July 3-7, 2006

[PhoenixRising05]

PJA there are two factors. First, NBC has more younger viewers then any other network and younger people are more likely to be outdoors doing things and going away. CBS has more older viewers. Secondly, alot of people may have been confused and thought NBC had no soaps at all. Some people on this board even said that they weren't sure if NBC had soaps on. This factor could account for why the other shows went up Monday and Tuesday-maybe people who were home didn't think NBC had soaps so they tuned in to the other networks. One of the days of tennis last week Days came on about 4-5 minutes late so maybe people tuned in and when the tennis went late they got confused and didn't think it was on.

I disagree about people not going away-statistics showed that more people took to the roads and went away this year the any other year. It doesn't matter when it is-people still get time off and even take some extra days off to expand their vacation. In fact, most people I know do exactly that. Even those that stayed home probably had outdoor activities or went to beaches and what not. I know a large amount of people that watch NBC soaps,especially Days, and none of them watched last week. Not a single one. I was the only one and even I had to tape them in order to see them because I was out myself. Everyone I know and on my block was either away or busy.

It's not making excuses. Many people on here expected this and NBC expects it. It happens every year. Usually, they are able to count 3 days but luckily they didn't. The holday falling on a Tuesday hurts because once that happened they were not going to count Monday and Tuesday for the reasons I stated above.

Whatever-let's just wait until next week. If Days and NBC goes up next week, this will all be forgotten. Like I said, if they don;t recover (and that is a big IF because they recover every year from tennis), then I will be worried and there is no reason for that. I am happy they did decent in demos-that is something to be happy about .

[Dan]

"2001 - Worst Wimbledon week ever

1. Y&R 5.8 (same)

2. B&B 4.5 (same)

3. ATWT 3.7 (same)

4. GL 3.6 (same)

5. AMC 3.5 (-.2)

6. GH 3.4 (-.3)

7. OLTL 3.3 (-.2)

7. DAYS 3.3 (-.6)

9. PSNS 1.9 (-.4)"

Sigh...I remember this week. GL did *really* well in the ratings during the summer of 2001. For about a month, GL got better ratings than all four ABC soaps. And then Gold and Dunn wrote that horrid time travel story, which eroded the ratings gain the show had. It really never recovered from that.

[KLN]

Jesus Christ. Falling .6 lands Days at a 3.3?! Shitfires. They'd have to rise an entire 1.0 today to match their MASSIVE DROP from only five years ago!

[PhoenixRising05]

Yeah Kenny. That week was full of preemptions. It was the normal Days premptions but there was at least one, maybe two, days when the tennis premepted Days again. All I know is the episode that was supposed to be the show Wednesday Wimbledon cliffhanger never aired until the following Tuesday because Days was prempted on the following Monday too because tennis spilled into the next week too. I think Passions got prempted one extra day during Wimbledon week too because I remember it only airing twice that week as well. That is why both shows dropped considerably that week.

Days has had it alot worse so I thank God that they only counted one day and only lost -3 and did well in demos.

[Evan]

PhoenixRising: NBC ought to hire you as their new spin doctor, you'd make a great media spokesman for DAYS. Are you sure you're not working for Ken Corday?

As for DAYS: I hope the ratings stay as low as possible, especially after Matt Ashford/Missy Reeves leave - I certainly won't be watching again, and I know most of the J&J fanbase will be joining me in boycotting the show.

[PhoenixRising05]

Evan-I may spin a little but most of my posts are based on facts. I am hating the fact that my posts are coming off as that but I guess it looks bad when all I do is defend my show through thick and thin no matter who goes and stays. This is not directed towards anyone but not a single post I have made this week has been spin. Case closed. If it were spin, why would I lie? I would come out and say it. Corday is stupid-why the hell would I want to be a spin doctor for him. Not even the best one could make him look good sometimes

J&J fans hardly do anything for the ratings so I am not worried about a boycott. I am sorry you all are going to miss out on a great show. I also hate that you want ratings to stay low. Why not just stop watching and let it go? You are complaing about how Days treated Matt but asking the ratings to stay low you are also raising the stakes that Days will go off the air in two years and put MANY people out of work.

