Jump to content

December 8-12, 2008


Toups

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 60
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

I am so happy for Y&R's rise.

ABC's ratings are just awful. Awful. Awful. Awful.

Bad demos- Bad everything.

As much as I love OLTL, it is obvious that Nielsen homes do not feel the same way.

ABC cannot sustain any ratings increases longterm. They truly have some serious issues on their hands..

The tornado increase lasted a week for AMC. OLTL's high of 2.2 then maintained a 2.1 for 3 weeks which was a great sign.

We are now back at a 2.0 and the demos are sinking. And I predict both shows will be down to 1.8's by February.

I figure at this rate AMC and OLTL will be cancelled shortly after GL. I hate to see OLTL at the bottom of the ratings. I am sure alot of the Marty/Todd haters are thrilled. And perhaps it is a sign that the show needs to return to storytelling that doesn't offend its target audience. I wonder if alot of these blind items lately are about Carlivati---

Days has one of the most rebound abilities of any soaps! I have a hard time believing that it will truly be cancelled and not be picked up by another network....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

OLTL has been consistently compelling for the last 6 weeks. I have not seen it this good in a LONG time.

It is NOT a good sign of viewer happiness when AMC gains that amount of viewers and OLTL loses a significant amount.

I am such a doomsdayer but I say OLTL gets cancelled by 2010 and characters like Viki and Dorian move to Pine Valley. They will cancel OLTL before AMC no matter what the ratings are.

THOSE DEMOS ARE TERRIBLE. Its only a matter of time before certain shows are down to a .9 in the 18-49 demo!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Okay, but truly, you can't blame ABC.

ABC is simply heading where it is headed, and it really doesn't matter what is on screen. The ratings are falling (at least for broadcast networks) in a linear or even accelerated way. This is true in all dayparts, and it is true of all networks.

I know this short snapshot suggests NBC and CBS are faring better...but that is only true for a week or two. All the shows are more or less on the same trajectory.

I say that basically to suggest "enjoy your show and don't stress about the ratings". They are on an unstoppable course that is mostly due to forces OUTSIDE of daytime or the creative state of shows.

The only way to save daytime, financially, is to start working aggressively in other platforms. Soapnet is a start, but ABC is slow in internet distribution. That is stopping a new base from growing.

Now, I'm not denying that creative fixes are also necessary....but history has shown that the creative state of a show and its ratings are not strongly correlated (see Days of our Lives for a current example).

If we JUST rely on broadcast ratings, the following two projections tell the whole story. The top graph puts daytime and primetime ratings on the same scale (called a "standardized" scale) and then shows their historical playout. They are on a joint death march, as you can see.

The bottom graph simply takes the ratings trajectories for all the shows, and statistically projects them forward. The story is clear enough.

day_prime.jpg

quad.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm tempted to say that these ratings prove the opposite: stunts don't work, not in terms of long-term ratings viability. What GH-style ratings stunts have done is train soap-viewers into the habit of tuning in for the odd sweeps revelation or natural disaster because these seem to be the episodes that TPTB really care about and put any real effort or quality into anymore, so why should they bother sitting through four or five months worth of pointless filler that doesn't go anywhere? Some shows are far better at follow-through than others but none of them seem to tell a strong story, all the way through it's four to six month arc and hitting all the beats. AMC and OLTL are currently the best at it but neither have been doing it for longer than say eight months now so it'll take time for viewers to get used to the idea that things worth seeing are actually happening almost every day now again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

You are absolutely right.

It is clear they use the stunts to short-term goose the ratings (e.g., during sweeps). People who use stunts -- BY DEFINITION -- do not care about the long-term viability of their shows. They are ONLY looking for quick fixes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members
Soaps Ratings Analysis
December 8-12, 2008
Y&R over 5 million viewers, B&B gets 2.9s on 3 straight days, & DAYS at 1.5 making money



A very good week for CBS and NBC in mid-December gets ratings back on track after a horrible sweeps period. Y&R for the first averaged all five days over 5 million viewers for the first time since earlier in the year when the last time Y&R reached over 4.0 for a week. These are the best Y&R ratings since the stunt they pulled back in the summer. Y&R has become a more watchable show all the way through lately and the ratings are starting to reflect that every week very slowly. No doubt Hogan has gotten this show back on the right track writing wise.

The Y&R sister soap B&B had a much needed huge week to the the biggest international soap in the world. B&B killed Phoebe and we saw nothing but traditional characters and storylines come back as it was a great week to watch B&B. The stunt worked very successfully as B&B got close to 4 million viewers on all days and for the first time in a long time reached a 2.9 for three straight days including a 2.8 average for the week.

