While daytime ratings are down across the board and there is no doubt that ATWT has been bleeding viewers left and right just as ABC is getting its act back together, I got a hold of some information that some may find interesting.

I already knew that ATWT skewed much older than the daytime advertising community would like as reflected in the fact that even when it was up in total viewers the show was next the last in reeling in women in the prized 18-34 and/or 18-49 categories. I also knew that they measured girls in the 12-17 category and I correctly assumed that ATWT would do badly in the demographic group as this week it came in second to last. Interestingly enough Y&R, which has ben on top of the heap for like 100 years when it comes to total viewers, was the only show to worse than ATWT when it comes to reeling in the the little girls who showrunners hope will be tomorrows buyers of prescriptions for Abilify and the like.

What I did not know was that they actually measure the number of men watching these shows. I was surprised to see that ATWT seems to be reeling in the men as the the chart below. I would be really interested to find out if this number was affected in a positive way during the marketing of the Nuke era as there may be a story there.

Being the numbers freak that I am, I finally got a chance to answer my question about what proportion of the audience is made up by men. Disregarding any boys in the 12-17 category as these numbers were not made available, my calculations indicate that males makes up approximately 21% of  ATWT's total audience. That percentage is much higher than I would have guessed. The percentage for Y&R is 25%. All this of course makes me wonder what percentage of the male audience is gay, but all this is giving me a head-ache so I'll leave it in your hands.

Men 18+ Viewers
1. Y&R 1,176,000 (-22,000/-189,000)
2. B&B 805,000 (-26,000/-95,000)
3. ATWT 554,000 (+25,000/-67,000)
4. GH 533,000 (+91,000/-96,000)
5. AMC 483,000 (+12,000/-119,000)
6. OLTL 475,000 (+61,000/-111,000)
7. GL 456,000 (-11,000/-74,000)
8. DAYS 449,000 (-59,000/-31,000) 

Girls 12-17 Viewers
1. OLTL 54,000 (+24,000/+4,000)
2. GH 44,000 (+13,000/-17,000)
3. B&B 40,000 (+12,000/-37,000)
4. AMC 38,000 (+3,000/-18,000)
5. DAYS 37,000 (same/-25,000)
6. GL 34,000 (same/-20,000)
7. ATWT 30,000 (-1,000/-23,000)
8. Y&R 25,000 (-4,000/-93,000)

Women 18-34 Rating
1. Y&R 1.0/7 (same/same)
1. GH 1.0/7 (same/-.2)
1. OLTL 1.0/6 (same/-.1)
4. DAYS 0.9/5 (-.2/-.5)
5. B&B 0.8/5 (+.1/+.1)
5. AMC 0.8/5 (same/-.2)
7. ATWT 0.6/4 (+.1/same)
8. GL 0.4/3 (same/-.2)

 

Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture.

http://springintoaction.typepad.com

ABC has taken major steps to improve their ratings, especially AMC and OLTL, both of whom who hired new writers, spent money on lavish new sets and forked over the cash to bring in old favorites to bring back lost viewers. Most importantly, both shows are winning viewers with solid writing and compelling stories. The improved ratings speak for themselves. Both Y&R and GL have recently revamped their writing teams so it remains to be seen if that will help their falling numbers. ATWT, on the other hand, lost a slew of popular players (some left of their own accord, others were fired) and put the popular couples they had left in stories the audience just hated from the get go. Plus, they introduced a bunch of new characters and put them on the front burner immediately while beloved characters went looking for airtime. And the writers made bad decision after bad decision. Do you really break up your money couple (Carly and Jack) after the audience has waited 2 years for a reunion and put Carly in an utterly implausible romance with Holden, a relationship that causes both 30-something characters to act like high school kids with a crush? Was it a good idea to take Brad and Katie, who were unexpected gold for the show and drain all the spark and fun out of their funny and sexy relationship by immediately bringing on an pushy old girlfriend and bratty teen daugther, who get more airtime that the couple themselves? And whoever thought taking one of the most talked about and popular couples in years for the show (Luke and Noah, of course) and putting them in the most horrendous ATWT stories since Gwen's double should be taken out and shot. The show is doing the right thing by dumping two of it's most hated newbies (Sofie and Ameera) and inserting the couples they threatened to ruin (Paul and Meg/Luke and Noah) in new storylines. Let's hope those new stories are better. Still though the show really needs to do what nearly all the soaps have done in the past several months when the ratings fell: get new writers. That's the only real solution because the current ones seem hellbent on giving us more of what we already don't want.

