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Katie Couric's new talker already cleared in 60% of Markets in U.S.!

According to an ABC press release, the new Syndicated Katie Couric talk show slated for September 2012 is picking up steam and has been cleared in 60% of the country.

What does this eventually mean for the ABC Daytime line-up, and in particular GH? That has yet to be determined, but for now, if this is any indication, here is what the release stated below:

“In a period of only six weeks, Katie Couric’s highly anticipated nationally syndicated talk show, KATIE, has already been cleared in over 60% of the country, it was announced today by Janice Marinelli, president, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. KATIE is slated to premiere in September 2012.  Disney-ABC Domestic Television has secured outstanding station clearances and key early fringe time periods for the one-hour daily daytime talk show. Sales to date include 14 out of the top 15 markets. In addition to the previously announced ABC Owned station group, Katie has now been sold to leading stations from broadcast groups including Allbritton Communications, Belo Corporation, Cox Media Group, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television, LIN Broadcasting, McGraw-Hill, Scripps Howard Broadcasting and Young Broadcasting. The most recent Katie clearances include WFAA Dallas, WCVB Boston, WSB Atlanta, WJLA Washington DC, WXYZ Detroit, KNXV Phoenix, KING Seattle and WFTS Tampa, among others.

To have garnered such exceptional clearances in this short period of time is attributable to the enduring strength of the Katie Couric brand and her wide-ranging appeal as one of the brightest, most talented and most dynamic personalities in the business,” commented Marinelli. “We are enormously pleased to partner with such a stellar group of stations across the country.

In June the Disney/ABC Television Group signed a multi-year, multi-platform agreement with the award-winning journalist, best-selling author and popular TV personality. In addition to hosting the new nationally syndicated program “Katie,” which is set to premiere in September 2012, Couric currently serves as a member of the ABC News team. Katie will be produced in conjunction with Disney-ABC and Jeff Zucker will be the executive producer.”

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I hate to say it but this does not look good for General hospital. Seems like late September is when all the soaps had their final air dates. Guiding light and All My Childern both went off around that time.

gh soap fans need to pull their heads out of the sand.. the show is going to be going off-not moved to another time slot.. has no one figured out that abc is run by lies and liars… they need to cancel who wants to be a millionaire and that horrible Rachel ray… although she is better the the spew

GH turns 50 on April 1, 2013, Someway, somehow, hold out until then…

Dear Katie,
You really should never have stepped into the whole “General Hospital” soaps war matter, bad ju ju for you and your “career.” Karma, as you know, can be a real bitch! Let’s get one thing straight: You are no “O” and you never will be. When you left Matt and the Gang at Rockefeller Center, the Peter (Katie?) Principle took hold and your ascent upward to epic failure in the Ratings, continues unabated. Sadly this time for you, you have linked up with the rank toxic incompetent trio of Burbank Buffoons: ABC Disney’s Anne Sweeney and Brian Frons and Disney’s Asleep at the Wheel Robert Iger, and as is now becoming common knowledge in the industry, most everything that they touch – turns into the— Unspeakable. You may in fact however, be much brighter than you look (and your sponsors) because no matter what goes down — YOU WILL HAVE GOTTEN PAIDTHEBIGBUCKS$$$$! It is ABC/Disney and its shareholders and its snookered corporate sponsors who are being set up for the kill when you fall (and you will) because for the bulk of your career (which the aforemtioned once again neglected to carefully scrutinize a la due diligence) you have ALWAYS been chasing viewers who, for reasons best known to the Soap Goddess, do NOT want to watch you! The data powerfully demonstrates such…all of your rationalizing defensive excuses and ABC propagandistic press releases aside…
Finally Katie, make sure you are laughing all the way to the Bank!
Signed, A fan of “One Life To Live” Forever…

I am sure ABC has some deal with PP to send GH packing in Sept. 2012. GH would have to start pulling in numbers like Y&R to stay on ABC and that is not going to happen.

Leah…there is a difference between syndicated shows and network shows. Millionaire and Rachael Ray are both syndicated. They are not owned by, nor do they work for ABC. Katie is another story. She is the only real threat…so although you don’t like Rachael or Meredith, they will only be a problem if ABC gives the local affiliates that time slot to schedule as they like. For now…Katie or The View… or anything owned by ABC is all you need to worry about. taking the GH spot. Give Meredith and Rachael some slack…until they come to work for ABC. Since Meredith is working for the new NBC Primetime News Show and Rachael works for the Food Network, it’s safe with them for now.

GH did just hire a new female co-headwriter…so now if they would take a chance and get rid of that Old Executive Producer and take a chance like they did in the good old days with Gloria Monty, the show might thrive again. Either that or die a slow death. The choice is up to ABC whether they live or die. My guess is…the painting is on the wall…and I don’t see Meridith or Rachael in the picture…Couriocously, (pun intended) , I just see Katie.

Jill farren phelps or however you spell it i agree should go.

That woman is a BITCH and she like the SHREW will go to HE__!! Frons and and his cronies will join them!!! These shows will NOT succeed!!!! I have STOPPED watching ABC for the most part THEY need to do away with this company!!

