ALL: Pivotal Years for Soaps

[Jude]

Ratings point change: It takes more viewers to make 1 point. This means that a 5.0 in 1996 would be less than a 5.0 in 2006 (even if having the same number of viewers). I don't know the exact figures, but let's say 500,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 1996, but 1,000,000 viewers equaled 1 point in 2006. I think the changes are because of the number of TV sets people have going up. Hopefully someone can explain it more articulately than me.

1988 was the year of the writer's strike.

[opac99]

it was 1987 when that happen because when i was 8 and staying over my grandmother's during the daytime in the summertime at the time.

I just wasn't NBC daytime,the whole network was struggling at the time.They were still recovering from the Supertrain flop because of the production costs and bad rating,the US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics which cost NBC millions in ad revenue,etc.

[Drew]

I couldnt have been a fly. I'd have been too tempted to either say something, or back up Kenny in taking him out back...

[David V]

Indeed it was but if we talk about networks generally, how much of that is still felt at NBC today? In the last 5 years or so, it seems their only truly strong point would be the Law & Order franchise and especially SVU. And SVU, my current favourite TV show, only serves to highlight what's gone wrong with Daytime- the air of unpredictability is gone from soaps, but still present on primetime shows like SVU (in particular).

But the main point was that the impact of NBCD's 1980 collapse is still felt to this very day because it would never be able to compete with CBSD and ABCD in the ratings race, even if the Days/AW/SB "Silver Age" of the 80s (ironically when Frons of all people was in charge) saw them nearly get it right.

[Sylph]

Anyway, the problem is that the change is pretty much irrelevant. Networks usually aren’t interested in the total viewers; much more important than that is the rating, which represents a percent of all households who watched a certain programme. Share is somewhat different and is a measure of competitive standing.

[aMLCproduction]

I like the sets of AMC

[Bree]

We can't forget Erica's abortion in 1970, unfortunately, MMT abolished it to write a convoluted story for her own benefit.

I think it was 1968 on OLTL when Carla Benari/Gray passed for white and fell in love with both a black and white man.

The premiere of Dark Shadows in 1966. It paved the way for the supernatural plots featured on other soaps like DAYS, GL, and Port Charles.

[AntiNWO]

Without a doubt: 2006: Record low ratings, new lows in quality, decreased budgets & promotion.....the continuation of daytime's slow demise.....tick.....tock......tick.....tock

[Mason]

2007: The beginning of the end....(most likely)

[Sylph]

The end has already begun.