General Hospital

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee: "I'm thrilled to see General Hospital rocking and rolling in the afternoon!"

January 10, 2013

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

This morning at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Winter Press Tour, it was the first day of sessions from the Disney/ABC Entertainment Group to promote their shows and reveal some upcoming programming agendas, as well as talk about the hits and misses of the season, and where things stand with current series on the network.

To kick things off, Paul Lee, President ABC Entertainment Group, addressed the press. When discussing the success and future of the network’s primetime soaps, Lee gave kudos to daytime’s General Hospital! According to a tweet from Sara Bibel of Deep Soap, Lee stated, “I’m thrilled to see #GeneralHospital rocking and rolling in the afternoon.”

In addition, according to HitFlix, Lee went on to say that primetime soaps are back citing: “Soaps is one of the great genres. I think we do soap operas particular well.” Lee also made an observation that Latinas love soaps and bring that demo to ABC.

When discussing the ratings for its freshmen primetime soap Nashville, Lee revealed the network needs to bring in the younger demo to help propel it forward in the ratings: “Its a big show in 18-34. For 18-49, there may be a barrier to entry. Our strategy in going forward (with ‘Nashville’) is we have the young trendsetters using multiple platforms. That will help to bring an older audience in. We think we can do better.”

Revenge was also a topic of conversation, and according to TV Line, Lee touted the series ratings performance but conceded that the storytelling got a bit too “big” in Season 2. “I know (series creator) Mike Kelley is excited about focusing on our lead characters and their emotional journey,” related Lee.

So soapers, what do you think about Lee’s comment about GH? Good vote of confidence? And what are your thoughts on when the executive stated that ABC does soap’s particularly well? Are you watching Nashville and/or Revenge? Let us know your thoughts!

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Click to comment

Guest

Tali Smith

abc sucks at soaps! I watch GH because of the OLTL crossovers and I do like Nashville. That’s what I’m watching. ABC is really good at canceling the BEST soap they had and destroying the storylines on GH.

Guest

Sal Piscioneri

great news…………

Guest

Jason D. Reese

I feel more confident GH will last another five years as long as the president of the company likes the way it’s rocking and rolling in the afternoon. Good luck GH.

Guest

Lisa

Bring back One Life To Live on ABC. OLTL already had latino characters on it, and of course, there is room for more. OLTL was the most diverse soap on the daytime lineup. Cancelling it was a colossal mistake. The demographic watching it was the group with the most spending money also. This is vital to selling advertising space. I will never watch any replacement shows, and I think that there is a huge portion of the daytime audience that feels this way.

Guest

kim

you do know that they are bringing oltl back but online only~

Guest

CTwildheart

Not online ONLY. They are looking at cable channels for re-airing after their original airing online.

Guest

susan M.

This is for CTwildheart.. I didn’t know they were considering cable channels also. I just know about PP making a deal to put it on line. I am very interested to know where you read this about OLTL…..

Guest

kim

yeah me too! i looked and looked and i didnt see anything about that CTwildheart.

Guest

Jennifer

Honestly GH, Nashville and Revenge are 3 of my favorite shows on TV!! Guess I am an ABC girl. Thrilled about the comment about my beloved #GH.

Guest

su0000

I also the ABC prime time soap; Sacndal

Guest

SZima

All of those plus Once Upon a Time…and in the non-soapy category, Castle and Modern Family.
The majority of the shows I watch are on ABC, so I could never be a part of the boycott ABC group. 🙂

Guest

su0000

Revenge is must see for me.. It is a spellbinding prime time soap., luv it! .
Nashville, I can take or leave ..
He was right on, GH is rocking it !!
I have no doubt that GH will be renewed..!!!

Guest

Dave

Talk about a 360 from last year. Last year ABC told its viewers they didnt have the time to watch soaps. That its viewers wanted and only had time for talk and cooking lifestyle shows!
Crow casserole anyone?

Guest

k/kay

My question is does he mean it? Now somebody tell me it is driving me nuts since when did doctors walk in on other doctors uh seperate quarters I was extremely put off concerning the shower scene today between Patrick & Britt. I mean I feel sorry for the patients glad I am not one of them. I mean really this is the only storyline you can come up with for Patrick did we not do this at ad nauseum with the other physco Dr.

Guest

su0000

It is fictional soap opera .. not real life …
so yah, they will walk in on each other and give a lil sexy ..

