Soap operas once dominated daytime television. From mid-morning until late afternoon, women and men could sit in front of the television set and watch their stories. All of that changed when several were canceled. "As the World Turns," "All My Children," "Guiding Light," and "One Life to Live" were just a few that have gone by the wayside. Right now, there are four Soaps left and two of them are seeing a steady decline in ratings.
Which soaps are in danger?
According to Soap Hub, "General Hospital" and "Days Of Our Lives" are seeing declining ratings, even in the midst of May sweeps.
While this isn't exactly surprising given the storylines that are currently airing, it is disheartening for fans who have watched their whole lives. Several fans have been voicing their concerns for both soaps across social media for quite some time. Ironically, the previous head writer for "General Hospital" is currently at "Days of Our Lives." If these two were listed in order from worst to best, "General Hospital" would beat out "Days of Our Lives" because while the ratings are down, they have not surpassed the show's all-time low.
CBS is relishing in delight over the two soaps that air on the network. "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful" are both scraping by with ratings.
The latter is actually up in ratings, which has shocked some because of the Spectra storyline reboot. Right now, there isn't too much worry about the future of either soap, at least not until CBS rivals "General Hospital" and "Days of Our Lives" go under.
Writers need to listen to the fans
The fans are the only thing that keeps the soaps going.
People who have invested years of their lives devoted to watching their favorite show can offer some of the best advice. "General Hospital" fans have been complaining about the show being focused solely on Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), "Days of Our Lives" fans are confused with the constant bouncing in and out of actors, "The Young and the Restless" fans are over the Adam fascination, and "The Bold and the Beautiful" fans were iffy about the Spectra storyline.
Perhaps if the writers catered to the feedback they receive, the ratings would increase.
Right now, there have been no official statements from ABC, CBS, or NBC regarding the future of the soaps. Fans are a bit worried about what is to come, especially if May sweeps isn't bringing in the numbers needed to get through another year.
