NBC Daytime

[kalbir]

Lets keep it real here. NBC was so indebted to James Reilly for saving their daytime line up in the aftermath of OJ that they gave his creation Passions the lead out from Days. It was also strategic to premiere Passions during the summer to get the kids home from school. Passions was made for the middle school/high school demographic.

Passions ended up as NBC's 5th longest-running daytime drama, after Days, Another World, The Doctors, Santa Barbara.

Fun fact, Santa Barbara run and Passions NBC run are separated by nearly 15 years. Santa Barbara first episode July 30, 1984 and Passions first episode July 5, 1999 separated by 14 years 340 days. Santa Barbara last episode January 15, 1993 and Passions last NBC episode September 7, 2007 separated by 14 years 235 days.

 

[Contessa Donatella]

Personally I think that Susan D. Lee was thinking about the timing of what would be on the Monday after the Olympic break when she moved up the date to announce plans for AW & for BEACH. And I don't see anyone being unreal. 

 

[kalbir]

June 28-July 2, 1999 was NBC daytime break for Wimbledon.

[Contessa Donatella]

DAYS 58 yrs & counting AW 35 yrs. DOC 19 yrs SB 9 yrs PSSN 8 yrs

Yes, literally true that it is 5th of 5 in this list. I don't see any point to it besides making a list. 

OH! Wimbledon, of course. Not the Olympics. My point remains the same. I'm sure she wanted to debut the new soap the Monday after the break, is all. Funny. 

Please register in order to view this content

 

[j swift]

I know this information was widely reported in the soap press and marketing for Passions.  However, I wonder if the tween demographic was actually the focus of the development of the soap or an unforeseen outcome? 

Because, one assumes that typical daytime advertisers (household and beauty product companies) would not seek that demographic, since they don't typically do the grocery shopping. 

Let's never forget that the entire genre was built on selling soap, so it stands to reason that the networks would only want to develop entertainment for that audience.  Which makes me question if part of the cancellation was because it was not attracting the audience that advertisers wanted, despite whatever popularity it had among the after school crowd.

Edited August 21, 2023 by j swift

[kalbir]

When it comes to NBC soaps attracting the middle school/high school demographic, it started with supercouple era Days, continued with Reilly Days, and then Passions. The thought process probably was get viewers while they're young and they'll stay on.

Think about it, the middle schoolers and high schoolers that came on board at the beginning of supercouple era Days are now in their 50s. I'm sure a good number of them are still watching.

[j swift]

With all due, I don't think that's how it works.  Kleenex wants to sell tissues today, not twenty years from now.  NBC can't sell ads hoping to influence the next generation.

Edited August 21, 2023 by j swift

[JoeCool]

Actually with DAYS moving off of Broadcast Network TV/NBC Netwtork, DAYS is not part of NBC Daytime.

DAYS is part of Peacock, a streaming service of NBC and Comcast.

 

NBC Daytime is dead and done now. Comcast moved DAYS out of NBC. Traditional ads and viewership trends do not apply anymore.

[j swift]

Thanks, that's why in cancelled soap thread we were discussing Passions from 24 years ago...

Edited August 21, 2023 by j swift

[JoeCool]

Passions was a good show but NBC never gave it a chance.

 

NBC Daytime never really recovered after Another World plunged in the late 70s. Been at the bottom for over 40 years until NBC yanked DAYS off.

I am well aware of that. Thanks.

And viewers who started watching DAYS in the 80s still watch now. Soaps hook in viewers for a long time...that is part of the plan of the headwriters at least that is what the greats did like Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon and Bill Bell and others did.

[Paul Raven]

NBC was at one point touting the teen demo for Passions and that it was laying the foundation for viewers to continue watching into late teens, early twenties etc.

As stated advertisers were interested in the here and now, not possible future outcomes.

Hence, shows using SORASING and introducing new characters to supposedly appeal to a younger demographic.

The fallacy in NBCs hype is that 20 yr olds usually  don't want to be associated with something they did at 14 and unless they were super hooked on Passions they'd probably avoid it like the plague.

And that is not the desired demographic. Important sure, but advertisers want women 18-34 to be watching and buying.

[j swift]

Agreed, @Paul Raven saying Passions was the #1 soap for girls 12-17 is like saying Santa Barbara was the #1 soap for men over 55, sadly no sponsor would care. 

That's why anytime I think that a story is too immature or superficial, I have to remind myself, that this was not written for me, and they don't care if I like it or not.

Of course, many of us were drawn to stories about mature women, but history tells us that network executives rarely believed that was the case.  And advertisers want to see their desired consumer on screen, influencing women to look youthful and keep a clean home.  Which explains why even a poorly rated news program is currently more desirable than DAYS to NBC, because in their final year before moving to Peacock, 92% of the audience was over 49 years old.

Edited August 21, 2023 by j swift

[Contessa Donatella]

What I recall is that the NBC execs at the time had high hopes for PSSN to immediately return HUGE numbers from the get-go for an older demo than they ended up with & that they had some challenges monetizing with the age that they got. So what you're saying, I think so. 

[SteelCity]

That being said, most people start watching soaps for the adult stories, not the teen scene. When I started watching soaps I was drawn to Another World, Generations and DAYS. I was very young, but kinda followed. By the time I was 13/14 I was writing my own and keeping up with all soaps.

It's my personal opinion that PASSIONS actually was what lead to the end of modern soaps. It's really all the things hate about soaps and what gets made fun of. It was a parody.

[GLATWT88]

You don't think NBC gave Passions a chance? It was on NBC for 8 years and consistently low rating. Even in the key demo it ranked low with a few good weeks thrughout its run where it was in the middle of the pack. While it did see some small growth in viewership the first few years, like all other soaps numbers were eroding and with each year less and less eyes on the screen.