Days Of Our Lives
RATINGS: Y&R Dips In Total Viewers And Key Demos!
The ratings are out for the week of August 8th through the 12th, and while the Summer Olympic Games in Rio took Days of our Lives off the airwaves of NBC the week, their departure did not provide the remaining three soaps on the air much of a viewer uptick, except, perhaps The Bold and the Beautiful. The CBS sudser was the only soap to gain in total viewers.
However, it was The Young and the Restless that came in heavily in the minus column for the week in question. In total viewers, Y&R lost the most viewers for the week with – 150,000. The average total viewer tally was 4,441,000, and off the pace of last year as this time. The series also hit a series low in the 18-49 female demo, while also being in the minus column in women 18-34 and 25-54.
As to The Bold and the Beautiful, they gained in total viewers with +92,000, while bringing their total viewers numbers for the week over the 3.7 million mark. However, the series tied it’s all-time low in the 18-34 womens rating share.
General Hospital also had a bad week losing -63,000 in the total viewer category, while tying all-time lows in the 18-34 and 18-49 womens rating share. GH came with a total viewer tally average of the week of 2,526,000.
View the entire ratings picture via SON here.Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Total Viewers
1. Y&R 4,441,000 (-150,000/-382,000)
2. B&B 3,721,000 (+92,000/-94,000)
3. GH 2,526,000 (-63,000/-29,000)
So, what is not working on your favorite soaps? Is it just the summertime blues? Which soap do you think is better than than the ratings reflect? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Not surprised GH’s ratings are falling, terrible direction the show is taking, Frank Valentini is a joke, just hiring all his friends, the cast is so bloated, plus Jean and Shelley are terrible writers, the show has not been at all interesting since they took over as head writers.
Frank valentin gave a delusional interview recently talking about ratings being steady. If 2.5-2.6 and lows in 18-49 is steady then I don’t know what to say. Gh lost lots of women viewers causing lows for almost 2 years now
yep. he’s filled the show with his friends
My Coronation Street has been off too due to Olympics…ratings are down due to Olympics, county fairs and festivals, families taking end-of-summer vacations, children going back to schools ect.,,,i started watching B&B again and Y&R more with Days off…both Days and GH need revamping…Days need to drop the teens until suitable replacements can be found, cut the gloom and doom, more focus on The Hortons and Bradys-too much focus on Rafes family…Hope and Justin might make a more interesting couple…Aidens return was an epic fail…more Lucas and Adrienne…Deimos character not working-he should had been a Dimera-Andre’s son?…writing off Teresa, Shawn and Belle is a big mistake…take Ciara out of Chad’s orbit-he and Teressa would have been better as the next EJ and Sami…more family and relationship issues instead of the next killing, kidnapping and overplayed lookalike stories….Death Of Our Lives would be a better title for this once great soap!!!….GH-cast trimming-kill off some characters that are not day players in the hospital serial killer story…positive note-Kevin and Laura…Josslyn needs acting lessons-her kidney story was just plain dumb and her reactions and being upset were laughable-Parker and Kristina have zero chemistry and their story not engaging…had we known Parker and her husband who would be a doctor at GH as a suspect in the killings f with no clue about Parker and Kristina that story might had been more compelling and interesting but another problem Parker seems too motherish in scenes with Kristina-maybe if Alexis and Diane were secret lovers that might had made a more shocking twists…anyway trim the cast, more characters involvement and connections to front burner stories-like Bobbi and Maxi talking to Josslyn about their experience with transplant would play an interesting nod to the shows rich history…also, stop having killers around town-Ava, Julian and Sonny should all be doing prison time-write villains as villains and not the shows heroes or dont have them kill anybody-end of rant!!!
That’s it, in a nutshell, Jimmy. Great post!!
Jim, you mention the Olympics and other summer activities tied to lower ratings. Good theory BUT I believe soap fans just don’t miss their soaps for anything! I don’t know how the DVR counts for ratings but a lot of fans watch their shows later in the evenings. I believe the ratings are down because the shows are horrible! It is a sweep month and what the hell happened that is sweep worthy? Just horrible!
Yeah…you are right…true soap watchers wouldnt want to miss a thing and thats those who are keeping the ratings there and those who have tuned out find nothing to keep them tuning in tomorrow…but with todays soaps compared to soaps past i can skip episodes and find i havent missed a thing…but when soaps were in their hey day and no vcr, me a soap addict and other family members who watched too did miss a week of soap watching due to some of things i mentioned…due to a lengthy illness i once did not watch for three months but did catch up reading soap opera digest and other soap magazines!!!…today there are more distractions and soap writing is weak and that hurts todays soaps the most!!
I miss my soaps while on vacation. I watch DVR episodes when I return or read to catch up. I think he is absolutely correct. Those who DVR have to watch within a short time or it’s not tabulated in the overall ratings.
Good rant! I echo many of your sentiments here, friend!
My thinking is Mal Young can’t find anyone qualified to replace Charles Pratt. Maybe CBS is content with Y&R going down the tubes, I don’t know.
I pray they are looking!!!!
is kristen storms ok…too me she has been looking a bit gaunt since her return-hope she is fine.
Yes, Jim, my mom and I both noticed she doesn’t look healthy. Hope it’s only temporary. At least she livens up the show for me.
I think so, too. And there is something different about her face. Did she have teeth capped? Something about her mouth looks different–and her nose? Is it just the weight loss or did she have plastic surgery?
I noticed that, too, Jimmy. Kristen has lost weight. She’s always been rail-thin, but her face lost its fullness. I do hope she’s ok. She’s a single mom now; perhaps, it’s taking a toll on her.
She looks bad ONLY after reading her script!
ITA!
The problem with Y&R? There is not one single constructive storyline to appease the beast ( meaning the fans….LOL).
