General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the
Guinness Book of World RecordsGuinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as the longest-running American
soap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
currently in production and the third
longest running drama in television in American history after
Guiding LightGuiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
and
As the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
. Concurrently, it is the world's second longest-running scripted TV drama series currently in production after
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
series
Coronation StreetCoronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. General Hospital premiered on the
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network on April 1, 1963 and has almost always aired at 3:00pm (Eastern time) since its debut. Broadcast weekdays and currently repeated nightly on
SOAPnetSOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, it is the longest-running serial produced in Hollywood, and the longest-running entertainment program in ABC television history. It holds the record for most
Daytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
s for
Outstanding Drama SeriesThe Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series is an award which has been given every year at the Daytime Emmys ceremony since 1974. As there are separate awards for acting, writing and directing, the award is generally given to the soap opera that excelled in all three of those categories...
, with 10 wins.
The show was created by husband-and-wife soap writers
Frank and Doris HursleyFrank M. Hursley and Doris Hursley were a husband-and-wife team who wrote American serials....
, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title) in an unnamed fictional city; this city was named
Port Charles, New YorkPort Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
in the 1970s. Upon its beginning, General Hospital starred
John BeradinoJohn Beradino was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Baradino, John Barardino or John Barradino.-Early life and education:He was born Giovanni Berardino in Los...
and
Emily McLaughlinEmily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
, and both actors stayed with the show until their deaths in the 1990s. They were joined a year later by
Rachel AmesRachel Ames is an Emmy Award Winning American actress. She is the longest-running performer on ABC's longest-running daytime serial, General Hospital, playing Audrey Hardy, R.N. from 1964 to 2007. She also played Audrey Hardy on the General Hospital spin-off series Port Charles...
which remains to date the longest serving actress on a ABC soap opera, having being on the show from 1964 to 2007. General Hospital was the second soap to air on ABC (after the short-lived Road to Reality, which aired for several months during the 1960–61 season). In 1964, a sister soap was created for General Hospital,
The Young MarriedsThe Young Marrieds was an American daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from October 5, 1964, to March 25, 1966.The program was created by James Elward and written by Elward with Frances Rickett. Authors John Pascal and Francine Pascal also wrote for the series. It was produced in Hollywood by...
; it ran for two years, and was canceled due to low ratings. General Hospital also spawned a prime time spinoff
with the same nameGeneral Hospital is a British daytime soap opera produced by ATV which ran on ITV from 1972 to 1979. It was modelled after the American drama of the same name....
in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from 1972 to 1979, as well as the daytime series
Port CharlesPort Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
(1997–2003) and the prime time spinoff
General Hospital: Night ShiftGeneral Hospital: Night Shift is an American prime time serial that first aired on SOAPnet for a 13-episode run from July 12, 2007 to October 4, 2007. A spin-off of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, the show is SOAPnet's first original scripted drama series and follows the nighttime...
(2007–2008) in the United States. Currently taped at
The Prospect Studios The Prospect Studios is a lot containing several television studios located at 4151 Prospect Avenue in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, at the corner of Prospect and Talmadge Avenues , just east of Hollywood...
, General Hospital originally aired for a half-hour until July 23, 1976. The series was expanded from 30 minutes to 45 minutes on July 26, 1976, and then to a full hour on November 7, 1977.
Ever since the late 1970s, most of the storylines have revolved on the
QuartermaineThe Quartermaine family is a very wealthy and prestigious fictional family on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The Quartermaines have been a staple on General Hospital since their introduction in the late 1970s....
s, the Spencers or the
Scorpios-JonesThe Scorpio's and Jones's are fictional families on the American soap opera General Hospital. Overtime the two families have intertwined and become one large family that is oftentimes referred to as the Scorpio/Jones family. The super couples Frisco and Felicia Jones and Robert and Anna Scorpio are...
. From 1979 to 1988, General Hospital had more viewers than any daytime soap opera. It rose to the top of the ratings in the early 1980s in part thanks to the monumentally popular "
supercoupleA supercouple or super couple is a popular or financially wealthy pairing that intrigues and fascinates the public in an intense or even obsessive fashion...
" Luke and Laura, whose 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. In 2003,
TV GuideTV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
named General Hospital the 'Great Soap Opera of All Time.' In 2007, the program was listed as one of
TimeTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME." In April 2009, General Hospital began broadcasting in
High DefinitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
General Hospital became the oldest American soap opera on September 17, 2010, when
As the World TurnsAs the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
ended. On April 14, 2011, ABC announced the cancellation of both
All My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
and
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, leaving General Hospital as the only soap opera airing on the network after January 2012.
Show history
Launched in 1963, the first stories were mainly set at General Hospital in an unnamed mid-sized Eastern city (the name of the city,
Port CharlesPort Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
, would not be mentioned until the late 1970s under Gloria Monty), revolving around
Dr. Steve HardyDr. Steve Hardy is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. John Beradino originated the role of Steve Hardy on April 1, 1963 and portrayed him until his death in 1996.- History :...
(
John BeradinoJohn Beradino was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Baradino, John Barardino or John Barradino.-Early life and education:He was born Giovanni Berardino in Los...
) and his friend, Nurse
Jessie BrewerJessie Brewer R.N. was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She was played by actress Emily McLaughlin, who was an original cast member from 1963-1991.- References :*****...
(
Emily McLaughlinEmily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
). Steve was Chief of Internal Medicine on the hospital's seventh floor and dedicated his life to healing and caring for the sick, ably assisted by Nurse Jessie. Jessie's turbulent marriage to the much-younger
Dr. Phil BrewerPhil Brewer was a fictional character on ABC soap opera General Hospital. He was played by actor Roy Thinnes who was an original cast member from 1963-1966 and lastly by Martin West from 1967-1975.-Character history:...
(originally portrayed by
Roy ThinnesRoy Thinnes is an American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of lonely hero David Vincent in the ABC 1967-68 television series The Invaders. He also played Alfred Wentworth in the pilot episode of Law & Order...
; lastly by
Martin WestSir Martin West was born in England, the son of a civil servant in the Treasury.Martin West studied at Balliol College, Oxford, before joining the British East India Company...
) was the center of many early storylines. In 1964 the woman who would finally win Steve's heart, Audrey March, a former flight attendant came to town. Audrey's older sister, Lucille Weeks was a nurse at General Hospital. Lucille married hospital janitor, Al Weeks. Audrey married Dr. Tom Baldwin and had his son (played as an infant by the daughter of Audrey's portrayer Rachel Ames.) In 1973 Audrey married alcoholic Dr. Jim Hobart before finally realizing she loved Steve.
Other nurses that had an impact at General Hospital during the 60s and 70s included Meg Bentley. Meg was the mother to her young son Scotty and stepmother to troubled teen Brooke Clinton. Meg married attorney Lee Baldwin, Tom Baldwin's brother. Lee adopted Scotty. When Meg died Lee became Scotty's only family. Several years later Lee met and married Caroline Chandler. Caroline died within a few years then Lee married Gail.
Diana Taylor was a young nurse torn between two men, Dr. Peter Taylor and Dr. Phil Brewer. Bouncy Sharon McGillis married shy Dr. Henry Pinkham. Jane Harland was married to businessman Howie Dawson. They had a daughter. Howie's mother, Mrs. Dawson, lived with them. At one point in about 1972, Howie soon became involved with Brooke Clinton. When Brooke spurned his advances Brooke was found murdered the following day.
Augusta McLeod came to General Hospital in 1973 and set in motion events that would impact General Hospital for years to come. It was Augusta who brought Phil Brewer back to GH to break up Peter and Diana Taylor. Augusta was pregnant with Peter's child. December 6, 1974, Phil Brewer was murdered by a geode (paper weight). Jessie Brewer was on trial for her life after having been caught with the deceased Phil holding the murder weapon. She was acquitted. Augusta McLeod was sent to prison for murder. She gave birth to her son which was given up for adoption.
The end of the hour wedding on November 17, 1981 of Luke and Laura, played by
Anthony GearyAnthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
and
Genie FrancisEugenie "Genie" Francis Frakes is an American actress known for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. She is currently playing Genevieve Atkinson on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless...
, was the most watched event in daytime serial history.
During the 1980s the series featured several high-profile action, adventure, and some science fiction based story lines. Location shooting at sites including Mt. Rushmore in
South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
;
Niagara FallsThe Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
;
Grand Ole OpryThe Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
in Nashville,
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; Atlantic City,
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
; Big Bear and Avalon (Catalina Island),
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; and San Antonio,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
are just some that propelled the story.
In the 1990s, General Hospital entered a transitional phase as the action/adventure storylines of the 1980s became less popular. The show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of social issues, most notable of which were the heart transplant storyline which involved the death of eight-year-old BJ Jones (daughter of Dr. Tony Jones and
R.N. Bobbie SpencerBarbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer is a fictional character and popular long running character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She made her first appearance in 1978 and is the mother of popular character Carly Corinthos Jacks...
) in a bus crash and the subsequent donation of her heart to her dying cousin
Maxie JonesMariah Maximilliana "Maxie" Jones is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital currently portrayed by Kirsten Storms. She is the oldest daughter of supercouple Frisco and Felicia Jones. In 2009, Storms was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for her role of Maxie Jones...
. Shortly afterwards,
Monica QuartermaineDr. Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She is a member of the wealthy Quartermaine family. Her various affairs and quarrels with her husband Dr...
(
Leslie CharlesonLeslie Charleson is an American actress most famous for her work in daytime television.-Biography:Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her career began on short-lived soap A Flame in the Wind in 1964...
