Way to go, GH. Wow. Even my low expectations had the show doing better than it is right now.

As for lead-in shows helping ratings, I'm not so sure. I had watched GH since I was a kid. I would race home so I could see the show. If there's a primetime (or daytime) show I like, I will make sure to tune in or set my DVR. If the quality of the show diminishes, I do not hurry to watch. It is just that simple. Yes, some people watched the whole ABC lineup and taking AMC off the air screwed that up. But, again, if I wanted to watch OLTL or GH, I would. If the writing was enthralling or characters were intriguing, I would tune in. Right now, when I watch, I am either bored to tears & fall asleep or I am angered, thinking that he/she would never do that! Neither feeling makes me want to watch, so I do not often tune in anymore.

It is very simple to me. Put at least one story on the show that I want to watch, or find another viewer. I will not waste my time on a show anymore.

I've watched soaps for decades and "I never" watched the whole line up ( daytime or primetime) pre-VCR I watched what I liked then flip the channel. Now I create my own line up with my programming recordings but mostly watch online.

Carld2 I believe that Frons and Phelps are running the writing of storylines at GH Garin is just a figurehead writing their vision.

I'm not surprise that GH is tanking I thought Jason's honeymoon would bring them in because he's so uber-popular and Frons called them GH go to couple. I know many Sonny/Brenda fans I post with were upset that their honeymoon scenes were cut many I post with said they weren't going to watch Jason's

Edited October 15, 201114 yr by Cyberologist

I think that part of the problem is that DOOL has the worst production values in all of daytime. Just about every set--from the Horton Town Square (which seems like a really cool concept) to the "park" where Jack and Jennifer had their conversations--looks like it is inside a studio in Burbank. Rather than shelling out so much money for "big names" to return, Corday should have invested his cash in the show's sets. (When you compare the production values of B&B to DOOL, it is like day and night.)

Before, when Tomlin was still there, DAYS production vaules were AWFUL. When they switched to HD the show looked even worse because then you could really see how fake everything was. Now with Maxam/Meng in charge the production vaules have improved thanks to Maxam who reminds me of Ed Scott. But because the budget is so low the production vaules are still bad compared to the other soaps.

DAYS IMO after all the promotion and hype isn't doing well. OLTL had ZERO promotion for the Two Todds and soared. DAYS had one week versus OLTL had a fairly strong six months. For six months viewers were up 300,000 to 600,000. It doesn't matter really about OLTL ratings anymore, its leaving ABC and tapes it last show November 23rd the day before Thanksgiving. Its just scary IMO how the Chew has crashed so bad. if it goes down to 1 to 1.2 million viewers I will gasp. When you have a show crashing you that doesn't help no matter what. In primetime shows rely on their lead-ins. Some are self starters but with low ratings like this its TERRIBLE. AMC floundered a bit but went off on a creative HIGH BANG with huge finale numebrs. AMC finale IMO rocked, even Michael Logan said it was great. AMC/OLTL no matter what to me were like sisters. Did anyone always feel they were like sisters together? Y&R crashing is bad as well. As I said I expect by 2014 all these soaps will be gone. I am really hoping OLTL flourishs under PP.

its fitting bc both shows are god awful right now

The changes at DAYS haven't done a damn thing and I knew they wouldn't. The viewers who would be sucked in by nostalgia are all dead!

The Y&R numbers have to be the worst, the drops are very dramatic. DAYS, GH, OLTL and B&B all drop bit by bit...Y&R's dropping in thuds, massive plummets and that's exactly what it deserves!

One Life just doesn't really have anything going for it. It was must see Soap over the summer and it just stopped.

Yes, was having a retro flashback! Question: HOW did GL surge up to number one for that year while up against GH? Was the writing really great? By the 1980s, the PGP shows were all in decline so I assume something great must have happened that year.

I'm subscribed to a YouTube channel that's put up a good chunk of stories from that year. It was definitely interesting, with Alex's arrival, the Dreaming Death story, LuJack/Beth/Mindy/Rick/Phillip. It was really good stuff, though I find myself wishing the Lewises would either piss off back to the south or tone down the volume from a 10 to a 6, but that's neither here nor there. You can tell it was a show in good shape at that time, and having a group of young characters viewers actually cared about definitely helped, especially over the summer.

