As there is a thread for ratings from the 60's and 70's, I thought I'd get one going for the 80's.ABC pretty much dominated but hopefully we can post figures that give a clearer picture and show fluctuations and any inroads made by CBS and NBC.

From Variety Aug 13th 1982

For the two weeks previous AMC had outrated GH with a 9.9/32 share making it the #1 soap.

5 hours ago, Soapsuds said:

To think a rape victim marriage to her rapist would garner such huge ratings not only that week but during the whole year.

Yeah. 

What were y'all thinking in the 80s? 😂😂😂

From the ABC station in NY. 20 million watched day 1. A 47 share in NYC and a 64 share in Chicago.

 

 

52 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Yeah. 

What were y'all thinking in the 80s? 😂😂😂

I wasn't watching GH. I was a CBS viewer.!😋

@GLATWT88

Thank you for that footage… omg I’m a history buff and love all things #gh -#geniefrancis - who had the better career #imho - it seems Tony Geary was interviewed more and was thought to be the bigger star but once Genie Francis left it all went down hill. I love Gloria Monty.. what a blast from the past!! I’m watching Dynasty on prime video now.. Lol!! So soapy!!! Delicious!!!  

Edited August 11, 20232 yr by Chrissy81730

I must have been hiding under a rock but I’ve never understood the fascination with Luke and Laura 

GH L&L wedding week 13.8/43 a massive achievement for the times.

But going back to the 60's ATWT was also scoring amazing numbers. The worth of a rating point may have differed back then but ATWT was scoring phenomenal numbers back then w/o the publicity and hype of GH.

January 1969

ATWT CBS 14.4

Lets Make a Deal ABC 10.5

Hidden Faces NBC 4.4

 

2 weeks  Sept 29-Oct 10. 1969

1. As The World Turns 13.7/50

ATWT March 66 16.9 rating

2 hours ago, TVFAN1144 said:

I must have been hiding under a rock but I’ve never understood the fascination with Luke and Laura 

Okay, one thing, one very important thing. Douglas Marland wrote Lesley Webber & her discovery of her bio daughter, Laura & Laura's accidentally killing this man & Lesley taking the blame & Laura & Scotty & a lot more & then he also wrote Luke & Laura. Marland's writing is as much a part of the resurgence of GH as is Monty's production changes, to a point. When Monty decided to "rebrand" the rape & call it a seduction he left & the writing fell to Pat Falken Smith who also disagreed with the seduction but needed the job to support herself & her daughter so she went along, to get along. And GH continued to have stellar writing except for the switch from character-driven stories to action-driven stories, which is where Monty did soapdom a disservice. Me, I thought that the marital rape on GL was better & more important but the mainstream press was in love with Luke & Laura & had no interest in Roger raped Holly. And that press fed the fans which fed the press. Think Beatlemania. The L&L fans were crazed. 

2 hours ago, Chrissy81730 said:

@GLATWT88

Thank you for that footage… omg I’m a history buff and love all things #gh -#geniefrancis - who had the better career #imho - it seems Tony Geary was interviewed more and was thought to be the bigger star but once Genie Francis left it all went down hill. I love Gloria Monty.. what a blast from the past!! I’m watching Dynasty on prime video now.. Lol!! So soapy!!! Delicious!!!  

You're welcome. I love seeing all those students in the university commons glued to the screen. Interesting to see how programming geared towards stay at home moms/wives was appealing to such a different demographic.

2 hours ago, GLATWT88 said:

From the ABC station in NY. 20 million watched day 1. A 47 share in NYC and a 64 share in Chicago.

 

 

I love how the reporter in the first clip subtly undercuts the L&L phenomenon by emphasizing the rape and mentioning the person Luke punched “wasn’t Laura.”

16 minutes ago, Faulkner said:

I love how the reporter in the first clip subtly undercuts the L&L phenomenon by emphasizing the rape and mentioning the person Luke punched “wasn’t Laura.”

I was like 🤭

5 hours ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Yeah. 

What were y'all thinking in the 80s? 😂😂😂

We weren't thinking at all.  I remember explaining it to a friend who had just started watching.  "He raped her, so then of course she fell in love with him."  "Oh, ok!  She LIKED IT, huh!  Cool!"  

We all thought this was the most normal thing in the world.  😜

Luke/Laura turned ABC into the rapemance network. Same s--- happened with One Life to Live Todd.

18 hours ago, JAS0N47 said:

A 43 share!  Almost half the TV's tuned in to that week.

 

LUKE/LAURA 1981 WEDDING WEEK RATINGS PAGE:

 

@JAS0N47  This makes me think of something. Do you have the ratings for DAYS Doug & Julie's first wedding?  It supposedly had an audience of 16 million which was then surpassed when GH L&L had 30 million. It would just be interesting to see if those 1970s ratings support that. It's so exciting seeing L&L's. I suppose this should be in the 70s ratings thread. Sorry. 

2 hours ago, Donna L. Bridges said:

@JAS0N47  This makes me think of something. Do you have the ratings for DAYS Doug & Julie's first wedding?  It supposedly had an audience of 16 million which was then surpassed when GH L&L had 30 million. It would just be interesting to see if those 1970s ratings support that. It's so exciting seeing L&L's. I suppose this should be in the 70s ratings thread. Sorry. 

1978-1989 at the moment. Earlier years to come at a later date.

1 hour ago, JAS0N47 said:

1978-1989 at the moment. Earlier years to come at a later date.

Excellent! That's wonderful. Thanks again! That would be 1976, If I recall correctly.