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Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings

Ratings for the week March 31 - April 4, 2008

(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)

Total Viewers

1. Y&R 5,205,000 (-248,000/-173,000)

2. B&B 3,666,000 (-378,000/-103,000)

3. GH 2,842,000 (+23,000/-430,000)

4. DAYS 2,823,000 (-19,000/+213,000)

5. ATWT 2,795,000 (-348,000/-201,000)

6. OLTL 2,414,000 (-16,000/-487,000)

7. AMC 2,413,000 (-48,000/-596,000) <------ new low

8. GL 2,306,000 (-271,000/-451,000) <------ new low

HH

1. Y&R 3.8/13 (same/-.3) <------- ties low rating

2. B&B 2.7/9 (-.1/-.2)

3. DAYS 2.1/7 (same/same)

3. ATWT 2.1/7 (-.1/-.2)

3. GH 2.1/7 (same/-.4) <--------- ties low rating

6. AMC 1.9/6 (same/-.5) <-------- ties low rating

6. OLTL 1.9/6 (same/-.4) <------- ties low rating

8. GL 1.7/5 (-.1/-.4) <------------- new low rating

Women 18-49 Viewers

1. Y&R 1,123,000 (-134,000/-62,000)

2. GH 1,007,000 (-19,000/-153,000)

3. DAYS 959,000 (+109,000/+86,000)

4. B&B 834,000 (-134,000/+34,000)

5. OLTL 816,000 (-8,000/-178,000)

6. AMC 763,000 (-39,000/-185,000)

7. ATWT 757,000 (-144,000/+32,000)

8. GL 703,000 (-89,000/-57,000)

Women 18-49 Rating

1. Y&R 1.7/12 (-.2/-.1) <--------- ties low rating

2. DAYS 1.5/9 (+.2/+.2)

2. GH 1.5/9 (-.1/-.3)

4. B&B 1.3/8 (-.2/+.1)

5. OLTL 1.2/8 (same/-.3) <-------- ties low rating

5. AMC 1.2/7 (same/-.2)

7. ATWT 1.1/7 (-.3/same)

7. GL 1.1/7 (-.1/-.1)

Girls 12-17 Viewers

1. GL 43,000 (-4,000/+8,000)

2. ATWT 38,000 (-9,000/-12,000)

3. GH 33,000 (-11,000/-54,000)

4. DAYS 30,000 (-26,000/-23,000)

5. B&B 22,000 (-19,000/-27,000)

5. Y&R 22,000 (-12,000/-69,000)

7. OLTL 20,000 (-17,000/-37,000)

8. AMC 16,000 (-4,000/-45,000)

Women 18-34 Rating

1. DAYS 1.0/7 (same/-.3)

1. GH 1.0/6 (same/-.3)

3. Y&R 0.8/6 (-.2/-.6)

3. OLTL 0.8/5 (same/-.3)

5. AMC 0.7/5 (-.1/-.3)

6. ATWT 0.6/4 (-.2/-.2)

6. B&B 0.6/4 (-.2/-.3)

8. GL 0.5/3 (-.1/-.3)

Men 18+ Viewers

1. Y&R 1,401,000 (-15,000/+179,000)

2. B&B 912,000 (-295,000/+116,000)

3. ATWT 672,000 (-36,000/+65,000)

4. DAYS 567,000 (-16,000/+83,000)

5. GL 523,000 (+11,000/-47,000)

6. GH 516,000 (-8,000/-35,000)

7. AMC 492,000 (+18,000/-72,000)

8. OLTL 443,000 (+7,000/-26,000)

-------------------------------------

Day-To-Day HH Ratings - HH/Total Viewers

AMC

Monday: 2.0/2,674,000

Tuesday: 1.9/2,519,000

Wednesday: 1.9/2,426,000

Thursday: 1.7/2,228,000

Friday: 1.8/2,218,000

ATWT

Monday: 2.2/3,012,000

Tuesday: 2.1/2,721,000

Wednesday: 2.1/2,845,000

Thursday: 2.0/2,714,000

Friday: 2.0/2,684,000

B&B

Monday: 2.8/3,794,000

Tuesday: 2.7/3,735,000

Wednesday: 2.6/3,722,00

Thursday: 2.6/3,655,000

Friday: 2.5/3,425,000

DAYS

Monday: 2.2/3,035,000

Tuesday: 2.0/2,654,000

Wednesday: 2.1/2,842,000

Thursday: 2.2/3,026,000

Friday: 1.9/2,557,000

GH

Monday: 2.3/3,217,000

Tuesday: 2.2/2,961,000

Wednesday: 2.0/2,566,000

Thursday: 2.0/2,725,000

Friday: 2.1/2,740,000

GL

Monday: 1.8/2,498,000

Tuesday: 1.7/2,209,000

Wednesday: 1.7/2,421,000

Thursday: 1.6/2,237,000

Friday: 1.6/2,166,000

OLTL

Monday: 2.0/2,763,000

Tuesday: 2.0/2,523,000

Wednesday: 1.8/2,263,000

Thursday: 1.7/2,298,000

Friday: 1.9/2,223,000

Y&R

Monday: 4.0/5,496,000

Tuesday: 3.8/5,289,000

Wednesday: 3.7/5,105,000

Thursday: 3.6/4,951,000

Friday: 3.7/5,187,000

----------------------

For the SEASON September 24, 2007 through April 6, 2008

HH