Guest

SZima

Soaps should at least “resemble” real life.

Guest

Christine

I agree with you, k/kay. I thought the whole thing was disgusting, but then again, so is everything about Britt. I can’t wait until she gets a taste of her own medicine. 🙂 The set-up in the changing area/showers did not seem plausible, but then again, I have never worked at a hospital before. I can see them fooling around in a supply closet – that could happen at any job – but I would think the men and women would have separate showers and changing areas. Maybe the Cassadines need to donate more money to the hospital to get… Read more »

Guest

Elhu

It is always nice to hear positive feedback about GH, especially when it comes from someone in a position to decide the future of it, but I will be even happier when I hear that it has been renewed !!!!

Guest

CTwildheart

It doesn’t need ‘renewing’ as ABC/D owns GH. It is on until they cancel it, no renewal necessary.

Guest

Linda

I wonder what his thoughts would be if the soap fans didn’t retaliate with the boycott. I still only watch GH on ABC!

Guest

Patrick

I’m with you Linda! The last day I watched ABC was January 13th, 2012 . The day OLTL went off the air. I will watch GH as long as OLTL characters are on.

Let’s hope the on-line version of OLTL is a success!

Best-

Patrick

Guest

JLH

Ditto. I’m enjoying GH but I’m done with ABCD.

Guest

SZima

I’m sorry for you…you all are missing some wonderful, fun shows on primetime ABC.

Guest

Christine

Oh Lee can just kiss my butt.

He is a moron.

I learned everything I needed to know about this man last year with his lame comments and now that he has jumped ship we are all just supposed to bow down?! Please.

Guest

JustSaying

Brian Frons basically said the same thing about AMC. He said that All My Children was in good standing and wasn’t going to be cancelled.

Next thing we knew, it was cancelled.

I’ll never fall for that line again. I won’t trust any daytime president on ABC. Or CBS for that matter.

Guest

Liz Arnold

So now they like soaps? That’s the ultimate betrayal to OLTL & AMC. They’re really trying to get past the bad PR from canceling our shows. Or all the buzz has made them change their tune because they think soaps are hot now. Either way its too little too late. If they really want us to forgive & forget they need to publicly say that they made a big mistake canceling our shows. They also need to do whatever they can to make sure that Prospect Park succeeds. I am so upset with Mr Lee’s comments. Can he twist the… Read more »

Guest

Troy Turner

Liz-I absolutely agree. ABC’s comments are schizophrenic at best. The saving graces here are that it appears to be a formality that GH will be renewed for 13-14, and that Mr Lee has no delusions about being a soap actor, unlike Frons

Guest

Torrey

Totally agree with you. I want a public apology for canceling OLTL & AMC….it’s so strange how only a year later, ABC now suddenly loves soaps and is ready to stand behind GH. Funny, but they said the same thing after they moved AMC to Los Angeles….then the news of the cancellation came. I don’t trust, nor do I watch ABC daytime anymore. Used to start my day with GMA and go all the way through to GH….I haven’t watch ABC daytime since January 13th 2012….the day OLTL went off the air. Just say it ABC….”We made a big mistake!”

Guest

CTwildheart

So with you Liz! After saying basically the same thing before and then uprooting an entire show from one side of the country to the other side – only to cancel it months later…has left me wary of ANYTHING that ABC/D says. Even with an apology (which NEEDS to happen!) I will never forget. Troy…since ABC/D owns General Hospital, they don’t need to ‘renew’ it. They either show it or cancel it. I have only watched GH since they took AMC and OLTL off the air. That will not change until I hear/read this apology AND see both back on… Read more »

Guest

RobertC

I think Disney is starting to realize they underestimated the power of the Soap Opera fans and the replacement shows like the Chew are not getting the ratings that they wanted.

Guest

CTwildheart

After the last three years of ABC/D lying to its fans and employees – I give this no weight. It means nothing to me…except that (maybe) they have realized what a mistake they made. It started with them deciding no one wanted to watch daytime dramas anymore – and they actively worked at killing the shows with terrible writing and alienating actors. It has not ended yet, and my boycott (except for GH) stands.

Guest

Anthony

I agree CT. I’m still boycotting ABC – idiots that they are.

