TMC
04-26-2011, 04:37 PM
http://www.tvguide.com/News/Biz-ABC-Soaps-1032246.aspx
Ratings for the soaps took their first major hit in 1995, when several cable networks provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. The stunning real-life drama captured the attention of daytime viewers and broke the soap habit for many of them. The numbers have drifted downward ever since.
The current generation of young TV viewers who want the emotional involvement that a soap provides is getting it from reality shows. Listen to the office chatter the day after Bravo airs a new episode of The Real Housewives franchise and you'll notice it doesn't sound much different than your grandmother prattling on about her "stories" back in the day. Networks such as The CW and ABC Family have aggressively programmed to young women with serialized dramas.
For years, the soap-opera business depended on mother-to-daughter "mentoring" to replenish its audience: Teenage and college-age women who watch soaps with their mothers after school or during the summer months eventually get hooked themselves. That worked when there wasn't much else on to watch. Now there are not only more channels, but also viewers can play back their favorite prime-time shows from the night before on their DVRs.
Ratings for the soaps took their first major hit in 1995, when several cable networks provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial. The stunning real-life drama captured the attention of daytime viewers and broke the soap habit for many of them. The numbers have drifted downward ever since.
The current generation of young TV viewers who want the emotional involvement that a soap provides is getting it from reality shows. Listen to the office chatter the day after Bravo airs a new episode of The Real Housewives franchise and you'll notice it doesn't sound much different than your grandmother prattling on about her "stories" back in the day. Networks such as The CW and ABC Family have aggressively programmed to young women with serialized dramas.
For years, the soap-opera business depended on mother-to-daughter "mentoring" to replenish its audience: Teenage and college-age women who watch soaps with their mothers after school or during the summer months eventually get hooked themselves. That worked when there wasn't much else on to watch. Now there are not only more channels, but also viewers can play back their favorite prime-time shows from the night before on their DVRs.