DAYS- Tuesday, February 20th

[Keith]

I would love to have that much faith in advertisers and TPTB at NBC. Point is, this isn't just for Daytime. All shows get money based off sweeps. Consistency is important and helps, yes, but if you do well and then have a lazy sweeps, that's not consistency.

[DrewH]

I agree with those that say DAYS needs to start back up with sweeps worthy material in the 3 months where it matters most. Yes, it would be great if the show continues to produce great quality all year round, but that's what they have been doing for the past 5 years and it is not paying off. I thnk that last big sweeps storyline the show had was the Salem Bombings in May 2001. That was the last time I can remember knowing it was sweeps month. Everything else has been just another day of the year.

[Raven04]

GH is now known isn my opinion, for having great sweeps episodes, but the rest of the year, really lacking in the storyline department.

Days episodes have been good and improving, the spoilers i have read for march, sounds like sweeps to me. I rather have Days be consistently good like now, then just a sweeps thing

[PhoenixRising05]

The last big sweeps month I remember was November 2002 with the whole plot to smoke out Larry, who had kidnapped Hope. I loved that story.

November 2003 was pretty good too with the murders.

I agree that they should get back to performing during sweeps but I won't be too upset if they do.

Keith, I think producing good drama 9 months out of 12 is pretty good but I see your point. We all want to see a big sweeps but I also don't want Days to fall into the "push everything for sweeps and have nothing left for the following months" trap that many shows fall into (namely ABC).

[Antoyne]

I'm just really bored with the show truth be told. It's good writing and such, but it's very boring. I only find myself interested when EJ is around making trouble. On The Run is moving at a freaking snail's pace when it started out really good..I just hate when stories become really stagnant, and thats what seems to be happening.

[Ponz]

I think it's foolish of the advertisers to put so much stock in Sweeps ratings. If a soap pulls out all the stops in Sweeps but is lacklustre the rest of the year, the advertisers end up over-paying. They stump up the extra cash for 3.0 ratings when their adds are predominantly screened when the ratings are in the 2.5-2.7 range. Shows like GH are basically pulling off a giant con to boost revenue.

That being said, if the system rewards this kind of approach, DAYS can't afford not to play the same game.

[DrewH]

I was going to count November 2002, but even that wasn't really sweeps worthy stuff. Sweeps storylines should gather the whole cast into a particular storyline. Larry Kidapping Hope only involved the Bo/Hope/Larry/Zack/Lexie/Abe/Jack/Jennifer. That was it.

I mean, yes it was great because we all thought drastic things were happening that really weren't (Lexie dying, Bo going to jail). I didn't like the storyline though. I never like those "lets keep a secret from the town" storylines because they're so far-fetched and impossible.

And the serial killer storyline, including November 2003, was not sweeps stuff. September-December was nothing but the same thing and that was why I didn't count it. November was nothing differen than September, October and December.

[Andre]

Agreed. And that is basically what it comes down to.

[Keith]

Thank you, Ponz.

I hate the system. I truly do, but as it stands, that's the way it works. And if Days won't play the game... I don't think I need to say it.

There's absolutely no excuse that this great quality can't build up to a head during sweeps. It's a business mind that Days has lacked in yearts, and it's always bugged me.

[PhoenixRising05]

Actually Drew that story also included Shane, Shawn and Belle, Craig and Celeste (who helped fake Lexie's death and Billie's shooting), and Alice and the Horton's as supporting players and they were all in the know about the scheme. Half the cast knew about it so that was pretty good and it wasn't far fetched in my view. It was an undercover operation.

The serial killer stuff was not designed specifically for sweeps but November sweeps was action paced with Maggie's murder, the triple funeral, Marlena poisoned and Celeste learning that John would kill Marlena, Caroline's murder, Cassie's murder, and LUMI getting closer. It was a pretty solid month and ratings did pretty well.

I think they both count but May 2001 was obviously Days last big sweeps stune. They did two that year with the Salem bombings and the Coronation. I want them to do stuff like that again but I am also ok if they focus on other months to. I guess I am ok with whatever they do

[DrewH]

And that's what I'm hoping for with May sweeps. I never watched ATWT during Hogan's time, so I don't know if he does sweeps and he just hasn't executed on DAYS because he's still in transition. But I would really love a big sweeps storyline for May. Hell, at this point, I wouldn't care if they did an exact copy of the Salem bombings

[Pest Spray]

They also did well in February of 2003. The SSK storyline did well until late April/May when they started slowing it down. Ratings were good until then though. The peak I belive was when the killer was revealed and then it slowed down in April or something.

[xDaysAddict]

Loved Nov. 2002 storyline! it was a great month with the climax of the kidnapping story(Jack and Jennifer bonding,lexie's "murder",Billie

in the "damn cop uniform" being shot etc.) as well as Brady and Chloe beautiful location scenes.

[SteveFrame]

Excuse me for saying this, but all this talk about being good the rest of the year and not good during sweeps is okay. I agree all shows should adhere to this, but it leaves me with the question. Days has only been really good for 1 month and a half out of the last 4 so I don't see where they are doing anything different than what GH is being accused of right now.

I give you that Days is still in transition to some degree. I give you that the day to day writing is worlds better, but the show was so boring in November, heated up in December until mid-January and then since then has been good but boring with a capital B. And I am not the only one saying that. People keep wanting to know when the stories are going to punch or kick in.

And if you look at last year Days had about 4 months that they were really good and exciting - the rest of the year was terrible or mediocre. And the year before that was absolutely awful with The Island mess.

I mean I'm loving what Hogan's crew is doing to the writing on a day to day basis but right now if they continue the pattern they have set, they are going to be exciting for 3-4 months of the year except for where GH does it on the sweeps months Days is just going to do it the month after. FAce it right now even though quality is good (just like GH's always is) Days is in the same pattern. They a great December with balance great. Then Jan & Feb the balance has been off, and the stories just laying there. Spoilers for March look exciting and look like balance is going to be better.

Just right now I don't see the difference.

GH and others keep getting blamed for playing the game, but they didn't create the game. The advertisers and the ratings system created the game. It has been there for years and years. I don't see it changing and if Days wants to stay on the air they are going to have to beef it up when the advertisers are watching and making their budgets. They set this system because companies do budgets on a yearly basis for the most part, and most of them revise the budget or alter it just a few times of the year or not at all.

I want Days and all my soaps to be good all year round. Just think that if Days could play the game and get the higher numbers during sweeps months, they could be even better the rest of the year because the budget would be better.

[DrewH]

It's just a case of some fans will never be satisfied.

I, on the other hand, am very satisfied with my show for the first time in 5 years. I look forward to watching the show everyday. It's not out of habit anymore. It's now desire. And every show, I feel like I came away with something. It's not stalemate scenes anymore like it has been for 4 years.

Rain on the parade all you want. I have my tarp up.