General Hospital
ABC Rep on what Katie Couric Show could mean for GH! Half-hour version?
Photo Credit: JPI Studios
As we announced early this morning, the deal between ABC and Katie Couric has become official and that Couric will be launching her own syndicated talk show in September of 2012. It is widely known now that ABC is giving the 3PM slot which houses General Hospital in most markets back to it’s affiliates a year and half from now.
So with the ‘read- between-the-lines’ statement issued earlier today in the official Couric press release that “the network continues to support GH”, TV Guide’s Michael Logan took to the task of getting some comments from an ABC representative who wanted to remain anonymous to shed light on what is really going on here, and how it might impact the life of General Hospital. Here is a key excerpt below!
“Our release states that we’re giving back our 3pm time slot to the affiliates. This is widely known as the GH timeslot, but this does not mean the inevitable cancellation of GH. We are going to populate our daytime block with our strongest shows, the ones that resonate most with our audience. We hope it will encourage them to watch and support GH. We will consider all options, such as making The Chew and The Revolution a half hour each, or making The Revolution and GH a half hour. This all happens a year and half from now. We are going to do our best to keep everybody happy.”
How is everyone going to be happy? We are losing OLTL and AMC for the two new lower budget lifestyle/reality/makeover shows, and potentially cutting in more airtime of GH. This does beg the question, couldn’t ABC have made OLTL and AMC into half hour shows instead of dumping them?
Hang on to your seats, we have another year and half to sort what remains of the ABC Daytime soap line-up shuffle. Whatever the case, now is the time to keep watching GH!
General Hospital
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.
The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.
Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.
Photo: JPI
FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST
Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”
Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”
Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”
Photo: JPI
KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL
Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”
You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.
So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!
The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.
TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.
That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.
Photo: ABC
STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES
GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.
Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).
Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.
GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS
Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.
Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.
Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.
So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.
Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.
However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.
Courtesy/ABC
BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON
Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.
He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.
Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”
General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”
So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’
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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?
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Vivica A. Fox Exits ‘The Young and the Restless’ For Now to Film Netflix’s ‘Women Like Us’
Jess Walton Memoir ‘The Young and the Rest of Us’ Set for Release in 2027
Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)
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A half hour GH ???
I would rather see ABC put the show out of it’s misery than that –
next they will say GH will air at 1:00AM.
Hush your mouth. 🙂
GH started as a half hour soap. If cutting it back to a half hour is what it takes to keep it on the air in the afternoons, I will happily take it!
I think GH should stay right where it is.
GH should be on for an hour i wouldnt be happy wit 30 min of the show
it be stupid
y do idiots have to mess up all the daytime shows on ABC i say leave them all there.
I know I’m supposed to support the soaps, but I can’t bring myself to watch GH. It is so inferior to One Life to Live that I’m insulted OLTL was sacrificed while GH gets a reprieve. I cannot stand the Sonny/Jason/Carly/Sam show and its ridiculous mob stories that prop up disgusting mobsters as heroes. I apologize to other soap lovers who will watch GH until its last day, but I will no longer watch ABC after One Life to Live goes off the air.
Jared, i could not agree with you more! Further, the rating system clearly shows that OLTL is fairing better that GH. Like you, once OLTL is finished, no more ABC TV for me. Luckly thou, I am a Canadian, and my other longtime soap “Coronation Street” has nothing to worry about. The Brits approach TV in a completely different manner. It also has just started it’s 50th year on the air. It’s on later in the evening, and is aired three times a week, with one hour episodes twice a week (Mondays and Fridays) and a half hour show on Thursdays. This past week was a major storyline and it was on every night during the week at 9pm, and yield around 12 million viewers. If daytime American tv goes all talk show, and reality tv in the evening, I may be cancelling my tv feed. I don’t mean to offend anyone, it just seems that for the past couple of years, any ABC show I enjoyed is being cancelled even before it gets a change to grow (Detriot 1-8-7, Dirty Sexy Money, V) so when ABC makes OLTL go dark, there won’t be any shows that I want to watch from ABC.
I can NOT stand Curic , NO WAY! Hope she fails here as well.
