October 4-8, 2010

[TeamEric]

OLTL had two big weeks of gains in early September before ATWT went off air.

I think stories are heating up with secrets all about to burst.

[Angela]

Unfortunately, I can see that happening but I hope it doesn't.

1.(1) Y&R: Monday: 3.6/5,144,000 (+682,000)

2.(2) B&B: Monday: 2.2/3,068,000 (+136,000)

3.(4) GH: Monday: 2.0/2,738,000 (+623,000)

4.(6) OLTL: Monday: 2.0/2,621,000 (+596,000)

5.(3) DAYS: Monday: 1.8/2,409,000 (+129,000)

6.(5) AMC: Monday: 1.9/2,394,000 (+286,000)

1.(1) Y&R: Tuesday: 3.3/4,877,000 (-267,000)

2.(2) B&B: Tuesday: 2.2/3,135,000 (+67,000)

3.(3) GH: Tuesday: 1.9/2,676,000 (-62,000)

4.(4) OLTL: Tuesday: 1.9/2,604,000 (-17,000)

5.(6) AMC: Tuesday: 1.8/2,267,000 (-127,000)

6.(5) DAYS: Tuesday: 1.7/2,207,000 (-202,000)

1.(1) Y&R: Wednesday: 3.5/5,081,000 (+204,000)

2.(2) B&B: Wednesday: 2.2/3,126,000 (-9,000)

3.(4) OLTL: Wednesday: 2.0/2,666,000 (+62,000)

4.(3) GH: Wednesday: 1.9/2,527,000 (-149,000)

5.(5) AMC: Wednesday: 1.8/2,483,000 (+216,000)

6.(6) DAYS: Wednesday: 1.8/2,448,000 (+241,000)

1.(1) Y&R: Thursday: 3.4/4,770,000 (-311,000)

2.(2) B&B: Thursday: 2.3/3,205,000 (+79,000)

3.(4) GH: Thursday: 1.8/2,500,000 (-27,000)

4.(3) OLTL: Thursday: 1.8/2,495,000 (-171,000)

5.(5) AMC: Thursday: 1.8/2,401,000 (-82,000)

6.(6) DAYS: Thursday: 1.7/2,279,000 (-169,000)

1.(1) Y&R: Friday: 3.5/4,997,000 (+227,000)

2.(2) B&B: Friday: 2.2/3,065,000 (-140,000)

3.(5) AMC: Friday: 1.8/2,612,000 (+211,000)

4.(3) GH: Friday: 1.7/2,413,000 (-87,000)

5.(4) OLTL: Friday: 1.7/2,410,000 (-85,000)

6.(6) DAYS: Friday: 1.7/2,348,000 (+69,000)

[LeClerc]

They started working in March so wouldn't their 26 week cycle (if they are on 26 week cycles) have been up in September?

At this point I could definitely see Frons giving up on any more HW changes (assuming he was ever really trying). When the show was "exciting" under Pratt (eg. endless explosions, punches, gun-waving, death threats, etc) people complained: "The story moves too fast", "Too much is happening off-screen", "It's too plot-driven", "Where's the character motivation?". His response: "You want a show where all everyone does is sit around and talk about their feelings and everyone's actions are completely predictable? Fine! Here you go!". And what has the reaction been? "The show is boring!"

I think in Frons' mind he has tried what he thought the show needed (Pratt) and that didn't work (although actually it sort of did work ratings-wise), and he has very reluctantly tried what the fans (and some senior actors) were adamant the show needed (or at least his interpretation of what they said the show needed) and that hasn't worked either. So what else is there to do? (Of course there is middle ground and that's where the show needs to be, but I don't think Frons gets that).

[ChiTownBoi03]

I definitely would tune back in regularly if she was on!

[Southofnowhere]

Days only costs $150,000 an episode to make. IMO NBC will hang on to it for a while.

They can't put anything else on that cheap.

Until AMC get's out of dead last in 18-49 it will have a target on it's back.

[TeamEric]

From what Errol posted here a while back it appears the budgetary mess is a bigger problem than demos being somewhat below OLTL.

It appears all the big AMC promotions last fall and early this year attracted back many long-time viewers. The problem is they've been bleeding younger, new viewers.

[Llantano Incorporated]

Saving ATWT, you were looking for a show to watch, I mentioned B&B and OLTL. You actually started watching OLTL???

[marceline]

I can't really say I agree. AMC was making slow, steady progress then the show made an abrupt uturn back to the Fronsian formula. I keep thinking of the "You should see us in 2010 campaign" they did at the beginning of the year as a way to try to lure lapsed viewers back and for a while they were offering those lapsed viewers something good. Now it's back to the same thing that drove them away. Ryan, Greenlee, Kendall and soon Zach front burner everyday. All that's missing is Aidan Devane.

Do you really believe Frons has done anything as a result of what he thinks viewers want?

[Toups]

Oops, you're right. I was thinking of Pratt being fired last November.

[Toups]

Sounds like a good promo. Yeah, I'm going to attribute the ratings gain to the promo/storyline and not ATWT/Zimmer viewers flocking to the show.

[bellcurve]

GH is still ABC Daytime's #1 soap in 18-49 and #1 soap in total viewers.

Not that it matters whether OLTL will eclipse GH. Whatever money is made from OLTL goes back to Port Charles anyway.

[Guest dc cubs]

That's its saving grace right now. If Days costs weren't this low it would be canceled for sure with these ratings. The other thing that works to Days advantage is that NBC's new talk show Nate Berkus is only pulling in a 1.0 HH rating per TV by the Numbers. I can't find any solid ratings info on Real Housewives reruns on NBC but I don't think they are pulling in better numbers or we would have heard about it.

[dowwwe]

I think people are pointing fingers in the wrong direction with DAYS. The show can't have a must-see episode every single day of the week, and when the episodes get a little boring, viewers stop watching at the drop of a hat. Or one couple will split up, and thousands of people will stop watching. The writers are in a tight situation with making any kind of change without offending the few viewers they have left. Then when nothing changes, those same fans deem the show as boring and stop watching.

I've seen a lot of crap on DAYS over the years, but not enough to stop watching. I can only imagine if the other TV shows I watch had to produce new episodes 5 days a week all year that they wouldn't be perfect either. And these same "fans" who stop watching complain even more when the budget gets cut so they have to release some of the higher paid actors/actresses like Drake and Deidra. There's no winning with "fans" like these.

I give props to how well they have tied so many characters and storylines into the Chloe/Daniel angle (who knows she cheated, who knows who it was with, who will be effected by the break-ups). But I guess people don't give a sh** about solid storytelling, they just want their must-see TV every single day or they get their panties in a bunch and take off.

[bellcurve]

But Nate Berkus is syndicated, not a network show. Unless NBC only cares about it's O&O's.

If by "solid" you mean log after log of human feces, then yes, DAYS excels at "solid storytelling."

[PhoenixRising05]

One of the best posts I've seen on any message board in months. Hell, I almost feel like copying it and posting it somewhere else. Not just because it defends Days but I feel like it speaks to fans of other soaps too. I think many fans are way too fickle these days.