Critics Agree, One Life to Live Was 2009's Best Soap Opera!

 I completely agree that OLTL is the best soap left on television and it frustrates me to no end that the ratings don't reflect this.  Without a "box"  know I can't influence the ratings so, even thought OLTL is usually the show I watch as close to airtime as possible, I have begun making a point of going to Hulu or ABC.com to play the most recent episode of OLTL -- the internet "views" is one place I can be counted.  Deep down I know it won't make a difference since Frons has it in for the show but it makes me feel like I am doing something...

TV advertisers don't care about watching the show on Hulu or abc.com or YouTube.  If you're not watching their commercials, they aren't interested in what any of us thinks about the show we watch between the commercial breaks.

2009 was the year I gave up on AMC after 30 years of steady watching, and I haven't watched GH in a few years.  I was ready to give up on soaps this past year, but I could not tear myself away from OLTL.  It's fun, it's funny, it's dramatically compelling.  It gives me everything I want in an hour of entertainment.  I'm glad to see it get so much critical praise, because that may be enough to give advertisers and network promoters to wonder why the viewers aren't tuning in. 

I think soaps in general are doomed, but if OLTL is the next soap to go, that would be a shame.

OLTL has always been my favorite ABC soap except maybe in 1983 when Luke & Laura reigned supreme!
Now, if only this show would bring back Roger Howarth, that's all it is missing!

I'm not sure if the critics are watching a different verison of OLTL then I watch every day but it is definitely NOT the best soap on ABC or on the air in my opinioin.  It's certainly better then AMC, almost anything is but it's not all that great.  Sometimes I am totally bored and I'm never concerned about missing a day.

I'm an avid GH fan and to me GH is the best show on ABC and on the air!  It's the one soap that I won't miss a day of even if I have to tape it or watch it later on Soapnet.  But I never miss a day!

I don't know how the numbers of each show are determined but I totally disagree with them.  I know they don't count those of us who tape shows to watch later or who watch them on Soapnet or on the internet.  I think a better system needs to be created because the current one clearly does not reflect the technological times or the true status of each soap!

I don't think OLTL is the best soap of 2009. I don't see what everyone is gushing about and I most likely never will. I do agree that AMC was the worst soap of '09.  I stopped watching, it was just to painful to see it at times. Well, for me anyway. But yet AMC still has better ratings and I don't know why.

I think DOOL was the best soap of 2009, JMO of course.

AMC was pretty horrible, I agree at it being the worst. But it maintained it's ratings and remained to be buzz worthy throughout the whole year.

GH, most disappointing.

I don't watch OLTL, so I can't judge much. But it's ratings definitely do not reflect it being the Best Soap on television. Maybe it is, but the ratings haven't shown that at all :\.

I just asked this on another thread.  Is it possible that the soap ratings reflect more their time slot during the day rather then just their storylines?  I know they don't count those of us who tape the shows to watch later or those of us who watch on Soapnet or the internet.  The ratings system is clearly outdated in my opinion!
 

I noticed all the critics seem to be on a Gay fixation, while most of these shows don’t show minorities at all and the ones that do, show them every other Tuesday. OLTL has a bunch of African Americans but we see Layla and Cris every other week. Rachel is seen to prop up Bo and Nora, Destiny is there to prop up Matthew and Danielle. On Y & R (which is still the best because they have the higher ratings and apparently that is all that really matters, not a bunch of critics) the Winters family is hardly seen unless it is Lily and her Caucasian Husband. AMC probably has the strongest Black cast acting wise with Debbie Morgan and Co but you were right AMC is just tired. GH, you can’t find a minority if you wanted to especially a Black person. Days has Lexie and Abe yet they don’t do anything but support the White characters unless Lexie is cheating on Abe again (like Blacks folks don’t have other problems.) Are there any people of color on ATWT? I don’t know because you never see any. TBTB has one or two that we hardly ever see. So I am glad the see the critics are happy that Gay people are getting props on daytime. Minority groups especially Asians are not represented and while it is nice to see that White Gays are getting the respect that they deserve, how about critics focus on the other minority groups not being represented. Now I know I will be looked at as a troublemaker but this needed to be said.

Thankulord13,

I agree with you that soaps do a lousy job of featuring minorities in integrated stories. 

