Ratings from the 70's

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/2/79-7/6/79 & 7/9/79-7/13/79:

 

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[GLATWT88]

Incredible weeks for YR and SFT. 

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/16/79-7/20/79 & 7/23/79-7/27/79:

 

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[JAS0N47]

A RECORD FOR PREEMPTIONS??

 

On 10/5/79, the 90-minute Another World was preempted by 3 different shows! Password Plus (230-3), NLCS Playoff (3-330, which I guess started in a rain delay), because then a 20-minute Card Sharks aired from 330-350, and then the NLCS Playoff returned at 350. I've seen soaps preempted by two different shows, but this is the first time I can remember seeing 3! 

[Broderick]

MUCH has been written about the phenomenal success of Y&R and the ABC shows in the late 1970s, but I often forget how well Search for Tomorrow was performing, only to be kicked to the curb by CBS less than three years later.  

[Paul Raven]

Search was reaping the benefits of the Corringtons stories that had begun in August 78 and building, particularly Travis and Liza.

Unfortunately the momentum wasn't sustained. They had Travis and Liza marry, which shortcircuited that couples story potential. And their follow up stories eg Beau/Cissy had none of the appeal of their initial run.

Guess that like a lot of writers they were able to come into a stale show and inject new energy but couldn't really follow through. And the next writers were worse. That was it for SFT.

Also interesting to see 2 30 min shows in the Top 5.

[JAS0N47]

 

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/30/79-8/3/79 & 8/6/79-8/10/79:

 

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[MichaelGL]

Interesting to see DOCTORS get a temporary bounce there.

[robbwolff]

If I recall correctly, the ratings bounce was around the time that Sara Dancy Powers died on The Doctors.

[jam6242]

Yes, and Carolee's involvement in helping Moonchild (of the Far Wind cult) deliver her baby.

[PhilParis]

A big big THANK YOU Jason47 for your fantastic work about preemptions dates. It's really appeciated 

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[Contessa Donatella]

March 5th & March 6th at 2 pm eastern (1979) 

AW first 90 min. show & death of John Randolph 3/5

GL Roger raped Holly 3/5

OLTL Karen Wolek was on the witness stand again & broke down & admitted being a prostitute 3/6

Sorry to duplicate this info. I looked & didn't see it. 

It was Fred Silverman's idea to take AW to 90 minutes. Basically rather than not being able to do good, he did harm. 

HUGE kudos, Jason, amazingly gracious of you to make the gift of so much of your time! Plus, unending thanks! 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Donna L. Bridges
oops

[JoeCool]

Wow Fred Silverman made more of mess with AW to 90 minutes! Awful....

[Contessa Donatella]

Fred Silverman, genius at ABC & CBS & then NBC, 1978-1980, 3 years, with incredible failures: Another World 90 minute show, I mean debacle, I mean total disaster, I mean Epic Failure so much so that an anonymous programmer said they did it because no one could think of anything else to do & the affiliates blamed the show for it. Supertrain, the most expensive TV show ever produced up to that point, a high-profile failure. Also failures The Big Show, Pink Lady & Hello, Larry. But, what good did he do? Hill Street Blues, Sho-Gun, Cheers, St. Elsewhere, The Facts of Life & Today. & the peacock logo. He set the stage for David Letterman even though it made Johnny Carson angry at him. And, he put Brandon Tartikoff in place, who took NBC to #1.

[Contessa Donatella]

That's what B&B runs now apparently. When people talk about it being the easiest show to watch, the first thing they say is that it takes only 18 minutes out of your day.