Exactly. This the same reason that LMAD was renewed for a second season. Let's Make a Deal gets decent enough ratings and is cheap to produce so CBS is pleased. By cutting 20 episodes, ABC is trying to cut the production costs for its soaps, but those 18 to 49 women demos are steadily dropping which means at some point, some hard decisions will have to be made.

Unfortunately, those decisons don't seem to include changing management.

AMC is TOAST!

Exactly. This the same reason that LMAD was renewed for a second season. Let's Make a Deal gets decent enough ratings and is cheap to produce so CBS is pleased. By cutting 20 episodes, ABC is trying to cut the production costs for its soaps, but those 18 to 49 women demos are steadily dropping which means at some point, some hard decisions will have to be made.

ICAM. It is actually this simple...it's not that hard to see what CBS is trying to do. It's all about the bottom line and making investors happy by showing you can cut costs and turn a profit for a few years. Who knows if The Talk can do that,but if it can go against OLTL and not be that far off in term of ratings and viewership, then CBS will be pleased for that hour. I am looking forward to seeing how they will do now that they have gotten the 1st week jitters out of the way.

ICAM. It is actually this simple...it's not that hard to see what CBS is trying to do. It's all about the bottom line and making investors happy by showing you can cut costs and turn a profit for a few years. Who knows if The Talk can do that,but if it can go against OLTL and not be that far off in term of ratings and viewership, then CBS will be pleased for that hour. I am looking forward to seeing how they will do now that they have gotten the 1st week jitters out of the way.

Ultimately if it's just about profit and cheap price, then there won't be much of a reason for any new show to be put on the air in those timeslots. The show is safe for a few years no matter what because of Julie Chen, so they might test that out on LMAD first, who knows. If The Talk starts going down to 1.3 or 1.4 or whatever, with demos which aren't in the range CBS expected, then putting in repeats of procedurals, sitcoms, or even stuff like reruns of reality shows might make about the same profit as paying for a set, for guests, 6 salaries for the hosts, etc. I guess that's the idea which probably bothers me most, all of daytime eventually moving towards repeats, but I won't be surprised if it happens within a few years.

Edited October 29, 201015 yr by CarlD2

ICAM. It is actually this simple...it's not that hard to see what CBS is trying to do. It's all about the bottom line and making investors happy by showing you can cut costs and turn a profit for a few years. Who knows if The Talk can do that,but if it can go against OLTL and not be that far off in term of ratings and viewership, then CBS will be pleased for that hour. I am looking forward to seeing how they will do now that they have gotten the 1st week jitters out of the way.

The next few weeks should be interesting. The Talk should find it's footing quickly enough but at the same time, we're now in sweeps so the stakes are high for OLTL but Ron's usually been able to pull together a decent sweeps so the next month will probably come down to promotion for both shows. If The Talk gets a few really amazing guests or generates a little controversy they could do some damage but I really think the numbers we're seeing now are going to be the norm.

Isn't DAYS/AMC/B&B only on the east coast? DAYS is up against OLTL/Talk in Central Time Zone and West Coast too, I believe. Lordy knows about Mountain Time Zone though...

In my market and many others in the central timezone, DAYS airs opposite AMC/B&B.

That is true about DAYS, I believe it airs at 1pm no matter you live except a few markets where it airs at 12pm or 2pm. If its 1pm in your time zone your going to see it at 1pm.

The Talk doesn't have too much to worry about when it comes to surviving b/c of the cost but if there's one argument I can make about Les and CBS. He loves to win against his opponents, he is one very competitive dude he wants the #1 daytime lineup on television. He can't be happy about The Talk's numbers from a pride standpoint b/c he wanted to put soaps to sleep and knew if The Talk did better than soaps then that might just do it. Making the bottomline is different from being happy but who knows The Talk may still grow past OLTL in the coming months. I'm not ready to put a fork in The Talk just yet. As for OLTL, I like how ABC is making it work for them as best they can despite costs. I saw a report back in August and the ABC Soaps are not as expensive as they were 4 years ago in comparison so it might be working for them right now. The one thing that people have to remember is that ABC gets 100% of the profits from their soaps unlike CBS which barely gets anything from running them b/c they don't own them so their not a huge loss for CBS.

OLTL is scheduled to be on the air through 2014 as ABC made that announcement earlier in the month when the executives got new deals but since ABC owns all three of their soaps they can cancel them at any point but its highly unlikely they will cancel them until 2014 at least at the earliest but if their still doing well enough by then they will be on air for the rest of the decade. CBS and NBC doesn't own their soaps which is the problem why they will likely face cancellation whether any ABC Soaps. I think Comcast should go after full ownership of B&B since they have no ties to Sony and hook a one two punch with DAYS.

