HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television
soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...
. It is listed in ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' Guiding Light''. Concurrently, it is the world's third longest-running scripted drama series in production after British serials ''
The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural set ...
'' and '' Coronation Street'', as well as the world's second-longest-running televised soap opera still in production. ''General Hospital'' premiered on the ABC television network on April 1, 1963. ''General Hospital'' 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 Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
s for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, with 14 wins. The show was created by husband-and-wife soap writers
Frank and Doris Hursley Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902 – February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898 – May 5, 1984) were an American husband-and-wife team of screenwriters, best known for their serials, especially the medical drama ''General Hospi ...
, who originally set it in a hospital, in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city was named Port Charles, New York. From its beginning, ''General Hospital'' starred John Beradino and
Emily McLaughlin Emily McLaughlin (December 1, 1928 – April 26, 1991) was an American actress, known for her long-standing role as original character Nurse Jessie Brewer on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1963 until 1991. Early life McLaug ...
, and both actors stayed with the show until their deaths in 1996 and 1991, respectively. They were joined a year later by Rachel Ames who remains to date the longest serving actress on an ABC soap opera, having been continuously 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 Marrieds ''The Young Marrieds'' is 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 al ...
''; it ran for two years, and was canceled because of low ratings. ''General Hospital'' also spawned the daytime series '' Port Charles'' (1997–2003) and the primetime spin-off '' General Hospital: Night Shift'' (2007–2008). Taped at
The Prospect Studios The Prospect Studios (also known as ABC Television Center est'') 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 Street (named i ...
, ''General Hospital'' 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 January 16, 1978. Ever since the late 1970s, most of the storylines have revolved around the Quartermaine family and the Spencer family. From 1979 to 1988, ''General Hospital'' had more viewers than any other daytime soap opera. It rose to the top of the ratings in the early 1980s in part thanks to the monumentally popular " supercouple" Luke and Laura, whose 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history. The soap opera is also known for its high-profile celebrity guest stars who have included, among others, Roseanne Barr, James Franco and Elizabeth Taylor. In 2007, the program was listed as one of ''
Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-Time". On April 23, 2009, ''General Hospital'' began broadcasting in
high-definition television High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
, making it the first ABC soap opera to make such a transition. ''General Hospital'' became the oldest American soap opera on September 17, 2010, following the final broadcast of CBS's '' As the World Turns''. On April 14, 2011, ABC announced the cancellation of both '' All My Children'' and '' One Life to Live'', leaving ''General Hospital'' as the last remaining soap opera airing on the network after January 13, 2012. The show celebrated its 50th anniversary on April 1, 2013, and its 15,000th episode on June 22, 2022.


Show history


Origins

''General Hospital'' was created by
Frank and Doris Hursley Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902 – February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898 – May 5, 1984) were an American husband-and-wife team of screenwriters, best known for their serials, especially the medical drama ''General Hospi ...
and premiered on April 1, 1963. The first stories were mainly set on the seventh floor of General Hospital, in an unnamed midsize Eastern city (the name of the city, Port Charles, would not be mentioned until the late 1970s). "They had this concept of the show that it was like a big wagon wheel – the spokes would be the characters and the hub would be the hospital", John Beradino (
Steve Hardy Steve Hardy is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Former Major League Baseball infielder John Beradino originated the role of Steve Hardy on the show's April 1, 1963, premiere, portraying the character for 33 yea ...
) later reflected to ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...
'' in 1994.


