May 1-5, 2006

[King]

True, Phoenix. True.

[Jane1978]

Well, there is a difference between people !@#$%^&*]ing, but ratings staying stabile or even getting up, because even if they aren´t liking the story, they care about it are interested into it, and people !@#$%^&*]ing and turning the show off left and right. But change is just needed sometime. I really believe only thing which can save DAYS is a new writer. You know, somebody who doesn´t believe the only people Sami can interact with are Lucas, Carrie and Austin or the only story for J/J is Jack leaving for some stupid reason and Jennifer falling in love with someone else while he is gone.

[R!ck]

Sadly, Passions hasn't hit a 2.0 in over a year. For November Sweeps they averaged a 1.8, Feb Sweeps they averaged 1.7 and it looks like May sweeps will be even lower

I'm enjoying Passions right now, but I think the problem with the ratings is the lack of older characrers in front burner stories. Rachel, Pilar, Sam, Ivy, Eve and Julian should all be front and center.

[Ponz]

It is largely a myth that fanbases want their couples instantly reunited and living happily ever after. Conflict for couples does not alienate viewers if it is character-driven, original, respects the shows history and provides enough payoffs along the way. What is destroying the show is BAD CONFLICT. This is the conflict that relies on rehashing tepid couples from the past (B/B, J/F), ludicrous plot points (Jack dying again, Marlena's memory loss) and the stupidity of every character in the storyline (A/S/L/C). It's the conflict that drags on in perpetuity until fans stop caring (Shimi/Shelle). Tacky interloper sex scenes are also a completely unnecessary form of conflict.

If JER's storylines were examples of well-written, compelling conflict for supercouples, fans would not be tuning out in droves.

[Adam]

Not a horrible week for AMC.... yikes at DAYS.....

[PhoenixRising05]

But the issue Jane is they still do bitch. If they get what they want they shouldn't bitch. You had people in 2002 when Days was being praised critically and most fans and people were still bitching about this and that.

Like I said, go ahead and make a change but I just know some are still gonna be complaining no matter what and I just hope to God that things don't get worse. Days should not make a change unless its someone they feel confident can give them a boost and make the show better otherwise keep what you have have because at least you know what you are getting.

Ok Ponz I agree but as I have said fans have gotten that at times and still bitched. That is my point. My other point is Days is not the only one with interlopers-many shows have it its just that Days is the supercouple soap and because of that they are limited hugely in the writing department because they need to keep the fanbases happy where other shows can get away with more things.

Like I said, they can go ahead and make a change as long as they are sure the change is for the better and not to worsen things. Corday has to have a plan like he did in 2002 where he promoted the right people because he knew what their plan was and it worked successivly. I say just go get C&B-they knew what they were doing and they were recent so they know the canvas and the history of the show. Their ideas were great and they were perfect for Days. I know they could do Patch and Kayla's return justice. They are my first choice along with Hogan Sheffer.

[RogerNewcomb]

There are too many convoluted plots on all the shows. On ATWT, I couldn't be less interested in this Mike skull/murder storyline. It's beyond stupid and I don't want to follow it and refuse to follow it because it's so stupid. I can't imagine casual fans being able to keep up with it.

Another problem is lack of balance. Seems like there are chosen ones on many shows and they are ALWAYS on. Even my faves I can get tired of if they're on five days a week. More balance makes even the worst stories more tolerable. In this case, next day previews hurt I think because I get discouraged when I'm sick of someone or certain stories and I see the previews and they're on for the umpteenth straight day.

[beachbum]

Those stupid GH writers can't write a good story for Robert/Holly/Anna. I thought the ratings would go higher so the TPTB would want to keep them around but with the lame writing they probably will think that they're not worth it

[Evan]

DAYS: Reilly has to be given the pink slip, simple as that! People don't want to watch the wrong couples having puke sex. Yes, I'm sure a John/Marlena reunion, Jack's return and the reemergence of Steve/Kayla will revive the ratings, but only in the short term, if JER is still in charge. As someone who grew up watching and loving DAYS during the 1980s, it saddens me to see the show in such a terrible state.

