January 5-9, 2009

[jams1234]

Sweeps months for the soaps are Feb, May, Aug, & Nov....every three months. Not March as stated above.

[Benjiapollo]

No, they changed. Thi uear it will be March 5 thru April 1.

[brimike]

Yup. It's only different this year because of the digital TV conversion. They want to make sure everybody converts for the Sweeps period. (If it ends up happening now)

[marceline]

They adjusted Feb sweeps to March because of the DTV switch.

ETA: Great minds, Brimike.

But that brings up an interesting dilemma. If sweeps are in March are TV shows going to have to turn right around and start ratcheting up for May?

[brimike]

Sure sounds like they will.

I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of people at the shows (daytime and primetime) probably won't put a lot of stock in March Sweeps. There are just too many variables going on here, especially if Obama gets the postponement of the conversion that he requested. I suspect you'll see a few big episodes, but the real ratcheting will be held off until May.

[Khan]

Word.

If anything, I think DAYS's gain is a direct result of people learning about Dee & Drake's impending exits and tuning back in to see them "one last time".

Now, remember, people: 1.9. That's the magic number.

(I'm so ready for GL to be cancelled.)

[rangethatrover]

Well in a normal world (one that I wonder if Dena Blogley inhabits)

The headwriter of a soap about to

1)Lose two of its biggest stars with 20+ years of service and a large fanbase

2)possibly be cancelled

would be writing the most KICK ASS show she possibly could. Period.

She should be timing everything perfectly- she should be spinning the most amazing tales EVER. period. And if she isn't. She is a f-cking MORON.

I don't watch Days, but this time, right now, leading into this huge departure- is everything for this show. I never even visit the Days thread, but from what I gather Andrea Zuker(is that her name) is doing some amazing work and people at Daytime Confidential say that the show is "improving".

I think Gary Tomlin is average at best. (I don't care about OLTL's emmy win being under him- It was a specialty Trading Places episode that won that emmy- it was brilliant but not a standard soap episode)..

So basically that show's future is in the hands of Higley. The point is to make viewers want to watch other stories even though Drake and Deidre are gone.

Would I watch OLTL if Erika Slezak was fired? Yeah, if the stories are intelligent and addicting, with other characters I care about.

Would I watch Y&R if Eric Braden and Melody Thomas Scott were fired? Actually no. They are Y&R to me! Wait if Jeanne Cooper was still around I WOULD watch.

[Soapsuds]

So Y&R shows its prime actors/characters......Nikki, Victor, Ashley(a newly returned), Jill, Kay, Phyliss and Jack. Add to that good writing and slowly but surely ratings increase and your audience returns. What a concept huh?

On the downside we have GL going the cheap way in production values and showing characters no one cares about. Add to that horrible writing and you get declining/all time low ratings.

Hmmmmmmm...I wonder what the other soaps should model their future success?

Can you imagine if all the other soaps took the Y&R route? The ratings would be so much better.

But reality tells us they just dont give a damn or don't care. Some like Goutman are intent on putting their vision of what their show should be instead of what fans want to see.

[brimike]

No kidding.

I've never seen so many people pick obviously wrong choices before in my life. It's like a cross-network epidemic of ego maniacal stupidity.

[Khan]

I say, follow B&B's model: have the good fortune to follow the number-one show on the air in most markets; then, you don't have to worry about how badly your own s**t stinks.

[Soapsuds]

But look at how Y&R is slowly pulling away from B&B again. Even though B&B's is at #2 their numbers are still [!@#$%^&*]. B&B is just too trampy, boring and just awful.

[Khan]

Whoever thought "trampy" and "boring" would co-exist in the same sentence?

[Jess]

Days gained .2 last week when he gained 275,000 viewers. If it dropped 400,000 plus this week, it should lose .3 at least. That's a huge drop considering the 18-49 stayed about the same. I guess the teens went back to school, but 400,000 of em?

It looks good for Y&R though. Who knows though. It seems gains in 18-49 viewers don't always show up in the HH ratings.

[Soapsuds]

Yeah, who would have thought.

[rangethatrover]

B&B is embarrassing. Such a waste. And it totally rides Y&R's coattails in the US ratings. B&B used to be one of the tightest and most entertaining 1/2 hours.

Soapsuds- Yes- you will disagree, but OLTL is doing what Y&R is doing and it isn't doing s=it for their ratings.

What I like about Y&R is it actually gives off a confidence- Its like the show is saying- We are going to be Y&R. We are going to take our time, be produced beautifully, be ourselves, take it slow, write from character and ring out every bit of drama and suspense we can. Some days may be what some consider "boring" Well F U! And if Bloom doesn't like it she can go F herself too. Maria Bell seems very confident. It comes through in her writing.

Whereas OLTL- you can feel the desperation of the show wanting to be EVERYTHING. FUNNY. TOUCHING. MOVING. LURID. OFFENSIVE. MUST SEE. DON"T MISS TOMORROW. You can feel Fron's sleazy presence. You can feel Carlivati's love for the show, but also his worry and desperation.

ABC as a whole is so weak. And it certainly doesn't help their best show.