Seriously? What kind of half-arsed idea was pinning the stupid Adam imbroglio on Bethany? Whose brainstorm was it?
If Adam must exit….make his absence look plausible. People do not halluvinate from not eating for two days!!
Victor’s idiotic dealings do not become an astute, wisened, scheming weasel as he. Such amateurish, no-sweat-kind of writing.
Then along come Billy and Phyllis; their illicit, disgusting affair further putting a big, negative dent in the grand scheme of things, as well. Bringing Jill back did mothing to boost the ratings, except to boost my morale in seeing her again.
This dip in ratings does not surprise me, in the least. It only depresses me, as this is my favorite sosp of all time. Do domething, please!!!!!!!!
Oh, Celia, do you really think they’re going to ditch Adam due to Justin’s new Show? And leave us with dregs like Luca & Bethany? I will be seriously unhappy if they do that to us. And I agree about the Phyllis & Billy fiasco. This story is not only morally repellent, but totally unconvincing, as Mr. Thompson looks at Gina with the same snarky, hateful grimace he has for everyone else. If it weren’t for Jill’s return and more Kevin time, I would have gone on temporary hiatus myself!
Lol, Soaphound, my friend. Again, we see eye to eye and discern little ‘hidden’ character ‘intolerance’, for lack of a better word.
I thought I was the only one who detected a certain amount of ennui in Thompson’s Billy; as if he’s above the common people as he mingles with the plebians. LOL.
Is this how Thompson perceives Billy Abbott, or is this the actor’s true feelings? As you say, there’s always a snarky ‘timbre’ to his vocal tone. He seemed much more congenial as Patrick Drake.
Now, Adam….well, I love Justin and I hope he can navigate both shows to his and everyone else’s satisfaction. But, he is human….let’s hope on getting the best of both worlds.
I do like the relationship between Chloe and Chelsea, if Chloe’s love for Chelsea and family is indeed stronger than her hate for Adam. And, I am doubly glad Chelsea never needed to know how deep Chloe’s involvement goes in destroying Adam’s life. But, only if Adam comes out of this unscsthed.
I wish the true culprit who killed Delia would soon be revealed….since I do not believe Adam did it!!
But, it’s a soap and, undoubtedly, TPTB will not leave this alone. Sooner or later Chloe will derail, somehow…thanks to Victor.
the stories are weak.
Then soon we will have Colin back who was NEVER used properly!
Hallucinate
Speaking of hallucinating, glad you saw what I saw, Victoria looked like Travis’s mother lying next to him! I am not going to bash her physical looks. I will just say this, when you pull actors out of the studios, its a gamble. I love seeing them on location in a natural setting. BUT, she didnt shine. On the other hand, when Victor met Chloe on location in Chancelor Park, I thought Eric looked fabulous in natural light.
Yeah, I won’t bash Victoria’s looks either, Timmmy. I think Amelia is beautiful. We all age…..you know, what I mean? It’s just that when the age difference is so great that we notice it….it just doesn’t work for me.
Also, If Victoria had no children…no responsibility; a paring would not seem so strange. But, considering aTristan’s ‘beach bum’ sort of lifestyle, the notion becomes ridiculous. He’s a free spirit and she is approaching middle age.
So, Would a young writer go there?…..yes!!! But, on a different route/expedition. Cougars are alive and kicking…LOL.
Only story not horrible on GH is Alexis losing her law license. But it’s only been 3 days so plenty of time to destroy that too
Yes, Karen, and if it gives us more Diane scenes at the same time, I’m happy!
Vacations, warm days enticing folks outside, Olympics coverage is during the hours of these daytime dramas. Don’t think it’s related to the actual plots, casts or the shows themselves. Next week or the week after, the numbers will go back to the normal ratings. Olympics is a huge ratings draw as the variety of sports does mean everyone can watch some of them, if not most of the competition. Myself, didn’t stop watching my favourite daytime dramas, just made time for them.
Wendy, You are correct.
Something; oy vey!!
Friz is TRASH.
Jasam is Trash
Only good thing is hayfin, Laura and Kevin.
Laura and Kevin–yes! Something GREAT and romantic is happening there–something we haven’t seen in a LONG while. Turn Genie Francis loose and she can burn up the stage–LOL! Rating are sure to go up with this story line.
My fav soap is GH but the problem with GH is they aren’t following through on stories. Some of the storylines are happening offscreen such as Nick’s funeral, Sam telling Jason about Danny have leukemia. There are too many characters on the show so none of the storylines are getting justice. I have waited 4 years for the JaSam reunion and until this week it has been a complete disappointment.
BB, they need to find a new storyline the love triangles are getting very old. I thought once Taylor left that it would stop but no. Now the next generation is doing it and it is not very interesting anymore. BB doesn’t have enough characters that is their problem.
YR, they are too slow in moving storylines along. They also repeat storylines. How many times has Sharon been involved in a baby swap story? Victor never pays for his crimes and his endgame is always revenge and payback. The Phyllis and Billy storyline just doesn’t work in my opinion.
DOOL, I have been watching since the early 80’s and there just hasn’t been anything interesting since Bo died. Bo/Hope and Kim/Shane have always been my favourite couples and I am not engaged in anything since except Chad and Abby were getting there but that was stopped due to Abby’s departure so I won’t blame the show for that.
Others may disagree with me but this is just my opinion.