Imagine how powerful ABC's lineup would be if they had both Y&R and B&B to boost it. If Y&R was placed right in front of the ABC soaps we would see them back up to the levels that they were at 5 years ago which was bad back then but would be way strong now. I think ABC is going to become your exclusive home for daytime soaps in a few years but it all depends on NBC b/c I have no idea of how Comcast and the new NBC regime coming with it wants to deal with DAYS on their schedule. Comcast may even try to bring the genre back but whose to say the won't nobody knows right now so let me stop forecasting for now. One last thing I want to mention about that situation is this, when Y&R's contract expires with CBS I believe in either 2011 and 2012 they should try to contact Sony and pickup the rights don't even give CBS a chance to bid on it. I bet Sony picks ABC after what happened to ATWT and GL and I don't think CBS would be mad about ABC getting it. ABC has already done business with Sony and Bell before to get repeats on SoapNet. ABC could find a way to take ownership of it too like they do their current three soaps.

The problem with running repeats is that cable companies will pay more/extra for the rights to air the first repeat. CBS would be loosing money by modifying these contracts. The network would be stuck airing shows in low demand like The Defenders but, who knows, maybe it would do well. CBS could find itself in a bad situation by running a show like CSI against a cable company airing a repeat in the same daytime time slot, too. CBS has begun to do everything in house and, by become a selling this content, is somewhat stuck.

I think CBS honestly should've run repeats instead of original programming, it would be huge if they would run repeats since a majority of their shows do well on cable in daytime like CSI and stuff. Back in the day networks used to run repeats from Prime Time during the mornings so I can see it working more now than it used to. It might be something that their likely going to have to do once Y&R and B&B leave their network ina few years. Let's face it Let's Make a Deal and The Talk are not working their just cheap substitutes for the soaps.

You're right about Todd he keeps the show moving. He's turned into the biggest male character on the show and he really is the only one who can make the show interesting during a down period. Brody is okay but he's not a soap changer or difference maker, he's there for the balance. That's why I hoped they can keep Hannah b/c she can progress into a Todd character but too bad she's gotta go.

EXACTLY!

LOL. Would she be one of the quacking ducks or that annoying dog that comes out of the bushes when you miss your shot?

They can always replace The Talk panel with those they have more chemistry with. Holly adds nothing and Leah is uberannoying. And Marissa is the Carnie Wilson of The Talk...always out of the main shots.

If Brad Bell has any remote interest in staying with CBS/Daytime TV, he'll abandon his family's company and start up his own hourlong soap property with his own production company and have CBS back it/finance it with their money, but still have some sort of stake or controlling interest in the stories(i.e. Jim Reilly/Passions). All out betray his father/family's creation and products by pitching his own show that would be co-owned by CBS and tape in what would be Y&R's studio. Essentially, replace a Bell show with another Bell show, but one that is co-owned by CBS and not SONY and owned outright by Brad Bell and not by his family. Strike up some sort of primetime option with Moonves if the show does marginally well too. It would send shockwaves and ripples through the industry...Brad Bell turning his back on his family's show and betraying them to join CBS in canceling Y&R for his own show.

B&B and Y&R won't stay on the air as non-CBS owned entities. They're not cheap to produce either. If The Talk turns some marginal profit, Y&R and B&B will likely be ditched or slashed to the point where they are not feasible to produce on CBS. Either have it be a 50/50 split or a 49/51 split with CBS having the more profitable interest. Set the show in California so it will sell internationally.

I don't think Sony owns B&B and that, aside from a partnership, the soap is all Bell with a Bell production company. They doesn't want to sell because of the international profit and B&B is the sort of show that could find a new network. The soap has a cheap production model, only tapes for about 7 months, and could end up on cable. As for Y&R, the Bells should sell their stake to CBS and take a one time payout. The family must realize that the days of soap are almost over and they are making the same mistake PGP made in 2001. CBS runs the drama network in the UK and would love to get more content. Then again, maybe the family can make more money over the next five years staying indie and holding on to the bitter end. I'd love to see the how much everyone makes off thee shows.

BTW, I don't think Brad Bell has the talent to make his own show. B&B was created by his parents and he has done poorly with that.

Some surprising nuggets buried in those weekly numbers, among them...

OLTL was ABC's highest rated soap on two days - Tuesday and Friday. OLTL came in ahead of GH and AMC both days, and finished ahead of GH, but behind AMC on Monday.

Also, despite airing in its first week, the new CBS talker "The Talk" actually beat GH in viewers on Tuesday and AMC on Friday.

