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In a major victory for soap opera fans, ABC Daytime confirmed today that they are keeping General Hospital on the daytime line up, canceling the Revolution to make way for the new Katie Couric talker debuting this September.

I can hear the celebrating now.  Fans worked long and hard to let the network know just how much they wanted their show to stay on the air. Even Katie Couric told ABC that she did not want her show scheduled in General Hospital's time slot!

But that's not the only news.

According to Tim Molloy of The Wrap, the misconceived The Revolution will air thru Friday, July 6. From Monday, July 9 through the premiere of Katie Couric in September, ABC Daytime will air an afternoon version of Good Morning America, called aptly enough GMA in the Afternoon.

This is great news for soap opera fans who have been lobbying online and off to keep General Hospital on the air. With only four soap operas remaining on broadcast during the daytime, this vote of confidence by ABC (which is airing a fair number of prime time soaps this season) for the daytime genre is definitely a good omen, if not a bit too late. ABC daytime fans are still mourning the loss of All My Children and One Life to Live, the two soaps ABC canceled earlier this year.

But it may not be the end of the line for All My Children and One Life to Live either. Will they end up online? Only time will tell. Stay tuned.

Additionally, according to THR, "General Hospital has been showing signs of renewed life in the ratings as it approaches its 50th year on the air, in part because fans of other soap operas needed a place to land. In late March, it was drawing more than 2.2 million viewers a day, respectable for the afternoon slot in a competitive marketplace."

Meantime, soap fans can thank Vicki Dummer, the executive who replaced the reviled Brian Frons (the man who may have single-handedly killed the soaps on ABC Daytime) for canceling The Revolution and keeping General Hospital on broadcast.

 

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