The two big CBS soaps are still down year to year, but they have shown that they still have some life when viewers watch them live.

DAYS is starting to prove why it was the right decision for NBC to re-sign them through September 2010. DAYS is the only soap to improve year to year on a consistent basis since the bump from the Olympics. DAYS has finally gotten out of that 1.7 or 1.8 hole that had deemed them since early 2007. DAYS had the hugest rise week we've seen in a long time for demos. The demos are where the soaps make their money at so they definitely cashed in with that huge 1.5 in the main demo. DAYS is starting to find its own identity too on who they want in the front as the soap has dramatically improved from that boring soap that its been most of the year.

ABC on the other hand the news was good and bad. The bad news was that their soaps struggled to gain any new viewers, but the good news is that they went back up from a bad week. AMC got back over the 2.0 mark as that show has dramatically improved big time under Pratt and has become more watchable. OLTL is so enjoyable right now, but it isn't showing in the ratings these past two weeks. OLTL still has been the most consistent ABC soap all year and is hands down the soap of the year. GH had a huge Monday and good job in the demos, but the rest of the week went flat back to its recent levels.

CBS' two Procter & Gamble soaps of ATWT and GL have gone up in the ratings after a horrible year for the two struggling soaps. ATWT seems to be getting back on track as of late by bringing diva Carly back into the main storyline. GL has been very watchable as of late, but we all know why its struggling still. I expect both soaps to re-signed through 2010.

All 8 soaps have been watchable since November started so I see 2009 as a positive year for the soaps to get back on track.

Without further or do let me analysis each soap during this important soap ratings week with the other one being next week.


All My Children
Pratt has no doubt about it turned this show around, but its no watchable magnet just yet for all of AMC's casual viewers and even some of its hardcore viewers. AMC still suffers from the annoying characters at the top not being used right like Greenlee, Kendall, Ryan, and Annie even Erica who needs to be back front and center. I feel like AMC will run on the right track with Pratt in 2009 as long as puts the show focus on Taylor & Jake, Angie & Jesse, and Reese & Bianca. These sets of characters and storylines within them are where AMC's true gold is at. Taylor and Jake could be one of the best acquisitions for a soap outside of Steffy & Marcus on B&B this year. Taylor and Jake is bringing that Emmy-Winning magic they had on GL over to Pine Valley. The show needs to move onto these characters front and center b/c that's all I'm hearing about on AMC boards that those characters are driving them back to watching the show. Tamara Braun's Reese character is a delight to watch as she does one hell of a job making her character, which is exactly what she did with Carly on GH. Braun could also be a valuable acquisition to the show as long as she stays for a longer period of time. Overall for AMC they got back on track with their ratings in a very watchable week for the show and I feel like if they keep it up they'll be hitting 2.1 or 2.2 in no time on average. This show needs to change its camera format and simply go to HD as the numbers have shown since August 2006 that format has dragged down their ratings.

As the World Turns
This show was boring for me lately, but the show has turned it around since late November and is absolutely starting to become more watchable again. ATWT just needs to find its identity back as it lost a very key actress this year in Martha Byrne. ATWT has been consistently getting 2.0 for its ratings and that's a positive b/c this was the one soap during sweeps that was consistently getting 1.9s. Now ATWT has had two days over 2.0 at 2.1 on Tuesday and 2.2 on Wednesday along with close to 3 million viewers for the those two days, which the show hasn't seen in months. ATWT needs to keep it up b/c one thing we've learned is that Y&R or B&B can no longer pull this show's ratings out of the toilet, it will have to be ATWT that gets its own ratings.

Bold and the Beautiful
What a week for this soap. I hadn't enjoyed watching B&B this much in a long time and B&B proves that its the one soap that can produce the best acting and writing when it wants too as they have the best traditional writer in the soap game today. Phoebe's death was a huge success although Mauzer just hasn't been used right from the get go and had so much potential. Anytime the main key characters like Queen Stephanie, Brooke, Taylor, and Ridge are in the spotlight you will see the viewers comeback and that's what happened last week with the ratings reaching 2.9 on three straight days and getting close to 4 million viewers. Ric and Steffy did a great job in supporting roles for that week as I feel these two characters along with Marcus will carry this show in the future. Taylor just brings that audience in and she is so key to the show's success just like Stephanie is. The question going forward to next week for B&B after the funeral will be can they sustain this audience or not?

