kalbir

GL was spared cancel territory in the 1980s because Capitol showed no growth and B&B wasn't a hit right away. GL was not in a good place creatively in June 1994 (the start of OJ). I'd say GL was effectively over in the aftermath of OJ but somehow kept going until 2009. Do many here feel that GL limped along for its final 15 years?

From the all-important ratings lens and comparison to relevant time slot rivals. I covered from Robert Calhoun becoming EP until the season of OJ. 1984/85: 7.1 (tied w/ Days for 6th). EP change from Mary-Ellis Bunim to Robert Calhoun in October 1984. HW change from Tom King and Millee Taggart to Cynthia Benjamin and Susan Bedsow Horgan in November 1984. Susan Bedsow Horgan becomes sole HW in February 1985. Time slot rivals: All My Children second half (8.2, 2nd), One Life to Live first half (7.3, 5th), Days second half. 1985/86: 6.7 (7th). HW change from Susan Bedsow Horgan to Douglas Marland in September 1985. Time slot rivals: All My Children second half (8.0, 3rd), One Life to Live first half (7.8, 4th), Days second half (7.2, 5th). 1986/87: 7.0 (tied w/ All My Children and Days for 4th). Time slot change from 1:30 pm ET to 2 pm ET on March 23, 1987. Time slot rivals: One Life to Live (7.2, 3rd) first half until March 20, 1987 then head-to-head from March 23, 1987; All My Children second half until March 20, 1987; Days second half until March 20, 1987. 1987/88: 6.6 (6th). Writer's strike March-August 1988. Time slot rival: One Life to Live (7.7, tied w/ All My Children for 3rd). 1988/89: 6.4 (6th). EP change from Robert Calhoun to Laurence Caso in October 1988. Time slot rival: One Life to Live (6.9, 3rd). 1989/90: 5.8 (5th). Time slot rival: One Life to Live (6.3, 4th). 1990/91: 5.9 (4th). Time slot rival: One Life to Live (5.3, 6th). 1991/92: 5.8 (tied w/ General Hospital for 3rd). Time slot rival: One Life to Live (5.4, tied w/ Days for 7th). 1992/93: 5.7 (5th). Douglas Marland passes away March 6, 1993. Juliet Law Packer and Richard Backus become HWs. Time slot rival: One Life to Live (5.5, 6th). 1993/94: 5.8 (5th). Time slot rival: One Life to Live (5.6, 6th). 1994/95: 5.1 (7th). January 1995 co-HW change from Richard Backus to Garin Wolf and Richard Culliton. EP change from Laurence Caso to John Valente in May 1995. Time slot rival: One Life to Live (5.4, 5th).

We might as well go one step further and compare to Sex and the City: Karen/Carrie, Val/Charlotte, Laura/Miranda, Abby/Samantha.

BtG first November sweeps. Here's hoping for more hot fire 🔥

Given the way this year has gone, I'm saying sleeps. I'm not holding out any hope that there's going to be less hot garbage this month.

Ava Gardner was everything! I always point out that the final 10 episodes of season 6 were peak Knots Landing and Ava Gardner arc played a big part of that. Knots Landing isn't the type of soap we'd expect to see a messy wealthy matriarch that tries to control her son's life but Ruth didn't feel out of place at all and I think her story was complete in the episodes that she was in. I loved the scenes where Laura called out Ruth and put her on blast. It's so funny that Ruth preferred villainess Abby over the more virtuous Laura as the ideal mate for Greg.

From Janice Lynde IMDb page, her primetime roles seem to be mostly failed pilots, guest starring roles, and TV movies. In the 1980s she also had two daytime roles on Another World and One Life to Live. I don't think she ever got a regular role on a primetime series, but someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

I agree with your take on the Douglas Marland years. Remember too there was the EP change in October 1988 from Robert Calhoun to Laurence Caso. I think 1986 and 1987 were the best years.

Hahaha, yes! In hindsight, Ashley should have been rested from Brenda Epperson 1995 departure until Eileen Davidson 1999 return.

That seems possible, considering Bruce Willis movie career was taking off thanks to Die Hard.

Shari Shattuck was a nepo hire and her not passing the chemistry tests w/ EB and Don Diamont derailed a potential Victor/Nikki/Brad/Ashley quad.

Another month where 90% of the show was hot garbage. Who knows what November will be like.

What is this mess?

BtG has some garbage time here and there, but it's still better than current Y&R.

Brandon Stoddard knew exactly what he was doing when he moved Dynasty to an ABC dead zone. It's well-known that Brandon Stoddard goal was to get Aaron Spelling off of ABC. As for Dynasty, it should've ended Spring 1988 which to me feels like the natural end point for 1980s primetime soaps as a genre. Re: Moonlighting, my feeling is Robert Iger had had enough of the BTS issues, thus the move to a killer time slot.

Vanessa is a nasty ho and from what's been shown so far not a very good parent. I'm waiting to see what type of relationship she has with her daughter. Maybe someday one of her children will call her out and put her on blast for her ho ways.

Hahaha, love it I'm so dead right now 🤣

ABC sabotaged Moonlighting and Dynasty. CBS moving Simon & Simon to Saturday 9 pm head-to-head w/ The Golden Girls looks like a tank job or sabotage but I think it was fill space in the schedule as CBS never really had much success on Saturday. I pointed this out in the Knots Landing thread, but I think Donna Mills pending departure brought back lapsed viewers for Abby exit storyline. Roseanne was the first show that threatened The Cosby Show dominance and it also killed off all the Reagan-era ideal family sitcoms.

GL holiday classic episodes I remember were Michael Zaslow Emmy winning episode, rebroadcast of Christmas 1995, and Phillip learns about his parentage.

Go on EB with your bad self 🤣

It's back! I still LOL at the Tide shot in one of Andre/Dani love scenes.

We can assume that Aria is being taken care of by a nanny.

Tank job. The A-Team finished off The Jeffersons.

Kevin Dobson and William Devane were brought on to get the male audience away from Hill Street Blues and it worked.

Not to mention peak 90210 and Melrose. Was anyone checking for Kevin Dobson BITD? I never thought of any of the Knots Landing male cast members as any type of hotness. Did any of them have a glow up that I somehow didn't recognize?