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UPDATE: Jonathan Jackson LEAVING General Hospital!

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

Shocking news today first out of Soap Opera Digest! It looks like four-time Daytime Emmy winner Jonathan Jackson (Lucky) will be leaving General Hospital in early 2012.

According to SOD, “While the show would not confirm, insiders say that it’s a done deal. There’s no word yet if the show plans to recast.

UPDATE from TV Guide late today! Jonathan will shoot his final scenes as Lucky Spencer on November 17.  Word from the set is that the beloved and acclaimed actor is exhausted from a heavy work schedule and months of a harrowing storylines that have included the death of Lucky’s child and the character’s addiction to drugs.  Sources say Jackson had attempted to get GH execs to lighten his schedule with no luck. He also wanted to be romantically reteamed with Rebecca Herbst (Liz) but struck out there, too. The actor has already completed his final scenes with TV dad Tony Geary (Luke). Look for Jackson to be off the air by mid-to-late December.”

With Jackson is leaving that will make another signiifcant blow to the cast which is known for its unbelievable acting chops and performances as GH moves into 2012 a key year as to whether the show has legs and a future with the alphabet network or will be on the chopping block.

Stay tuned for more on developments on Jackson leaving Port Charles as they become available!

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Heaven forbid ABC and GH give Jonathan what he has been requesting and thus by default also give fans what they would want…like a reunion of a beloved (and very beleaguered) couple. Because that might just draw fans to the show and increase ratings which doesn’t help their soap-killing plans when trying to rid themselves of their daytime drama.

Much better to only give the fans what they want after the official cancellation announcement has been made.

i’m really sad to see jonathan go, agian this proves GH doesn’t care one way or the other who stays and goes. GH should be trying so hard to be the best they can be yet instead they keep proving time and time again that they don’t care, and if the people who run the show don’t care then how do they expect us to?, what was the point of bringing jonathan back if it wasn’t to reteam him w/ rebecca? they could’ve done a wonderfull compelling quadrangle along w/ sam and jason yet, the show keeps doing the opposite of what fans are begging them to do. they must think we are morons, because no matter what we ask for or beg for we end up getting the opposite!..

This is another blow to the beleaguered show. First we hear that Genie probably won’t be back and now JJ is gone. I can’t blame him for wanting to lighten the load, and I wish him well.

he will be missed…

Funny that Jill Farren Phelps (the executive producer) did the same thing she did to Beverly McKinsey (Alexandra on Guiding Light) when she worked on GL back in 1992. Beverly didn’t like being in a storyline where she was so mean to her onscreen son and his fiancee and she expressed it and it fell on deaf ears. So Beverly gave her six weeks notice when she took her six week vacation lol.
With Frons, JFP and Guza and Wolf running the show no wonder GH is a sinking ship and has been for a while now.

I’m sadden that he is leaving. He is a very talented actor. I’ve been watching GH for 30 years now. I just don’t understand why GH is doing what they are doing now with their storylines and letting excellent actors go or fire them. It is very sad to see this great show go down hill lately.

There is only one thing to say, GREG VAUGHAN.

I absolutely, 100% agree! Bring Greg Vaughn back as Lucky. Jonathan Jackson was great before he left the first time. Ever since he came back, I simply cannot stomach watching him in any scene. He was a fantastic young Lucky but stinks to high heaven as an adult Lucky.

Sorry, I won’t miss him but wish him the very best!

Will he be off the air in early 2012 or mid-december??? Kind of confusing…

Thank goodness. He seemed too off-put for the role, IMO.

BRING BACK GREG VAUGHAN!!! HE WAS LUCKY SPENCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hate to admit but i’d rather see lucky gone than see him back with his cheating ex-wife. lucky deserves better. i have loved lucky for a long time – good lucky jj!

lucky is such a great character!! I am sad to see he is leaving

my heart is very saddened by this devastating news about jonathan – i remember his first scene on gh when he still a kid – gh is loosing such an extraordinary actor who is one of the best if not the best males actors in daytime right now – what are they thinking??
i know he will land on his feet and be awesome in whatever he does next in his carrer – i am so disappointed that tiic &tptb let this happen……….

i meant was still a kid..

This is sad news. Jackson really works as Geary’s son. Such a perfect cast. He will be missed but stories go on. That is nature of daytime drama. Maybe the previousl replacement will be available. He did a very good job, too. Issues with GH are with the web, yes, but with the writing. This is not the show I enjoyed years ago. Too much mob and darkness now. Lighten up and find the joy in Port Charles, please!

Well, the man knows a sinking ship when he sees one. I never could figure out why he came back he has his band, doing films he was doing fine. I don’t think they will recast because I think TG will retire and I heard the actress who plays Lulu is considering leaving.

Oh, Lord – don’t bring Greg Vaughn back… as much as I enjoy him as an actor his version of Lucky was washed out and whiny!!

