February 13-17, 2012

[Kryptonite]

Thank you Eric83 for explaining that, people don't realize how different DAYS' situation is from the other two daytime networks. NBC will not replace DAYS with their own program they will just give that hour over to the affiliates if they ever got rid of it. DAYS is the cheapest soap on air right now and isn't as expensive to profit off of it when it loses ratings b/c Sony does everything in its power to keep the show on air.

NBC is much worried about prime time as you mentioned than daytime plus Comcast likes the fact that DAYS is heavily watched online as we all know Comcast will make money off of their extra content whenever possible.

[sungrey]

Not to mention the show is losing its balance again. You can't have a show revolving around just a few vets. You have to give the entire audience reason to watch.

I think the show has been better as of late myself. I thought the Rafe/Sami reveal on Thursday could have had more punch to it (but it appears Galen Gering was sick that day of taping... his voice was out of it a bit). The EJ/Rafe scenes Friday, on the other hand... holy crap, were those good!

[DRW50]

The Talk probably costs a fair amount more than just the average chat show (even if it's less than ATWT) and they got lucky that ABC put a huge dud in that timeslot. Their ratings were lower until The Revolution began.

If it comes down to them just saving money, then they are best off not running anything in those timeslots at all. Generally it seems like that's where CBS is - shows that are just there, or have ratings which don't even seem to be documented (LMAD). That's probably why they haven't moved on getting rid of Y&R and B&B yet - if the new shows were that profitable, then the Bell soaps would be given the freezing out that ABC is giving GH (no promotion, no crossovers with other shows, etc.).

[RoseVioletDaisy]

It's not just about saving money on costs, it's about the big picture. If they can cut costs while maintaining ratings or suffering only minor viewer losses, they can make more money than they can with soaps. CBS lost $25 million on daytime in 2006 and made $100 million off daytime in 2011.

LMAD generally rates in the 1.5 to 1.8 range, about the same as GL's 2009 average ratings for 40% the cost. The last HH figure I saw in late 2011 was 1.6. The Talk and The Chew both rated 1.5 that week so it's not doing that badly. It's audience skews older but it's key demos were only one tenth of a percentage point lower than The Talk and The Chew, who tied in demos that week as well.

[DRW50]

I guess I keep wondering why everything about LMAD seems to be such a nonevent if it's doing OK. I don't even know if CBS mentions it when they do their press releases bragging about The Talk.

There are programs which would be a lot cheaper than The Talk and would probably get about the same ratings, especially with no competition, so I wonder if keeping it on is about turning a profit or about Julie Chen. I can believe that these shows are more profitable than the later years of ATWT or GL, but they mostly just seem like quick fixes in a barren lineup, one of which is an unwanted stepchild and the other of which had huge turnover before settling into an adequately performing show with nothing on against it.

CBS also seems to have settled into the lowest common denominator mode of doing as little as they can and being happy with the minimal result. I can see why ATWT and GL went, but there's no real excuse for what they've let happen to The Price is Right, or Y&R.

[Ben]

It is well deserved. I've recently got back into the show after several years of absence (I'm an OLTL migrant - LOL), and I noticed the show was continuously increasing its numbers and getting good feedback from people, so I gave the show another shot (I can't seem to get rid of it), and I'm glad I did. Unlike all of B&B's other high points during the last few years, they've always been lacking something and never quite felt like its old self; at the moment the show feels the closest it has been to the show I started watching back in the mid-90s. It isn't insulting my intelligence and the characters are being written in-character and in a 3 dimensional way. I'm even liking Ridge!

[DRW50]

I'm glad you're enjoying the show. Aside from my "soapies" from South Africa, and old soaps on Youtube, I have nothing. The British soaps are terrible and I never do get a chance to try Neighbours or Home and Away again.

[Ben]

Overall, I am. There are some elements that are a bit heavy handed, like Hope for the Future, but they don't seem to annoy me as much they would have done this time last year. Our soaps are in a bad place right now, especially EastEnders. You really need to try and sample Neighbours again. Just start from 2012 episodes and see what you think - it has really improved. You have nothing to lose. I can't recommend Home & Away as I don't watch it that often, and when I do it's just not the same show as it started out as.

[DRW50]

I keep meaning to.

I hope you post in the B&B threads more often - I really don't watch the show all that much but I am at the point where I may try, since it's only a half hour. If I had never seen the first 5 years of the show I might enjoy it more. I don't know. And the awful PSA stories.

[Llantano Incorporated]

So B&B huh? This is the the only show I am remotely tempted to sample.

I generally loved B&B from 1989-2006 or so, and I did tune in back for Stephanie's cancer storyline (I enjoyed that for the 4-6 weeks it seemed to last, I thought it was amazing soap) Since 2006 or so I have generally found B&B godawful, and one of the most undeserved emmy winners in the history of emmys- daytime or nighttime.

I tried to get into Days a few times in the last few months and I just realized I have no interest in this show, and never have. And its just hideously cheap looking to me. I can't take it. Days is so lucky to be on NBC- I am very glad that this show somehow survives its lousy ratings and the network actually seems to RESPECT the show. God I hate ABC.

Y&R is dead in my eyes. What a shameful waste of a legacy.

GH- Zero interest despite FV, RC, and the pretty positive posts here.. I enjoyed GH in the 80's and I am quite familiar with all these returning actors, but could care less.

I guess I really was just a OLTL fan.

[Ben]

I know what you mean about the PSA stories. I don't know why they're written the way that they are, but really, they should just leave most of them alone. I'll try posting in the tread, but I'm a week out - I'm up to 02-16 episode. I try to keep a week behind as I watch 1-2 episodes a day most times, and my source doesn't upload straight away.

2006 was the year I started to tune out as well; it really became horrific for the most part. ITA on the Emmy winning as well. I didn't bother to watch Stephanie's cancer story, as I didn't like the preachy tone that surrounded it as it lead into Skid Row. If that had all been handled with more flare and a softer approach that integrated into the overall storylines, then it would have been better. Instead, it all felt too gimmicky to me.

[Llantano Incorporated]

I think what I loved most about the B&B cancer storyline was the acting of KKL, and the chemistry between the always amazing SF and KKL. I liked the plot aspects, but like all Bell "message" stories, it came across very treacly and preachy. Mr. Bell took a cue from Jill Farren Phelps with the special episode emmy submissions. A show can be horribly acted and simply terrible (like B&B was for years at a time) submit a "special episode" featuring Betty White, the homeless, or cancer and win the emmy. Everybody can do it so I guess it isn't fair to pinpoint.

Done with soaps, but I am still so interested to see how the future of GH pans out, its ratings, and where this Katie will fit in. Should be interesting.

[Mr. Vixen]

I think GH may shoot up for this past week with Robin's death.

[JaneAusten]

I think next weeks ratings will be up a tad and folks will claim its because of this actor or event or RC when in reality it will be because presidents day was Monday.

[aMLCproduction]

Esp for Days and GH I dont think so much for Y&R as it was a bland week