The Young And The Restless debuted during the 1972-1973 season in 17th position with a 5.0 household rating. By the 1987-1988 season, it had tied the television phenomenon General Hospital for 1st place with an 8.1 household rating. The following season, it become the highest rated daytime serial in households & among viewers. Y&R has since remained in the #1 position in both categories. What has been the key to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS being America's most watched daytime drama for nearly 20 years?

Possible Reasons

1. Time Slot (11am Mountain/Pacific, 11:30 Central, 12:30 Eastern)

2. Appeal to all demographic groups (12-17, 18-49, 50+, Men)

3. Appeal to Black people

4. Storylines/Writing

5. Acting

6. Production values

7. Critical acclaim/buzz (reviews, awards, mainstream media attention)

8. Maintained identity

9. Lack of copycats

10. The Price Is Right as lead-in support

11. Lack of competition

12. Long-term vision in place

13. Balance among cast

14. Lack of interference from outside forces

15. Luck

Answer: The main reasons are #2-8, #11-14

Will Y&R ever fall out of the top spot?

Answer: Not unless they disregard reasons 2-8 & 11-14.

Edited January 11, 200718 yr by AntiNWO

Come on Z9. I dont want to come off a forceful, but please. I am just a poster, like yourself so I guess I have no business asking you to tone down the articles, but I'm going to shoot.

The Young And The Restless debuted during the 1972-1973 season in 17th position with a 5.0 household rating. By the 1987-1988 season, it had tied the television phenomenon General Hospital for 1st place with an 8.1 household rating. The following season, it become the highest rated daytime serial in households & among viewers. Y&R has since remained in the #1 position in both categories. What has been the key to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS being America's most watched daytime drama for nearly 20 years?

Possible Reasons

1. Time Slot (11am Mountain/Pacific, 11:30 Central, 12:30 Eastern)

2. Appeal to all demographic groups (12-17, 18-49, 50+, Men)

3. Appeal to Black people

4. Storylines/Writing

5. Acting

6. Production values

7. Critical acclaim/buzz (reviews, awards, mainstream media attention)

8. Maintained identity

9. Lack of copycats

10. The Price Is Right as lead-in support

11. Lack of competition

12. Long-term vision in place

13. Balance among cast

14. Lack of interference from outside forces

15. Luck

Answer: The main reasons are #2-8, #11-14

Will Y&R ever fall out of the top spot?

Answer: Not unless they disregard reasons 2-8 & 11-14.

The Y&R does not come on in my area until 4:00 in the afternoon without the Price is right or B&B lead in.

I think they are going to start losing their #1 spot because if they can't keep thier long time viewers & add on new viewers. Thier #1 spot are going to be gone.

Edited January 11, 200718 yr by MoTheGreat

If Y&R begins to heavily decline in the ratings, so will the rest of the CBS lineup, especially the B&B. Y&R is still way, way ahead of all the other soaps so I wouldn't worry about Y&R losing its #1 status in the ratings.

One of the reasons that Y&R ruled the 90s is that it had the largest black audience of any soap, because it had the largest and most talented black actors. With Tonya Lee Williams and Shemar Moore gone, I wouldn't be surprised to see black viewers deserting the show.

Heh, I don't see why anyone would bail out over Shemar?

With the just cancellation of PSN (Yes! Great news! Oh yeah! Thank you! Finally!), the annoucement by Jeff Zucker that NBC will not renew DOOL's contract in 2009, the continued weak ratings of GL & the possibility of GMA expanding to 3 hrs, it looks like Y&R will remain at number one for a record breaking 3 decades (1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019). I predict Y&R will be the last American daytime drama standing. And deservedly so.

Heh, I don't see why anyone would bail out over Shemar?

Well I stopped watching regualry when victoria and shemar left. Now I just don't watch at all.

With the just cancellation of PSN (Yes! Great news! Oh yeah! Thank you! Finally!), the annoucement by Jeff Zucker that NBC will not renew DOOL's contract in 2009, the continued weak ratings of GL & the possibility of GMA expanding to 3 hrs, it looks like Y&R will remain at number one for a record breaking 3 decades (1990-1999, 2000-2009, 2010-2019). I predict Y&R will be the last American daytime drama standing. And deservedly so.

