DAYS: Episode Rankings as of 4/30/07

[Pest Spray]

Sami and EJ having the same conversation, Lucas and Kate having the same conversation, Sami and Lucas doing the same slobbery and annoying kissing, Chelsea getting into trouble, Steve rejecting someone who loves him and having some annoying headache (and I suffer chronic headaches/migraines, and you don't go screaming around like a raving lunatic - you barely get out a peep and can't move, you try to lie still in a dark room with no one there to bug you) attack or Celeste and Sami discussing EJ. Same thing. Every single day.

Well, it doesn't matter that she's good because she's not the familiar face fans TUNE IN to see. That's the fab four. Deidre, Drake, Kristian and Peter. I hated Bo and Hope for years, but the show without them wouldn't be the same. It'd suffer. Think about it. They lost Jack and Jennifer in September, by January, John & Marlena were pretty much goners and soon after Bo & Hope. In just 6 months, the three supercouples that carried the show for years were all missing in action or gone. You can't do that without suffering where it counts.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I don't know if it's all about the big 4 anymore. Look at ATWT, AMC, and OLTL, they've been accused of not using much of their veteran and fan favorite cast members for a while now, yet they've never sunk as low as a 1.9 in the ratings. Something seems wrong, when you equate the same problem to Days. Why has Days gone so far down in the ratings, but not the other soaps with the same exact issue? And, Days is far better written than ATWT, AMC, and OLTL at the moment, so why isn't it pulling in the 2.2-2.4's like those soaps are? I'm really drawing a black over this problem.

[PhoenixRising05]

Exactly right. The big 4 being off is a problem but would it drive a show down this far? The pace was slowed for awhile but many soaps have slowed just as much since sweeps. February had Days still pulling in around a 2.3-2.5 and the vets were off then too.

I just wonder what the problem is? . *cough* Corday *cough* NBC *cough*

It could also be other things too but I lack energy and don't feel like debating tonight so I will leave it at that

[Angela]

I know I have absolutely no interest in looking at DAYS anymore, I'm not sure why. I think part of it is it just doesn't feel like DAYS to me anymore for whatever reason... As awful as JER was/is he'd have like 4 stories running at a time, that's not really happening on this show anymore. Like in 1995/1996 you had Bo/Hope/Billie/Jude, Sami/Austin/Carrie/Lucas, Marlena/John/Kristen/Stefano, and Jack/Jennifer/Peter/Laura at the weak end. Stefano may have had his hand in each story in some way but it was 4 seperate, sort of distinct stories (the latter two meshed a bit). Every time I pass by DAYS now it's EJ related or Shawn/Belle related. And it's just sort of weird that that's all there is to the show anymore, quite literally.

Maybe it's a case of the show turning off viewers for too long. I watched DAYS for over 7 years (starting in late 1995), and I maybe liked 10-12 months of storyline altogether in that time, that's not a very good percentage. Viewers are alienated in the time that they're not enjoying the show - but hating to hate instead of loving to hate the show. You alienate viewers enough times over (which DAYS without question has) and they'll eventually stop coming back. You can do "crazy" stunts and get viewers in for a time but as we see here those viewers probably will not stay, but in the meantime you've accomplished alienating the viewer that was watching faithfully. I think this may be a good lesson to all soaps. DAYS as supercouple-centric as it seems to be seemed to spend at least a decade playing how far "over the edge" can I push a fan before they just jump ship to stop the pain in the a**. I don't know...

I know the show's ratings never did a slow, consistent downslide like this when DDH/DH/PR/KA were getting more than 20 episodes a year by this time.

[R!ck]

Excellent post Angela

EXACTLY Linn! It's been the same ole crap for 4 months. I cannot understand how people think the writing is perfect? DAYS has always been about family. Even under Langan, C&B, and JER there was a family connection, now where the hell is it?

The Horton's have all but disappeared. Marlena can't even be bothered to help Sami with her wedding. Hope/Maggie never share scenes anymore. Victor, Caroline & Shawn are MIA. Bo, Kayla, or Roman never go to the Brady pub for Ma and Pa's advice.

Exactly Linn! Look no further as to why the ratings are in the gutter.

[Roman]

But, under JER, those same supercouples were on there front and center, and the ratings showed that Days was still near the bottom.

[KLN]

From Jason47's site... here is a list of each time Days first reached a new low rating.

2.9......3/24/03

2.8......3/31/03

2.7.......4/28/03

2.6.......6/30/03

2.5.......3/7/05

2.4.......3/28/05

2.3.......4/17/06

2.2.......3/12/07

2.1.......3/5/07

2.0.......4/9/07

1.9........4/16/07

Four years, eleven new lows. ELEVEN. Isn't that some kind of record?

The episode rankings listed within this thread for the year of 2007 explain the 1.9 perfectly. In 2009, the trend will have continued, and we'll likely see another five or six historical lows before it's finally cancelled.

[Pest Spray]

If only we'd even get to see Marlena wanna stay with John over helping Sami with the wedding. Everything about J&M we're being told by people I don't give a fig about. "Marlena's devestated", "Marlena couldn't leave", "Marlena's upstairs giving a statement", "Marlena had to go out of town"... for christs sake, if you need to do their annual (because it is, truly - every year since I can remember) backburning - wake him up, reunite them and spin them on a world-round honeymoon.

J&M were frontburner during Reilly? Bo and Hope were, J&M weren't and neither were J&J. The last time the ratings were good were while MarKiller was on her killing strike.

And thanks for that list... interesting that Marlena has been backburner every single time. Not saying it's the reason (IMO it's reason enough - she's the heart of the show)... it's just an interesting tidbit.

IMO, people are tired of Corday's lies.

[NYC123]

Wow! I see why DAYS is getting a 1.9. they do deserve it because we always see the same characters. Theres not that much balance. the VETS are being put in the backburner spot.

I don't thing DAYS can get better if they keep putting the same people on each and everyday!