As for DAYS' production values, I honestly need to turn my computer screen back slightly so that it looks darker than it actually is supposed to when I'm watching. When I do that, it looks 9000x better. A question: are DAYS' producers specifically avoiding using close-ups due to HD or something? Cos it's really jumping out at me how little I get out of any particular scene on that show when the actors' expressions are being presented to me as at best of secondary importance, at worst a complete afterthought.

All this translates to soaps are all going to be gone by 2014. I expect ABC to make their cancellation GH announcement during February that GH will exit the airwaves September 2012. Then DAYS has until 2013 and B&B will go and then Y&R sometime 2014 or 2015. Without any other soaps its going to crash. Soaps on network TV are over, its just the death march until the last soap exits. Thats why its so important how OLTL/AMC translate to the wb and what PP does with them for soaps to have a second life. PP needs to modernize the soap opera into today's world. Cause even with the Chew crashing, ABC doesn't regret their DECISION ONE BIT CANCELLING SOAPS. Soaps to networks are like what BETA/VHS was before DVD's. Its old news and no MONEY at all. I just feel what ABC will do is develop more pilots before something sticks. Chew is a cheap show so they will just do another cheap show. Honestly surprised they haven't done A SOAP WIVES reality show ala Bravo. Why not use these soap stars in new reality show cheap programming to get the soap audience?

Why not use these soap stars in new reality show cheap programming to get the soap audience?

As good as an idea as that could be, ABC doesn't WANT the soap audience. They haven't for years. If they did, they wouldn't have rammed the exact things the soap audience didn't want down their throats all these years.

One Life just doesn't really have anything going for it. It was must see Soap over the summer and it just stopped.

That's because Trevor St. John is gone. There is no rivarly between the two Todds anymore. So the audience says...ok original Todd is back... not much is happening now so I just tune out again. The whole murder mystery of Victor Jr. was a joke.

Edited October 15, 201114 yr by Soapsuds

That's because Trevor St. John is gone. There is no rivarly between the two Todds anymore. So the audience says...ok original Todd is back... not much is happening now so I just tune out again. The whole murder mystery of Victor Jr. was a joke.

Gonna respectfully disagree. I don't think TSJ leaving has anything to do with these ratings.

Edited October 16, 201114 yr by MontyB

I don't think the TPTB get that it's not returns of big name actors that really maintain and hold viewers for some time, but it's slow building stories with satisfying payoffs achieve this.

I'm not so anxious to label MarDar's DAYS as a failure yet, because they haven't really had a chance to do the above and build slow burning stories and have great pay offs. Though they are in the process of doing so.

Love seeing Y&R plummet, that show is absolute garbage and has been for ages.

Not surprised at GH either, the show is just flat out boring.

TeamEric AMC wasn't at 1.6 to 1.7 million viewers that isn't floundering in the basement, that is CRASHING TO THE FREAKING FLOOR. AMC had lowest 2.2 million to 2.4 million.

Sure, AMC wasn't as bad a lead-in as The Chew but my point stands, AMC was hitting new all time lows in viewers and demos at the same time OLTL managed to SOAR to 3 year high. A hot show CAN overcome poor lead-ins, it's happened all the time. GH's Brenda 2002 returns soared their ratings despite OLTL's hitting new lows that fall. Conversely, GH was hitting new all time lows this summer despite OLTL providing a much improved lead-in.

You can only blame the lead-in so far. One must take a closer look at the trend lines. OLTL had sunk to 2.4 and 2.5 in dailies already in September. The show was on a DOWNWARD trend. The Chew just helped speed up an inevitable fall. No soap over the last decade had maintained its gains for very long periods. The ratings always fall BACK for one reason or another.

GH has been hitting new lows for months and had crashed to the basement several times.

While 200,000+ loss is huge, Y&R and B&B have experienced those wild swings this summer, too, and they don't have The Chew to overcome.

So here's a question for you all, what will you say if this week or next, OLTL manages to gain back some viewers despite the Chew's poor lead-in?

Edited October 16, 201114 yr by TeamEric