History

Launched in 1963, the first stories were mainly set at General Hospital in an unnamed midsized Eastern city. The name of the city, Port Charles, would not be mentioned until 1976 by headwriters Eileen and Robert Mason Pollock. Storylines revolved around
Steve Hardy Steve Hardy is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. Former Major League Baseball infielder John Beradino originated the role of Steve Hardy on the show's April 1, 1963, premiere, portraying the character for 33 yea ...
( John Beradino) and his friend, Nurse
Jessie Brewer Jessie Brewer R.N. (maiden name Murray) is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap opera ''General Hospital''. She was played by actress Emily McLaughlin, from the show's premiere on April 1, 1963, until McLaughlin's death in 1991. On Apri ...
(
Emily McLaughlin Emily McLaughlin (December 1, 1928 – April 26, 1991) was an American actress, known for her long-standing role as original character Nurse Jessie Brewer on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1963 until 1991. Early life McLaug ...
). Jessie's turbulent marriage to the much-younger
Phil Brewer Phil may refer to: * Phil (given name), a shortened version of masculine and feminine names * Phill, a given name also spelled "Phil" * Phil, Kentucky, United States * ''Phil'' (film), a 2019 film * -phil-, a lexical fragment, used as a root te ...
(originally portrayed by Roy Thinnes; lastly by Martin West) was the center of many early storylines. In 1964
Audrey Hardy Audrey Hardy is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, ''General Hospital''. She has been portrayed by Rachel Ames on a contract basis from 1964 to 2002, and on a recurring basis from 2002 to 2007, making guest appearances in 2009, 2013, and ...
( Rachel Ames), a flight attendant and sister of Nurse Lucille (
Lucille Wall Lucille Loretta Wall (January 18, 1898 – July 11, 1986)Cox, Jim (2008). ''This Day in Network Radio: A Daily Calendar of Births, Debuts, Cancellations and Other Events in Broadcasting History''. McFarland & Company, Inc.; was an American ...
), came to town, and was the woman who won Steve's heart. By the end of the 1970s, ''General Hospital'' was facing dire ratings when
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
Gloria Monty Gloria Monty (August 12, 1921 – March 30, 2006) was an American television producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama. Education Born Gloria Montemuro in Allenhurst, New Jersey and raised in the West Allenhurst neighborhood of O ...
was brought in to turn the show around. Monty is credited with creation of the first supercouple, Luke and Laura, played by
Anthony Geary Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978 and received a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for ...
and Genie Francis. The end of their hour wedding on November 17, 1981, 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 storylines. Location shooting at sites including Mount Rushmore in
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...
;
Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...
; Grand Ole Opry in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
;
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
; Big Bear and Avalon ( Catalina Island), California; and
San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
are some that propelled the story. After Gloria Monty first left the series in 1987, ''General Hospital'' entered into a transitional phase that lasted until Wendy Riche took the position of executive producer in 1992. Under Riche, the show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of social issues. In 1994, Riche started an annual Nurses' Ball, a fundraiser and
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
awareness event both on the show and in real life. Later that year, a heart transplantation storyline involves the death of eight-year-old (daughter of Dr. Tony Jones and
Bobbie Spencer Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap ''One Life to Live''. Zeman went on ...
) in a bus crash and the subsequent donation of her heart to her dying cousin
Maxie Jones Maxie Jones is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''. She is the eldest daughter of supercouple Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings, raised most of her life by Mac Scorpio. The role was first portrayed by Robyn Richards ...
. Shortly afterwards, Monica Quartermaine ( Leslie Charleson) begins a long battle with breast cancer, which leads to her adopting Emily Quartermaine, the orphaned young daughter of Monica's friend from treatment. ''General Hospital'' was also praised for the love story of teenagers
Stone Cates 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 and on August 1, 2017. The character ...
( Michael Sutton) and Robin Scorpio (
Kimberly McCullough Kimberly Anne McCullough (born March 5, 1978) is an American actress and television director. She is best known for her role as Robin Scorpio on the soap opera ''General Hospital'', a role which she originated at age seven, playing the character ...
). After a struggle that lasted throughout most of 1995, Stone dies from AIDS at the age of 19 and his death is followed by 17-year-old Robin having to deal with being HIV-positive as a result of their relationship. Sutton received a nomination for the
Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series The Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series is an award presented annually by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). It is given to honor an ...
and McCullough won an Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series award. ABC featured an Afterschool Special "Positive: A Journey Into AIDS" revolving around the AIDS story as well as ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' best selling novel ''Robin's Diary''. On Saturday, December 14, 1996, ''General Hospital'' aired its one of three primetime episodes, '' General Hospital: Twist of Fate'', which picked up where that Friday's episode had left off. The special centered on Laura's supposed death at the hands of
Stefan Cassadine ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the c ...
. In 1997, the show's long-rumored spin-off materialized into the half-hour serial, '' Port Charles''. 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-definition television High-definition television (HD or HDTV) describes a television system which provides a substantially higher image resolution than the previous generation of technologies. The term has been used since 1936; in more recent times, it refers to the g ...
, though the 2008 season of its primetime spinoff '' General Hospital: Night Shift'' was in high definition. This is the second daytime drama to move to high definition after CBS's '' The Young and the Restless''. On February 23, 2010, the series aired its 12,000th episode. On December 1, 2011, ABC confirmed that former '' One Life to Live'' executive producer Frank Valentini and head writer Ron Carlivati would replace longtime executive producer Jill Farren Phelps and
Garin Wolf Garin Wolf is an American television writer and playwright. Career Television ''As the World Turns'' *Associate head writer: 1985 - 1988 (hired by Douglas Marland), 1993–1995, 1995–1996 * Co-head writer: 1995 (with Juliet Law Packer and R ...
respectively, though Wolf would remain on as a regular writer. The change took effect on January 9, 2012. The first episode under the direction of Valentini aired on February 1, 2012, with Carlivati's material beginning on February 21. Several storylines reminiscent of iconic story arcs of the past were created and popular characters returned to the show in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the series in 2013. The serial celebrated 13,000 episodes on February 24, 2014, and marked its 51st anniversary several weeks later on April 1. Also in January 2014, ABC renewed Carlivati's contract with the soap. The series marked its 52nd anniversary on April 1, 2015, with a special episode revolving around the Spencer family. In July 2015, it was revealed Carlivati was fired as head writer; Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante were hired as his successors. On September 16, 2016, ''Daytime Confidential'' reported that Valentini, Passanante and Altman re-signed with the show. On June 6, 2017, Passanante announced her decision to retire from the serial. On July 29, 2017, it was revealed through Passanante that breakdown writer
Chris Van Etten Chris Van Etten is an American television soap opera writer from Rochester, New York. On July 29, 2017, Van Etten was promoted to co-head writer on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', replacing Jean Passanante. He has also created with writi ...
would be promoted to co-head writer as her successor. On February 23, 2018, the serial aired its 14,000th episode.Various citations concerning the 14,000th episode of ''General Hospital'': * * * On July 30, 2019, it was announced Altman would retire; breakdown writer Dan O'Connor was announced as her successor, joining Van Etten as co-head writer. On June 22, 2022, the soap aired its 15,000 episode; in celebration, the episode focused on Francis' Laura Spencer.


