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NBC Daytime: What got them here?
Topic Started: Jan 27 2010, 04:49 PM (1,629 Views)
Eric83
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"Relax nobody's having sex.... at least not yet"

This is totally random, but it ran through my mind as I watching DAYS today.

NBC only has one soap, while for the most part ABC and CBS have managed to keep strong and consistent line-ups over the years with lots of successes, that hasn't really been the case with NBC. How did the network that started the hour-long soap trend in AW and DYS become such a colassal mess? In the early 70's, NBC had the "young" and "hip" soaps that were doing so much better than most of CBS' and all of ABC's lineup. Then something happened. The whole daytime lineup collapsed in the late 70's and early 80's, and never really recovered. DAYS is the only soap in NBC daytime history, that has managed to consistently be successful (even though it has had some rough periods) throughout its run, and actually remain a contender amongst the ABC and CBS soaps.

What got them here? I have researched and chose a few moments or events.

1. AW's 90 Minute Expansion
This shook up the lineup, an forced The Doctors into the 12:30 pm timeslot. Once SFT joined the lineup, The Doctors was pushed to 12:00, and dropped off many affiliates due to them wanting that time slot for local news. AW was already in ratings decline, but the 90 minute expansion definitely drove them down to the bottom of the pack, where it remained for the remaining 20 years of its run.

2. Texas
The show Texas is also a factor IMO. It was a new soap being put up against powerhouse GH, and a still strongly-rated GL. The show was also criticized in turning Beverly McKinsey's character Iris Cory into a heroine. The network should have stuck with AW in the 3:00 pm timeslot.

3. Letting affiliates do whatever the hell they want!
By the mid 90's, NBC had just cancelled SB, and was down to just AW and DAYS, both shows were in ratings trouble. JER came in and turned DAYS around completely and skyrocketed to #2 in the ratings. AW hardly benefitted from this, as some affiliates either aired AW in different slots or didn't air it at all. Had NBC demanded the affiliates to do so, or work out that problem, AW could have had a similar ratings reneissance.

4. Not taking newer soaps seriously
I do applaud NBC for trying with SuBe and Passions, but these shows were farces and were never taken seriously. I understand they had their own identity and what not, but a little more traditional soap moments and less over the top stuff could have helped tremedously.

5. AW/SuBe cancelled in same year
The final and ultimate blow to NBC daytime, was the cancellation of AW and SuBe in 1999. NBC Daytime pretty much bowed out of the soap game that year. Between all the cancellation rumors surrounding DAYS, and what happened to Passions showed that they really didn't care. SuBe should have gotten the axe before AW. NBC should have seriously tested a DAYS/AW/Passions lineup, and at least tried to get affiliates on board. NBC went out of their way to make sure Passions aired after DAYS in most markets, why couldn't they have done that with AW?

To sum it up, those are the reasons IMO why NBC Daytime has never recoverd the large amount of viewers they lost in the late 70's. DAYS has pretty much carried NBC Daytime on its back for the past 30 years, and had NBC (and P&G) actually tried with AW they show could have lasted longer. (Hell, it could still be on today.) While I was/always will be a fan of Passions, it was a mistake to cancel AW for it. It was inevitable that NBC wanted JER to have his own soap, so at least SuBe could have bit the bullet. Maybe if NBC showed any effort, DAYS wouldn't have to be the lone soap on the network. :(

:laugh: This is what my random thought about DAYS this afternoon turned into.
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darraholic
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Stupid management. A Days/Santa Barbara/Another World/Sunset Beach lineup would be amazing.
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morlock sevigny


All the above were factors along with the story decisions made-the lack of continuity and respect of the history at AW.The slow elimination of the Hortons on Days.Without an overall vision the shows lost their identity and instead we had the yearly'plan to save Days' and the constant writer turnover that ultimately destroyed AW.
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cassie1013


90 minutes? LOL!!!! Who would watch a soap for 90 minutes??! That is insane.

Interesting stuff. I obviously can't relate to most of it because, well, I wasn't born but another thing is with all the inconsistency at DAYS over the years, it seemed to be the one soap, other than Passions, that has always held a fairly young demo (in addition to more traditional/older soap viewers). If anyone under 25 watches a soap, or has watched a soap, 10 bucks it'll have been Days.

Ironically, I think NBC is in the best position with the one soap. They don't have to lure viewers into watching some sort of lineup. I think with soaps on their way out, people still want to watch, but not like the "good ol' days" of a 2-3 hour block - no one has time anymore. Having just the one has enormous strengths and potential for garnering and growing viewership, which they've proven is possible. They can also leverage other marketing opportunities, such as social media branding etc, by solely focusing one ONE brand vs. say, the three ABC daytime has going. And on the business end, profitability is key, too.
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Sindacco
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cassie1013
Jan 29 2010, 06:38 AM
Ironically, I think NBC is in the best position with the one soap. They don't have to lure viewers into watching some sort of lineup. I think with soaps on their way out, people still want to watch, but not like the "good ol' days" of a 2-3 hour block - no one has time anymore. Having just the one has enormous strengths and potential for garnering and growing viewership, which they've proven is possible. They can also leverage other marketing opportunities, such as social media branding etc, by solely focusing one ONE brand vs. say, the three ABC daytime has going. And on the business end, profitability is key, too.
I completely agree with this. I will never understand all the talk about "soap lineup". Over at SON people always talk about it and the death of soaps every week there is a new ratings thread. It's so stupid, I have said this before, if a show can't stand on it's own it shouldn't be on the air in the first place. Days has proven now that they can stand on their own, they don't need other soaps as a "backup" to lure those viewers in.
Edited by Sindacco, Jan 29 2010, 07:06 AM.
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danfling


Are you sure that the expansion to 90 minutes for Another World forced The Doctors into a new time slot?

I recall that the ninety-minute version of Another World took up the old timeslots of Another World, How to Survive a Marriage, and Somerset.
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Eric83
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"Relax nobody's having sex.... at least not yet"

danfling
Feb 23 2010, 05:13 PM
Are you sure that the expansion to 90 minutes for Another World forced The Doctors into a new time slot?

I recall that the ninety-minute version of Another World took up the old timeslots of Another World, How to Survive a Marriage, and Somerset.
Yes I am sure. Before the 90 minute expansion the schedule was like this:
1:30 Days of our Lives
2:30 The Doctors
3:00 Another World

Those were the only NBC soaps at the time. When AW expanded it moved to 2:30, Days moved to 1, and TD at 2. Once Texas came on, The Doctors was moved to 12:30, and then to 12 when NBC picked up Search for Tomorrow. Since the noon timeslot is usually for news, many affiliates dropped and the show died. It was all set in motion by the 90 minute expansion.
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alphanguy
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I have always maintained that the 60 minute format is the problem wiht soaps, always has been. in this day and age, it's too much of a time commitment. I saw my mother go from waching 3 soaps in 1974, to just one by 1984. Once her favorite, Y&R, went to 60 mintues, she dropped SFT and The Doctors like a hot potato.
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Southofsoap
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Even if it had done things right, it would be where it is today - a one soap network (whether that soap would be Days, AW or Doctors is debateable...). CBS and ABC didnt make the same critical errors regarding scheduling and show length and yet they are heading to 2 show networks very soon, eventually down to 1 show each...

I agree with others that soaps might actually survive if they switched to the 30 minute format again, especially on-line.
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