In an infuriating article written by FOX news, off of a study from NewsBusters, the news outlet and others have come to the realization that all of us who want our soaps back on the air already know.  That is … that the network daytime dramas ratings are far better on a day-to-day basis than people tuning into network TV during the day to watch the impeachment hearings of Donald Trump.

Soap fans have been furious that in the afternoon network TV is pulling their soaps off their normal airtime across all coasts.  Daytime soap viewers feel that all of the 24-hour news cable outlets should be the the place to go to see the hearings during the day; as to not to preempt the drama on General Hospital, Days of our Lives, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful.   

Photo: CBS

Just for the record, the study via NewsBusters showed that on day one of the impeachment hearing the networks scored as such: CBS averaged 1.52 million, ABC  1.29 million viewers, and NBC averaged 1.26 million viewers.   Thursday’s were even worse with CBS averaging 1.4 million, ABC 1.2 million viewers and NBC had 1.1 million viewers.

Now compare that to the weekly daytime soap ratings and total viewers which while it ebbs and slows is still way about this.  According to the study: “The Young & The Restless” has been averaging 3.7 million viewers during the 2019-2020 season and The Bold & The Beautiful averages 3.15 million viewers. ABC’s General Hospital averages 2.15 million viewers while NBC’s Days of Our Lives averages 1.95 million viewers.”

Share your thoughts on the pre=emptions of your favorite soaps, and how the impeachment hearings are, of course, not bringing in higher number in the day-part via the comment section below.

This past week on Days of our Lives brought the tears and the drama tenfold, in one of the most riveting, don’t-miss-a-moment, weeks in recent history on any daytime drama series.

While unfortunately the show did not air on NBC during its regularly scheduled timeslots on all coasts (due to the President Donald Trump impeachment hearings) the episodes were available on NBC.com, the NBC app and on the Cozi TV network.

Photo: JPI

And this week we cannot sound-the-trumpets enough for three men; who gave us moments of heartache that will be remembered for some time to come, pulling out all the stops, and showing us why they remain three of the most popular and talented actors in our genre. So many people have been commenting on social media on the authenticity and realness of the performances (yes, it’s within soapy circumstances), but throughout made us feel their pain right along with them.

On DAYS, this was the week they went back in time to finally show the viewers how things ended up the way they currently are in the time jump that happened last November on-air.  And in five “OMG” episodes, head writer Ron Carlivati and his team laid out for us how one fateful night, “Mother’s Day” changed the course of lives for so many in Salem.

Chief among them, Will (Chandler Massey) landing in prison for Adrienne’s (Judi Evans) death, when in fact, he was not the responsible party at all.  But in these flashback episodes, Will’s relationship with his husband, Sonny (Freddie Smith), his father-in-law, Justin (Wally Kurth) is forever changed because he believed he was the one behind the wheel that caused the crash that ultimately took Adrienne’s life, and took Sonny’s mother from him … and Justin’s wife from him.

In the flashback to the horrible night: at the hospital, Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) has told Justin that Adrienne didn’t make it following the injury sustained to her head in the accident, and now Justin has to tell Sonny.  He tearfully tells his son, “We lost her. Your mother’s dead!”  As the men console each other and break down in each other’s arms, Will, who is there, and who was trying to tell Sonny his part in the accident, is horrified to learn Adrienne died.  Kayla asks Justin and Sonny if they want to say goodbye to Adrienne.  Sonny breaks down again at just the thought of it.  And at this point, we are sure DAYS fans are reaching for the hankies.

Photo: JPI

While Will’s guilt is too much for him to bear, Justin and Sonny go say goodbye to Adrienne, It is here that it was almost too hard to watch, but we soap viewers can’t turn away.  That’s because it was just an unbelievable raw performance from Freddie Smith; as a young man who has to say goodbye to the mother he loves and on Mother’s Day to boot. Then, Justin kisses Adrienne’s forehead, remembers the first time he saw her crying in a flashback, and in tears asks his beloved wife, how is he supposed to go on without her.  In addition, Justin recalls proposing to Adrienne with Kayla there beside him trying to comfort him.

Courtesy.NBC

In the hospital waiting area, Will tries to talk to Sonny to tell him that he caused the accident.  Will blurts out, “I killed your mother.”  Sonny, who is so grief-stricken, cannot believe what Will is saying, but then Sonny learns Will was distracted when he was texting his mother Sami on Mother’s Day while in the car because he was so busy. (Yup, Will forgot to do it earlier in the day)  Sonny lets Will have it with: “My mom is dead because you were texting?!” As Sonny’s grief and anger escalates, Justin walks in and learns Will caused Adrienne death and then lowers the boom on Will: “The love of my life is dead…because of you!”

Courtesy/NBC

And if all of this wasn’t enough to have you bawling your eyes out by now, it is punctuated by the ultra-sad moment where a defeated Will has to leave his husband and his father-in-law alone because they don’t want him there.  Before he exits, Will turns to them and says, that he wishes it had been him who died in the crash, as tears stream down his face.

What powerful and effective performances by Wally Kurth, Chandler Massey, and Freddie Smith.  And so, with all of that said, Michael Fairman TV names this trio the “Power Performance of the Week”.

What did you think of the key scenes in Adrienne’s death and the aftermath featuring Wally, Chandler and Freddie? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

And, for more with Chandler and some behind the scenes content of the car crash, and his thoughts on the storyline, check out his new interview feature posted on the DOOL app Friday night.

As the ABC daytime drama series, General Hospital, continues to be preempted by the impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump, and episodes are not being made available on any other platform at this time, two videos were posted in last 24 hours to the official General Hospital social media accounts.

To tide you over (while you are clamoring for all-new episodes of GH) the soap released an extended promo featuring the folks in Port Charles filled with lots of joy, hope, and love.  It’s main message, “We have to lean into hope” – as the series tells us to “sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.”

Courtesy/ABC

Take a look at some of the reunions, hugs, and special moments featuring the Q’s, Corinthos, Cassadine and other clans in the promo below.

In addition, Finola Hughes (Anna) and Michael Easton (Finn) along with Jophielle Love (Violet) were featured in another video, where the key messaging to fans is that they are currently taping all-new episodes of GH, and that viewers should keep tuned ans posted to GH’s social channels for updates on when new episodes of GH will return.

As of late, GH has been on the upswing in the ratings, too.  So, it’s always frustrating for everyone when weeks of preemptions hit the daytime viewers  experience to enjoy the on-going stories of the soaps.

Let us know … your favorite moment in the GH promo … your hope for the return of all-new episodes soon, and what you hope happens next for the characters you love in Port Charles, via the comment section.

“We have to lean into hope.” #GH pic.twitter.com/6tXkuylqbQ

— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) January 24, 2020