THEY’RE NOT saving, their gonna pay HER arent they.
Michael, I agree with what you said, ABC could of have made OLTL and AMC into half hour shows instead of dumping them. Once OLTL goes off the air, I will have no interest in anything broadcast by ABC. Even their news programs. Since they don’t have any respect for daytime drama viewers, I have no respect for them.
Sonzabitches, ABC is full of them.
We did not have the chance to save One Life to Live and All My Children on ABC, BUT we now have the chance to do just that for General Hospital, so now is the time to watch the show, and tell everyone you know (who watches or used to watch) to also tune in. Hopefully, in this case, we WILL have a say in what is in ABC’s daytime line-up. Now is also the time for the writers to vamp up the storylines, and make the show the best it could be, not chip away at what makes it the icon it is (as was done with OLTL and AMC). This has to be an all around group effort to keep GH on the air, so let’s get started!!!! BTW, I am still not willing to give up on the fact that OLTL and AMC can still be saved by being picked up by another network or cable station, who is smart enough to see what these shows have to offer. Call me cynical, but I think that one, if not both of the replacement shows for our beloved soaps, will be ready to be pulled by the time Katie Couric’s Show starts airing in Sept. of 2012 (if not sooner), so that might make the addtion of Katie’s Show easily fit into the line-up. Don’t forget to continue to watch or begin to watch GH !!!
ITA. Call you local cable providers and tell them you want a soap channel!
If ABC doesn’t want AMC/OLTL we want a channel that does!!!
I don’t understand why this silly looking woman keeps getting tv work, she would do better on the radio, so tired of seeing that troll face.
I do not agree. If it is too late to save OLTL, then I can not watch anything on ABC….even the vastly inferior GH. I’m sick of hearing how GH is the well known, viable and strong brand. Well….it isn’t, any more than OLTL. ABC is over. They really do not need me as a viewer. I want soaps to survive, but I will get my scripted drama from cable….Nurse Jackie, United States of Tara, True Blood…..not GH’s lame version of rated PG Sopranos. All soaps are not the same. OLTL was smart….sometimes, funny most of the time (not like Bold and Beautiful’s unintentional comedy), and well acted always. Now I am just free to watch other things…not on ABC or anything Disney related.
Let us be honest the state of the econmy is what is behind this! Face it ! I grant you stupid storylines have not helped viewership but they have in the past been able to pull back and get back on track! And I can not stand Katie she is a foulmouthed twit. I know this to be true she was at at an event I will not say when and the men were embarrased she swears like a sailor, I might add they were military.
The economy is fine over at Disney/ABC:
Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert A. Iger commanded a 35% jump in salary and bonuses in 2010, rewarding what the board of directors’ compensation committee called his “exceptional performance” in the face of a slow-recovering U.S. economy.
Iger’s salary and bonus reached nearly $16.3 million, up from $12 million a year earlier. His total compensation, including equity awards, reached $28 million, according to the company’s proxy filed Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
I would like to add some other things remeber when Love in the Afternoon was ABC’s motto? Where is the love and why do we need soap operas when our politicians are doing their version every day!!!!
NO GH NO ABC for me!!!!!
Couric is going to be an EPIC FAIL. Everyone on the political right despises her, she is too old too attract the younger Demos, and soap fans will boycott her. Bad move for ABC.
Just remember, if you have ever been a soap fan BOYCOTT all of ABC’s replacement shows and tell everyone you know to do the same. Support all THREE ABC soaps to the bitter end!
GH is toast. After losing OLTL, which is superior, I don’t care about GH. But why is anyone surprised? You didn’t actually believe Franz was committed to GH did you?
I agree GH is toast my prediction is that it gets canceled in 2012.
Well I have been an GH fan all my life, thirty two years now deciated to this network.
If they take my soap off the air I will boycott. ABC. I( will be hard because I Watch all the NEws promgrams and primetime shows like 20/20 world news. BUt GH is my all time favortie stupid move if they cancel for that boring katie she will fail misery if that’s the case!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you have more great arilctes like this one?