kalbir

This sounds familiar. Thanks @Broderick

When Nicollette Sheridan was elevated to the main cast in season 10, Paige practically ate the show for the remainder of its run. Greg/Paige had the ick factors of Paige being the daughter of Greg's frenemy Mack and at one point Greg was believed to have been Paige's father. It's funny that Greg/Paige was at the same time as JR/Cally on Dallas. Both pairings were equally icky.

Season 1 was a slow start but the main reason to watch it is that it builds the foundation of the character relationships. Season 2 was the only season that worked for me from a writing and acting standpoint. It's too bad that the quality of season 2 could not be maintained for the rest of the series. ABC soap fans that were spoiled by the best of Agnes Nixon probably knew they couldn't hold Dynasty writers to the same standard.

Kat/Eva is the best rivalry on BtG right now.

Yes. It was good.

Catherine Hickland auditioned for Ashley in 1982 so maybe that audition brought her to the attention of those in charge of casting for Capitol. I wonder if Catherine Hickland was considered for Ashley recast in 1988; I can't remember if any soap names were mentioned back then.

There's no passion and heat between Andre and Ashley like there is between Andre and Dani. From day one, Andre and Dani had off the charts heat generating romantic chemistry. Andre and Dani are BtG's #1 couple.

BtG is known for booty popping

I don't even factor in the primetime soaps in these discussions. We know how those shows tanked and then went off the rails. Those of us that were spoiled watching the best of daytime soaps are going to find flaws in the primetime soaps from a writing perspective. We can't really hold the primetime soap writers to the same standards that we hold Bill Bell or Douglas Marland to.

As far as ratings go, it also helped that February 1980-May 1982 Y&R was in their post-expansion slump, otherwise GL might not have been CBS's highest-rated daytime drama during the Marland years. Notice that Y&R rebound in the second half of 1982 overlaps w/ GL post-Marland fall. In the 1980s practically every daytime drama jumped on the Dallas/Dynasty bandwagon. It worked for some but not for others. Given the timing of Larkin Malloy run, he was pretty much brought on to fill the void from the departures of Chris Bernau and Robert Newman.

1983/84 to 1985/86 CBS pretty much tank jobbed almost all their 1970s holdovers: One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Alice; Trapper John, M.D.. For whatever reason CBS didn't tank job The Dukes of Hazzard after that show's ratings dropped off in 1982/83.

First week of November scorecard: Y&R 90% hot garbage, BtG 90% hot fire.

I cannot believe Jon Lindstrom is being checked for. Joey is just nasty, eww.

Has Sean Freeman been working out? He's got a six pack happening now 🤤

I think the real issues began in the late 1980s with Iran-Contra, Nielsen people meters, and the 1988 writers strike and everything culminated in the aftermath of OJ. A good number of shows were not in a good place creatively in June 1994.

Andre opening up to Dani 🥰 Those booty call hook ups have so turned into love. Sean Freeman showed today that he can act. I think he's the breakout male star of BtG. Finish that initial contract, then take your talents to primetime. CBS needs to be smart and keep him in the family.

Hayley dresses like a ho in the street trying to be a lady in the street.

That seems likely. At this point it seems like Josh Griffith is throwing random ideas to a wall and picking the ones that stick.

Val/Gary/Abby worked because of the character arcs, not because of the triangle itself. I never thought of Gary as any type of prize so why would these grown women fight over him. When all was said and done, Val moved on with her life after losing her first love, Gary manned up, and Abby got the come up that she was all about.

I'm getting massive budget mode feels.

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.