kalbir

Looking back on the 1980s as an adult.

1984 the peak.

1986 s--- got real w/ the AIDS crisis, Space Shuttle Challenger, Chernobyl.

1989 the world was on the verge of change w/ Reagan leaving office, Tiananmen Square, Berlin Wall. 

58 minutes ago, P.J. said:

89-90 Guiding Light is kicking ass! 

I really enjoyed 1989-1991 Calhoun/Long/Curlee era. SOD named GL most improved show in 1989. It disappoints me that the ratings didn't reflect how good the show was back then.

Knowing Bradley, he has a back from the dead storyline ready if needed.

Sheila has been Bradley's "break glass in case of emergency" character for almost 30 years now.

You're welcome @Liberty City

@Liberty City Melrose Place thread 

10 minutes ago, te. said:

lame 90210 cross-over

Aaron Spelling wisely cut ties between 90210 and Melrose early on, after Melrose episode 3 I think. He learned his lesson after the disaster that was The Colbys.

3 hours ago, BetterForgotten said:

I also didn’t know how rare it would be at the time to see Monti Sharp and Kristoff St. John (and later Shemar Moore) as the younger leading men in this respective soaps. That really hasn’t happen again for younger black leads since then. 

In that same era there was also Dondre T. Whitfield and Keith Hamilton Cobb on All My Children, and Thyme Lewis on Days, but I don't know if they were considered younger leads on their shows.

The P&G shows were effectively over in the aftermath of OJ plus CBS on the whole was a mess in that same era. AFAIK As the World Turns didn't enter cancel territory until like 2009. I don't think it was limping along in its final 16 years.

50 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

For some reason I thought it was going on already. That's when the ratings fell apart.

June 17, 1994 was the car chase, and we know the rest.

36 minutes ago, Khan said:

We're always so quick to blame O.J. for the across-the-board decline in ratings for soaps, but I think if TPTB had not overreacted like they did and just stayed the course, the numbers might've climbed back up.

Given the ratings data we have now, I say the real issues began in the late 1980s with Iran-Contra, Nielsen people meters, and 1988 writer's strike and it all culminated in the aftermath of OJ.

Possible tank job

2001/02: After four Top 10 seasons and one Top 30 season at Sunday 8 pm, CBS moves Touched by an Angel back to Saturday, where it was not a hit in its first two seasons. Touched by an Angel falls out of the Top 30 but returns 2002/03 on Saturday for what would be its final season.

Possible sabotage

1997/98: CBS moves Murphy Brown from Monday to Wednesday and the ratings drop further (Murphy Brown went from 18th in 1995/96 to below the Top 30 in 1996/97). Later in the season CBS moves Murphy Brown back to Monday but the damage was already done and Murphy Brown is cancelled after 10 seasons.

15 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

The last big holiday bump for soaps.  Sigh....

OJ is 6 months away

18 hours ago, Khan said:

 barrage of pretty, young blondes who can't act and have no real reason for being on the show.

It was a pattern across all three CBS primetime soaps to salary dump the long-time female cast members and bring on sweet young things hired on the cheap. I have my own theories for that but I will hold myself back from stating them so as not to derail this thread.

16 minutes ago, Khan said:

JFP coasted on Robert Calhoun's vision

It also helped JFP first year that ABC big three were tanking at various times during that year and Days was a mess.

What to watch for in 1994.

Y&R reaches 9s.

Bradley first full year at B&B.

Reilly Days continues to gain.

General Hospital continues to gain.

Nancy Curlee leaves Guiding Light writing team.

Douglas Marland material finished at As the World Turns.

OJ.

Fall 1994, CBS loses NFL broadcasting rights, leading to the loss of several established affiliates in major media markets. I'm pretty sure this also impacts CBS daytime ratings in the aftermath of OJ.

@Janet Marlowe 1993 Reilly Days takes off and it would blow up in the aftermath of OJ. 1993-1997 Reilly Days was IMO daytime's biggest shake up since ABC huge rise and domination some 15 years earlier.

12 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

10/18/93-10/22/93:

Y&R big event: Scott learns he has an illness and that Sheila survived the fire, thus he and Sheila are still legally married.

12 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

11/1/93-11/5/93:

B&B November 1993 big event Catalina Island remote where Scott dies.

12 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 10/25/93-10/29/93 & 11/1/93-11/5/93:

General Hospital in 2nd. Was this Luke/Laura return?