B&B: I would have expected them to have got something higher than 3.1 on Friday for Ridge's heart attack.

It'll be interesting to see how the Nick/Brooke sex fest rates next week.

[alwaysAMC]

This is pretty shitty for first week of sweeps Hopefully next week is better!

[hbrad1977]

Oh, GH went up. Excellent!

And Days went down. Completely deserved.

[Wendy]

GH was so choppy with the editing last week that I am shocked it went up. That said, since it reflects well on those I like (Alexis/Rexis and Scrubs), I'll deal.

[shipperx]

Well, not much to say. Y&R holds its own as per usual. GH is doing okay these days. One Life improved marginally. Days is still in a sink hole as is Passions. Really, what's there left to say about the shows only pointing out yet again how apalling the writing is on Days. And how poor the story choices have been on All My Children. It's like a rinse and repeat cycle. With yet another record low rating one has to wonder why oh why, NBC hasn't replaced the writing regime yet. If it was anyone but JER the writer would have been fired long before now for tanking ratings like that.

ETA: And it's nonsensical to pretend that the problems with Days ratings is JUST people upset about one couple or another, as if that's the ONLY problem with the writing. How about the fact that stories remain stagnant, that stories are repeated CONSTANTLY, that dialog is atrocious, that the show depends on endless repetition and flashbacks? It's not just a problem of who is sleeping with who, it's that it's all wrapped up with plot devices, repetition, and sheer boredom.

ETA2: I'm always perplexed by the complaint about ratings being low because fans are pissed off. Obvious much? Exactly who is supposed to be watching the show? Fans. What happens when fans are alienated and stop watching? Ratings drop. Because audience size is what ratings measure. It's redundant to !@#$%^&*] about alienated fans causing low ratings. That's what low ratings are -- absence of audience.

ETA3: And I cannot imagine what financial incentive ABC would have to pick up Days of Our Lives. OLTL is in precarious territory with ABC and it's ratings are actually higher than Days are at the moment. What's more, last time Corday shopped Days to ABC, ABC wasn't willing to meet his asking price hence the deal with NBC were they accepted sharing a headwriter with Passions and also the lower license fee that NBC was willing to pay and making a deal with SoapNet to make up for the money that they didn't get from NBC. I really don't see why ABC would still find Days an attractive property given its ratings, its fan discontent. Plus there's the fact that Corday Productions and Sony own Days. ABC owns all of their soaps. Why on earth would they deep six a show they OWN to pay Corday and Sony to air a show which Corday and Sony own? ABC makes more money off their own shows. That's the reason NBC cancelled Another World (which had higher ratings than Passions has ever gotten) in favor of Passions. Another World was owned by Proctor and Gamble. Passions is owned by NBC and NBC found it more profitable to air a show they own with worse ratings than to pay Proctor and Gamble to air a show that had a longer history and higher ratings. Yet, for some inexplicable reason ABC would dump a show they own for a show they don't own-- a show with worse ratings than any daytime show they're airing now? Why? It's not like the demise of NBC daytime wouldn't help ABC's (and CBS's)ratings of their OWN soaps. Frons would have to be pretty dumb to make such a deal (but then, as most ABC soap fans know... Frons isn't the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree).

[Cheap21]

I cant figure out why B&B is so high. To me its the same storyline over and over on there with Brooke and Ridge. They just swapped Taylor for Nick and the show keeps going back and forth between the 2 triangles, but overall, Brooke and Ridge keep winding up back together, only to be broken up and move on to those two. What kills it, is that its always frontburner. The show hasnt been on fire in a while, yet it still keeps pretty good ratings

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Wow! Y&R's ratings have been on fire, the SoapNet effect didn't really hamper it in the past week.