October 2-6, 2006

[Mitchapalooza]

I wouldn't be gloating...raintgs can change on a dime (especially ATWT's), who knows next week ATWT could be #7 and then who has egg on their face?

ATWT has NOT been #3 for 7 or 8 weeks!!

(8 Weeks Ago) - AUGUST 14-18 = 3rd Place was DAYS OF OUR LIVES

(7 Weeks Ago) - AUGUST 21-25 = 3rd Place was DAYS OF OUR LIVES

ATWT was tied for #3 with DAYS on Week 6, 4, 3, 2!

Clearly you do NOT know my disdain for the ratings system. I have said from DAY 1 that the ratings system is bullshit, REGARDLESS of how well or how crappy DAYS was doing

Seriously when DAYS beats ATWT in the ratings (and they absolutely will) I am going to single you out EVERY time!

And just remember it is YOU who are ruffling everyones feathers and starting [!@#$%^&*] up here...NOT the DAYS fans!

[Soapsuds]

Go ahead. And I won't throw a fit either like some do.

[Mitchapalooza]

Sure thing!

Clearly those comments from that "DAYS fan" in the ATWT thread pissed you off a bit to bring it back up in this thread......

[Soapsuds]

Nah, I didnt. Drew H. did in the ATWT thread. Go read it. I have nothing against you Mitch. But when a Days poster goes and gloats about how good Days is and ATWT is not in an ATWT thread well I think that is not fair.

[Mitchapalooza]

Actually in this thread YOU did. YOU are the one that brought an issue from ANOTHER post to this post, a post that EVERY soap fans visits...sooo......I don't really see it that way at all!

Clearly you wanted a reaction from DAYS fans by posting that in THIS specific thread!

Yah its not fair, but seriously don't bring it to this thread, where you most certainly will garner a response.

The ratings thread is common to fans from all 9 soaps, so bringing something so specific like that to this thread usually results in something negative.

Whatever issue you have with this poster in the ATWT thread, should be resolved in that thread, and any frustruations you have voice them in that thread.

Calling out that poster (like you did) in a new thread, only makes it worse IMO and will get others involved.

DAYS and ATWT posters never had problems like this in the past, but recently because of Hogan being at DAYS I have noticed a TON of arguing and stuff between these two groups of posters....we all should be happy because both groups will get to/got to experience the greatness of Sheffer IMO.

[SteveFrame]

Well ATWT has been great for the most part for several weeks now. And anyone can compare the storm to a stunt from ABC is they want. Sad that it has come to the point that we judge all these type stories that way. But ABC causes us to do so. I don't see the storm as a stunt in the way that ABC has used some things as stunts. Esp. GH with the stunts that I have seen them use, they did not further or help their stories much at all. The Storm was more of a plot point than a stunt. It was an interesting point in the show that helped to further along many stories, and I think to introduce Craig back to the show. And it did it very effectively. It was used as a point to progress to another point in the story.

I would say at this point that the Stalker thing was more of a stunt even though it last longer than ABC's rating stunts usually do. So far since the Stalker story ended it just doesn't seem to have affected things much at all. I was hoping there would be more dealing with the deaths and all than there were, and some of the ones involved (esp. Maddie) having a hard time getting over it. Frankly I think the aftermath has been handled very poorly by JP on that. But I guess most viewers would find it boring for the teens not to move on and see them setting around doing counseling or whatever about what they went through. And sadly even Henry and Maddie have not dealt with too much about how they deal with having a sister who was a serial killer. So I think ATWT failed on that one but they have not failed with the storm so far.

One thing about it that ATWT has managed to do is stabilize their ratings with these various points of interest. Even when the show got boring (as some say it did) it managed to hold onto it's position, it's rating position for the most part, and even the majority of their viewers. So I think that is a plus in their favor.

I would not even venture to guess why Days ratings are not going up. I know we have 2 viewers who have posted in this thread that they are not that intrigued with Days right now. But the majority of what I have read says that people are. I cannot say as I have not watched any of the show at all since the Friday before I left to go to Mississippi. I had tuned in some from time to time before that, but not daily or for full episodes in awhile. While I was in Mississippi, my former mother-in-law would not even allow the TV to be cut on to Days. She has watched Days since day one in 1965. She quit watching the day Alice Horton was killed during the SSK story, and despite the fact that she knows Alice was brought back it was enough to turn her off. And the contrived way that Alice was brought back and the others just turned her off completely, and she has not watched at all since then. Even though I informed her that the show was supposed to be much better and getting a new writer, she has found other shows to watch and want come back at all. I am sure there are other viewers out there like her who will take even more time to get back. I wonder sometimes if they will ever get her back. GL airs opposite Days there and she watches it each day now. She is another of the reasons I have started back watching GL more often.

