Ratings from the 80's

[Contessa Donatella]

Just looking at it superficially, I would guess time of day. Although I always thought, for example, presidential press conferences time was the 2:00 hour. 

[JoeCool]

Agreed. Restless had great stories. I think Restless would have got to number 1 even if AMC was moved to 12:30PM ET. I think the competition would have been fiercer and the battle between Restless and AMC would have been strong. Bill Bell was a legend and so talented. No show could beat his writing.

[JAS0N47]

With the new numbers provided from a fan, here are the corrected numbers for expected preemptions/special episodes (classics or specially-numbered episodes):

BB (as of 11/3/23):
Possible Airdates: 9555 airdates
Aired: 9141 regular episodes
Full Preemptions: 414 preemptions (includes classic episodes & specially-numbered episodes)

GH (as of 11/3/23):

Possible Airdates: 15810 airdates
Aired: 15335 regular episodes
Full Preemptions: 475 preemptions (includes classic episodes & specially-numbered episodes)

 

YR (as of 11/3/23):
Possible Airdates: 13205 airdates
Aired: 12739 regular episodes
Full Preemptions: 466 preemptions (includes classic episodes & specially-numbered episodes)

Edited November 7, 2023 by JAS0N47

[JAS0N47]

And for "Days" fans, here's why the #s don't add up (at first glance)!

DAYS (as of 11/3/23):
Possible Airdates: 15130 airdates
Aired: 14719 regular episodes (but two of these aired in primetime due to OJ Simpson trial), so only 14717 episodes have aired in the daytime
Full Preemptions: 413 preemptions

 

So, even though Days is at # 14719, since two of those episodes aired in primetime, that puts the #s at this to make the math problem correct!

 

15130 possible airdates

Minus 14717 daytime episodes

Equals 413 full preemptions

 

Another fun fact: These two things actually equal each other out:

 

5364A aired on 11/27/86.

Due to a preemption and the soon-to-air primetime special Winter Heat, Days had to edit 7208 and 7209 into one episode. 

 

So the insert episode (5364A) at first added one extra Days episode to the math problem, but then the editing of two episodes (7208/7209) into one episode brought the math problem back to how it is above!

 

Edited November 7, 2023 by JAS0N47

[JAS0N47]

FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 6/26/89-6/30/89 & 7/3/89-7/7/89:

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FROM THE VAULT: WEEKLY DAYTIME NIELSEN RATINGS: WEEKS OF 7/10/89-7/14/89 & 7/17/89-7/21/89:

[Gray Bunny]

The medial line of success is now a 6.0. And top tier success is a 7.0. 

Meanwhile, poor NBC will end another decade with nearly all their shows dead last. 

[kalbir]

Y&R this week was the start of summer social issue storyline Cricket date rape.

Guiding Light this week Kimberley Simms debut.

Edited November 9, 2023 by kalbir

[Soapsuds]

ATWT recovering and back at 6.4.

ATWT:

Julie/Andy/Lucinda/Duke/John story. 

Emily and Brock as a couple and the tango dance at the benefit.

Lily arrives at the benefit married to gay Derek. The beginning of Martha exist storyline.

Hal getting closer with his son Adam as a jealous Tom watches.

 

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Edited November 7, 2023 by Soapsuds

[GLATWT88]

GL jumped up to a 6 for Josh and Reva's wedding after dipping back down to the mid 5s after Roger's return died down. 

BB starting to make gains, but will pretty much peak around this year but maintain numbers for a few seasons. 

[Soapsuds]

I'm surprised at how quickly Roger's return tanked. 

Reva and Josh brought the ratings up but for me it was a failure ratings wise. They are supposed super couple and their wedding only ranks #7 for the week?

[GLATWT88]

GL is pretty much done at this point. It is ranking in the moderate zone, but no longer has the pull to get those big numbers or leaps it achieved in the early 80s. The breakouts of the second half of the decade were ATWT, DAYS, and YR. YR continued to succeed and ultimately replaces GH as top soap. DAYS started the decade weak but shined during its supercople eras and ATWT solidifies itself as CBS' #2 soap around 86. 

[Soapsuds]

A weaker GL and misplaced Capital really helped ATWT to the #2 spot. Of course Douglas Marland had a lot to do with it too.

[kalbir]

As the World Turns had two big departures in Fall 1989, Martha Byrne and Hillary Bailey Smith. Also that fall Frannie was recast with Mary Ellen Stuart.

What did the most damage to GL in the 1980s, Douglas Marland departure, Gail Kobe/Pamela Long era chasing all the 1980s trends, or the writer turnover during the first half of Joe Willmore run as EP? As I pointed out before, GL avoided cancel territory in the 1980s because Capitol showed no growth and B&B wasn't a hit right away. Even though GL ends the 1980s as CBS's lowest rated soap, it doesn't enter cancel territory until 1995.

[Soapsuds]

There are just 4 weeks left of ratings and 1989 is complete minus the two weeks missing. One in October and the other in November....

[Contessa Donatella]

Just curious, have any of you ever looked at this website to determine how accurate they are? 

http://www.thetvratingsguide.com/