I’m sorry, as I do love the show and have been watching since the first episode. But is it any wonder that ratings are dropping? Victor beats the system AGAIN. Adam in prison wrongfully AGAIN. Chloe going off the deep end AGAIN, while Kevin makes the wrong romantic choice AGAIN. Sharon conceals the truth AGAIN and, maybe worst of all, Paul is once AGAIN the dumbest cop on soaps (which Is really saying something) and Nikki reunites with Victor….AGAIN. The only bright spots for me lately have been giving Cane something to do besides look gorgeous, Jill roaring back into town with an agenda, and Kevin’s longer, glorious hair. Bring back Gloria, Avery, Noah, Fenmore, Jeffrey, and offer Michael Graziadei whatever to stay on as Daniel…and PLEEEEEASE let Adam out…. YESTERDAY!!
it’s the same stories over and over
The ratings are down because people are tired of watching a soap that sucks!!!
i agree.
Victor. My friends and I cannot stomach him anymore. The crazy deeds that go unpunished so that he can remain in circulation to do more of the same is incredibly tired. Had Michael Muhney remained he could have eclipsed Victor with more intelligent intrigue. Regardless, Victor has run his course.
Agreed, Susan. But, as I said, you ‘gotta’ appreciate Eric’s stamina.
I have never, ever liked Victor. However, since he isn’t going anywhere, I thank my lucky stars I do not have to see him engaging in open-mouth kissing with any woman. Gross.
All those sex scenes with Meredith, in jail, were done off screen. Then again, there’s always the FF button.
I’m with you on this, too, Celia. Without Victor, I’d be really, really bored as opposed to just bored. I enjoy Mr Braeden’s acting so much, I try other forget the horrors his character inflicts.
I miss Victor boxing with his shirt off!
@Timmm.
Oh, no, my Timmmy. Victor eithout a shirt????? You are a big tease!! And, you know exactly my reaction. Ha!!
I am shrinking…..s h r i n k i n g……s h r i…..I’m goooone…..
oh, gawd… a post like this – can make me cry
for the good ole days
Michael Muhney – is – intelligent intrigue… plus spellbinding
what a show
what’s to say… when Michael Muhney was fired… Billy Miller left
face it… a done in show
Victor Newman is the ace… ? LOL figure this out production
Y&R – NEEDS – to bring back and focus ABBOTT
let’s get TRACY … DEMAND IT… back
Ashley and Jack and , even Billy… at the breakfast table
Y&R : “The Abbotts”
Just Jack will feast and get back in the swing of things
you know… I just have to plug it and “feature”
the invincible “Chancellor” are nill
Abbott steer
Newmans “lack”
Abbotts bring
Y&R’s numbers are terrible and i’m not surprised. the show is in bad shape. the storylines are terrible. courtroom and jail scenes day after day is boring. Y&R has been dying a slow death under Pratt’s pen. Pratt has to go. we all watched him take down All My Children,now he’s doing the same thing to Y&R. the genre as a whole is in trouble because young viewers are leaving. daytime needs to get it’s act together and start putting on quality tv. all of the soaps were terrible this summer
Why can’t one of these soaps hire a new YOUNG head writer? What would it hurt? We hear the same 3 names every time there is a writing change! Fresh blood please!
that’s what i don’t get. this genre needs new blood. all we’ve seen is the same group of people going from show to show. no wonder their’s only four soaps left. this genre has become a breeding ground for hacks with history of ruining soaps
Oh, I agree, my Timmmy. I am just so tired of the writing perpetuated upon keeping all characters ‘youthful’.
I have noticed, for the first time (because of close-ups), as Victoria is lying in Tristan’s arms, basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking (LOL), how much older she looks than Tristan. Cameras should not zoom on her face like that…we can see every line and crevice.
I think he’s about 30 or so?
So, perhaps, the ‘ young blood’ of which you speak, would remedy that fallacy. Prople age and the storylines should age with them….icluding pairing couples within the same age group. I hope I don’t sound too cynical.
In Hollywood, you have Martin Scorcese, a legend and one who still works and produces great movies. But also, Hollywood has a lot of young bright minds who wow people like Bill Murray who want to work with them. Like you said, its the same old failures in daytime who go from soap to soap and ruin it! Why not let some young person full of dreams and talent try their hand? Seems to be that networks dont want to succeed? Let it die and lets give Rachel Ray a spin off show!
Hey, again, Timmmy,
In the above comment, I am talking about young WRITERS, not characters. The characters are fine….just so there is no discriminatory confusion. Every age is needed to make a story; but, a younger writing perspective will move with the times. And, as I said, keep an age-balance between couples.
Maybe more people are vacationing toward end of summer, therefore DVRing for longer stretches?
I read here that DVRing for more than a few days in a row doesnt get counted in the viewership
ratings.
For me personally, the Phyllis and Billy affair was a turn-off, but I still love Y and R for the
most part. Love that Mariah is seen more often, that Natalie is gone, that Jill and Chloe are back, etc.
I always watch, and always will!
You’re right, Nanci. I, too, will always watch.
I am not too happy about Chloe. Is she sincere now? I think she’s still walking on wobbly ground, as far as her sanity is concerned.
As far as vacation. Yes, most people do wait for the last few weeks of August. Well, or until THE WHITE HOUSE leaves the Vineyard, in my case.
I think I am leaning toward Chloe’s full sanity, Celia. I think she’s on the
right path now, anyway. But with her, ya never know!
OH Y&R, you break my heart, and I am am on your side. Truly, I am. But when you deliver these unsatisfying stories with no resolution, you just lose me.
How on earth would ANYONE thing that this whole idiotic Adam-set up would produce ratings? It goes on and on and we know Victor will never face his comeuppance, and so we are faced with simpering Chelsey and the haunted Adam. As I said in a prior post, the only good thing about this HORRIBLE story which no viewers like is that it must come to an end. Alas, last Friday you destroyed that glimmer of positivity by making Adam suddenly go ape shit crazy and lunge for the throat of a guard because he saw Victor’s face transposed upon his face. Therefore, Adam will receive more years on his sentence and despite the great acting, nobody really cares. This is a HORRIBLE story so it’s no wonder viewers are tunning out.
