Days Of Our Lives
RATINGS: General Hospital #1 In Key 18-49 Demo For First Time Since 2014!
Courtesy/ABC
The ratings are out for the week of October 30th through November 3rd, and it was a big week for ABC’s General Hospital.
The series took back the lead in the key womens 18-49 viewers and rating share for the first time since 2014. GH was the only soap to add viewers in the key demo and gained extra points in the rating share as well.
In addition, GH was the only daytime drama to add total viewers for the week adding +13,000 bringing their tally to 2,763,000, and the show is now up from last year at this time by +125,000 viewers. The gang in Port Charles also saw increases in the 18-34 and 25-54 womens demos.
Days of our Lives was the only other soap not to lose viewers in a demo category adding +15,000 in women 18-34.
CBS Daytime sister soaps of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful saw dips in total viewers, while tying all-time lows in the 18-49 demo, and B&B also tying a low in the 18-24 demo, To see the entire ratings picture via SON click here.
Numbers are based on Live+Same Day ratings
(Compared to Last Week/Compared to Last Year)
Women 18-49 Viewers
1. GH 487,000 (+53,000/+37,000) *
2. Y&R 432,000 (-37,000/-164,000)
3. B&B 348,000 (-24,000/-146,000)
4. DAYS 347,000 (-20,000/-32,000)
* First time sole #1 since June 9-13, 2014
Women 18-49 Rating
1. GH 0.75/6 (+.08/+.05) ***
2. Y&R 0.67/6 (-.05/-.25) <—— ties low rating (2nd straight week) *
3. B&B 0.54/5 (-.03/-.22) <—— ties low rating **
4. DAYS 0.53/5 (-.04/-.06)
* Rounded to 0.7
** Rounded to 0.5
*** First time sole #1 since June 9-13, 2014
Time to be our Soap Opera Programming Executive Armchair Quarterback! Which soap opera is delivering the best daytime drama right now? Which soap is not? What changes or improvements would you make to your favorite soap opera to bring in more viewers? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
Breaking News
‘Days of Our Lives’ Officially Confirms Ryan Quan Returning as Co-Head Writer Beginning in July
There is definitely a shake-up going down at the writing team at Peacock’s Days of Our Lives. Now, the long-running soap opera has confirmed, what has been previously reported, that current General Hospital breakdown writer, Ryan Quan is heading back to his old stomping grounds in Salem. This time as the series co-head writer.
The appointment of Quan comes with the official news that current co-head writer, Paula Cwikly, who was previously rumored to be departing the series, is not. She is staying with the soap opera and transitioning to a consultant role with the show. Now, Quan will join current co-head writer, Jeanne Marie Ford to steer the ship for the characters on the canvas.
On Wednesday, TV Insider, reported the official confirmation and that Quan will return to DAYS next month in July. In a statement to the outlet, executive producer, Ken Corday expressed, ‘We are lucky to have Ryan back in the fold. There are very few people who have such a deep knowledge and understanding of our show’s history. Stay tuned!”
Photo: JPI
THE FUTURE OF DAYS OF OUR LIVES
Since Days of our Lives unusual production schedule tapes ten-months ahead of air, the new creative team’s vision led by Quan and Jeanne Marie Ford are not expected to stream on Peacock until mid-2027.
Days of Our Lives is currently renewed through its 63rd season. The former NBC soap opera which transitioned to Peacock in September of 2022, celebrate its 60th anniversary in November of 2025.
The writing regime change comes after NBCUniversal Media Chairman Matt Strauss revealed that Peacock is expected to turn a profit for the first time in the current quarter, punctuating their investment with the enduring soap opera on its platform.
As for Quan, his knowledge of Salem is tremendous. Ryan joined Days of Our Lives as a writer’s assistant in 2007 after some time over at Passions. He then spent two decades and held every position on the writing team where he previously served as co-head writer from 2016-17 alongside Dena Higley.
Later, when Ron Carlivati took over as head writer for 7 years in 2017, Quan became his right-hand man and main story consultant for his deep knowledge of the history and the legacy of the show. After Carlivati exited the show in 2024, General Hospital hired Quan in 2025.
So, what do you think about DAYS making it official with Ryan Quan as the new co-head writer of the series alongside Jeanne Marie Ford. What do you think about the fact we won’t see the changes on-screen till 2027? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Beyond the Gates
Daytime Drama Casting Directors Talk Four of the Most Challenging and Important Recasts of Their Careers
Daytime soap opera casting directors: Greg Salmon (The Young and the Restless) Marnie Saitta (Days of Our Lives), Christy Dooley (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Kim Coleman (Beyond the Gates) discussed the process of casting for a daytime drama series from contract players to under-fives along and their expectations for auditioning, plus behind the scenes casting tales at their recent panel from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
The entertainment industry event helps actors receive inside intel from leading casting professionals and took place just over a week ago at the Meryl Streep Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.
Moderated by noted journalist Jim Halterman, one of the more intriguing moments of the panel discussion occurred when the subject turned to the challenges of a recast on a soap opera and replacing a popular actor with another in a very key role. Each of the four casting directors were able to put a spotlight on such an occurrence and all were leading men on their respective soaps.
Photo: SAGAFRAFoundation
For Marnie Saitta at Days of Our Lives, she was tasked with finding the new EJ DiMera. James Scott had become amazingly popular in the role from 2006-2014. Then, enter Dan Feuerriegel, who had the right stuff for DAYS to finally pull the trigger and cast the new EJ. The character returned on-screen in 2021 after 7 years.