By the time Katie joins ABC Daytime, I think the Chew will be ready for the axe, if not already gone by then, and they can slip Katie in that timeslot, or (if they must) move GH to the earlier timeslot and put Katie at 3pm . Honestly, if they remove GH from the ABC Daytime lineup, then clearly all of this was a sinsiter plan from day 1 (which is quite possible). I understand that a soap is much more expensive to make and keep up with than the new shows they are replacing them with, but, in no way is the Chew anything worth watching, as I am told by many that it does not compare to any show of its kind, and if the ratings of late are any indication, it is already on the decline, only a month into it. Also, who knows how the show that will be replacing OLTL will do, that can also be a bust. Getting rid of ABC’s Love in the Afternoon line-up, is a mistake, and if the powers that be don’t already see that, I am sure they will. Filling the shoes of iconic soap operas, will take a heck of a lot better than The Chew!!! Long live GH!!!!

I have been following soap operas for 40 years now and I believe come March or early April, 2012 ABC will announce the cancellation of “General Hospital”. So sad, but so true. Just what we need…more talk shows.

KING Seattle is affiliated with NBC, not ABC. Does this mean KOMO Seattle which is affiliated with ABC was not interested in Katie and prefers to continue with GH?

General Hospital

General Hospital’s Adam J. Harrington Weighs-in On John and Carly, and How it’s ‘Starting to Get Very Complicated”

On recent episodes of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) came to John “Jagger” Cates (Adam Harrington) rescue as he was beaten down in an assault. Carly put on her “nurses cap,” sort of speak, and got John to his hotel room and watched over to him, to make sure he didn’t lose consciousness.

GH fans also got their first glimpse of what may be a new romance for Carly, if she and John continue to bond.  If John and Carly were to have a relationship, it would certainly have a ripple effect with Jason (Steve Burton) and Sonny (Maurice Benard).

Adam J. Harrington shared his view on the scenes and what might be next between the two. Speaking to Soap Opera Digest, Harrington shared, “I thought it was written in a way where there’s an understanding and a respect between them both. I don’t think there was any moment where she was not aware that he’s an FBI agent, and there was no moment that he wasn’t aware of her history and relationship to other people in the town. I really liked it. I was really looking forward to shooting it with Laura and we had a really nice time shooting it.”

Photo: ABC

When Carly and John part ways, it seems there were some romantic sparks, as Harrington puts it, “Isn’t that interesting that sometimes with people, the one moment they actually show how they feel is when they know there’s an escape hatch. They know they’re about to walk away. So, it’s almost safe in that moment to do it. I thought that was really special about how (the writers) handled John and Carly. Even the music in that scene was beautifully done.”

Where is this all heading? Conflict! Internally and professionally, and as Adam explains, “Who Carly was to John on paper as just a tool to be used as bait is starting to get very complicated.”

What would you think of a John and Carly pairing? Would you prefer him with Anna, or neither of them? Let us know via the comment section and take our poll below.

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General Hospital

General Hospital’s Steve Burton Reveals the Emotional Scene He Almost Could Not Get Through

On a recent episode of General Hospital, Jason received a message from his mother, Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) via a note. The effect it had on Jason’s portrayer, Steve Burton turned out to be quite visceral.

As GH fans know, although Jason’s bio-mom was Susan Moore, he was raised and adopted by Monica. Speaking on his Daily Drama podcast with his co-host and GH co-star, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Steve shared some insight on the difficulties he had getting through that scene.

Burton shared that in the key moment, “Brooklyn (played by Amanda Setton) came in and that’s where she gave me (Jason) the letter from Monica. That was a very hard scene for me to do. That was a tough one. That was the one time I was almost going to call ‘cut!’  It read ‘Jason, I believe in you.’ I was literally going to walk off the set.”

Photo: JPI

To clarify and in the story, Monica was saying “I believe in you” and that she knows Jason didn’t shoot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna). Steve added, “It was tough, man. Emotionally, it was a tough scene. It was overwhelming in the moment.”

Steve went on to detail to Anderson, “She (Brook Lynn) pushed it to me and I read it and she was walking out and I had to stop her, but I was so emotional I couldn’t even get it out.  And at that point, I’m like, ‘Do I just keep going … or do I just walk off the set right now?’ But, I knew just to stay, because it’s so hard to get back there, once you shut it down. I knew, the next take wasn’t going to be the same.”

Photo: JPI

It’s clear that Leslie Charleson is so missed on-screen as Monica by all of her castmates, and that Jason and Monica had a very special mother/son relationship throughout the decades on GH.

What did you think of the moment when Jason got a note from Monica that said, “I believe in you?” Were you touched as well? Let us know in the comment section. You can check out the latest episode of Steve and Bradford’s podcast below.

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General Hospital

George Russo to Appear on General Hospital as Carmine Cerullo

Coming up, it looks like Brook Lynn’s (Amanda Setton) grandfather, Carmine Cerullo is headed to Port Charles.

According to casting news from the ABC soap opera, George Russo will take on the role. Russo will tape his episode next week on April 15th and will appear on the May 15th episode of the long-running daytime drama series.

If George looks familiar he has been in numerous primetime television shows and motion pictures including: The Offer. Winning Time, Grand Crew and Shameless.

Photo: ABC

Longtime GH viewers will recall that Lois’ (Rena Sofer) dad, Carmine, was previously showed up in Port Charles on and off from 1994 to 1996 and was played by John Capudice.

Clearly, it seems that Carmine will be a part of Chase (Josh Swickard) and Brook Lynn’s wedding.  Will it go off without a hitch? Are you looking forward to it? Stay tuned.

Who else would you like to see attend the nuptials? Gloria Cerullo (Ellen Travolta), any other blasts from the pasts who should be present? Let us know in the comment section.

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