Just to be clear, OLTL actually began its upward trend (year-over-year increases) during the week of March 14-18, 2011. Although many of us thought it started after the cancellations, after checking the ratings archive it is clear that the upswing began almost exactly a month before it was officially canceled by ABC.

Errol, thanks for pointing that out. I respect other views, but my own personal opinion is that one month's worth of an upward trend was not enough to justify keeping OLTL on the air, and if ABC wanted to cancel two soaps, the two that should have been cancelled were the two that historically had the worst ratings.

Edited April 1, 201213 yr by Max

What is it with you always trying to say something about AMC/OLTL? They're both dead. Move on. It's always negativity and trying to be condescending towards the show's fans. It is what it is if people want Y& R canceled what does that have to do with AMC/OLTL? and them the personal attacks on DaytimeFan?! You're doing too much. It isn't even that serious

Edited April 1, 201213 yr by Eric83

What is it with you always trying to say something about AMC/OLTL? They're both dead. Move on. It's always negativity and trying to be condescending towards the show's fans. It is what it is if people want Y& R canceled what does that have to do with AMC/OLTL? and them the personal attacks on DaytimeFan?! You're doing too much. It isn't even that serious

+1

What is it with you always trying to say something about AMC/OLTL? They're both dead. Move on. It's always negativity and trying to be condescending towards the show's fans. It is what it is if people want Y& R canceled what does that have to do with AMC/OLTL? and them the personal attacks on DaytimeFan?! You're doing too much. It isn't even that serious

If those who cried foul when AMC/OLTL were cancelled want Y&R to be gone, then it is total hypocrisy, since (1) Y&R's ratings are far better than the ratings of those ABC soaps and (2) many of those people maintained that AMC & OLTL had to be kept on the air because it was about "supporting the genre."

FYI, it was DaytimeFan who started with the vitriolic comments when (s)he trashed American attitudes and culture and condoned the very bigoted and hateful statements that his/her idol, Joan Collins, made regarding overweight people and Asians. DaytimeFan is entitled to say whatever (s)he wants, but (s)he then can't be angry when somebody has an objection.

And Eric, it is most definately not "always negativity" with me, because I am saying good things about Y&R and much of CBS's daytime lineup. I'm sorry if some people here don't like that, but such comments certainly cannot be considered negative. I am also sorry for any condescending behavior on my part aimed at the fans of ABC soaps, but I would have kept quiet if it was not (1) for the constant anti-ABC executive sentiment that has been exhibited here and elsewhere over the past year and (2) for the fact that some posters on this board appear to be condescending towards the fans of Y&R, TPIR, LMAD, The Chew, and The Revolution. (You yourself seem to be reveling over the terrible ratings that The Revolution has been getting. That is your right, but it is hypocritical to then get upset if somebody holds a less-than-stellar opinion of Cartini's OLTL, or believes its ratings justified cancellation.)

Edited April 1, 201213 yr by Max

Are you serious? You're actually dictating the criteria by which people can ask for the death knell to be sounded for Y&R? It should be based on some objective criteria you say? Then explain to me how OLTL was cancelled when its ratings were superior to GH (and I was never an OLTL fan so it was nothing to me when it was axed). OLTL vs GH was a subjective call on the part of Brian Frons and the rest of the ABC executives.

The commonly held belief that Y&R sucks is not irrelevant. If a show is on its last legs and is reviled by its fans, it's the perfect time to cancel it and replace it with something new because fans won't miss it. That didn't quite happen with OLTL and The Revolutions ratings speak to that.

Y&R is not neck in neck with The Price is Right. In fact, Y&R hit new lows this week and has dropped .7 of a ratings point in a single season! If that trend continues Y&R will be at a 2.3 this time next year and at 1.6 in 2014, the perfect time to cancel it.

Daytimefan, I have always loved you, but right now I want you to shoot me up with Botox, Restylane, and anything else at your disposal. Then I am going to give you a big kiss.

Every sentence was spot on, and completely agenda free. Thank you.

With all due respect, Llantano, if you (or DaytimeFan) had actually read the entirety of Toups' article, you would have noticed that its season-to-date ratings are a 3.6; its showing of a 3.0 was for just this past week. If you compare its ratings to exactly where Y&R was 52 weeks ago, even that 3.0 figure represented a decline of .3 ratings points (as opposed to the .7 drop DaytimeFan cited; and comparing Y&R's 3.0 figure to a number that was not in March is almost like an apples to oranges comparison). Now, while Y&R's "year-versus-year" performance was no doubt really bad, GH--lead by the Cartini regime that played a large role in OLTL's demise--is off .4 ratings points to where it was one year ago.

