Tuesday, June 26, 2012

General Hospital to 2 p.m. on September 10th

General Hospital has been on the air for almost 50 years and it's been on ABC at 3 p.m. for just about all of that time. The show debuted on April 1, 1963 at 1 p.m., but moved to 3 p.m. in December of that year.  For just a short time, from July 1976 to January 1978, it ran at 3:15 because the show was expanded to 45 minutes from the original 30.  By January '78, it was expanded yet again to one hour and moved back to 3 o'clock.

Now, ABC, with its questionable daytime logic, is moving GH to 2 p.m. to make room for the new Katie Couric talk show, aptly named Katie.

As most people know, the network has been toying with its daytime lineup for the past year.  It canceled both All My Children (1 p.m.) and One Life to Live (2 p.m.) last year to make room for two despicable shows, The Chew and The Revolution.

The Revolution has already been canceled and the Chew is not doing very well.  ABC is losing viewers to CBS, but thinks inserting Katie and moving an iconic favorite like GH will help matters.

Fat chance.
 
General Hospital revolves around the denizens of the fictional town of Port Charles, New York, something akin to Buffalo.  It was the most honored show of the 2012 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards and celebrates its golden anniversary on April 1, 2013. GH is the longest running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest-running drama in American television history.

"General Hospital" was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer. Ron Carlivati is the head writer. 
 
Wikipedia has a good history of GH at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Hospital.
 
And here's its time slot history.

Start date End date Time slot
(eastern)
Run time
(minutes)
April 1, 1963 December 27, 1963 1:00 pm 30
December 30, 1963 July 23, 1976 3:00 pm
July 26, 1976 January 13, 1978 3:15 pm 45
January 16, 1978 present 3:00 pm 60
 

35 comments:

  1. IT will be very weird not seeing it on at 3pm. But at least it's still on and I hope the time change doesn't affect it's ratings

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  2. I'll watch GH any time .For 48 years I have watched and love this show.Thank you advertisers for GH. I am buying your products!!!!!!!!!Bring back OLTL

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    1. I agree, the time does not matter to me, if the other shows were on I would be watching in those time slots. The 3 hour block was always set aside for ABC soaps. But no more just one hour a day for General Hospital!

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  3. Hoping that moving it to 2pm that the ratings will increase due to the infusion of OLTL characters. This may help to keep GH on longer.

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  4. I only watch ABC for GH. When GH goes to 2pm I will watch it then. I dvr mostly but on days I'm home i won't have to wait an extra hour to see it! I still say ABC bring back OLTL and AMC! I no longer watch your other shows! Not Couric!

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    1. That's a good way to think about it. Hope you are right! I watched all three ABC soaps every single day, especially since I get out of the house very little (and when I do, I DVR). Now ABC is one big TALK SHOW starting this past week. Thanks loads, ABC, for thinking about the almighty dollar instead of what really mattered to your longtime viewers.

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  5. I have been a loyal fan of ABC soaps for 43 years. ALL my favorite night time shows were on ABC.Not anymore. I only watch General Hospital.I used to love watching Shark Tank, but now watch under cover boss. It doesn't matter what you put on that time slot, or channel, WE the soap fans will not be watching. GET THAT TROUGH YOU THICK SKULLS. WE WANT OUR SOAPS. ALL MY CHILDREN. ONE LIFE TO LIVE, AND GENERAL HOSPITAL.

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  6. I will continue to boycott ABC except for the General Hospital hour, whether it's 2pm or 1pm. The author makes a good point with "questionable daytime logic!" ^5 Debra!

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  7. I am a OLTL fan but since it's end I have started watching GH. Loving it!! I will watch it regardless of it's time sot but that is all I will watch on ABC! They screwed up and their crappy replacement shows are proof!

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  8. hi, i would like to know why they can't leave GH where it is in that timeslot? if KATIE wants to put her show in any of the other time slots do it, but why move GH? I look at it this way ABC it doesn't matter where you put her new show it won't last and it will be canceled along with all the other replacement shows you keep putting in those two slots that was taken away AMC and OLTL, i heard one of the reasons is the shows are to expensive to make, well ABC do you know how expenive "KATIE" is? and all those other shows you keep putting on and WERE helping you cancel them, you better check your math,bring our soaps back listen to what the fans want, YOU MAKE MONEY the sponsers MAKE MONEY and everyone is happy, but leave GH alone it was there first.