Days of Our Lives
DOOL has been very watchable as of late and NBC made the right decision getting their confidence back in the soap to re-signing it. Ken Corday has not done a good job in the past few years keeping this soap together, but the new audience the show has found since the Olympics seems to be consistently watching it every week as its the one soap to improve year to year in the ratings. DOOL got very close to 3 million viewers and had the same kind of trends ATWT had. DOOL is starting to find their own identity and they have an A storyline in EJ/Sami/Nicole that can carry them through next year. The serial killer s/l will lift them also into next year as that's going to be a great stunt opportunity for them to hit a 2.4 at some point like the Salem Killer had done in the past. I think with DAYS finding its way back, NBC should think about adding another soap to their roster focusing on younger characters and maybe even spinning it off with Marlena. With Ben Silverman not going anywhere and Bruce Evans at the helm for Daytime on that network they could work something out easily for Fall 2010. DAYS has become the soap of the future and will definitely be a soap to watch out for.

General Hospital
For the most part GH has lost a huge amount of their audience, but they have the most casual viewers outside of Y&R and B&B to give them a 2.3 or 2.4 from time to time and that was proven again this week with their huge 2.4 on Monday. Viewership levels have been consistently high hanging around 3 million viewers. GH has lost alot of their fans confidence over the years, but they still have the biggest fan base out of all the soaps to carry them into future. GH is the one ABC soap hanging around that 2.2 mark on weekly basis. GH is definitely in better position money wise then they were at this time last year with the demos being really strong this week at 1.5, which was second behind Y&R and tied with DAYS. The demo has improved year to year so that's a positive for GH going forward financially as they have a huge decision coming up on one of their key characters since the 90s in Sonny.

Guiding Light
The show has become watchable again and its gotten out of that 1.3 and 1.4 hole that it was in. Anytime GL is able to get a 1.6 or 1.7 during the week that's a positive week for the show. If GL survives on CBS they're going to need to restructure its timeslot situation or simply going to a half-hour format to fit into the daytime schedule with the rest of the soaps and expanding B&B to an hour. GL has been good lately and the numbers are proving it here. This show needs to change its camera format and simply go to HD as the numbers have shown since February 2008 that format has dragged down their ratings.

One Life to Live
OLTL is the red-headed step-child for ABC Daytime, but its having a soap of the year type of year. Ron C. has done a great job turning around this soap into a watchable hour for viewers everyday. OLTL has been written so good all year long that its kept the show from getting 1.8s, which is where the show would be without Ron C. The demo this week has been solid at 1.3 and the household rating consistent, but the viewership levels are pretty low this week. This isn't a good week for OLTL to be honest with you and they should be doing better. I believe once they find the right kind of new audience they'll be averaging a 2.2 or 2.3 in 2009 sometime.

Young and the Restless
What a very watchable show Y&R has turned into with its schemes and dirty plots. Every storyline has become watchable and that's something that I couldn't say earlier this year from March-July then again from September-October. Since November the show has improved on a consistent basis dramatically and hasn't had to rely on stunts for ratings. Just good storytelling and tradition has helped. I remember when Y&R got that 3.2 back in October and I was very disappointed now I'm seeing over 3.5 for all its days and 3.8 on multiple days. The show's ratings have been a yo-yo going up one week and down the next, but its been healthy enough to be the soap that represents all soaps. As I've said before when Y&R goes down all soaps go down. Its been a while since I've seen Y&R get over 5 million viewers on all of its days so that's a positive sign for the soap to get back to the 5.5 million viewer range at some point in the future. Guess people liked seeing Gloria finally locked up. LOL!

Overall, the first two weeks in December have been positive for soaps as soaps have gone up year to year in ratings and quality. I feel very good about soaps heading into 2009 unlike last year when everything felt like things are going down. December is usually one of the trap months for soaps after a strong November sweeps period, but this year's December is alot more important b/c soaps need to be more consistent in their quality on a year-round basis with the shrinking audience. Next week will be another important week so I'll see you then.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • https://parade.com/news/days-of-our-lives-star-susan-seaforth-hayes-pays-heartfelt-tribute-to-denise-alexander-a-friend-to-treasure