Guest

su0000

ABC/D lied to no-one, they have no need to lie.
They simply do what they do with no explanations to anyone ..
ABC/D is total power and do not care of peoples emotions, they would not even bother to lie, they just do what they decide to do ..

Guest

mary

I saw Nashville once. It’s terrible, These nighttime soaps are not as good or as fun to watch as a “real” soap like GH. I stick with a real soap. GH

Guest

susan M.

Happy for GH !!!!!!!! Glad it is ROCKIN N’ ROLLIN!

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Admits To Sonny She Was Falling Back In Love with Jason

October 16, 2021

On Friday’s episode of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) finally had the “talk”. You know, the one about what Sonny really walked in on the night he “returned from the dead” on Carly and Jason’s (Steve Burton) wedding night? Yeah, that one.

Sonny has already had a conversation with Jason, where Jason admitted he was starting to fall again for Carly, even though they were originally getting married to show a united front for the five families.

Now coming to confront Carly, Sonny is at first greeted by her with “Mike’s” cowboy hat, where she says the man he was in Nixon Falls is a mystery to her. Sonny tells her he spoke with Jason and so Carly is compelled to admit that she and Jason would have slept together on their wedding night, if Sonny hadn’t shown up alive and in the bedroom!

Sonny’s clearly upset about his best friend and his wife getting so close and rekindling their old feelings. Carly tells Sonny that, at first, Jason and she were just going through with the wedding for show, but later, they decided to make it a real marriage, and were falling in love.

When Sonny poses the question to Carly, if she has any residual feelings for Jason, she says they have gone back to being best friends, and how much she loves Sonny. Carly points out that Nina (Cynthia Watros) did this to them – she kept them apart for nine months – and so much has happened that it’s been difficult for them to be together as it was in the past because of it.

In the end, despite what Nina had perpetrated on them, Carly and Sonny come to an agreement that they need to rebuild their relationship. But the cowboy hat looms as we fade to black.

Clearly, the Jason and Carly relationship and almost consummating it on their wedding night, is not sitting well with Sonny; plus Sonny seems to continue to not really tear into Nina for her deception as much as someone would if he didn’t also have feelings for her.

So, what do you hope happens next? Do you want Sonny and Carly to work things out? Do you hope Sonny sleeps with Nina? If he does, and Jason goes back to Britt (now that they are going on another adventure together to locate Liesl) is Carly ultimately the odd woman out? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.

As The World Turns

‘Santa Barbara’ & GH Favorite Judith McConnell Virtual Interview On Tap

October 15, 2021

You loved her as Sophia Capwell on Santa Barbara, and the troublemaking Augusta McLeod on General Hospital, plus several other soap roles, and now fan favorite Judith McConnell is set for a virtual interview in The Locher Room.

Look for Judith to chat it up with host, Alan Locher on the upcoming Friday, October 23rd edition of the You Tube series beginning at at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

As well as being known for her soap roles on SB and GH, Judith also played Valerie Conway on As the World Turns, Miranda Bishop on Another World and Eva Vasquez on and One Life to Live.

In primetime, McConnell has appeared on Star Trek, Dragnet, Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry RFD, Green Acres, Mannix and more.

To watch the livestream click here.

So, what has been your favorite Judith McConnell role in her illustrious daytime career? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

General Hospital

Sarah Joy Brown Directs Haley Pullos, Carolyn Hennesy, Eric Martsolf in New ‘Red Riding Hoods’ Podcast

October 14, 2021

What happens when a team of “Final Girls” (sole survivors of horrific mass murders) join forces to hunt malevolent entities while uncovering the apocalyptic conspiracy uniting them? Well, you have to listen to the brand new Horror Podcast Network’s latest offering Red Riding Hoods to find out. But here’s the twist! There are some daytime notables involved in the series.

Chief among them is three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Sarah Joy Brown (Ex-Carly and Claudia, GH) who directs the podcast series, a first for her career.

Along for the ride with Sarah are none other than General Hospital’s Haley Pullos (Molly) and Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), as well as Brown’s former DAYS co-star, Eric Martsolf (Brady) who all have roles within the story.

New episodes of the series began to roll out this past Monday on October 11th and there will be another installment every Monday thereafter.

Red Riding Hoods is available on all major podcast streaming platforms including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. You can also listen to the podcast via the Violet Hour Media website here.

So, let us know if you check out Red Riding Hoods via the comment section below or are intrigued to hear the show!