‘General Hospital’ Ratings Soar: ‘Burton Effect’ Catapults ‘GH’ To #1 In Daytime

General Hospital spoilers and ratings for November are off to a rocking start at the ABC soap. Fall sweeps runs from October 26 through November 22, 2017, and with the numbers in for the first week of this all-important period, it’s clear that “Burton effect” provided the shot in the arm the medical drama needed. Bringing back Steve Burton to GH polarized fans. Even those that were excited about his return threatened on social media to quit watching the soap if his character wasn’t the “real” Jason Morgan. It appears that ABC Daytime delivered and is reaping the rewards of splurging on a rumored seven-figure salary for Burton because the numbers don’t lie. GH is killing it. But don’t forget, GH also had a head writer change in this period, so maybe it’s the “Van Etten” vibe. Which one pushed ABC over the top?

General Hospital topples top-rated Y&R and B&B

In the daytime soap world, The Young and the Restless is king. The CBS daytime drama has been at the top of the heap for the past 24 years, but now Y&R needs to watch its back. Ratings for week one of November sweeps, October 30 through November 3, reveal stunning growth in viewership for General Hospital while both Y&R and Bold and the Beautiful lost viewers. CBS is poised to lose its bragging rights as the top daytime drama network. Here’s a look at the numbers and where GH is winning the ratings game.

A head writer retired and was replaced with someone who actually can write a good story. That's why the ratings went up because of him. #GH

— Carolyn (@carolynl2017) November 13, 2017

The 18-49 women’s bracket is the key demographic for soaps. The last time General Hospital ranked number one among these all-important viewers was back in June 2014 when Sabrina Santiago had just miscarried her baby with Patrick Drake, Nina woke from her coma to heartbreak over her miscarriage, Britt was trying to steal Patrick, Liz was fired, and Morgan and Ava were hot and heavy. In comparison, the last week of October saw Patient 6 crash a roof and save Sam, Franco lied to Liz and said Drew was dead, and Andre skated out of town after leaving Franco with the twin truth.

Numbers don’t lie – GH is killing it

The most recent General Hospital ratings for the 18-49 women demo showed that GH gained a whopping 53k in viewers from the prior week and a stunning 37k more viewers compared to this time last year. That second number is significant since many soaps are seeing five and six-figure drops in year over year viewership. These digits put them at the top of the heap ahead of Y&R, B&B, and Days of Our Lives; all of whom dropped in this demographic week over week and year over year. Not only that, but Y&R and Bold tied their lowest ratings ever in the same week that GH triumphed.

With Carly and Sonny in his corner, the fight to be Jason Morgan is just beginning. A brand-new #GH starts RIGHT NOW on ABC! pic.twitter.com/bhBJbor9Q9

— General Hospital (@GeneralHospital) November 13, 2017

But General Hospital didn’t just slay in the key 18-49 group; they also picked up impressive gains across the board. While Young and the Restless dropped in all viewership by 179k compared to 2016 and 41k compared to the prior week, General Hospital gained 13k viewers week over week and a staggering 125k compared to 2016. That’s a gap of 304,000 viewers between GH and Y&R when you factor in one’s loss and the other’s gain. Bold and the Beautiful dropped even more with 71k down from the prior week and 218k down from 2016.

GH triumphs in 18-34 demographic

Although Y&R is still ahead in overall viewership with 4.4 million viewers over GH‘s 2.8 million, General Hospital is firmly in the number one spot of viewers age 18-34 where they rank above Y&R and are seeing big gains week over week and year over year. As a point of interest, Days of Our Lives pushed Bold to a new low by taking the third-place slot in the 18-34 bracket. DOOL gained year over year in total viewership under Ron Carlivati’s regime and in the 18-34 slot. Among viewers 25-54, Y&R is first with GH a close second and only GH seeing gains.

Is this the Burton effect or Van Etten vibe?

General Hospital spoilers show tons of action coming with Steve Burton’s return and the confirmation this week that his character and Billy Miller’s are, indeed, the Quartermaine twins. Chris Van Etten stepped up to be co-head writer alongside Shelly Altman when Jean Passanante retired to the great joy of many frustrated GH fans. It’s something to consider that perhaps it’s Van Etten’s brisk writing style that could be partially (or totally) responsible for this drastic improvement in viewership.

Van Etten’s writing debuted in late October, just as ratings began to spike, and fans seem to appreciate the rapid pace he’s pushing on the ABC soap, as well as his respect for GH history. Maybe, it’s the Burton effect. Maybe, it’s the Van Etten vibe but, either way, General Hospital is enjoying a moment in the ratings sun they haven’t seen in years. You can check out the full ratings report at Soap Opera Network. Catch up on the latest GH scoop on Oscar’s dad maybe being a Q, the hot new brother vs. brother GH promo, and Tamara Braun’s rumored villainous new role. Check back often for more General Hospital spoilers and news.

[Featured Image by Craig Sjodin/ABC]