RECASTING EJ DIMERA
“I do know now how to best approach a recast, like I’m casting a new character,” explains Marnie. “I feel like the actor just has to come in and make it their own. You can’t even try, looks-wise, to be quite honest. Obviously, EJ DiMera is kind of a focal point (of DAYS) and Dan was such a champ. I swear to God, I think I brought him in maybe six times. I would bring him in for other characters, but I kept thinking he’s really good for EJ and it didn’t go. Then, I brought him for something else, same thing. I knew that the role of EJ was going to be really difficult to find, and it finally clicked. He took EJ in a different direction. He has a totally different vibe, but equally as effective.”
RECASTING ADAM NEWMAN
For Greg Salmon, he discussed the pivotal role of Y&R’s Adam Newman, who was previously by Tracker star, Justin Hartley and what he looked for to be able to find the right actor to be the next black sheep of the Newman clan.
“We had Justin Hartley playing the role of Adam Newman before he went to This Is Us, and now Mark Grossman has been playing him,” explained Salmon. “So that was a really tough role to recast. Before Justin, there were two other people (Chris Engen and Michael Muhney) who played the part. Adam Newman is central to the show. This is Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) son. So, it’s an incredibly important character to the show. But now, Mark Grossman’s been playing the role for several years now. He’s completely made the role his own.”
Photo: JPI
Salmon added the key attributes that Mark Grossman or someone like him brings into an audition for the role of that is being recast, “I really think it just comes down to the person’s energy and what they’re bringing to the character,” explained Greg. “You can’t think, ‘Well, I know Justin Hartley looks like this. And the guy before him looked like that,’ because then you’ll just get trapped. You’re not trying to find another Justin Harley. You’re trying to find another Adam Newman. I just remember Mark came in and I think he read with Eric Braeden, and he read with a few other people of the Newman family, and his energy was just off the charts. You know, this is how Adam should feel. Eventually, I think the audience really accepted him.”
RECASTING RIDGE FORRESTER
In a little-known casting story, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Christy Dooley shared how Mark Grossman almost became one of the Forresters! “He tested for us (at The Bold and the Beautiful). Mark came in and read for the role of Thomas Forrester and he was my choice for the role,” says Dooley. “The role wound up going to Matthew Atkinson, but then he came down to read for The Young and the Restless.”
Dooley was also tasked with one of the biggest soap recasts in history when Ronn Moss exited The Bold and the Beautiful in his signature role of Ridge Forrester which Moss played from 1987-2012. Eventually, Thorsten Kaye took over the role at the end of 2013.
Photo: JPI
“When Ronn Moss left the show, Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer, B&B) said, ‘I can’t recast him right now, he’s just too familiar.’ So he waited. The character was always talked about because he is one of the Forresters. Brad finally said, ‘We need to bring him back. We got to find somebody.’ Then to get Thorsten Kaye, who’s so different than Ronn, and he made it completely his own. He’s just amazing at it, so I think time helped (between bringing on a new Ridge.)”
RECASTING DR. TED RICHARDSON
For Beyond the Gates, Kim Coleman, she has a soap opera that is now building a new legacy only in its second season. However, in season one, Maurice Johnson became the first recast in series history when he was replaced as Dr. Ted Richardson with Keith D. Robinson and at a critical point in the storyline.
Coleman explained, “I think it was a transition and everyone was in agreement that it was the right thing to do. And then fortunately, we brought in an actor that the audience knew. They knew his face. He was great. Keith made it his own and there was not a lot of controversy and it wasn’t complicated. Keith D. Robinson is on the show now and everyone loves him. So, it was a very smooth transition.”
You can check out the full conversation with daytime casting directors, Greg Salmon, Marnie Saitta, Christy Dooley and Kim Coleman below.
Now let us know which of the four recasts noted do you think was the most successful? Were you surprised to learn Mark Grossman was a favorite of casting director Christy Dooley for Thomas Forrester before landing his role as Adan Newman? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
Summer is here and that means soap fans can look forward to some steamy romps, some new romances and some shocking love match turns. So, who might hit the sheets with who? Who might just start a new love affair? Who might turn back to their exes?
We are highlighting five potential pairings that have us wondering what will play out in June as Swoon gave their upcoming monthly rundown on love in the afternoon. Take a look at what’s being teased and then you can let us know how you feel about it!
On The Bold and the Beautiful, now that Will (Crew Morrow) and Electra (Laneya Grace) “seemingly” are back together, R.J. Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) and Dylan (Sydney Bullock) will hit the dance floor and then the bedroom. Will they actually fall for each other, or eventually plot to split up Will and Electra?
Photo: JPI
In addition, will Remy (Christian Weissmann) get his man back, now that things are looking up for Deke (Harrison Cone) if he works with Hope (Annika Noelle) at Logan? Remy had convinced himself through his support of Deke all will be forgiven? But let’s not forget what he’s capable of … blackmailing cousin Dylan and making deep fakes of Electra and plastering them all over social media.
EXES AND NEW FLAMES
Days of Our Lives summer sizzle extended preview first previewed a surprise lip-lock when it showed Chad DiMera (Conner Floyd) sharing a moment with Belle Black (Martha Madison). The thing of it is, it’s caught on a “Kiss-Cam.” Previously, Belle was in a relationship with Chad’s brother, EJ DiMera (Dan Feuerriegel), so where is this heading? To the bedroom? Stay tuned.
General Hospital continues to have two execs, Willow Cain (Katelyn MacMullen) and Harrison Chase (Josh Swickard), dancing around each other. The heroic cop seems determined to help out Willow since he believes she was wrongly accused of shooting her husband, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison).