OLTL is the best in terms of numbers of minorities.  The people of color are integrated.  Destiny doesn't support Matthew.  She hasn't been his stereotypical friend of color.  She's been, in many ways, a younger David Vickers.  A mover and shaker with a tart, truthful tongue.

Tea Delgado has had a substantial role.  In previous years, the Vega brothers had similar heft to their story. 

Rachael and Greg's love affair was too mechanical for my tastes.  Their relationship was telegraphed from the moment Greg popped up on screen.  Their programmed romance was just too obvious.

Layla and Cristian, on the other hand, have had a more compelling road to coupledom.  Hopefully, they'll get more screen time. 

Of the soaps that I watch, OLTL  is the best.  I think the gay component is the not reason why it's the best.  The over all writing and ability to have an integrated storyline to involve all of the characters in each other's lives is the best on day time.

I think we have to consider something else, as unpopular a thing this might be to put forward:  the last two soaps to be cancelled featured gay relationships.  OLTL is circling the drain, ratings-wise.  It has to be considered. 

Soaps have always relied on middle-American for the lion's share of the ratings, and you just have to look at how little gay marriage is supported in middle-America to know a lot of people are uncomfortable with the subject.  You also won't have to look too far to find utter hatred on the blogs whenever gay issues are brought up.  It could be one of the things driving middle-America soap fans away.

I'm just putting it out there as a possibility.

I feel that daytime is racist, lets called a spade a spade.

Soaps don't celebrate different religions either.  They used to.  Nora B on OLTL used to sparingly mention her character's Jewish holidays but not any more.  I don't think any of the other characters on the ABC soaps are Jewish.  If they are they've never mentioned it and I've certainly never seen a Passover seder shown.  All we ever see is Christmas activities and sometimes Easter.

Soaps also rarely showcase heavier set women unless in minor parts like Epiphany on GH.  KB on OLTL was a beautiful exception while she lasted. 

Sadly soaps have never truly reflected the true composition of America.

I hope OLTL didn't get best hairstyling considering the rat's nest on top of Dorian's head in that picture.  Geesh, even the hair on that show is campy!

TVGord is right.  Every show that has featured a gay relationship in recent years has seen a decline in ratings and was canceled.  However, a correlation doesn't mean causation.

By both ATWT and GL had suffered ratings declines because of other factor like poor ratings or a terrible, dramatic change in production model.

It's difficult to pinpoint why OLTL's ratings have collapsed in the second half of the year.  Earlier in 2009, OLTL's ratings exceeded AMC's and GH's. 

How many viewers just don't like the Stacy/Rex/Gigi show?  How many viewers left because so many old favorite actors are no longer on screen?  Where's Lindsay or RJ? 

OLTL has done a terrible job of reaching out to minority audiences who might watch. 

Gay viewers, however, have not rewarded OLTL with higher viewership to replace viewers who might have left. 

In any case, OLTL has to fix things FAST or come late 2010 we may hear talk of its cancelation, too.

I thnk Days of Our LIves the little soap that could is the 2009's best. HOwever as Headwriter I respect and appreciate a lot of what Ron Carlivati does.  I get he likes soaps (and women) for an ABC soap

I checked that out yesterday and was amazed... from top to bottom the same shows. I had to agree with the critics... they'd get my vote!

Days has done a lot this year, I don't watch it.. maybe a clip or two when I have nothing else to do, but I am so happy that they stood up and got counted! Good Job!

I am hoping that all the websites will join the Save OLTL Band... I would really hate for it to go.  ATWT is pretty much written off, no one really rallying for it to be picked up although it was rocking in 2009. The advertisers need to wake up and smell the Online Community, that is where everything is heading and if they want to find out what and who... the web is the place to go. //Screw those little boxes attached to a choice few Tv's, that isn't the modern reality.// They can still advertise online, putting their ads up before each clip, breaking an episode down in to four parts, allowing for quick spots and then even have a button on the clips before they start that the viewers click before the episode resumes. That way they can add up the viewership and perhaps sell worldwide. I mean, really, we have the same products here in Europe, just with local names. They can leave the Tv world behind them and innovate their thinking in that they go online with the rest of the world.

