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RATINGS: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Loses Most Viewers Week-Over-Week; But All Soaps Up Year-Over-Year

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: JPI

The latest network television broadcast ratings are out for the week of August 10-14, 2026 and it revealed that while all four daytime dramas took a hit in viewers from the previous week, it was the top rated The Young and the Restless which saw the largest viewer decline.

According to Soap Opera Network, Y&R lost – 161,000 eyeballs from the previous week, even though it is still the most-watched soap opera in the U.S. with 3,041,000 tuning-in. The storylines for the week included: Nick’s (Joshua Morrow) nightmare after getting high and relapsing and checking into a seedy motel. He later crosses path with another addict, Marie Kirkland (Jade Harlow), with whom he has sex with, but then she OD’s.

In addition, Y&R also showcased that week, Billy (Jason Thompson) making a bold play to stake his claim on Chancellor, causing Jack (Peter Bergman) and others concern. Devon (Bryton James) and Nate (Sean Dominic) charting new career paths for themselves, and Victor (Eric Braeden) and Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) struggling to help their children, Nick and Victoria (Amelia Heinle), while after renewing their vows, still battling over Jack Abbott in their lives.

Photo: CBS

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

Y&R’s sister soap, The Bold and the Beautiful came in second again in overall viewers for the ratings period and lost the second most viewers of the week with – 59,000, but still came in with 2,676,000 in total audience.

The storyline involved Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), Finn (Tanner Novlan) and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) in Monaco, which led to Steffy leaving Finn due to his mother’s presence and lying to her that she was in the country, plus Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) walking away from Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor) after she could not handle not being able to have his child.

Courtesy/ABC

GENERAL HOSPITAL

Over at General Hospital, the show was only down -22,000 week over week, tallying 1,848,000, which is still down and not back over the 2 million mark, which they had been in some previous weeks. In story, Michael (Rory Gibson) gets to Willow (Katelyn MacMullen) just in time after Jacinda (Paige Herschell) drugged her. As Willow was high, she was about to take Amelia and Wiley for a drive when Michael intervened.

Michael later had an emotional goodbye with Jacinda where he paid her off to start a new life somewhere else, so her actions did not come back to bite him in his effort to secure custody of his children from Willow.

Photo: CBS

BEYOND THE GATES

Finally, Beyond the Gates actually saw the smallest loss of viewers for the week only down -3,000 and coming in at 1,648,000. In addition, Beyond the Gates topped General Hospital in key demos for 3rd place in the women 18-49, and women 25-54 rating shares.

In story, Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) is rushed to the hospital after he suddenly becomes ill as Hayley’s (Marquita Goings) plan to get him out of the country gets derailed and Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) receiving ominous messages from someone from his past, which eventually turns out to be The Impaler herself, Heather Armstrong (Ashley Jones).

ALL SOAP OPERAS UP IN VIEWERSHIP YEAR-OVER-YEAR

The good news is that year over year, all four network daytime dramas are exceeding last August of 2025.  According to the ratings report, The Young and the Restless is up year-over-year +82,000, The Bold and the Beautiful, which far and away has had the best season in 2026, is way ahead of last year at this time with + 234,000, General Hospital slightly up +54,000 and Beyond the Gates doing much better than last year with +144,000.

It should be noted: The ratings numbers reflected use the Live+Same Day Big Data+ Panel viewing and DVR playback, defined as 3:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m., and are courtesy of Nielsen. Ratings are the percentage of U.S. TV viewers who tuned in to a specific program.

So, what do you think about how your favorite soap opera performed in the latest ratings period? Which show is piquing your interest? Which is not at all? Share your thoughts via the comment section below and weigh-in.

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Sucks, because the Nicholas-centric episodes are the only highlight of The Young and the Restless presently. But with the incoming regime change happening for the autumn, we will see what happens viewership-wise. But I am so happy to see Beyond the Gates succeeding in the ratings the way it has been, as it deserves to! It is the best American daytime soap we have right now, showing the other four how a daytime soap should be written, acted, and produced.

ABC/Disney executives are in talks with producers for a reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club titled The Newest New Mickey Mouse Club.