You are just beyond annoying at this point. No, I am not Passions #1 fan, but why must u continue to rub it's cancellation in people's faces? Get over it already!

Y&R may have been the # 1 show all these years, but that does not mean it's been the favorite show to the viewing audience. Alot of their audience comes from retirement homes where the caregivers and residents watch every day. It's true ! I remember visiting an old aunt and that's all they ever watched.

I always laugh at the retirement home comment (in general). Y&R is only what, 33 years young? Compared to the other soaps, like Guiding Light and As The World Turns (b/c of senority). I guess telling realistic, intelligent, and compelling stories (talking Bill Bell here) makes you an oldie viewer. But I've never seen Y&R as the "oldie" soap, that some say it is. If "hip" is what LML is dishing out, then I'd prefer to have my "oldie" back

If Y&R begins to heavily decline in the ratings, so will the rest of the CBS lineup, especially the B&B. Y&R is still way, way ahead of all the other soaps so I wouldn't worry about Y&R losing its #1 status in the ratings.

When Y&R declines, ALL OF DAYTIME DECLINES.

Many people start their day with Y&R. I know a LOT of ABC soap fans in this area(where Y&R airs at 11Central instead of 11:30Central like most affiliates) and they eat that sh!t up before The ABC and NBC Lineup(sh!t being an endearing term, not really what I think of Y&R).

And to many people outside of the boards, Y&R is the GOLD STANDARD! If the gold standard of soap loses its lustre, whose to say that they will stick around for the rest?!

Would love to see Y&R get serious Nielsen Competiton, and not just because Y&R has been #1 for so long or because Lynn Marie Latham is hacking it to bits with Reliqueery and Pheila. I'd like to see Y&R get trumped by another soap(on its own merits and NOT by default of Y&R sinking) because everything is so complacent in daytime. It's like everyone is okay with the status quo and doesn't want to do anything dangerous to compete with Y&R. And I'm not talking about gimmicky plane crashes, hotel fires, or even sexy scandalous stories. I'm talking about rich, compelling drama. Something like Labine's RYAN'S HOPE, but slightly hip.

I don't think any soap will be able to defeat Y&R(neither in ratings nor press) unless it's a new soap that drastically thinks outside of the box everyone is obsessed with. Would probably have to air either on FOX or in cable.

Until then, Y&R reigns and everything else stays below it.

I always laugh at the retirement home comment (in general). Y&R is only what, 33 years young? Compared to the other soaps, like Guiding Light and As The World Turns (b/c of senority). I guess telling realistic, intelligent, and compelling stories (talking Bill Bell here) makes you an oldie viewer. But I've never seen Y&R as the "oldie" soap, that some say it is. If "hip" is what LML is dishing out, then I'd prefer to have my "oldie" back

Word

Not to mention Y&R is usually #1 or #2 in the 18-34 and 18-49 demos. In fact, it's pretty much does well across the board with the demos, yet alone overall viewers.

The Young And The Restless debuted during the 1972-1973 season in 17th position with a 5.0 household rating. By the 1987-1988 season, it had tied the television phenomenon General Hospital for 1st place with an 8.1 household rating. The following season, it become the highest rated daytime serial in households & among viewers. Y&R has since remained in the #1 position in both categories. What has been the key to THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS being America's most watched daytime drama for nearly 20 years?

Possible Reasons

1. Time Slot (11am Mountain/Pacific, 11:30 Central, 12:30 Eastern)

2. Appeal to all demographic groups (12-17, 18-49, 50+, Men)

3. Appeal to Black people if more shows did do u think the ratings would go up as well?

4. Storylines/Writing is going down hill some what

5. Acting the acting is a-1

6. Production values is aslo a-1

7. Critical acclaim/buzz (reviews, awards, mainstream media attention)not critical accalim its being eroded

8. Maintained identity

9. Lack of copycats what show are you watching. They just copied AWTW's big storm.

10. The Price Is Right as lead-in support

11. Lack of competition this could be very true

12. Long-term vision in place but is slowly fading

13. Balance among cast i can agree

14. Lack of interference from outside forces

15. Luck

Answer: The main reasons are #2-8, #11-14

Will Y&R ever fall out of the top spot?

Answer: Not unless they disregard reasons 2-8 & 11-14.