1. Y&R 4.1

2. B&B 2.9

3. GH 2.4

4. ATWT 2.3

5. OLTL 2.2

6. AMC 2.1

6. DAYS 2.1

8. GL 1.9

Women 18-49 Rating

1. Y&R 2.0

2. GH 1.6

3. DAYS 1.5

4. OLTL 1.4

4. B&B 1.4

6. ATWT 1.3

6. AMC 1.3

8. GL 1.2

Edited April 11, 200817 yr by Toups

At least AMC and OLTL held steady, but those Thurs and Fri numbers are atrocious. Doesn't bode well for next week's numbers. Geez, GH is thisclose to falling below a 2.0. Looks like Y&R is finally trending toward sub-4.0 numbers instead of it being a one- or two-week fluke. Some changes really need to be made there...a lot of material they're airing now is just not working and, I'll probably get slammed for this, but I find it more unlike classic Y&R than when LML was HW.

I kinda agree about Y&R feeling more unclassic like than when LML was writing. There are so many new people in frontburner stories..it seems that every story is about a newbie. You have Sabrina and Victor, the Adam storyline, David's gambling problem, Gloria in a triangle with two new characters, Jeffrey and Allistair (I know he's played by a vet but he's just so different from John), you have the Cane, Lily and Chloe storyline which feautres two newbies, Cane and Chloe.

Also all of the couples are like a vet or somewhat older charcter/newbie combination, Victor/Sabrina, Lily/Cane, Nikki/David, Daniel/Amber, Gloria/Jeffrey, Neil/Karen, Kevin/Jana and I'm just speculation but it seems that two vet couples will start sharing triangles with newbies...Sharon/Jack with Felicia and Phyllis/Nick with Adam. Now at least with Amber and Felicia, they characters from another soap so they are not entirely new but they are new to Y&R. I just hope if the writers feel they have to bring in someone else that the next few people be returning characters instead of new ones.

The question I want to know then is how are we supposed to force change then?

Writing letters don't do anything. They can tear them up. Until you hit them in their pocket book they won't listen. The ratings no matter what they are is still the place to force change. It is the only affective way to do it. It is either that or boycotting advertisers to the point they stop advertising with the company. Either way you end up with the same thing.

In essence what you are saying is that those of us want to force change need to stop or we are going to get the shows cancelled because TPTB are not interested in making changes anymore. So they will just cancel them instead. So you are saying to those that are just quitting to try to force change to watch the show or just quit, because instead of making change they are going to lose their show instead.

In essence you are saying either watch what they dish out or say goodbye.

I'm sorry I don't buy into that. I still have a small amount of love left for some of the shows to just walk away and give up without a fight. For some my viewrship is completely gone. But for some if changes were made and the right kind of changes then I would come back. But I am not going to come back just for the sake of keeping the show around.

I would rather see the shows gone instead of giving in and accepting whatever they dish out - just for the sake of it being there.

AGain I go back to the dignity issue. Irna Phillips herself said many times that when a show stops being what it is supposed to be then it needs to go. And she cancelled many of her shows due to that - both on radio and TV.

