Cat Hickland of OLTL out protesting in LA today!!
While we're busy rallying to save #AMC and #OLTL, we'd better pony up and start yelling a bit about General Hospital. Ratings last week were a mere thousand away from OLTL--in Head of Household AND Demos. We all know Frons was saying that GH had the numbers that The Young and the Restless does--which is a blatant lie.
Ravenbeauty has been saying that GH is done, and she's the one that lead the charge on the OLTL and AMC news, along with the Rebecca Herbst firing before it hit the airwaves. Soap stars have been sounding rather dismal in interviews, especially when asked about GHs' security. I reported about a month ago that Maurice Benard gave GH "3-5 years tops" when he talked with Terry Morrow of Knoxville's Tinseltown Tales. I think he was being generous.
I'm not one to tell stories outside of school, but I know at least two people that work at the soap that are nervous. (*not actors, btw). Frons said GH is safe, but rumors persist it's done by Sept 2012.
Now Daytime Confidential is reporting that Katie Couric might be dealing with ABC for a talk show. Since most ABC affiliates are going to more news at the 4-5pm timeslot, that leaves the 3pm slice for Couric.
Budget cuts have come already in the form of 'across the board' pay cuts. More are on the way. Don't think because OLTL and AMC are canceled, GH can somehow slide in that area.
Geary's quote about daytime Soaps:
"It's about these people, these characters; it's not about flesh and glitter; it's about hearts and characters that the audience has invested in".
What can you do? WRITE your fave actor at the studio... keep watching, even though it can be painful and boring.(You know how I feel about that!! LOL). Call your local ABC station and ask what's going to be put in the daytime line up for 2011... tell them you watch (or DVR or whatever) your soaps!!
Address: General Hosptial @ABC TV 4151 Prospect Ave. Hollywood, CA 90027
UPDATE: this was just posted by Nancy Lee Grahn on twitter. Hmmmm, you read between those lines!!
twitter research question; How many of you would pay $10 a month to watch a new daily serial with Daytime A-listers?
As I just Tweeted NLG I'd pay. But I'd want the Davis', Mannings/Lords, Devanes/Scorpios, Quartermaines! Lucy Coe too
ReplyDeleteAmen, Carrie!
ReplyDeleteI think Direct Tv should take the soaps but no pay increase I pay enough lol
ReplyDeleteJust saw where Katie Curic is leaving CBS. Talk show on the way?
ReplyDeleteIt's about heart and character and people that we invested in?
ReplyDeleteReally?
What soap are you working on, Mr. Geary?
GH is all about bombs and the mob and abusing women and killing off all the characters that we invested our time in.
Seriously. What decade are you tweeting from?
Katie is suppose to get a talkshow of all places hmmmmmm ABC
ReplyDeleteKatie Couric will probably tow the line a la Disney. I won't be watching to find out. GH is the only show on ABC I watch with any regularity. If GH goes then ABC will have lost another viewer -- not that they care all that much.
ReplyDeleteCrap, here comes more thunder, lightning and rain, rain, rain. I need to get busy building an ark.
I been taking oars to bed with me lol
ReplyDeleteTony Geary is right... people are invested in heart and character and people... translation -- if soaps got back to basics, and did what they were good at, telling stories, character interaction, interweaving generations together on screen and off, they would still be viable.
ReplyDeleteI think even the mighty "O" was wrong. I don't think they are a declining medium. They are declining because the powers that be have decided to make them so.
Have you seen The Good Wife? I love it -- why, because it's JUST LIKE A SOAP. Sure it's got the stand alone elements, but for me it's all about the characters and the building of stories that carry through the entire season.
The soaps are still viable -- what isn't is the rating system that is currently being used to measure viewing habits. Women may not be home during the day, but it doesn't mean they aren't watching or still following their "stories".
If people aren't watching the commercials then figure out a way to organically weave in product placement -- and not like the awkward Campbell Soup plugs GH did a few years back.
Bring back Crimson and tie in mentions of clothes, shoes, etc. You have business men like Nicolas Cassadine (although not for long) and Jasper Jax, have them build "strategic partnerships" with real companies -- good lord. If TIIC would just get rid of the stale, soap-killing writers and producers and bring in new blood, soaps could be revitalized.
They just don't want to.