Daytime TV had an article in 75 dealing with the fact that back in 71, for the first time since 1960 (according to them), ATWT was beaten in the weekly ratings. They published the ratings for that momentous week of Nov 12th and followed up with the same weeks rating for the next 4 years.

Thought posters might be interested.I wonder what show (s) beat ATWT in 1960? Does anyone know what was happening on DOOl and GH the weeks that they hit #1?

1971

1. DOOL 10.0

2.ATWT 9.8

3.TD 9.6

4. GH 9.5

5.AW 9.4

6.SFT 7.9

7.LOL 7.6

8.LIAMST 7.6

9.SS 7.1

10.OLTL 6.7

Interesting to see the dominance of NBC with 3 of the top 5 shows yet Bright Promise and Somerset failing to follow through, and GH doing so well as the lone hit ABC show.

It must have been hard for CBS to have ATWT dethroned and no other soap in the top 5.Also,shows traditionally perceived as weaker (LOL,SS etc outdoing GL and EON)

I'll post the next ratings later.

Edited July 24, 201114 yr by Paul Raven

When Search moved to 2:30 was there much shift in ratings?    I don’t think so.  I think the dip happened before the switch    It seemed like a good decision sandwiched between similar P and G shows ATWT and GL

If so then why would P and G fight so hard to put it back at 12:30?   And then the move to NBC killed it going against Y&R and affiliate preemptions

P and G did a good job of destroying Search and Edge

DAYS has that spike because of what was happening when Donna was on the ledge - Don & Marlena's 1st wedding which was interrupted (and ended up not happening) by Donna on the ledge & Don falling off.

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/3/78-7/7/78 & 7/10/78-7/14/78:

 

 

 

Days got to # 2 the week of 7/3/78-7/7/78:

3193...7/3/78:
Cast: Bill, Julie, Doug, Greg, Robert, Don, Donna, Steve, Hope, Theresa, Dave, Anesthetist, Nurse # 1, Nurse # 2.
Sets: Doug’s Place, Hospital Corridor & Nurses’ Station with Elevator, Julie’s Apartment, Don’s Hospital Room, Recovery Room, Operating Room.
 
3194...7/4/78:
Cast: Tom, Alice, Mickey, Bill, Julie, Doug, Laura, Donna, Steve, Hope, Janice, Dora, Mrs. Price, Nurse.
Sets: Laura’s Den, Horton Backyard, Hospital Corridor & Nurses’ Station, Don’s Hospital Room, Corridor Outside Laura’s Office, Laura’s Office.
 
3195...7/5/78:
Cast: Mickey, Bob, Maggie, Neil, Linda, Chris, Janice, Joanne, Betty, Jim.
Sets: Bob & Linda’s Lakehouse, Joanne’s Hospital Room, Mickey’s Inner & Outer Office, Chris’ Storefront Office.
 
3196...7/6/78:
Cast: Tom, Alice, Bill, Maggie, Linda, Don, Marlena, Laura, Chris, Donna, Joanne, Nurse.
Sets: Laura’s Bedroom, Horton Kitchen, Joanne’s Hospital Room, Laura’s Office, Operating Room Waiting Room, Chris’ Storefront Office, Don’s Hospital Room, Corridor Outside Don’s Hospital Room.
 
3197...7/7/78:
Cast: Julie, Doug, Bob, Mike, Robert, Mary, Chris, Margo, Steve, Theresa, Dave.
Sets: Mary’s Studio, Doug’s Place, Margo’s Pad, Julie’s Apartment.
 
TUNE IN TOMORROW WEEKLY RECAP:
7/3/78-7/7/78: Doug hired a new singer, Theresa Harper, who attracted Steve's attention and made Julie jealous. Donna lost her foster home and stood vigil while Don underwent surgery for internal bleeding. Marlena freaked when she learned Don must undergo another operation because of infection complications. Alice convinced Maggie that Janice is too young to learn Joanne is her mother. Linda fumed that Chris accepted a job with Jim Bradley that would pit Chris against Bob's company in an environmental fight. Jeri agreed to care for Timmy while Trish films a European movie. Mike and Margo reconciled. Robert suspected that Theresa had stolen money from the club.

Edited June 10, 20232 yr by JAS0N47

16 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/3/78-7/7/78 & 7/10/78-7/14/78:

 

 

 

Days got to # 2 the week of 7/3/78-7/7/78:

3193...7/3/78:
Cast: Bill, Julie, Doug, Greg, Robert, Don, Donna, Steve, Hope, Theresa, Dave, Anesthetist, Nurse # 1, Nurse # 2.
Sets: Doug’s Place, Hospital Corridor & Nurses’ Station with Elevator, Julie’s Apartment, Don’s Hospital Room, Recovery Room, Operating Room.
 
3194...7/4/78:
Cast: Tom, Alice, Mickey, Bill, Julie, Doug, Laura, Donna, Steve, Hope, Janice, Dora, Mrs. Price, Nurse.
Sets: Laura’s Den, Horton Backyard, Hospital Corridor & Nurses’ Station, Don’s Hospital Room, Corridor Outside Laura’s Office, Laura’s Office.
 
3195...7/5/78:
Cast: Mickey, Bob, Maggie, Neil, Linda, Chris, Janice, Joanne, Betty, Jim.
Sets: Bob & Linda’s Lakehouse, Joanne’s Hospital Room, Mickey’s Inner & Outer Office, Chris’ Storefront Office.
 