Steve, I'm not telling people to do anything. All I am saying is from my perspective, bad ratings won't do nothing anymore but put more nails in these shows' coffins. I used to think positively about it but no more. The numbers just keep getting worse and even soaps that make minor strides don't get even a minimal reward. No one has to nor should they give up. I'm not really either. All I am saying is I don't think a ratings decline does much of anything. It almost seems accepted by the network brass that soaps are dying and I think it's slowly getting to the point where they don't even want to attempt to try to fix them again because not only are they clueless but they are getting tired of trying things. Yes, I know they don't get it but still. People can feel free to watch and they can feel free to not watch. I am just speaking from my belief, which is that I just want these shows to survive as long as possible and that the situation is what it is. I still think what Tom Casiello said was right that letter writing helps alot because you have a better chance of getting something done through the shows, as dense as TPTB are sometimes, then the networks through the ratings because soaps are nothing to these networks anymore and with every ratings drop they lose what little value they still have. No one has to agree with me nor am I saying people should do this or do that. At most, I am just suggesting. That's all.

if Passions were still on NBC it could probably be beating ABCD right now! lol!

On a positive note, nice to see Days up in the demos and especially first place again in 18-34..even if it is a tie...

I remember also catching GL in Italy two years ago. But it was called something Amore? Anyway, it looked like the Ellen Weston/John Conboy era to me: Cassie and Edmund were sexing it up and the sets looked gorgeous.

I suspect B&B is the most widely-viewed of the US soaps, though, mainly because of its half-hour format.

GL in air on italy about 1983, called " Sentieri", " YR" called " febbre d'amore"

Just noticed it but GH fell in shares too. From a 7 to a 6 = not good.

Remember, HH ratings are an illusion. For example, Y&R with a 3.8 HH rating this year could actually have MORE TOTAL VIEWERS than last year with a 4.0 HH rating.

I agree Toups. That accounts for the drop in HH's overall, but even with the bigger drops in HH for some of the shows a show like GL hasn't dropped as much. So I think some of it is due to the increase for totals for HH's by Nielsen but not all of it. Soaps are declining.

As to viewers that number is the most unreliable of all the ones that Nielsen keeps up with and is so subjective that even though a show might hve more viewers accoring to the numbers either way.

Sometimes a household might get counted for 6 viewers when in all actuality only one was watching.

If there is one TV turned on in a household and that household has 6 people then all 6 of those people get counted as a viewer of that show.

If 2 TV's are on, they divide the viewers.

Not every Nielsen household fills out a diary and when they do it is not that often. TV's are equipped with recorders inside of them that sends a signal to Nielsen every time that TV is turned on, what channel it is on, if it is a recorded program that is being played, etc.

All the households DVD players, VCR's, game systems, etc. are rigged with those devices too.

But there is no equipment to monitor the viewers - as to who is watching or who isn't. I think in the 5 years my family was a Nielsen family (which ended in 2007) we filled out diaries 6 times. In thoe diaries you have to record who is or who isnt watching a particular show - if they watch all of it - a portion of it - or none of it. But those werent done very often.

Well...these ratings suck for everyone, especially GL. I catch GL every now and then out of curiosity. I really didn't find any issues with the new filming, however the sets look like cramped playhouses. I was watching Reva and Dinah talk about Alan's house the other day. They were standing on what *appeared* to be a staircase and I was like "is this a loft or a mansion??" That coupled with the deftly irritating theme song and show music, it's hard to get into what anybody is talking about, at least for me. So...I don't see those guys going anywhere in the ratings until they fix *that.* With that said, I have to wonder if some of these ratings truly take into account other viewing habits such as cellphones, Vcast etc. I don't believe everyone watches this stuff on TV, in this day and age. I, personally, *do not* usually watch my soaps (ATWT & DAYS) on regular television and usually catch up on YouTube somewhere. Actually, most of what I watch anyway is somewhere online, as I am by nature not a TV person per se. It allows me not having to deal with commercials and I can surf the net at the same time with it playing in the background. I can also skip whatever foolery I don't wanna see. Great viewing experience for me! So, you know, people could still be watching. I wonder what would happen to these ratings if they actually took those type of things into account. Just saying.

I love the ABCD spin on their ratings. Always amuses me. They brag about beating GL the lowest rated show out there and by the way, where I live GL is on in the morning and does not compete head to head with GH. What a joke.

