It’s always a cliff hanger on the soap operas.
But ABC’s “General Hospital,” on the air since Lincoln was president, has been a hit all summer on Hulu. The six decade old soap been attracting more viewers on Hulu than the Emmy-nominated “The Bear.” That’s a stunner.
Streaming has increased the audience of the soap to the point where it’s finished in the top 3 or 4 every week on Hulu. And that’s despite cast changes.
One shot in the arm might have been the special appearance of talk host John Oliver, who asked for a role and got one. He didn’t play a comedian, though. Oliver was a tough guy with a gun, made a pass at the show’s main character, got slapped, and produced a lot of publicity.
“General Hospital” has a large cast so there are always changes. But this summer has been brutal. Long timer Kristen Storms dropped out after some mental health and domestic issues. Producers wrote out not only her character, but everyone attached to her. Another actor, Nathan Dean Parsons, abruptly disappeared, was replaced, and that guy was out after a day.
Back on rounds at the hospital (where insurance issues are rarely discussed), though, were Finola Hughes and Steve Burton, two other veterans who’s taken time off — Hughes, I’m told, was away 8 months. Burton left for 3 months. So their returns might have re-sparked interest from fans.
“General Hospital” averages 2 million viewers a day on ABC, and remains popular with younger women and housewives. It’s not going anywhere, since ABC is no longer in the syndication game with talk shows, and there’s enough bleak news going on 24/7. No one needs more of that.
PS A little trivia I uncovered: Rachel Ames, one of the original stars of the series, is alive and well at age 95. Also, Jack Urbont, who composed the original theme music used from the 60s through the late 90s, is still making music. So the treatment at General Hospital wasn’t as bad as I assumed!
