IT's TIME to move Y&R to PRIME TIME!

[boldfan01]

Like others have already said, 7-8 PM in the US is not prime time. This is time owned by the individual stations, some of which are CBS owned and operated in major markets like New York City and Los Angeles, but most of which are independently owned stations who have an affiliation with the CBS network to air their daytime and prime time programming. CBS can't program what they don't control, and affiliates won't give up the time to the network and lose out on the revenue they get currently from syndicated fare.

As for taking the 8-9 PM time slot that they do control, even that's a risk. CBS would have to weigh all factors into consideration. They'd have to measure license fees and/or production costs of current programming and advertising revenue of those same shows in comparison to those same costs on the Y&R side. They'd also have to consider if the same advertisers who currently pay big bucks for ad space in prime time would pay to advertise on Y&R - and if they wouldn't, what advertisers could they bring to the table to make up that money. It's not as easy as saying, "It's the #1 show in daytime, so that will automatically translate to prime time gold." Everything is relative.

[y&r_fan]

Y&R is definitely worthy of primetime, but I agree with the concensus - it would flop.

B&B recently went primetime in Australia and lasted only seven weeks.

[rangethatrover]

I think I am the only one not drinking the Y&R kool-aid. Eeek.

It may be a good show daytime soap wise.

But critics would eviscerate it.

And viewers could not tolerate the pace.

[detroitpiston]

Nope, I'm not drinking it either.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

There lies the major problem as they why scripted soaps should not air 5 days a week in primetime. Who the hell would watch consistently 5 days a week? We're accustomed to fast paced, mostly episodic drama, and even the serialized shows are extremely fast paced. Any "soap" that aired 5 days a week in primetime is destined to flop, especially in the demos.

I understand competition shows airing multiple times a week, because, they aren't scripted in the traditional sense and they offer something new in each airing, a soap really wouldn't, also there's more connection and participation from the viewers with shows like American Idol, for example.

Primetime costs a lot a money, a 5 day a week soap would not bring in good ad revenue. End of story.

[rangethatrover]

Thank god there is someone.

In all honesty, If given the choice to never be allowed to watch Y&R or OLTL again but to be able to watch each and every episode of those shows from 1978-2002. I would chose the repeats. Part of it i'm sure is sentimentality.

When I read Nelson Branco's overpraise of OLTL, I cringe. I feel the same way about Y&R. I think so many shows are so bad right now, that we DO have to focus on the better ones.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Daytime soap fans are so desperate, IMO, that when they see a glimmer of hope, they overstate everything. Y&R and OLTL might be "good" as daytime soaps can be now, but neither is as good as they were at their respective heights. It also doesn't help that the rest of daytime is getting worse not better, so when people see a show getting a bit better, they blow it way out of proportion.

Y&R and OLTL are better than most of daytime right now, but this isn't the best they've ever been.

[bellcurve]

I wish there were a soap in primetime television that aired five nights a week. But, it's not going to happen.

Anytime anyone pitches another telenovela or daily primetime soap concept, they'll look back at MyNetworkTV as "proof" that the genre can't survive in primetime.

There was nothing wrong with the shows on that channel at that time, especially if you compare what they are to shows like B&B and GH. The problem was the lack of promotion on the network's part AND the soap press' refusal to cover these shows in their magazines or websites. No interviews with the ingenues or the hunks, no previews. I found that the most hypocritical: magazines like SOD and Weekly constantly worry and shake in their boots about "the death of the genre," but when something legitimately soapy comes along, they give maybe 10 seconds of attention to it and focus on Sonny, Jason, and American Idol. Same for MTV's Spyder Games.

[rangethatrover]

I think you just said what I was thinking, but somehow could not verbalize!!! Perfect.

And that is how i feel, Neither OLTL or Y&R are even 3/4 as good as they were at their best.

But hey, we all have our opinions. Critics and alot of viewers HATED OLTL in the late eighties. I adored it.

I think alot of it has to do with where you were in your life at that time- age, life experience- whatever. The world was so different in 1987. Hence an 8.1 rating vs. a 4.0 rating, or 2.0 rating today.

[quartermainefan]

I don't think Y&R is the soap I would send to primetime. It moves very slowly, and the scenes have sometimes a ponderous quality to them with the staring and the quiet talking as the actors go for realism, and that's not what primetime is about. The show sucks, but I think GH would be a better fit because you at least get guns, screaming and fast scenes.

Five days a week is a bit much, but NBC should consider DOOL on a M/W/Fr schedule, rotating with a magazine show on T/TH. When the strike was on and primetime was running out of shows, that was the time to try the experiment.

[JackPeyton]

soaps will not work in primetime.

the best they could get is somewhere between 4p-7p. for example..

4pm: Talk Show

5p: News

6p: Game Show/Ent Show

7p: Soap Opera

8p: Primetime

as for Y&R, its far from greatness. But its also not bad. Its pretty good, IMHO. But thats it, just good. It is at times utterly boring.

[Gray Bunny]

Im pretty sure GH did a special in primetime in 1996 and I think OLTL aired in primetime for their 30th anniversary. Sunset Beach also did a recap episode or something in the summer of 1998 for their Tsunami/Earthquake tale.

I can give numbers for DAYS's specials. For 'One Stormy Night' in 1992 it had a 10.5 rating. 'Night Sins' in 1993 had an 8.0. 'Winter Heat' in 1994 earned an 8.1. But then you need to take into consideration what kind of numbers primetime shows were earning on a regular basis back then. Much, much, higher numbers for primetime back 15-17 years ago!

[MarkH]

Those primetime ratings are interesting!

But, do you know about the point I was trying to make? To my recall, these specials had NO impact on the daytime ratings, did they? In other words, they did not cause more viewers to tune into the daytime product did they? There was no daytime "bump", right?

As for the other theme in this thread...I don't know...I've been watching Y&R since the beginning. I don't think in terms of "was this show ever better". Maybe it was. It was also worse. But that all seems like pointless nostalgia to me...since that was a different time, context and creative staff.

The question, for me, is "Is the show objectively good now?" For me, Y&R fits that bill. Not only is it well plotted (interesting, and woven together like a puzzle), but it is beautiful, the dialogue is sometimes transcendent (e.g., Phyllis' scene with Nick last Friday), and it even takes time for character moments (e.g., Lauren and Traci, again). I stand by my premise that this would look good--i.e., not cause eye-rolling--even in primetime. Y&R is as good -- or better -- than Dirty Sexy Money was.

It relates to our other thread...eye of the beholder. But the line of argument that says "because a show was once better, it is hyperbole to now call it good" doesn't compute for me. Now, in this time, with these people, this is a good show.

[JackPeyton]

wernt most of the primetime episodes on the night of the emmy's?

[sheilaforever]

At least Y&R aired them sporodically wihtout any Emmy context, I think.

The shooting of Victor in 1996, the last one in spring 1998 being heavy on Cassie and Phyllis & Christine. But there were some more...