kalbir

Sally Spectra arrives in December 1988 and it's a turning point. Building a business and family around her was genius. The Spectra gang pretty much replaces the Logans by 1991.

I never thought of it that way, but breaking it down, it's so true. 1982/83: Y&R becomes CBS's top rated daytime drama, finishing 4th behind General Hospital, All My Children, One Life to Live. CBS primetime has 6 shows in the Top 10 (technically Top 11): 60 Minutes (#1 overall), Dallas, M*A*S*H (final season), Magnum, P.I., Simon & Simon, Falcon Crest. CBS's sitcoms are weakening, with the Top 10 fallouts of The Jeffersons, Alice, One Day at a Time. 1983/84: Y&R moves up to 3rd, behind General Hospital and All My Children. CBS primetime has 7 shows in the Top 10: Dallas (#1 overall), 60 Minutes, Simon & Simon, Magnum, P.I., Falcon Crest, Kate & Allie (first season), Cagney & Lacey. 1984/85: Y&R remains in 3rd, behind General Hospital and All My Children. CBS primetime has 7 shows in the Top 10 (technically Top 11): Dallas, 60 Minutes, Simon & Simon, Murder She Wrote (first season), Knots Landing, Falcon Crest, Crazy Like a Fox (first season). After Kate & Allie fell out of the Top 10, CBS wouldn't have another Top 10 sitcom entry until Murphy Brown and Designing Women in 1990/91. Magnum, P.I. Top 10 fallout pinpointed to being head-to-head w/ The Cosby Show. Primetime soaps are at their peak, with the CBS big three all in the Top 11. 1985/86: Y&R moves up to 2nd, behind General Hospital. CBS primetime is down to 3 shows in the Top 10: Murder She Wrote, 60 Minutes, Dallas. Top 10 fallouts of Simon & Simon and Falcon Crest pinpointed to being head-to-head w/ Cheers and Miami Vice respectively. Knots Landing had a writing change. Crazy Like a Fox was done once it no longer had Murder She Wrote as its lead in. 1986/87: Y&R remains in 2nd, behind General Hospital. CBS primetime is down to 2 shows in the Top 10: Murder She Wrote and 60 Minutes. Dallas drops to 11th, the Top 10 fallout pinpointed to the aftermath of the "it was all a dream" resolution in the 1986/87 season premiere. 1987/88: Y&R ties General Hospital for #1. 60 Minutes and Murder She Wrote remain CBS primetime's only Top 10 shows. Dallas drops to 22nd and Knots Landing and Falcon Crest are below the Top 30. I would've ended the CBS big three primetime soaps at this point. 1988/89: Y&R overtakes General Hospital for #1. 60 Minutes and Murder She Wrote remain CBS primetime's only Top 10 shows.

That would not happen today. Kristian Alfonso on Falcon Crest was the late 1980s equivalent of Vanessa Marcil on Beverly Hills 90210. Popular daytime stars brought on to fading primetime soaps in the hopes that their huge daytime followings would carry over with them.

Falcon Crest was the last to arrive of the 1980s big four and it seems to be the least remembered and least talked about. I think alot of it is due to the Dallas with grapes reputation (after the first season which felt like wealthy Waltons in modern day California wine country), perception as a time slot hit due to being Dallas's lead out, and that there was really no breakout character that became a pop culture phenomenon in the vein of JR/Alexis. A unique concept was there (California wine country backdrop, the connected families, their wine businesses, the family/business conflicts), the acting talent was there, the soap ingredients were there, but the execution somehow wasn't. There was no need to venture into James Bond/Miami Vice territory with some of the storylines. This was a show with so much potential that got squandered.

@Chris B March-August 1988 was the writer's strike. I agree that Ridge taking advantage of an intoxicated Caroline was horrible, especially since she had been raped a year earlier.