Production

''General Hospital'' has aired on the ABC television network and has been filmed in Hollywood since its inception. The show was filmed in the Sunset Gower Studios from 1963 to the mid-1980s. It relocated in the 1980s to
The Prospect Studios The Prospect Studios (also known as ABC Television Center est'') 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 Street (named i ...
. ''General Hospital'' has had a number of different distributors throughout the show's history. From its beginning until 1968, it was a co-production of Plitt Theatres and Selmur Productions. ABC bought the series outright in 1968 and its ownership passed from Selmur to American Broadcasting Companies, Inc., ABC's old separate conglomerate. Ownership of the soap was then passed when the original ABC, Inc. merged with Capital Cities/ABC Inc. in 1985 and it became Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. The show would change hands again when
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on Octobe ...
bought Capital Cities/ABC in 1996 and Disney began to program the network and the soap in September 1997 where it remains today. Production of ''General Hospital'' was suspended in March 2020, as a direct result of the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United States, it has resulted in confir ...
. Production resumed on July 22 of the same year; new episodes began airing on August 3, 2020. ''General Hospital'' was Disney's first series to go back into production during the pandemic.


Cast


Characters

Though the series originally focused on solely the medical staff at Port Charles' General Hospital, and starred John Beradino as Dr. Steve Hardy and
Emily McLaughlin Emily McLaughlin (December 1, 1928 – April 26, 1991) was an American actress, known for her long-standing role as original character Nurse Jessie Brewer on the daytime soap opera ''General Hospital'' from 1963 until 1991. Early life McLaug ...
as Nurse Jessie Brewer, the series branched out and began to focus more on the people and families of the town of Port Charles rather than those solely in the hospital. Port Charles is full of "dysfunctional family dynamics ... and family drama remains the focal point of this town." The current families on the show include the quarreling and wealthy Quartermaine family, the mobster crime Corinthos family, the middle class Scorpio/Jones family, the aristocratic Cassadine family, and the adventurous Spencer family.