Viewers know she did that and even worse! With Chase’s wife, Brook Lynn Quartermaine (Amanda Setton) threatening Willow to get her claws away from her husband, and Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) trying to shove Willow and Chase together to make her look like a cheating wife to get the leverage against her, we wouldn’t be surprised if something happens between them, but what?
On The Young and the Restless, after his live-saving bone marrow transplant following his aplastic anemia diagnosis, Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore) returns to Genoa City and reconnects with Dr. Stephanie Simmons (Vivica A. Fox).
It was through Dr. Simmons diligence, Cane Ashby’s (Billy Flynn) marrow, and learning that he has son in Holden Novak (Nathan Owens) that makes Malcolm have a lot to be thankful for, and he just might rekindle his romance with Stephanie with whom he dated back in the mid 90s.
So, of those listed above, what potential pairing has you most intrigued? Which are you not happy about? Do you think all of these characters will enter into a romance or an affair … or it’s all just a big red herring from their respective soaps? Weigh-in via the comment section.
How ‘The Young and the Restless’ Mark Grossman Almost Became ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Thomas Forrester
Marc Forget Exits ‘General Hospital’
‘Days of Our Lives’ Officially Confirms Ryan Quan Returning as Co-Head Writer Beginning in July
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Is This Congresswoman Cain’s New Chief of Staff?
‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Layoffs Include 20-Year VP Comms and Talent Relations Veteran Eva Basler
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: The Search for Rocco and Britt is On; Willow Wants to Stop Drugging Drew
‘General Hospital’ Cast Maxwell Caulfield as Apollo, the Suspicious Gallery Owner in Guest Appearance
‘The Bold and the Unscripted’ New Reality Competition Series Gives Actors a Shot at Role on the CBS Soap
REPORT: Ryan Quan Back to ‘Days of Our Lives’ as Co-Head Writer
‘General Hospital’ Casts Dean Geyer in the Role of ‘Tristan Roberts’
How ‘The Young and the Restless’ Mark Grossman Almost Became ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’s’ Thomas Forrester
Peabo Bryson, Grammy Award-Winning Singer of Memorable ‘One Life to Live’ Theme Song, Passes Away at 75
Daytime Drama Casting Directors Talk Four of the Most Challenging and Important Recasts of Their Careers
‘Beyond the Gates’ and ‘The Young and the Restless’ Crossover Event Preview: A Tornado, Scandal and Dangerous Liaisons
Steve Burton and Finola Hughes Back Taping Episodes at ‘General Hospital’
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Congratulations to GH. This Jason(s) story has been really good so far. They deserve to see that bump!
Days is the most improved soap at the moment…GH is somewhat better and i am tuning in more to both…glad Days is on Demand as i have too many medical appointments during the day !!!…i watch Y&R sometimes and enjoy that too!!!…just never could connect to Bold…
On Days it would had made more sense had Sami used Sonny and Will’s daughter Arianna to help jar Will’s memory instead of Will’s ‘killer’ Ben-i wouldnt want Ben anywhere near me!!!
I guess, Jimmy. You do have a point. But, after thinking about it, Will needs to relive the traumatic, horrifying experience to jar his memory. Ben is the only one who can do that.
So, maybe that’s why Ben is key to open those memories. But, Will and Ben can’t be alone together, LOL.
This really has to drive the Jason haters crazy.
(Insert demonic laughter here…..)
WOW!
I hope Days’ ratings go up! They should.
If you “WRITE IT” we will tune in, watch and rave about it !!!
#’s don’t lie. JASON-JASON storyline, Keeping it interesting
& fast moving is key. Bringing back STEVE BURTON was
in fact the booster shot the show needed.. Shook & woke
everyone up.
Amen, Fanny! This is all down to “The Burton Effect,” plain and simple! Not only did Steve’s return itself bring in more viewers, but the pivot back to other legacy players and storylines via his character has also had a huge impact upon the increasing ratings/satisfaction with GH. But that’s not to say that there’s no room left for far more improvement….Too many failed newbie characters of the past few years still remain in Port Charles and the moment they appear onscreen it’s back to square one all over again—no matter how much unsuccessful propping and shoehorning happens to try to make them fit in!!! Hence it’s imperative that this deadweight be given a one-way ticket out of town before GH can be declared well and truly back to where it should be.
@Shay, completely agree with your assessment of newbie characters.
They lack the ability to make us sit up and take notice… That takes
TALENT, which is immediately noticeable….last newbie to grasp our
attention was Nelle.
Always on point Shayster! The second and third tier players need weeded out!
Nelle
Amy
Chet
Jordan
Franco
@Timmm….Along with Nina and Alexis!!!! (Although I’m willing to let Chet stay….he has the potential to be an important character, sans his sister’s constant presence, of course! Maybe Kiki will end up being the “key” to his recovery???)
@Fanny….I do think that Jessica Tuck’s Cassandra has the potential to be a superb antagonist in the traditional soap opera sense, especially if she turns out to be Helena’s daughter…..I really hope that in her quest for Valentin she will end up being the instrument of evil that rids Port Charles of Nina once and for all!
@Shay…Can you imagine, yet another one of Helena’s offsprings…
a wrecking ball let loose on Port Charles. JT’s Cassandra could
pull it off.
P.S. Timmm’s right.. Chet’s got to go, maybe Amy can pack 4 both
of them and escort out of our orbit.
