Ratings from the 80's

[Soapsuds]

There is resistance to Marland writing until around summer. The numbers don't improve until then. They'll overtake GL and it will be the one in trouble at #7 in the ratings.

[kalbir]

@Soapsuds Remember too that from September 1985 until B&B premiered the first half of As the World Turns was head-to-head w/ second half of All My Children and supercouple Days.

All My Children weakens in 1986 and Y&R overtakes them for 2nd.

Days I think will continue to grow. 1986 had some big cast arrivals: Christie Clark, Judi Evans, Mary Beth Evans, Drake Hogestyn, Wally Kurth. 

As for Guiding Light, Pamela Long departs as HW and there's numerous changes to the writing team, thus the drop. I don't believe GL was in cancel territory in 1986 though.

Edited September 21, 2023 by kalbir

[Gray Bunny]

Me either. Capitol was still CBS's lowest rated show and B&B hadn't premiered yet, nor taken off, so the idea of having 3 Bell soaps wasn't an idea... yet. 

 

[Contessa Donatella]

We know CBS had that idea in 1995 but that Bill Bell wasn't interested in providing them with another. 

[Gray Bunny]

Right. I'm thinking 1994 was when the folks at GL had to start worrying... 

[Contessa Donatella]

I just found out that Wendy Fishburn was a Producer at Pure Soap on E where Alina Sivorinevsky Wickham was a Writer & in 1994 she filled Wendy in on 50 years of history of GL because she was headed to NYC to work on ATWT & GL. I believe it was 1998 when Dolly the clone died. 

[JAS0N47]

Here you go!

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[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 12/30/85-1/3/86 & 1/6/86-1/10/86:

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FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 1/13/86-1/17/86 & 1/20/86-1/24/86:

[Soapsuds]

ATWT trending upward with Douglas Marland as head writer and GL trending downward.

January 24th episode

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[kalbir]

1986 we'll also see Capitol losing clearance and the end of Search for Tomorrow.

We are some 7 months away from Oprah going national. I think we'll see clearances dropping on the lower rated soaps during the fall.

Edited September 22, 2023 by kalbir

[AbcNbc247]

The ratings for AW are actually better than I thought they’d be lol 

[watson71]

AW will see a bump in the ratings in February for Felicia and Zane’s wedding that was attended by Liberace.  It scored a 6.0 the week of the wedding.

[kalbir]

Gail Kobe/Pamela Long era ends January 1986 and there's turnover in the EP/HW ranks for the rest of the decade.

EP: Joe Willmore January 1986-June 1989. Robert Calhoun June 1989-July 1991.

HW: Jeff Ryder January 1986. Jeff Ryder/Mary Ryan Munisteri February-September 1986. Mary Ryan Munisteri/Ellen Barrett September 1986. Joseph Manetta October 1986. Joseph Manetta/Sheri Anderson November 1986-July 1987. Pamela Long July 1987-December 1990.

Also writer's strike March-August 1988.

Somehow GL managed to have enough ratings from 1986-1989 to avoid cancel territory.

Edited September 23, 2023 by kalbir

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 1/27/86-1/31/86 & 2/3/86-2/7/86:

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FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 2/10/86-2/14/86 & 2/17/86-2/21/86:

[kalbir]

January 31, 1986 Y&R Nikki tells Victoria the wicked witch bedtime story. MTS 40th anniversary she commented on that scene saying it was worse than she remembered it being and told all mothers out there not to do this.

February 18, 1986 Y&R Nikki summons Ashley to the ranch and confronts Ashley about Ashley's involvement with Victor. A pivotal scene in their rivalry.

Edited September 23, 2023 by kalbir