41 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

I remember the Fourth of July week being a ratings bonanza for soaps.

I think those trends are over with. I was curious, so I asked question. Here is the answer.

Soap opera ratings generally drop during the 4th of July week. Because it is a summer holiday, fewer people are home watching daytime television, and networks frequently air pre-emptions or reruns, which are excluded from official seasonal averages. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Here are a few specific details about how holiday viewing affects the lineup:

• Reruns and Preemptions: Networks often run "amended repeats" on Independence Day and the days surrounding it. In many cases, these episodes are pre-empted altogether for special reports, resulting in fewer recorded viewing hours for the week. [1, 2, 4]

• Seasonal Lows: Historically, the week of the 4th of July is considered one of the slowest periods for daytime television viewership. [1, 2]

• Mixed Performance in Key Demos: Despite the overall drop in viewership, some soaps occasionally see slight, isolated week-to-week upticks in key demographics (such as Women 18-49 or Women 25-54) depending on current storylines. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Edited 59 minutes ago59 min by MontyB

3 minutes ago, ranger1rg said:

If viewership levels during the last week of June were so bad, the other soaps would take a week off.

I just think it would be a better idea to take a day or two off here and there instead of skipping an entire week. People talk about momentum because it really is a thing, and GATES has ratings momentum right now, so this is strange.

I'd do episodes Monday through Thursday with Friday's off for five weeks.

Just now, Soapsuds said:

I'd do episodes Monday through Thursday with Friday's off for five weeks.

I was going to suggest the exact same thing!

48 minutes ago, Soapsuds said:

I remember the Fourth of July week being a ratings bonanza for soaps.

I remember loathing preemptions with a passion. Thank goodness this wasn't always the cost/benefit analysis. We'd have had no Bauer BBQ to remember fondly.

Are Y&R and B&B also preempting?

3 minutes ago, P.J. said:

I remember loathing preemptions with a passion. Thank goodness this wasn't always the cost/benefit analysis. We'd have had no Bauer BBQ to remember fondly.

Are Y&R and B&B also preempting?

I don't think so.

I'm not going to fault the network or production for doing whatever it needs to do to keep its money up, especially given the high-end events we just had. Budgets are not the same as they once were in daytime and we all have seen the state of DAYS and Y&R. If that means more preemptions the show has already demonstrated before that it can survive them.

Edited 49 minutes ago49 min by Vee

Just now, P.J. said:

I remember loathing preemptions with a passion. Thank goodness this wasn't always the cost/benefit analysis. We'd have had no Bauer BBQ to remember fondly.

Are Y&R and B&B also preempting?

No -- they're new all week.

Speaking of Y&R, those of you who don't go to thqt forum because you stopped watching the show should go there to find the linked article about Josh Griffith being OUT as Head Writer!!!