March 27-31, 2006

[R3dheartz]

My family got a neilson diary for a week in early Feb. there was a timeslot every 15 mintues that you had to fill in what show you were watching so for example for AMC I had to mark it for 12:00. 12:15. 12:30 and 12:45. For each 15 min. timeslot you had to watch it for at least 5 mintues to record it.

How they count total viewers I have no idea. My boyfriend watched two days with me that but he only watched for 30 mins. each day so I have no idea if he was counted as a viewer or not.

[PhoenixRising05]

We don't Ponz but you all only show up in threads like this when Days drops. That is my point. I am sorry but I am frustrated with the overall state of Days fans who aren;t happy no matter what they get, primarily the fanbases who can't make up their mind what they want. They weren't happy under the other writers either. I don't mind disagreement but be consistent and post every week even when Days goes up. If you dislike the show right now why would you only post in weeks when it goes down? Do you do it to prove a point because that is what it comes off as when you only post when things are bad.

As for all the posts about Days's problems being related to stunts I find that funny how Days gets flack for this when ABC soaps do the same things every sweeps. The bring every single guest star or returning fave they can get and they try every natural disaster or castastrophe they can. Days does gimmicks but at least they try to be entertaining 12 months out of the year instead of ABC who only focuses on 3 months out of 12. Yes sweeps are important but to get viewers back its important to grip them all year not for 3 months so if you are gonna talk about Days using stunts bring ABC into it too. I am not saying I don't agree on that view of Days but lately it has not been event focuses and has sustained decent ratings. Even though it bombed in HH it was still decent in total viewers and demos. I guess we will just see next week what happens. I am sure things will stabilize or go up for all shows and if it doesn't then I would worry.

I never said you and others didn't care about the show Ponz so I am sorry if you thought that way .

[AgnesEckhart]

I'm sorry but AMC is getting exactly what it deserves. The fact of the matter is this board is not a good reflection of how people feel about the show, it's not all sunshine and lollipops. People are p*ssed off for a plethora of reasons. I love how the ABC press release couldn't even find anything to spin for AMC, hilarious.

Sure hope AMC didn't have too many african american viewers waiting patiently for Reggie and/or Dani to get a story....

[SimoneS]

Maybe this is what happened to ATWT's Friday 50th Anniversary episode. Viewers started off watching and then those who didn't like it tuned out . The final reported ratings are most likely an average of the viewership per 15 minute timeslot.

[Jess]

Relax. All these numbers next week will be exactly what they were last week. It's a bad survey. It happens. It's a random survey. It's just like the Gallup poll. Sometimes, it's just not right.

So next week everything will be back where it was last week and everybody can talk about what caused the big rebound. LOL.

Public opinion doesn't change over night. Big drops by all of these soaps at one time is a sure sign that it's a statistical error, that's all. soaps are in the tank. Their lifespan is probably short, but they aren't going to fall off the map in one week.

Oh well is Heed the Messenger when I need him. LOL.

Most of these shows have stunk for a long time. Nothing changed to make them all of a sudden unpopular all at once.

[GL FAN]

WAY TO GO GUIDING LIGHT!!!!!!!! THE RATINGS REFLECT THE QUALITY OF THE SHOW THE LAST FEW WEEKS....MORE VETERANS ARE BEING USED AND THE STORYLINES ARE MORE INTERESTING AND ENTERTAINING.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF GL MAKES IT TO #4 OR #5 NEXT WEEK BECAUSE OF THE ROSS MARLER FUNERAL.

HINT GL....USE YOUR VETERANS AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS!

[sungrey]

Very true, but Ponz has a point too. Piss off one fanbase, you can get away with it. Piss off all of the fanbases and you get a 2.4 rating.

Provided it was done correctly, I thought the Bo-Hope story could work out very well. It's starting to go off the track thanks to Patrick. I'll put up with the story, but from what I see other Bope fans may be throwing their lunch at the TV (to borrow Corday's favorite phrase)...

[RogerNewcomb]

Writers should write compelling stories that connect all the characters and keep us on the edge of our seats. If they're writing worried about fanbases, then no wonder soap writing is so horrific right now. I don't believe in fanbases. It just takes a vocal few to become a fanbase and we never truly know what is representative of the general public's opinion. In the old days, it was clear who to root for and soap writing wasn't so weak that the rooting couple was too vague to recognize. When you have to question if one character really loves another, they are not a real supercouple to me.

[Gray Bunny]

To me, it's not a matter of "this fanbase is pissed off, this one over here is too...", instead it's just an overall discontent with the pairings in every storyline. As I played catch-up on DAYS this week and was watching multiple episodes in one sitting, I thought, "Why do I want to waste my time watching this?" All I saw was Bo & Billie and devil spawn, Hope & Patrick, Carrie & Lucas, Jenn & Frankie, Marlena & Alex... these are all failing relationships and only 1 of them (Jenn & Frankie) have any sort of chemistry. The rest suck and are oddball mismatches. The whole show is like this! No wonder the ratings are down. Whether you're a fanbase fan or a fan of the show overall, there's no reason to be intrigued by the storylines when they're going in circles and they're doing these circles with the wrong pairings.

