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December 7-11, 2009


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I've never watched Y&R so I can't really say too much about it. But its been strange to watch MAB become so loathed on this board. I remember how happy everyone was when she took over after Latham. I know all HWs go through a honeymoon period but the way she's become public enemy #1 has been really amazing to watch. I never thought I'd see people hate Y&R so much under her watch.

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What worries me is that no matter how good the payoff is in February, the viewers may not care about coming back. It seems like a lot of people just stopped caring this year and didn't come back for what was very good soap (Mitch's return). I think unless they make it known that they have some big changes in store regarding the Todd/Tea/Blair, Gigi/Rex, and John stories, viewers may not return.

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He said it and more than once on many occassions. He's said it at several PA's and recently in an interview when Michael Fairman cornered him and asked him point blank about their dismal ratings its right here in print and on video for all to see:

MICHAEL: As the World Turns was cancelled this week. I know GH has also stumbled through the ratings recently. What are your thoughts on this sad week in the industry and what this means moving forward for all of us involved and who watch daytime soaps?

STEVE: It’s quite the cycle soaps are going through now. You obviously have been in the soap arena for a long time, Michael, so you know what’s going on. The writing was on the wall, so to speak, ten years ago. How much longer do soaps have? And now soaps are dropping off. I am not concerned yet about General Hospital because it has such a history. The numbers are good and I think people start panicking that we only have five seconds left or we are off the air. The thing of this is, it’s a sad day…. someone is losing a job, let’s be real. And in this economy that sucks! And as a genre as a whole, it’s not a good sign for soaps to be cancelled. So this helps us as writers, producers, actors and directors in this arena, to band together and try to make the best product we can make. That’s all that we can do.

Here is the video where he talks about demos after he won lead actor aware at FanClub WeekEnd

not sure if its Part One ...I think this is the interview with two parts...

http://michaelfairmansoaps.com/2009/video-interviews/steve-burton-gh-fan-club-weekend-2009/

Its odd he refers to GH's rich history that has been thoroughly hacked by his bud Bob. He has destroyed the very essence of this show he should say something like "it had a rich history." GH pimps demos #s when their total viewership is in the toliet always have. I'm not buying advertisers space I go by how many people are watching your show. That's it period.

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Goes to show that Burton like Phelps and Brad Bell are deluded. They are like Eileen Wheeler and Chris Goutman who were stunned, I tell you, stunned when GL and ATWT were cancelled, respectively. However, too be fair, it isn't like they could come out and publicly admit that the ratings are bad and continue to decline. They are going to put the best spin on the numbers that they can.

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Yeah Burton is towing the company line. What's he going to say? We went from number 1 to number 3 in demos, from number 3 to number 5 in the ratings and things are still good? And GH has history? He says that as if ATWT or GL didn't or don't both have rich history also. I'd argue GL and ATWT have done a better job of preserving theirs than GH has theirs.

I don't care what Burton says about demos. We know that 18-49 is the general barometer across the board for all TV. It doesn't mean nothing else matters. If things were still GOOD, why did they cut salaries, why did they cut their shooting schedule from 5 to 4 days, why do they have blackout weeks now. Those ae all measures used to cut costs.

He's also acknowledged of recent that the show needs every viewer they can get.

I think GH of all the ABC soaps should be the most concerned. They are the jewel of ABC yet their numbers don't show it. Jonathon Jackson, James Franco, Sarah Brown, the list goes on, has not helped the show one bit.

Days has pretty signifantly taken over as the number 3 soap. ATWT will be gone, so it will be the ABC soaps rotating for the bottom 3 spots. That said, they have more latitude in terms of budget and cost cutting I assume since they own their shows.

I used to think Y&R and B&B were almost infallable but I am now even doubting that. Each network has as much of a commitment to their shows as the revenue allows them to. As soon as they no longer make money or they find something else more profitable(ie; The View) it's adios.

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I guess it is possible the RC's detractors (e.g. me) will be singing a different tune. Or perhaps his apologists ( e.g. MichaelGL) will be singing a different tune. Or perhaps, and I think more than likely, February will not change anyone's opinions about the "quality" of RC's work, and the show will continue along its merry or dismal (reader's preference) path.

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