Oh, Fanny….I LOVE the idea of Cassandra being Helena’s progeny and carrying on her with her mission of destruction in Port Charles…provided the “Ice Queen’s” so-called demise is indeed a sad fact. (And I’m sincerely hoping it is not and that she is merely hibernating in some form of Cassadine-induced limbo for the duration…) Having said that, I actually like “Chet the Vet,” sans his overbearing sis, that is! It looks like maybe he is going to be on his best behavior from here on out, so perhaps we will find more appealing qualities to his character in the near future! Maybe he will even end up taking on the role of “Man Landers” when the dust finally settles on this unpalatable mess of a storyline! That would be okay, I guess…as long as it puts an end to the wailing and whining of Nurse Amy….I really cannot take anymore of her histrionics! Also, am I the only one who wonders if Maxie’s pregnancy will send that pushy femme into “psycho” territory since it’s pretty darn obvious she’s carrying a HUGE torch for Nathan???? I really do not want to consider the gory possibilities that scenario could bring since it appears that her ploy of milking Chet’s problems for her own benefit where Detective West is concerned is winding down.Then again, I should truly like to be proved wrong on that count, and simply see Amy and her OTT antics sent packing just like you said!
GH ratings have always improved with vets. They first showed a real and sustained improvement in Fall of 2012 when AJ came back, then the rescue of Duke that included Robert, the 50th anniversary, Robin’s return and now Steve Burton.
It isn’t just about the one actor or character but all the connections and history. That’s what soaps have to offer and it’s time GH gets it straight. All the new actors and new characters just don’t cut it.
Steve Burton is a GH icon. Jason Morgan is an iconic GH character with tons of connections across the canvas, even with so many Vets gone. Viewers returned for him, long time viewers and viewers in the 18-49 demo.
And to those writing fan-fiction or buying into the fan-fiction that SB is Jason Morgan, but actually Drew switched 20 years ago and Billy is Jason Q. We see the power of SB’s Jason Morgan and GH history. Screw the character of Jason Morgan and all that history and the viewers who came back will tune right out.
Yes, vets and key legacy characters are important to a show’s success, but new characters – when tied to core families – can work properly. And good actors can keep viewers intrigued with newer characters (as much horrible things that Ava has done, Maura West is quite often captivating to watch.) There needs to be a good balance. As a long time viewer, I’m happy to see Monica or Scotty once or twice a week, regardless of story. It’s when we get 4 days of Nina or Franco in one week and Mac and Felicia once a month that the balance is way off.
I will disagree with you again on the retcon idea for Jason Quartermaine. History is constantly rewritten on soaps. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Making Miller Jason Q would NOT have the show killing power that undoing Erica’s abortion did to AMC. Probably the stupidest retcon GH ever did was making Ethan Luke and Holly’s son. Longtime viewers were pissed that he cheated on Laura and were told long ago that Holly was unable to have children after she lost the baby while married to Robert. I’m not sure that a retcon in the Jason story would be worse than that.
Love to see Nina and Franco on. They managed to help carry a show that seemed as if they were given a blank script and ran w/it on their own. The return of SB seemed to have woken up the writers.
@Steve….It’s been pure heaven watching Monica front and center during the return of Steve Burton to the GH canvas….Her re-emerging presence really brings back the feeling this soap used to evoke, especially with the inclusion of all those vintage clips! (We need more such reminders of how relevant the remaining legacy characters are to modern day Port Charles….) Of course, that bliss quickly fades whenever the show swings back to the unwelcome antics of Nina, Nurse Amy, Jordan, Aunt Stella and yes, even the pigheaded, Julian-obsessed Alexis who has learned zilch from her previous amorous catastrophes. Talk about redundant! As for Franco….imposing his person into major storyline after major storyline has done nothing to make him any less of the local pariah…..ditto for Nina. No matter with whom she is tethered, she simply doesn’t fit into the show….Perhaps the promising new villainess, Cassandra, will be the instigator of her demise….at least, I certainly hope so!
Stunning post, Steve. As you know, I don’t know much about GH history….but, logic plays a big part in penning a story.
I, as anyone else, love the vets, yes. But, a soap is a living, ever-changing, pulsating story …..and, as such, new characters are vitally important when introducing fresh blood and fresh plotlines. Change is necessary ….part of nature. A story should cater to one and all, regardless of age.
As far as the two Jasons, I am beginning to get fidgety….impatient? Yeah, that’s moi. I trust TPTB to use timely discretion; pardon the pun.
As Timmm said….don’t fluke it up! How apropos, yes??
I am definitely into this story and in for the long-run, but, as I said from the get-go ( I know it’s a soap—it’s just that some reality does the mind good, once in a while), why couldn’t Liz or Sam know the difference between the ‘twins’ when intimate? Twins or not, I doubt two individuals have the same ‘set’ of tricks in their repertoire of lovemaking. I am no expert on men ( just one), but, I would think a woman can ‘tell’ with whom she lays??
I have always had a problem with that.
Shouldn’t these women have picked up, noticed that certain ‘maneuvers’ differed?
Have they had that many men in their lives that ‘one’ is like the other, thus, becoming a blur?
I don’t think it really matters if Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) is really Drew who was switched 20 years ago. He would STILL be the Jason Morgan/Quartermaine that we watched all those years… a rose by any other name is still a rose. It’s a technicality. If Billy Miller’s Jason was the Jason before his car accident with AJ…well…it would make sense that he wasn’t as keen on the business as Burton’s Jason and is different than the Jason Carly, Sonny and Sam knew.
Billy Miller original Jason Q before car accident…before he became Jason Morgan, before he got involved with Robin, Elizabeth and Sam.
