April 16-20, 2007

[Ilovemydays]

People are drawing conclusions based on what Zucker DID SAY:

From USA TODAY

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/ne...presstour_x.htm

It isn't just NBC's Daytime Dramas at stake. IMO NBC isn't full supporting their night time soaps as the should either.

From CDN TVGuide

TVGuide was right NBC cancelled this show without airing it in it's entirety. (At least you can catch the remaing episodes online at NBC.com)

Written by two time OSCAR award winning writer Paul Haggis, IMO, this show was undermined by NBC's lack of commitment.

***

I'm not saying that I don't think that DAYS can improve in the ratings, I'm saying that I want the ratings to improve so that DAYS can find a better network than NBC.

[All My Shadows]

"The Price is Right" has been on the air for nearly 35 years, and its changes have been so few, minor, and far between, yet it continues to be the highest rated show in daytime, beating even Y&R. I agree, things need to change over time with soaps, but the wrong things are changing. Things that are essential to the very fabric of each show are being changed. Most of them don't even have an identity anymore, besides just being a soap opera. ATWT is a soap. About what? People who live in a town. OLTL is a soap. About what? People who live in a town. GH is a soap. About what? Used to be about a hospital. Now it's more about people who live in town (though I give it credit, the hospital seems to be coming back). No soap has a premise that fits it and only it. GH used to be the hospital soap. AMC was the family-oriented soap with high comedy thrown in. OLTL was more serious. OLTL and AMC have been so interchangeable lately, if I wasn't a soap fanatic and didn't know anything about either one of them, I'd think they were one in the same.

Again, I say, people HAVE given ATWT a chance. If it weren't for the great episode here and there, I'd tune out again too. It's frustrating to see Katie doing the exact same things she was doing last year, seeing Gwen and Will being painted as innocent victims yet again, seeing Jade degrade herself even further just to see Gwen and Will broken up. I'm so sick of Paul Ryan and Meg Snyder, I think I might puke. Paul's been having a non-stop hard-on for Craig ever since Roger Howarth even came to the show. Every other word out of his mouth is Craig. It gets so sickening seeing the exact same conversations day in and day out. It becomes predictable, and why watch a soap if you're not going to be surprised?

But, if you enjoy what you watch, go on ahead. I'm not trying to stop you from enjoying what you like, and I meant to say that earlier, but didn't. Hell, there's a lotta stuff I've enjoyed on soaps over the last couple of years that many people really didn't not like. If you enjoy it, enjoy it without feeling bad. Just remember that not everybody's gonna feel the same way you do. It took me a while to learn that, but I'm glad I did.

Oh, and I think I get what you're saying about people who complain just to complain. As a matter of fact, I know exactly what you mean. I can think of several boards that I refuse to go to because I know that it's just one negative post after another. The difference between the negativity here and the negativity at other places is that ours comes from the heart, from legitimate reasons.

Hope we're okay

[ATWTCarOn4Ever]

I mean we're okay now but I won't deny I was a little hurt/offended at what seemed like you lashing out at me earlier. And I DO understand what you're saying about character development, etc. Its just that I think in some of these soaps art imitates life. In life old habits die hard and SOME people NEVER grow up. Kinda like Katie who I still despise because of what she did to Carly and Simon last year. However I do think some characters should evolve. Who would think that Paul is still obsessed with getting Craig back? Or that Jade would still be trying to get into Will's pants after coming on the show more than a year ago? So I get that. However the dynamics have changed so it doesn't really feel the same even if its th same basic truth underneath it all. For instance Paul was irrational back in the day. Now hes more calm and cool. Hes still obsessed but hes able to control and not go pyscho over Craig (except for when he touches Meg and I can't blame cuz the psycho looks like hes ready to ravish her any day now).

But you are right about predictablity. Some of the soaps I can predict whats going to happen long in advance. However that hasn't happened to me with ATWT. Especially when I don't look for spoilers although sometimes I'm can't help myself.

I'll never get sick of Peg though...lol. They're just TOO CUTE together.....

[David V]

I think one reason soaps have gone down the toilet is that they have totally lost that air of unpredictability and anticipation about them.

Look at primetime dramas, such as Law & Order: SVU. SVU in particular is noted for its plot twists that you wouldn't be able to predict from the start of the show, which maks you want to watch to the very end. On the other hand with Daytime soaps you can practically read in advance what's going to happen these days.

