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Y&R November 27, 1989 Peter Bergman debut. This week in real life communism was coming to an end in Czechoslovakia. @Soapsuds I think December 1989 was a big cast change month for As the World Turns w/ Hillary Bailey Smith departure and debuts of Mary Ellen Stuart, Ellen Dolan, and Heather Rattray.

Bill Bell's second worst nepotism. SS did not work as Ashley at all. When Y&R was off track (Fall 1994 through the first half of 1997), it seemed Bill Bell had lost interest in the Abbotts. I would have had Ashley off the canvas from BE departure in December 1995 until ED return in March 1999. I think with Ashley's return in March 1996, Bill Bell was planning a Victor/Nikki/Brad/Ashley quad but SS not passing the chemistry tests w/ EB and Don Diamont derailed that storyline.

@GL Oldtimer @Mitch64 Your observations on Roger/Holly are totally spot on. Even though Roger/Holly should not have been together romantically, there were always hints of something brewing between them. That's why it was so wrong yet so right to root for them. I remember someone on this board once described them as the anti-supercouple and that description fits them perfectly. MG herself said that she and MZ connected right away as actors. Clearly the writers and the audience saw that connection too. It's too bad that none of the Roger/Holly storylines of 1976-1978 have surfaced AFAIK. Whenever any 1979 and 1980 episodes featuring Roger/Holly surface, those episodes are a treat to watch because they set everything in motion for what we saw a decade later.

This week in real life San Francisco earthquake, Galileo launch, communism was coming to an end in Hungary, Erich Honecker resigned as leader of East Germany. @Soapsuds I think around this time was As the World Turns Martha Byrne departure. This week in real life fall of the Berlin Wall.

Guiding Light this week Beth Chamberlin debut. B&B this week start of Queen Mary fashion show.

Dynasty time slot competition 1980/81 Monday 9 pm. CBS 9 pm M*A*S*H and 9:30 pm House Calls. NBC Monday movie. 1981/82 Wednesday 10 pm. CBS Shannon, Wednesday movie. NBC Quincy, M.E. 1982/83 Wednesday 10 pm. CBS Tucker's Witch, Wednesday movie. NBC Quincy, M.E. 1983/84 Wednesday 9 pm. CBS Wednesday movie. NBC 9 pm The Facts of Life and 9:30 pm Family Ties, Night Court, Double Trouble. 1984/85 Wednesday 9 pm. CBS Wednesday movie. NBC 9 pm The Facts of Life and 9:30 pm It's Your Move, Sara. 1985/86 Wednesday 9 pm. CBS 9 pm Charlie & Co. and 9:30 pm George Burns Comedy Week; Crazy Like a Fox; Wednesday movie. NBC Hell Town, Blacke's Magic. 1986/87 Wednesday 9 pm. CBS Magnum, P.I. NBC 9 pm Gimme a Break!, Night Court and 9:30 pm You Again?, The Tortellis, Easy Street. 1987/88 Wednesday 10 pm. CBS The Equalizer. NBC St. Elsewhere, A Year in the Life. 1988/89 Thursday 9 pm. CBS Paradise, The Equalizer. NBC 9 pm Cheers and 9:30 pm Dear John. If we don't count the first season and the final season, Dynasty was very fortunate compared to the rest of the primetime soaps in that it didn't have much in the way of time slot competition.

I hope not.

I'm sure you've seen the SOD write up for One Life to Life as Most Disappointing Show in 1989. We know Andrea Evans departs in early 1990 due to unfortunate real-life circumstances. I haven't dived into 1990 ratings yet to see the impact of her departure.

The In Memoriam segment is going to hit so hard this year

The impact of Iran-Contra pre-emptions, Nielsen people meters, writer's strike over the previous two years. Y&R became a killer show destroying everything in its path and B&B started showing growth. I haven't dived into 1990s ratings yet to see if Days got any boost with the spring 1990 returns of Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso, and summer 1991 return of Deidre Hall. With writing being an issue resulting in the 1988/89 ratings drop, I'd say James Reilly cannot get there fast enough.

Also probably why GL avoided cancel territory despite ending the 1980s as CBS's lowest rated soap.

Yes it was. The write up is here.

Y&R September 1, 1989 Terry Lester (RIP) departure. B&B this week Thorne and Macy first meeting. B&B this week Clayton Norcross departure and Jeff Trachta debut. We're also at three years Oprah, two years Geraldo, one year Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. Loving clearance no change from September 1988.