) began a long battle with breast cancer, which led to her adopting Emily Quartermaine, a young girl who had been orphaned when her mother died of breast cancer. Her adopted daughter was later murdered by an unknown killer, leaving
Dr. Monica QuartermaineDr. Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She is a member of the wealthy Quartermaine family. Her various affairs and quarrels with her husband Dr...
heartbroken. GH was also praised for yet another storyline in the form of the beautiful but tragic love story of teenagers
Stone CatesMichael "Stone" Cates is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Michael Sutton portrayed him from 1993 to 1995 and returned for a guest appearance from September 28 through September 29, 2010. The character died of AIDS-related illness in 1995...
(Michael Sutton) and
Robin ScorpioDr. Robin Scorpio-Drake is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital and its prime time SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough since 1985. The character came to mainstream attention when she was diagnosed as HIV-positive...
(
Kimberly McCulloughKimberly Anne McCullough is an American actress, dancer, and director. She is best known for her longtime role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital, a role which she originated at the age of 7, playing the character from 1985-1996...
). After a struggle that lasted throughout most of 1995, Stone died from AIDS at the age of 19 and his death was followed by storylines in which 17 year old Robin had to deal with being HIV-positive as a result of her and Stone's relationship. The storyline got Sutton a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor and won McCullough an Outstanding Younger Actress award. ABC featured an "Afterschool Special" revolving around the AIDS story.
On Saturday, December 14, 1996, General Hospital aired its one of three primetime episodes,
General Hospital: Twist of FateGeneral Hospital: Twist of Fate is the first and only primetime episode of the long-running ABC soap opera General Hospital. The primetime special aired on Saturday at 8 o'clock on December 14, 1996....
, which picked up where that Friday's episode had left off. The special centered around Laura's supposed death at the hands of Stefan Cassadine.
The series' 11,000th episode aired on February 20, 2006.
On April 23, 2009, General Hospital became ABC's first regular daytime drama to be taped and broadcast in
high definitionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, though the 2008 season of its primetime spinoff
General Hospital: Night ShiftGeneral Hospital: Night Shift is an American prime time serial that first aired on SOAPnet for a 13-episode run from July 12, 2007 to October 4, 2007. A spin-off of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, the show is SOAPnet's first original scripted drama series and follows the nighttime...
was in high definition. This is the second daytime drama to move to high definition after
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's
The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
.
On February 23, 2010, the series aired its 12,000th episode.
On December 1, 2011, it was speculated that ex-
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
executive producer
Frank ValentiniFrank Valentini is an American television producer, director and composer for the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. From 1985-1994 he worked as stage manager. In 1994 he was promoted to Associate Producer assuming full producer duties in 1996 and in 2003 he became executive producer, replacing Gary...
was hired to replace current EP
Jill Farren PhelpsJill Farren Phelps is an American television producer.-Career:Phelps has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara , Guiding Light , Another World , One Life to Live , and currently General Hospital .Phelps got her start...
as the EP of General Hospital. According to press, at the time, ABC was expected to make an official announce later on in the day. ABC then confirmed that Valentini and ex-head writer
Ron CarlivatiRon Carlivati is an American soap opera writer born on November 25, 1968 .-Career:It was announced in the February 27 edition of Soap Opera Digest that Carlivati was promoted to Co-Head Writer of the ABC Daytime serial One Life to Live alongside Dena Higley. On June 4, 2007, Frank Valentini...
would replace Phelps and
Garin Wolf-WGA Strike:During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Wolf chose Financial Core Status with the Writers Guild of America, stepping in for robert Guza Jr...
as head writer, while Wolf will remain on as a regular writer..
Production summary
| Start date | End date |
Time slot
(eastern) |
Run time
(minutes) |
| April 1, 1963 |
December 27, 1963 |
1:00 pm |
30 |
| December 30, 1963 |
July 23, 1976 |
3:00 pm |
| July 26, 1976 |
November 4, 1977 |
3:15 pm |
45 |
| November 7, 1977 |
February 1, 1980 |
3:00 pm |
60 |
| February 4, 1980 |
present |
General Hospital has aired on
ABC TelevisionThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
and has been filmed in Hollywood, California since its inception.
Cast
Original Cast
| Character | Actor |
| Cynthia Allison |
Carolyn Craig |
| Lee Baldwin Lee Baldwin is a fictional character on the popular ABC daytime dramas General Hospital, and the now canceled Port Charles. Peter Hansen originated the role in 1965. Lee Baldwin is the adoptive father of Scott Baldwin. A recovering alcoholic, Lee is a pillar in the community and has a thriving law...
|
Ross ElliottRoss Elliott was an American television and film character actor. He began his acting career with Orson Welles in Mercury Theatre, where he performed in Welles' famed radio program The War of the Worlds....
|
| Dorothy Bradley |
Susan Seaforth Hayes Susan Seaforth Hayes is an American dramatic actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Julie Williams on the long-running NBC drama Days of our Lives, and her intermittent portrayal of JoAnna Manning on the CBS daytime drama The Young and the Restless...
|
| Jessie Brewer Jessie Brewer R.N. was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She was played by actress Emily McLaughlin, who was an original cast member from 1963-1991.- References :*****...
, R.N. |
Emily McLaughlin Emily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
|
| Dr. Phil Brewer Phil Brewer was a fictional character on ABC soap opera General Hospital. He was played by actor Roy Thinnes who was an original cast member from 1963-1966 and lastly by Martin West from 1967-1975.-Character history:...
|
Roy Thinnes Roy Thinnes is an American television and film actor best known for his portrayal of lonely hero David Vincent in the ABC 1967-68 television series The Invaders. He also played Alfred Wentworth in the pilot episode of Law & Order...
|
| Angie Costello |
Jana Taylor |
| Mike Costello |
Ralph Manza |
| Fred Fleming |
Simon Scott |
| Dr. Steven Lansing |
Matthew S Infante |
| Janet Fleming |
Ruth Phillips |
| Dr. Steve Hardy Dr. Steve Hardy is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. John Beradino originated the role of Steve Hardy on April 1, 1963 and portrayed him until his death in 1996.- History :...
|
John Beradino John Beradino was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Baradino, John Barardino or John Barradino.-Early life and education:He was born Giovanni Berardino in Los...
|
| Roy Lansing |
Robert ClarkeRobert Irby Clarke was an American actor best known for his cult classic science fiction films of the 1950s.-Early life:...
|
Title sequence
Since the series' debut in 1963, General Hospital has had six opening
title sequenceA Title Sequence is the method by which cinematic films or television programs present their title, key production and cast members, or both, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound...
packages and five theme songs.
From 1963 to 1967, the ABC announcer said "GENERAL HOSPITAL...brought to you by [product name]"; when the show moved to color on October 30, 1967, until circa early 1970s, announcer Ed Chandler would say, "GENERAL HOSPITAL in color". During the end of each scene just seconds before commercial break, Chandler would say "We'll return to GENERAL HOSPITAL in just a moment"; that announcement was phased out in the early 1970s. During 1973 to 1976, Chandler would simply say "General Hospital". "General Hospital" was the last
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
show to move to color.
For the
closing creditsClosing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
sequence, Chandler's original line from late 1963 to circa 1970s was, "This is Ed Chandler inviting you to tune in tomorrow (Monday) and every weekday for GENERAL HOSPITAL". It was changed during circa 1973 to "This is Ed Chandler inviting you to tune in every day, Monday through Friday for GENERAL HOSPITAL." This spiel was used until July 1976. Since 1976, the only show announcements are the daily sponsor tags by ABC staff announcers ("ABC's General Hospital, brought to you by..."), and until the late 1990s, that immediately preceded the title at the end of the opening sequence. Currently, these announcements are done on network bumpers after the first scene.
Although Ed Chandler ceased his live announcing duties for the show in July 1976, a recording of his voice was retained for the first mid-program bumper ("General Hospital will continue in a moment"). There continued to be two mid-bumpers until January 1978, when a third was added during mid-break, after
station identification Station identification is the practice of radio or television stations or networks identifying themselves on air, typically by means of a call sign or brand name...
, representing the expansion to an hour. The latter two bumpers would have no announcement. The three-bumper format was in place until circa 1986, with only the first and last mid-bumpers remaining. Starting in 1986, a muted display of the zooming title from the opening sequence was inserted to accommodate the mandate for affiliates to run their station ID over a program's still or logo. Ed Chandler's recorded mid-break announcement on the first bumper lasted until 1989. From 1989 to 1992, well-known voice actor
Bill RatnerBill Ratner is an American voice actor. He is best known for being the voice of G.I. Joe's Flint. He is the movie trailer voice for Will Ferrell's Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory, Kung Fu Panda, Tenacious D, Mike Myers's The Love Guru, Monsters vs...
, who was a featured primetime promo announcer for ABC at the time, began voicing "General Hospital will continue in a moment" over the mid-bumper. Then, from the fall of 1992 until late 1999, various GH cast members would voice the first mid-bumper ("General Hospital will continue in a moment", with "here on ABC" being added to the line in 1996). Also, from late 1996 to September 1999, various cast members (but most often
Ingo RademacherIngo Rademacher is a German-born US-based Australian television actor. He has played the role of Jasper "Jax" Jacks on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital almost continuously since 1996.-Career:...