Exalt the SoapSites of the world for supporting our Genre, thank you Critics for being the voice of many an uncounted fan who has little or no way of letting the Advertisers know what is REALLY what!

I think Kish has been well written. Turning the Vicki vs Dorian Mayor's race into a gay marriage rights political issue offended me more. If you are going to use your Vets then give them their own storyline.  As for Rex-Stacy-Gigi storyline, I would say that has been going on way to long. I am guessing Roscoe going to DOOL over-extended that storyline's shelve life way longer than Ron intended.

Kish has been great, but has never been anything close to a front-burner storyline, so I doubt the ratings problems can be "blamed" on anything to do with them.  There are characters on that show that make me want to throw things at the TV, but none of them are on every day (no one is, it's probably got more storylines than any other show by a longshot), so none of them make me actually want to tune out.  OLTL is a very campy show, and I think that turns some people off -- especially when it's not being promoted that way.  But soap operas in their heyday were always VERY campy, and I think it's what makes the show incredibly fun.

ABC might want to try actually promoting OLTL.

So OLTL is the best per daytime critics, and AMC was almost unanimously the worst, and which one is on the chopping block???  *sigh*  C'mon Frons, take a look at your product and make the right decision here!

All My Children has been telling prominent gay storylines for much longer than ATWT, GL or OLTL, and they are getting an all expenses paid relocation to SoCal. The decision to cancel GL happened way before Otalia. CBS made up its mind about the P&G shows years ago. As for Nuke on ATWT, when they initially got together, ratings actually spiked . Kish is relatively new on OLTL, and OLTL's ratings are basically the same (give or take a demo point or a 100,000 viewers) from the other two ABC soaps any given week, so I don't think OLTL or any other soaps having gay characters is resulting in them being cancelled. Also, "middle America" never wanted anyone on daytime but WASP's, thank God the soap writers didn't listen back then or we never would have seen Jesse and Angie, Dru, the Vegas or anyone else different from "middle America".

Yes, Jamey, I glad that they don't listen to Middle America, but it is still the same white faces on soaps and the writing is way soaps are dying.  I glad that OLTL is choose the best soap because it is and it got diversity and good writing.  But I hope that OLTL promotes itself instead of waiting for Frons because we know which soaps he loves most.  GH and AMC.

Sigh. Again, ANOTHER reason to hate Crystal Hunt. I stopped watching OLTL this past spring when she monopolized and ruined the show (for me, at least). Once she's gone, gone, gone, I'm back! But - It seems that I have missed a lotta good stuff, which is a shame. Can't be helped tho. I stick to my word.

1) I'm SO HAPPY THAT AMC WAS RANKED BY "EVERYONE" AS THE WORST SHOW ON THE DIAL!!!! AWESOME! Now, do you think those Knuckle Heads in charge know this? Or do they just expect a day or two with Haley, Maria and Brooke being back to magically fix everything?? I hate STUNTS (paging that Franco guy on GH! MEMO!! BAD, CRAPPY, SUCKTASTIC WRITING WILL NOT -- I REPEAT - WILL NOT BE FIXED WITH A GUEST 'STAR' OR LOCATION CHANGE!!! ) And if they think it will, Well, they have no respect for their viewing audience. ABC his horrific.

2) Billy Miller! Billy Miller!! LOVE HIM! The Young and the Restless's NYE episode featuring Billy Abbott was ridiculous! loved it! Watched it twice....

3) New Category, if I may? "Biggest Waste of Talent" award goes to SoapNet (or, soapnot, whichever you prefer). After sucking cable subscribers in 5-6 years ago when it was good and when they focused on actual Soaps and it's Actors (does anyone remeber "One Day with" or the Talk Show?) we are now reduced to shows about Bad Credit, a Rip Off of Real Housewives and 30+ hours a week devoted to the origional 90210 (which- don't get me wrong I loved - EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO) instead of OLTL Marathons at a reasonable hour.  Back in the day, S-N was awesome, and instead of HELPING the Genre that got them off the ground, they've slapped them in the face - HARD.

I hope the next "Soap" show (eyeroll) to leave the air is Soapnot.

(ya thought I'd say AMC, huh?? )

Whoo! At least the critcs have their heads on straight!

Y&R was biggest disappointment soap of the year.