Harry, you’ve summed up my biggest gripe. This Adam story is not only repetitive, but I find myself anxious and uncomfortable about it. It’s just one blow too many against him and now the possibility of ADDING time to his sentence is just too unfair. When I start to see injustice win out like this, then it’s too much like real life and I don’t enjoy the show.
the stories are bad and never ending. this whole diary frame story was stupid
That whole “Adam goes nuts and clocks the prison guard” WAS a bit much!!
Adam going crazy was stupid,very bad writing
Yeah, Nanci. LOL. Now, the guard has slipped into a coma. Wow!! How hard did Adam beat him? Considering he was so delirious from starvation ( 2 days…now, Michael says DAAAYS), where fid he get the strength?
Lol, Celia, I know, right?
Poor guard is in a coma because apparently sleep and food-starved
Adam had suddenly developed amazing super powers?
Oh, how I agree with you!!!!
Perhaps, there may be order within the insanity, Harry. The fact that Adam needs to spend more time in jail was concocted so that Justin can dedicate more time to his new show?…..which means, we will see less of him.
Maybe, Justin needs to get into the rhythm of things.
Or, they will keep Justin out of sight long enough for his new replacement to take over the role should Hartley indeed leave (which I think will happen.)
Two “weak”(s) in a row for Y&R!
“this” really made me laugh
cause DAYS fans need to chuckle
laugh at the goodies
cause laughter and mayhem needs tightened
Misery loves company, Patrick!
I love Victor, he is the flame that starts the fires..
I like Pratt– I’m enjoying Y&R..
As for weekly ratings I don’t give a hoot, they are just bashing fodder..
Y&R has years ahead, as for the others well, unless they get new really good head writers they will fail ..
I also love Victor & Nikki too!
Philly does not offend me be cause this Billy is not Billy Abbott – just some guy with same name. Characters unrecognizable except for Lying Sharon and Knowitall Chelsea
LOL, April. Too funny…but, so right!!
That’s the way I feel to, Philly is a fraud and both actors are over their heads!
I was always for years a cheerleader for Sharon and I still like the actress but the character has been ruined no coming back I won’t watch her anymore and her acting choices have me scratching my head! Very sad Bill Bell created a character who was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks as they say but never was she mean or trying to hurt anyone.
A
Soap hound you have got it right every word you said I would repeal everything you said !
I am a going to give Mal Young time to make Y&R his own. Here are my hopes: Cut the lust between Billy & Phyllis, give Ashley a storyline/lover, don’t lose Jess Walton, make Cane Billy’s true competitor, slowly inch Victoria & Billy back together; to me, those two have chemistry, give Summer a brain, keep Travis sailing on his boat to far away destinations and God oh God, PLEASE give Jack a backbone! I almost fell off my chair, when Victor told Jack he was more interesting before he became a Saint! Regarding DAYS, as I asked before, how many reboots can you have? Bringing back a writer that failed in the past and actors from the 80’s, ain’t gonna cut it! DAYS needs an innovative head writer and executive producer, if it is going to continue beyond 2017. Corday doesn’t get it, which is so sad. GH, I love, but the cast is too big and B&B is my getaway soap. As long as Brad Bell doesn’t put Brooke and Million Dollar Bill together, which I am sure he will, I think the show is ok. Once the Olympics are done, the ratings will go up again.
Started Y&R only for Michael Knight and hoping to like it. It has been almost a year and this is the dumbest soap I have ever seen. There are NO stories! And no characters. Just people running from one scene to another. It is awful.
the writing is terrible. it’s sad to see many cast members being underutilized. everyone is acting like robots because of plot nonsense. everybody warned them about Chuck Pratt and they didn’t listen
I have to agree with you Catemc1. My friend started watching Y&R after AMC was taken off broadcast TV. I started after OLTL was taken off. Both of us are in total shock. All most of the characters do is sit around, drinking coffee and talking about their troubles. I’m old. I watched soaps with my mother in the late 1950s and 60s. Those characters sat in the kitchen, drinking coffee while talking about their troubles. Nothing has changed on Y&R. I’m used to seeing characters grow and change because of their experiences. I’m used to seeing people come and go as they do in life. This show is just the same thing over and over and over again. Nothing gets resolved. No one ever changes. There is never any progress.
After 2 years, I couldn’t take it anymore and switched to DOOL which initially was better until about 8 months ago. Now Days is tragedy central. People are being murdered right and left. It’s one depressing turn of events after another. TPTB hired several young, inexperienced performers to play teenagers on the show. Two of them have some potential as actors. (For Days viewer, I’m referring to Theo and Claire. Theo is high functioning autistic and the guy playing the part is playing a character. Claire is at least awake and animated during her scenes which is more than I can say for the rest of them.) The rest should be politely thanked for their time and sent home. Days hasn’t aired for the past 2 weeks because of the Olympics. I haven’t missed it. One of my favorite performers, Kassie DePaiva, is coming back soon. When she leaves again, I’m going with her.
Believe me….back in the day Y&R was the epitome of Daytime story-telling. Will it be thus again? My heart aches, Catemc1.
As a 40-year old mom of two, I can tell you that people around my age, in the target younger female demos who are in front of a television during the day, just cannot relate to the daytime soap genre anymore. The writing is mostly awful/stale for each remaining show and the storylines are archaic, trapped in the 1970s and have no relevance to the life of any of my peers. These shows need to bring in new, young, up-and coming voices with fresh, modern ideas behind the scenes if the genre is going to have a chance to survive into the next decade. It’s sad to see what’s happening.