GH should have a 5 month tape to air schedule like Beyond the Gates. That way, they’ll be able to afford all the heavy artillery used on Gangster Hell, and not be replaced with Mickey.

Then again, if GH is thrown off ABC, it might continue on HULU, and possibly be a success like Days of our Lives is on PeacockTV

I’m sure Scott (ATWT fan) wishes that were the case for As The World Turns when the YawneR network ended his world

No GH isn’t going anywhere

GH is lucrative for ABC. GH is now available on Disney+ without a Hulu subscription. Ratings on Hulu alone are impressive, many times this summer it was the number 1 show on Hulu. Hulu is getting phased out by 2027, everything there will be on Disney+. Gh is very safe.

The demos are piss poor. Demos are what are used to get money from advertisers. Women 18-49 and women 25-54 are super low, low enough for the network to cancel.

GH is not safe.

Compared to some primetime shows, GH is holding their own. GH is still a stronger lead in to affiliates local news than any other option.

Ratings would have to go down another 25% before you’d put it in the danger zone. There would be more budget cuts before that was even considered.

I’m underwhelmed by all the shows right now (except for BTG of co’se which is the greatest show ever in the history of television radio mass media ever ever ever just unsurpassed) there have been some glimmers of good story but too much nonsense. Bold and Beautiful is almost unwatchable same for GH. Young and Restless I still love every day

What is your deal? What did Beyond the Gates ever do to you personally to warrant such a negative obsession? I would imagine it’s the same reasoning that triggers the Obama hate in some.

Ooh!

No one ever told her she was cuddly.

Y&R needs a complete reboot

YawneR is the way they want it to be. Any excitement on that show could cause the elderly fans a heart attack. At the very least, it could cause them to mess their diapers.

Anyone with a good pulse shouldn’t be watching YawneR.

Being a senior person I find this msg to be totally offensive.
If by any chance it was supposed to be funny, be assured it is not.

Y&R needs a lift. I agree with Scott ATWT that Joshua Morrow/Nick Newman is the most compelling character and story. I am dizzy with all the short-term corporate shifts in ownership and operation. It makes no sense and is dull television. I am not keen on the Victoria/Kyle pairing. I do like new directions for Devon and Nate, especially Nate who is underused and lacks direction. would welcome a new family to shake things up. Overall, I think more suspense and slow-build romance would be welcomed. And some glamour. Y&R always seemed aspirational with its design and music.

B&B, after that wonderful ‘Hope Defects’ story featuring Katie and all the buildup and Logan family baggage, has lulled. I am tired of Sheila and have no empathy after her truly reprehensible misdeeds. And the Steffy/Carter tryst seems forced. Still cannot believe Electra upended her romance over a corporate secret she too would have kept if it was her family The series always is more about plot shifts than character development. Does anyone really believe in forever?

GH is always good although I am weary of spy stories after 40 years. BTG is a genuine success story.

The Young and the Restless needs to live up to its title. Focus more on the younger characters with a sprinkling of the 80s vets.

I watched a few episodes done here when you can’t say RAPE and that’s what he did to Sharon done I hope this show gets cancelled’

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Who Winds Up Hitting the Sheets First? Jordan and Michael or Curtis and Monet?

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Curtis, Monet, Michael and Jordan

After today’s Friday, October 9 episode of General Hospital, Monet Mitchell (Blythe Howard) informs Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner), that not only is she Jordan’s (Tanisha Harper) half-sister, but the best damn lawyer there is to get him out of spending the rest of his prison sentence in Pentonville. Does he believe her?

If Monet can come through, would Curtis look at her in a whole new light, especially since his girlfriend, Jordan has headed to Europe with Michael (Rory Gibson) to visit the burn clinic to restore her face and remove the scars that have plagued her since the car accident with him?

It appears GH is ready to shake-up the couples and the romance on the long-running ABC soap opera. We already know Tanisha Harper previewed that the series is trying out the chemistry between Harper and her GH co-star Rory Gibson, and that Michael and Jordan might explore their burgeoning feelings for one another since both currently work together at Aurora Media, and understand what the other went through following horrific sets of circumstances that left them scarred.

