There has been a lot of talk this weekend about all four daytime soap operas falling among total viewers the week of March 5-9 (Source: Soap Opera Network), but it's important to remember, the networks, nor Mad Ave. really care about total viewers — its the demos they're concerned about.

 ABC Daytime's General Hospital managed to hold steady in households, women 18-49 and W18-34. The fact that GH is pulling in a solid 1.0 in W18-49, while The Revolution only managed a 0.5 the week in question is the real story. The Mouse House needs to admit they effed up with The Revolution and give that timeslot to GH, STAT!

In story, Sonny (Maurice Benard) vs. Todd (Roger Howarth) kicked off in a major way, as the One Life to Live supervillain learned from his devastated daughter Starr (Kristen Alderson) that a man named Sonny COR-in-thos was supposedly responsible for Cole (Van Huighes) and  Hope's deaths.
 

  READ MORE

Boy oh boy is All My Children continuing to prove ABC Daytime bet on the wrong horse when they decided to move it out West instead of One Life to Live. AMC was the only soap to lose total viewers the week of Nov. 8-12, 2010.  (Source: Soap Opera Network).

The Julie Hanan Caruthers-helmed sudser was also the only soap to fall in households, dropping one-tenth of a ratings point. AMC was dead last in all the major demos.  READ MORE

One Life to Live had a very good third quarter on SOAPnet.  ABC's best written soap posted double-digit gains over the previous year's ratings, enjoyed the most total viewers of all three soaps and beat All My Children and General Hospital among Women 18-49, making it the largest quarterly audience for the series on record. 

• Garnering double-digit percent gains over year-ago levels, “One Life to Live” (M-F, 9:00 – 10:00 p.m.) registered the series’ largest quarterly audience on record on SOAPnet in Total Viewers (480,000) and Women 18-49 (186,000), increasing by a respective 39% (vs. 349,000) and 50% (vs. 124,000).
• All My Children” (M-F, 8:00 – 9:00 p.m.) posted robust year-to-year increases, up by 31% in Total Viewers (477,000 vs. 365,000) and by 57% in Women 18-49 (184,000 vs. 117,000) over 3Q08 deliveries.
• General Hospital” (M-F, 10:00 – 11:00 p.m.) garnered hefty gains over year-ago levels, increasing by 10% in Total Viewers (454,000 vs. 413,000) and by 23% in Women 18-49 (174,000 vs. 142,000).

Watch One Life to Live on ABC and SOAPnet!

Daytime Emmy executive producer Jim Romanovich weighed in on Broadcasting & Cable's story on the Daytime Emmys ratings to We Love Soaps' Roger Newcomb.

People should know that Broadcasting & Cable, a reputable trade magazine, counted the one hour red carpet show, which was NOT in prime time, as part of the awards ceremony. We actually did over a 2 HH rating and closer to 2.8 or more million viewers. Here’s what Nielsen said as far as the CW was concerned: READ MORE

Vs. CW's prior 4-week time period average (movies), the Daytime Emmy Awards telecast up +81% in total viewers, +122% in HH, +50% in W18-49, +57% in W25-54, +20% in W18-34, +20% in A18-49, +17% in A25-54 and +25% in A18-34.

 

Several daytime soap opera executives are shooting off firecrackers this weekend over Nielsen ratings leading up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend. (Source: Soap Opera Network) ABC's All My Children gained the most total viewers for the week, adding 266,000 people. AMC added one-tenth of a ratings point in households and a whopping two-tenths of a ratings point among women 18-49. Hmm, maybe fans actually are tuning in for the Who Killed Stuart? debauchery? AMC's gains weren't enough for it to be named The Mouse House's top show of the week, however. That honor went to One Life to Live, which added 173,000 total viewers. OLTL went up one-tenth of a ratings point in households and held steady among women 18-49.  The Kishtastic soap is tied for third place in households with DAYS and holds the number 3 slot outright among total viewers (Hooty Hoo!) ABC Daytime's former crown soap General Hospital added 84,000 new viewers over the week, but is still the lineup's least watched soap. GH went up one-tenth of a point in both households and women 18-49. READ MORE

The week of May 4-8, 2009 was a good one for some daytime dramas, others...not so much. According to the Nielsen Ratings (posted by our friends at Soap Opera Network), the best soap opera in the game, The Young and the Restless added 61,000 total viewers over the previous week, and also jumped up two-tenths of a point in households. Y&R also added one-tenth of a point among the coveted Women 18-49 demographic. The Maria Arena Bell-helmed sudser is up an impressive 214,000 total viewers (more than any other soap) over this time last year, and is up two-tenths of a point in households year-to-date. Go 'head Auntie Maria! I can't wait to see what the ratings will look like once word spreads that Thom Bierdz is back!  READ MORE