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  9. as long as GH stays on the air i will watch it any time. Now lets get Katie's show cancelled to show ABC we mean business!

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  10. i will watch GH any time as long as it stays on the air. Now lets get Katie's show cancelled to show ABC we mean business!

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  11. I'm so glad General Hospital didn't get cancelled, but it's still not safe. Katie should have taken the 4:00PM timeslot vacated by Oprah. ABC needs to reinstate One Life To Live and All My Children, or release the rights. I no longer watch ABC exclusively like I used to. I now only watch General Hospital.

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  12. I'm just glad that GH is still on and will watch or record it at whatever time it's on. I still miss OLTL and want it back on the air. I don't see how moving GH to an earlier time to make room for Katie is going to matter. I know I won't be watching her show at all. I have no interest in watching and I hope it fails like the Revolution has.

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  13. ABC doesnt get it no talk shows we want soaps wont watch katie at all she sucks

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  14. Cancelling"The REvolution" - good move...now cancel "The Chew" and "Katie" (I don't know of ANYBODY that will be tuning in to that broad) and bring back AMC and OLTL. We are rubbing your nose into this Brian Frons.....we are winning in our own way. You thought you knew what women wanted....hate to be married to someone of your ilk. You know NOTHING. So your new cheap shows are doing poorly, eh? HA HA HA HA NOW LISTEN TO US WOMEN WE WANT OUR SOAPS BACK.......COMPRENDE?? UNDERSTAND? JACKASS BRING BACK THE SOAPS AND YOU BRING BACK THE RATINGS SI??

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    1. Anonymous 2: We here in the San Francisco bay area have been watching GH at 2:00 PM all ready for years so its OK But Please do not take it off the air I do agree the revelution Stinks And I would watch GH at anytime !!Get rid of Heather she driving me nutts>>>>

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  15. I will be watching. I work, so I have to DVR GH. I do not watch anything on ABC especially the morning crap they have on. The View is annoying and I do not watch The Chew and will not be watching Katie either. Do not even get me started on Good Morning America.

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  16. It sucks that they are moving it to 2 pm. I want my ABC daytime lineup back!!! Well since it's going to be on at 2 I can watch Y & R and Bold & the Beautiful, go straight to GH and be done with ABC for the rest of the day!!!! Yay!!!!!!! It also sucks that we are losing Soapnet. Love watching the soaps in the evening and classic episodes in the middle of the night.

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  17. Will they never learn?!?! I am appalled that they would do such a thing. They should show some respect to the stories/soaps that brought them so many loyal viewers, won them numerous awards, and have been on several decades! They should find a new time slot for Katie & leave GH in THEIR slot! Katie will fail just like THE CHEW & REVOLUTION. I also have boycotted ABC & Disney, as well! If ABC rights their wrong & puts our beloved soaps back where they belong, I will forgive them and once again be loyal to them, but until then, I'll only support GH.

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  18. Love GH !!!!! Better than ever now..ABC needs to bring back OLTL ..I watch nothing on ABC other than GH now after being a loyal viewer for over thirty five years

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  19. ABC when WILL YOU LEARN DONT FIX WHAT ISN'T BROKEN YOU SHOW SOAPS NO RESPECT LEAVE ARE SOAPS ALONE GH BELONGS AT 3!!!

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  20. I have watched General Hospital now for well over 4o years and will continue to watch it at no matter time slot it will come on. It is the only thing I now watch on ABC since they cancelled OLTL & AMC Insanity prevails at ABC

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  21. I will watch it anytime it.is.on! Really works out better at 2 for me but I won't watch before or after programs! Never never never unless it is One Life To Live!!!!

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  22. I will watch #GH no matter what time it is on. Moving #GH to lead into Katie will in no way get me to keep my TV on that channel though...after GH is over, no OLTL & AMC, no ABC

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  23. Speaking as a hard headed, working class, loud mouthed, non-Nielsen using, S.O.B. who has been a loyal soap fan, you can schedule General Hospital for any given time slot you choose. It still won't make me break the boycott for anything other than this going on 50 year running, award winning, soap opera that can, and has, touched the lives of too many Americans in addition to people from around the world. Now, with that being said, as much as some people may take the high road, say their peace, and leave..... I STILL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ABC/DISNEY!

