kalbir

Y&R reads like its going to be garbage time.

Garbage time. March Madness break is March 21 and 22.

@beebs Thank you for the new season end ratings I took your 1991/92 season end ratings and updated the net differential from 1987/88 to 1991/92 and the new rankings are Y&R +0.4 B&B +0.2 All My Children -0.5 Guiding Light -0.5 As the World Turns -0.8 Another World -1.1 Loving -1.3 Santa Barbara -1.6 Days -1.8 General Hospital -2.1 One Life to Live -2.1 For 1992/93 the rankings are B&B +0.6 Y&R +0.4 All My Children -0.1 Guiding Light -0.7 As the World Turns -0.8 Loving -1.2 One Life to Live -1.8 Another World -1.8 General Hospital -1.9 Santa Barbara -2.0 Days -2.1

More 1980s dramas to add to your list: Knight Rider, Wiseguy, Thirtysomething, China Beach, Life Goes On To the CBS comedy list add Major Dad, Dave's World, Cybill, Cosby.

So Y&R will reach its 55th anniversary in March 2028.

Bradley is not capable of such things.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

OJ is 6 months away

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.

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.

Y&R big event: Scott learns he has an illness and that Sheila survived the fire, thus he and Sheila are still legally married. B&B November 1993 big event Catalina Island remote where Scott dies. General Hospital in 2nd. Was this Luke/Laura return?

Clearly a tank job.

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.