Portal:General Hospital
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Introduction
General Hospital (commonly abbreviated GH) is an American daytime television medical drama. It is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running American soap opera in production and the second longest-running drama in television 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 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. Same-day broadcasts as well as classic episodes were aired on SOAPnet from January 20, 2000, to December 31, 2013, following Disney-ABC's decision to discontinue the network. 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 Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, with 13 wins.
The show was created by husband-and-wife soap writers 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 was named Port Charles, New York. From its beginning, General Hospital starred John Beradino and Emily McLaughlin, 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; it ran for two years, and was canceled because of low ratings. General Hospital also spawned a primetime spinoff with the same name in the United Kingdom from 1972 to 1979, as well as the daytime series Port Charles (1997–2003) and the primetime spin-off General Hospital: Night Shift (2007–2008) in the United States. Taped at The Prospect Studios, 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.
Selected general articles
- Lucas Lorenzo "Lucky" Spencer Jr. and Elizabeth Imogene Webber are fictional characters and a supercouple from the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. Lucky Spencer is the son legendary supercouple, Luke and Laura, played by Anthony Geary and Genie Francis. Elizabeth Webber is the granddaughter of original General Hospital character, Steve Hardy (John Beradino), and long-time character Audrey March Hardy (Rachel Ames). Lucky was originated by Jonathan Jackson in 1993, who continued to play the role when Rebecca Herbst originated Elizabeth in 1997. Jackson left the series in 1999, and Lucky was played by Jacob Young and later Greg Vaughan, who was let go in 2009 to allow Jackson to reprise the role. Jackson left the series in December 2011 and the role was not recast. Herbst portrayed the couple with each actor, and has been the only contract actress to play Elizabeth.
The couple first rose to popularity in early 1998 when Lucky helps Elizabeth recover after she has been raped. The teenagers take part in a slow and innocent romance, interrupted in 1999 when Lucky is presumed dead in a fire. He returns brainwashed in 2000, eventually resulting in their break-up in 2002. The couple reunites and marries in 2005, facing financial struggles, and Lucky becomes a father figure to Elizabeth's son Cameron. Lucky's prescription drug addiction in 2006 leads to infidelity, and they divorce twice in 2007 after Lucky learns he is not the biological father of Elizabeth's son Jake. They get engaged again in 2009, but split up when Lucky learns of Elizabeth's affair with his brother Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher). They remain connected through the death of their son Jake, and learning that Lucky is the father of Elizabeth's son Aiden. Elizabeth helps Lucky through his drug relapse in 2011, but he refuses to reconcile and leaves for Ireland. Read more... - The Corinthos family is a fictional family from the ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital. Created and introduced by Bill Levinson in August 1993, current patriarch Sonny Corinthos, was the first member to arrive in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York. The family was further expanded in 1995 with the arrival of Sonny's father, Mike Corbin. The Corinthos family is known for its involvement in organized crime, the family coffee import business and the revolving love affairs of its patriarch Sonny. The family is currently represented by Sonny, Carly, Dante, Michael, Molly, Kristina, Spencer, Rocco and Avery. The Corinthos family is the most powerful mob family in Port Charles, New York. A lot of rival mob organizations have tried to take it down and failed. Read more...
- General Hospital is an American television soap opera, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the serial premiered on April 1, 1963. The longest-running cast member is Leslie Charleson, who has portrayed Dr. Monica Quartermaine since August 17, 1977, also making her one of the longest-tenured actors in American soap operas. Former cast member Rachel Ames was previously the series' longest-running cast member, portraying Audrey Hardy from 1964 to 2007, and making guest appearances in 2009 and 2013, the latter for the series' fiftieth anniversary. Ames made a special appearance on October 30, 2015. Actors Genie Francis and Kin Shriner, who portray Laura Spencer and Scott Baldwin, are the second and third longest-running cast members, having joined General Hospital in February and August 1977, respectively. Actress Jacklyn Zeman — who portrays Bobbie Spencer — is the fourth longest-running cast member, joining the serial in December 1977. Actress Jane Elliot, who joined the serial in June 1978 as Tracy Quartermaine, is the fifth longest-running cast member, joining General Hospital in June 1978 until her departure in May 2017. Former cast member Anthony Geary, who portrayed Luke Spencer, was the sixth longest-running cast member, having joined General Hospital in November 1978. The following list is of cast members who are currently on the show: the main and recurring cast members, or those who are debuting, departing or returning to the series. Read more...