Part of me also thinks that the longtime format of 5 episodes/week, 52 weeks/year without any breaks (except for major holidays) is outdated and causing massive burnout for these recycled writers. Yes, they work very hard cranking out episodes (as do the actors on the shows who don’t get enough credit for memorizing the material they’re given day after day after day) But something may have to evolve production-wise if they’re going to have a chance to live on. To me personally, perhaps some kind of break during the year would not be the worst thing to try to keep things fresher, jmo. Or the 3 soaps besides B&B could be cut down to a half hour, just a thought. But the problem is that I’m not sure if the networks are creative enough to think outside the box like that.
Amanda…I’m not in your age category, but even I am bored with the storylines. They are repetitious, and can seem to show up from one soap to another. And in the case of GH I think they want to represent so many different demos and interests that there are tooo many actors with unsatisfying stories, some of which I really don’t care about at all. There are basics that will always be associated with soaps…love, betrayal, lose, triumph, core families, etc. But I agree there should be some sort of updating of the writing. It’s just gotten lazy and stale.
You have a point about burn out but why didn’t this happen in the 70’s? Not saying you, but these days we make excuses for not having to work hard! Hard work and creativity can fix soaps or chalk it up to it being an Edsel and we move on and we all watch Netflix!
You nailed it. To increase viewership soap operas need to finally embrace distribution via Netflix, Amazon, cellphone apps, and social media.
Why is it not possible to purchase entire seasons on DVD/Bluray?
If they simply stopped removing YouTube videos of their shows, then more people would be capable of watching these stories, becoming interested in the shows, and then wanting to purchase them or watch on live TV.
Heck, the shows themselves could post even higher-quality HD videos of those shows on YouTube.
It merely demonstrates the archaic, out-of-touch, and wrong-headed mindset of soap opera executives that they haven’t figured out what the rest of Hollywood finally learned — that it’s in their financial interest to make their products available to as many people in as many formats as possible.
Nielsen ;
The households are evenly distributed by population throughout the United States, and are roughly meant to be representative of the population as a whole. They also rotate occasionally. But let’s get back to that number. Maybe 50,000 households seems like a lot to you, but to put it in perspective, there are approximately 100 million households with a TV in the United States. That means even at the high estimate of 50,000 households, the number represents .05% of the households. That would be less than 1/10 of 1%.
The ratings categories that matter are generally “total viewers” (not as important), the 25–54 demo (viewers between ages 25 and 54, important for news) and the 18–49 demo (viewers between ages 18 and 49, important for entertainment and sports). The ratings you see now are also mostly “live + same day” which accounts for 24 hours of the viewer watching on their DVR/Tivo. There are also ratings measurements that account for three-day DVR totals (a version of which advertisers currently buy based on) as well as 7-day DVR totals (what networks would like to become the norm). The demos are what advertisers care about — how the TV networks make most of their money. They are crucial to the financial success of the channels.
When you see a rating that calls itself “total viewers,” it most certainly does not actually show you how many total viewers watched that show. To get closer to that number, you’d need to look at “cume,” which is a cumulative rating that isn’t generally publicly recognized but helps to give a better picture of the number of actual viewers Nielsen thinks watched a show.
What TV Ratings Aren’t:
As you can see so far, Nielsen TV ratings are complicated, fairly incomplete and underestimate how many people are watching. But that’s not it — because what’s perhaps more telling is what TV ratings are not, what they don’t even attempt to be. And that is an accurate representation of which people are watching television that aren’t sitting in their home.
((out of house watching– iPads, Mobile phones etc…
Three Fridays in a row and GH’s cliffhangers sucked! Too many characters and no story resolutions!
Y&R is a FF dream! My head hurts every time Billy, Red, Dylan, Cane, Glummer and Kooka appear on screen! Hartley will leave and they should leave Adam in jail, off screen for assault! HELLsea and Connor should move to Paris and Jill and Colin need to retire!
I was always afraid to say it, Timmmy….but, Cane sits right on my bad side. He seems to be a ‘winner’ with many viewers….so, I keep it to myself.
But, now that you mention him, Cane is one of the most superfluous characters on stage, in my opinion. I find nothing fascinating about him.
Plus….I agree with taking a broom and sweeping all those other characters you mentioned, right off the stage.
Sweetie, say what you feel, feel what you say! Cane was a one, maybe a two trick pony! He was brought in as a ruse, exposed and should have been sent packing! BUT, he is super hot and can act so they hang him up as wallpaper and give him a line or two! He and Lilly frolic under the sheets which is hot and that it, no other stories there. They have a golden gem in Tristan Rogers who is Cane’s dad and they dont play that up at all. I wouldnt mind being paid for my looks and he probably doesnt either but as an actor, he must want something to sink your teeth in other than Lilly’s …
@Timmm.
That’s just it, my Timmmy. I don’t find Cane hot. Never have. I’m pretty picky….and, I have one particular type in mind. LOL.
But, as you say, Cane generates ‘wowness’ with most fans…whatever sells, right?
Be that as it may, though, the only storyline which took me by ‘the throat’, as it were, was , his interaction with Tristan Rogers. He brought the character ( of Cane) to life. So, regardless of how hot, or talented an actor is, after a while the thrill dies with him if the story is insipid and repetitive.
I don’t need to see limbs, and other body parts to keep me interested.
So, agreed, my love……The people in charge know not what to do with a powerhouse talent such as Tristan.
Y&R needs to take off the blinders and realize that Cane just ain’t happenin’.
He’s been a Phillip imposter, a mobster’s son, a twin, a ghost, a businessman, and a would-be lover for Lauren and nothing has caught on. His character lifts right out of the show and you wouldn’t even miss him. Ditto Dylan, Luca, Stitch, Abby, Mariah, Natalie, Summer, and Nu-Phyllis.
Kill Cane off and make him Tom Hardy over on GH.
