Y&R/ Maria Bell losing their way?

[Vee]

I was actually addressing the mods deleting our posts. Would you like to answer the question I left you?

[MarkH]

Okay, focusing on a different aspect of Maria Bell....I actually discovered something interesting tonight...Maria Arena Bell is bona-fide growing the ratings. So did Latham, for a time, when she worked with Alden & Smith This table shows the AVERAGE WEEKLY RATINGS CHANGE for different writer periods, using Toup's archive. (Data on Alden is limited, because Toups does not have weekly ratings prior to 2000). More details are at my blog.

HW regime	Average weekly HH ratings change
Kay Alden	-0.010
Jack Smith with Kay Alden	-0.004
Lynn Latham (overall)	-0.003
Lynn Latham (2006 with legacy team)	+0.001
Lynn Latham (2007 without legacy team)	-0.006
Arena Bell/Griffth	-0.028
Arena Bell	+0.004

[MichaelGL]

MarkH, I think I'm in love.

[Paul Raven]

Mark Here are the Y&R ratings for 1999 from SOD

Unfortunately,there a few missing weeks(which I hope I can track down)

I also have 1998 if you want them

Hope these will help in your project

Jan 7.2 6.9 7.0 6.6

Feb 6.7 6.9 7.0 7.0

March 6.9 7.2 6.8 6.8 6.8

April 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.6

May 6.2 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4

June 6.6 6.4 ? ?

July ? ? ? ?

Aug ? ? 6.4 6.2

Sept 6.4 6.2 6.3 6.3

Oct 6.0 6.2 6.4 6.1

Nov 6.2 6.2 6.0 6.0 6.0

Dec 5.9 5.9 ? ?

[MarkH]

Wow! That is generous! That will at least give me better data on the Alden era. I wonder if this will change anything?

[Sylph]

Mark, how far back do your weekly ratings go?

[MarkH]

Now, for Y&R, as far back as 1999. All others, thanks to Toups, as far back as 2000.

[Sylph]

Sadly, I lost my Excel file with those and I have no intention of re-typing all of those data again.

[MarkH]

Thanks Paul Raven. I updated the blog, but interestingly (and you can see it from the charts in there), adding that extra year of Alden data changed nothing. She still had a steady average weekly decline of -0.010. So, that was a very consistent trend that stretched through almost her entire run...and turned out to be destructive because of the length of her solo run.

Alden's rate of decline remains the fastest (and longest) of all the post-Bell writers, except for that brief window with Arena Bell and Griffth. But, since she is now gaining (albeit slowly), Arena Bell may be making up for the initial carnage.

It is also interesting to me, in light of all the internet hyperbole about LML, that even her rate of decline in her second year was no worse than Smith's.

What I wonder is this (it is oft-speculated). Was that nosedive under Griffith-Arena Bell due to their stories (e.g., Sabrina, no momentum), or due to Latham's legacy? I guess we'll never know....

[Cat]

Some were saying that NP leaving and the end of this SL indicated "a new chapter" for the Winters. I honestly think Karen would have revitalized Neil if she had stayed. Her final scene was a death-knell. Welcome to a second lifetime of PSAs and filler, Winters family!

If I were MAB, I would rehire NP and have the Abbotts hire Karen for Jabot when she comes to them with NE info and experience. Jack will want an insider like that because he cannot let go of his grudge with Victor.

That way, Karen could keep giving it to Neil with both barrels on the professional front. And what if Karen strikes a deal with Victor behind Neil's back? Or with ADAM? That would certainly unsettle Neil "I run NE when Victor, Nick and Victoria are on vacation" Winters.

As for Tyra, Eva Marcille's acting rang false when she was trying to be the put-upon heroine. Her scenes with Ana ("oh, baby! I wuv youuuuuu so much!") looked like a show she was putting on for Devon and Neil. Her big eyes batting those long lashes -- Tyra and EM are made to play VIXENS. I would have loved it if we found out this was a plan engineered by Tyra and Ana to secure a better life for the both of them.

And we know that Karen (and Nia! ) cannot abide Tyra/EM. Everytime she would see her, it would be like vinegar poured on an open wound. Karen and Tyra would have all the knee-jerk hatred of Phyllis with Sharon.

... And then... and then... if Rowell were ever to return. Watch out, the both of them!

I think Adam wants to hurt Jack and Victor, as you say.

I think Estella is psychotically possessive of Victor. She wants him with Nikki. End of. If there is a backstory, I'd love to hear it.

[Cat]

I'd like to think that after Out of our Asses and Lynn Marie Troll, the slow start on the Griffith/MAB stories were the straw that finally broke the camels back.

But I am just an MAB apologist and blindly unquestioning when it comes to Y&R. So it was probably the sudden slowdown in SLs and the lack of impetus in the stories (the "Ma chérie amour" dialogue between Victor and Sabrina went on for weeks). This must have been a shock for those who had grown accustomed to LML's pace. She sometimes started and wrapped up a SL in a single episode.

[JackPeyton]

...

[dm.]

Of course she is; maybe it unintentionally played out that way. Remember weeks ago when Ana tried to talk to her about her problems and the only thing Tyra could do was daydream about Neil? She's more immature than Ana.

[Khan]

And if I were HW, I would have picked up on that, and I would have altered the story to reflect that. That, after all, is what good HW's do.

[Cat]

LOL, Khan. Well, yes. If I were writing Y&R, it would be the bestest show on earth and everybody would love it! I would be acclaimed as the saviour of Daytime. Tuning into watch the show live (gotta boost those Neilsens!), even I would be astounded by my own brilliance.