Surely this can’t be a surprise? It was leaked out last spring he was going to be done my Christmas time.
Whose next?? Robin?? I think so.

I just can’t figure out why JJ stayed with the trainwreck that is now GH THIS long. Best wishes to him. As for those who think that GV should return, I wouldn’t wish this show on my worst enemy, let alone a great guy like him. Besides, GV is working pretty steadily now and, unless I heard wrong, he’s landed a primetime series for sometime in the new year.

I didn’t really want to see him back with Liz after all they’d put between them but if he thought it was a good idea, I think he’s smart, knows his character and they should have listened to him. Or at least calmed down on victimizing his character so much, he’s probably exhausted.

If the show was more balance, and they gave all the actors something to do, then actors like jonathan, wouldn’t feel burn out . Its sad that the show isn’t willing to give him less to do,if thats what he wants for now. How bout giving someone else a little attention? Whats sad is that GH has such great history, and great actors, if they only had great people running it, then this show would be the easiest to fix. Theres no reason why GH shouldn’t be great, and enjoying the kind of high oltl is experiencing, but then oltl has been cancelled, so its kind of sad that ABC is killing their soaps.

Very sad to see him go. Give him what he wants so he will reconsider. GH cannot afford to lose him without the show taking a hit. Liz should return to Lucky after she’s finished being distracted by Matt. Jackson and Herbst are great together. GH needs both if it hopes to continue.

He was the original and the very best Lucky. I hope he just takes a rest and comes back for I love both the character and the actor.

I would be happy about his leaving if they would bring back Greg Vaughn! Jonathan is too much of a whimp for me!

JJ was the BEST lucky spencer, it’s so sad that he’s leaving. WHY couldn’t GH listen to him? He knows this character better than anyone. GH was great back in the 90’s…now it just SUCKS! I loved the Spencer Family but now all the great actors keep leaving. Maybe GH needs to take a hint…listen to the actors, they know what will work and what wont because they actually listen to the fans!

General Hospital

Nancy Lee Grahn’s Star-Studded ALS Fundraiser Reveals “I’ll Be There” Video Featuring Soap Opera Notables

Talk about your impressive line-up! It’s a soap fans dream and for a great cause. General Hospital’s Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis) is prepping her one-night only ALS fundraiser which will feature many of her friends and co-stars.

The benefit is set for May 4th in Glendale, California. Slated to participate are Genie Francis, Jane Elliot, Peter Bergman, Maurice Benard, Eileen Davidson, Thorsten Kaye, Michelle Stafford, Stephen Nichols, Rena Sofer, Jason Thompson, Kelly Monaco, Melissa Claire Egan, Maura West, Kristina Wagner, Gregory Harrison, Trevor St. John, Kate Mansi, Kirsten Storms, Cynthia Watros, and many others.

On Wednesday, Grahn took to her social media and released an “I’ll be there” video shout-out featuring, Monaco, Elliot, Bergman, Bernard, West, Harrison, St. John and more. In a touching and important moment in the new video, Michelle Strogny, who is battling ALS, is featured.

Photo: ABC

Previously, in speaking with Soap Opera Digest on the impetus of the event, Grahn recalled, “I was actually doing Zoom events during Covid and I met this woman that I just fell in love with, Michelle Strojny. At the time, Michelle had been living with ALS for four years. Now, it’s five years. She is a mom of a teenage son, she has the most wonderful husband, and she has been dealing with this [disease] for quite a while. And obviously, there isn’t a cure yet. It’s not survivable yet. But as she says, it’s not incurable. Nothing is; it’s underfunded. But anyway, I just really dug this woman. She is so grounded and filled with grace, and she spends all of her time working to raise money for the cause. We did a fundraiser for her last year and then I thought, ‘You know what? The soaps don’t ever get together to do something for charity.’ Collectively, we have this amazing community and we don’t collectively use it for a good cause, and I think it’s such an easy thing for us to do and we could potentially really make a difference.”

As GH viewers know, Gregory Harrison is playing the character of Gregory Chase, who is also battling ALS in a touching storyline that is currently playing out shedding a light on this disease.

For information on Nancy’s event, including the stars who are s scheduled to participate click here. To purchase tickets to the event click here.

Check out the video featuring Nancy’s friends and co-stars below.  Now let us know, your thought son the line-up for the benefit and helping raise awareness and funds for ALS research via the comment section.

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Writer Shannon Peace Let Go, and Shares on Sprina: “One of My Only Regrets is to Not Have the Opportunity to Develop That ‘Ship’ Further”

As General Hospital’s new head writing team of Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahy gets off the ground and running, there are still changes a foot on the writing team.

Now comes word via breakdown writer Shannon Peace that she is no longer on contract with the long-running ABC soap heading into its 61st season. Peace shared a heartfelt message on her Instagram, thanking the fans, and the show for the opportunity and the importance of diversity in the writers room.

