August 22-26, 2011

[TeamEric]

1. I disagree on GH as I looked at its Friday's 1.6 as abnormal. But ok, we'll need to wait for this week's GH numbers to see if bounces right back or not.

2. OLTL's impressive growth year-to-year is mainly in viewership (+479,000). Since the week of March 7-11, 2011 has OLTL beaten its 2010 viewership. That's an impressive streak but unfortunately it was not really really translating to the 18-49 demos.

In fact, July finished slightly down from its 2010 July:

Jul 2010 2,358,524 653,400

Jul 2011 2,679,450 640,250

This past week OLTL was only up +71,000 year-to-year in 18-49s. That sounds good until you remember August 2010 was OLTL's worst month EVER and yet OLTL only managed to beat its demos by 71,000?

Look at July 2010 again, that was a 6th ranked demo month for OLTL last year and yet the current OLTL couldn't beat it. So I need to see Sept year-over-year demos now to judge if show is really beating last year demos.

[Carolyn1980]

You're forgetting that ranking is just as important as rating. As Einstein said, it's all relative. The other soaps are dropping miserably, while OLTL has shown growth. Just like in primetime, ranking trumps rating every time. The number one show in primetime this year wouldn't even rank in the top 30 twenty years ago, yet all that matters is it's at the top of the pack.

[Soapsuds]

LOL at Y&R awful numbers. They are truly deserved. OLTL keeps dropping.

[EricMontreal22]

And to be fair, as has been pointed out, primetime network ratings (with some event programming exceptions) have fallen by nearly as big a percentage as daytime...

[Saving ATWT]

I said OLTL would eventually climb up. I was off by the number of months, yes, but it finally happened. Yeah, the Two Todd story helps but running unopposed at 2pm in the East is what has given the show the ratings edge. Also, FV was smart to import PGP fan favs. Too bad OLTL is leaving because Maura West would be a big get.

OLTL gaining over 400,000 viewers this year while most shows lost eyes is amazing!

Y&R has crashed and burned. I never guessed thet would loose so much so fast. It is time for a new regime. Never thought I'd say this but Chris Goutmn might (almost) be an improvment

[TeamEric]

I guess I'm just calling for somewhat of a REALITY CHECK here, Carolyn.

OLTL is kicking butt in viewership rankings. But their demos gains aren't impressive year-to-year nor their rankings either. In 18-49, OLTL still ranks #3 and only beat GH twice during this streak. This past week OLTL assumed sole #1 atop 18-34 which is HUGE except when I took a longer look at GH crashing.

Btw, Toups, I couldn't find the actual Nielsen numbers from 1999 but found some old ratings post summaries I used to do up. OLTL was listed as #1 in 18-49 demos as it did beat GH in June 1999. No mention was made of 18-34 and DAYS used to be way ahead so doubt OLTL tied them.

However, the bigger shocker was I had forgotten OLTL actually won the 18-49 demos for the entire November 2000 sweeps. That was JFP's OLTL swan song as she left on a very high note. At the time, JFP was credited with having saved OLTL. But OLTL fell to 4th for May Sweeps 2001.

[Saving ATWT]

+1

Daytime is just a preview of things to come. The network system is dead. Sadly, the days of free viewing will be gone and the poor will miss out of much of media.

[Khan]

His 100th plan? I could've sworn it was his 1000th!

[Khan]

Exactly. Corday always thinks bringing back (or cutting loose) cast members. He never understands that the writing's the problem.

[Max]

This is so true. Ironically, one of the reasons why networks justify cancelling soaps (and not replacing them with new ones) is because the soap industry is near death. However, these network executives never have the courage to admit (or are just otherwise too delusional to realize) that broadcast television is itself a dying business.

I give network television about 20 more years to live (and that's being generous). After the soaps go, the nightly newscasts will be next (given their high costs, poor ratings, and even worse demos).

[JONNYSBRO]

The thing IMO book is oltl should never be beating gh which has a bigger budget and far more promotion. Abc never promotes oltl. Look at Amc is getting whole hour devoted to the view, oltl will have 20 weeks beating gh viewership and IMO the 18 to 34 is big. All in all the show never should have been cancelled. Abc is not bringing it back I dont want oltl under frons control would rather have the savvy execs from pp.

[Cheap21]

Highest watched OLTL episode of the week, again goes to the continuation of the TSJTodd reveal, with him getting deeper scenes with Tea

[JaneAusten]

WORD. Look at Vanessa MArcil's return at GH or Genie Francis's second return at GH for examples of that or House of Zombies over at AMC.

And I disagree that the folks from the P&G soaps did anything for OLTL. THey got no ratings surges for bringing them on. Y&R is the perfect example of bringing on big names with zero return on it including Maura West by the way. Its all story. Days had their ratings surge due to STORY not any big names although I am sure some will argue Crystal Chappell joining made a diff.

And sure there were preemptions last week but ABC also ran that Jason promo everywhere. I saw it on Lifetime Bravo and USA.

[JONNYSBRO]

Yep I saw so much promo for the Jason stuff on GH and also GH got all the press about the new head writer coming in everywhere. It was tons of promo and they have failed to generate the numbers. OLTL hasn't had any of those same promotion and its beating it.]

I think for Y&R what really happened is the loss of Paul Rauch was a big one for the show. Rauch is a veteran who knows how to produce a show. Since he has left the show seems very amatuerly produced and it doesn't have any of those old Y&R moments we love. If CBS were smart they would bring back Ed Scott and Kay Alden but they won't.

[JaneAusten]

I don't know that Y&R's issues have anything to do with production values. ANd while I know people are attached to some of the old guard I would honestly like to see Y&R take a risk on someone new maybe combined with someone from the old guard so to speak. Recycling the same people over and over is IMO not the answer as great as Ed Scott or Kay Alden might be or have been I don't think they are the answers.