Every few months, soap fans work themselves into a major lather over this plotline or that casting decision, and this week they’re focused on a doozy of a twist, one worthy of a soap plot itself.
Earlier this week, “Days of Our Lives,” the only daytime soap that has not seen its ratings tumble among key demos this season, fired its two stars, Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, both of whom have been with the show more than two decades.
Their characters' on-and-off love story has been at the center of the fictional town of Salem for years, and one blogger compared their firings to axing Bill Cosby from “The Cosby Show.”
NBC promises the estranged couple will be reunited before their January exits, but that’s a small comfort to angry fans, who have posted thousands of protests on messageboards.
"'Days of Our Lives' has decided to rest the characters of 'John Black' and 'Marlena Evans,'" the network said in a statement. "After a year of separation, 'John' and 'Marlena' will finally reunite before exiting the canvas in early 2009."
Hall, who has played Marlena since 1976, has had some of daytime’s zaniest storylines in that time, perhaps the two most infamous being her possession by Satan and serial killer phase, though it turned out her victims were alive and well and living on an island. Like every good soap character, she’s also died and come back to life.
The firings came just days after NBC renewed “Days” through 2010, a decision that surprised and delighted fans. NBC has been paring down its daytime soaps, canceling “Passions” last year to make room for a fourth hour of “Today.”
Many expected the network to dump “Days” as well, since it’s the network’s lone remaining soap. But NBC issued the renewal on the condition of severe budget cuts, and the high-salaried Hall and Hogestyn likely won’t be the last casualties.
“If DOOL continue to replace popular actors with other unknown actors. They might as well cancel the show. Enough already!!!,” writes one poster on the official “Days” site’s forum.
“I have watched the show for forty-two years and there were several other times I wanted to stop watching. Every camel has a final straw,” threatens another. “There are plenty of other things I can do during that daily hour!”
Still, NBC has to take comfort in the fact that fans remain so engaged and interested in the show that they’d react this way. While numbers for every other soap on television have dipped this season among women 18-49 and 25-54, “Days” has held steady, according to Nielsen data analyzed by NBC.
“Days” is tied for No. 3 this season in daytime among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating, and it’s averaging a 1.5 among women 25-54.
By comparison, ABC’s “General Hospital,” which ranks tops in those demos, is down 6 and 10 percent. Other shows are off even more.
***
Meanwhile, in daypart ratings for the week ended Nov. 9, CBS had the largest full daytime audience, averaging 3.37 million viewers, but was third among women 18-49 with a 1.1 rating. ABC had the second-largest audience, averaging 3.25 million viewers, but was first among women 18-49 with a 1.4 rating. NBC had a full daytime audience of 2.69 million and was second among women 18-49 with a 1.3 rating.
NBC’s “Meet the Press” was first among the Sunday morning shows in total viewers with 4.49 million tuning in, and among viewers 25-54 with a 1.3 rating. ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” was second in viewers with 3.98 million and among 25-54s with a 1.2, with CBS’s “Face the Nation” pulling 3.16 million viewers and a 0.8 among 25-54s. “Fox News Sunday” averaged 1.45 million viewers and a 0.4 rating among 25-54s.
In late night, ABC’s “Nightline” was first for the week, averaging 5.7 million total viewers and a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49. NBC’s “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” had 4.8 million viewers and a 1.3 rating in the demo, with CBS’s “The Late Show with David Letterman” pulling 3.9 million viewers and a 1.2. In late-late night, NBC’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” had 1.9 million total viewers and a 0.8 in 18-49s, with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” averaging 1.9 million viewers and a 0.7 in 18-49s. CBS’s “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson” also averaged 1.9 million viewers and a 0.7, and NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly” brought in 1.1 million viewers and a 0.5 among 18-49s (with a Friday rerun).
In morning shows, NBC’s “Today” was first with 5.95 million total viewers and a 4.5 household rating and 15 share, followed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” with 4.85 million viewers and a 3.7/12. CBS’s “Early Show” was third with 3.07 million total viewers and a 2.3/7.