Edited October 30, 201015 yr by jpoliver78

OLTL is in a great position to tie GH or even become ABC's top-rated soap. The 18-49 year olds don't seem all that interested in The Talk even though numbers might spike with a hot guest. Over the past three weeks, OLTL has been coming up close on GH in demos and I don't see any reason for this trend to end. OLTL seems to have found a niche and Fron's was smart to hold onto the show. AMC is in a fight for it's life. The soap was doing so much better under Pratt and a new writing regime is needed

If The Talk becomes a hit, CBS will sell it and make a lot of cash. As an example, Medium has weak prime time ratings but makes CBS loads of money through third party sales to Lifetime. I hate Mooves for Killing ATWT but he's a great CEO.

I know this is off topic, but CBS just reduced the episode order for "Medium" this season from the previously announced 22 down to just 13...which in all likelihood means that "Medium" will not be back next season and will be gone around January/February 2011.

I don't really see "The Talk" being sold the same way that "Medium" is. Who would want to watch an episode of "The Talk", or "The View", five years after the fact. Since both are either taped live or very near live and feature mostly current events, neither will be sold into (repeat) syndication.

As to the comments about running primetime reruns in daytime, that was actually a common practice until the 1980s/early 1990s. Whenever I would stay with my grandmother during the summers off from school, I remember watching reruns of "Golden Girls" and "Full House" during the early morning before the network game shows came on.

Some surprising nuggets buried in those weekly numbers, among them...

OLTL was ABC's highest rated soap on two days - Tuesday and Friday. OLTL came in ahead of GH and AMC both days, and finished ahead of GH, but behind AMC on Monday.

Also, despite airing in its first week, the new CBS talker "The Talk" actually beat GH in viewers on Tuesday and AMC on Friday.

Wow! Didn't realize that. As I said yesterday, CBS is already a winner with The Talk financially.

OLTL is in a great position to tie GH or even become ABC's top-rated soap. The 18-49 year olds don't seem all that interested in The Talk even though numbers might spike with a hot guest. Over the past three weeks, OLTL has been coming up close on GH in demos and I don't see any reason for this trend to end. OLTL seems to have found a niche and Fron's was smart to hold onto the show. AMC is in a fight for it's life. The soap was doing so much better under Pratt and a new writing regime is needed

I'm sorry, but there is no top soap. In households Y&R is in first place, and then there is pretty much a five way tie for last. In the demo, Y&R might be first, but doesn't even have a million viewer lead over whatever soap winds up in last place, but while it is still bringing in a million pairs of eyes, I'll give it first place, and the rest are in a statistical tie for last. No soaps numbers are good, and nobody has anything to brag about.

I don't really see "The Talk" being sold the same way that "Medium" is. Who would want to watch an episode of "The Talk", or "The View", five years after the fact. Since both are either taped live or very near live and feature mostly current events, neither will be sold into (repeat) syndication.

You are right. Both The Talk ad The View are topical programs, so the only way that The Talk would be syndicated is if CBS cancels it, and it gets picked up by a production company that specializes in making syndicated programing like Regis and Kelly.

Edited October 30, 201015 yr by Bella20

I know this is off topic, but CBS just reduced the episode order for "Medium" this season from the previously announced 22 down to just 13...which in all likelihood means that "Medium" will not be back next season and will be gone around January/February 2011.

I don't really see "The Talk" being sold the same way that "Medium" is. Who would want to watch an episode of "The Talk", or "The View", five years after the fact. Since both are either taped live or very near live and feature mostly current events, neither will be sold into (repeat) syndication.

I think this is comparing apples and...anything other than apples.

Ignoring the fact that the audiences for daytime and primetime are considered to be wildly different (not by me, however.) Medium started on NBC before it came to CBS and they basically took the show as a replacement for Close to Home which was considered to be the weak link between Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs.

I think this is comparing apples and...anything other than apples.

Ignoring the fact that the audiences for daytime and primetime are considered to be wildly different (not by me, however.) Medium started on NBC before it came to CBS and they basically took the show as a replacement for Close to Home which was considered to be the weak link between Ghost Whisperer and Numb3rs.

The issue with "Medium" goes back to an earlier comment..."Medium has weak prime time ratings but makes CBS loads of money through third party sales to Lifetime."

I pointed out that "Medium" has been, in effect, canceled by CBS this week, despite the "loads of money" that it is making CBS (who produces the series). So, even though CBS makes money off of each episode of "Medium" produced, the ratings this season apparently do not make it financially feasable to continue production.

Similarly, "The Talk" may not be getting the same viewership that ATWT got, but the fact that it is so much cheaper to produce, CBS is still making money despite fewer viewers tuning in. Also, since "The Talk" is produced in-house at CBS, the network also gets a larger percentage of the advertising revenue, which can only contribute to the money CBS is already making off the show.

I only mentioned the (likely) cancellation of "Medium" to note, that even with a network making money off a show, the network can still only tolerate certain ratings levels before that particular series is canceled.