Stever Burton as Drew…who was switched in the hospital after the car accident with AJ…awoke with no memories and became the Jason we and Sonny/Carly/Robin/Liz/Sam…everyone thought was JQ. It would still make sense.
I wonder if anyone would have a problem with these switched identities if Steve Burton was playing both parts…and instead of Billy Miller vs Steve Burton (and the Jason face/mannerisms etc) are the ones Jason fans identify with weren’t in the equation. Then it would be Steve Burton as Jason…or twin Steve Burton as Jason.
LOL. Does that make sense???
@Rebecca..It makes perfect sense to me, very well said.
Steve will always and forever be Jason to us.
Thanks, Fanny. LOL…but I do think it would make a difference if Steve was playing both roles. A lot of fans are more interested in “Steve Burton” being Jason…then which “twin” is actually Jason.
It doesn’t make sense because Jason had a piece of AJ’s dashboard surgically removed from his brain in early 2012. It would not have been there if he had not been in that accident with his drunken brother.
It’s actually a better story for Billy Miller & his fans if he’s a completely new character who has to find out what happened to him between the time Frodd threw him down the stairs as a child, and when Robin thawed him out in the Crichton Clark lab in 2014.
As for Steve playing both roles, he probably will be, to some extent. Because I don’t see Drew’s story being told without the generous use of flashbacks, as he either remembers things himself, or others who have known him (Tamara Braun’s new character will likely be the first) to relay their stories. And obviously the face Drew has in these flashbacks can’t be Billy Miller’s, because his face didn’t look like that before Ava ran over it with a stolen SUV.
The story of Jason Morgan is that he is Jason Quartermaine. He was injured in an accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury that caused amnesia and altered his personality. He then shunned his family who wanted him to be the person he was, who he could not remember being and he took up with the town mob boss and became his enforcer. The child of privilege, the golden boy was now a mobster who could not remember his previous life and his family and it tore them up.
All the drama, conflict, emotional beats, all the character pov, motivations and actions were based on that fact, that Jason Morgan mob enforcer was their Jason Quartermaine. Change that and you ruin everything. You change everything. All the characters were wrong, playing out an orchestrated lie for decades and went to their graves having been duped.
Look at the flashback they showed Friday of Monica and Jason. He tells her that raising Michael made him understand that she loved him no matter what, no matter how he changed, because she raised him. If he isn’t Jason Q, if she didn’t raise him, that scene means nothing. They are all playing out someone else’s drama.
Comparing a rewrite like that to the paternity of a child and whether the parents could have hooked up at that time is ludicrous. There is no comparison. Ethan’s paternity has no bearing on who he really is, how he lived his life and how he and other characters acted and reacted over decades.
And no, it wouldn’t matter if Steve Burton played both roles because the story and all I mentioned above still changes and is ruined. There is no need for this rewrite. The Q’s are dead, there would be no reunions except for Monica and Ned who is barely on. And even if they were, it wouldn’t be worth it, a great story would still be ruined and a character marginalized.
This is a prominent site and I’m sure the writers and producers check here to read Michael Fairman and check on what viewers are saying. So I’ll tell you this, you got a nice bump in ratings because people came back for Steve Burton’s Jason Morgan. They care about this character and his legacy. They invested for decades. Pull the rug out from under them and they will tune back out. The people on this site and who post on other platforms are mostly people who stuck with you and kept watching no matter what you did. They’ll take just about anything. They very well may not care. The people who have tuned out and tuned back in now do care. They’re the reason for your rise in ratings. I’d worry about them.
@AJQ…you R in fact 100% correct!!! We fans who have
stayed true to GH for decades… We’ve cared enough, so
much so in fact that we’ve never tuned out. We deserve
this win, we’ve earned it. STEVE needs to be, has got to
be the Original Jason.
AJQ
There is no set rule in soaps. Saying that if Billy Miller’s Jason is the real Jason would ruin everything would obviously ruin it for you, andd I’m sure many others. For me? And I bet others, it wouldn’t ruin a thing. I expect twists and turns in soaps. And saying if we change which twin is the real Jason then all the characters would have been duped…yeah….it does! Isn’t that the point?.” But that doesn’t mean their emotions weren’t real at the time, every single reaction etc was real for the friend/son/husband they thought he was. It’s like being in love…and then years later when after the the breakup the person says, “I THOUGHT I was in love.” The person WAS in love…if that’s what they felt at the time that’s what it was. It doesn’t change because you have a different perspective on it looking back. It was what it was in that moment in time…
By the same token the point of view you write about…Jason Quartermaine/Morgan and the people in his life…all the changes he went through and how it effected everyone…DID happen. Whether the cause was the car accident (I’m talking about, for newer viewers) that happened when AJ was driving and Jason woke up a “different person” or whether it was because, unbeknownst to us, he really WAS a different person…doesn’t matter. Because all that followed, whether it was from memory loss or because he was a blank slate to begin with…still happened.
All the feelings, emotions changes we, the audience and the characters went through in the show were real. Can’t change the emotions of the past. We STILL went through them, as did all the characters in the life of whomever Jason is/was.
I’m not saying Steve Burton shouldn’t wind up being THE Jason Quartermaine. Of course he feels right and comfortable…he looks, acts, talks like the Jason we all know. We missed him. So, it makes sense that’s who we want him to be. I’d be perfectly happy with that outcome. Perhaps the writers are weighing which would cause more viewer approval; higher ratings. The show probably has a lot riding on this decision.’