You know I love your comments, Alan….. you have a way about you…..no in-between. It is what it is for you. I am much the same way…in a girl-kind-of-way…LOL
I would keep Mariah, though. I don’t know…maybe because she’s really Cassie?? HaHa.
Timmm – I am so sick and tired of seeing Billy & Red together. It is such a horrible storyline. I am also sick and tired of seeing Summer. It seems as if she on the screen all of the time? …. My head hurts, too. Please make it stop!!!!!!!!
Summer being a lead is a big turn off. i don’t like her being shoved down our throats when so many people are being underutilized
And she has ZERO talent to be sitting in on Newman Enterprise business!
I agree. She has been shoved down our throats for over a year now. Thank goodness their bringing Daniel back but you know it will be ruined by his taking care of Summer. She has been said to be recurring for a long time but every day she’s front & center. I’m glad the ghost of Jerry Douglas is coming back, now how about Traci Abbott? What happened to her & her husband? How about Lauren, Michael and her two boys Fen and Scottie? I agree Timmm I like Jason Thomas as well but he is not Billy at all, however I do love Gina as Phyllis. I always thought of Phyllis as hard as nails and classless but Gina brought a whole new Phyllis to life. Lets face it the old Phyllis would have run down to stop the wedding.
I like Jason Thompson but he is not doing it for me as Billy. Gina, dont know her but do not like her version of Phyllis. Summer, she is like the Black Knight, she is on FIVE days a week and says NOTHING! Then, they have her paired up with COTTON MOUTH! Good news, Summer will be recurring soon! I’m afraid we are stuck with PHILLY!
No, please, Timmmy!!!!!!! Do not say that!!!! Stuck with Philly?
Bring Michelle Stafford and Jeff Branson back. Ohhhh!!!! Those two sizzled…..they brought high-powered sex to the screen. I could almost smell their passion.
Altho I’m a 40 yr viewer of soaps. I do understand times change. However I do agree with people saying too many characters/sl’s in some soaps. Too little it’s boring and too many is IMHO distracting. One thing that turns me off is characters off the hook ie. Jill screeching at her grown son’s on Y&R. Another having Sharon is keeping a baby from his real father and lying to her husband/children. I have the same issue as too many characters with GH. Please lets focus on a reasonable amount of characters/sl’s on all hour long soaps.
Let’s be honest: nothing is working on GH these days: no couples worth rooting for, no pay-offs to any of the “stories”, no suspense, a cast of thousands, and absolutely no long term story that generates future story. Jean and Shelly have had a year to show what they can do and the ratings indicate people aren’t all that interested. The show needs to realize they made a mistake letting Ron Carlivati go and bring him back. I’ve read that one of the complaints with his GH was a lack of romance — something the current writing team hasn’t brought to the screen during their tenure; say what you will about Ron’s GH, it was never boring.
As for Y&R — ugh. Like GH, Y&R desperately needs a new head-writer. This used to be the show that gave us topical storylines, epic romances, friendships, familial connections, and carefully built plots that had an impact on story for years. Now it’s just one random scene after another with forced pairings (Billy/Phyllis, Summer/Luca, Sharon/Dylan, Abby/Stitch) and no story in sight. The show needs to position Eileen Davidson in a major storyline, give Nick a new love interest, send Dylan and Stitch out of town for good, wrap up the endless Hillary blackmailing the Winters family snooze fest, establish some real villains, quit trying to make Summer happen, and finally realize that Gina Tognoni’s Phyllis isn’t working (it’s partly the writing, partly that it’s difficult to duplicate what Michelle Stafford brought to the role: equal parts scheming vixen/woman wanting to be loved; for my money Marcy Walker would’ve been a brilliant recast — her Liza Colby was someone viewers could both love and hate at the same time). If they can’t get Kay Alden and John Smith to return as head writers, they should try to get them as story consultants to help guide story and get the new writer clear on character motivations and history.
Yes to Kay Alden!
To cut a long story short the soaps need to return to the storytelling and atmospheric style of the 1980 ‘s . We all remember how fun and entertaining the soaps were back then . There was that mix of romance ( accompagnied by candlelight dinners and candlelight lovemaking with the supercouple love song playing in the background ) , action , adventure , mystery , emotion , tears , murder and serial killer stories , joy too through the weddings , the new baby , the families were front and center , the wealthy vs the poor , the characters were fascinating with multiple dimensions to their personalities and also strong actors and actresses who had theatre and broadway like backgrounds to them and boy did it show on screen . The soaps epitomized the touch of class , the touch of glam . Love has been replaced by ” hooking up ” , the stories now lack depth and substance . Even with a low budget a soap can produce great material . Such a shame the soaps have deteriorated so much . Still trying to watch but i have to force myself … back in the day it was effortless and it was fun . Not anymore sadly .
No surprise about the poor ratings, nothing exciting is happening on these soaps anymore, same bullcrap uninteresting characters and storylines. I know Victoria,
Chelsea and Summer are favs to some but I just can’t sit and watch (imo) the worst characters on Y&R, they’re boring and dull.
Except for Gina Tognoni and Jason Thompson, there’s no one I’ll surf past to watch. The younger actors suck, and the veterans are all played out. I’ll trade the bloated and breathy Melody Thomas Scott for Judith Chapman any day. Who this show retains and who they let go always amazes me…
The June 22 episode of Days of Our Lives reminded us all of why Deidre Hall is iconic in the role of Dr. Marlena Evans. Here we are 50 years later, and Marlena is still the heroine of the long-running soap opera, and Deidre remains one of the most most recognizable names in the history of soaps.
To pay tribute, and to look back at the life and times of Marlena, the story starts with Marlena flipping through a photo album of her with John (the late Drake Hogestyn) over the years. As she misses him dearly, she gets a knock on the door and its none other than John’s son, Paul Narita (Christopher Sean).
