fends off Days in 1989. Agnes Nixon returns to AMC in late 1988. Children finishes No 4 for the 88-89 season and edges out Days. OLTL finishes No. 3 but that is it. Beginning in 1989, AMC becomes a solid strong No. 3 and then bumps off GH for the No. 2 spot. OLTL brutally falls after 1989 and 1990 and would never be a major competitor in the top 5 again. What most forget is that AMC was a strong competitor since 1975 and was always near the top during the many weekly races. But when AMC was moved for Ryan's Hope in July 75 that slowed Children's momentum. But it finished near the top in the 1977-1978 season and was always in the top 4 through 1989 then got back to No. 3 in 1990 then No. 2 until 1996.

@JAS0N47 Thank you!!

@JAS0N47 Thanks for 1978!! Kudos!! Thank you.

@JAS0N47 Thank you so much for 1979!!!!! Love your website.

@JAS0N47 Thank you. Appreciate your efforts.

@JAS0N47 Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Do you have any ratings from 1976 or 1977?

Thanks! I cannot wait to see 1988 and 89! Will you ever type up the late 1970s ratings on your website? I love your website. Thank you for all you do.

All My Children and Days of our lives!