Photo: ABC

As for Monet, she would like nothing more than to stick to her sister as their is still a deep troubled history between the two yet to be fully revealed. It would seem Monet would love to flaunt a relationship with Curtis. And knowing Curtis, he will be so eternally grateful to Monet for helping him gain his freedom that this might be a possible scenario. But the question becomes, who cheats on who first?

Do you think Jordan and Michael hook-up while away from Port Charles? Does Monet take advantage of Curtis, if and when, he becomes a free man? Does Curtis already sense Jordan pulling away from him but is keeping that inside, or will this all come as shocker if he were to learn Michael and Jordan have become closer?

Tanisha and Rory

Photo: ABC

While much of this is speculation, it does seem like the trajectory of the storyline; given that Michael’s recent love interest Jacinda (Paige Herschell) was written-out of the story, and it appears that Serena Baldwin (Kelly Kruger) is now being put in the romantic path of Jason Morgan (Steve Burton).

GH spoilers for the week of October 12-16 indicate that on Wednesday, October 14, Michael reflects on his past, while on Thursday, October 16 Monet advises Curtis.

So, do you think that Jordan hits the sheets with Michael, and Monet and Curtis will hook up? Or, do you think it will all be a giant tease? If it becomes true, who would you be rooting for to end up together? Any of them? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Days Of Our Lives

‘Days of our Lives’ Rachel Boyd on the Return of Sophia Choi as She Makes Her Way To Salem: ‘I Wanted Her to Come Back Stronger Than Ever’

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Sophia Boyd

Next week on all-new episodes of Days of our Lives, the Peacock streaming soap opera will pick right back up from where Kristen DiMera (Stacy Haiduk) has tracked down a very much alive, Sophia Choi (Rachel Boyd) in a diner in Kentucky. But what will happen when Sophia returns to her old stomping grounds of Salem?

In official spoilers for the week of October 12-16, look for Kristen to make a deal with the woman she supposedly killed, and by week’s end for the once-conniving Sophia to make her way back to Salem. Meanwhile, in a new interview with TV Insider heralding her return, Rachel Boyd, who did a tremendous job with Sophia’s original exit story, explains how she thinks this version of Sophia will be different than the last.

The exit story had Sophia setting out to kill Johnny DiMera (Carson Boatman) by a demand made by Kristen DiMera. Sophia failed to end Johny’s life and Kristen lured Sophia to the bridge and clunked her over the head with a rock and pushed her over the rails to the steely waters below.

Rachel and Kristen

Photo: Corday Productions

Sophia’s body was never found, but she was declared dead. At the time, Boyd thought Sophia might be ‘dead-dead’ but in soap opera’s and especially Days of our Lives, nobody really ever truly dies!

WHAT’S DIFFERENT WITH SOPHIA CHOI COME FALL OF 2026?

Reflecting on her first run, which featured many an emotional scene, Rachel recalled: “As crazy as some storylines can be, working on a soap opera is truly a boot camp in acting because you’re given one take and you have to tackle really hard circumstances.”

Those dramatic circumstances included: “Giving birth in my bedroom alone, penning a suicide note, or even attempting to murder someone by blowing him up are all things a younger version of myself would be so intimidated by,” expressed Boyd. “But I learned that preparation is everything and as long as I do the hard work before I show up to set, then I am capable of it.”

Rachel ended her first run back in December of 2025, but due to DAYS tape schedule, the character of Sophia “died” five months ago on episodes on Peacock. Once she returned to the set for her second-go round, it was all systems go. “It was more like being thrown into the deep end, which honestly worked for me. I enjoy working under pressure and with momentum.”

The actress hopes viewers will see the internal change with the character as things move forward. “I knew I wanted her to feel distinctly different,” she explained. “I’ve always tried to keep the character constantly evolving and changing as she experiences new things and responds to trauma. But now that the audience hasn’t seen her for months, I had a great opportunity to fill in those blanks for myself and come back in a whole new way.”