I guess I'm in the camp that doesn't like campy, although I do like Days of Our Lives.  I've seen One Life to Live, my grandmother watches it, but I just can't get into it.  The veterans are great actors, and I'm glad to see Viki, Nora, Clint, etc. on the show, but I just don't like the whole feel of the show, or really all three of the soaps on ABC.  Days of Our Lives and Another World were always m favorites, along with The Young and the Restless.  Even while Y&R is in the crapper, like right  now, it's still interesting. I think without the likes of Katherine Chancellor, Jill, Victor, and Jack, I'd poke my eyes out watching it.  Yet another soap that Hogan Sheffer needs to leave. 

Regardless of whether you are a fan of OLTL or not, it is clear that OLTL is the best soap on TV at this moment. I do not watch DOOL, but I know that the show has been incredible this year, so kudos to them. I just started watching Y&R this year, and while I think the remainder of the P.C.III story was totally lame, I'm a total sucker for a classic "back from the dead" storyline. Y&R and OLTL are both great shows for very different reasons.

I for one don't believe that GL and ATWT were cancelled due to gay storylines.  They were/are both "dull" to a majority of soap viewers or they would be at the top of the ratings chart.  Guiding Light switching to that awful free-hand camera look didn't help either.  I know it's very offensive to fans of both to call them dull, but I believe they are to a lot of viewers.  For years, I have never heard As the World Turns or Guiding Light talked about in public, among friends or family.  It's always been General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, and The Young and the Restless, and maybe All My Children.  There just hasn't been buzz outside of the soap news world about these shows, until the Luke/Noah thing and the canceling of Guiding Light, but that's about it. Sure, As the World Turns was at the top of the ratings at one point in it's run, but so was Another World.  Another World was canceled, mostly due to factors of demographics and people coming in who, despite their best efforts, destroyed the show.  I hated the storyline with Cindy and the 300 year old guy, for example. Awful, awful, awful.  It's unfortunate for longtime and new fans alike of One Life to Live.  If another soap gets canceled in the next couple of years, I think it will be OLTL.  It's obviously becoming survival of the fittest in the soap world, and only the most popular will survive.   

I personally would love to know reasons why people think the show is so great? I clearly am not seeing it as I think the show sucks.

What about Days of Our Lives? It was great in 2009, much better than OLTL could hope to be.

It's hard to take stuff like this seriously with all the butt kissing that goes on with OLTL and RC.

I agee MadDogLane.  I don't care for One Life to Live at all.  It's great that they are doing something different and new and hip (or whatever word you'd like to use), but I just don't get the jumping up and down over it.  That being said, Days was most improved, but not the best soap.  There is no best soap.  It's like saying the guy with a C average is the best.  All the soaps have made so many mistakes, it's hard to say which one is the worst, not the best.  And with Days, this is coming from someone who counts Days as his favorite soap.  My sisters and I have watched Y&R and Days with my mom ever since I can remember, but Days always stands out in my mind as one that I have more memories of. 
And, with all due respect to everyone else on the forum, but the acting is hokey on OLTL, at least by the younger actors.  The seasoned ones like Nora, Bo, Clint, Viki, etc. are the ones I can take seriously.  The "hokeyness" might be what ABC Daytime likes, I don't know, but it's markably different from CBS soaps and the one NBC soap.  Passions is waaaaay different from OLTL, but it serves as an example of what I don't like.  I don't like campy, and I feel it makes fun of soaps in general.  Soaps are supposed to be shows that take themselves too seriously, the shows that we watched with Grandma and Mom and talked about every time we got the chance.  Different strokes for different folks though, but you won't ever find me watching Passions, Dark Shadows, or really even OLTL.  Soaps trying to be funny annoy me. 

I do think though that OLTL does the best about diverse races being on soaps.  ALL the soaps need to make changes and get rid of the non-legacy white characters and start hiring people of color.  The Hernandez family on Days could be expanded, for example.  I think Pilar from Passions and maybe A Martinez would be great as their parents.  Y&R missed the opportunity, in my opinion, to expand Rafe an Estella's family on Y&R, and they should also recast Nate Hastings and do BETTER storylines with the Winters family.  It also wouldn't hurt to bring back Olivia and Drucilla.