) would introduce next-episode previews off camera. Since the fall of 1999, mid-bumpers and previews have been done on network graphics. In 2008, due to tight budgets, ABC cut the spoiler promos.
| April 1, 1963 – November 21, 1963 |
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/indemnity/439/gh.html
In the early episodes of 1963, General Hospital used a scene of doctors and nurses going about their business in the hospital, which then freezes and turns into a negative image, with the title appearing in the Craw Clarendon Condensed font (which remained the same until 1993). Accompanying this was a piano piece by Kip Walton.
Mid-bumpers and closing sequences from day one featured the show's title, in the same font and size, centered on the screen against a black background. In the closings, a second sponsor plug would be included after the title, which would then return to the black screen where the credits would start running. In the first several years, credits would be carded one at a time for the most part on Monday-Thursday episodes; after production principals, the top billing stars would be credited (during this era, they were mainly John BeradinoJohn Beradino was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Baradino, John Barardino or John Barradino.-Early life and education:He was born Giovanni Berardino in Los...
, Emily McLaughlinEmily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
, Rachel Ames, Peter HansenPeter Hansen is an American actor, best known for his role as a lawyer, Lee Baldwin, on the soap opera General Hospital. He played the role from 1965 to 1986 and again from 1992 to 2004...
and Patricia BreslinPatricia Rose Breslin was an American actress known for her guest roles in various television series in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early years:...
).
On Fridays, the entire credit setup would scroll, with full cast and crew. The top-billing stars would still appear in their stacked format during the scroll, as they did on carded days (with actors' name, "as" and their characters' name all on separate lines) while supporting players would appear with their characters' name positioned to the left followed by periods, with the actors' names listed below in capitals over on the right. All crew credits would be centered. The final display of the General Hospital title in all broadcasts would scroll up itself to include the Selmur Productions ident at the end of the sequence.
The last episode to use this title, on November 22, 1963, was likely pre-empted by ABC as the news of the assassination and death of President John F. Kennedy was unfolding during the afternoon. |
November 26, 1963 – April 11, 1975
http://lavender.fortunecity.com/indemnity/439/gh.html |
Nearly eight months into General Hospitals run, the nurses' station opening sequence was changed in favor of a more simple display. At the end of the prologue, the first few notes of the opening theme began playing as the scene dissolved into a black screen, with the show's title appearing on it, centered. The same visual would remain on the screen for the length of the brief opening theme tune, save for a cut-in to a sponsor plug, and virtually only as long as the network announcer's (later Ed Chandler's) spiel. This second theme package was basically an expansion of the visual format used in the mid-bumpers and closing since the show's premiere. When the program moved to color in late October 1967, the black background used for all the visuals changed to blue, but otherwise the package would go unchanged for its entire run. The arrival of this first long-running setup for GH brought a revised version of the April–November 1963 theme, in a higher pitch and faster melody, which was also composed by Kip Walton.
The same mid-bumpers and closing credits format from the first package remained in place. The Selmur Productions ident continued to appear at the conclusion of the credits every episode until 1968, when ABC bought complete ownership of General Hospital. |
| April 14, 1975 – March 31, 1993 |
The exterior shot of the hospital in the opening and ending credits is the General Hospital of the Los Angeles County-USC Medical CenterLos Angeles County+USC Medical Center, also known as County/USC, by the abbreviation LAC+USC, or by the name Los Angeles County General, is a 600-bed public teaching hospital located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, California...
, located just east of Downtown Los AngelesLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
(Google Street View image from outside the gate:). This shot was used from 1975 to 1993, and remained relatively unchanged between those years. It consisted of an ambulance rushing through the gates of the medical center, followed by the show's title zooming outward from the view of the hospital. The sequence's theme song was led prominently by George WrightGeorge Wright was an American musician, possibly the most famous virtuoso of the theatre organ of the modern era....
's piano theme from no later than Monday, April 14, 1975 until Friday, July 23, 1976. Then on Monday, July 26, 1976, the theme music was changed to "Autumn Breeze" by Jack Urbont, with the horns throughout the opening sequence (the 1975 opening sequence would remain the same). The graphic details of the opening would see only one alteration, in 1978, when the lettering of the show's zooming title became smaller. It is one of the longest running soap opera theme/visuals in history, with only the 1970–1989 theme/visuals of All My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
and Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
1972-93 package ahead of it. The sequence was used until the last episode of General Hospital with the Autumn Breeze theme aired on March 31, 1993.
The closing credits during this long era were done over nearly the same exterior of the LA County-USC Medical Center, with the main difference here being a blue-sky/cloud visual, as opposed to the opening having a clear, sunny sky. Occasionally a closer pan of the hospital was used, but it became more common in the early 1980s and was used almost exclusively from 1983 until 1993. The Craw Clarendon Condensed credits continued the tradition of carding dayplayers one at a time on most days, with the actors' name on top, the "as" on the middle line and character name below. On Fridays or during special storylines, a long crawl credits format also remained. No earlier than the start of the LA-USC Medical Center visuals era, scrolling cast credits became reformatted where the actors name appeared first in capitals, positioned to the left and followed by periods, with their character's name seen below in mostly lowercase, set on the right. Copyright notice first appeared at the end of all episodes in 1980, in a small capitalized font. By late 1981, the notice began appearing in capitalized Arial font, and would remain this way through the fall of 1982.
In the fall of 1982, the closing format was updated so that now the credits were electronically generated. The creators' credit, which had long consisted of "Frank and" on one line, and "Doris Hursley" below it, now became "Frank &" with "Doris Hursley" underneath. The end credits became smaller, and the carded dayplayer setup now used the long-crawl formatting with the actors' name followed by periods, with character name below. From this point on, the more inward shot of the hospital was used full time. The copyright notice, which currently consisted of "(c) (year) American Broadcasting Companies, Inc.", was changed to small, capitalized Craw Clarendon Condensed, on two lines. Around the episode marking GHs 20th anniversary in April 1983, "All Rights Reserved" was added below the copyright notice, in small, capitalized Arial. Between December 1983 and February 1984, the space between General and Hospital in the closing title displays was removed, so that the title was stacked together; and, "Frank & Doris Hurley" became "Frank And Doris" on one line, with "Hursley" below. At the beginning of 1985, Gloria MontyGloria Monty was an American TV producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama.She died of cancer at the age of 84.-Education:...
finally became credited as "Executive Producer", replacing the simple "Produced By" title which had been a standard from the early days of TV.
By 1988, the carded credits format had long become occasional, and ceased during that year. Thereafter, on days that had short closings, the credits scrolled production principals only up until the role of associate producer, which would then be followed by the closing title display and copyright. Beginning in September 1989, on long crawl days listing the cast, John BeradinoJohn Beradino was an American infielder in Major League Baseball and an actor. Known as Johnny Berardino during his baseball career, he was also credited during his acting career as John Baradino, John Barardino or John Barradino.-Early life and education:He was born Giovanni Berardino in Los...
and Emily McLaughlinEmily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
's credits scrolled on screen one at a time before the rest of the cast was listed in the large group. This was a nod by then-executive producer H. Wesley KenneyH. Wesley Kenney is an American producer and director of several television series.He is best known for his work on soap operas, producing and directing Days of our Lives from 1968 to 1979, and then becoming Co-Executive Producer of The Young and the Restless, a spot he held from 1982 to 1986...
to Beradino and McLaughlin's seniority to the program. When actress Emily McLaughlinEmily McLaughlin was an American soap opera actress.-Biography:She was born in White Plains, New York, where her father was mayor. She was educated at Middlebury College.-Marriages:...
died in 1991, Beradino was listed alone before the rest of the cast, with Rachel AmesRachel Ames is an Emmy Award Winning American actress. She is the longest-running performer on ABC's longest-running daytime serial, General Hospital, playing Audrey Hardy, R.N. from 1964 to 2007. She also played Audrey Hardy on the General Hospital spin-off series Port Charles...
now always leading first on the main cast list. |
| April 1, 1993 – August 27, 2004 |
Wendy Riche Wendy Riche is an American television producer. She has been executive producer of ABC Daytime's General Hospital and the co-creator and executive producer of its spinoff show Port Charles....
made her most visible change as she decided to retire the long-running 1976 opening in favor of something new. The new opening music, "Faces Of The Heart" by Dave KozDave Koz is an American smooth jazz saxophonist.- Life and career :Dave Koz was born on March 27, 1963 in Encino, California....
(based on the melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
of the previous "Autumn Breeze" theme), debuted at the beginning of the first episode on April 1, 1993 that marked General Hospital's thirtieth anniversary. The theme begins with a heartbeat rhythm played on a bass guitar as we dissolve to a shot of an ambulance. That, in turn, dissolves into a tinted, letterboxed view of the exterior of the LA County-USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. This is followed by a series of video headshots of all the contract cast members, either solo or in pairs, against a red background. After every few clips, there is an action clip from the show. At the end of the sequence, we go back to the letterboxed, tinted hospital exterior and the title of the show in Goudy Bold type. For the 32nd Anniversary week in April 1995, the theme was remixed with a longer version with a reprise at the end, also the cast montage had a major update, which several cast members received new footage and new Puerto Rico action scenes were added. On April 1, 2003, the show's 40th anniversary, the characters’ first names were added to the opening.