But, if it turns out Steve is Drew, I’ll be looking forward to how he evolves, who he attaches himself to and how it plays out considering he still would LOOK like the Jason those closest to him remember. Could be the catalyst for interesting stories ahead.
One could argue that those tuning back in (especially in the 18-49 demo) know only of Steve Burton from the days when it was the Sonny/Carly/Jason show and Jason had little interaction with the Q’s. I will agree that the character of Jason is unlike any in daytime history. That said, it allows for storylines that haven’t been tried before. To lure Steve Burton back, they had to sell him a story that would intrigue him. If he is indeed both Jason Quartermaine and Morgan, end of story and he’s back to being Sonny’s right hand. Whoever turns out is Andrew will have a long backstory to discover.
And no, comparing another major rewrite of show history is not ludicrous. It’s a soap — and anything can happen.
I commented on this in another thread and agree this would just kill the story and character of Jason Morgan. rebecca 1, no the point isn’t for characters to be duped. This twist and turn stuff seems like nonsense to me and thinking you were in love with someone and thinking someone was actually a completely different person is nothing a like.
As stated above and very well, that Jason Morgan is Jason Q was the story. Change that and you do ruin everything. It is ridiculous. If they make Jason Morgan, Drew, and he never was Jason Q, I tune back out.
MB: I’m going to try this for the 100th time and see if it posts. One hundreth time is the charm, right? Sigh…
You misunderstood both my points. I didn’t mean literally the point of the story was for characters to be duped…I meant the fact that ALL WERE, including both twins, Sam, etc…is the crux of the story. That all were living this alternate reality…BECAUSE they were duped!
As for my love analogy, I was responding to AJQ and his/her (?) feeling that to make Billy Jason Q and Jason M two separate people would change history and thus ruin the show. Not for me. Not for many. The emotions were all real because they lost Jason Q as he was before the accident with AJ. They mourned the loss of who he was…and they had to adapt to the man he became…Jason Morgan. That was all real…regardless of the reason. Sonny’s influence combined with brain damage? Or, because he was LITERALLY a different man. The end result…of all those years both onscreen and for us the viewer, were real at the time.The “history of WHY that happened would change…but the emotions, everything we felt, everything we/they experienced doesn’t change, isn’t negated. My analogy to love? If you loved someone in the past…and that’s the emotion you felt…the history ( of the emotions, the relationship) doesn’t change because you don’t love him/her anymore. It doesn’t change because you don’t feel it now. Whatever you felt was real at the time. Whatever the characters felt was real at the time. Regardless of the reason Jason Q changed, all the events and emotions that followed made sense because of what everyone believed. The history doesn’t change…just the explanation and the soapy switching of two brothers.
You say “Jason Morgan is Jason Q is the story…” It was. And now it may evolve to show how Jason Q and Jason M were BOTH the story, which we’re finding out now.
Not sure if that’s the way it’s going to play out. I think it’s great storytelling and gives a new element to a decades-old story that can fit in nicely. Heather indicated a few years ago there was another Quartermaine that no one knew about. Jason Q woke up a completely changed man; he never regained his love or loyalty toward his family. They said he was incapable of emotion…yet he felt it for Sonny, Carly, Michael, Sam…never again for his Quartermaine family. Maybe…because he never really knew them.
Just a theory and I think we’ll find out one way or another very soon. I’d be happy with either way it goes as long as it’s done well.
The vindication of Steve Burton!
I don’t think there is any denying that it’s his return which has boasted the ratings.
It seems that his return started good writing which has been absent for quite a while. There is some top of the line acting on GH and these stars were holding the show from being axed w/o good writing! I hope the writing continues to improve for everyone and NOT just for one person.
@Harry..Veritas be told!!!
Boy, these soaps are skewing older and older all the time. The 4 long-running daytime soaps cancelled since 2009 all got better demographic numbers than these toward the end. IMO, these shows must find some way to evolve with fresher, more realistic storytelling circa 2017 and maybe with some kind of different production model (not 5x/ week, 52 weeks/yr) if they’re going to have any real hope of connecting with and holding younger generations into the next decade. To be #1 among 4 current soaps with those numbers is anything but an accomplishment. GH is simply the best of the worst right now, which is not saying much at all. It’s such a pathetic, garbage shell of what it used to be during its glory days that it’s impossible to believe that it’s the same program.
Nick….what a buzz kill.
It’s just as easy to ignore Nick and his anti-soap agenda (which he’s never admitted to, but I know the truth)
The high ratings numbers will never come back as viewing options increase. Primetime Network TV has declined in higher percentages over the last 10 years than daytime.
A review of the production model is a good idea, as long as the DAYS version doesn’t become standard. A 5-month window from tape to air date doesn’t allow for adjustment to storylines that aren’t working. As ratings have gone down, so have budgets — and the shows have made adjustments. Perhaps the future is all recurring characters or short term contracts.
Regardless, GH should be commended for upping their game the past six weeks.
Oh, I feel what you’re saying, Nick….but, what of those of us who are not part of the glory days? Are we to be disregarded?
This is all I know, and I like GH right now. I guess ignorance is bliss, afterall? Well, that’s moi…ignorant, LOL.
I hear the same stuff about Y&R. It has its ups and downs, but I still enjoy it.
Are Abby and Scott about to do it? What will that mean for Sharon? Will the baby Melissa is carrying be Scott’s instead of Zach’s? Will the pregnancy even be introduced as part of Abby’s story?……and Dina? What’s going on with that spitfire?, LOL. She is a story unto herself….infinitely enjoying her.
……..not to digress with all these questions, but such scenarios interest me.