Since the 1980s ratings are nearing the end, a spinoff of sorts of from that topic. We know the big 1980s trends on the soaps: Dallas influence, Dynasty influence, action/adventure, supercouples. Which soaps got the 1980s trends right and which soaps got the 1980s trends wrong? General Hospital started the whole action/adventure and supercouple trends but Days took them to a whole other level. Y&R got Dallas influence and Dynasty influence right w/ Victor, the Abbotts, Jabot, Dina but the action/adventure storylines during the H. Wesley Kenney era didn't work for me. Bill Bell wasn't big on supercouples despite the popularity of accident pairing Victor and Nikki. Guiding Light chased all the 1980s trends but in the long term it wasn't sustainable. As the World Turns also chased the 1980s trends but not to the degree that GL did. By the time B&B started, the big 1980s trends were wearing thin plus 1980s B&B was mostly dust offs of 1970s and 1980s Y&R storylines. Texas was a dollar store Dallas. Santa Barbara was a dollar store Dynasty. I'd love to know others thoughts on the 1980s trends.

Oh good, I'm not alone I would go as far as to say that Robert Calhoun was GL's best EP in its final 25 years. Yes, Gail Kobe era from Spring 1983 to Summer 1984 set in motion characters/storylines that carried GL through its final 25 years but it was too much chasing 1980s trends to be sustainable in the long term and the ratings from Fall 1984 onward reflected that.

It seems like I'm the only person here that liked Robert Calhoun era GL.

So writing was an issue too. Thanks for the info. Is that why Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso returned the following spring (I think April or May 1990 was their return) for the tail end of the supercouple era? The shipwreck in June and July was the last big action/adventure storyline of the supercouple era and the supercouple era came to end with Stephen Nichols departure in October I think.

Guiding Light this week Sherry Stringfield debut. What is happening w/ supercouple Days? A year earlier they were challenging Y&R and General Hospital for #1 and now its middle of the pack. There's the factors of its new lead in Generations being weak plus time slot rivals Y&R being a killer show destroying everything in its path and B&B showing growth. Was there something else behind the scenes or were viewers getting tired of the supercouple craze? I know there's only a little over a year left of supercouple Days.

ABC was the rapemance network in the 1980s. Luke/Laura in the daytime. Dynasty had Blake/Krystle marital rape and Adam/Kirby date rape.

Do you mean the second episode of season 6? That was the first time Dynasty got beat by Murder, She Wrote.

As the World Turns had two big departures in Fall 1989, Martha Byrne and Hillary Bailey Smith. Also that fall Frannie was recast with Mary Ellen Stuart. What did the most damage to GL in the 1980s, Douglas Marland departure, Gail Kobe/Pamela Long era chasing all the 1980s trends, or the writer turnover during the first half of Joe Willmore run as EP? As I pointed out before, GL avoided cancel territory in the 1980s because Capitol showed no growth and B&B wasn't a hit right away. Even though GL ends the 1980s as CBS's lowest rated soap, it doesn't enter cancel territory until 1995.

Y&R this week was the start of summer social issue storyline Cricket date rape. Guiding Light this week Kimberley Simms debut.

You're welcome @Toups

Among solo artists, Taylor Swift has moved past Stevie Wonder and Janet Jackson and is now tied with Whitney Houston. The next solo artists in line for her to tie with are Madonna (12), Michael Jackson (13), Drake (13), and Rihanna (14). Among all artists, Taylor Swift is the 9th artist to reach 11 #1s on the Billboard Hot 100, joining The Beatles (20), Mariah Carey (19), Rihanna (14), Michael Jackson (13), Drake (13), The Supremes (12), Madonna (12), Whitney Houston (11). Comparing Taylor Swift to the other female solo artists w/ 11+ #1s to see where she ranks in terms of length between first #1 and 11th #1. The dates are when each song reached #1. Rihanna: 5 years 183 days, between SOS (May 13, 2006) and We Found Love (November 12, 2011). Mariah Carey: 5 years 274 days, between Vision of Love (August 4, 1990) and Always be My Baby (May 4, 1996). Whitney Houston: 10 years 30 days, between Saving All My Love for You (October 26, 1985) and Exhale (Shoop Shoop) (November 25, 1995). Madonna: 10 years 65 days, between Like a Virgin (December 22, 1984) and Take a Bow (February 25, 1995). Taylor Swift: 11 years 71 days, between We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (September 1, 2012) and Is it Over Now (November 11, 2023).

I don't know. I was fairly new to watching GL at this time. Maybe those that watched longer than I did have better insights. Kids off school for the summer.