    Do you hear me?! We didn't give up after 4 months of screaming to the heavens after you blindsided the cast and crews of All My Children and One Life To Live! We didn't hold our tongues when your supposedly rising star, Mario Batali, was insulting to soap fans. We didn't restrain ourselves when you turned the 2011 Daytime EMMYs into a 2 hour long Oprah tribute show and travel blog! And now, after atleast a year of coupon signing, flyer distributing, phone calls, tweetings, and general campaigning for the sake of the entire soap opera genre, you still haven't gotten one extremely simple fact into whatever it is you have passing off as a brain.... WE ARE STILL HERE!!!!!! And in the spirit of the many men and women who lived the dream, fought the fight, and never gave up hope despite the overwhelming odds being pinned against them, THE TRIBE OF EXTREME HAS RISEN AGAIN!!!!!

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    1. It doesn't matter to me what timeslot General Hospital is in, I will be watching. I am just so thankful that it was not cancelled altogether. ABC was always my network of choice, but after the cancellation of AMC and OLTL, I joined rank with millions of other pissed off soap opera fans and started to boycott everything ABC/D. To this very day, and every day hereafter that ABC continues to hold AMC and OLTL hostage, I will boycott everything on ABC, with the exception of GH. I can hardly wait for September 10th to get here and for Katie to make her debut.... ABC will then see just how pissed off we really are!!! Geeze, and after spending all that money on another talk show that will definately fail just like the revolting Revolution did!! ABC, you need to save whatever dignity you have left and correct the wrong that you have done to your loyal soap fans. All we want is quality, daytime drama....bring back AMC and OLTL and you will see your ratings soar to what they once were! Otherwise, watch your network sink even further than it now is. The ball is now in your court ABC....show us that you haven't lost all of your sanity!

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  24. I will always watch General Hospital no matter what time it's on. I also boycott ALL ABC except GH (of course). I used to watch ABC almost exclusivly, but now that all changed when you decided to pull the rug out from under our feet by canceling All My Children AND One Life to Live. I also am boycottin ALL Disney since it's the disgusting money hungry parent company that has created this incredibly huge mess in daytime.
    The cancelation of our 2 beloved soaps was such an unforgiving slap in the face that it's clear to just about everyone except Disney that you are a sinking ship. Release the rights of AMC and OLTL or reinstate them, otherwise the world is just watching a huge train wreck.

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  25. I loved All My Children and watched Oltl and GH for years. I am a faithful viewer of GH in any time slot. I would watch classic soaps in the late night they would draw viewers and be much better than infomercials. I don't get soapnet, but it seems to be on it's way out.

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  26. It will be strange to have it on during the OLTL timeslot. Which on the west coast is 1pm. But at least I still have one Soap to watch. But, since it is earlier I'll have to record it, because I'm still at work then.

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  27. The gang at The Talk better watch out-as they are about to be swamped by what real daytime TV is

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  28. Bring back AMC and OLTL, but in the meantime I will watch GH any time it's on. That's all I watch on ABC. Will not be a loyal watcher of ABC until my shows are back! If you don't care about us, the viewers, why should we care about your loss in numbers?

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  29. I miss AMC and OLTL. I will watch GH anytime it's on but then I will change the channel. I will not be a loyal ABC watcher other than for GH. Why should I care about your loss in numbers when you obviously don't care about your viewers? Bring back OLTL and AMC. Money, you say was a problem? Too expensive you say? Well, it's quite expensive to keep spending money on shows that no one is watching and so they get canceled. Our soaps were on for years and years and your new shows can't seem to make it anywhere. And they won't as long as we Soap Fans have something to say about it. And believe me, we are not going anywhere. Quit being stubborn and admit you were in the wrong in cancelling our shows and just bring them back to us.

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  30. I am in AZ so it's already at 2pm for me. I still miss OLTL. That was a great soap. They could of at least put on soap net. Isn't that what soapnet is for duh. Anyways, please leave GH alone DO NOT TAKE IT OFF THERE MORE SOAP FANS THEN YOU REALIZE

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  31. I am in AZ so it's already at 2pm for me. I still miss OLTL. That was a great soap. They could of at least put on soap net. Isn't that what soapnet is for duh. Anyways, please leave GH alone DO NOT TAKE GH OFF THERE MORE SOAP FANS THEN YOU REALIZE....

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