I don’t think it’s the storylines that are drowning the remaining soaps….it’s the skewed ( to use your word) shows taking over daytime…..too many talk ( nonsense) shows…..too many cooking shows…..too many uninspiring shows catering to the unaspiring. I love my soaps…..at least they offer intelligent conversation to be had, regardless of the subject matter.
C’mon, Nick…..you must still want to watch, yes?! LOL.
Congrats GH :0) I sure am glued to my T.V. @ 1;00p.m. everyday and thank goodness for the DVR’s 🙂
Great story, powerful performances by all, perfect recipe for ratings to soar. This is what soap drama is all about, when you get a story line that is so epic that it makes you have to tune it everyday. This was missing from my GH screen for awhile but lately all characters and actors on canvas are bringing their A-Game, my only complaint is that I miss Rebecca Budig and wish Hayden didn’t leave Port Charles, hoping she will someday return. Keep up the good work GH, you have made me one happy soap fan!
The only way Budig probably returns would be temporarily to help usher Easton out if he chooses not to renew his contract. I’m on the fence with Finn and Anna, which is actually better than a month ago when I was not a fan. Hughes usually brings out the best in her screen partners.
I am still holding out hope that Hayden will return with hers and Finn’s kid.
Love RB….always have.
I am not liking Finn and Anna—so unsuited. Need more time.
I think she will return especially if Finn and Anna take off as a couple because what’s better then a couple on a soap is a triangle so hopefully like you said she will return sooner rather then later.
I never took to Hayden. I honestly don’t miss her at all. If she does come back it will be with her and Finn’s baby…throwing a wrench into a Finn/ Anna romance. I so hope not; found her boring…their relationship the same…and I love Anna and Finn. i
Whether the GH viewers stick around is the question. If so, it proves that Steve Burton is worth the high cost & firings.
We lost some great actors this year or so , so I’m not so ecstatic on this issue. Perhaps if we had top of the line writing to go w/some phenomenal acting all along the return of SB wouldn’t seem so monumental.
Not surprised – GH is on fire right now.
Leason learned GH? Now, make him real Jason and please do something good with BM. Hopefully, Tamara’s return will be for him. Break up Kevin and Laura now please. She needs a real lead, the new doctor sounds good.
Laura and Kevin are one of the best couples on the show. It would be great to see more of them, but apparently Genie has a contract with the lowest guaranteed episodes on daytime.
Women and ME are coming on strong for Steve Burton! He has done a wonderful job. As long as they carefully tell this story and dont FLUKE it up, the ratings should continue to climb and our show will shine once again!
Don’t “fluke it up,” Timmm???? That’s brilliant, I love it!
That’s our Timmmbo, Shay!!!! LOL.
@Timmm…I’m on that Steve locomotive as well Tim !
As long as the storyline continues to move forward at
this speed, it shouldn’t derail. FLUKE was an epic FAIL
which crashed and burned, later rather than sooner.
Don’t fluke it up– that is going to be my new go to saying–LOL
the Jason story is driving viewers back to GH,Days has improved but it may be hard to bring viewers back that left during previous regimes. the two cbs soaps are the two worst soaps at the moment. Bold went from being so good a few years ago to so bad now. it’s only been two weeks but the new writing on Y&R does not look good. the show is starting to feel like Pratt again.
I don’t think Mal Young will make a difference…I miss the Bill Bell days and we will IMO never see the classic days of Y&R again and I don’t know how much longer I will be watching…I really had hope with Sally Sussman and Kay Alden and I just don’t think that SONY/CBS cares about Y&R and they aren’t listening to fans.
I started watching GH again and loving it since Steve Burton has returned…I think the writing is better…
Awwww, Kevin….I hope the network does care about Y&R. I have a feeling something great is in the air….
I think Chelsea is hiding something ( involving Jordan) which will destroy her relationship with Nick.
And, Sharon will find out about scuzzy Scott and Abby, leaving a wide path for Nick and Sharon to be together, again…Finally!!
I will give Y&R a bit of a grace period and wait…..
Celia, I appreciate your input…I will be sticking with Y&R at least through April of next year…Celia, I also want Sharon and Nick back together for I always loved them from the very beginning…Folks, I am so sorry to bring this up again but if they would bring back the beautiful classic background music which has been a staple for the show since the very beginning along with classic character driven stories with feelings/emotion along with some mystery and suspense then I will feel we have Y&R back…The background music they use now does not cut it and does not go with the show…Everyone have a wonderful and Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all…
I hope gh keeps the momentum going and while I’m sure the tale of the two JASON s has helped the show I also think the other stories are just as good , love Jessica tuck as Cassandra and the surprising pairing of Anna and Finn .
GH had been gawdawful after RC left and the Queens of Snooze took over..
Those two woman could put fans in a coma from boredom..
Not only was GH moldy stagnate boring it was an overkill of STUPID!
Being one of the Snooze Queens is still on board I have to give ‘Chris Van Etten ‘ a {{{HUG}}} and a BRAVO !!
GH got itself some Young Blood 🙂
It was Jeans idea. the 2 Jasons, and I give her props for that..
However it is Chris Van Etten that has brought it to awesome.
//no way in hades are Shelly and FV on the top of this one. we saw their comatose work the past 4-5 years..
Wow, someone that sees things they same way as myself. I agree w/all of your writing or lack there of comments!
@su000… Unfortunately Ron C, contributed to his own dismissal as
head writer on GH, due to the “FLUKE” debacle & w/ the helpful hand
of one actor who shall remain nameless. No love lost there, for sure!!!
