Is ABC Preparing to Cancel AMC and OLTL?

[Khan]

How can anyone get that hung up on ratings in an increasingly shrinking genre? The more the number of soaps dwindles, IMO, the more insignificant ratings and even demos become to the numb-nuts who are in charge of them. Now, more than ever, it's how expensive they are to produce, and how good the product is to replace them.

[Soapsuds]

Well ATWT was already beating AMC in the ratings when it was still on the air. So AMC problems have been there for sometime.

You're the one that brought up bringing viewers back....lol

[Khan]

For some reason, I misread your post, Soapsuds. My bad.

I hesitate to say ATWT's audience actually increased toward the end, though. True, the rankings improved, but did ATWT really win back viewers, or did other soaps lose more of theirs?

[All My Shadows]

GL had been trying to get Grant back for years as well. Time will tell, but the whole thing smacks of familiarity for me.

Well, you know me. I'm always thinking about the big, sweeping changes that can occur, on screen and off. I think ATWT had the potential to be good (my idea of good ATWT, though, which might not be the same as someone else's), but IDK about ratings, as far as being a daytime soap was concerned. More than anything, I think it had the most potential to live within its means. It probably would have never been as cheap as The Basic Bitches' Afternoon Coffee Klatch, but it could have been one of those shows that the network spares despite its low returns because they're proud to have it on. Fairy tales, I know.

Worst case scenario, the shows turn enough profit that the big network people just DGAF about whether they live or die. But then again, I think that mindset's gotten the ABC soaps where they are now.

You really think so? Really? Jeez. I'd take Hubbard family drama over Mick Dante any day. But that might just be me.

ATWT was in that hodgepodge of soaps (each one that didn't have BELL on it) that fluctuated in the ratings. It beat OLTL, AMC, and DAYS occasionally, and they all beat it, too, so that really is irrelevant. The bump ATWT got in the last two or three weeks was vultures circling the corpse.

[Bella1974]

The people who have been trying to get Roger to come back aren't the same ones who will decide whether the show gets canceled.

[Soapsuds]

I agree with dragonflies on that one...AMC was a mess even when ATWT was still on the air.

ATWT numbers actually started going up sooner than 3 weeks before the last show. Its highest numbers daily wise were the week before and the last show getting a 2.1 rating. I still say ATWT could have made it had Goutman and Co. been let go. But the bottom line is that CBS nor P&G cared enough to save it. I can't say that about AMC and ABC.

[leahanna]

so we will know tomorrow then? I am at the point, I just want to know

[All My Shadows]

I assure you, we will know nothing new tomorrow.

[Soapsuds]

We will know that we still dont know anything....lol

[leahanna]

if they are having a meeting tomorrow, why would they wait to announce anything?

[John]

Could sweeney be meeting Frons tomorrow to fire him?

[All My Shadows]

We don't know that they're having a meeting tomorrow. A string's been pulled for the last tres semanas. This thang ain't gonna go. Not now.

[leahanna]

that would be nice, but I doubt it. I think we will know what is going on this week, with Easter coming, I could see people taking vacations so I think a decision has to be made this week

[Angela]

If they really want to cancel both shows ASAP, I don't think numbers are going to speak to the entire relevance of which one goes first. But here are some numbers...

For the 2010-2011 season so far, OLTL is currently averaging 80,000 more 18-49 female viewers than AMC. OLTL is also currently averaging 53,000 more overall viewers than AMC. In 2009-2010, AMC was averaging 148,000 more overall viewers than OLTL, while OLTL was averaging 45,000 more 18-49 female viewers than AMC.

AMC Net Loss (Total Viewers: -131,000/F18-49: -197,000/-6%)

(2010-2011) 2,409,000/552,000/23% of Viewers F18-49 (-155,000/-103,000/-3%)

(2009-2010) 2,564,000/655,000/26% of Viewers F18-49 (+024,000/-094,000/-3%)

(2008-2009) 2,540,000/749,000/29% of Viewers F18-49

OLTL Net Loss (Total Viewers: -087,000/F18-49: -151,000/-5%)

(2010-2011) 2,462,000/632,000/26% of Viewers F18-49 (+046,000/-068,000/-3%)

(2009-2010) 2,416,000/700,000/29% of Viewers F18-49 (-133,000/-083,000/-2%)

(2008-2009) 2,549,000/783,000/31% of Viewers F18-49

ATWT

(2009-2010) 2,415,000/571,000/24% (-124,000/-054,000/-1%)

(2008-2009) 2,539,000/625,000/25%

[Clear Drama]

Woo! hurray for NETLOSS!