September 11-15, 2006

[cal3]

I have no clue what the real numbers regarding RH's impact on the show were but I find it hard to believe that there was a large impact on the show with his departures. They were far too frequent. Also the role of Todd in many respects is caving in on itself. There are only so many crimes that can go unpunished and so many times one character can come back from the dead before it loses it's impact. If anything they'd have been better to let TSJ be Walker and create a new character since he's done that any way and leave the potential for a Todd return for a later date.

If RH's comings and goings didn't have an impact are we to buy that ME's would when he's never approached the level of succes as a character that Todd has?

If we're talking about being held captive to one group of vocal fans whose only reason for tuning in is to see ME then is that worth destroying a show for especially at the cost of arguably a larger group of fans?

I guess I just don't buy into the hype around ME. I honestly believe he could have left and the show would have moved on in a healthier position than it is now.

[ZaraB]

I totally agree the show would have been in a better position if ME had left.

The hole RH left was more from a storyline than a fan perspective -- Todd's comings and goings were constant frontburner storyline and as much responsible for the Todd and Blair merry go round as the 'supercouple' writing. There was a hole for a 'lead' actor, and TPTB wanted Micheal Easton to fill it -- but how and why they persist with this desperate pattern to feature him as the centerpiece is beyond me.

[cal3]

I agree story wise there was a hole after RH's departure but TSJ and DG were more than filling that hole and doing an excellent job at it as Walker and Kevin. It was the insistence of moving to John and Antonio that seemed to start the downward spiral that this show now can't break out of. Now there is no go to group for the save.

[pamela1965]

WOW AMC is so bad it is shocking and GH is not much better with the mucky and jiz carson bullshit

[Jess]

I think ME is a reason the show has dropped so significantly. Longtime fans bailed out. We no longer watch because the show is not our show anymore. I don't think ME brought in many viewers at all. However, I do think that most longterm viewers have bailed. What few are left, I believe will be gone very soon unless something changes. I think Steve is right. If ME left, there would be a hit, albeit temporarily. The reason is I think they bialing out has come in waves. OLTL hit about 2.4 during the Santis. It rebounded a bit when Higelyc ame back and there was a focus on ending bad stories and also she had made promises. During the cheerleader BBQ and the Killing Club mysteries, it really started to take another dump when it became obvious the Killing Club wasn't about Marcie, it was about McBain. It went from a regular 2.8 to 2.6. We all started talking about the bottom falling out.

Then last summer and now, it took another big dump. I think it will stablize at 2.4 for a short while. At the end of November, I think it's going to tank again, unless there is some serious turnaround. I suspect by the end of the year, OLTL will be average 2.2 to 2.3.

The only people really watching the show now are die hards and a few ME and REG fans. Had ME left, I think the effect would have been about the same as we are going to see at the end of November when Kevin and Kelly are booted.

None of it need to happen. I don't think they ever should have hired ME. They certainly should NOT have started his tenure on the wrong foot by caving in to his demands that he not play Todd. Once he came on, OLTL should have made him a part of the show, not the star. It was obvious after his first three months that he was not the rating draw they thought he would be. Now they continue to cave in to his unwarranted demands and OLTL pays the price.

[Toadstool]

ME could have been a great character, but not every single [!@#$%^&*] day! I liked that ME was coming to OLTL, but not EVERY [!@#$%^&*] DAY! Now, for me and many other viewers like me, the damage is done. I hate his character and I hate the actor because he has been shoved into my face, down my throat and up my ass as a OLTL viewer. And aside from a few weeks, he'll be back doing the same thing. again and again and again.

Good [!@#$%^&*] bye, One Life to Live

[Ilovemydays]

I'm not much of an ME fan, I never had been. But he only reason I stopped watching OLTL is because I stopped watching AMC. Now when Days is over I ususally just turn off the tv so that means no GH either.

I should give Passions a try, if for no other reason than I need a little mindless fun around that time of day, you know, when I should be working .

[cal3]

I don't think we will get a break. I expect that ME will still be around all six weeks in some form. Even if it is only in a body bandaged and believed to be Hugh.

[danthig]

I hope Hogan brings in the numbers once his material starts airing.I'm glad it is still holding onto #3 even though they dropped this week.DAYS has a history of getting big jumps in the ratings especially when its good and on fire.Hurry Hogie Hurry.

[Angela]

I would have done each soaps comparison in just one chart, but they upload so small and the week-date axis comes out funky, so take in mind that the viewer measure is not the same in each of these boxes (you'll have 2.9 million to 3.6 million for one year and 2.9 million to 4 million for another year)...but the pattern of the weekly ratings is interesting all by itself. I'm going to combine the two years in charts for next week - put the charts on a hosting site maybe.

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[Ilovemydays]

Thanks Rugrat. This has me wondering how much worse can things possibly get at AMC?

[Jess]

Rug, that is really interest. It looks like viewers don't always tune out. They turn the channel. Really cool graphic.

[Ms. Walsh]

[SteveFrame]

I do not agree that soaps have to be action packed all the time at all, but I agree with you Mrs. Walsh that this is what is ruining all soaps. I didn't think I would ever see ATWT doing it either. I think the only thing they did good during the slasher story was to try and put some family moments in there too. I liked the slasher story, but the highlights that week for me was the Emma, Meg, and Holden scenes on Tuesday I think it was that week. Also the Holden & Luke scenes were the other highlight. I do give JP props for throwing those in while all the campy stuff was going on.

Like I said I never thought ATWT would resort to it, but I guess you have to in order to survive today. But my biggest fear is that ATWT and all the shows will soon become like OLTL - about characters we don't care about anymore. And if we don't have the interaction and family moments that so many find boring that is what it will become. Death already has lost so much impact in soaps, but it will even more when no one cares about the family that is grieving. And believe me it does happen. When Duke was killed on OLTL, I didn't feel anything at all because there were never any family scenes between any of them. And to see Vicki mourning for a grandson had no impact because for me as a viewer I never saw them together. The same for Clint as a grandfather.

But it was soaps are coming too, and what this generation of viewers want.

And Ms. Walsh I agree with you, Hogan had some really great stories, but there were definitely about 2 clunkers for each hit. The two biggest clunkers were the Oakdale 3 and the whole Cabot mess. Man those 2 were terrible. And I guess I would rank the Doc Reese thing up with it too.

[Toadstool]

Hey RUGRAT, that's a lovely child!