This week, ABC unveiled their new daytime makeover TV series, The Revolution. As soap fans know all too well, it replaced One Life to Live (OLTL), the venerable daytime drama that was cancelled in 2011 and went off the air last Friday.

Based on what we’ve seen, it looks like The Revolution is going to be a ratings disappointment right out of the gate. While it’s too late to save OLTL, this show’s failure may be enough to buy General Hospital some more time.

ABC has signed Katie Couric to host her own daytime syndicated talk series beginning in the fall of 2012. Since there are only so many hours of daytime, it’s been widely speculated that Couric’s new show will take over General Hospital’s slot, at least on ABC-owned stations.

If The Revolution and The Chew tank and end up being cancelled however, there will be enough space on the schedule for both General Hospital and Katie Couric. If fans follow the four OLTL characters to General Hospital, that soap’s viewership could increase enough to justify keeping it.

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee recently said, “I am a fan of General Hospital, but we have not made a decision on its future and don’t really have a time frame for it either.”

The network execs probably haven’t made up their minds yet about the fate of any of the daytime shows. Those decisions will likely be made in the next several months and, as in any business, it’ll all come down to profits versus expenses.

What do you think? Realistically, do you think General Hospital will survive into the 2012-13 season? What about primetime? Do you think The Revolution or The Chew will see a second season?

Image courtesy ABC.