Main crew members

*
Executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
: Frank Valentini * Producers: Michelle Henry (senior producer), Mary-Kelly Weir (senior producer), Jennifer Whittaker-Brogdon (producer), Nneka Garland (coordinating producer), Jeffrey Sierks (associate producer) * Directors: Larry Carpenter, Tina Keller, William Ludel, Gary Tomlin, Frank Valentini, Denise Van Cleave,
Phideaux Xavier Phideaux Xavier (born Scott Riggs; January 14, 1963) is an American television director, and composer of modern technological music that he describes as 'psychedelic progressive gothic rock', who grew up near New York City but now lives in Los ...
* Head writers: Dan O'Connor and
Chris Van Etten Chris Van Etten is an American television soap opera writer from Rochester, New York. On July 29, 2017, Van Etten was promoted to co-head writer on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', replacing Jean Passanante. He has also created with writi ...
* Associate head writer: Anna Theresa Cascio * Breakdown writers: Ashley D. Cook, Suzanne Flynn, Lloyd Gold, Shannon Peace, Elizabeth Korte * Script writers: Charlotte Gibson, Kate Hall, Lisa Seidman, Dave Rupel, Scott Sickles *
Casting director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra for a particular role or part in a script, scr ...
:
Mark Teschner Mark Teschner is an American casting director. Career A native New Yorker, Mark Teschner has been the Casting Director of ABC Daytime's ''General Hospital'' since 1989. He has been described by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as "an actor's casting dir ...
, Lisa Booth (casting associate) * Lighting directors: Bob Bessoir, Melanie Mohr, Vincent Steib Notable former crew members include
Gloria Monty Gloria Monty (August 12, 1921 – March 30, 2006) was an American television producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama. Education Born Gloria Montemuro in Allenhurst, New Jersey and raised in the West Allenhurst neighborhood of O ...
, Jill Farren Phelps, Robert Guza Jr.,
Charles Pratt Jr. Charles Pratt Jr. (born January 6, 1955) is an American television writer, producer and director. In September 2014, it was revealed that Pratt had been hired as head writer and co-executive producer of ''The Young and the Restless''. In Septembe ...
,
John William Corrington John William Corrington (October 28, 1932 – November 24, 1988) was an American film and television writer, novelist, poet, and lawyer. Corrington attended St. John's High School (now known as Loyola College Prep), but was expelled after smok ...
, Lewis Arlt, Lynda Myles, Alan Pultz, Judith Pinsker, Joseph Behar,
Stephanie Braxton Stephanie Braxton (born December 11, 1944 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American television writer, playwright and actress. She married Dan Hamilton in 1976 after meeting him when they were both appearing on ''The Secret Storm''. They later ...
, Norma Monty, Frank South, Ralph Ellis, Shelley Curtis, Jean Passanante,
Hope Harmel Smith Hope Harmel Smith (also created as ''Hope H. 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 * Supervising Producer: ...
,
Michael Conforti Michael Conforti is an American television writer on the soap opera ''The Young and the Restless''. He played Jeremy Rhodes on '' Edge of Night'', and Wally Bacon on ''Guiding Light''. Conforti later became a writer for the soap opera ''Guiding L ...
, Michele Val Jean and Ron Carlivati.