Again, Evan, sorry to see you and others quitting but the show will go on. I respect the fact that J&J fans are mad but some of this is getting ridiculous. Now they are calling for the show to nosedive in ratings and are proclaiming doom and gloom without J&J. Let't face it-cuts were made and Matt is gone. Sucks but can't do nothing about it? As to why Matt, I don't know maybe someone should find out the details or maybe we should wait to find out more from Matt himself before calling for days to nosedive? I am sure Matt would not want Days to fall and then get canned. Days lived without J&J before and they will again. The show has done better ratings wise in the past without Missy and Matt there so the show will go on .

I don't intend to be harsh but between the spin comments and all this Matt stuff I am getting real testy and losing my patience.

[Ponz]

PR, you are right that DAYS will not collapse purely because Matt has been fired and J&J off the canvas. Few would argue that the show needs any one couple to survive.

However, Corday firing Matt is not some isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of patently stupid executive decisions he has been making for the past 15 years. Only an imbecile would fire one of his most popular and talented actors while allowing mountains of deadwood to remain on the show.

How the hell is Sheffer supposed to rescue the show when those above him are making these kinds of decisions? I don't care how good Hogan is...the show is well and truly fucked if he is forced to write for the likes Patrick, Austin etc. while complex, absorbing characters are removed from the canvas.

You say J&J have had little effect on the ratings...yet the return of Jack/Steve three weeks ago put the show in 3rd place for the first time in several months. The J/S scenes have been more positively received than just about anything DAYS has done this year. Now Corday responds by denying HS the possibility to explore this relationship further. How stupid can an EP be?

As for this week's ratings, I don't believe they had anything to do with the holidays. The previous weeks ratings were higher because the show was featuring stuff that viewers actually want to see (S&K + J&J). They plummeted becuase the focus was shifted to one of the least popular couples in the show's history...Carrie & Lucas.

[Euclid219]

I looked over some old calendars. The last time the Fourth fell on a Tuesday was in 2000 and below are the ratings for 2000 and 2006.

Ratings for the week July 3-7, 2000

1. Y&R 6.2 (-.1)

2. B&B 4.9 (+.4)

3. GH 4.0 (+.2)

3. DAYS 4.0 (-.3)

5. AMC 3.8 (+.2)

6. ATWT 3.7 (same)

6. OLTL 3.7 (-.1)

8. GL 3.5 (same)

9. PSNS 2.5 (+.3)

Ratings for the week July 3-7, 2006

1. Y&R 4.2/14 (-.2/+.1)

2. B&B 3.2/10 (same/-.2)

3. AMC 2.5/8 (-.1/same)

3. GH 2.5/8 (same/-.2) ----- ties low rating

3. OLTL 2.5/8 (+.1/same)

3. ATWT 2.5/8 (same/-.2)

7. DAYS 2.3/7 (-.3/-.3) <----- ties low rating

8. GL 2.2/7 (-.1/+.1)

9. PSNS 1.4/4 (-.1/-.5) ----- ties low rating / new low share

The DAYS drop of .3 is exactly the same as was the last time the holiday fell on a Tuesday. Passions saw an increase and not a drop that year, because it was exactly one year old and its ratings had nowhere to go but up. DAYS has lost a lot of viewers in the past six years, but Y&R has lost even more.