[REALTOR Rich]

Some of the biggest problems, IMO, are the rapid pace of the stories, the re-writing of history, release of spoilers, and trying to appeal to certain demographics.

Years ago, we knew two generations: the primary characters and their parents. The primary characters, if related, had BOTH parents in common. In the case of DOOL, Tom, Addie, Bill, and Marie were the product of Tom and Alice. Of course, each of them had his/her own issues but Tom and Alice were as solid as they come. In the case of AW, Jim and Mary Matthews had Pat, Alice, and Russ. Again, the offspring had problems but we enjoyed Jim and Mary dispensing advice.

DOOL re-wrote history with Bo being Victor's son. Then there's the whole John Black/Roman Brady/Chris Kositchek mess. Another offense occurred with Dr. Marlena Evans. (Longtime viewers are still wondering whatever happened to her ex-husband, Don Craig.) Be that as it may, all of a sudden, the good doctor has an endless amount of children - some of which are aliens to whom she forgot giving birth (and occurring off camera). Ahem. Given this, wouldn't you doubt her qualifications as a psychiatrist?

With SORAD, there are three or four generations to central families. As a result, great-grandparents are only 30 years older than their great-grandchildren. As an unfortunate consequence, most of the cast is related. How do you build upon this? Oh wait, by cross-generational dating. A quick jump to CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful shows how Brooke Logan has been involved with Eric Forrester, his sons Ridge and Thorne, and her daughter's husband, Deacon.

These plot-driven devices (paternity test mix-ups, unknown twins, amnesia, multiple deaths) are very trying and easily result in viewer disapproval.

As anyone familiar with NBC's trials and tribulations knows, DOOL can rebound. Many of the needed characters are already established (Sami, Hope, Marlena, Kate, Lucas, Bo). Also, DOOL has had a tremendous following over the years that would return if given a reason. I believe that at least one other soap (excluding Passions) will disappear before DOOL does.

[David V]

Oh I know... Megan McTavish and Brad Bell are "masters" at re-writing history (including history they created themselves), Bell having done this with the paternities of both Bridget AND Ridge.

B&B is a show that continues to throw away opportunities of being a masterpiece. The potential is there, just that Bell is too lazy to exploit it to the fullest.

You see, this is why I've said all the time why JER's influence on Daytime proved to be very damaging. Because prior to his arrival at Days, "out there" storylines, plot devices and gimmicks were usually the exception rather than the rule on Daytime. But because of Reilly's success first time round, and his ideas spread to most other soaps like cancer, these sort of things became de rigeur throughout Daytime with writers, network execs et al looking for short-term gains rather than long-term qualities. They only reap what they sow.

[dede261]

can someone explain to me how the numbers go up a point

these are the numbers for OLTL this week

OLTL

Monday: 2.4/3,359,000

Tuesday:

Wednesday: 2.5/3,047,000

Thursday: 2.3/2,762,000

Friday: 2.3/3,024,000

On wed they had a total viewers of 3, 047,00 and on Friday 3, 024,000 but the friday was a 2.3 and wed a 2.5 You would think it would have gotten a 2.5 or 2.4 because there is onl 23,000 more viewers on Wed.

and on thursday there was 2, 762, 000 and on friday there was an increase of 262,000 why didn't the 2.3 change

[Carolyn1980]

You're comparing apples and oranges. The 2.3 is the household rating, which means 2.3% of all US TV households watched the show that day. The 2,762,000 is the number of viewers, not households. "Households" can have 1 or more viewers watching, depending on the day, so the total viewers varies.

[dragonflies]

I'm sorry but saying someone quit watching "because they heard bad things" about a certain soap is basically saying viewers don't have minds of their own.

[numberonedaysfan]

You are soooooo right.But my question is this:Why cant the higher ups see these mistakes?! Why cant they try their damnest to give EVERYONE a story?Wouldnt Gh be so much better if the show was giving stories to almost everyone.GOOD STORIES?!And yes stop rewriting history for the sake of a story that will be juicy for a week!.I wish we had the soap press who would ask the tough questions to the execs like brian frons,etc...

[NYC123]

I so agree. We don't have to go follow someone else just because they say "It Sucks"

[Jack24]

Days need a good sl for Bo and Hope Now!!

Dinah

[Matt P.]

Wow go GL for getting out of that number 8 rough spot! Still it sucks that it's the lowest ratings but I guess it's good that they're not last or next to last for once.