.png)
Courtesy - ABC
A creative group of fans are rallying around General Hospital these days in order to convince ABC/Disney to get with the program before the show's dismal ratings result in yet another soap axed from the daytime landscape. General Hospital is losing more viewers than One Life to Live and All My Children combined and this doesn't bode well for the future of this show.
The Save our Soap campaign press release cites better times, higher ratings and the type of fan satisfaction that stems from that combination only one year ago. They offer a plethora of suggestions for ABC/Disney and are hoping someone will listen.
We've already lost Guiding Light and it's clear we can't afford to lose another show know.
Here's a look at the Save our Soap (General Hospital) press release:
GENERAL HOSPITAL RATINGS COLLAPSE
Time for ABC/Disney to Improve Product Before It Is Too Late
For the week ending June 19, 2009, the ratings for General Hospital (GH) plummeted to all-time lows. GH lost more viewers than All My Children (AMC) and One Life to Live (OLTL) combined in both total viewers and in the women 18-49 demographic according to the numbers reported by The Nielsen Ratings Corporation. GH also recorded its first ever 1.6 rating in total viewers and, for the first time in the history of any ABC soap, had a market share of 5. As GH fell to sixth place out of the eight daily soap operas rated (which will soon be seven when Guiding Light's cancellation takes effect), the question raised is: Will ABC/Disney continue with the status quo at GH and can they afford to?One year ago, GH, led by fan favorite pairings Sonny and Kate, Jason and Elizabeth, Patrick and Robin, and Jax and Carly, was comfortably in third place in total viewers and in second place by a wide margin in the women 18 to 49 demographic. Each of the four couples mentioned is consistently rated eighth or higher in polls by ABC Soaps In Depth or Soap Opera Digest weekly, even while two of them are no longer allowed to share screen time. This separation is depriving many viewers of what used to be an enjoyable experience. Evidence of this is apparent in last week's numbers when only 754,000 women in the 18-49 demographic watched the show, down 7,000 viewers from GH’s previous all time low of 761,000 (week ending April 24, 2009).
All of this, combined with analysis of last week’s ratings (June 15-19, 2009) vs. last season's numbers, shows ABC's GH is currently down 25% in total viewers and down 31% in the 18-49 demographic. Given this continued steep decline in viewership, and over six months of complaints from GH fans who are loyal ABC/Disney customers, it is clear that management has not listened to the viewers by taking steps to improve its product.
Having joined together to form the SOS/Save Our Soap! General Hospital Campaign, fans of Sonny and Kate, Jason and Elizabeth, Patrick and Robin, and Jax and Carly share a common goal in asking ABC/Disney to listen to the viewers and make changes. Over 12,000 postcards have already been sent to ABC/Disney executives to that end. All involved in this campaign want GH to be successful and want to help restore GH to the position it once held. However, as one fan stated, “women, who are the backbone of GH’s viewership, and obviously the most important demographic, resent being virtually banned from their TV screens by being forced to endure the degradation of strong, independent and professional female characters in favor of showcasing immoral, manipulative, lying female characters on a day-to-day basis. Women viewers have had enough and have decided that GH is no longer entertaining or enjoyable to watch and the ratings reflect that.”
Do join this campaign and take a look at their Facebook page. It is a cause all soaps fans should support.
Comments
This is the dumbest petition I've ever seen. A plea to pair certain couples disguised as an effort to save the show from cancellation.
What a joke. A serious petition wouldn't advocate certain couples; instead, it would advocate a change in writers at the show.
Ratings were higher when these couples were together onscreen and these are the particular fanbases who have decided to ban together and start this movement. If you do more research into it, you will also see another immediate concern is trying to maintain the integrity of the history of the show. The couples mentioned have all been victims of writing manipulations which have altered previous show history. Go to the Facebook page and your opinion might change, although I can't disagree with the fact that new writers would definitely help :)
I agree with Kim. The show should be about intellient and more believable story lines. I am really, really tired of Robin. For months we had to watch her moan and moan. That is not a story line. Don't even get me started on the Michael story line. I am all for Michael coming out of a coma. But, if he went into a coma as a child, how is he so mature all of a sudden. I can see the anger part, but to be more mature. Sonny buying him a car. That is so contrived. It will just introduce re-occurance of a near fatal car accident on the Q estate with brothers involved. Please think out these story lines.