Ratings change from six years ago for the first week of July:

1. Y&R -2.0

2. B&B -1.7

2. DAYS -1.7

4. GH -1.5

5. AMC -1.3

5. GL -1.3

7. ATWT -1.2

7. OLTL -1.2

9. PSNS -1.1

I love Matt Ashford and Corday has allowed him to be treated like crap, but the ratings for Wimbledon week on NBC always suck. I have watched DAYS since before I could read, and the first week of July I only catch it about half the time. Either it is not on, or I am not home. Even if I record it, I usually don't watch it until the weekend(who wants to wait five days to see a cliffhanger resolved?), so Nielsens wouldn't count me or anyone like me. Do I wish the new HW would bring Jack back and give a big kiss-off to the Phelle/Shimi baby crap? Absolutely! But that DAYS came no lower than second place in every demo, on what is traditionally their worst week of the year, I consider a good sign. Ashford fans should be hoping for good numbers, because good numbers mean more money for actors' salaries. I really think it was a dollars and cents decision, and with half the couple gone, Ashford was an obvious cut to make. If the numbers go up, I can't believe that a talented HW would not want to have Jack as a character to write dialogue for.

[PhoenixRising05]

I agree Euclid-thanks for providing the info.

Ponz-we have all heard here that Sheffer is in control of the show and writing and that it was he who wanted Matt gone. At least that is what Gabe told us anyway. I realize Corday is a dumbass making stupid decisions but I am not going to blame everyone else on the show for that nor will I wish it bad ratings because it's EP is a dumbass. I love the show and its actors too much to take it out on the rest of them for another stupid Corday decision. I know Days has screwed Matt and Missy-but life goes on. It happens it's life and it's business and alot of things are unfair. I still wonder if there is more to Matt's firing since Billy Warlock was asked to take a huge paycut but refused and now is reportedly out. All I am saying is that it is possible there is more to Matt's exit, despite the show's history of firing him, and until we here from Matt and someone other then a spokesperson at the show we can't deny that for sure.

J&J hardly ever affect ratings Ponz. That week was the bump we expected during Steve and Kayla's first week but never got because of golf preemptions that week. People tuned in for Steve and Kayla-that was all the buzz I heard. J&J fans probably tuned in but I don't think alone would have brought the numbers up. They never do. The so called week everyone refers to always to prove that J&J do have an affect, the week of Jen's imposter and the faux reunion in 2005, was also a bad week for Days as nothing else was happening and you had Jate and Roman/Marlena crap. John and Marlena, Steve/Kayla, Bope, Sami, and hell even Shelle have proven to give the show nice bumps. I don't count +1 as a nice bump and that is probably what J&J would have given Days for that week if it was just them. Steve/Kayla and all the other stuff going on helped big time-there was alot going on that week and last week so that accounts for the numbers. Again, I love J&J but outside of 2001 during the salem bombings they really have not had a huge affect on ratings, at least not without something else happening in the week to help them.

Again, I feel bad for you J&J fans and Matt fans. I wanted both him and Billy I wanted to stay but they are not the show to me and they are not the show to many others. Yes they may be to J&J fans but when they leave or boycott the show I guarantee you there will no drop at least not one that last weeks. When Matt got fired during the SSK story, people promised to boycott and Days rose to a 3.9 eventually. I am not worried.

I don't want to have these ratings/Matt debates anymore so I will bow out gracefully .

[Ponz]

I have heard from my own sources that Hogan had a big story for Jack penned but Corday went behind his back by firing Matt. I haven't read Gabe's recent info but a few weeks ago he posted that "the producers want Ashford and Warlock out".

I don't know what you are on about referring to the Faux reunion since I have never seen a J&J fan refer to that week as evidence supporting their effect on the ratings. In reality, there is no evidence that ANY ONE COUPLE is capable of significantly boosting the ratings if their storyline is no good. Featuring the supercouples tends to push them up a point or two but that is about it. I think you were one of the posters criticising the D&D hiatus yet the week of the J&M reunion produced no impact on the ratings whatsoever. When have Shelle EVER given the show a "nice bump"? Although I am a big fan of Sami, she has also barely registered on the ratings when featured prominently. I love Lumi but they have done nothing for the ratings in the past. Almost every bump or decline in the ratings can be attributed to a storyline development rather than which couple is featured.

As for your claim that S&K rather than J&J were responsible for the bump 3 weeks ago, that is nothing more than your speculation. I have seen just as much buzz around about J&J as S&K. A reasonable assumption is that BOTH couples were responsible for the bump.