Executive producers


Setting

Since the series began in 1963, Port Charles, New York, has been the setting for the show. The town exists in the same fictional universe as other soap opera settings such as Llanview ('' One Life to Live''), Pine Valley ('' All My Children''),
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
('' Ryan's Hope''), and
Corinth Corinth ( ; el, Κόρινθος, Kórinthos, ) is the successor to an ancient city, and is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been part ...
(''
Loving Loving may refer to: * Love, a range of human emotions * Loving (surname) * ''Loving v. Virginia'', a 1967 landmark United States Supreme Court civil rights case Film and television * Loving (1970 film), ''Loving'' (1970 film), an American fi ...
''). The same setting was also used for ''General Hospital'' spinoff, '' Port Charles''. * General Hospital is founded by Dr. Steve Hardy. It is a major employer in the city, and one of the largest medical facilities on the East Coast. In the 1990s, Sonny Corinthos donates an extra wing dedicated to AIDS research, and in the 2000s, Carly Corinthos donates a pediatric center for head neurology. In 2009, a fire destroys the hospital, which is rebuilt with money from the Quartermaine family. * The Metro Court is a prominent hotel in Port Charles, built by Jasper Jacks on the site of the Port Charles Hotel after it is destroyed in a fire in 2004, and named in honor of
Courtney Matthews Courtney Matthews is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. She is the daughter of Mike Corbin and Janine Matthews, and the half sister of mobster Sonny Corinthos. Courtney was portrayed by Ali ...
, who Jax was pursuing romantically. Carly Corinthos soon becomes his business partner, and later co-owns with Kate Howard when Jax sells his portion to her. The hotel boasts a skyline restaurant, spa, penthouse suites, and business offices. The current owners are Carly and
Olivia Falconeri Olivia Falconeri is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. Created by head writer Robert Guza, Jr. and introduced by executive producer Jill Farren Phelps, the role been portrayed by Lisa Lo ...
. * Kelly's Diner is founded by Joe "Paddy" Kelly, and becomes a vintage restaurant in the heart of Port Charles. It features boarding rooms upstairs which become homes to many Port Charles residents and guests over the years. The restaurant is operated by Paddy's wife Rose Kelly after his death, who later sells it to
Ruby Anderson ''General Hospital'' is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city w ...
when Rose leaves town. When Ruby dies, she leaves the diner to her niece
Bobbie Spencer Barbara Jean "Bobbie" Spencer, RN is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'', portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman. She debuted in December 1977, after playing Lana McClain on the sister-soap ''One Life to Live''. Zeman went on ...
and nephew
Luke Spencer Luke Spencer is a fictional character in the American television soap opera ''General Hospital'', played by Anthony Geary from 1978 until his departure in July 2015. Geary holds the record for most Daytime Emmy wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in ...
. * The Haunted Star is a yacht first owned by Luke Spencer, who receives the vessel as a wedding present in 1981. In 2003, the ship is turned into a casino by Luke and investors Skye Chandler and Tracy Quartermaine. In 2011, Luke's daughter
Lulu Spencer Lulu Spencer is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, portrayed by Emme Rylan. Previously, Lulu was portrayed by child actress, Tessa Allen from 2004 to 2005. The role was most notably portr ...
purchases the boat, and in 2012 Johnny Zacchara invests to become co-owner. Together they turn the ship into a nightclub. * The Floating Rib is a bar located in downtown Port Charles, just a block away from General Hospital. Originally named Jake's, the bar has been a hotspot for the local nightlife since the early 1990s.
Coleman Ratcliffe ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city ...
becomes the owner in 2002, and
Mac Scorpio Mac Scorpio is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network. The role was originated by John J. York in February 1991. He was introduced as the brother of Robert Scorpio, and later became the gua ...
takes over in 2012. There was also a popular fine dining restaurant in Port Charles with the same name in the late 1970s/early 1980s. In 2020, a bomb destroys the restaurant and kills multiple patrons.


Accolades and recognition

''General Hospital'' cast and crew have won many awards since 1974 when the
Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York–based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences ...
s were created. In 2012, the
Creative Arts Emmy Award The Creative Arts Emmys are a class of Emmy Awards presented in recognition of technical and other similar achievements in American television programming. They are commonly awarded to behind-the-scenes personnel such as production designers, set ...
s were created. ''General Hospital'' has won 14 Daytime Emmys for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. In June 2009, ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news. The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008. Corporat ...
'' ranked "Luke and Laura's Wedding" #45 on its list of the 100 Greatest Episodes.