In evening network news for the week ended Nov. 16, NBC’s “Nightly News with Brian Williams” was first among total viewers, averaging 9.3 million, and among 25-54s with a 2.4 average rating. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” was second in viewers, averaging 8.9 million, and in 25-54s with a 2.3 rating, while CBS’s “Evening News with Katie Couric” was third for the week with 6.66 million total viewers and a 1.6 25-54 rating.
|
SUNDAY MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week ending November 9, 2008
Sunday averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
|
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Adults 25-54 |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Meet the Press |
NBC |
3.2 |
9 |
1.3 |
4.485 |
|
This Week With George Stephanopoulos |
ABC |
2.8 |
8 |
1.2 |
3.977 |
|
Face the Nation |
CBS |
2.2 |
6 |
0.8
|
3.155 |
|
News Sunday |
Fox |
1.0 |
3 |
0.4 |
1.449 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
LATE-NIGHT RATINGS
Week Ending November 9, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
People 2+ |
Adults 18-49 |
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Rtg% |
|
Nightline |
ABC |
5.7 |
1.8 |
|
Tonight Show with Jay Leno |
NBC |
4.8 |
1.3 |
|
Late Show with David Letterman |
CBS |
3.9 |
1.2 |
|
Late Night with Conan O’Brien |
NBC |
1.9 |
0.8 |
|
Jimmy Kimmel Live |
ABC |
1.9 |
0.7 |
|
The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson |
CBS |
1.9 |
0.7 |
|
Last Call with
Carson Daly* |
NBC |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
All shows except “Nightline” were preempted on Election Day
* Encore on Friday
Source: NTI
|
|
MORNING SHOW RATINGS
Week Ending November 9, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
Households |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Shr |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
Today |
NBC |
4.5 |
15 |
5.95 |
|
Good Morning
America |
ABC |
3.7 |
12 |
4.85 |
|
Early Show |
CBS |
2.3 |
7 |
3.07 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
DAYTIME RATINGS
Week Ending November 9, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
|
Total viewers (millions) |
Women 18-49 |
|
Network |
(millions) |
Rtg% |
|
CBS |
3.37 |
1.1 |
|
ABC |
3.25 |
1.4 |
|
NBC |
2.69 |
1.3 |
|
Source: NTI |
|
EVENING NETWORK NEWS RATINGS
Week Ending November 16, 2008
Five-day averages |
|
Program |
Network |
25-54s |
People 2+ |
|
Rtg% |
Total viewers (millions) |
|
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams |
NBC |
2.4 |
9.295 |
|
ABC World News with Charles Gibson |
ABC |
2.3 |
8.901 |
|
CBS Evening News with Katie Couric |
CBS |
1.6 |
6.660 |
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
|
SYNDICATION
Ranked on Households
Week Ending November 9, 2008
|
|
# |
PROGRAMS |
Syndicator |
Households |
|
US
Rtg% |
(000) |
|
1
|
ESPN NFL REGULAR SEASON
|
ESP
|
9.1
|
10415
|
|
2
|
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
|
CTD
|
6.9
|
7860
|
|
3
|
OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
|
CTD
|
5.9
|
6804
|
|
4
|
JEOPARDY
|
CTD
|
5.6
|
6356
|
|
5
|
TWO-HALF MEN-SYN (AT)
|
WB
|
5.0
|
5691
|
|
6
|
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT(AT)
|
CTD
|
4.4
|
5024
|
|
7
|
JUDGE JUDY (AT)
|
CTD
|
4.3
|
4886
|
|
8
|
FAMILY GUY-MF-SYN (AT)
|
2/T
|
4.0
|
4617
|
|
9
|
DR. PHIL SHOW (AT)
|
CTD
|
3.6
|
4125
|
|
9
|
CSI NEW YORK-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.6
|
4096
|
|
11
|
SEINFELD (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.4
|
3873
|
|
12
|
LAW & ORDER:SVU-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
3.3
|
3767
|
|
13
|
SEINFELD-WKND (AT)
|
SPT
|
3.2
|
3631
|
|
14
|
EVRY LVS RAYMOND-SYN(AT)
|
CTD
|
3.0
|
3472
|
|
15
|
LEGEND OF THE SEEKER
|
DAD
|
2.9
|
3362
|
|
16
|
INSIDE EDITION (AT)
|
CTD
|
2.8
|
3262
|
|
16
|
GEORGE LOPEZ (AT)
|
WB
|
2.8
|
3191
|
|
18
|
LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY
|
DAD
|
2.7
|
3129
|
|
18
|
GEORGE LOPEZ WKND A (AT)
|
WB
|
2.7
|
3079
|
|
20
|
FRIENDS (AT)
|
WB
|
2.6
|
2952
|
|
20
|
2008 NFL REG SEASON GAMES
|
ESP
|
2.6
|
2939
|
|
22
|
TWO-HALF MEN WKND B (AT)
|
WB
|
2.5
|
2914
|
|
22
|
MILLIONAIRE (AT)
|
DAD
|
2.5
|
2875
|
|
22
|
HOUSE-SYN (AT)
|
NBU
|
2.5
|
2856
|
|
25
|
ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW
|
WB
|
2.4
|
2759
|
|
Source: Nielsen Media Research |
