Report of death of prime-time soaps greatly exaggerated
NEW YORK Reports of the death of the prime-time soap opera appear greatly exaggerated. Although the number of sex driven serials has dipped slightly and next season won't bring any new ones, the current crop appears sturdy. They re not dying, they re just declining, said John Sisk of J Walter Thompson. The four serial hits are Dynasty Dallas Knots Landing and Falcon Crest on ABC and CBS. Dynasty slipped from No 1 to seventh for 1985 86 Dallas fell from second to sixth Falcon Crest dropped to 19th Knots Landing held at 14th. CBS president B Donald Grant said the serial has peaked and is on the way out. CBS ABC have no serials in development.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
New York
John Sisk
J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency
Dynasty
ABC
Dallas
Knots Landing
Falcon Crest
CBS
B. Donald Grant
CBS Entertainment
Luke
Laura
General Hospital
Poltrack
Soap Clones Struggle as Dynasty Style Loses Ground
NBC's John Darling notes no hit since 1981 while ABC's The Colbys remains the only new soap this season. Dynasty like shows show slow audience build, with 8 percent of viewers watching all four weeks of a serial and 25 percent staying through a four week stretch. Poltrack says Dynasty lost 2 percent of core viewers but Dallas gained regulars while incidental viewers dropped 7 percent, signaling no sharp decline and possible plot driven fluctuations.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sisk
Dave Poltrack
CBS
Dynasty
Dallas
Patrick Duffy
Soap operas face hit to reruns and evolving audience
Brandon Stoddard says Dynasty will refocus on Joan Collins and Linda Evans amid concerns for future soaps. Poltrack notes drops in reruns and rising costs, with competition from video and scheduling that limits weekly tune-in.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Brandon Stoddard
ABC Entertainment
Dynasty
Moldavia
Joan Collins
Linda Evans
NBC sees comedies rise as top TV form in ratings shift
Batiuk and Shamray note splashy TV movies and miniseries draw viewers away from habit-forming nights. NBC research VP Gerald Jaffe says comedies dominate, with Cosby Show and its successors Family Ties Cheers Night Court leading the Top 10 alongside Golden Girls Kate & Allie Newhart and Who's the Boss? as signs the genre revived after 1984.
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NBC
Gerald Jaffe
Cosby
Jed
CBS
ABC
TV Highlights Evening Schedule Preview
A dense list of scheduled programs across networks with films featuring Debbie Reynolds, James Garner, Shirley MacLaine, Jason Connery, Meryl Streep, and others. Includes documentaries, dramas, and cartoons with times from 6 P.M. to 11:30 P.M. plus news, interviews, and special segments featuring Tony Brown and Carson.
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Cinemax
Debbie Reynolds
James Garner
Europe
TMC
Harry
Edmund Gwenn
Shirley MacLaine
Nightly Movie Mix Listings 1980s Hits and Classics
A cluttered TV guide lists multiple cinema entries across networks with titles such as Love Letters Camelot The Stalking Moon and The Breakfast Club, plus Remember When and King David. Casts include Jamie Lee Curtis Richard Harris Romy Schneider and Robert Wagner among others.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Richard Harris
Romy Schneider
Showtime
King David
Richard Gere
Edward Woodward
David
Israel
HBO
Albert Finney
Tom Courtenay
King Lear
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