Regardless of who finally had enough and decided to bring awareness to this problem, the fact is that most viewers who watch soaps would LOVE to see more romance- if GH were written FOR the viewers, there would be stronger couples who would have more universal support. This campaign is about hoping TPTB will acknowledge what soap viewers want to see and start writing that. That doesn't necessarily mean any particular couple. GH has earned passionate fans because of some of these pairings, and it would be nice for TPTB to notice what it was in those pairings that got people so interested. Regardless of whether the particular pairings reunite, there was SOMETHING about them and that's the SOMETHING the show should build on.
They lost viewers after they fired all the veterans. GH is unrecognizeable. And, the whole Sonny Corinthos mob thing should have ended years ago!
Hi Everyone--there is certainly mixed opinions as to why the ratings for this show are declining ratings of this show. Kim raised a great initial point. The history of the relationships on the soaps is really important to viewers. The Young and the Restless does this well.
Greg--I am in mob overload as well. Pairing Sonny Corinthos with Claudia Z. was just so out there. I also despise Rebecca with the prince and it's all getting old.
Snark--the writing definitely comes into play. We can't change that as viewers but it clearly matters. Sarah-you raise a great point as well about the lack of romance on this show and Dina raises a great point about contrived storylines.
I would hate to see this show totally fall apart and disappear so as far as I can tell, this petition won't hurt. It can only help.
Great discussion!
I've watched GH for years, but one of my biggest complaints now is the lack of respect for veteran characters who are part of the fabric of the show. Prime example: Where is Bobbie Spencer!! So much is happening at GH, in Carly's life (risky pregnancy, Michael is back, etc.), yet it is totally unrealistic not to involve Bobbie (her mother). Bobbie's presence could help add weight to these stories.. That's just ONE example of the lack of respect for characters who've had longevity. By contrast, I LOVE the way OLTL respects the show's history and mixes the veterans heavily in with the younger cast. Young viewers don't just want to see characters who are "young". We want to see the people that are the most entertaining and stories that have spectrum to them by including more of the cast than just the same few.
I do not fault ANY of the cast on GH (it's a strong cast...) It just bugs the hell out of me to not see balance and to have to wonder "where the hell is Bobbie/Mac/The Q's/etc."
Hi Jon - you raise some great points but new developments about the possibility of OLTL's Robin Strasser and her stressed out contract negotiations-or lack of negotiations has to make you wonder if OLTL is losing it's respect for veteran characters. The entire soaps climate is dismal at this point.
Thanks for visiting.
MM--Yes, OLTL is offering Robin Strasser a
"take it or leave it" contract. But even with that being said, when you watch OLTL look at how many actors they have on the show who are over 50, and in their 40's and late 30's who are WAY out front in the action. It seems GH prefers to "put them out to pasture" (with the exception of Tony Geary and Jane Elliot).. no matter how much the characters are part of the rich history of the show. OLTL USES Nora, Bo, Clint, Roxy, Blair, Tea, Marty, Dorian, Viki, David..they brought back Tina, Hank, Mel, Addie, Alex, Dallas.. they're bringing back Lindsay.. ALL of these people are over 40 yrs old. This shows a respect for what these characters have meant to the show and their contribution to its success. More than 2 years ago I remember reading comments from MANY GH fans online asking "where is Bobbie Spencer?" and still the character has been ignored. I'm sure it's neglect like this that is one of the reasons GH has been hemmoraging viewers.
I think the execs want the shows on ABC to fail so they can put cheap, less substantive reality shows. Horrible idea if you ask
-esp. when it's on every other channel!
Kim has the right idea, this is silly to say that the pairing of different couples will improve the shows ratings, the writers need to write better is all
Kim, at least they want to save the soap, whether its a new story lines, bringing back old characters, pairing couples together or hiring writers, CHANGE IS CHANGE! I am sure if that is what it takes to save the show the SOS campaign would be for it.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!