ABC Daytime: The Sinking Ship

[RuAsRuAnAu]

What will it take for Anne Sweeney to fire Brian Frons? Surely, she cannot be pleased with the embarrasingly low ratings and declined quality ABC Daytime has received since Frons was named in charge of the division in August 2002. Report after report have indicated that Frons is a micromanager, and that all 3 shows have his vision imprinted on them, particularly AMC. Frons, who's predecessor Anglea Shapiro was far better than him, waited far too long to fire Megan McTavish (late February/early March 2007) & Dena Higley (late May/early June 2007); while Robert Guza Jr. is still GH's head writer. McTavish should have been fired in 2005, Higley should have never been hired, and Guza should have been replaced by the unbelievably talented, intelligent, insightful, and passionate Michele Val Jean. Daytime writers simly adore Val Jean (she is held in high regard with all of GH's writers/directors & a vast majority of the cast), while many other writers are envious of her. There was some rumblings about Lynn Marie Latham trying to intice Val Jean to join Y&R.

But I digress. The daytime TV division of The Walt Disney Company needs major changes, and Frons had his chance to turn things around in 2002 but has failed each month of his disasterous tenure. Frons should simply be fired. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. If there is, there will not be anything left to salvage.

Week of September 10-14, 2007

Total Viewers (Last Week/Last Year) (Same Week: 2003)

3. GH 3,366,000 (+86,000/+221,000) (-466,000)

4. OLTL 2,996,000 (-125,000/-56,000) (-473,000)

6. AMC 2,792,000 (-112,000/-198,000) (-733,000)

Total Viewers: Same Week 2003

4. GH 3.832 million viewers

7. AMC 3.525

8. OLTL 3.469

Household Ratings: 2007/Same Week 2003

3. GH 2.5/3.1

4. OLTL 2.3/2.7

5. AMC 2.2/2.7

**Port Charles canceled/1.5**

[Dr. Jay S.W.]

slow down that agenda for me, will ya?

[Cheap21]

You cant make that type of statement based on one week. You'd have to go by an average for the year bc every soap has its bad weeks. You arent taking into account the good ones they've had as well

[NYC123]

Just because ABC had one bad week dosn't mean its sinking. Look at CBS. B&B hit there new lok 2.5. ATWT hit 2.0!

AMC, OLTL, GH generaly do better in Febuary Sweeps.

[Ryan]

Well....no one can dispute that ABC is a sinking ship...but it has nothing to do with one week of bad ratings. Creatively, the daytime network as a whole is in the toilet.

[Graciecat]

I disagree. Yes, AMC and OLTL had low ratings this week. But soaps as a whole are a dying genre, it is hardly just ABCD. In most weeks' ratings, the three ABC soaps have lost fewer viewers since the same week the previous year than nearly every other soap. I mean, in the past year, Passions was kicked off of network TV, DOOL and ATWT have hemoraged viewers, and Y&R's quality has gone down the drain. B&B has lost viewers, especially in the prized women 18-49 demo, and GL has been hovering on the brink of cancellation for as long as anyone can remember. I would say that comparatively, ABCD is holding steady. I mean, let's take another look:

1. Y&R 4.0/15 (same/-.3)

2. B&B 2.8/10 (same/-.3)

3. GH 2.5/8 (same/same)

4. OLTL 2.3/8 (-.1/-.1) <---- ties low rating

5. ATWT 2.2/8 (same/-.3)

5. AMC 2.2/8 (-.1/-.2) <---- ties low rating

7. GL 2.0/6 (+.1/-.2)

8. DAYS 1.9/7 (-.1/-.6)

Yes, OLTL is down .1 since the same week last year, and AMC is down .2, but every CBS or NBC soap except GL is down more than that.

Frons is very flawed, but I don't think he's awful at his job, and I don't think firing him will do any good. Soap fans, at least internet fans, are the most frustrated people on the internet. All we do is complain and scream that various people should be fired. And then when people do get fired, the fans are hapy for about a week, before they start complaining again, and often saying that they want the old writer/producer/exec back. Daytime has bigger problems than Brian Frons.

And lately, I think he's really been trying hard to save daytime. The firings of DH and MM are ones that I acually approve of. I think the replacements have been doing great jobs. OLTL has been so great lately.

And let's not forget that Frons had a lot to do with the creation of SOAPnet and of Night Shift. He's trying hard to find innovative ways to fnd new viewers. Frankly, I hate Niht shift, but I applaud ABCD for at least trying something new. Because let's face it: if soaps don't try anything else (and CBS and NBC haven't), soaps don't have long left.