[DaysFanJean]

That is the way it should be ideally. Missy is leaving to be with her family in Nashville. I rejoice for her and wish all her fans would, too. She is the flesh and blood person not Jennifer. I ache for Matt, though and think Corday shot himself in the foot for his foolish actions. The fans of Days want Jack. It's simple as that. Matt as Jack is a multi-layered character, has chemistry with any actor he is in a scene with and sparks even the viewers with his own charm. Of course, you can tell, I love him, but just as Jack, not with Jen. That was ruined and many viewers were rejoicing for Jen and Frankie because they could have the stable, solid homelife they both wanted. Jack's coming back yet again from death admitting he faked his death was not a good thing but thankfully the writers are being protective of all three of the characters. It's truly a producers tragedy what has happened with these three characters, whom most love and so we all ache to see this happen, too.

On the other hand, there are real stories developing, the black glove mystery, the switched embryo, the teen scene, J&M returning, resolution for Hope etal and Lexie etal and what is happening with Sami etal including EJ. With these heating up this week, I really expect to see the ratings rise.

[PhoenixRising05]

Ponz-everytime Sami is exposed the ratings gain is huge-usualy at least +2 or more. The climax of the Alex story was the only time that I can remember Days not getting a bump for a J&M event. Every single other time they mean big ratings. Yes the recent bump for that week in JUne is my speculation but I would not be surprised that it was more because of Steve/Kayla because j&J have never done anything for the ratings. Yes you can tell which couples or characters are ratings drawers. Shelle has gotten so bumps in the past. Days went up the week they made love and when they first got together every big event with Shelle (first kiss, reunion at Last Blast, etc) has given Days a pretty good bump. I am a not even a Shelle fan and I can admit that. Bope always give the show huge ratings and I should have have to explain that-it's obvious. Steve/Kayla do too and the last few weeks is evidence of that. Carrie and Austin use to draw but there has not been anything big with them so maybe they are past their prime but whatever. It can be proven who drives ratings-look back at the numbers and who and what is featured and you will find out.

As for Corday, if he fired him he fired him I am just waiting to hear from Matt or someone from Days other then a spokerperson. However, Gabe did tell us that Hogan had control and he has been right about everything else so it sounds like Matt may have been fired by Hogan but who knows. That is what I mean-we don't have the details about this yet.

Anyway, I am dropping out of this thread until we get the numbers for next week which should show Days back where it belongs.

[KBT]

The 2.3 for DAYS doesnt worry me in the least. If DAYS gets a 2.3 next week as well then I will be concerned.

[Ponz]

PR, you will have to show me actual numbers to support that Shelle argument because I don't recall them ever bringing ratings spikes. If the Last Blast produced a spike, that could be attributed to any number of things surrounding that event. As a whole, the introduction of the younger set by Langan in 99 was disastrous from a ratings perspective and Shelle were often the focal point of that group.

As for Sami, your reference to "everytime she is exposed" proves my point. Sami being exposed is an exciting twist to a STORYLINE...merely having her on air does not bring about the spike. If Reilly had made the slightest effort to give J&J some absorbing material instead of the repetitive dying crap (which even many die-hard J&J fans refuse to watch), they would produce the same spikes.

You want evidence of J&J....I can point to the May 05 reunion bringing the highest weekly rating in an 8th month period. I could also point to J&J's airport date in November 05 drawing a daily rating of 2.9...which was a full point .6 higher than the rating was the day before (and nothing else happened that episode worthy of a spike).

Is this compelling evidence that J&J are good for ratings? No. But the evidence provided for other couples is just as flimsy. There are any number of variables that affect the ratings so your claim that it can be "proven" who drives them is nonsense. The only thing that reliably drives the ratings is a sustained improvement in the quality of the storylines (and even that is no guarantee these days).

Obviously, we are not going to agree so I will just say good night.

[King]

We survived without you guys before. We'll do it again.