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"General Hospital" may get saved after all

B

bpatrick

Saw a website called "Deadline," and I don't know how accurate
its information is, but it shows "General Hospital" drawing about
2.3 million viewers; "The Chew," 2.04 million, and "The Revolution,"
1.32 million, its lowest yet, as of March 29. Unless Brian Frons thinks
it's more economical to stick with "The Revolution," the article hints
that "The Revolution" will go and "GH" move to 2/1, with Katie Couric's
new show getting the 3 PM (ET) slot on most ABC stations. (In fact,
it appears that ABC is beginning to hint to the affiliates that this will be
the scenario, but it will probably be a couple of weeks before any official
announcement is made; the article mentions the fact that the cancellations
of "All My Children" and "One Life To Live" weren't announced until April 14, 2011.)

"GH" is the lowest-rated of the four remaining network soaps ("Y&R" had a 3.4 when
I checked last week; "B&B" a 2.0; "Days Of Our Lives," 1.9; "GH," 1.8) but still has nearly twice
the audience of its lead-in.

I recall saying when "AMC" and "OLTL" were canceled that "GH" would also
go. Now I'm not so sure, and while I'm not a "GH" fan I know that a lot of
people are. Your show just may be about to be saved, so keep your fingers crossed.
 
bpatrick said:
Saw a website called "Deadline," and I don't know how accurate
its information is, but it shows "General Hospital" drawing about
2.3 million viewers; "The Chew," 2.04 million, and "The Revolution,"
1.32 million, its lowest yet, as of March 29. Unless Brian Frons thinks
it's more economical to stick with "The Revolution," the article hints
that "The Revolution" will go and "GH" move to 2/1, with Katie Couric's
new show getting the 3 PM (ET) slot on most ABC stations. (In fact,
it appears that ABC is beginning to hint to the affiliates that this will be
the scenario, but it will probably be a couple of weeks before any official
announcement is made; the article mentions the fact that the cancellations
of "All My Children" and "One Life To Live" weren't announced until April 14, 2011.)

"GH" is the lowest-rated of the four remaining network soaps ("Y&R" had a 3.4 when
I checked last week; "B&B" a 2.0; "Days Of Our Lives," 1.9; "GH," 1.8) but still has nearly twice
the audience of its lead-in.

I recall saying when "AMC" and "OLTL" were canceled that "GH" would also
go. Now I'm not so sure, and while I'm not a "GH" fan I know that a lot of
people are. Your show just may be about to be saved, so keep your fingers crossed.
Click to expand...

Has there been growth in the audience of "The Revolution" or has that audience remained unchanged? This may be the ultimate key to ABC's decision. It most certainly has to be cheaper to produce than "GH" so it doesn't need to generate the same amount of viewers.

"GH" just passed their 49th anniversary this week, so I know many people are hoping it will at least stick around to hit that magic 50th anniversary.
 
Is, or, is not, the 3 PM hour going back to the affiliates? "Katie" will be syndicated (even though ABC O&O's might carry it), correct?

cd
 
cd637299 said:
Is, or, is not, the 3 PM hour going back to the affiliates? "Katie" will be syndicated (even though ABC O&O's might carry it), correct?

cd
Click to expand...

Yes, and the O&Os will be carry "Katie". Given the few months from now to when "Katie" will launch, I guess GH will be saved but maybe just for one year. "GH" might fall more in ratings with the time change. ABC will probably be finding another replacement for 2pm in 2013.
 
I think that's called a stay of execution. The Revolution may not have worked--nothing new there, as many a soap, game and talker have all flopped in the history of TV. But the bottom line is still what matters, and GH isn't going to get any cheaper (nor suddenly haul in oodles more demo-friendly viewers) with a move. That means the clock is still ticking, if just less loudly. Sooner or later, some pilot will strike them as worth the calculated gamble to ax GH.
 
First of all, the numbers I cited for "The Revolution" represent
a low point for that show. But you're all correct when you bring
up the questions: (a) is "The Revolution" cheaper to produce than
"General Hospital" and (b) would "GH"'s ratings suffer it it were pushed
back an hour to 2/1? I can't answer the second but I would think definitely
"yes" to the first. That may weigh heavily on ABC's thinking but the vibes
I'm getting seem to suggest that "The Revolution" gets the axe, "GH" moves
to 2 (ET), and Katie gets 3 (ET). When a show loses half (more or less) of
its lead-in, then gets all or most of it back with the lead-out, that's something
to think about; case in point: in 1972-73 "All In The Family" was drawing about
50 million viewers for CBS Saturdays at 8 (ET); Mary Tyler Moore, about 40
million at 9; "Bridget Loves Bernie" only about 30 million at 8:30. That was one
reason that show was canceled after one season.

The large dip on ABC from 2-3 (ET) may thus be cause for concern. We should
know in a couple of weeks.
 
ABC is in a better spot now than they could have been later. They have a suitable stopgap in place, and if the thinking is GH provides a better launching pad to Katie than The Revolution, then they can absorb that cost for the time being, and come back around to look at more suitable longtime options some months down the road.
 
Did Katie Couric personally express her desire to have "GH" as her lead-in rather than "the Revolution" (at least as its applicable on the O&Os)?

I'm thinking she expressed this for two reasons- "GH" is a more established show with long time viewers (even if they're older) and she doesn't want to be viewed as the one who struck the final nail in the coffin when it comes to soaps on ABC.
 
You must have found the website sheknowssoaps.com, which
reports in an article dated March 26 that Katie and producer
Jeff Zucker are supporting ABC's retention of "GH" because (1)
it is stronger than "The Revolution," and (2) they fear a possible
boycott of ABC by longtime "GH" fans if the soap is canceled.

ABC's executives aren't saying "GH" will stay and they aren't saying
it will go. The article quotes a network spokesperson as saying it wants
to go with the three strongest shows. "The View" (11 AM) obviously
doesn't enter into this, and "The Chew" (1 PM) appears safe. If the o&os
are putting Katie at 3 (which seems to be a given), then 2 PM is the problem
spot, and if nothing else "GH" could move there and give Katie the advantage
of an established audience (it certainly didn't hurt to have Oprah after "GH" on
most of the ABC o&os).

I still think she gets "GH" as her lead-in, at least for starters.
 
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