- The Spencer family is a fictional family on the American soap opera General Hospital. The family is created by Douglas Marland and first introduced in 1977 when Bobbie Spencer arrives in Port Charles. Bobbie's brother, Luke arrived a year later in 1978. Supercouple Luke and Laura Spencer are part of this family, known for their romance and many adventures. The Spencer family is characterized as an adventurous bunch, but many in the family have struggled with various types of substance abuse. They are known for their longstanding feud with the Cassadine family. The family is currently represented by: Lulu, Bobbie, Carly, Lucas, Valerie, Michael, Josslyn, Cameron, Jake, Aiden, Rocco and Charlotte. The Spencers are the owners of the Haunted Star yacht, which is a staple establishment in the Port Charles community. Read more...
- General Hospital: Twist of Fate is the only primetime episode of the long-running ABC (ABC Daytime) soap opera General Hospital. The primetime special aired on Saturday at 9 PM ET / PT on December 14, 1996. Read more...
- Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings are fictional characters and a supercouple from the American soap opera General Hospital. Frisco has been portrayed by Jack Wagner on and off from 1984 to 1991, from 1994 to 1995, and briefly in 2013. Felicia has been portrayed by Kristina Wagner on and off from 1984 to 2005, from 2007 to 2008, and again since April 27, 2012. She was temporarily portrayed by Sandra Ferguson in 2005. Read more...
- Port Charles (commonly abbreviated as PC) is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from June 1, 1997 to October 3, 2003. It was 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. The new show features longtime General Hospital characters Lucy Coe, Kevin Collins, Scott Baldwin, and Karen Wexler, along with several new characters, most of whom were interns in a competitive medical school program. In its later years, the program shifted more towards supernatural themes and stories, with a reduced emphasis on the original hospital setting. Read more...
- Frank M. Hursley (November 21, 1902 – February 3, 1989) and Doris Hursley (September 29, 1898 – May 5, 1984) were a husband-and-wife team who wrote American serials. Read more...
- The Hardy/Webber family is a fictional middle class family on the soap opera General Hospital. Read more...
- The Quartermaine family is a fictional family from the ABC soap opera, General Hospital. Created and introduced by Douglas Marland, the wealthy and eccentric family has been a continuous staple on General Hospital since their introduction in the 1970s. The Quartermaines were first introduced in 1977, when Stuart Damon originated the role of Alan Quartermaine. His parents and sister were next to be brought on canvas.
Anna Lee originated matriarch Lila Quartermaine, with David Lewis being the first to play her husband Edward. Jane Elliot was cast as sharp-talking Tracy. The family owned business, ELQ Industries, named for the family's patriarch, Edward Louis Quartermaine, has been the center of several conflicts within the family. Read more... - Frank Valentini (born November 14, 1962) is the executive producer for the ABC soap opera General Hospital. He previously held the position of executive producer, director, and composer for the ABC soap opera One Life to Live. From 1986 to 1992 he worked as stage manager. In 1992 he was promoted to associate producer, assuming full producer duties in 1995. In 2003 he became executive producer, replacing Gary Tomlin.
Under his direction as executive producer and director, Valentini led One Life to Live to its first Emmy win for Outstanding Drama Series Directing Team since 1983 as well as the show's first win for Outstanding Drama Series Writing Team since 1994. Valentini's reputation for attracting talent both from the acting community and the music world has garnered critical praise from both industry and mainstream press. He was able to secure guest appearances from Nelly Furtado, Timbaland, Mary J. Blige, the Pussycat Dolls and others. Read more... - The Lord family are fictional characters from the American soap opera One Life to Live. They were introduced in the show's July 15, 1968 debut episode on ABC, and featured for the entirety of its run until the series ended on August 19, 2013.