[Canfan]

I agree one week of ratings is not enough to call for someone to be fired but this man has proven time and time again that he is in over his head trying to manage soaps. The stupid gimmicks he uses ie. Daytime Dillema, Sexiest Man, show that he does'nt understand the soap audience he currently has. Yes he is trying to reel in new viewers but his methods are driving away that core audience that had stayed with soaps through the cable boom. Now he is turning off that audience and they are the gateways to newer younger viewers in most cases. I know I started watching with my grandmother and most of my friends who watched started with their moms. The continuous cycle of plot driven poorly crafted storylines, the disrespect shown to the vets, and the retconned crap ( Erica's unabortion, Jessica's molestion, Laura killing Rick's lover) have driven away lots of viewers. I know plenty of people offline who gave up soaps years ago because they could'nt get past the juvenile writing and the horrible acting. Frons is in charge of the lineup so I blame him for allowing the ABCD soaps to sink as low as they have.

In addition the man is a publicity whore. Why the hell is he giving all these interviews? I don't even know who is the head of the CBS or NBC department but I see this guys mug everywhere. In addition he is a horrible choice to be giving interviews. His comments are insulting (Kristina Wagner is a matron, Kathy Brier is unattractive). He orders storylines ( my own person hell Courtney and Jason). He gives away story months in advance. I found out about Bianca's soon-to-be pregnancy from his big mouth. WTF is wrong with this picture?

I could go but then I would end up bursting a blood vessel. Angela Shapiro had her faults (shop the soaps) but I don't remember her giving too many interviews or pitching storylines. I know the Disney execs are also a huge problem pushing for young demographics so I only give Frons 70% of the blame. There is a reason so many good writers refuse to go back to daytime. Too much interference from above. And no doubt that even goes above Sweeney. I am just frustrasted because my soaps seem to be catering to the fantasies of middle aged execs instead of the women's graphic of 18-49 that they seem to say they want. At this point I am watching old eighties and nineties clips and the enjoying seeing the storys and characters I loved from back then.

[RuAsRuAnAu]

So, it's of no concern to anyone if any show loses more than a million viewers (or vey close to it) from the same week a year ago? What will it take for people to realize just how awful the ratings have been for several years now? Can AMC or OLTL ever reach the 3.6 million mark? Can GH reach the 3.9 million mark?

[Scotty]

Daytime in general is in a sinking ship, not just ABC....

Don't you like anything? You are always complaining about OLTL and ABC Daytime. No offense, but if you don't like what you see just change the channel.

I know that's what I do the same thing with shows and channels I don't like.

[Scotty]

I agree.....which soaps are regularly at the bottom of the ratings? ATWT, GL, DAYS...and none of those soaps are from ABC. Although, there are some fluctuations from week to week, the three ABC soaps usually occupy the 3, 4, and 5 spots. ABC Daytime may be in trouble creatively, but CBS and NBC Daytimes are in trouble ratings wise.

[dragonflies]

WORD Scotty!

[Scotty]

Thanks. I callz 'em as I seez 'em.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

All the soaps, excluding Y&R and B&B, are relatively close to one another in the ratings. A year ago, ATWT was constantly the #3 soap and could very well earn itself that position again, also that show isn't that far away from tieing or besting AMC or OLTL. Every soap, no matter the network, fluctuates. ABC is in as much ratings trouble as CBS is, though NBC certainly has it worse. Soaps #3 to #7 are too close to one another really, and the ABC soaps plus ATWT are really in the same boat. It's just GL and Days that are the real outliers usually.

All the soaps are in ratings trouble, ABC is no exception.

[Scotty]

Oh, I agree with you there...the Daytime genre as a whole in on the decline, and has been for sometime now. The decline has really started to become evident in the last 10-15 years or so. I think there are a number of reasons soaps have declined so much from their glory days in the '70s and '80s. More women are working and not watching soaps, the huge increase in channels to choose from, and the internet, just to name a few.

But yes, Daytime soaps are a sinking ship these days, and may be history within the next 10 years or so.

[dragonflies]

See I don't get why ABC seems to be the ONLY network that gets singled out regarding this. I mean all 3 of their soaps are CONSISTENTLY in the top 5, yet CBS CONSISTENLY has TWO soaps in the top 5 and TWO soaps at the bottom, not exactly something to brag about IMO.

Anyways I'm NOT saying ABC doesn't have problems, it has ALOT and yes IMO Frons is a huge one, but you can't get rid of Frons and think things might change, they could always bring in someone much, much worse.

I do think think they need to give Frons alot less control over the soaps though, reign him in some, and bring in someone to work with him that isn't a "yes man or yes woman"