December 7-11, 2009

[Sylph]

I don't know. I find it difficult to believe that: (1) the rise will continue; (2) that they'll manage if not to rise than to stabilise the ratings. These are just your classic ratings oscillations.

For the week December 8-12 OLTL had 20,000 viewers in that group (down 14,000 from the prior week, but gaining 8,000 from the previous year).

Do they really care if they're third?

[bellcurve]

Even though I'm not a fan anymore, it's great to see DAYS rebound.

A move to another network would probably kill the show, but I'm still not convinced CBS(or ABC for that matter) aren't ready to bid for it. Even IF NBC would want to keep the show on the network, SONY may think the show has longer-term viability(even five more years) grouped with a lineup that isn't surrounded by syndicated programming.

If CBS acquired DAYS, they'd have the three highest rated soaps on the air. And if ABC acquired DAYS, DAYS would essentially be the network's highest rated show. And even though it wouldn't be ABC-owned, if they moved AMC to OLTL's timeslot and lead off with DAYS at noon, heavily promoting the show moving to ABC, DAYS viewers might spill over to watch AMC and GH.

I still don't believe for a second DAYS will stay on NBC past September 2010.

[Ann_SS]

It looks that way. If OLTL does know move into the new studios, it is a definite goner.

[Sylph]

So you two aren't fans of Tomlin's version of DOOL?

[Ann_SS]

ABC cares because their advertisers care that GH's 18 to 49 women demos are down from last year and are steadily, albeit slowly declining. Think about how much money ABC put out to promote Franco's stint. The executives above and including Frons cannot be happy that the demos have not gone up.

[DRW50]

If NBC does get rid of DAYS, and no one else picks it up, and the ratings are still solid, or building, then that will probably send the soaps into their graves more than anything else, because it will just tell them that even if your show drastically cuts budget and improves the numbers, it's still not good enough.

[AS THE WORLD TURNS]

Yeah and Brian Frons is a liar for saying that he is not getting rid of his soaps.

[DRW50]

I generally enjoy the show. It's not perfect but it's good solid soap, and they've made a lot of smart moves over the past year.

[Toups]

I really believe Frons decided not to move OLTL to AMC's studios and not air the show in HD is because he's thinking of canceling OLTL really soon. There's just no point in spending all that money when you know there's just no point to it.

Agreed. I wonder how much money ABC wasted on promoting Franco - I bet it was a lot!

[DRW50]

The actress is OK, I guess, but her character is a big rewrite of history, and the younger fans, who may not mind, may have been put off at how she was immediately pushed at Matthew, making Destiny an afterthought. They might be more likely to identify with Destiny than with the sainted daughter of the great Todd and Tea. Tea has also lost most of what made her entertaining earlier this year, the relationship with Todd has lost a lot of spark, and the whole butchery of Ross was very heavy-handed.

[Sylph]

I think so too.

[bellcurve]

Boring as hell. I haven't seen Vivian's return, but the show is just so bloody boring.

DAYS was the first soap I ever watched on a regular basis(Reilly Era I). But I just can't get into DAYS now. I was excited when I heard Tomlin would come on as EP because I know his penchant for good, trashy stories(SUNSET BEACH, OLTL). But everything is just so flat and uninteresting.

But if it works for their fans, I say stick with it.

[Ann_SS]

ITA. I read somewhere that OLTL's move to the new studios was only postponed until January, but if does not happen then, it is unlikely to be happening at all. The decision not to go to HD was a huge hint that ABC was considering cancelling OLTL. HD means investment in new sets and refurbishing old sets. I hope that OLTL has a couple more years, but a constant .9 18 to 49 women demo took out GL and then ATWT.

It had to be a bundle. They advertised in People magazine and on prime time on several cable networks not just SoapNet. The ABC network executive who approved the spending that money has got to be royally pissed off. James Franco premiered the last week of sweeps and the 18 to 49 women demo went down .2 and hasn't gone up since.

[Toups]

Agreed. The focus on Dani and the build up of this storyline was pretty bad. Even though a lot of people didn't like the Todd/Marty storyline, I personally enjoyed it because of the slow build up (it started in June and ended in Nov - 6 month arc), the anticipation of the reveal. It's such a basic soap opera structure, which helped DAYS in 2009, I just can't believe more soaps don't do these slow burn stories, building up the anticipation of a big reveal. It's soap opera 101. LOL

[bellcurve]

Let me clarify...I don't think NBC will get "rid" of DAYS. But after 2010, the show is a free agent via SONY. NBC, ABC, CBS. And I don't think NBC would fight hard enough to keep DAYS on their lineup.