DAYS fans should really began to notice the change on next week’s episodes. “I wanted her to come back stronger than ever,” admits Boyd. “Now that she’s survived a near-death experience and kept herself alive and hidden for six months, this version of Sophia is going to be much more independent and a fighter. I can’t say exactly what is going to happen, but as long as Sophia’s alive, chaos will follow!”

So, are you glad that Rachel Boyd is back as Days of our Lives Sophia Choi? What do you think she will do once she gets back to Salem? Turn a new leaf or be back to her scheming ways? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Brad Bell and Oliver Bell Talk How Making Microdramas and Soap Operas Can Coexist

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Brad and Oliver Bell

The burgeoning world of microdramas is viewed by many as the modern way approach to watching romance novels and soaps opera come to life; right on your phone in bite-sized episodes that you can scroll through.

The Bold and the Beautiful’s Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer) and his son, Oliver Bell (producer) have opened the doors to B&B’s Sunset Las Palmas Studios in Hollywood, to not only film episodes of the long-running CBS daytime drama series, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary next March, but are now utilizing the space to produce and film new verticals for the recently launched aTwist platform.

As previously reported, Brad and Oliver recently founded Red Flair Entertainment to enter in the microdrama space and have released their first series Hollywood Starlet and have also completed its season 2. The series stars vertical leading man Eric Guilmette, plus Molly Anderson, Bella Mraz, Skyla Lynne and Michael Teh.

Photo: CBS

THE BUZZ AROUND MICRODRAMAS

Speaking with the L.A. Times, Brad Bell compared the vertical space to the world of daytime drama: “I’ve been doing soap operas my whole life, and it felt like there’s been a buzz about microdramas, and it really felt like a natural extension to the stories that we do. (On soap operas) we build two cliffhangers usually on Fridays to keep the viewers over the weekend. Here, you do it every couple of minutes. It’s like speeding up the dance routine, but it’s really right in our lane of soap operas.”

Brad gave kudos to Oliver for coming up with the idea in the first place to produce microdramas.  “I saw this unique format and was fascinated by it,” Oliver shared. “I noticed some areas that we could quite easily improve on.”

The 24-year-old recalled how he quickly became addicted to microdramas while in college, so much so, that he wrote his dissertation at the University of St Andrews in Scotland on soap operas and microdramas. After graduating last December, he and his father founded Red Flair Entertainment with Oliver serving as an executive producer and Brad as a producer.

Hollywood Startlet Cast

Photo: IMdb

SOAP OPERA VIEWERS VS. VERTICAL DRAMA VIEWERS

Both Bells feel microdramas are the new step in soap operas, especially for the younger audience and demo, that no longer, for the most part, watches long-running dramas. Oliver added,  “In a way, microdramas are just the natural evolution of the soap opera. You could kind of trace the legacy through that and the modernization of serialized TV.”

Meanwhile, Bead Bell spoke to how these short-form stories can reach those who might be challenged to jump into a soap with decades long history and story, especially in the fast-paced short-attention span world which we live. while Oliver explained, “It’s like cracking open a book, and it’s hard for people to get into it to learn the history. So having smaller, bite-sized pieces is appealing to us.”

So far, two seasons of Hollywood Starlet have been shot when The Bold and the Beautiful has dark weeks at Sunset Las Palmas Studios. In fact, season 1 of Hollywood Starlet’s 45 episodes, were shot in six days at the start of summer, and in the fast pace world of vertical drama, less than a week after the series debuted on aTwist, the team was already back working on the production of season 2.

Brad Bell believes both worlds can live with each other side by side. That soap operas will not be overtaken by microdramas, because their appeal while having some similarities. attract those who can jump right in and follow along and are scrolling on their phones.

“Coming into someone’s living room or bedroom, soap operas were almost like an extension of their family that they can count on for years and decades with the same actors. The same families that have watched since day one,” explained Bell. “It’s a different type of viewer for microdramas.”

So, have you check out microdramas yet? What do you think about how Brad and Oliver Bell are creating stories in this new wave of entertainment while still churning out episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful? Are you thumbs up for vertical dramas or thumbs down? Do you enjoy both formats or never checked one out? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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