On 2/17/2024 at 5:50 PM, Paul Raven said:

I think it was just a way to get rid of Love of Life and blame the ratings.

Clearly a tank job.

1 minute ago, P.J. said:

I blame Reva.  

Maybe to a lesser extent Alexandra as well?

@Vee I loved your recaps of the peak years. I'm sure you're aware that you're now heading into the tank years. Perhaps you might feel differently than I did when I watched season 7.

10 hours ago, Liberty City said:

Melody Thomas Scott admits one-year before being cast as Nikki, she was almost cast as Lucy; it was between her and Charlene Tilton.

I did not know this. I don't recall Melody Thomas Scott mentioning in her book that she was considered for Dallas. Besides, I don't get spoiled brat/princess energy from her.

Say what we will about Charlene Tilton acting but she had the spoiled brat/princess game on lock.

On 2/16/2024 at 10:18 AM, JAS0N47 said:

5/31/93-6/4/93:

WEEKS OF 6/7/93-6/11/93 

Y&R big events: Victor meets Hope. Genoa City believes Victor died in a car accident.

On 2/17/2024 at 1:12 PM, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/5/93-7/9/93 & 7/12/93-7/16/93:

Y&R big events: Jill gives birth to Billy. Christian LeBlanc last episode until his 1997 return. Douglas learns Victor did not die in a car accident but after a brief stay in Genoa City, Victor returns to Kansas.

Guiding Light July 16, 1993 Roger crashes Ed's party at the country club. Michael Zaslow Emmy winning episode.

On 2/18/2024 at 6:14 PM, JAS0N47 said:

7/26/93-7/30/93:

Reilly Days takes off and daytime is shaken.

On 2/18/2024 at 6:14 PM, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/2/93-8/6/93 & 8/9/93-8/13/93:

On 2/19/2024 at 10:41 AM, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/16/93-8/20/93 & 8/23/93-8/27/93:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/30/93-9/3/93

August 1993 B&B big event Brooke takes over Forrester Creations. To me that storyline was Bill Bell's last hurrah before passing the reigns to Bradley.

On 2/20/2024 at 1:57 PM, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 9/13/93-9/17/93 & 9/20/93-9/24/93:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 9/27/93-10/1/93 & 10/4/93-10/8/93:

Y&R in the 9s! Genoa City learned Victor did not die in a car accident. We saw during the classics the episode Victor reunited with Victoria and Nicholas and revealed he was alive to Jack.

Sadly this is it for Guiding Light, stuck in 8th for the remainder of its run AFAIK.

@Sapounopera @DRW50 Maeve Kinkead Emmy speech credited Douglas Marland for creating Vanessa and Nancy Curlee for giving Vanessa new life, but no mention of Pamela Long. Maybe Maeve had beef w/ Pamela?

On 2/18/2024 at 6:01 PM, DaytimeFan said:

Darlene Conley's Sally at B&B was a plus size diva for nearly 20 years and was wildly popular. 

1 hour ago, Soaplovers said:

Sally in the 90s on B&B didn't have her weight be the focus.  She had so many layers to her character.

I doubt any modern day soap opera writer could do anything like that 

Given that Sally was older and plus sized, she could easily have been either a one dimensional villainess or strictly comic relief but it was the combination of Bill Bell's writing and Darlene Conley's acting that made Sally a complex and layered character. We saw Sally as a businesswoman and a mother, plus she even had a romantic life.

On 2/18/2024 at 9:33 PM, Althea Davis said:

Great topic. I myself am tired of seeing same male body types on screen. Where my bears at? I would like to see attractive larger guys. No just abs. Tired of abs.

On the male side of the equation, there's got to be that happy medium between six pack and dad bod.

@Soapsuds Thank you for the info re 1993 and 1994 As the World Turns.

16 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

The show started falling apart story wise and in the ratings in April of 1994 when Marland bible ran out. The show truly never recovered after it.

I don't think As the World Turns limped along in its final 16 years though.

7 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 4/26/93-4/30/93 & 5/3/93-5/7/93:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 5/10/93-5/14/93 & 5/17/93-5/21/93:

Y&R big events: Jack confronts Victor about Nikki's fall down the ranch stairs that lead to the premature birth and later death of Jack and Nikki's son. Victor leaves Genoa City and becomes the victim of a carjacking.

B&B big event: Eric and Sheila get married.

14 hours ago, Khan said:

ATWT really took a tumble

This was around the time Douglas Marland passed away, but how long was his material on the air? I would guess until sometime in 1994 before OJ.