Although "Loving" had low ratings throughout its history, its first few years were relatively encouraging. In its debut year (1983), it finished in 11th place and 3.9, above the then ailing soaps "The Edge of Night" and "Search for Tomorrow". 1984 saw the show's ratings climb to a fairly comfortable 10th place and 4.1, holding that position for the 1985-1986 television season with 4.2. A change in timeslot, with "Loving" occupying the slot previously held by "Ryan's Hope", was a major factor in ratings improvement (albeit having the opposite effect on "Ryan's Hope").