Take it as proof positive that TPTB at ABC drink their own kool-aid.

There's really nothing to say that hasn't been said before. This is an inexorable trend hitting everything. Quality seems to not matter much any longer. I may love OLTL since RC took over but quality is not going to fix this. Only major changes at the network, not OLTL's creative level, might do something. After watching a decade of material ranging from crap to unrecognizable and then to "gee, he (Malone) used to be so good so I'll give him a sympathy vote of support while acknowledging the show is nigh-unwatchable" all before Carlivati, I don't consider the current writing at OLTL (not counting several dodgy stories during the strike) a problem anymore, and if it continues as it has, I never will. If there is anything can fix this all-daytime slump, it's not down at that level anymore.

I do think a huge part of it is trust. In OLTL's case, I think a lot of people left in disgust during Higley and didn't bother coming back (I left, but did come back). And then I think a few of the other hardcore nut fanbases which Higley and Malone developed left when they weren't being pandered to, but they are no [!@#$%^&*] loss. But how do you tell fans who want to care that they can trust again? These days, if they see a single spoiler and misinterpret it in the worst way possible - because that's what they've been trained to expect, the worst - they refuse to watch at all and miss out. "Oh, the Buchanan story does not feature Joey or Kevin, so it is not worth my time. Oh, Natalie is not with John so I am done. Oh, Viki is only mentioned two times in vague general spoilers for the week." Etc.

NO, you are right. Quality doesn't necessarily gurantee ratings but its a big part of getting soaps out of the quagmire of its current state. It's a multi layer fix to truly bring about change. Investment, quality, access and awareness.

TPTB need to invest in the idea that they truly want to save the genre and that means full commitment which will lead to quality. Quality will keep the fans that are slowly dwindling off. No more "band-aids" as someone else so eloquently put it earlier. Go back to A, B, C, and D storylines that interweave but rotates the front burner because that alone will improve the quality. Having the same four people front and center five days a week has writers scrambling for material and there's where we get ish. Balance is the key to good story telling.

Give the fans access to the shows in more than one way. Why does ABC show all their primetime shows via the internet but not the daytime ones? Someone earlier said they watch Y&R on their cell phone. GREAT idea across the board. All the soaps should do similar things in addition to the regular daytime schedule or SoapNet which isn't available in every household and why not include that data when they pitch the show to advertisers? Here are the Neilsons. Here are the unique IP hits for the online version. Here is the data of DVR watchers outside of the Neilson formula as provided by cable and satellite tv providers. Why not multimedia investments in the shows? Cult shows like Buffy, Angel, X-Files and others solidify their fanbase and pull together buzz and numbers by multi-level cultural identification with their characters. If the soaps want to play the fanbase game, fine. Show whatever onscreen and have alternative or supplemental storylines in the paperback market to appease other fanbases until it's time for their story to show onscreen and the paperbacks could provide an outlet for possible story ideas for the screen with a little bit of an idea of how receptive the audience might be. Blogs are fine on the website but perhaps have the writers post at official websites about the current stories or actors not once but randomly to allow the fans to feel a real connection to the process. And for that matter how about low cost investment into other alternate fan based programming. Who Wants to be a Soap Star? Sure...how about 3D Fan Fic where fan fic writers can submit scenes to a panel and watchers can vote for scenes they might want to see on the show and at the end they get their faves to do the scene? How about MVids Head to Head where mvidders can submit vid created by them for prizes instead of the shows trying to supress the fans out there that create video masterpieces to advertise their show for them? Heck let the fans compete to do the commercials to air in primetime to lower the ad cost for doing so?

And finally the multimedia will help raise awareness of the show. We are still relying on the pop icon status of days gone by to market the shows. Luke and Laura, Patch and Kayla, the great Erica Kane. That's fine but I think they've gotten lazy by expecting those names to sell their product. Right now, they don't "sell" it at all. They show a GH commercial during AMC or on SoapNet? Duh! Those fans are already there. Maybe toss in a few primetime commercials. Maybe a billboard or two to remind people that Luke and Laura still exist or whoever. The last radio commercial I heard for a soap was during the Metro Court Crisis (which was investment, quality and increased awareness) and you know what? GH got a bump. They need to maintain that kind of commitment.