For several weeks into the new "Faces of the Heart" package, the end credits remained in the same Craw Clarendon Condensed type used in past years. Now, however, the long crawl was done over stills from that day's episode. In one of the last episodes to use the Craw Clarendon Condensed, the closing credits were actually turned red, experimentally, to represent the color of the show's new visual image. By no later than early May 1993, the credits resumed being white and were now in Goudy font, to match the new General Hospital title logo. Short credit sequences either ran over episode stills or a variation of the red-tinted view of the hospital seen in the opening. This exterior background had motion effects that slowly pulled outward from the LA-USC building. From March 1996 to September 1999, each end credit segment was done in smaller lettering on a separate card for each still. The separate card setup is still used in the end titles shown on SoapNet rebroadcasts, but the credits are done over a shot of the hospital. |
| August 30, 2004 – February 22, 2010 |
During the May 2004 sweeps, ABC Daytime ABC Daytime is a programming block on the ABC Network which has historically encompassed soap operas, game shows and talk shows.-Schedule:...
began a significant re-branding process. New graphics and new promotional bumpers were created, and the visuals in the new promos were incorporated into new openings that were unveiled on all three ABC soaps in subsequent weeks. On August 30, 2004, GH unveiled a new opening that incorporated many of the character visuals used in a new set of ABC Daytime promos and bumpers that debuted in May 2004. The nods to the show's past seem quite minimal in this new opening as we get only an extremely brief glimpse of an ambulance and an almost equally brief upward pan of the hospital exterior. This new opening sequence ends with a shot of the male cast members clad in tuxedos and posing against a white background, with Anthony Geary walking out of the shot, followed by the title of the show. The portion featuring the male cast members remained the same throughout this version's use, in spite of the fact that most of the cast members featured there such as Ted KingTheodore William King is an American actor, formally credited as T.W. King.-Personal life:In September 2008 King married his girlfriend Maya Rodwell, with whom he became engaged the year before...
, M'fundo MorrisonM'fundo Morrison is an American actor. He portrayed Quartermaine family member Justus Ward on the daytime soap opera General Hospital from December 2003 until June 2006, when the character was killed off of the show....
, and Scott CliftonScott Clifton Snyder , better known as Scott Clifton, is an American actor, musician, and video blogger. His early work has included television commercials and minor film and television roles, but his most recognized achievements have come from his highly publicised roles in soap operas...
had left the show by the time it was retired. Though departing actors continued to be removed from the main part of the sequence as needed, no new actors were added from July 2007 until the version's retirement in February 2010. Contract actors such as Claire Coffee, Sarah Brown, Natalia Livingston (who was previously featured in the opening as Emily and later returned as Rebecca) and Nazanin Boniadi came and went without ever appearing in this opening.
The title appears in white letters in a single line across the screen against a black background, which is framed by letterboxing. On April 20, 2009, this sequence was updated slightly - the open was stretched (and later cropped) to fill the 16x9 picture ratio for the show's move to HDHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, but the video quality of the opening was still in standard definition. It is during this era that main technical credits (including the day's producer, director, etc. and the Hursleys' creative credit (even though they had passed away years previously) began to appear during the opening prologue scene, a practice only two other soaps (The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
, which are split between the prologue and first act in their case, and All My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
) currently utilize; One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
s technical credits appear after their opening credits. |
| February 23, 2010 –present |
On February 23, 2010, General Hospital debuted its revamped, HD opening credits in honor of the series' 12,000th episode. It features brand new shots of the cast members (shot in September 2009) and features debut opening sequence shots for cast members that have joined since fall 2007 (the last time the "Sirens" opening added characters), including (in order of initiation to contract cast) Sonya Eddy Sonya Eddy is an American actress. She majored in Theatre and Dance at UC Davis and received her B.A. in 1992. Eddy is a licensed vocational nurse .-Career:...
, Brandon BarashBrandon Joseph Barash is an American actor.-Career:Early in life Barash caught the acting bug, he had aspirations of being a cardiac surgeon. In high school, he underwent knee surgery for the chance to play college basketball. His girlfriend at that time got him in the school's musical audition...
, Jason Cook, Nathan ParsonsNathan Parsons is an Australian-born American actor, best known for his work in daytime television on the ABC soap opera General Hospital as the character of Ethan Lovett.-Background:...
, Drew GarrettDrew Garrett is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Michael Corinthos III on General Hospital.-Biography:...
, Dominic ZamprognaDominic Zamprogna is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on television series Edgemont and General Hospital.-Early life:...
, Lexi AinsworthAlexandra Danielle "Lexi" Ainsworth is an American teen actress. She is known for her role as Kristina Davis on General Hospital.-Personal life and career:Ainsworth was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma...
, and Lisa LoCicero, as well as the re-introduction of Jonathan JacksonJonathan Stevens Jackson is an American actor, best known for playing Lucky Spencer, son of supercouple Luke and Laura on the American daytime drama General Hospital...
. The opening was updated in April 2010 with the recasting of Michael Corinthos III, now played by Chad DuellChad Duell is an American actor. He is best known for playing Michael Corinthos III on the American soap opera General Hospital. He took over the role from Drew Garrett on April 20, 2010....
, proving the new opening will be prompt with updates. The opening starts out with the word "General" going left, then giving a shot of virtual Port Charles. Next there is a picture of a siren and then the cast are shown as in its former style. With each character, the actor and character names are displayed, with character-themed background footage (such as Spoon Island behind Nikolas and the Haunted Star casino behind Luke). Following the character shots, Anthony GearyAnthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
is seen turning away from the camera, as in the previous opening package. The credits end with the show logo, now in Goudy Old Style font, backgrounded by another skyline shot. The theme music from the previous sequence was carried over into this sequence.
With this sequence, the contract cast members' names began to appear during the opening credits, a practice only two other soaps (The Young and the Restless, though that show does not list all contract cast members, and The Bold and the BeautifulThe Bold and the Beautiful is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS Daytime. It premiered on March 23, 1987....
) currently utilize; all other soaps list their cast's names in the closing credits for one episode each week. The opening also utilizes character names as well, something only one other soap (The Bold and the Beautiful) does.
On May 24, 2010, a second opening debuted featuring Brianna BrownBrianna Lynn Brown is an American actress.Brown was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After starting out as a singer she changed her focus to acting after being talked into going out for a high school musical by a student teacher...
and Scott ReevesGregory Scott Reeves is an American actor and country music singer. He is known for his role as Ryan McNeil on The Young and the Restless and for his role as Dr...
in place of Sonya EddySonya Eddy is an American actress. She majored in Theatre and Dance at UC Davis and received her B.A. in 1992. Eddy is a licensed vocational nurse .-Career:...
and Jason Cook. Initially, rumors were rampant that the latter two had been released from their contracts but it was later shown that, for the first time, General Hospital was utilizing more than one opening in order to compensate for their sprawling cast. This remains the case as of August 11, 2010, when "General Hospital" continued to utilize more than one opening and added Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo, who had returned to the show, to the sequence. One version of the opening includes Brianna BrownBrianna Lynn Brown is an American actress.Brown was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After starting out as a singer she changed her focus to acting after being talked into going out for a high school musical by a student teacher...
, Scott ReevesGregory Scott Reeves is an American actor and country music singer. He is known for his role as Ryan McNeil on The Young and the Restless and for his role as Dr...
, and Leslie CharlesonLeslie Charleson is an American actress most famous for her work in daytime television.-Biography:Charleson was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Her career began on short-lived soap A Flame in the Wind in 1964...
while the other has Sonya EddySonya Eddy is an American actress. She majored in Theatre and Dance at UC Davis and received her B.A. in 1992. Eddy is a licensed vocational nurse .-Career:...
, Jason Cook, and John IngleJohn Ingle is an American actor known for his role as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital.-Career:...
.
The opening was updated in October 2011, once again, adding new cast additions Shawn Blakemore and Kelly Sullivan, and removed past cast members Ingo RademacherIngo Rademacher is a German-born US-based Australian television actor. He has played the role of Jasper "Jax" Jacks on the American daytime soap opera General Hospital almost continuously since 1996.-Career:...
, Tyler ChristopherTyler Christopher is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Nikolas Cassadine and Connor Bishop on the ABC soap opera General Hospital.-Early life:...
and Brianna BrownBrianna Lynn Brown is an American actress.Brown was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. After starting out as a singer she changed her focus to acting after being talked into going out for a high school musical by a student teacher...
. |
Main crew members
- Producers: Jill Farren Phelps
Jill Farren Phelps is an American television producer.-Career:Phelps has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara , Guiding Light , Another World , One Life to Live , and currently General Hospital .Phelps got her start...
(Executive ProducerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
), Mary O'LearyMary O'Leary is an American television producer.-Positions held:Another World*Coordinating Producer *Associate Producer General Hospital*Producer...
, Mercer Barrows, Michelle Henry, Deborah Genovese, Robert Guza, Jr.Robert Guza Jr. is an American television writer and producer, and formally held the position as Head Writer on the long running ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. He was fired by Brian Frons.-Personal life:...
(Consulting ProducerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
)
- Directors: Matthew Diamond
Matthew Diamond is an American film and television director, producer and choreographer.He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1999 for directing the documentary film The Dancemaker...
, Joseph BeharJoseph Behar is a DGA award winning American television director, and is not to be confused with Joseph Behar who is the former husband of comedian/TV Personality Josephina Behar...
, Danielle FaraldoDanielle Faraldo is an American television soap opera director.-Positions held:General Hospital* Occasional Director One Life to Live* Director * Associate Director...
, Craig McManusCraig McManus is an American television soap opera director and Stage Manager.-Positions held:General Hospital* Occasional Director * Stage Manager -Awards and nominations:Daytime Emmy Award...
