Will Katie Couric Save General Hospital?
Katie Couric
Fans of General Hospital were outraged last year when ABC announced it was giving the soap's long-held time slot to Katie Couric's upcoming talk show Katie — yet one more sign that GH could be heading toward cancellation. But the perky journalist may turn out to be GH's savior!
Sources close to Couric and her exec producer Jeff Zucker tell TV Guide Magazine that the duo has expressed concern about the disappointing ratings of ABC's The Revolution which, if GH gets the ax, would be the lead-in to Katie when the talker debuts this fall. Couric and Zucker want to see GH get that slot because it's a stronger show, Nielsen-wise, plus Couric does not want to face the wrath of GH fans and risk the chance they'll organize a boycott. Who the hell needs that? So she and Zucker want The Revolution to go bye-bye.
Will the ABC suits kowtow to this? They may not have a choice. In fact, they might even agree at this point. Our spies at Times Square Studios — the new tag for ABC Daytime — tell us the commitment to nonscripted shows remains firm in the ABC daypart but no one is doing handstands over the ones currently in development, which include a doctor show and a game show. While ABC technically has time (though not much) to replace The Revolution with more reality, that option is looking way too chancy.
In the meantime, GH's ratings are on the rise thanks to the "explosive" exit of Dr. Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), and an influx of fresh energy from One Life to Live crossover stars (Kassie DePaiva, Roger Howarth, Kristen Alderson) and returning favorites (Tristan Rogers, Finola Hughes, Emma Samms). Will the "dying" medical soap be resuscitated by Dr. Couric? It's the ultimate suds cliffhanger!
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