With Andrew (Colton Little) in Salem working on a case, he sits down with Marlena, who says she can’t believe its been fifty years since she first arrived in Salem! Cue: Deidre’s first scenes on DAYS when she finds Mickey Horton (the late John Clarke) playing chess against himself inside the mental institution she worked.
Courtesy/Peacock
THE FLASHBACKS OF MARLENA’S LIFE
From there, viewers definitely got the cliff notes version of the history of Marlena and entrenched within them, some of the biggest moments in Deidre’s enduring run.
Paul thinks he is looking at 70s, and early 80s Marlena while going through her scrapbook, but he is actually looking at her twin, Samantha (Andrea Hall). Cue: when Marlena confronted Samantha about impersonating her, and then later getting a call on her radio show from the Salem Strangler (Jack Coleman as Jake Kostichek) who killed Samantha thinking it was Marlena.
In the present, Belle (Martha Madison) has arrived at this time to meet up with Paul, unaware of this trip down memory lane. She wants to go over the findings in the chess board mystery Stefano willed to Marlena and John, in private with him, since Marlena previously said she wanted nothing to do with it.
Back to the history lesson, Marlena speaks highly of Don Craig and even though their marriage didn’t work out, she could find a path forward with the new love her life, Roman Brady. (Wayne Northrop however is never shown, possibly to keep the story focused on John as Roman for confusion sakes?)
Paul sees a photo of a young Carrie (Christie Clark) in the album and Marlena says she was such a godsend after losing her baby. In fact, Marlena says caring for Carrie prepared her for her having and raising her own twins, Eric and Sami. Cue: The twin visiting Marlena in the hospital.
JOHN AND MARLENA’S LOVE CONQUERED ALL
Then, in a way to get through and incorporate the wild storylines only Marlena could have been in, she tells Belle and Paul, she has been through so much in her life, how lucky she was to find John, and some of the most unbelievable experiences no one could imagine. Cue: Marlena possessed by the devil and levitating from the bed. Next, John confronting Marlena being the Salem Stalker, where she admits she killed Alice Horton, pretends she needs help, then pulls a gun on her beloved John!
The comment is made by Paul and Marlena, that she literally has been to hell and back and she could not have survived were it not for her beloved John. Cue the big emotional highpoint clips; The Pier Scene! Marlena steps out of the fog when John sees her from a distance. After believing she was dead for four years, here she was before him in one of the greatest reunions in a soap opera love story in history. What followed were other times of the life of times of Jarlena.
Courtesy/Peacock
MARLENA’S ‘GIFT’ FROM STEFANO HAS A NEW CLUE
When Marlena makes a brief exit to the other room, Belle fills in Paul on the chess set Stefano left her mother and the photo of the Lire. Paul said he will investigate. Marlena comes back into the room and overhears, and says to promise her if things get dangerous he will back off, she does not want anyone hurt by Stefano’s games.
As the episode comes to a conclusion, it’s just Belle and Marlena going through the photo album giggling about 70s hairstyles and all the memories. Belle speaks on the impact Marlena has had in everyone’s lives, and that she is both the heart of their family and the heart of Salem.
An end card comes up acknowledging Deidre Hall’s 50th anniversary as Marlena, and we fade to black.
So, what did you think of Marlena’s walk down memory lane? Were you happy to see the flashback clips utilized throughout? Were you touched by the scenes and the performance of Deidre Hall? Let us know what you thought of Deidre’s 50th anniversary episode via the comment section below.
If you have ever tuned-in to the soap opera genre over the last 50 years, and witnessed some of the greatest romances, drama, classic and outlandish storylines of all-time, you would have seen Deidre Hall smack dab in the middle of it as longtime Salem heroine, Dr. Marlena Evans.
It was 50 years on this date, June 21, 1976 that Hall first appeared on DAYS on NBC which was its home for 57 years before it moved to its current streaming platform on Peacock in September of 2022.
In Hall’s first episode she was introduced as a psychiatrist treating Mickey Horton (John Clarke) at Bayview Sanitarium after he suffered a complete mental breakdown. Mickey learned that his brother Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) was the biological son of Mike Horton (Wesley Eure) with his wife Laura (Susan Flannery) and that he had been lied to for years and years. From that moment on, the rest is television and soap opera history. Days of Our Lives put Hall front and center.
Photo: NBC
There were so many heartbreaking and shocking story twists involving the beloved Marlena. One of the first was the historic crib death of baby DJ (Don Jr.) in 1980, Marlena’s infant son with Don Craig (Jed Allan). The story had never been told on daytime television and Hall’s performances received accolades from TV critics to fans when Deidre received thousands of letters from grieving mothers who had gone through the same thing in their own lives.
DAYS also brought Deidre’s twin sister, Andrea Hall Lovell to the show as her on-screen sister Samantha, who had a grudge and even locked Marlena up in a sanitarium and took her place! Fast-forward and in 1982, DAYS launched the Salem Strangler story where everyone believed Marlena was his next victim, only it turned out to be Samatha. Jake Kositchek (played by Jack Coleman) was revealed to be the actual serial killer.
Later, Deidre would assume the role of Marlena’s look-alike, Hattie Adams in 2004, once played by her sister, Andrea. Over the years, Hattie has come back to Salem and caused trouble giving Hall a chance to play a different type of character, then the always upstanding Marlena.
Photo: JPI
THE LOVES OF MARLENA
Deidre Hall struck gold with all her leading men: from the late Jed Allan, to Wayne Northrop as Roman Brady, and of course, her enduring love story with the late John Black played by the iconic Drake Hogestyn. In fact, Marlena’s 1986 wedding to John (who was believed to be Roman at the time) remains a favorite of fans to this day.
TOP MARLENA STORYLINES OF ALL-TIME
While the list is long, here are several that were some of the memorable during Deidre’s five decades in Salem!
