September 17-21, 2007

[josephm68]

i'm glad to see that i'm not alone concerning my complaints of Days. i commented earlier in the week about one of their shows and i was basically told by the others how great days as been for about a week - lol - and that it's just amazing and hot right now. i was like...i'm not even going to respond. the show has so many problems it's a shell of a soap right now. i realize that i'm 38...i remember being a little kid during the golden age of another world, santa barbara, texas etc. Those were soaps....i realize the younger crowds here who only remember the mid-90's must think i'm nuts...but...compared to actors like victoria wyndham, anne heche, beverlee mcKinsey, marcy walker, a martinez, lane davies, and writers like harding lemay and bridget and jerome dobson - todays soaps all away around just don't cut it. and it's NOT just all the young actors of today. does anyone remember marcy walker winning an outstanding lead actress emmy for santa barbara in her early 20's? or anne heche playing the twins on another world at the age of 17-18? or robin wright playing kelly on santa barbara?

i dunno....i haven't left the soaps...i just feel like the soaps left my age group...we have memories...real vivid memories of great shows, actors, writing etc. and today's shows just don't cut it. and i'm just so sick of all of their silly excuses....enough is enough.

[billyjill]

I wouldn't be so angry if I felt that TPTB at DAYS were making any realistic effort to try and save the show. Let's be honest, what they want is to afford a cheaper show geared at a younger audience, it's just a matter of "training" us to not care about the vets any more. It doesn't work, accept it! These people do not care to see it even go out in style. Either that or they are outrageously stupid, more so than I am comfortable believing. The stories are so lazily executed, I have to believe that it's more a matter of them thinking they can get away with it because the audience doesn't expect much anyway*. And that just makes me angry at the way the entire last fifteen years have gone, with an erosion of characterization and depth and emotional intelligence in the storylines.

Sigh, another thoroughly depressing Thursday. I need to go chuck something.

* And that's why I'm so critical about quality, if nobody demands better we'll never be given any better. But then I suppose I'm naive thinking anyone listens anyway.

[NYC123]

HORRIBLE! DAYS is in horrible standings! 1.8! I think those ratings proves that the show sucks!

AMC still at a 2.2. B&E need to do something quick!

[juppiter]

I think the soaps have improved since the early part of the decade when it comes to listening to what the fans want.... In desperation daytime has finally become a little less conservative. And yet, this past year has been one of the worst years ratings-wise in history.

Why? Is it possible that the networks were right and we were all wrong? Not trying to state anything here, just planting a seed for discussion... I personally don't like Hogan's writing, but DAYS was worse under Tom Langan and didn't see anything near this kind of erosion. Why now and not earlier? What has changed?

And AMC may still be in the ratings basement, but B&E are doing a good job IMO of slowly rebuilding the show. McTavish had years to screw up the show and you can't go back in a day, as DAYS has demonstrated numerous times. Quick fixes don't work.

[brimike]

I could kiss you for saying this. I completely agree. We all want to point fingers at the shows individually. How this character is being played too much, or these other characters are on the backburner. But you're so right... Days has been in MUCH worse shape before, and the audience watched. Maybe there just is no audience anymore. And the audience it has relies on DVR's and SoapNet. All shows keep experiencing .1 bumps up and down, but five years from now, will all shows be in the 1.5 area, with Y&R at #1 with a 2.9?

[Soapsuds]

I was hoping ATWT would go up .1. But I am glad they held steady. Monday and Tuesday's show were ok. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were the better shows of that week. And Luke and Noah were on Wednesday and Thursday's show. The higher rated ones. I am also glad ATWT didnt get those 2.0 or lower. Next week I am going out on a limb and saying they will go up to at least a 2.3.

Ouch for Days...two 1.7's???

And it looks like ATWT will remain at #5 in Total Viewers.

[RogerNewcomb]

Seems like Days is doing ok considering they are now competing with not two but THREE soaps in some markets including Passions on DirecTV. Not every Days fans who had to make a choice was going to stick with it. Some will watch OLTL, ATWT or Passions. Maybe some home viewers don't want to record a soap so they had to make a choice in that timeslot.

[winterguy125]

Sounds like the great all mighty Hogan just ain't getting it done. He's a one trick pony just like JP is, they are both hacks and they both need to go.

[Soapsuds]

I also noticed that this week's numbers are exactly the same as last week's numbers. Could the ATWT audience be paying attention when Luke and Noah appear? So they can watch. I am referring more to this week than last week.

[mamasita]

ATWT remains steady. The luke and Noah story and the "Carly is dying" are very good s/l overall and are attracting new viewers.

[Dr. Chip]

I'm beginning to fear that too many fans have left and are just never coming back. I'm afraid that too many people just don't trust "Days" anymore.

The actors are there, and the characters are there. Ed Scott is there. But the show is "stuck," and we're running out of time. All the sand has almost run out of the hourglass.

Is it too late to "save DAYS" this time???

[winterguy125]

I think it was too late the minute that idiot whatever his name is said that DAYS was gone in 2009, that is when the ratings starting tanking bigtime, sure alot of it is that Hogan is not that good, but that comment was pretty much when it started taking the bigger hits ratings wise. Who is going to watch a show no matter how good, if they know it is going off the air in a few years. And yes I know alot of fans are still diehard DAYS fans which is fine, but alot of people might have heard that comment and not looked back. Even if Ed Scott is on the team now, that is not going to matter to those people that heard the NBC person say the show is gone in a few years, why should they bother coming back for a few short years of shows?

[RalphOrtiz]

Great post - ITA!!

[MichaelGL]

...and DAYS wasn't the only soap on NBC then.

It's also good to see OLTL up again. That show has yet to disappoint me. My wish is to see it beat GH in households and/or total viewers.

As for GL, the show is getting exactly what it deserves, and I am now thinking that it won't hurt that much to see it last. In order for me to watch one episode of GL I have to throw out all my years of viewing the show and digest the storylines DK is writing for most of the cast. The destruction of many of my favorite characters is my number one pet peeve with the show right now. The propping of the oh so good Coopers is my second pet peeve. DK and EW should have been given the pink slip ages ago.

[aMLCproduction]

WOW surprised at all the comments for Days. I think it is getting some what better, But even I think Days is a done deal. No saops these days gain .2 or even.3 and maintains it. I don't understand why Hogan hasn't been fired yet. But Like everyone says, the fact that GL can beat Days and it's shown at different times all over and hell not even at all in some markets, is a VERY sad day for Days. What producer would let his own show tank so far so fast not not do nothing about it