Ratings from the 80's

[will81]

It was also very common for networks here to have package deals with companies that included several shows and were effectively forced on them. So it is impossible to know. Network 10 that aired it may have done a deal with the distributor, not P&G, that included big shows as well as others they were trying to get into international markets. 

[watson71]

Does anyone know the exact date when NBC canceled Texas and The Doctors?  Their new daytime lineup debuted the first week in January 1983.

[will81]

Not sure about Texas but Jon-Michael Reed announced mid October that The Doctors cast had been given notice and the show would likely go off air in December. 

From Oct 13, 1982

 

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Edited August 20, 2023 by will81

[kalbir]

After a rough 1980, 1981, and first half of 1982, Y&R is back to being CBS's highest-rated soap.

November 17, 1982 Y&R Victoria birth.

Edited August 20, 2023 by kalbir

[Paul Raven]

I think it was Worldvision that handled the P&G soaps at that time. Definitely a distribution company.

AW had previously aired on the 9 network in Oz in the 70's at 11am at one point for several years.

Edited August 20, 2023 by Paul Raven

[will81]

Yes that's the one, I remember the logo now at the end of the show. So when it moved to 10 it may have been that the network bought a package of primetime shows and daytime as well. Meaning AW might have been a bargain show possibly and added with others into the package and thus the money coming for AW might have been meagre. 

[Contessa Donatella]

Schemering, 80: 12-31-82 last broadcast

Schemering, 225: 12-31-82 last broadcast

Nothing make up for biggest problem - poor time slots ... Ran third in the afternoon, so tried it in morning & only 84% of the affiliates took it at new time, before noon. (We know that to be the kiss of death.) Wyatt , 427 but no date of decision

[TVFAN1144]

Both were canceled December 31, 1982

[will81]

I think the question was when NBC actually gave the show notice though. They aired their last episodes in Dec 82 but would have been cancelled several weeks prior.

Likely the axe fell on The Doctors in October when Jon-Michael Reed made the announcement, which wouldn't have left much time to write any great ending for the show.

 

[JAS0N47]

The earliest articles I could find in archives have columnist Gary Deeb breaking the Texas cancellation news on October 14, although NBC didn't make its official cancellation announcement until 11/16/82:

 

10/14/82

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10/18/82

 

11/16/82

Edited August 20, 2023 by JAS0N47

[Franko]

The cancellations were made official during the week of Monday, Nov. 15, 1982, when NBC announced (ETA: most of) its daytime schedule effective Monday, Jan. 3, 1983. Unfortunately, I don't have an exact date for the schedule announcement, but I found Win Fanning (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) columns pinpointing the news to the week of the 15th (he teased the announcement during the week of the 8th, and ran it it in his Monday, Nov. 22 column).

ETA: Oddly enough, Just Men! (Betty White's game show) wasn't announced along with Sale of the Century and Hit Man (and the soaps cancellations). Just Men! was made official on Monday, Nov. 22.

John Carmody, Washington Post, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1982

NBC filled out the last blank space in its revised daytime schedule yesterday with the announcement it will launch something called "Just Men!" in the noon time slot starting Jan. 3 .

Earlier the network had announced that "Sale of the Century," hosted by Jim Perry, will start at 10:30 a.m. that same date . . . along with "Hit Man" hosted by Pete Tomarken at 11:30 a.m.

The three game shows will replace "The Doctors" and "Texas," two of the soap operas that have kept NBC at the bottom of the daytime ratings race for so very, very long .

Earlier, the network had announced that "Facts of Life" reruns join the schedule Dec. 13 and that "Wheel of Fortune" was being moved to the morning* schedule .

*Odd choice of words: Wheel was on at 10:30 a.m.. It just moved up a half-hour (and kept that slot for the rest of its original NBC run).

Edited August 20, 2023 by Franko

[kalbir]

 

Wheel of Fortune was moved to 11 am, where it would be head-to-head with the first half of The Price is Right.

January 3, 1983 The Price is Right debuts a pricing game that would become one of its most popular, Plinko. 

[watson71]

Thanks so much- I knew the shows ended on 12/31/82.  I was wondering how long NBC gave both to wrap up from the cancellation announcement to the last show aired.

Hit Man and Just Men did not last long on the schedule, but Betty White did win an Emmy for game show host for Just Men.

Also, if NBC had given AW, not Sunset Beach, the 6 month extension in 1999, AW, Somerset, and Texas all would have aired their last episodes on 12/31.

Edited August 20, 2023 by watson71

[Contessa Donatella]

Yeah, that was such an interesting call that I believe Susan D. Lee made with it being the lower rated soap of the two. I heard that she made a deal with Spelling for them to do that last 6 months cheaper than their regular license fee & of course the fact that NBC half-owned would have been a deciding factor no doubt. 

[JAS0N47]

Exciting news! The 6 missing weeks from 1979 have been tracked down!  Two weeks of new data has been posted in the 1970's thread. The other 4 weeks are yet to be delivered, but expect them soon!

Update on data: Fans will now have full weekly data (Nielsen ratings & preemptions) available from 9/4/78-10/11/87 except for 2 weeks: 12/25/78-12/29/78 and 8/24/81-8/28/81.

Edited August 20, 2023 by JAS0N47