Peace began, “After almost 3 years on staff and 106 episodes penned, I am no longer on contract with General Hospital. Writing for this country’s longest running television serial drama has been an education of epic proportions; I will forever be grateful that I earned my WGA card on a daytime fixture that holds memories for so many.” (Peace pictured below with GH EP Frank Valentini and script writer, Charlotte Gibson from about ten months ago).

Photo: SPeaceIG

Shannon added “Even more importantly, as the sole Black breakdown writer (and only POC in the writers room) during my tenure, I pushed for vital interactions and discussions that prioritized inclusion, visibility, and representation”

The writer pointed to the example of vital interaction when in story, “Stella and Portia’s frank July 2022 conversation about the role race played in Esme’s framing of Trina is just one example of the impact I’m gratified to have had.”

Acknowledging former GH co-head writers was also part of Peace’s farewell expressing, “Appreciation to my former bosses, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor – not only taking a chance on me, but for valuing my opinion and championing my voice.”

Courtesy/ABC

Many GH fans know that Peace was key to the development of the love story between Trina Robinson and Spencer Cassadine as played by Tabyana Ali and Nicholas Chavez. Shannon gave a special shout-out to ‘Sprina’ fans, “I also want to thank fans who were supportive of my work, especially the recognition of my love for ‘Sprina’. One of my only regrets is not having to develop that ‘ship’ further.”

She concludes her statement with,”In the aftermath of a historic writer’s strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that General Hospital recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints — and thrives for another 60 years.”

Accompanying her post, Shannon added, “Thank you all for the love and support these last few years. I hope GH fans get all they hope for and more!”

So, what do you think about GH not renewing Shannon’s contract? Will there be more continued changes afoot? What do you think is the future of ‘Sprina’ anyway at this point as viewers wait to see if Nicholas Chavez officially returns to the show?  Comment below.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Learns Britt Died and Tells Anna He Has Been Working For Cates Since November 2021

On the Tuesday, March 26th of General Hospital, Anna (Finola Hughes) and the viewers learn about where Jason (Steve Burton) has been for over two and half years. However, Jason gets some news of his own.

Anna is visiting Jason at the PCPD interrogation room. She asks him if he shot Dante (Dominic Zamprogna), which he flatly denies. Anna believes him, but she tells Jason it doesn’t matter, because video footage shows him on the roof at the time of the shooting

When talk turns to Jason not willing to speak without his lawyer present, Anna can’t grasp why Jason would instead spend an hour alone talking with John Cates (Adam J. Harrington).

Photo: ABC

It is then that Anna brings up that John went by “Jagger” and that the two of them knew each other in high school. Jason doesn’t recall much of his time in high school following his brain injury, but then he gets furious realizing John knew about “Jason’s” past. That is when Jason slams the table and tells Anna, “I’ve been working for John Cates since November 2021.”

Next, Jason explains further that he has been working as an informant for the FBI. Anna wants to know how this came about and he tells her that after the tunnel collapsed, and he couldn’t make it to Britt (Kelly Thiebaud)… all of a sudden he sees Anna’s face drop.  Anna is the first person to tell him that Britt died and was murdered. She tells Jason the killer is in custody, but he continues to be shocked, overwhelmed with tears welling up in his eyes. Realizing he has to pivot to save his life, Jason continues telling Anna how he wound up working with John.

Jason explains that after the tunnel collapse in Greece, FBI agents grabbed him and placed him under arrest and took him to Quantico where he met John. At Quantico, John played a recording of RICO violations and offered Jason a deal if he agreed to be an informant against Pikeman, the illegal arms dealer.

Anna hears from Jason that he thinks Pikeman is selling illegal arms to anyone flagged by the NSA but has ties to the WSB which they needed a civilian to infiltrate their organization as a military soldier, a mercenary.

Jason tells Anna he was a part of the team brought into eliminate Sonny (Maurice Benard). Every time an attempt was made on Sonny’s life over the last two years, a different team was sent to do the job. Anna gets furious when she learns that John told Jason his job was to kill Sonny and she was with John at the warehouse that night. Jason ensured the sniper missed Sonny and left the rifle behind. However, they were supposed to meet an extraction team. Before he was shot, Dante saw it was Jason on the roof and when he turned around with his hands over his head, Dante was shot by the other guy. Jason says if Dante dies, he’ll be charged with capital murder and then will be useless to the FBI.

Photo: ABC

Meanwhile, John visits Bobbie’s and runs into Carly (Laura Wright). She learns Jason is in custody and is going to head to the PCPD. Before she does, Carly has some words with Cates when she learns not only does John have a vendetta against Sonny, but Jason too.  Carly tells John he should recuse himself from the case.

So, what did you think about the moment when Jason learned Britt died? What do you think of Jason’s return storyline thus far and what we learned about Jagger/Jason and more? Comment below. But first, check out a moment from today’s GH with Jason and Anna.

 

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