Broadcast

During the 1960s, ''General Hospital'' earned decent ratings against the likes of '' To Tell the Truth'' and '' The Secret Storm'' on CBS, but there was a decline as the 1970s came, especially when NBC's '' Another World'' became highly popular. For two years, it also faced CBS's '' The Price Is Right'', already a major hit. After continued mediocrity in the Nielsen ratings, ABC was prepared to cancel ''General Hospital'', but decided to give it a second chance in 1978 when it expanded the show from an experimental 45 minutes to a full hour. However, the expansion came with an ultimatum to the producers that they had six months to improve the show's ratings.
Gloria Monty Gloria Monty (August 12, 1921 – March 30, 2006) was an American television producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama. Education Born Gloria Montemuro in Allenhurst, New Jersey and raised in the West Allenhurst neighborhood of O ...
was hired as the new executive producer, and on her first day, she spent an extra $100,000 re-taping four episodes. A miracle occurred thanks to Monty and head writer
Douglas Marland Douglas Marland (born Marland Messner; May 5, 1934 – March 6, 1993) was an American writer, known for his work as the head writer of several soap operas. Career Marland began his career as an actor, appearing on the Irna Phillips series '' The ...
; 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 on November 17, 1981, about 30 million people tuned in to watch them exchange vows and be cursed by Elizabeth Taylor's
Helena Cassadine Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera ''General Hospital'', famously originated by film actress Elizabeth Taylor in November 1981. After a brief stint by Dimitra Arliss in 1996, Constance Towers took over the role in ...
( Constance Towers). From 1979 to 1988, ''General Hospital'' remained number one in the ratings, competing against two game shows and two low-rated soaps on NBC—''
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
'' and '' Santa Barbara''—and '' Guiding Light'' on CBS (although ''Guiding Light'' experienced a renaissance for a brief period in the middle of 1984, and became the #1-rated soap, briefly 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 Geary Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978 and received a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for ...
and Genie Francis in the mid-1980s. Although '' The Young and the Restless'' took ''General Hospital's'' place as the highest-rated serial in 1989, ''General Hospital'' continued to maintain excellent ratings. Even at its peak in the 1980s, ''General Hospital'' had been pre-empted in at least two markets in the United States. With the show still number one in the Nielsens, WDTN in
Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, Ohio, Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County, Ohio, Greene County. The 2020 United S ...
preempted the series upon joining ABC in January 1980 in favor of '' Woody Woodpecker'' and '' Super Friends'' cartoons. Later, the station would air such shows as ''Hour Magazine'', '' Geraldo'' and '' Maury'' in the show's timeslot until September 2000, when the station's new owners, Sunrise Broadcasting (which purchased the station from Hearst Television two years prior), pulled ''Maury'' from the station's schedule, due to what it called "community standards", and brought ''General Hospital'' back to Dayton. In
Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provin ...
and
Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surroundin ...
, WVNY dropped ''General Hospital'' from the schedule in the 1980s and would only bring it back in 1995. During that hiatus, ''General Hospital'' still aired on
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
's
CFCF-DT CFCF-DT (channel 12) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the CTV Television Network. It is owned and operated by network parent Bell Media alongside Noovo flagship CFJP-DT (channel 35). Both stations share studios ...
, whose signal was decently available in Vermont and Plattsburgh. Ever since the 1991–1992 season of ''General Hospital'', the show has had a steady decline in ratings. On and off, it would rank between third and fifth place in the Nielsen ratings, with CBS's ''The Young And The Restless'' and ''The Bold and the Beautiful'' coming in first and second place, respectively. ''General Hospital'' remained in between third and fifth place in the ratings during that time, and from late 1991 to 1996 ''All My Children'' held the title of ABC's highest-rated soap. After months of speculation and cancellation rumors, ''
Deadline Hollywood ''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. The site is updated several times a day, wi ...
'' reported on April 11, 2012, that ABC quietly made the decision to keep ''General Hospital'' on the air and to cancel instead the lower-rated talk show '' The Revolution''. On June 26, 2012, ABC officially announced that ''General Hospital'' would move to the 2 p.m. ET/PT timeslot starting on September 10, 2012, and that the network would give the 3:00 p.m. hour back to its affiliates, as it was the recommended time slot for Katie Couric's new, ABC- syndicated talk show, '' Katie''. Encore episodes were shown every weeknight on the former cable channel Soapnet, with a marathon on Saturday and classic episodes at 4 a.m. EST and 5 a.m. (3 a.m. and 4 a.m. CST). Production of ''General Hospital'' was suspended in March 2020 as a direct result of the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United States, it has resulted in confir ...
. The show had banked roughly two months' worth of episodes at that time. By airing repeats on "Flashback Fridays", ''General Hospital'' was able to air original episodes through the end of May 21, 2020. This will be followed by several weeks of vintage episode repeats. Production resumed on July 22, 2020, and new episodes began airing on August 3, 2020.


