Are General Hospital’s recent ratings due to Beyond the Gates or fans anger over the firings of popular characters?

The ratings are very telling

Soap fans can be predictable at times and on other occasions unpredictable. General Hospital viewers have been consistent with their complaints in recent months, and it seems to be showing up in the numbers. TV Insider revealed the latest ratings for GH, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful. The two other soaps Beyond the Gates and Days of Our Lives were not included.

The CBS soaps were at the top with Y&R number one in March, and B&B following behind in second place. General Hospital remained third, as it has for a while now and several reasons were given that some fans agree with.

Spencer Cassadine's possbile role in the ratings

The first reason given was the exit of fan favorite Nicholas Alexander Chaves, who portrayed Spencer Cassadine. Chaves was supposed to return to the ABC soap within months of filming Monster: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story.

He announced he would not be back on GH anytime soon and appeared in Grotesquerie. Chaves fell out of favor with many fans last year when a photo surfaced of him dressed as Jesus wearing a crown of thorns for Halloween.

GH viewers were invested in "Sprina" but Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) is moving on so Spencer's absence might not be affecting recent views. Still its not clear if the actor is moving on to bigger and better roles or if the ABC execs did not allow him to return.

Kelly Monaco and Michael Easton's exits

Another reason for decreased ratings was that GH fans were angry when Michael Easton (Dr. Hamilton Finn) announced he had been fired. Viewers were even more stunned when Kelly Monaco was let go and her character, Sam McCall, was killed off after two decades on the ABC soap.

Some who watch the long-running soap said they would not watch it anymore after Easton and Monaco were axed, and perhaps they kept their word.

Does Beyond the Gates factor into the views?

Beyond the Gates, which debuted on CBS at the beginning of the year, received higher ratings than General Hospital for the first four weeks. This could be because BTG is new, and viewers are tuning in to see what it is all about.

A recent study revealed that General Hospital beat Beyond the Gates for the first time in five weeks. This does not change the fact that GH lags behind the CBS soaps.

What could account for the GH ratings?

General Hospital is preparing for the annual Nurses Ball that will air on May 20. This event is always a ratings grabber, and as it nears, interest could spike. Also, the recent increase could be that the newness has worn off of Beyond the Gates.

Whatever is going on, CBS soap fans remain loyal, and the drop in ratings for The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless do not knock them out of first and second place.

Fan favorites have been dismissed

It's not clear why General Hospital lags. They have been wrapping up some storylines lately and bringing on new, interesting characters—some fans. However, ABC soap should invest in the long-time characters that viewers have come to love instead of giving them new faces, mainly when they do not stick around Port Charles long.

There are still viewers who are angry because Marcus Coloma was fired as Nikolas Cassadine and replaced with Adam Huss. Nava fans thought Ava Jerome (Maura West) and Prince Nik were going to rule Port Charles together. Many who watch the soap were also disappointed when both Scott Baldwin (Kin Shriner) and Liesel Obrecht ( Kathlene Gati) disappeared, and Scott had a one-time hook-up with Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring).

Hopefully, General Hospital will get back on track, the ratings will remain high, and viewers will enjoy what they see onscreen.