The Possession (1994- 1995)
Considered one of the most ambiguous, outlandish and unforgettable story arcs in soap opera history, then Days of Our Lives head writer, James Reilly went there! Marlena was possessed by the devil! That included; the demonic eyes, hissing at father John (Black) the priest, morphing into creatures, and the classic levitating in her bed! It became a cultural phenomenon and cemented Deidre Hall’s status as a daytime television legend. Just ask Ryan Gosling!
Photo:JPI
The Affair with John Black (1993)
John and Marlena’s forbidden love could not be denied and they had passionate affair, while she was still married to the real Roman. Problem was her daughter, Sami (Alison Sweeney) caught her mother having sex with John on a desk that changed Sami forever.
The Salem Stalker Mystery (2003-2004)
In a shocker, Marlena was revealed to be a serial killer who bumped off several Salem favorites residents who were all alive on the island of Melaswen (spelled “New Salem” backward). Turns out, she was manipulated and gaslighted by Andre DiMera (Thaao Penghlis) to do the “killings” and had no memory of her actions.
The Pier Scene (1991)
This remains Michael Fairman TV’s all-time favorite Deidre Hall moment, which featured some of the best acting in the storied careers of both Hall and Drake Hogestyn.
In the story, a presumed-dead Marlena returns after four years. One foggy night on the pier, John is alone, and Marlena steps out of the fog to reveal herself, and is reunited with the love of her life. You can watch it any year, any decade, and in any moment, and it will have you reaching for the hankies again and again. (best music score fo a soap scene of all-time too!)
Photo: NBC
Kristen’s Secret Room Reveal (1997)
Marlena was caught in Kristen Blake’s (Eileen Davidson) elaborate web of lies, when she was held hostage in a secret wine cellar/room until John managed to track her down, leading to an iconic on-screen reunion. The classic catfight between Hall and Eileen Davidson was one for the ages.
It should be noted that Maison Blanche, Queen of the Night, Possession, Aremid and Lady in a Cage were all a part of classic DAYS storyline and all featured Hall at the epicenter of it from 1993-1996.
THE RECENT YEARS OF MARLENA
In recent years, DAYS brought back the possession 2.0 storyline under then head writer Ron Carlivati in 2021 where the devil leapt back in Marlena after taking advantage of a frail Doug Williams (the late Bill Hayes)
In 2025, viewers watched the end of the love story of John and Marlena, as John succumbed to injuries sustained in an explosion saving a vial of medication needed to bring Bo (Peter Reckell) back to life. Marlena has been a widow on-screen since June of 2025 as Hall as portrayed the good doctor struggling with her grief and to move on with her life since his death.
Photo: JPI
One story that never goes away is Stefano DiMera’s (the late Joe Mascolo) obsession with Marlena, his “Queen of the Night.” Even in death, Stefano is toying with her from the great beyond with the mysterious chess set and the missing “pawn,” that he had gifted John and Marlena in his will. The mystery is currently unfolding on all-new episodes of Days of Our Lives.
Tune-in to Days of our Lives on the Monday, June 22 episode as Marlena looks back at her 50 years in Salem.
Share your congratulations to Deidre Hall for this incredible 50-year milestone as Dr. Marlena Evans on Days of Our Lives in the comment section. Then let us know, what is your all-time favorite storyline or moment in the life of Marlena over the past 5 decades? And, just for kicks, and to celebrate this amazing milestone, here is Marlena levitating below circa Christmas Eve 1994.
Days Of Our Lives
Al Calderon Reflects on ‘Major Chapters’ Coming to an End on ‘Days of Our Lives’ and ‘Brilliant Minds’
It’s been a bittersweet time for Al Calderon. The talented actor/singer/songwriter has watched from his vantage point to roles he loved so much come to their conclusion for different reasons.
In a heartfelt message posted to his Instagram story on Saturday, Calderon took a moment to share how grateful he was for the opportunity to play Javi Hernandez on Days of Our Lives, and nurse Nico Silva this year on NBC’s second season of Brilliant Minds. Currently, Brilliant Minds has two more episodes that will air on June 24 and the series finale on July 1.
Calderon expressed, “As I sit here reflecting on this lovely Saturday afternoon over the last two years of my life, I have two major chapters closing that have been part of my life every day for the last two years. We have Brilliant Minds. Our last episodes are wrapping up, and then my last scenes aired yesterday as me as Javi on Days of Our Lives.
Photo: JPI
“I’m just unbelievably grateful for the chance and the opportunity to be a part of something so much larger than me,” continued Al. “I (will) love Days of Our Lives forever, my family. Thank you for supporting me and supporting my decision to take the leap of faith and believe in myself and, and tell other stories. You know, it’s never goodbye. It’s always ‘see you later’ to me and just leaving with love and leading with love.”
Al concluded with a special mention to some very important people, the fans: “Thank you to the fans and the support from everyone, the lovely messages. So this next chapter, hopefully it’s not a dragon, hopefully it’s a gold coin.”
Photo: NBC
Calderon’s journey on-screen on Days of Our Lives began in October of 2024 and concluded this month. In one of his last appearances Javi was asking a favor from Gabi (Cherie Jimenez) before bumping into his ex, Leo (Greg Rikaart). In story, Javi has a new romance with Gus (Michael Ocampo), while fighting his feelings for Leo. The role of Javi will be played starting on June 30 by Jacob Martinez who takes over the role.
NBC decided to cancel the Brilliant Minds, after it split up the airing of its second season which began in the fall of September of 2025 and the back-half started airing after a long break this past May. Calderon joined the medical drama staring Zachary Quinto for the new season, which sadly was its last.
So, will you miss Al on Days of Our Lives and Brilliant Minds as his time on-screen has come to an end? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
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