Schedule


Notes

ABC stations in the
Mountain A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher ...
and Pacific Time Zones, and in
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
and
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
follow a Central Time Zone schedule for daytime programming; thus, ''General Hospital'' is scheduled by the network to air at 1:00 p.m. in these areas. # In September 2014, ''General Hospital'' reclaimed its former time slot of 3:00 p.m. Eastern/2:00 Central and Pacific on ABC owned-and-operated stations in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
,
Raleigh–Durham The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to t ...
,
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
,
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
and
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
; and affiliate KSAT-TV in
San Antonio ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...
.


Ratings history

''For historical ratings information, see
List of U.S. daytime soap opera ratings The following is a list of television Nielsen ratings and rankings for American daytime soap operas from 1950 to the present, as compiled by Nielsen Media Research. The numbers provided represent the percentage of TV households in the United Sta ...
'' ;Years as #1 series ;Highest-rated week in daytime history (November 16–20, 1981) :(Household ratings, Nielsen Media Research)


Parodies and references in other media

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 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy film review television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on November 24, 1 ...
''. *The series was also parodied/homaged in the song "General Hospi-Tale" by The Afternoon Delights, and in the film ''
Tootsie ''Tootsie'' is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Dustin Hoffman. Its supporting cast includes Pollack, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Bill Murray, Charles Durning, Geo ...
'', which took place among the cast and crew of a fictional soap opera program. *In the Fox medical drama '' House'',
Gregory House Gregory House, M.D. is the titular protagonist of the American medical drama series ''House''. Created by David Shore and portrayed by English actor Hugh Laurie, he leads a team of diagnosticians and is the Head of Diagnostic Medicine at the f ...
enjoys ''Prescription Passion'', which is an over-the-top parody of ''General Hospital'' that he watches constantly. In the season three episode, "
Half-Wit "Half-Wit" is the fifteenth episode of the third season of ''House'' and premiered on the FOX network on March 6, 2007. Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Dave Matthews guest stars in the episode as Patrick, a savant and piano prodigy who comes un ...
", House hides his blood test results under the name, "Luke N. Laura", referring to ''General Hospital''s popular couple. *'' Mad TV'' did a sketch on the series with actors Jacklyn Zeman, Rebecca Herbst, and
Jacob Young Jacob Wayne Young (born September 10, 1979) is an American actor and producer. He is a five-time Daytime Emmy Award nominee, winning once in 2002 for his role as Lucky Spencer in the soap opera ''General Hospital'' (2000–2003). He is best know ...
. *The 1982 comedy film ''
Young Doctors in Love ''Young Doctors in Love'' is a 1982 American comedy film directed by Garry Marshall. It spoofs a variety of medical shows (in particular, ''General Hospital'') and has many guest stars from ABC soap operas. The film stars Sean Young, Michael Mc ...
'' featured a large part of General Hospital's cast from 1982. *The February 23, 2000 episode of Late Show with David Letterman covers a ''faux'' segment of the program with regards to
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer and producer. He hosted late night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982 debut of ''Late Night with David Letterman' ...
's heart surgery. *In a 2010 episode of ''
The Colbert Report ''The Colbert Report'' ( ) is an American late-night talk and news satire television program hosted by Stephen Colbert that aired four days a week on Comedy Central from October 17, 2005, to December 18, 2014, for 1,447 episodes. The show fo ...
'', comedian Stephen Colbert poked fun at the show, responding to a clip of Maurice Benard's Sonny Corinthos shooting Dominic Zamprogna's Dante Falconeri, satirically screaming, "Sonny shot Dante! No!" * In the ABC comedy '' The Goldbergs'', Erica and Adam frequently watch ''General Hospital'' together. * In the book series ''Virgin River'' by
Robyn Carr Robyn Carr is an American author. She is the writer of the ''Virgin River'' series of books and has written more than fifty novels. Her novels have been on ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, including titles such as ''The Hero''. She is a ...
, Mel mentions watching ''General Hospital'' in nursing school.