, William LudelWilliam Ludel is an American television soap opera director.-Directing credits:Another World* Director General Hospital* Director Days of our Lives* Occasional Director...
, Phideaux XavierPhideaux Xavier is an American TV director and composer of modern technological music that he describes as "psychedelic progressive gothic rock", who grew up in New York City but now lives in Los Angeles.-Life and work:...
, Scott McKinseyScott McKinsey is an award-winning American television director for soap opera General Hospital. McKinsey is the son of late Beverlee McKinsey.-Directing Positions:As the World Turns*Director General Hospital...
, Owen RenfroeOwen Renfroe is an American television soap opera director and former editor. He graduated from Wesleyan University, where he studied film with Professor Jeanine Basinger.-Positions held:General Hospital* Director...
, Penny Pengra, Christine Magarian, Ron Cates, Peter Fillmore, Ronald C. Cates, Dave MacLeod
- Head Writer
A head writer is a person who oversees the team of writers on a television or radio series. The title is common in the soap opera genre, as well as with sketch comedies and talk shows that feature monologues and comedy skits, but in prime time series this function is generally performed by an...
: Garin Wolf-WGA Strike:During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Wolf chose Financial Core Status with the Writers Guild of America, stepping in for robert Guza Jr...
, Shelly AltmanShelly Altman is an American soap opera writer.-Positions held:Another World*Associate Head Writer: 1995 - 1999General Hospital*Writer: August 2011-Present, Co-Head Writer: October 24 2011-PresentOne Life to Live...
- Associate Head Writer/Script Editor: Elizabeth Korte
Elizabeth Korte is an American television writer for the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital.- Positions held :General Hospital*Occasional Breakdown Writer: 2005 - 2008*Script Editor: 2002 - January 3, 2008, March 17, 2008 – present...
- Story Consultant
Creative consultant is a credit that has - particularly in the past - been given to screenwriters who have “doctored” a movie screenplay. It is often given by producers in lieu of official credit. Those given this credit in the television field work closely with an Executive Producer, Head...
: Brian FronsBrian Frons is an American television executive, and president of ABC Daytime.- Educational background :Frons holds a Master of Science degree in Communications from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the State University of New York at Fredonia.-Television...
- Breakdown Writers: Jim Reitzel, Michael Conforti
Michael Conforti is an American television writer on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. He played Jeremy Rhodes on Edge of Night, and Wally Bacon on Guiding Light. Conforti later became a writer for the soap opera Guiding Light. He became a Co-Head Writer for All My Children and Guiding...
, Heidi Ploen, Sasha Cartullo, Nathan Fissel, David GoldschmidDavid Goldschmid is an American television writer and producer, currently writing for the daytime drama General Hospital.-Positions held:At ABC's General Hospital* Staff Writer: October 17, 2005 - present...
, Meg BennettMeg Bennett is an American television soap opera writer and occasional actress. She is married to General Hospital Head Writer Robert Guza, Jr.-Early life:...
- Script Writers: Susan Wald (playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
), Michele Val JeanMichele Val Jean is an American television writer on the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. Val Jean made television history when in 2000 she was promoted, alongside Elizabeth Korte, to the post of Head Writer; making her the first African American in the history of daytime television...
, Mary Sue PriceMary Sue Price is an American playwright and scriptwriter for the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital. She has won two Emmys as a member of the General Hospital writing team.-Education:...
, Karen HarrisKaren Harris is an American television writer for the ABC Daytime serial General Hospital.-Career:During the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, she chose not to accept Financial Core Status....
, Elizabeth KorteElizabeth Korte is an American television writer for the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital.- Positions held :General Hospital*Occasional Breakdown Writer: 2005 - 2008*Script Editor: 2002 - January 3, 2008, March 17, 2008 – present...
- Casting Directors: Mark Teschner
-Career:Has been in charge of ABC Daytime's General Hospital casting since 1989. He has been described by Rolling Stone magazine as "an actor's casting director" and TV Guide noted his "unparalleled track record for finding top new talent." He is a former vice president of the Casting Society of...
, Gwen Hillier
- Former Notable Crew Members: John William Corrington
John William Corrington was an American movie and television writer, novelist, poet and lawyer. He received a B.A. degree from Centenary College, in 1956 and his M.A. from Rice University in 1960, the year he took on his first teaching position in the English Department at Louisiana State University...
, Lewis ArltLewis Arlt is an American director, actor, and writer. He has been nominated for a Daytime Emmy , and 4 Writers Guild of America Awards- won three times....
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0035218/, Lynda MylesLynda Myles is a British writer and producer. She served as director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival , director and curator of film at the Pacific Film Archive, University of California, Berkeley, Senior Vice–President at Columbia Pictures, Commissioning Editor for Drama at the BBC for...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0617002/, Alan Pultz, Judith PinskerJudith Pinsker is an American television writer.Pinsker co-wrote the 1995 New York Times bestseller General Hospital tie-in novel Robin's Diary, based in the AIDS storyline between characters Stone Cates and Robin Scorpio....
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1301702/, Joseph BeharJoseph Behar is a DGA award winning American television director, and is not to be confused with Joseph Behar who is the former husband of comedian/TV Personality Josephina Behar...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0066875/, Stephanie BraxtonStephanie Braxton is an American television writer, playwright and actress. She married Dan Hamilton in 1970, but they are currently divorced...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0106187/, Norma Monty, Frank South http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0816041, Ralph Ellis http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0255034/, Shelley CurtisShelley Curtis is an American television soap opera director and producer. She has been working in daytime since 1979. She's sometimes credited as Shelly Curtis.-Positions held:All My Children* Occasional Director...
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0193506/, Hope Harmel SmithHope Harmel Smith is an American television producer and writer. She has been working in daytime for over 20 years.-Positions held:All My Children* Writer: October 2007 - July 2008...
Setting
Many sites in
Port CharlesPort Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
include:
- General Hospital
Port Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
is a major employer in the city, and one of the largest medical facilities on the East Coast. With contributions from Sonny CorinthosMichael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993...
and Carly Jacks, extra wings dedicated to AIDS research and pediatric head neurology have been constructed. In 2009, a vicious fire destroyed a majority of the hospital, which was promptly rebuilt. The hospital re-opened in April.
- The Metro Court is the most prominent hotel in Port Charles, owned by entrepreneurs Jasper Jacks
Jasper "Jax" Jacks is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital. He has been played by actor Ingo Rademacher from January 1996 to August 2000, and from August 2001 to July 2011. In January 2008, the role was temporarily filled by Gideon Emery...
and Carly Jacks. When the Port Charles Hotel was destroyed by a fire in 2004 due to faulty wiring, the Metro Court was built on its site. The hotel boasts a skyline restaurant, a world-class spa, and multiple penthouse suites.
- Kelly's Diner
Port Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
founded by the late Paddy Kelly, is a vintage restaurant in the heart of Port Charles. Operated by Mike Corbin, the diner has been serving its devoted patrons since 1978. The lofts above Kelly's have been home to hundreds of tenants over the years, although the rooms are currently vacant.
- The Haunted Star
Port Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
is a yacht owned and operated by Luke SpencerLucas "Luke" Lorenzo Spencer, Sr. is a fictional character in the American television soap opera General Hospital, and has been played by Anthony Geary since 1978.-Early years :...
, who received the vessel as a wedding present in 1983. In 2003, the ship was turned into a casino by Luke and investors Skye ChandlerSkye Chandler Quartermaine is a fictional ABC soap opera character. Skye has been a regular character on ABC's three longest-running soap operas: All My Children , One Life to Live , and General Hospital...
and Tracy QuartermaineTracy Angelica Quartermaine Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital...
.
- Jake's
Port Charles, New York is the fictional setting of the ABC Daytime soap operas General Hospital and its spin-offs Port Charles and General Hospital: Night Shift. It was later retroactively revealed as the setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived series which ran between 1964 and 1966...
is a bar located in downtown Port Charles, just a block away from General Hospital. Since the early 90s, the bar has been a hotspot for the local nightlife. Coleman Ratcliffe has owned the bar since 2002.
Prominent families include
the ScorpiosThe Scorpio's and Jones's are fictional families on the American soap opera General Hospital. Overtime the two families have intertwined and become one large family that is oftentimes referred to as the Scorpio/Jones family. The super couples Frisco and Felicia Jones and Robert and Anna Scorpio are...
, the Quartermaines,
the CassadinesThe Cassadines are a fictional aristocratic family on the American soap opera General Hospital. Various family members have been sometime residents of Port Charles and of the private Cassadine-owned island in Greece....
,
the SpencersThe Spencers are a fictional family on the American soap opera General Hospital. Supercouple Luke and Laura Spencer are part of this family.-First generation:* Timothy "Tim" Spencer - The abusive and alcoholic father of Luke & Bobbie...
, and
the Corinthos'The Corinthos family is a fictional family on the soap opera, General Hospital.-First generation:* Mike Corbin* Adela Corinthos* Trevor Lansing* Janine Matthews-Second generation:* Michael "Sonny" Corinthos Jr...
.
Drama series and performer categories
- Drama Series: Gloria Monty
Gloria Monty was an American TV producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama.She died of cancer at the age of 84.-Education:...
1981, 1984; Wendy RicheWendy Riche is an American television producer. She has been executive producer of ABC Daytime's General Hospital and the co-creator and executive producer of its spinoff show Port Charles....
1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000; Jill Farren PhelpsJill Farren Phelps is an American television producer.-Career:Phelps has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara , Guiding Light , Another World , One Life to Live , and currently General Hospital .Phelps got her start...
