The “One Life To Live” invasion continues at “General Hospital” as the show has makes changes to its writing staff.

With news of Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell’s ascension to the top of the “Days of our Lives” writing team after the NBC daytime soap let go Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr., less than a year after the two were hired to replace Dena Higley, Soap Opera Digest in its newest issue (issue dated April 16, 2012) is reporting that Tomlin and Whitesell has added the multiple Emmy award winning talents of veteran writer Lorraine Broderick to its new regime.

Before we post the daytime soap opera ratings for the week of March 26-30, 2012, our friend Marc Berman at TV Media Insights has posted the latest ratings for daytime talk shows and things are still looking very bad for ABC’s “The Revolution” while “The Chew” has sustained a similar total audience in comparison to former time-period occupant “All My Children.” “The View” was in repeats, while “The Talk” on CBS was up year-to-year in total viewers and Women 25-54, flat in Women 18-49 and down in Women 18-34.

Soap Opera Network has learned that Marlene McPherson and Darrell Ray Thomas, Jr. were fired and replaced by Gary Tomlin and Christopher Whitesell.

“General Hospital” and “The Revolution” are both fighting for a spot on the fall 2012-2013 schedule on ABC Daytime, although neither appear to be making a solid case for themselves.

Ratings Report for the Week of March 19-23, 2012

Although the likelihood was expected thanks to the loss of long-time soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” in 2011 and 2012, which were preceded by the departures of “Guiding Light” and “As The World Turns” in 2009 and 2010, news broke on Thursday, March 22 that after 22 years in publication Soap Opera Weekly would end its successful run as one of the premier soap opera magazines. The final decision to end the mag was just one of many blows the soap opera industry has felt in as many years. Soap Opera Network takes a by the numbers look at Weekly and how its readership levels helped lead to its ultimate demise.

Prior to our posting the press release from the Disney/ABC Television Stations Group which revealed the premiere date of “Katie,” Soap Opera Network learned via its sources that ABC had quietly been informing their affiliates of the pending cancellation of “The Revolution,” which has greatly underperformed in key demographics and viewership compared to the series it replaced (“One Life to Live”) back in January.

On June 6, 2011, ABC finally announced (after months of rumors) that it had signed a deal with former “CBS Evening News” anchor Katie Couric to host a new daily syndicated talk show, and that said show would replace veteran soap opera “General Hospital” in the 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM PT/CT timeslot. While initially the decision brought fear to soap opera fans, who only two months prior learned that ABC Daytime’s two other veteran soaps (“All My Children” and “One Life to Live”) would be replaced by two new food and lifestyle centered talk shows (“The Chew” and “The Revolution”). Now nearly a year since the announcement, it looks like Katie Couric may just be the lifesaver “General Hospital” desperately needs.

Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati, who took over the reigns as ABC’s new executive producer and head writer for “General Hospital,” are now on the world wide web courtesy of Twitter, the social networking media giant.

“General Hospital” is the only soap opera left on the ABC Daytime schedule and is also the longest running dramatic series in the networks history. Unfortunately, the soap is facing the same cancellation danger that its former network counterparts (“All My Children” and “One Life to Live”) faced just over a year ago before ABC officially announced the two would go off the air in a press release. Before any decision on the future of “GH” is ultimately made, the drama series is showing an uptick in key demos and viewership.

“General Hospital” DVR Alerts for the Week of March 12, 2012.

“General Hospital” makes some additions to the writing staff.

Ratings Report for the week January 16-20, 2012

Ratings Report for the Week of January 9-13, 2012

Find out how the the last five canceled daytime soap operas fared in the Nielsen ratings during their final weeks on television, including “One Life to Live.”

Just before we post the dailies, which will provide a clearer picture of “One Life to Live’s” final week on television, ABC has revealed that the 43-year old soap ended its run as daytime’s 5th most watched program in total viewers (3,120,000), while ranking a strong second in Women 18-49 viewers (784,000) for the week of January 9-13, 2012. Only 94,000 Women 18-49 viewers separated “One Life to Live” from tying “The Young and the Restless” in that category. In Women 18-49 rating “OLTL” had a 1.2 compared to “Y&R’s” 1.4. The canceled ABC soap beat its former network and studio sibling “The View” in all key ratings categories except total viewers.

On the heels of a cancellation announcement and a failed online venture, it was announced that successful former Executive Producer, Frank Valentini, and former Head Writer, Ron Carlivati, of “One Life to Live” were hired for the same positions at a struggling “General Hospital.” Rattling many “GH” fans, in recent days, has been the announcement that at least several major “OLTL” stars will be showing up in Port Charles as their Llanview alter egos. Carlivati insists to insiders that “GH” fans need not worry as he has no intention of turning their soap into “OLTL.” To that end, the show-runners have also announced the return of three of “GH’s” most legendary performers and characters – Finola Hughes, Tristan Rogers and Emma Samms as Anna, Robert and Holly – for extended runs on the last-standing ABC daytime drama.

Former “All My Children” leading men Cameron Mathison and Thorsten Kaye are scheduled to help heat up the primetime schedule later this winter. Mathison is scheduled to hit the sheets with one of televisions original housewives on the last season of ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.” Meanwhile, Kaye will show up on NBC’s highly anticipated mid-season replacement, the musical drama “Smash,” where his character will turn the temperature up for a determined Broadway producer going through some rough personal and professional times.

“One Life to Live” January 2012 Episode Counts.