Created by Agnes Nixon, over 40 years of melodrama surrounding the lives and family of wealthy media mogul Victor Lord and his heiress daughter Victoria Lord establish the ensemble of characters as a central fixture throughout the serial. The family primarily resides in fictional Llanview, Pennsylvania, owning communications business Lord Enterprises and its flagship publication, The Banner newspaper. Read more... - The Cassadines are a fictional aristocratic family from the American soap opera General Hospital. Created by executive producer Gloria Monty, the family was first introduced in July 1981, with the arrival of brothers Victor, and Tony Cassadine. One month later Mikkos Cassadine was introduced. The Cassadines are descendants of Russian royalty and own their own private island in Greece. Various family members have been sometime residents of Port Charles, living in Wyndemere Castle on Spoon Island. The family is known for their longtime feud with the Spencer family. After the family's initial appearance in 1981, they were absent from the series until the arrival of Stavros Cassadine in 1983. The Cassadine family owns and operates the international conglomerate Cassadine Industries. The family is currently represented on canvas by Alexis, Valentin, Sam, Kristina, Molly, Danny, Charlotte and Scout. Read more...
- The Secret Life of Damian Spinelli is a 2011 novel written by Carolyn Hennesy. The novel is a tie-in to the television soap-opera General Hospital, as the writing and publication was featured in the series. Read more...
- The Scorpio and Jones families are fictional families on the American soap opera General Hospital, which is set in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York. Over time, the two families intertwined and became one large blended family, often referred to as the Scorpio/Jones family. The Scorpio family was introduced in December 1980 by head writers Pat Falken Smith and Margaret DePriest, when Robert Scorpio arrived in town to assist Luke Spencer in locating a rare diamond called the Ice Princess. Four years later, the Jones family was introduced in 1984 by Gloria Monty when Frisco Jones arrived in town after he is hired to be the lead singer for "Blackie and the Riff Raff". The Scorpio and Jones families are known for their many adventures, with members of both families working as secret agents with the fictional World Security Bureau (WSB). Read more...
- Michael "Sonny" Corinthos, Jr. and Caroline Leigh "Carly" Benson are fictional characters of the long running ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital and also a supercouple. Sonny is the most powerful mobster in Port Charles, New York and Carly is the daughter of one of the show's popular characters, Bobbie Spencer, and the niece of soap opera supercouple, Luke and Laura. Sonny is played by Maurice Benard and Carly is currently played by Laura Wright. Sonny and Carly were together, on and off, from December 1999 to April 2007. They have been married four times and reunited in 2008, 2010 and most recently in 2014. Together, the couple share two children; Michael and Morgan. The couple has had their ups and downs, but throughout it all they have remained friends and support one another. Their relationship is normally characterized as being explosive and tumultuous. They are known by fans as "S&C" and the portmanteau "CarSon" for Carly and Sonny. Read more...
- General 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 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 noting that Night Shift drew more than 1 million new viewers to the channel during its first season. With its reruns gaining higher ratings than those of General Hospital on SOAPnet, a second season was expected, though Frons noted that the same crew producing two shows had taken its toll.
It was announced in May 2008 that Lisa de Cazotte would serve as Executive producer for season two, joined by Head writer Sri Rao. The 14 new episodes of Night Shift began taping in high-definition in June 2008, with the series airing Tuesdays at 11 p.m. and premiering on July 22, 2008. SOAPnet said the second season "will feature new and returning characters as well as the return of 'legacy' characters from GH. In addition, the continuity between story lines on Night Shift and GH will match." The second season finished its run on October 21, 2008. Read more... - General Hospital is the longest running American television serial drama, airing on ABC. Created by Frank and Doris Hursley, the series premiered on April 1, 1963. Former cast member Rachel Ames was previously the series' longest-running cast member, portraying Audrey Hardy from 1964 to 2007, and making guest appearances in 2009 and 2013, the latter for the series' fiftieth anniversary. Ames made a special appearance on October 30, 2015. Anthony Geary, who has portrayed Luke Spencer, was the fourth longest-running cast member, having joined General Hospital in November 1978. Geary left the show on July 27, 2015. This is a list of former, notable guest appearances, and deceased cast members. Read more...
- Jason Morgan and Elizabeth Webber (commonly known as Liason for Liz and Jason) are fictional characters from the long running ABC Daytime soap opera, General Hospital and a popular supercouple pairing, according to TV Guide. Jason was originally portrayed by Steve Burton, and role was recast by Billy Miller.On December 1, 2017, it was revealed that Miller's character was Jason identical twin brother Andrew Cain brainwashed into believing he was Jason. Elizabeth is portrayed by Rebecca Herbst. Read more...