Remember when CBS tried to be young and cool in 1995/96? This was another low point in their primetime mess era 1986/87 to 2000/01. CBS's only Top 10 show in 1995/96 was 60 Minutes at 9th and their Top 30 shows were The Nanny at 16th, Walker Texas Ranger and Murphy Brown tied for 18th, Chicago Hope at 23rd, and CBS Sunday Movie and Can't Hurry Love (first and only season) tied for 24th. CBS's only new fall show to return in 1996/97 was Almost Perfect and their only midseason show to return in 1996/97 was Nash Bridges. 1995/96 was also the final seasons for Due South, Murder She Wrote, Picket Fences, and Rescue 911. 1996/97 CBS tried to be comforting and homey. CBS's only Top 10 show in 1996/97 was Touched by an Angel at 10th and their Top 30 shows were 60 Minutes at 11th, CBS Sunday Movie at 14th, Cosby (first season) at 21st, Walker Texas Ranger at 23rd, Chicago Hope and Cybill tied for 30th. At least the new fall shows were a bit more successful, w/ Cosby, Early Edition, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Promised Land returning for 1997/98. Midseason saw JAG move to CBS from NBC. 1996/97 was the final seasons for Almost Perfect and Dave's World.

Nina Arvesen would've made a good Ashley recast. I can't picture Brenda Epperson as Cassandra though. Lauren Koslow as Jill in 1983 instead of Brenda Dickson, I could see that.

Brooke was never a heroine. Bill Bell wrote Brooke as a Jill/Lorie hybrid.

@AbcNbc247 I loved Family Matters back in the day. I would've loved a Perfect Strangers/Family Matters crossover where Balki met Urkel 😂

@BetterForgotten I think Dynasty fell worse and much quicker: #1 in 1984/85, #7 in 1985/86, #24 in 1986/87, and below the Top 30 in 1987/88 and 1988/89. Dallas's decline was a bit more gradual: #1 in 1983/84, #2 in 1984/85, #6 in 1985/86, #11 in 1986/87, #22 in 1987/88, #29 in 1988/89, and below the Top 30 in 1989/90 and 1990/91.

Any 1970s and 1980s Y&R that surfaces is a treat.

delete

I wonder what Bradley has planned for the 35th anniversary.

Hahaha. This lull is the worst ever. It's allowed. I'm probably one of the biggest EB/Victor fans on this board, but I get that Victor isn't loved by everyone.

March Madness break is March 17 and 18. We are one year away from the 50th anniversary. We need something big to lead up to it.

So two of the CBS big three are fully streaming now.

Kate & Allie lasted six seasons, with their best finish #8 in their first season 1983/84 (also it's only Top 10 finish). Newhart lasted eight seasons, with their best finishes #12 in their first season 1982/83 (tied w/ The Jeffersons) and in 1986/87. CBS seemed to struggle with sitcoms from 1982/83 (M*A*S*H ended and The Jeffersons, Alice, and One Day at a Time fell out of the Top 10) until 1990/91 (Murphy Brown and Designing Women entered the Top 10). Of the CBS sitcoms that premiered in the 1980s, Newhart, Kate & Allie, Designing Women, Murphy Brown, Major Dad were the only ones that lasted three or more seasons. @Soapsuds 1986/87 Week 11 was December 1-7, 1986 if my calculations are correct. This was the week that NBC moved L.A. Law from Friday 10 pm to Thursday 10 pm and the December 4, 1986 episode was Jeanne Cooper's first appearance as Gladys Becker. I see what you did there NBC.

Dallas had three seasons finishing at #1 (1980/81, 1981/82, 1983/84), two seasons finishing at #2 (1982/83, 1984/85), two seasons finishing in the Top 10 (1979/80, 1985/86), one season finishing in the Top 15 (1986/87), two seasons finishing in the Top 30 (1987/88, 1988/89), and four seasons finishing below the Top 30 (1977/78, 1978/79, 1989/90, 1990/91).

I don't think this is the full Primetime Soaps episode though.

That's because Bradley did not inherit his father's talent.

Do we really want to see Bradley butcher one of his father's best storylines?

I know this thread is for Murder She Wrote, but I think appreciating Angela Lansbury's other work won't derail the thread that much.

When looking at 1980s ratings, it's clear that the first half of the 1980s is when hour long dramas dominated and the second half of the 1980s is when sitcoms dominated.

All of them in this thread so far 🤣

Do not give Bradley ideas :shudder