You centered part of your post in one of CG/JP's most striking weaknesses as they keep bringing in new characters who usurp old core characters over and over again no matter what the viewer response to these characters is. Some like Gwen were inteded for a short stay, and they were smart enough to keep then went back to that well so often that she couldnot leave to soon for me. Matt seemed to be a Gwen but we'll never know as that is the exception as CG seems keen on trying to convince the audience that his decisions are brilliant no matter how much feedback he gets that people don't agree. After refusing to let Sofie go a month into her reign of boredom, he upped the ante by trying to hook her up with every man but Dr. Bob.

I get the impression that Chris Goutman feels entitled to do as he pleases and that he must feel strongly that P&G will back him up no matter what. In situations of this magnitude his head would have rolled long ago as he's botched up too many personnel issues, casting choices, and in his expanded role as de facto co-head writer. Maybe P&G can save face by replacing Passanante and hiring a new head-writer who will have sole control over story direction. Goutman could focus on running the show's million details, repairing relationships with the cast, and continuing do what is a hard job. He's had many successes and can have many more if true new blood in brought in to come up with good concepts while and focusing on the words/scenes that will serve as their daily product.

If P&G wants to save even more money they could fire the entire writing team and a technician who's written a couple of cheesy Harlequin romances and let that person go nuts with all this "creative writing" software that spits out stories. I am not kidding :-)

Guillermo's Media Guillotine: Entertainment, journalism, politics, and popular culture.

http://springintoaction.typepad.com

The production style has now placed such a strange importance on the short amount of time that a plot-point needs in order to make the point understandalbe, that even the line writers, who were brilliant before the strike, are unable to save important moments and make the story accessible to the audience.

Passanante and Goutman's story arcs are ridiculous and consistently fail to deliver, by that I mean they don't arc like a fireworks rocket but sit on the ground like a fizzler. They are the masters of fizzle.

I can't determine if it this is the fault of P&GP or P&G proper, considering that P&G had their fingers in the Nuke kissing ban; I find it hard to believe that a new production team could lead ATWT better than Goutman. What ATWT needs is a new board of directors at P&G, before the writers at ATWT are allowed to write a decent script.

Goutman seems to be an arrogant fool, but I believe he reflects the people above him. So would his replacement.

I doubt that any competent writer would want to risk working with the show under the current conditions. The thing is that the show is cheep advertising for the P&G brand, and nothing more. I give Goutman and Passanante tons of credit for introducing the Luke coming out story-line but at the same time I want to revile them for exploiting the Nuke story-line. It's like one of those emission credits that factories try to negotiant. Clean air one week means you can pollute the next.

P&G have got to loosen up controls before there is any improvement in the show. Right now it's a show that has quick cut flashy editing, which isn't working for me but looks great on paper, (believe me the board at P&G don't watch the show, they only look at the stats, and listen to whatever the producers are pitching this week in order to keep their jobs.) Right now it is a plot driven show that sacrifices characterization at every turn. The problem isn't that they keep losing great actors, it's that those rolls could be played by a scarecrow. The problem is not that ATWT has to compete with other soaps or other forms of entertainment for day time or compete for desirable demographics. The problem is that ATWT has to compete with other advertising venues for P&G's advertising dollars, WHILE still retaining the integrity of the P&G brand.

At one point P&G will look at ATWT as a loss leader and that will be a good thing for the show. I expect that Goutman is hunkering down for that moment. Once it is obvious that the board of P&G have gotten everything they can get out of the show they will start to look at it's physical assets including contracts. At that point they will either sell the show or release it to a private production company where they just own a share but don't control. If that happens the show might blossom once again for the fans.

There is a loyal fan base, a stable of some incredible actors and (now) streamlined production. I hear folks here complain about the misuse of the raw materials, like not using their best actors and historical relationships. I feel like I could headwrite ATWT, with the current materials, and my story-line would become iconic. (Don't we all secretly feel that way? Well, for some it isnt' that big a secret) As soon as the majority of viewers stop caring, like I have, then the show will lose everything. Perhaps then, and only then, P&G will let it go. If you are a dedicated fan of ATWT, that seems like your only hope. If you're a long time fian of ATWT, I suggest you switch channels, watch from the sidelines and come back after they reserect the show.

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