Why was production of Santa Barbara stopped?
In late 1992, NBC, the broadcast network that aired Santa Barbara, announced that it was canceling the show from its daytime lineup. Santa Barbara always had low ratings in the U.S., but ratings were dropping even lower in 1992. Several of the local NBC affiliate stations had already pulled SB from their stations, including some in major TV markets. This was the main reason cited by NBC. After NBC’s announcement there were reports that another network might pick up SB, but that never materialized and production was stopped. The final episode aired on January 15, 1993. There were a number of factors that prevented SB from ever attaining high ratings and widespread popularity in the U.S. In most TV markets, SB was scheduled directly against General Hospital and Guiding Light, two long-running serials with well-established viewerships. Other markets put SB up against The Young and the Restless, another highly-rated soap. Although SB was highly-praised by critics (winning three consecutive