3196...7/6/78:
Cast: Tom, Alice, Bill, Maggie, Linda, Don, Marlena, Laura, Chris, Donna, Joanne, Nurse.
Sets: Laura’s Bedroom, Horton Kitchen, Joanne’s Hospital Room, Laura’s Office, Operating Room Waiting Room, Chris’ Storefront Office, Don’s Hospital Room, Corridor Outside Don’s Hospital Room.
 
3197...7/7/78:
Cast: Julie, Doug, Bob, Mike, Robert, Mary, Chris, Margo, Steve, Theresa, Dave.
Sets: Mary’s Studio, Doug’s Place, Margo’s Pad, Julie’s Apartment.
 
TUNE IN TOMORROW WEEKLY RECAP:
7/3/78-7/7/78: Doug hired a new singer, Theresa Harper, who attracted Steve's attention and made Julie jealous. Donna lost her foster home and stood vigil while Don underwent surgery for internal bleeding. Marlena freaked when she learned Don must undergo another operation because of infection complications. Alice convinced Maggie that Janice is too young to learn Joanne is her mother. Linda fumed that Chris accepted a job with Jim Bradley that would pit Chris against Bob's company in an environmental fight. Jeri agreed to care for Timmy while Trish films a European movie. Mike and Margo reconciled. Robert suspected that Theresa had stolen money from the club.

Solid All My Children at Number 1.

 

Days looking strong at No. 2. One Life to Live strong as well. ATWT on the decline.

 

Thanks for posting!

1 minute ago, JoeCool said:

Thanks for posting!

You're welcome. Each week is fun to put together, sort of like a puzzle. The main ratings data is in one section, the affiliates data is another section, and the preemptions data is another section, so that's why it takes me a bit to type up each one, as I fill in all of the puzzle pieces!

I think I have some time this weekend, so I am planning to post the other July weeks in a few minutes. And maybe I can get done with August at least by tomorrow. It all depends on time, but I will do my best to at least post one chart each day!!

 

 

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/17/78-7/21/78 & 7/24/78-7/28/78:

 

38 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

You're welcome. Each week is fun to put together, sort of like a puzzle. The main ratings data is in one section, the affiliates data is another section, and the preemptions data is another section, so that's why it takes me a bit to type up each one, as I fill in all of the puzzle pieces!

I think I have some time this weekend, so I am planning to post the other July weeks in a few minutes. And maybe I can get done with August at least by tomorrow. It all depends on time, but I will do my best to at least post one chart each day!!

 

Thank you. All the hard work, thanks. Take your time!!!!

 

10 minutes ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/17/78-7/21/78 & 7/24/78-7/28/78:

 

 

Thank you. All the hard work, thanks. Take your time!!!!

 

A solid Number One ranking for All My Children.  And Ryan's Hope Number 3 wow!! I cannot believe RH beat the Young and the Restless!!

Edited June 10, 20232 yr by JoeCool

Wow- never knew days hit #2! 

From the summary it seems Don and Marlena were the reason for that. Pity they couldn't keep up the momentum, plunging back to the bottom the following week.

AW and ATWT still hanging in the Top 5 with OLTL,RH and Y&R all making an appearance.

Interesting that at this point OLTL is regularly ahead of GH yet ultimately became perennial runner up to its sister soap.

Knowing what's to come makes this an even more fascinating read. 

Thanks so much Jason for your efforts.

August and September there might be a drop off on some shows since the kids start returning to school.

I was thinking of maybe rotating and doing 1978 sometimes and 1980 sometimes, so fans of early 80's could start discussing the ratings, but I don't see a thread like this for early 80's ratings. So, should a thread be started for that, or did I miss it somewhere?

Here's the 80s thread. The early 80s are discussed in it too.

 

14 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

Here's the 80s thread. The early 80s are discussed in it too.

 

Thanks, don't know how I missed that when I looked for it. Maybe I will do the first one from the 1980's now. 

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/31/78-8/4/78 & 8/7/78-8/11/78:

 

 

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/14/78-8/18/78 & 8/21/78-8/25/78:

 

1 hour ago, JAS0N47 said:

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/31/78-8/4/78 & 8/7/78-8/11/78:

 

 

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 8/14/78-8/18/78 & 8/21/78-8/25/78:

 

General Hospital beginning its rise.

 

All My Children a solid Number 1.

 

Restless getting stronger as well as One Life.

 

Ryan's Hope Number 4. For the week of 8/21, ABC had the top 4 spots.

Another World begins to slide and fade and ATWT begins to decrease.

 

All My Children began its ascent to Number 1.

 

Edited June 11, 20232 yr by JoeCool

Ryan's Hope at #2-4 is really fascinating...especially at this time.  The writing was still good, but soooo many recasts/departures...especially that summer, when so many of the original cast's contracts were up.

I wonder if I was a few weeks off when I archived those recaps SoapNet posted all those years ago (SN never indicated the original airdates on their website, so I did my best).  Faith's stabbing and Jill finding Frank and Rae in bed together a few weeks later seems like the kind of drama that might give a soap a temporary boost. 

Either way, this really makes ABC's treatment of Sarah Felder a few years later all the more outrageous.  She was front and center that whole summer, and those early scenes of Siobhan butting heads with Mary, Maeve, and Jack were always some of my favorites.  These ratings definitely suggest that the years more of story she could have driven would have resonated with viewers who had watched when RH was competitive in the ratings.  There is an alternative universe where Siobhan and Jack eventually became the Bob and Kim of RH...

In any event, I'm just relieved to learn that the 1981 writers' strike and the coattails effect of GH's Ice Princess story did not mark RH's all-time highest ratings.

Edited June 11, 20232 yr by DeliaIrisFan