Anyway I know there are viewers who have come back and so excited about Days, there are still the lapsed viewers who haven't, and there are viewers (school viewers) who cannot watch right now. And depending on the Nielsen homes that are affected by those teenagers or college age children, it could account for the big drop from the summer until now. That is just one thought.

I still think there is a faction of today's viewers who bounce around. You can watch these ratings long enough to see that there has to be. Those shows in the middle just seem to share viewers right now for some reason. And I don't know how much these viewers affect it or even how many there are of them. But I do think they are a factor. I think there are some viewers right now that have tuned out of Days maybe to watch the John is "dead" story on OLTL that seems to be getting lots of excitement, or even those who are starting to tune out to watch this story with Laura on GH. I know that the boards are a full representative of the viewership out there, and many on the boards are not Nielsen viewers, but I am sure there is a faction of those type of viewers out there.

I will be anxious to hear from Rick or someone about how much viewership is actually up or down right now. And see what total viewers look like. I know Rick has not given us an update in a few weeks on what the year comparison is. Maybe he will do that for us this week.

I know one thing it all comes down to difference in what viewers like or don't like. And as we have all said we all have our opinions. When viewers were saying ATWT was boring, I didn't think so. And right now (at least 2 viewers have said so here) think that Days is boring, while a majority say it isn't. It is all a matter of taste.

I just hate to see these overall ratings for soaps as a whole. A 2.5 for #3 is not very impressive - even though I am glad ATWT is sitting there.

[Ponz]

Regarding DAYS, you must remember that the average NON-internet viewer doesn't care about (or isn't aware of) headwriter changes. They won't tune in for "Hogan's first week". Us internet posters are more atune to the improvements in the show because we know the backstage politics behind it. And we also tend to notice stuff (better dialogue, more character-driven scenes, fewer flashbacks etc.) that doesn't make a big impression on the average viewer.

Jane's point about losing the core audience is a valid one. Reilly and Langan alienated hundreds of thousands of long-term viewers with their gimmicks, pimping of the younger set and general ignorance of viewer opinion. Bringing them back or replacing them with a new generation of viewers will be a painstaking process. It's not something Hogan can achieve in a few weeks or even a few months. The big question is whether NBC will give him the time he needs to accomplish this. If they expect sudden ratings boosts, they are setting him up to fail.

I suppose the only silver lining with these bad numbers is that they are being reached on a budget that is 30% cheaper. A 2.5 rating on a $60 million budget looks better than 2.5 rating on a $90 million budget. NBC are probably still banking on improvements, though.

[DruRocks]

snoooooooooooze.

[WTGH]

The ratings for my show may fall, but in the meantime I'll enjoy them and not try to get ahead of myself.

[Mitchapalooza]

That is the BEST way to be IMO!!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

All this crap about Days possibly passing B&B just doesn't seem like a reality to me. B&B at its worst has continually outranked Days, even when Days was much more ahead in terms of quality. I think Days fans are thinking too far ahead of themselves.

And don't get me started on those posters who've posted in others threads about Days possibly passing Y&R.

[Mitchapalooza]

Most of B&B success in the ratings can be attributed to the fact that it follows Y&R, nothing more and nothing less IMO. You switch GL and B&B around and I guaratee a loss for B&B and a gain for GL!

Also I think alot of this "DAYS is going to be #2 in the ratings" stuff is a bit premature, but I definetly do not think it is outta the question, but by christmas I just don't see it, especially with DAYS ratings for the last 3 weeks!

Also people need to cut the DAYS fans some slack!! For the first time in years fans are HAPPY and EXCITED about DAYS future and what is going on with their soap, god forbid they be enthusiatic about it or its ratings potential on this website

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I don't think it has anything to do with "cutting Days fans some slack". I think some of us are just annoyed by certain posters trashing other soaps to make Days looks better. I'm happy Days is undergoing a creative renaissance, but it's just rude when fans feel the need to compete with fans of other soaps to make their soap look better. Also, Hogan's stuff on Days has just begun, for all we know, most of his tenure could end up being a bust. That's why fans shouldn't think too far ahead of themselves. We all just need to wait and see what the end result will be, instead of jumping to conclusions.

[skiman12082004]

Days fans are defensive because people that don't even watch the show always feel the need to beat, kick and bash the show when it sucks or when it deserves praise. Fans of the show, including myself, are just so optimistic that the show will be so much better than the drivel we have had to endure for years. The past few months alone has run circles around the mess that Days was. Hogan seems to have some great ideas and a real love for the show. With that enthusiasm I wish him only the best.

And as a Passions fan, to hell with all of you that are happy that the shows ratings are terrible. I see small attempts being made to improve the show, but turning a show around takes time. JER is a unique kind of writer and I haven't lost all faith in him yet. Passions has more potential than any other soap on the air and I truly believe that potential will be tapped into sooner than later.

[cody_1990]

Go Guiding Light go!!!!!!!