- Luke 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 is portrayed by Genie Francis. Though other supercouples came before them, Luke and Laura are the best known outside of the soap opera medium and are credited with defining the term supercouple and leading other soap operas to try to duplicate their success.
Despite having been raped by a drunken Luke, Laura falls in love with him. Originally, critics of the soap opera genre panned the choice of having a rape victim fall in love with her rapist, an example of forced seduction. The unlikely pairing became popular in spite of Luke's past misdeed when the story shifted to focus on love and redemption. Read more... - Dr. Patrick Drake and Dr. Robin Scorpio-Drake are fictional characters and a supercouple from the ABC daytime drama General Hospital and its SOAPnet spin-off General Hospital:Night Shift. The couple is commonly referred to by the nickname "Scrubs", rather than by a portmanteau like other supercouples. Robin, the daughter of popular characters Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), is portrayed by Kimberly McCullough, the original actress cast in the role who has portrayed the character sporadically since she was seven in 1985. Jason Thompson was cast as legendary 1980s character Dr. Noah Drake's (Rick Springfield) son Patrick in December 2005.
After their meeting for the first time and their first few scenes together, the developing couple's relationship became popular among General Hospital fans. After the birth of their daughter, Emma Grace Scorpio Drake, interrupts their first wedding on October 31, 2008 (she is born on-screen November 3), the couple finally weds on December 26, 2008. Read more... - Jason and Sam Morgan (commonly known by their portmanteau "JaSam") are fictional characters and a supercouple from the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital. They are known to be one of daytime's most popular supercouples. Jason is portrayed by actor Steve Burton; formerly, the role was played by Billy Miller. On December 1, 2017, Miller's character was revealed to be Jason's identical twin brother, Andrew Cain, conditioned to believe he was Jason and assume Jason's identity. Sam is portrayed by Kelly Monaco.
First meeting in 2003, their relationship was described as "an uneasy alliance that first blossomed into a friendship." A romantic relationship evolved from that friendship and the couple was involved for almost a decade, with General Hospital writers scripting them as soulmates. Together, Jason and Sam have been titled "one of the most romantic duos in daytime," and their relationship has been described as "one of General Hospital's most intimate unions." Read more... - The Jerome family is a fictional family from the original ABC Daytime drama General Hospital. The family was first introduced in January 1987. As one of the most powerful families in organized crime, the Jeromes rose to popularity due to their longstanding feud with antihero Duke Lavery and his heroine wife, Anna Devane. However, by the spring of 1990, all of the major family members had been (presumably) killed off of the series. In 2013, the family was revived as part of an ongoing storyline. Read more...
- Michelle "Shelly" Altman is an American soap opera writer. She has been the associate head writer of numerous American daytime soap operas, including Another World, General Hospital and One Life to Live. She served as co-head writer of The Young and the Restless alongside Jean Passanante from November 4, 2013 to March 18, 2015. In July 2015, Altman and Passanante returned to General Hospital as its co-head writers, replacing Ron Carlivati. Read more...
- 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 revealed that the Queen's Point setting of The Young Marrieds, a short-lived sister series to General Hospital that ran between 1964 and 1966, was a suburb of Port Charles. Locations within the town are described, below, using in-universe tone. Read more...
- The Cramer family is a family of fictional characters on the American soap opera One Life to Live. The family centers on the relationships of long-running character Dr. Dorian Cramer, who debuts on the series in April 1973.
The long-running feud between antagonist Dorian Cramer and original series heroine and one-time stepdaughter Victoria "Viki" Lord (Erika Slezak) is central to the series plot for 40 years. Dorian and Victoria are considered "frenemies" and share relatives through the marriages and ongoing relationship of Victoria's brother and Dorian's niece Todd Manning and Blair Cramer. Todd, Blair and their daughter Starr Manning crossover to sister soap opera General Hospital from February 2012 through March 2013. Read more... - What If... is an American web series that acts as a crossover among three ABC soap operas, General Hospital, All My Children and One Life to Live. The ten-part series was originally streamed on ABC.com from July 12 to August 30, 2010. It won a Daytime Emmy Award for New Approaches - Daytime Entertainment. Read more...
Did you know...
- ... that Ann Thomas Callahan was one of the first indigenous graduates of the Winnipeg General Hospital's nursing school?
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