March 6-10, 2006

[Angela]

Do I sense a bit of attitude? That's okay because I was being a little bit condescending when I asked, I can't help it, I'm a Leo.

I'm surprised Thursday didn't do better, especially since Friday managed to beat Monday (slightly) this week - it was the climax of a fairly entertaining story (got lots of raves).

This is AMC's flattest week in a while, for the past several weeks atleast 2 episodes a week were placing in the top 20 for the season (viewers for each AMC episode since late September) in viewers, this weeks highest number will spot at like spot 21. Sometimes it's good to have those big jumps at the beginning of the week, more viewers to reasonably keep/lose as the week goes on, and shows payoff from the Friday cliffhangers. Flat is okay if they can maintain it (AMC has had two weeks of 2.7-2.8) and well for soaps these days, if it's closer to the 3's (AMC is right now, all the ABC soaps) than the 1's (DAYS, ATWT's at the moment) that's doing well.

I might not like this or that soap (I'm looking at JER specifically), but I actually wish they'd all be closer to the 3's because I want to see them stay on network TV more years than being closer to the 1's will allow them, sigh.

[AMCFanSince91]

Sorry. I didn't mean to sound !@#$%^&*]y... but I guess it looks like it when you read my response.

[Angela]

No necessary, 91, it's cool

On topic: Damn, is ATWT's as bad as those numbers are showing?

[King]

Quality-wise, DAYS has been WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY worse. It's actually good right now. And balanced. It's just there's nothing big and action-packed happening.

[SpiritualJunkie]

Ughh..those preemptions last week really hurt GL's ratings.

[henrietta]

Ughh..those preemptions last week really hurt GL's ratings

Last week it was the time it aired, this week it is pre-emptions. Its always something.

I love OLTL and I don't think its boring at all. I think it's one of the best soaps I've ever watched.

[SpiritualJunkie]

GL was preempted in many areas last Thursday & Friday for some college basketball tournament. It's preemped in all areas this week..so they wouldn't have any ratings counted for this Thursday & Friday.

[ValnMal]

As someone who watches it daily, it has not improved at all. The writing still sucks. Every once in a while they have a good episode or two and I can't help but get hopeful and then, boom, it sinks right back down again, much like the ratings. JER is a one-trick pony and I'm losing my patience. Even Deidre Hall was asked recently by one of her fans if the writers make it up as they go along and her reply was "Ummm...."

[sheilaforever]

Bradley should be kicking himself. Ever since the horrible February/March last year when B&B got renewed (apparently for quite less money from CBS. Ouch!) B&B has been UP every week (Except for one or two) compared to the previous year. I think they're the only which gains the viewership they did in 2003...

And it's hilarious that B&B who always was deadlast in the coveted women ad-groups ties now for third since all the other shows dropped so much.

[RogerNewcomb]

It's obvious the CBS soaps suffered from local pre-emptions last Thursday and Friday on about 15 different stations. Some aired the shows overnight, but on several ATWT and GL were not aired at all so fans had to miss those episodes.

[SteveFrame]

I wonder why the report posted above which does not seem to be biased toward any network does not mention the CBS preemptions or is that report from an NBC source

This is two weeks in a row that the NBC soaps did not have a full week as both did not air the previous Monday and then were out in several markets on Thursday and Friday of last week.

Be anxious to see what they go back to next week on a full schedule.

[OneLife Fan]

Yes Scotty..OLTL will rise the next few weeks.

[jpoliver78]

CBS is positioned to possibly pump up the ratings for its daytime line-up this summer. Along with NBC and ABC, CBS will air one (and possibly two) short-run "telenovela"-style serials in primetime this summer along with the usual fare such as "Big Brother" and "Rock Star".

These serials will air at least twice a week, and if positioned properly, could be used as effective platforms from which to promote their daytime line-up. A sample promo line could go something like this... "If you like [insert telenovela name here] then get you daily drama fix with CBS Daytime."

So far, CBS is the only network to commit to airing their telenovelas this summer. ABC's Entertainment president Stephen McPherson wouldn't be pined down to a launch schedule while his NBC counterpart, Kevin Reilly, doubted his network's entries would be ready in time. One possibility is to cancel "Passions" should the ratings warrant it and replace it with one of their telenovela ideas (a la ABC's defunct "Port Charles").

Finally, two points to make about issues raised on the other pages...

1) Networks having patience with series. Those days are over. While quality and long-running hits like "Hill Street Blues" and "Cheers" took a while to warm up (even "Seinfeld" took two seasons to catch fire), now networks are more likely to yank a show, like ABC did earlier this year with its sitcom "Emily's Reasons Why Not" than to nurture a show with some TLC. Unfortunately, that is just the environment that the broadcast nets find themselves in now.

2) I'm sure no network executive enjoys cancelling a series. I'm equally sure they would much prefer to have everything on his/her network a success. However, as we all know, that is impossible. The entertainment industry is a business - to make money. I would not hesitate to cancel a series if factors warranted such an action. However, I would also have a replacement waiting in the wings. Concerning "Passions", since NBC airs only 2 soaps, it is highly unlikely that they would cancel one soap without replacing it. The network would be more likely to cancel both and concede daytime to local affiliates than simply program one hour. After all, networks can attest to the fact that once a time slot is handed over to affiliates, they are reluctant to give it back to the network (and in some cases don't).

[OneLife Fan]

Love to hear that!!

I hope for that too!