2005, 2006, 2008
- Lead Actor: Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer
Lucas "Luke" Lorenzo Spencer, Sr. is a fictional character in the American television soap opera General Hospital, and has been played by Anthony Geary since 1978.-Early years :...
) 1982, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008; Maurice BenardMaurice Benard is an American actor. He is known primarily for his portrayal of romantic mobster Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, a role he has portrayed since 1993.-Career:...
(Sonny CorinthosMichael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993...
) 2003
- Lead Actress: Finola Hughes
Finola Hughes is an English actress, television host, author and former dancer, best known for role as Anna Devane on the General Hospital, All My Children and General Hospital: Night Shift , and her role as Anna Devane's identical twin sister, Doctor Alexandra Devane Marick, on All My Children...
(Anna DevaneAnna Devane is a fictional character on the ABC soap operas General Hospital and All My Children...
) 1991; Laura WrightLaura Wright is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Cassie Layne Winslow on Guiding Light , and since 2005, her portrayal of Carly Corinthos on General Hospital; the latter garnered her the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in 2011.-Filmography:* 1991 - 1995:...
(Carly Corinthos Jacks) 2011
- Supporting Actor: Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen is an American actor, best known for his role as a lawyer, Lee Baldwin, on the soap opera General Hospital. He played the role from 1965 to 1986 and again from 1992 to 2004...
(Lee BaldwinLee Baldwin is a fictional character on the popular ABC daytime dramas General Hospital, and the now canceled Port Charles. Peter Hansen originated the role in 1965. Lee Baldwin is the adoptive father of Scott Baldwin. A recovering alcoholic, Lee is a pillar in the community and has a thriving law...
) 1979; David Lewis (Edward QuartermaineEdward Louis Quartermaine is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character was created in 1978, originally played by David Lewis. When ill health forced Lewis to step down from the role in 1989, the character was killed off in a plane crash. Lewis' voice was still...
) 1982; Gerald AnthonyGerald Anthony was an American actor.Born Gerald Anthony Bucchiarelli, the son of Italian immigrants had roles and appearances on many shows such as Another World and L.A. Law...
(Marco Dane) 1993; Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) 1998; Stuart DamonStuart Damon is an American actor. He is known for thirty years of portraying the character Dr. Alan Quartermaine on the American soap opera General Hospital, for which he won an Emmy Award in 1999....
(Alan Quartermaine) 1999; Rick HearstRick Hearst is an American actor, best known for roles in US soap operas.-Personal life:Born in Queens, New York in 1965 and raised in Dallas, Texas....
(Ric LansingRichard "Ric" Lansing was a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. The character was played by soap opera veteran Rick Hearst from 2002 to 2009.- Casting and background :...
) 2004, 2007; Jonathan JacksonJonathan Jackson may refer to:*Jonathan Jackson , American merchant, Continental Congressman for Massachusetts and political leader*Jonathan P...
(Lucky SpencerLucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer, Jr. is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. He is the son of legendary super couple Luke Spencer and Laura Webber.-Casting:...
) 2011
- Supporting Actress: Jane Elliot
Jane Elliot is an American actress, known for her role as Tracy Quartermaine, a role she has played on General Hospital and The City ....
(Tracy QuartermaineTracy Angelica Quartermaine Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital...
) 1981; Rena SoferRena Sherel Sofer is an American actress, primarily known for her appearances in daytime television, episodic guest appearances, and made-for-television movies...
(Lois Cerullo) 1995; Sarah Brown (Carly Benson) 2000; Vanessa MarcilVanessa Marcil is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Brenda Barrett Corinthos on General Hospital, Gina Kincaid on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Sam Marquez on Las Vegas....
(Brenda BarrettBrenda Veronica Barrett is a fictional character from the ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital. The role was originated by Vanessa Marcil on September 18, 1992. After a six-year run with the show, the character of Brenda was believed to have died after her mentally ill mother drove their car...
), 2003; Natalia LivingstonNatalia Livingston is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Emily Quartermaine and Rebecca Shaw on General Hospital and the role of Taylor Walker on the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives before being replaced after a few months by ex General Hospital , ex Days of our Lives , and ex...
(Emily Quartermaine), 2005; Genie FrancisEugenie "Genie" Francis Frakes is an American actress known for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. She is currently playing Genevieve Atkinson on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless...
(Laura SpencerLaura Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Laura was portrayed by Stacy Baldwin from 1974 to 1976, and since then has been played by Genie Francis, first from 1976–1982, and then from 1992–2002...
), 2007;
- Younger Actor: Jonathan Jackson
Jonathan Stevens Jackson is an American actor, best known for playing Lucky Spencer, son of supercouple Luke and Laura on the American daytime drama General Hospital...
(Lucky SpencerLucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer, Jr. is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. He is the son of legendary super couple Luke Spencer and Laura Webber.-Casting:...
) 1995, 1998, 1999; Jacob YoungJacob Wayne Young is an American actor and singer. He is perhaps best known for his role as JR Chandler on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children...
(Lucky Spencer) 2002; Chad Brannon (Zander Smith) 2004
- Younger Actress: Kimberly McCullough
Kimberly Anne McCullough is an American actress, dancer, and director. She is best known for her longtime role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital, a role which she originated at the age of 7, playing the character from 1985-1996...
(Robin ScorpioDr. Robin Scorpio-Drake is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital and its prime time SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough since 1985. The character came to mainstream attention when she was diagnosed as HIV-positive...
) 1989, 1996; Sarah Brown (Carly Benson) 1997, 1998; Julie Marie Berman (Lulu SpencerLesley Lu "Lulu" Spencer is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital. She is the daughter of supercouple Luke and Laura Spencer. She has notably been portrayed by Julie Marie Berman, who debuted in the role in November 2005...
), 2009, 2010
- Lifetime Achievement: Rachel Ames
Rachel Ames is an Emmy Award Winning American actress. She is the longest-running performer on ABC's longest-running daytime serial, General Hospital, playing Audrey Hardy, R.N. from 1964 to 2007. She also played Audrey Hardy on the General Hospital spin-off series Port Charles...
(Audrey March HardyAudrey Hardy is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital...
) 2004; Anna LeeAnna Lee, MBE was an English actress.-Career:Lee studied at the Royal Albert Hall, then debuted with a bit part in the film His Lordship...
(Lila Quartermaine) 2004 (posthumous)
Other categories
- 2011 "Outstanding Stunt Coordination"
- 2011 "Outstanding Achievement in Technical Direction/Electronic Camera/Video Control for a Drama Series"
- 2011 "Outstanding Original Song for a Drama Series"
- 2011 "Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Direction for a Drama Series"
- 2011 "Outstanding Achievement for a Casting Director for a Drama Series"
- 2011 "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design for a Drama Series"
- 2010 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 2009 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 2008 "Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series"
- 2007 "Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series"
- 2006 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 2006 "Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series"
- 2006 "Outstanding Achievement in Hairstyling for a Drama Series"
- 2005 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 2004 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 2004 "Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Drama Series"
- 2003 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 2004 "Lifetime Achievement 2003 "Outstanding Achievement in Multiple Camera Editing for a Drama Series"
- 2002 "Outstanding Original Song"
- 2000 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 1999 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1999 "Outstanding Achievement in Makeup for a Drama Series"
- 1999 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series"
- 1999 "Outstanding Original Song" (TIED with As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
)
- 1998 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series"
- 1996 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series"
- 1995 "Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team"
- 1995 "Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design for a Drama Series"
- 1982 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
- 1981 "Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team"
Directors Guild of America
- 1996, 1998, 2002, and 2004 "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Daytime Serials"
Broadcast history
When
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
premiered General Hospital on April 1, 1963, the network placed it in the 1 p.m./12 Noon Central timeslot against local newscasts on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliates. But on December 30 of that year, General Hospital assumed a place on the daytime schedule that, except for almost seventeen months between July 1976 and November 1977 when it ran as one half of a 90-minute bloc with
One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
between 2:30/1:30 and 4/3, it has maintained to this day, 3/2 Central. On September 6, 2012, General Hospital will lose its historical timeslot, when ABC gives away the 3/2 Central block to its local stations. ABC is expected to release a statement during the first half of 2012 about the future of the soap opera.
During the 1960s, General Hospital earned decent ratings against the likes of
To Tell the TruthTo Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
and
The Secret StormThe Secret Storm is a soap opera which ran on CBS from February 1, 1954 to February 8, 1974. The series was created by Roy Winsor, who also created the long-running soap operas Search for Tomorrow and Love of Life...
on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, but there was a decline as the 1970s came, especially when
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's
Another WorldAnother World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
became highly popular; for two years, it also faced CBS'
The Price Is RightThe Price Is Right is a television game show franchise originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, and created by Bob Stewart, and is currently produced and owned by FremantleMedia. The franchise centers on television game shows, but also includes merchandise such as video games, printed...
, already a major hit. After continued mediocrity in the
Nielsen ratingsNielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
,
ABCThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
was prepared to cancel General Hospital, but decided to give it a second chance in 1977 when it expanded the show to a full hour, from an experimental 45 minutes. However, the expansion came with an ultimatum to the producers that they had six months to improve the show's ratings. Head writers
Douglas MarlandDouglas Marland was an American actor and writer of soap operas.-Career:He began his soap opera career as an actor, appearing on the Irna Phillips series The Brighter Day and As the World Turns. He also did odd jobs on the side as a director for small theatre groups...
