ABC is cancelling its new daytime show The Revolution and replacing it with another hour of Good Morning America, an ABC News spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.
The third hour of GMA will air at 2 p.m. ET beginning July 9 and run for nine weeks, until the Sept. 10 premiere of Katie Couric's syndicated talk show on ABC stations. Hosts from the morning edition of GMA as well as other ABC News anchors and correspondents are being considered as personalities for the afternoon edition, which will focus on lighter entertainment and lifestyle segments.
GMA's afternoon spinoff comes as the number-two morning program has been nipping at the heels of perennial leader Today. Though a guest-hosting turn by Katie Couric last week failed to upset NBC's 16-year winning steak, GMA was just 119,000 viewers behind for the week of March 26, its closet margin in seven years.
The Revolution debuted in January with lifestyle experts Ty Pennington, Tim Gunn, Harley Pasternak, Dr. Jennifer Ashton and Tiffanie Davis Henry serving as hosts, but has struggled in the ratings. In the week of March 26, The Revolution averaged 1.32 million viewers and a 0.6 rating with women 25-54, down 49% and 50%, respectively, from what One Life to Live, the soap it replaced, did in the same week last year.
ABC Daytime's other lifestyle entry, The Chew, has fared better since its premiere in September, averaging 2.21 million total viewers and a 0.9 rating with women 25-54 in the week of March 26, down just 7% and 18%, respectively, compared to the cancelled All My Children in the same week last year.
Also announced today, ABC has chosen to renew its last remaining soap, General Hospital, ending speculation that the long-running series would be pushed out to make room for the upcoming talker Katie in the fall.
Deadline first reported the story.