I for one truly believed that was a grave mistake…since Ron was a
witty,fun,innovative,interesting,intelligent writer…who simply needed
a co-head writer to even out the CRAZYYYYYYYY. Chris V E….
could’ve / should’ve been that writer. Talk about a dream team!
Hi Fanny…
Not sure if the actor you’re talking about (but not naming) is Sean Kanan…but from what I read Ron was really obnoxious to Sean…starting with comments about Sean’s weight and then relegating him to the pickle relish story. LOL…I mean…look at the story Steven Burton is getting and compare it to Lila’s relish. I can see where Sean was a bit “perturbed.” And then killling AJ off? HORRIBLE decision! As a “newcomer” to GH (I’m talking about Ron) he shouldn’t have messed with a legacy character so many of us loved and were thrilled to have back.
I loved Ron’s work on OLTL. I agree for the most part he’s a good soap writer. And I (as a OLTL fan) was thrilled when he brought on some of the OLTL actors. But…his AJ decision and his unprofessional attitude…insulting attitude toward Kanan is off-putting.
But, yes, it probably would have been something to see him teamed with Chris as writers. On the other hand…GH is doing great without him at the moment!
Shelly could have been a good balancer with Ron as well. But Fanny is right, ratings were diving with Fluke, Denise Demuccio and other lackluster storylines. Add to that his childish treatment of Sean Kanan and his fate was sealed.
The beginning of the Altman/Van E writing period has proven to be exciting and faster paced. Unlike a few months ago, when I came close to removing GH from my DVR.
hi Fanny..
you said– ;; Unfortunately Ron C, contributed to his own dismissal as
head writer on GH, due to the “FLUKE” debacle;;
It was Frank/FV that did the Fluke story, not RC..
RC had written Tony out……….
FV then called Tony into his office and offered him the Fluke story, a story Tonny always wanted to play, 2 Lukes, so to say.
Tony agreed and stayed on..
That put RC in a spot to rewrite Tony’s exit.
And RC had the pressure of keeping the Fuke story alive while Tony was gone for 6 months..
Nonetheless, RC gave Tony an academy award winning exit with the black & white unforgettable exit,,
@Fanny….I believe you are speaking of “The Actor” who famously referred to Ron C. as “The Writer!”….Yes?
@Rebecca…It wasn’t Sean. Who shouldn’t have taken that sort of
treatment from anyone…no matter who they were!!!
@su000… Let’s agree that Ron C. wrote some of the best scenes,
episodes, storylines during his tenure on GH. Ultimately he was
bound to be the fall guy because of his title “Head Writer” regardless
of who helped come up w/ the ideas behind them.
Could not watch GH under RC, there was no dialoge and wat to much going in without any real depth, it did not feel like GH, those ladies u refer to helped reset the show and brought it back, yes it was supposed at times but Chris van etten seems to be bringing a fresh and younger , well needed
Agree with you J malnar…Ron C writing is not what I enjoy and that’s why I am not going back to DOOL…
The best show in town. I’ve been a loyal fan of GH since before there was a Luke and Laura. And I’m telling you, this has been a long time coming. They are clawing their way back to the top thanks to the return of Steve Burton and the awesome rejuvenated writing team. Keep it up GH!!!!!!!! The ride is awesome.
Congratulations to General Hospital! I’ve not enjoyed the show this much in a long time. 🙂
Today’s episode was sensational!
I am so surprised how much I have beenenjoying GH again. What happened? Better, writing, pacing, connection of story and characters, and of course the return of Steve Burton, which has proven to be a big boost to the show. So glad the ratings are reflecting all the improvements on the show.
I want to see DOOL keep rising in the ratings. Ron has done an amazing job reviving this show! Both GH and DOOL are watchable again.
Have always only watched and liked the ABC soaps…but do wish One Life To Live would come back !
I grew up with their slogan “Love in the afternoon” wake up ABC and reclaim your past glory !
GH is still a miss for me. I find no reason to invest in the story of a career criminal with over 50 arrests (according to Diane on today’s episode) who is fighting to regain his life with the help of his best friends, a mob boss who killed the career criminal’s brother and that mob boss’ shrill wife who helped cover up that crime. All this story does is convince me that Jason’s kids are better off with Billy Miller as their father.
Not surprised to see Y&R shedding viewers. Mal Young’s approach where most episodes equal one day in Genoa City is a total turn off. Soaps are about the exaggerated drama and when you stop having cliffhangers that carry over from one episode to the next viewers have no reason to tune in to see the resolution. Soap viewers don’t care about the sense of real time — we care about the drama and seeing all the beats of a story played out like no other genre has the ability to do. I think a year from now CBS is going to regret replacing Sally Sussman and Kay Alden because they were doing some real soap building with their work.
B&B was removed from our DVR the second the Sheila story was over.
DAYS is the only soap that is firing on all cylinders right now. With the exception of Claire and Tripp, I’m interested in every storyline and anxious for the next episode. Best of all, Ron C is telling a variety of stories (with that all but forgotten staple of the genre, ROMANCE) that will have ripple effects for the characters and generate future story.
Alan, I so agree with you 100% on what you said about Y&R and I am not impressed with Mal Youngs vision on Y&R…Mal says he cares about the show, no he doesn’t and neither does CBS/Sony…I think I am going to be turning it off one day for we will no longer see the glory days of Y&R…doesn’t even feel like Y&R anymore and I already miss Sally and Kay…
GH has been good the last month. I’m not FF’ing my DVR for almost entire episodes like I used to (for several years).