If they do that. If they commit to me in that way, then they will have earned my lifelong commitment to them and I will tune in....religiously.

Edited April 11, 200817 yr by wiccachick_1

I have to say I for one am sickened by the death of soaps on TV. It is sad but I guess everything must come to an end at somepoint. I just don't believe that soaps have to be dead. As much as I hate GH, they tried something with Nightshift and to be honest, I really still am not sure what that was. Were they trying to prove daytime soap watchers would watch their show at night? Didn't we already see that with Dallas, Dynasty, Knots Landing, now Desparate Housewives to some extent. Not sure.

But as much as I hate and I say hate what Brian Frons has done to ABC I think they are searching for ways to try and keep the genre alive. Are they going about it the right way. I don't think so but again, I am not really sure what they are trying to do myself.

I think if a show at the heart stays loyal to what it is and surrounds that with good casting and writing it can retain viewers. And of course marketing and marketing the right things is important. I am sorry and maybe I am in the minority but showing soaps at night where the competition is so much stronger and more diluted, showing clips on cellphones to me is not the direction required to save the genre but I guess I don't know what it. Maybe that is the question. I don't think watching a bad soap in the end is going to save it. What do you do to save the soaps?

NO, you are right. Quality doesn't necessarily gurantee ratings but its a big part of getting soaps out of the quagmire of its current state. It's a multi layer fix to truly bring about change. Investment, quality, access and awareness.

TPTB need to invest in the idea that they truly want to save the genre and that means full commitment which will lead to quality. Quality will keep the fans that are slowly dwindling off. No more "band-aids" as someone else so eloquently put it earlier. Go back to A, B, C, and D storylines that interweave but rotates the front burner because that alone will improve the quality. Having the same four people front and center five days a week has writers scrambling for material and there's where we get ish. Balance is the key to good story telling.

Give the fans access to the shows in more than one way. Why does ABC show all their primetime shows via the internet but not the daytime ones? Someone earlier said they watch Y&R on their cell phone. GREAT idea across the board. All the soaps should do similar things in addition to the regular daytime schedule or SoapNet which isn't available in every household and why not include that data when they pitch the show to advertisers? Here are the Neilsons. Here are the unique IP hits for the online version. Here is the data of DVR watchers outside of the Neilson formula as provided by cable and satellite tv providers. Why not multimedia investments in the shows? Cult shows like Buffy, Angel, X-Files and others solidify their fanbase and pull together buzz and numbers by multi-level cultural identification with their characters. If the soaps want to play the fanbase game, fine. Show whatever onscreen and have alternative or supplemental storylines in the paperback market to appease other fanbases until it's time for their story to show onscreen and the paperbacks could provide an outlet for possible story ideas for the screen with a little bit of an idea of how receptive the audience might be. Blogs are fine on the website but perhaps have the writers post at official websites about the current stories or actors not once but randomly to allow the fans to feel a real connection to the process. And for that matter how about low cost investment into other alternate fan based programming. Who Wants to be a Soap Star? Sure...how about 3D Fan Fic where fan fic writers can submit scenes to a panel and watchers can vote for scenes they might want to see on the show and at the end they get their faves to do the scene? How about MVids Head to Head where mvidders can submit vid created by them for prizes instead of the shows trying to supress the fans out there that create video masterpieces to advertise their show for them? Heck let the fans compete to do the commercials to air in primetime to lower the ad cost for doing so?

And finally the multimedia will help raise awareness of the show. We are still relying on the pop icon status of days gone by to market the shows. Luke and Laura, Patch and Kayla, the great Erica Kane. That's fine but I think they've gotten lazy by expecting those names to sell their product. Right now, they don't "sell" it at all. They show a GH commercial during AMC or on SoapNet? Duh! Those fans are already there. Maybe toss in a few primetime commercials. Maybe a billboard or two to remind people that Luke and Laura still exist or whoever. The last radio commercial I heard for a soap was during the Metro Court Crisis (which was investment, quality and increased awareness) and you know what? GH got a bump. They need to maintain that kind of commitment.

If they do that. If they commit to me in that way, then they will have earned my lifelong commitment to them and I will tune in....religiously.

Brilliant ideas. Maybe you should go work for ABC, CBS, or NBC.

Obviously, if one no longer likes a show, or has time for it, it is fine to let it go.