[PhoenixRising05]

I just love how all these negative evaluations of Days come only when the show goes down. Seriously when the show goes up nobody says a single bad thing about Days. I am juts curious why people wait until the ratings go down to speak up if you don't like the state of the show. I don't mind differeing opinions but it just smells fishy .

Roger Newcomb I agree with yoru post. I think alot of people are blind to how much rabid fanbases have affected soap writing. Days gets hurt more then any other soaps by this. There are some great fanbases, The Bope one is pretty good and willing to give things a chance but I remember in the 90's fans were willing to sit and give everything a chance. I think that is the best-to watch the show but still make it known to the shows you watch what you like and not like via message boards, email, letters in mags, etc. If you just tune out or boycott the show panics and makes too many changes and needs to start again. When they have to please the fanbases by making couples happy they often can't come up with stories to pull in ratings. It turns into boring drivel. Let's face it nothing on soaps is gonna be original. Everything has been done and most veteren characters have been through everything you can think of so everything is gonna seem recycled and repeated since soaps go on and on for years and years. The thing that frustrates me about the fanbases is they are never happy no matter who is on there. They ask for a happy couple and then when they get it they wonder why the couples gets no airtime or a front burner story. Simple happy couples=boring. Once in a while you get a writer who comes up with a story for a married couple but once that story ends there is nowhere to go but breaking them up. I just hate how Days is cited as one of the only shows who breaks up their major couples or does lots of triangles and quads. Mansy of the shows on the air right now do the same its just that Days' whole who is that right now. Triangles and quads are what soaps operas are about. The alternative couples hardly ever have chemistry. Once in a while you strike gold like Days did with Shimi but most times the alternative couples have zero chemistry and rooting value. its all about watching a couple find their way back to each other and trying to see if you can strike gold with a surprize pairing or new couple. It pains me that Corday has to say in every SOD preview issue who the rooting couples are and has to reassure fanbases all the time. He never had to that in the 90's and no other show has to do that now so why does Days? Days has no wiggle room no matter who is writing. They are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Again, its not all the fanbases but there are enough of them that gives shows, especially Days fits.

I think there is something to be said by the fact that critics that usually hate Days are happy with it and I know alot who have gone 10 years without watching who have gone back. They are still doing well this season in ratings overall and their demos and total viewers are pretty good. All the soaps are struggling so to cite Days as the only candidate to hit an all time low next week is unfair when several other shows are only .1 ahead of it. You can't say Days came crashing down last week because of couples because the couples have been apart for months so why all of a sudden would this week be the week they all decided to tune out? Think about it. It went down with many other soaps this week and had a hot streak for 3 weeks. It was inevitable given that the show is now in a natural slow down period. I would be shocked if they didn't stay the same or go up next week along with some other shows. If Days does go down I suspect some other soaps will too.

[SteveFrame]

Very well stated Phoenix.

[cal3]

Take out Days and their characters and insert OL and this post also says what is wrong with OLTL.

[Gray Bunny]

Sigh. Okay, if you'd like, I'll make the same comments the next time DAYS' ratings inch up one-tenth. I don't think there's anything fishy about this at all, especially when the same pattern happens when any other show drops in ratings (AMC, GL, GH, etc.) People will chime in, noting what's wrong with the current state of their show.

Phoenix, your paragraphs and paragraphs about DAYS are getting to be as repetitive and drawn out as the show itself! Thank goodness for fast-forward buttons and scroll bars.

Seacrest, out.

[PhoenixRising05]

Gray Bunny I was not talking about you really but this is really the first time ever, if not in a awhile, that I have seen you post about Days. Your post was very rude, especially since it was clear my post was not meant to be taken seriously (note the smiley face laughing in my post). I may go on and on but my points were just as valid as many of the other poster's. I will always defend Days because I feel it gets bashed more then any other soap for reasons that apply to many other soaps as well. Now I am sorry if you don't like my posts but this is a message board and I have a right to express myself as long as its within the rules here. I may not like you opinions at times but never once have I said "Thank God for the scroll bar" or something like that. You may not have meant it but I took it personal.

Oh and I am not the only one who notices how certain posters only discuss Days when it drops. Many feel the same way too so don't make it sound like my request. Now I am done here-its one thing to criticize Days but to dismiss my posts as meaningless is very hurtful. I can't help that I want to defend my show and express my views on issues pertaining to it.

Thanks to everyone else for their great posts in this thread. Its been a great debate until I read that post.

[SteveFrame]

I for one enjoy Phoenix's posts. He and I both enjoy Days but we are both capable of seeing the bad too. I totally agree with him about the Days bashing and esp. there being so much of it when the ratings drop. Many only come out then to post about Days.