      Please register in order to view this content

    • Sorry, there must have been a error, while creating the file. I redone it and it has audio
    • Tamara Tunie was on a local CBS affiliate in Baltimore the other day talking about a few things she had going on, BTG amongst them: "Beyond the Gates" star Tamara Tunie is in Baltimore for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum's 20th anniversary
    • Kobe/Long had their own template and pretty much gutted the cast. As soon as contracts were up established characters were dropped. They needed to free the budget for the new characters. Going back to Ann,I wonder why the Dobsons renewed her contract around 78? After her initial story she became supporting and they didn't seem to want to pursue a romance with Mike. Maybe the feedback was that viewers blamed her indirectly for Leslie's death. If Mike hadn't taken on her case etc. Did she decide not to disrupt her son's life? Seems odd after everything she didn't claim him back. 1976 continues... Joe Werner is just not bouncing back after his recovery as he should, and Sarah, concerned about his sometimes morbid-seeming depression, consults Justin Marler. They agree that Joe is becoming a “cardiac cripple,” and know this kind of overcompensation for illness and overprecaution can not only be a permanently depressed condition but can actually cause a setback for him physically.  Marler releases Joe into Sarah’s care, but it’s soon apparent that just being out of the hospital hasn’t done anything to boost Joe’s spirits about his return to a normal existence. Marler finally lays it out to Joe—the choice has to be his. He can choose to lead a normal, productive life as a doctor and as a husband to the best wife he could have, or he can choose to become an invalid and live on the outside looking in for the rest of his days, sentencing Sarah to the same fate. Realizing the selfishness of what he’s doing to —Sarah as well as the narrowness of the confinement he’s set for himself, Joe begins to see his preoccupation with his illness as the self-pity it really is and decides he’s ready to return to the hospital for a one hour shift each day. Sarah is overjoyed by his turnabout, but full happiness is hers on the day she overhears Joe telling a fearful patient that the world is beautiful and worth any. effort to get back into it. Steve and Adam are thrilled to learn that Cedars has been the recipient of the Levy Grant for expansion of hospital property. But they have learned, as they report to Ed, that the land they were hoping to build the new research facility on, the land immediately adjacent to the hospital, has been purchased by Dr. Justin Marler. Both Adam and Steve feel that Justin is expanding a power base at Cedars and the land purchase is just one more block in Justin’s power play. When Ed asks Marler why he purchased this particular parcel of land, Marler explains that he bought it with the express intention of someday building his own offices and facilities convenient to the major facilities of Cedars. When the subject of the hospital’s needing the land arises, Marler meets with Adam, and they agree that he should realize a fair profit from his property and that an unbiased assessor should be engaged to evaluate the market value of the land so they can agree on a selling price. When Sarah comments on the fact that Marler is to realize a profit on the land, he bitterly replies that no matter what he’s done since coming to Cedars to prove that he has changed. since she last knew him, she refuses to see him as anything but what he was all those years ago. Sarah insists this isn’t true. But Marler then calls Adam for a meeting and informs him that the land is not for sale at any price. As Adam begins to grow alarmed, Marler continues that the site for the new building will be his personal donation to the hospital. As Adam expresses profuse thanks and appreciation, Marler wryly notes that the tax deductions he’ll realize on this contribution to a charitable institution will benefit himself almost as much as Cedars. When Steve Jackson learns that Marler is to be elected head of the research wing that will be built on his property, he expresses the conviction that this was the exact intention of the gift. Adam, however, assures Steve that the donation wasn’t a factor in the hospital  board’s decision, they were concerned only with Dr. Marler’s reputation as a doctor. | After lengthy consultations and meetings. with the hospital  staff, Ed assured by the head nurse that her nurses performed commendably despite the added pressure of the train wreck, presents his findings to the hospital review board. Steve arrives at two possible explanations for the facts. Either Grainger, more active than usual due to the previously delayed medication, reached for the writing pad and inadvertently disconnected the breathing tubes, or he was in a state of extreme upset because of the delayed medication and.in the excitement a surge of adrenalin within his system caused his brain aneurism to start hemorrhaging. " Upon learning that the review board has ruled out negligence in Grainger’s death, Ed tells Rita, who takes her first free breath in a long time. But Ed hasn’t thought to tell Rita that he’s been in touch with Grainger’s attorney, Mr. Schafer, who, knowing that a woman was at the base of Grainger’s investigation, is coming to Springfield to try to find out who the woman - was who walked out on Grainger when he collapsed —in the restaurant. Peggy, learning that Rita’s “forgetting” to deliver Holly’s message was instrumental in their divorce ‘being finalized, tells Ed that Holly wanted to reach him to stop the divorce. Immediately after, Peggy is torn by doubts, wondering if she did the right thing.She confides in Barbara, who then discusses the