&
Gloria MontyGloria Monty was an American TV producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama.She died of cancer at the age of 84.-Education:...
were hired as executive producers, and on their first day, they spent an extra $100,000 re-taping four episodes. A miracle occurred thanks to Monty and the show became the most watched daytime drama by 1979, marking a rare instance of a daytime serial's comeback from near-extinction. During the wedding of
Luke and Laura SpencerLuke Spencer and Laura Webber are fictional characters and the signature supercouple from the American daytime drama General Hospital. Luke is portrayed by Anthony Geary, and Laura was portrayed by Genie Francis...
on November 17, 1981, about 30 million people tuned in to watch them exchange vows and be cursed by
Elizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
's
Helena CassadineHelena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital, famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981...
(
later played by Constance Towers-Early life:Towers was born in Whitefish, Montana, the daughter of Ardath L. and Harry J. Towers. According to her official Web site, a contract from Paramount Pictures was offered to her at age 11 but was declined...
).
From 1979 to 1988, General Hospital remained number one in the ratings, competing against two low-rated soaps on
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
--
TexasTexas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...
and
Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara is an American television soap opera, first broadcast in the United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show revolved around the eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
-- and
Guiding LightGuiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
(GL) over on
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(although Guiding Light experienced a renaissance for a brief period in the middle of 1984, and became the #1 soap, dethroning General Hospital from the top ratings spot). For the most part, however, General Hospital continued to triumph, even after the departure of popular actors
Anthony GearyAnthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
and
Genie FrancisEugenie "Genie" Francis Frakes is an American actress known for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. She is currently playing Genevieve Atkinson on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless...
in the
mid-1980sFile:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
. Although
The Young and the RestlessThe Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
took General Hospital's place as the highest-rated serial in 1989, General Hospital continued to maintain excellent ratings.
Ever since the 1991-1992 season of General Hospital, the show has had a steady decline in ratings. On and off they would be in between third and fifth place in the Nielsen Ratings, placing CBS's The Young And The Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful in first and second place, respectively. General Hospital still remains in between third and fifth place in the ratings to this day. During the 1990s General Hospital was put up against fellow soap opera, All My Children, CBS's As the World Turns and NBC's Days of our Lives.
Ratings history
Years as #1 series
| Year(s) |
Household Rating |
| 1979–1980 |
9.9 |
| 1980–1981 |
11.4 |
| 1981–1982 |
11.2 |
| 1982–1983 |
9.8 |
| 1983–1984 |
10.0 |
| 1984–1985 |
9.1 |
| 1985–1986 |
9.2 |
| 1986–1987 |
|
>-
1987–1988 |
8.1 (Tied with The Young and the Restless The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
) |
Highest-rated week in daytime history (November 16–20, 1981)
| Serial |
Household rating |
(Time slot) Network |
Millions of households |
| 1. General Hospital |
16.0 |
(3-4pm) ABC |
17.5 |
| 2. All My Children |
10.2 |
(1-2pm) ABC |
11.7 |
| 3. One Life To Live |
10.2 |
(2-3pm) ABC |
11.6 |
| 4. Guiding Light |
7.9 |
(3-4pm) CBS |
8.2 |
1962-1963 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
13.7
- 9. General Hospital 3.9 (Debut)
1963-1964 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
15.4
- 7. General Hospital 5.4
1964-1965 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
14.5
- 7. General Hospital 8.0
1965-1966 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
13.9
- 7. General Hospital 7.3
1966-1967 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
12.7
- 9. General Hospital 7.0
1967-1968 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
13.6
- 9. General Hospital 8.8
1968-1969 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
13.8
- 10. General Hospital 8.8
1969-1970 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
13.6
- 10. General Hospital 8.5
1970-1971 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
12.4
- 4. General Hospital 9.5 (Tied with Another World
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
and Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
)
1971-1972 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
11.1
- 2. General Hospital 10.4
1972-1973 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
10.6
- 2. General Hospital 9.7 (Tied with Another World
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
)
1973-1974 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
10.6 (Tied with Days of our LivesDays of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
and Another WorldAnother World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
)
- 5. General Hospital 9.2
1974-1975 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
10.8
- 7. General Hospital 8.5 (Tied with Guiding Light
Guiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
)
1975-1976 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
9.4
- 10. General Hospital 7.1
1976-1977 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
9.9
- 10. General Hospital 7.0
1977-1978 season
- 1. As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
8.6 (Tied with Another WorldAnother World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
)
- 10. General Hospital 7.1
1978-1979 season
- 1. All My Children
All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
9.0
- 2. General Hospital 8.7
1988-1989 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless
The Young and the Restless is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in a fictional Wisconsin town called Genoa City, which is unlike and unrelated to the real life village of the same name, Genoa City, Wisconsin...
8.1
- 2. General Hospital 7.5
1989-1990 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.0
- 2. General Hospital 7.4
1989-1990 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.0
- 2. General Hospital 7.4
1990-1991 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.1
- 2. General Hospital 6.7
1991-1992 ratings
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.2
- 3. General Hospital 5.8 (Tied with As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
)
1992-1993 ratings
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.4
- 3. General Hospital 5.8
1993-1994 ratings
- 1. The Young and the Restless 8.6
- 3. General Hospital 4.7
1994-1995 ratings
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.5
- 3. General Hospital 5.6
1995-1996 ratings
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.7
- 5. General Hospital 4.7
1996-1997 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.1
- 4. General Hospital 4.8
1997-1998 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 7.0
- 4. General Hospital 4.7
1998-1999 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 6.9
- 4. General Hospital 4.6
1999-2000 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 6.8
- 4. General Hospital 4.0
2000-2001 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 5.8
- 4. General Hospital 3.7
2001-2002 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 5.0
- 4. General Hospital 3.4
2002-2003 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.7
- 3. General Hospital 3.5
2003-2004 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.4
- 3. General Hospital 3.2
2004-2005 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 3. General Hospital 3.0
2005-2006 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 3. General Hospital 2.7
2006-2007 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.2
- 3. General Hospital 2.6
2007-2008 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 4.0
- 4. General Hospital 2.3
2008-2009 season
- 1. The Young and the Restless 3.7
- 3. General Hospital 2.1
2009-2010 season As of ratings for November 15–19, 2010
- 1. The Young and the Restless 5.0 (As of November 19, 2010)
- 6. General Hospital 2.3 (As of November 19, 2010)
Cultural influence
The popularity of General Hospital has gained it many parodies and references in other mainstream programs. For example, in the early 1990s, some episodes of General Hospital were featured as "shorts" during the fourth season of the parody show
Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. The series was also parodied/homaged in the song General Hospi-Tale by
The Afternoon DelightsThe Afternoon Delights was a Boston-based vocal studio quartet, including Rebecca Hall, Janet Powell, Robalee Barnes, and Suzanne Boucher. In 1981, they released a parody of the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital called "General Hospi-Tale." This peaked at number 23 on the R&B charts and...
, and in the film
TootsieTootsie is a 1982 American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to go to extreme lengths to land a job. The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange, with a supporting cast that includes Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman,...
, which took place among the cast and crew of a fictional soap opera program. In the
FoxFox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
medical drama
HouseHouse is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
,
Dr. HouseGregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
enjoys Prescription: Passion, which is a poorly acted, over-the-top parody of General Hospital that he watches constantly, even when he should be working. In the season three episode, "Half-Wit", House hides his blood test results under the name, "Luke N. Laura", referring to General Hospitals legendary couple.
MAD TVMad TV may refer to:*MADtv, an American sketch comedy television series based on Mad magazine*Mad TV , a 1991 German television station management simulation game*MAD TV , a Greek music channel-See also:...
did a sketch on the series with actors
Jacklyn ZemanJacklyn Zeman is an American actress. She is known for her role as Barbara "Bobbie" Spencer on General Hospital. She is sometimes credited as Jackie Zeman.-Personal life:...
,
Rebecca HerbstRebecca Herbst is an American actress, best known for playing nurse Elizabeth Webber on the daytime drama General Hospital, a role she originated on August 1, 1997, and Suzee, an alien on the Nickelodeon show, Space Cases.- Personal background :Herbst was born in Encino, California. Her parents...
, and
Jacob YoungJacob Wayne Young is an American actor and singer. He is perhaps best known for his role as JR Chandler on the ABC daytime soap opera All My Children...
(the second Lucky). The movie
Young Doctors in LoveYoung Doctors in Love is a 1982 comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. Similar in tone to the Airplane! movies, it spoofs a variety of medical shows ....
featured a large part of General Hospital's cast from 1982. In a 2010 episode of
The Colbert Report, comedian
Stephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
poked fun at the show, responding to a clip of
Maurice BenardMaurice Benard is an American actor. He is known primarily for his portrayal of romantic mobster Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, a role he has portrayed since 1993.-Career:...
's
SonnyMichael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. Maurice Benard has played the role, that of a manic depressive Mob boss living in Port Charles, since the character's storyline originated on August 13, 1993...
shooting
Dominic ZamprognaDominic Zamprogna is a Canadian actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles on television series Edgemont and General Hospital.-Early life:...
's
DanteDante Angelo Falconeri is a fictional character on the popular daytime soap opera General Hospital. Dante is the son of the popular character Sonny Corinthos and his old flame Olivia Falconeri. He has been portrayed by contract player Dominic Zamprogna since June 22, 2009.-Character description...
, saying "Sonny shot Dante! No!"