Spin-offs and specials

The success of the long-running soap opera has had one sister serial, one spinoff in the United States, and two primetime spinoffs in the United States and the United Kingdom. ''
The Young Marrieds ''The Young Marrieds'' is 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 al ...
'' was ABC's first attempt at a sister serial for ''General Hospital''. It ran for only two years, racking up a total of 380 episodes. Despite its moderate popularity, it was aired against CBS's top-rated '' The Edge of Night'', 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 Charles''. The British television series '' General Hospital'' 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 British serials that normally aired in prime time. In 1975, it was expanded to an hour-long format and moved to Friday evenings. '' Port Charles'' 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 Baldwin Scott "Scotty" Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital'' and its now-defunct spinoff ''Port Charles''. The character debuted played by child actors in the 1960s until Kin Shriner assumed the role in 1977. Sco ...
,
Serena Baldwin ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the ...
,
Lucy Coe Lucy Coe is a fictional character from the ABC Daytime soap operas ''General Hospital'' and ''Port Charles''. Portrayed by Lynn Herring, she first appeared in April 1986 on ''General Hospital'', introduced as an alibi in a murder plot. In 1997, s ...
, Kevin Collins, and
Karen Wexler ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the c ...
, 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 vampires and
afterlife The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving es ...
. It also switched formats from an open-ended daytime serial to 13-week story arcs known as "books", similar to Spanish language
telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar drama genres around the world include '' teleserye'' ...
s. '' General Hospital: Night Shift'' is the second American prime time spinoff of a daytime drama (the first being ''
Our Private World Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of " we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a government utility regulato ...
'', a spinoff of ''As the World Turns''). Its first season aired from July 12, 2007, to October 4, 2007, on Soapnet, 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 Frons Brian Scott Frons (born June 15, 1956) is an American television executive and the former president of ABC Daytime. Education Frons earned a master’s degree from Syracuse University's S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 1978. CB ...
noting that ''Night Shift'' drew more than 1 million new viewers to the channel during its first season. '' General Hospital: Twist of Fate'' 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 on Laura's supposed death at the hands of
Stefan Cassadine ''General Hospital'' is the longest-running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, it originally was set it in a general hospital (hence the title), in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the c ...
. On April 2, 1998, ''General Hospital'' aired a primetime special in celebration of the program's 35th anniversary. Hosted by
Anthony Geary Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for playing the role of Luke Spencer on the ABC daytime drama ''General Hospital''. He originated the role of Luke in 1978 and received a record eight Daytime Emmy Awards for ...
, the show focused and recapped on many popular storylines including Monica Quartermaine's breast cancer, BJ's death, and
Stone Cates 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 and on August 1, 2017. The character ...
' battle with HIV. This was the first anniversary special that was broadcast in primetime and that didn't include any of the current storyline. On April 6, 2013, as part of the show's 50th anniversary commemoration, ABC's newsmagazine ''
20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...
'' aired ''General Hospital: The Real Soap Dish''—a retrospective and behind-the-scenes special hosted by Katie Couric. On September 5, 2014, it was announced that cast member Nancy Lee Grahn would begin to host a companion web series for ABC.com in January 2015, ''General Hospital Now!'', which would feature behind-the-scenes interviews with fellow cast members, as well as panel discussions with comedians who are fans of the show. On May 15 and 18, 2015, ''General Hospital'' aired two live episodes as part of its 52nd anniversary celebration, using the hashtag #GHLive to promote the broadcast on social media.


References


Bibliography

* Gary Warner, ''General Hospital: The Complete Scrapbook'', Stoddart (November 1995), * Gerard J. Waggett, ''The Official General Hospital Trivia Book'', ABC (October 1997),


External links


Official website
* *
Fielden Farrington scripts
at the University of Maryland libraries. Contains scripts for ''General Hospital'' from 1975 to 1976. {{Portal bar, Television, United States 1963 American television series debuts 1960s American drama television series 1970s American drama television series 1980s American drama television series 1990s American drama television series 2000s American drama television series 2010s American drama television series 2020s American drama television series 1990s American medical television series 2000s American medical television series 2010s American medical television series 2020s American medical television series American Broadcasting Company network soap operas American Broadcasting Company original programming 2010s American LGBT-related drama television series Gay-related television shows American television soap operas Bipolar disorder in fiction Black-and-white American television shows Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series winners English-language television shows Television productions suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic Television series about organized crime Television series by Selmur Productions Television series by Disney–ABC Domestic Television Television shows set in New York (state)