But if there is a show one loves, I think we have the obligation to stick with it as long as we can. (Which most of us probably do). For me, the LAST show I watch regularly (I was ABC in the 80s, in addition to Y&R/B& is Y&R. And it would have to get AWFUL (I mean, much worse than LML awful) before I let it go. It is too much a part of my life.

I've actually started watching _a bit_ of a new (for me) soap this last year: ATWT. But my loyalty will never be what it is for Y&R.

Even though I kind of get what you're saying I do have disagree about the obligation. TV exists for entertainment and for profit. Even if the consumer happens to love what's on TV there is still no obligation on to watch it.

For now I'm still complaining about GH because I'm still holding on but when I decide to stop myself from complaining then I know I'll be done with it for good because I have no hope of it improving.

I can understand the sentiment to enjoy it while it lasts but I can't even find anything enjoyable about it right now. I might, at some point, be able to watch partial episodes if I ignore the lack of cohesiveness and just see it as a bunch of disconnected daily events. It's like starting out with the top of the line luxury car only to have it replaced periodically with the bottom of the line economy car and as I get used to that I'm handed a bus pass. But before I can use the pass it's snatched away and I didn't even get to adjust to taking the bus because I'm walking in shoes that weren't meant for walking. It probably sounds a bit whacky but since I have to keep up with the absurdity of GH, I thought a little crack might help.

What kills me is this argument that by watching the shows, and expressing our dislike of many points of a show (While still watching it) that somehow, through osmosis, TPTB will listen to the viewers and change what we don't like.

They won't sit there and say "Why are they complaining? They watch whatever dreck we put on there!" They will reward us with a better show, even though we watch when it's good and when it stinks.

On top of the fact that some have turned out other shows that had gotten bad, but now tell us that we should keep watching their favorite show regardless of what is on the screen.

Now how hypocritical is that?

This is a very interesting discussion. That's why I like SON.

But unlike a lot of the posters on this site, I'm not an industry insider or someone who knows everything about what goes on behind the scenes, etc. I'm not a soap historian. I'm just a plain ole' soap opera fan. And my love for soaps hasn't diminished. I love everything about the genre. I hope they don't disappear. Soaps are a mixed bag though, I've yet to see one that is perfectly written. And I've been watching them steadily since 1978. There's always clunky stories or storylines that make no sense, poor dialogue at times, characters that get on my nerves, unrealistic timelines, etc.

I'm also a realist too. Things in life come and go. Soaps may be on the way out. Am I upset? Not anymore than when other things I've love have disappeared. It happens. That's life. One night when I was really, really bored and couldn't go to sleep, I went through the ratings archive here. It looks to me that soaps have been on a downward trend for years. The ratings way back in the 70's and 80's were amazing. But I think with the introduction of cable TV, people having to work two jobs to make ends meet, the internet, home video, etc. that viewing habits have changed.

I'll share something here -- a few years ago, I had to take care of my father during his last months on this earth. It was tough, excruciating, sad -- everything you can imagine as awful when watching someone you love die in from you your eyes and being powerless to do anything about it. Wanna know what helped me keep my sanity during that time? My soap. I won't name it because I don't want to argue about how bad some people think it is. I love it though and I think that's what matters to me. And although the storyline was stupid at the time during my dad's illness, I swear, I looked so forward to turning on the TV at 1pm in the afternoon to escape from the hell that filled my home. It gave me a welcome respite. And I'll always be grateful for that.

I'm not so sure that soaps have become more horrific than they've ever been. I still love my soap. And perhaps I'm considered a moronic boob for loving it, for being passionate about my favorite characters, but so be it! Maybe I'm the one who is killing soaps since I belong to a fanbase. I travel to fan events, read up what's happening on the show storywise, surf sites like this one and watch my show religiously through the bad and good because quite frankly I'm enjoying myself. I thought that is what soaps were all about -- enjoying yourself, getting an hour of escape and getting a little rest and relaxation from the real world.

I do agree with the opinion that if people don't like what they are seeing on screen, they have zero obligation to watch the show. It's up to the show's producers to figure out how to get and keep an audience. It's not up to the audience to save a show if they think it stinks. I know if I don't like a show, if it's getting on my last nerve, I won't watch it anymore.

Edited April 11, 200817 yr by KSlater