Famous fans
General Hospital has many famous fans, including
Wayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
and his wife,
Janet JonesJanet-Marie Gretzky is an American actress. She is married to ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.-Entertainment career:Jones performed in Annie , Staying Alive and Snow White Live , and had a bit part in The Beastmaster...
, along with
The SopranosThe Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
actor
Vincent PastoreVincent Pastore is an Italian-American actor, often cast as a mobster and best known for the role of Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.-Early life:...
, who would join the show in late 2008 for a short guest stint. World renowned skier
Kristi LeskinenKristi Leskinen is an American freestyle skier. She appeared on the cover of Powder magazine's Photo Annual in 2004. She grew up in Uniontown, PA, near Seven Springs Mountain Resort and Hidden Valley ski resorts. She was ranked #90 on the FHM 100 Sexiest Women of 2005...
is a devout fan of the show, along with actor
Jason Gray-Stanford and singer
Billy CurringtonWilliam Matthew "Billy" Currington is an American country music artist. Signed to Mercury Nashville Records in 2003, he has released four studio albums for the label: 2003's Billy Currington, 2005's Doin' Somethin' Right, 2008's Little Bit of Everything, and 2010's Enjoy Yourself...
. driver
Mike MetzgerMike Metzger is an American Freestyle Motocross rider. In the 2002 X-Games he won the Freestyle and Big Air events and got second place in Step Up, earning him an estimated $100,000 in three days. In 2003 he also got first place in Big Air...
is also a fan of the program, and rarely missing an episode.
Elizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, a huge fan of the show, asked for a role on the soap opera and joined the cast temporarily as
Helena CassadineHelena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital, famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981...
to be a part of Luke and Laura's 1981 wedding. Surprisingly, Princess Diana was a devout fan of the show, and went as far as to send two bottles of
BollingerBollinger is a Champagne house, a producer of sparkling wines from the Champagne region of France. They produce several labels of Champagne under the Bollinger name, including the vintage Vieille Vignes Françaises, Grand Année and R.D. as well as the non-vintage Special Cuvée...
champagne to
Anthony GearyAnthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
and
Genie FrancisEugenie "Genie" Francis Frakes is an American actress known for her portrayal of Laura Spencer on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital. She is currently playing Genevieve Atkinson on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless...
in time for Luke and Laura's 1981 wedding. Geary turned his into a lamp. Diana's wedding to Prince Charles earlier that year outrated Luke and Laura's in number of viewers. General Hospital helped launch the singing career of
Rick SpringfieldRick Springfield is an Australian-born singer-songwriter, musician, and actor. He was a member of pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and then started his solo career with his début single "Speak to the Sky" reaching the top 10 in Australia. In mid-1972, he relocated to the United States...
, who had watched the show for many years before joining the series in 1981. While never having sang on the show, his name recognition brought him substantial notoriety in the music community. On the July 5, 2010, episode of
The Colbert Report, comedian
Stephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
told his audience that being on sick leave allowed him to catch up on General Hospital. The fictional diagnostician
Gregory HouseGregory House, M.D., or simply referred to as House, is a fictional antihero and title character of the American television series House, played by Hugh Laurie. He is the Chief of Diagnostic Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, where he leads a team of diagnosticians...
on the popular TV series
House, M.D.House is an American television medical drama that debuted on the Fox network on November 16, 2004. The show's central character is Dr. Gregory House , an unconventional and misanthropic medical genius who heads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in...
is portrayed as an avid fan of General Hospital.
Spinoffs and specials
The success of the long-running soap opera has had one sister soap, one
spinoffIn media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
in the United States, and two primetime spinoffs in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The Young MarriedsThe Young Marrieds was an American daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from October 5, 1964, to March 25, 1966.The program was created by James Elward and written by Elward with Frances Rickett. Authors John Pascal and Francine Pascal also wrote for the series. It was produced in Hollywood by...
(1964–1966) was ABC's first attempt at a sister soap for General Hospital. It ran for only two years, racking up a total of only 380 episodes. Despite its moderate popularity, it was put up against
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's top-rated
The Edge of NightThe Edge of Night is an American television mystery series/soap opera produced by Procter & Gamble. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that network until November 28, 1975; the series then moved to ABC, where it aired from December 1, 1975, until December 28, 1984...
, which it could not compete against. The series finale aired on March 25, 1966, with the show's main protagonist contemplating suicide. It ended in a cliffhanger, leaving the audience wondering if the man had killed himself or not. The Young Marrieds was set in the fictional suburb of Queen's Point, which was considered by the writers to be a suburb of
Port CharlesPort Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
. Many fans consider
Robin ScorpioDr. Robin Scorpio-Drake is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera General Hospital and its prime time SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift, originated and portrayed by Kimberly McCullough since 1985. The character came to mainstream attention when she was diagnosed as HIV-positive...
and
Elizabeth WebberElizabeth Spencer may refer to:*Lady Elizabeth Spencer , wife of Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke*Elizabeth Spencer, Baroness Hunsdon*Elizabeth Spencer , American novelist...
's homes to be in this area of the town.
The .UK series
General HospitalGeneral Hospital is a British daytime soap opera produced by ATV which ran on ITV from 1972 to 1979. It was modelled after the American drama of the same name....
(1972–1979) did not feature any characters from the American show, but was modeled after its format. It started as a half-hour program broadcast in the afternoons, which was unusual for UK serials that normally aired in prime time. In 1975 it was expanded to an hour-long format and moved to Friday evenings.
Port CharlesPort Charles was a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It is a spin-off of the serial General Hospital, which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional city of Port Charles, New York...
(1997–2003) was a daytime drama that initially featured interns in a competitive medical school program, and was known for having more action actually in the hospital than General Hospital itself. It also included the characters of
Scott BaldwinScott Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC soap operas, General Hospital and its now-defunct spinoff Port Charles. He is often remembered as the "odd man out" in GH's well-known love story of Luke and Laura Spencer. The character debuted on GH as a child in the 1960s...
. Serena Baldwin,
Lucy CoeLucy Coe is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama General Hospital and its now-defunct spinoff Port Charles. Originating on General Hospital, Lucy came to Port Charles in 1986...
, Kevin Collins, and
Karen WexlerKaren Wexler Cates was a fictional character on the ABC soap operas General Hospital and its spin-off, Port Charles. She was portrayed by Cari Shayne on General Hospital from April 1992 until November 1994 on General Hospital...
, all of whom originally appeared as characters on General Hospital. As the show evolved, it tended more towards gothic intrigue, including supernatural elements such as
vampireVampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
s and
life after deathLife After Death is the second and final studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released March 25, 1997 on Bad Boy Records. A double album, it was released posthumously following his death on March 9, 1997 and serves as his final studio album...
. It also switched formats from an open-ended daytime serial to 13-week story arcs known as "books", similar to
Spanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
telenovelaA telenovela is a limited-run serial dramatic programming popular in Latin American, Portuguese, and Spanish television programming. The word combines tele, short for televisión or televisão , and novela, a Spanish or Portuguese word for "novel"...
s.
General Hospital: Night ShiftGeneral Hospital: Night Shift is an American prime time serial that first aired on SOAPnet for a 13-episode run from July 12, 2007 to October 4, 2007. A spin-off of the ABC Daytime soap opera General Hospital, the show is SOAPnet's first original scripted drama series and follows the nighttime...
(2007–2008) is the second American
prime timePrime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
spinoff of a daytime drama (the first being
Our Private WorldOur Private World is an American serial. It was the first prime-time spin-off from a daytime soap . Created by Irna Phillips and William J. Bell, it premiered on May 5, 1965 and aired Wednesdays and Fridays over the summer; the multiple-episode-per-week format was inspired by ABC's hit show Peyton...
, a spinoff of As the World Turns). Its first season aired from July 12, 2007 to October 4, 2007 on
SOAPnetSOAPnet is an American cable television channel that broadcasts current and past soap operas and primetime dramas, along with some original programming. The channel launched on January 20, 2000, and is owned by Disney-ABC Television Group, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, a cable channel owned by ABC. The series follows the nighttime adventures of familiar and new characters around the hospital. As of March 2008, the first season of the series was "SOAPnet's most-watched series ever", with ABC Daytime and SOAPnet President
Brian FronsBrian Frons is an American television executive, and president of ABC Daytime.- Educational background :Frons holds a Master of Science degree in Communications from Syracuse University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the State University of New York at Fredonia.-Television...
noting that Night Shift drew more than 1 million new viewers to the channel during its first season.
General Hospital: Twist of FateGeneral Hospital: Twist of Fate is the first and only primetime episode of the long-running ABC soap opera General Hospital. The primetime special aired on Saturday at 8 o'clock on December 14, 1996....
(1996) was a primetime special that aired on Saturday, December 14, 1996. The episode picked up where that Friday's show had left off. The special centered around Laura's supposed death at the hands of Stefan Cassadine.
On April 2, 1998, General Hospital aired a primetime special in celebration of the program's 35th anniversary. Hosted by
Anthony GearyAnthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
, the show focused and recapped on many popular storylines including
MonicaDr. Monica Quartermaine is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. She is a member of the wealthy Quartermaine family. Her various affairs and quarrels with her husband Dr...
's breast cancer, BJ's death, and
StoneMichael "Stone" Cates is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Michael Sutton portrayed him from 1993 to 1995 and returned for a guest appearance from September 28 through September 29, 2010. The character died of AIDS-related illness in 1995...
's battle with
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. To date, this is the only anniversary special that was broadcast in primetime and that didn't include any of the current storyline.
External links