situation with Ed. He tells her he and Holly have discovered a new closeness now that they are building their separate lives. Barbara quickly contradicts him: Holly is not building a new life. Barbara gently cautions Ed, saying, “People change, feelings change, and what seems right now may not be right a year from now. No decision is irrevocable.” Ed agrees with this. Now that Ben has declared his love for her, Hope finds herself apprehensive, fearing that she might be making a mistake, as she did a few years ago, when she was sure she was in love with her college professor. Explaining that she doesn’t want to make another mistake, she asks Ben to be patient, and he agrees. When Mike expresses his disapproval of Ben’s overstated independence, his need to be beholden to no one, Hope quickly jumps to Ben’s defense, and Mike apologizes. But Ben, surprisingly, accepts Mike’s assessment as constructive criticism. Later Hope, examining her feelings and desires, tells Ben she does love him and wants to belong to him. Later that evening, after they’ve made love, Ben asks Hope to marry him.And, delighted, she replies that she will. At Hope’s instigation, Bert has a family dinner to which Ben is invited, and Hope announces their intention to marry over glasses of wine. Mike politely offers best wishes while Bert thrills the couple with her offer to' make a Christmas wedding for them. Bert later tells Mike he must accept this engagement with good spirits for Hope, and later, seeing the joy she’s feeling, he gives his daughter his approval. But Ben finds another problem on his very own doorstep: his brother Jerry, who announces he’s left home after several bad fights with their parents. He refuses to tell Ben what they were fighting about. As Ben is showering, Jerry borrows his car and goes out for an hour. The phone rings, but Ben can’t hear it. Shortly after, two uniformed officers visit Mike at home to tell him that his late wife’s car has been involved in a delicatessen robbery earlier in the evening. Since Ben bought Leslie’s car, Mike accompanies the officers to Ben’s apartment. Ben curtly informs the police that he had nothing to do with the robbery and makes it clear that he feels they wouldn’t be there if he didn’t have a record and that his exoneration doesn’t prevent his being hassled like any ex-con,as they tell him he has to go to the police station for questioning. Hope tells Ben she called him earlier, and when he replies that he must have been in the shower, she accepts his word unhesitatingly.Jerry finally returns to Ben’s place and under questioning from Ben admits that he robbed the store,explaining that he has debts. Ben is now in a quandary,as he feels he must protect his brother but doesn’t want to be unfair to Hope. He tries to ease the situation by withdrawing $185 from the joint checking account he opened with Hope and repaying the delicatessen owner. He then sends Jerry out of town to stay with a friend. His relief at having solved the problem is short-lived, however, when Mike informs him that, despite the reparations, the robbery was a felony and the police will continue to investigate. Hope is badly upset to learn while making a deposit that Ben withdrew’a sum which Mike tells her is equal to the amount stolen. This shakes her belief that he _was really home when she called, and she goes to him, asking for an answer to put her mind at rest. Ben can’t betray Jerry and asks Hope to trust him, promising she will have the whole story eventually. But Hope can’t accept this; she needs complete honesty and openness in her relationship and without it cannot goon. She painfully tells her father that the wedding is off despite her love for Ben, and tells Bert to stop preparations. Mike goes to Ben, reminding him that half the money in the account is Hope’s and she has the right to an answer. But Ben won’t say any more and refuses Mike’s offer to represent him legally, again stating that he doesn’t need a lawyer, because he’s done nothing wrong.     
    • And not since. I recall it was quite small for a house that size. And I don't know why you would walk down a narrow corridor to get to the main living area. I hate when the sets on soaps don't have a logical layout! As for Andre his clothing is fashion forward and suitable for his character.He ain't gonna wear no blazer!
    • The last I remember seeing Ben, he was divorcing Amanda. He came to tell Evie that he still loved her, but was leaving town so that Amanda wouldn't blame Evie for his divorcing her. I'm not exactly sure when, but Evie doesn't leave town until sometime after Nola and Quint's engagement ball. I'm not sure if she leaves before or after Justin leaves in Sept(?) of '83. I grew to like Helena when she became friends with Vanessa, once she's edging her way out of Quint's life.
    • Please register in order to view this content

    • Please register in order to view this content

       
    • It sure was!  With respect, how does that make sense?  These men are young, I don't see that. 
    • I hope this played better than it sounds, because I'm imagining two separate scenes (the attack by Arnie, and later Charles getting shot). In my mind, it should have been a fluid single sequence. I wonder if or how often "bastard" was uttered in this scene. Fare thee well, Christopher Reeve. I've said it before, but pop culture's gain was daytime's definite loss. Imagine seeing HIM day after day, year after year, decade after decade, conceivably until they stopped producing soaps in NYC.   Well, that answers my "bastard" question. Good lord, the roads of Rosehill are packed with high-strung drivers and/or pedestrians. More sequences that I hope played better than they sound.

      Please register in order to view this content

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy