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18 December 7th, 2012 It’s a Milestone Week For Y&R and CBS Daytime! Soap At Number One For 24 Years!

Melody Thomas Scott and Eric Braeden

Photo Credit: Kathy Hutchins

This week has been an unprecedented week for CBS Daytime and in particular for The Young and the Restless! For 1,248 consecutive weeks, or 24 years, Y&R has been the number one daytime drama, according to the Nielsen live plus same day ratings. Y&R began its stay in the top slot way back on December 26th, 1988!

In addition, The Young and the Restless has also been #1 in women 25-54 key demo for 302 of the past 303 weeks and first in women 18-49 for 297 weeks out of the last 298!

Now as for the entire CBS Daytime lineup, it has also now been the #1 network for daytime programming for over 26 consecutive years beginning with the 1986-1987 season.

So, what do you think of Y&R’s staying power at number one? Do you think it will ever be eclipsed? Is CBS Daytime with Y&R. B&B, The Talk, The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal your daily destination? Let us know!

Tags: CBS Daytime, Milestone, ratings, The Young and the Restless

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boes says:

December 7, 2012 at 10:50 am

I’ve stopped watching and I doubt I’m the only one. MAB was an unmitigated disaster and Jill Farren Phelps is even worse, something I didn’t think possible.

It’s the last years of All My Children all over again.

Y&R can only stay number one under this current regime if the tv is turned on to the show in prisons and waiting rooms across the country, without giving people the option of turning it off.

Replacing MAB was imperative. Replacing her with Phelps was a disaster.

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Derrick says:

December 7, 2012 at 11:51 am

Congrats Y&R!

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luart says:

December 7, 2012 at 1:31 pm

Congrats to Y&R. I have been watching since the beginning, warts and all. I am liking the new sets, new music, and other changes that are happening. Can’t go a day without watching. I am still addicted after all these years and I am 55! Keep up the wonderful work!

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Mary SF replied December 7th, 2012 at 7:38 pm
I am with you luart- I like this soap and I don’t understand why some people think it is so bad, but I guess we all have our different tastes. I thought the recent Newman party at the Penthouse was a hoot. I didn’t even mind some of MAB stuff- like when Billy bought a baby for Vicky and it was Lucy- what I didn’t like was they revealed it too soon. Lucy should have been a teenager before the secret came out- which on this show would have only been a year or two wait for us viewers. Has the show seen better days, probably, but truth be told I forgotten more I remember- for me it is about now and right now I like what I’m seeing.

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Chaz says:

December 7, 2012 at 3:46 pm

Y&R is the only thing I watch (via DVR) of CBS’s daytime line-up. And there are days that I either skip watching or fast forward through the show. Sharon needs to be sent off to the countryside for a rest, the character is just weary. Cain and Lily have to be two of the most snooze-worthy characters ever created. Don’t even start about Victor. Arrogant, insufferable, holier-than-thou, pig-headed can only begin to describe him. We know where Jack’s story is going….pill heaven. Trucker is useless.

It would be interesting to see Kevin & Chloe actually be reduced to living in Billy’s trailer and together making their way back. Or are we going to have yet another Kevin as criminal plots?

I doubt Jess Walton is back for the long haul…..do something with her character while you have the chance!

Michelle Stafford is such a powerhouse. But she needs a break too from the man-go-round. Leave her relationship with Jack platonic.

Michael Muhney is another goldmine. Just pull Adam out of Sharon’s soul sucking orbit.

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Christine says:

December 7, 2012 at 3:52 pm

To answer THIS question: “Is CBS Daytime with Y&R. B&B, The Talk, The Price Is Right and Let’s Make A Deal your daily destination?”

I am a soap girl – that’s it. I don’t watch TPIR (though I used to) and I never watch THE TALK or anything that comes on after that. I have two little ones and, in one of the BEST decisions ever, we got rid of Directv last January. We rely on an HD antenna. When the wind is right for the livingroom , I get CBS to come in and I can watch live otherwise my day consists of Netflix streaming for the boys and whatever PBS channels come in. I have to Tivo my shows on the bedroom TV and watch when the kids go to bed. I watch all the soaps except DAYS.

I don’t know what Y&Rs chances are for remaining number one. It would be nice to have a crystal ball to see into the futures of ALL the soaps to see whether they will even be here in five years, but I do not have that luxury. So I don’t think ratings matter at all as long as the networks continue to do what they want without a care for the fans of these shows.

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Nick says:

December 7, 2012 at 4:58 pm

Y&R is as exciting as watching paint dry these days. It’s a shell of what it once was in the first half of its 39 years and its audience is a fraction of what it was 24 years ago. In 1988, the lowest rated daytime soap probably had at least as many viewers as Y&R does now.

Considering that there are only 3 other soaps on now to compete with, it’s not that big of an accomplishment anymore. This “milestone” is now akin to being the only large tree remaining in a barren forest. To be #1 in the 1960s and 1970s (ATWT was #1 for 20 straight years) when there were around 15-20 soaps on – now THAT’S an accomplishment.

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su0000 says:

December 7, 2012 at 5:02 pm

The Y&R will always remain on top no matter how terrible/boring it can be..
It is shown in 32 countries as is B&B, also ..
They are the only soaps shown internationally ..
OLTL and GH both have been better and are better than Y&R n BB, but they are not shown internationally..
It is impossible for a soap to remain #1 for 24 yrs without something being different and that is- they are shown internationally ..

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Mary SF replied December 7th, 2012 at 7:47 pm
I don’t see how being shown internationally affects the ratings in the States? I thought you guys have something called Nielson ratings, where about 5000 people have black boxes and these 5000 household determine ratings. I live in Canada and we had all the soaps here AMC, OLTL, GH, ATWT, GL, etc. and shows that are popular here and had great ratings aren’t always the same as the States, but I never known an American network saying ” lets keep this show on the air because it is big in Canada”. So I don’t think international appeal has anything to do with how successful a show is in your own country. You guys are the ones who have all the power. If soaps are cancelled in your country, there will be cancelled in ours as well.

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aria replied December 7th, 2012 at 8:37 pm
a show being successful internationally might give you bragging rights but considering it would put you in the company of Baywatch, i wouldn’t do much bragging.
Chris says:

December 7, 2012 at 5:19 pm

I wonder- in the next couple of years, when there likely will be only 2 or 3 soaps left, will they still keep congratulating Y&R for being #1? LOL.

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Mary SF replied December 8th, 2012 at 7:44 am
Spin is spin- it is like pictures that win an Oscar for best make up promote the film as an Academy Award winning film- they aren’t lying, but they aren’t exactly telling the whole truth either. Even if this was the last soap on the air they would promote is as the “one and only daytime drama to watch”. Sometimes advertising is hoot.

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kalamaty says:

December 7, 2012 at 11:17 pm

This article, and accomanying national exposure, prove what I’ve always said about the remarkable reign of Y&R at the top of the soap heap; it is the template for all others. The soaps that aren’t on CBS should really take a close look.

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robert says:

December 8, 2012 at 7:21 am

Love Y&R. It is the reason their is still a soapopera genre left.

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AJ says:

December 8, 2012 at 12:24 pm

I can only talk about Y&R by comparing it to is sister soap B&B. First, I find that CBS soaps focus too much on weddings and breaking up couples; we know B&B loves triangles. Y&R has better writers and when the characters are not bed hopping, at least we get murder mysteries, business takeovers, romance, lust, and medical issues, etc. The twists in storylines make you take notice and on occasion, you get surprises. Y&R does focus on the Newman family, but you get fresh faces introduced to the family and it keeps the soap growing. No such thing on B&B. B&B focuses on one family the Logans, and you get nothing but sleaze. I am so glad they bought Abby back. A good soap needs the veterans, their adult children and aging grandchildren to survive the different generations of fans. Storylines have to be independent. Summer time used to be the time for the young romances and once fall hit, it was back to the veterans. But at some point you have to develop the next generation, as the veterans will someday retire or worse. What do you do? After Victor, Nikki, Catherine, and Jack, etc. Y&R has Nick, Sharon, Phyllis, Vicki and Billy, etc., to take them thru the next set of viewers. What do we have on B&B? We got sleasy Rick and a new man for Brooke. C’mon!

I truly believe that CBS should fold B&B into Y&R. Tucker McCall can buy Forrester Creations and run it from Genoa city. Victor was lost in LA for a while, he could take over FC. Might be a little awkward having $Bill back on Y&R as another character, but we’ll get used to it. Just take the better actors and call it a day. B&B is no Y&R and we don’t understand why. And as we speak, the triangle is warming up again!

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Mary SF replied December 9th, 2012 at 9:17 am
I agree that they have to get the younger generation established in order to be the vets of tomorrow. Victoria, Nicholas, Sharon, Lauren, Billy, all these characters and more started in a teen story line. My objection was they aged Summer and Fen too quickly and too much- I think their story line of cyberbullying would have worked in the 11-13 age range. There are many talented young actors- but instead they hired people in their twenties to play 16 because they don’t have to provided a teacher and school on set. I wouldn’t want to merge B&B and Y&R together- character cross overs are okay, but as you pointed out they are two very different soaps with different styles. If one or the other got cancelled I’m sure they would find a way to incorporate some the characters of one into the other like ABC did, but merging together- I don’t think it will happen.

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ashlee replied December 9th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
Mary!! A fellow Canuck!! Where do you live??

Mary SF replied December 9th, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Ashlee- I live in Southwestern Ontario-

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