When I previously said that it was a commonly held belief that Y&R sucks, I was just being sarcastic (because certain folks here go out of their way to trash it week after week). If this belief was so "commonly held," then Y&R would be below a 2.0. (And the argument that Y&R had more viewers to bleed than the ABC soaps is a completely bogus one, given that GH, AMC, and OLTL were more popular than Y&R was in the early-80s.)

Edited April 1, 201213 yr by Max

Uh Y&R did have more viewers to bleed than the ABC soaps, you do realize soaps didn't start having massive losses until the mid 90's when Y&R was way above the other soaps right?

Why does Y&R need to below a 2.0 to prove that the fans think it is sucks?

How can you blame "Cartini" for GH's year on year losses when they have only been there 2 months?

SMH. I can't with you anymore.

Can OLTL and AMC just rest in peace?

As for Y&R, even with these ratings it ain't going anywhere but the drops are concerning.

Edited April 1, 201213 yr by OLTL_fan

Just to be clear, OLTL actually began its upward trend (year-over-year increases) during the week of March 14-18, 2011. Although many of us thought it started after the cancellations, after checking the ratings archive it is clear that the upswing began almost exactly a month before it was officially canceled by ABC.

For reference, check page 7 (currently) of the ratings archive (more data on page 8 as wel).

http://www.soapopera.../ratings/page/7

OLTL 2011 Monthly viewrs/18-49 demo averages:

Jan 2011 2,541,300 619,500

Feb 2011 2,601,316 647,250

Mar 2011 2,447,130 594,600

Apr 2011 2,598,048 670,000

May 2011 2,561,667 647,000

Jun 2011 2,552,636 644,400

Jul 2011 2,679,450 640,250

Aug 2011 2,840,739 735,400

Sep 2011 2,725,190 662,250

Oct 2011 2,537,450 617,000

Nov 2011 2,657,400 647,750

In March, OLTL averaged its lowest 18-49 monthly numbers.

February was the better month for OLTL. The week of Feb 7-11, 2011 OLTL actually beat GH and AMC in viewers. That was the 2nd time in 4 months OLTL had managed that feat.

In tracking OLTL's long-term numbers, an upswing started back in Oct 2010 when the show climbed out of last place and consistently beat AMC.

if ABC wanted to cancel two soaps, the two that should have been cancelled were the two that historically had the worst ratings.

Didn't ABC effectively cancel all 3 soaps last year?

They announced AMC/OLTL in April, then gave GH's time slot away to Katie Couri in June. Katie wasn't ready to launch until 2013 and that is the only reason GH remained on air so long.

Honestly, I side with those who believe ABC will pull another double cancelation. The Revolting will go off in September. GH will slide into that slot until Jan 2013 and then replaced mid-season. It will be a AMC/OLTL redux.

Honestly, I side with those who believe ABC will pull another double cancelation. The Revolting will go off in September. GH will slide into that slot until Jan 2013 and then replaced mid-season. It will be a AMC/OLTL redux.

I agree with you on this except I think we're about to get the GH news soon. I think that's what has happened to Valentini's big casting news. The Is and Ts that needed to be dotted and crossed are the ones in the words "canellation notice."

I continue to be surprised at the tying together of the fates of GH vs. Y&R vs. DAYS. It's three different networks. Three different companies. What's "acceptable" ratings for one has nothing to do with what's acceptable ratings for another. It's manufactured equivalency. The only real similarity is that all three networks decided to get out of the soap business. But when and how they execute that remains to be seen. JMHO.

Edited April 2, 201213 yr by marceline

Didn't ABC effectively cancel all 3 soaps last year?

They announced AMC/OLTL in April, then gave GH's time slot away to Katie Couri in June. Katie wasn't ready to launch until 2013 and that is the only reason GH remained on air so long.

Honestly, I side with those who believe ABC will pull another double cancelation. The Revolting will go off in September. GH will slide into that slot until Jan 2013 and then replaced mid-season. It will be a AMC/OLTL redux.

I really don't see ABC moving GH's slot. It is going to look really, really out of place in between The Chew and Katie. I know supposedly they don't have anything lined up to cancel both at once but moving a show's timeslot only to cancel it 4 months later looks sloppy. If they do get rid of GH, I'd put money down on it last airing this fall, not Jan 2013.

I know supposedly they don't have anything lined up to cancel both at once but moving a show's timeslot only to cancel it 4 months later looks sloppy.

As opposed to the well-oiled, silky sooth, surgically precise machine that is currently ABC Daytime?

As opposed to the well-oiled, silky sooth, surgically precise machine that is currently ABC Daytime?

They could always run a test pattern for an hour.