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50 & Fabulous General Hospital Makes Back Cover Of TV Guide's 60th Anniversary Issue!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC & TVGuide

Courtesy/ABC & TVGuide

How fab is this? General Hospital this week received the prestigious back cover slot of the 60th Anniversary issue of TV Guide on newsstands now!  The front cover has one of six legendary shows from The Mary Tyler Moore Show to I Love Lucy! But every issue has GH on the back with shot of of Tony Geary (Luke) and Genie Francis (Laura) from the classic 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura!

Inside the back cover is a four-page story on General Hospital’s 50th anniversary milestone in a piece by TVG’s Michael Logan.  The ups and downs of GH on life support and it’s myriad of resuscitations are discussed, and just how far the show has come in 2013!   Here are a few excerpts below from dealing with the almost fall, and rise of GH in the past few years!

Anthony Geary (Luke Spencer): “From the moment ABC, canceled All My Children and One Life to Live in 2011, and replaced them with reality programs, there was an ax hanging over our heads.  It was widely believed that GH was the next soap to go – that we might not even make it to our 50th anniversary- and no one at ABC was making us feel otherwise.”

Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis):  “It was almost is the network was on a secret mission to kill us.  First, they obliterated nearly every character over 45- just zapped them into oblivion. Then they tried to convince the fans that soaps were a thing of the past, that reality TV was all the public wanted. But then suddenly thank God, things changed.”

Vicki Dummer, (Executive Vice President Times Square Studios who overseas GH):  “GH has an extremely bright future.  The ratings have increased 45 percent in women 18-34 from one year ago, and that’s pretty astounding. But while ABC is certainly embracing GH and helping it move forward, it’s Frank (Valentini)and Ron (Carlivati) who are the true miracle workers.”

So soapers, what do you think about GH landing on the back-cover for TVG’s 60th Anniversary Issue?  What do you think about how far GH has come when it was almost canceled over a year ago?

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It’s so great to see the greatest soap opera of all time honored along TV guide and their anniversary it seems fitting.

are we out of the woods yet? that’s my concern.

I know… there’s a lot of Hoopla going around…

and… I’m smitten…. if you get my meaning… drawn in and pulled just the same…

saw Jax sauntering outa that shower… today… and reeled back in surprise… that he “wastes” his manhood… “pining” away… for ??? Carly and brenda… ooohh… the stars alone … dim the lights… presence felt here…

ie: mans point of view… for a change… you know… Carly and Brenda.. diss the good guy…

show him the love and it’s blissful… from the beginning…

it’s squandering that good man…. no after the fact… Jax reels, with those eyes… steely penetrating… lose yourself within.

Frank and Ron are definitely to be applauded for having a vision to return vets to their important roles on GH. Our society is not made up of only young people. Over 45ers have discretionary money to spend as well, and we want to see people our age engaged in storylines as well.

i think it is an awesome tribute to gh!

Awesome!!! Congratulations GH!!

IM keeping my gh issue of tv guide…i think abc got a little scared with the blacklash it recieved over cancelling AMC&OLTL and is holding on to GH to appease some soap fans but for how long? You hope they keep gh around 4ever…but if its around at least to see its 55th then i might believe they are committed. It is soooo good now, and i hope the vets making brief returns will also come back in the future for more visits. Im now wondering about the return of M.E.,R.H. and K.A. I keep thinking K.A. could return as Scotts daughter Serena or she’ll darken her hair and show up as Alexis’s daughter Kristina, and thats why the last actress to play Kristina was let go?

Also is that the real Robin showing up at the NB or will Dr.O have her daughter Britch show up as Robin to keep Patrick from Sabrina?

I don’t know– do you really think they would repeat a story line that would be so similar to one they just did (Faison as Duke)? I do think Britt and Mommy Dearest are up to no good—but another fake identity story– would have been a good idea if they hadn’t just done it. I was thinking more along the lines that real Robin would come back, but be brainwashed and under Dr. Britt’s control. But I guess we will have to just watch and see, which is the best part of soap watching– knowing something good is coming down the line that you can’t wait— it reminds me when all the soaps were like that.

I am happy for GH, but I am getting a little sick of the stories about the miraculous recovery when the only reason the shows were in trouble in the first place was that they had no champion in Brian Frons. BRIAN FRONS. I am not looking to demonize him needlessly, but all the shows needed was COMPETENT helmsmanship and support from the network and they NEVER GOT IT. None of this was necessary. AMC and OLTL could and should have remained on the air. People smelled death in the air and stopped watching when the shows became ghosts of their former selves. What AMC went through in the last few years of its existence is borderline criminal. It is wonderful to see a renewed GH come into year 50 with support and with pride, but it makes me angry that it is too little, too late for other shows just as deserving which came to a premature end because nobody listened to the viewers. What is making GH sing again? Vets and better writing. What have we been asking for for over a decade? Vets and better writing. It isn’t rocket science.

Nicely put…i agree with you 100%!

OLTL was at creative writing high in its last year on abc, and the ratings rising was enough proof to show critics that people still love and want daytime dramas in their afternoons. ABC had ample time to reverse their decision. But im grateful someone else picked it up. However, as much as i like seeing shows anytime, i still miss how millions of us watched all at the same time, and have that water cooler talk about our soaps the next day. It made a lot of us soap fans feel more bonded that way, and watching it more special, you know what im sayin? Maybe im a corny old fashion guy but i cant help feel that way!

Ditto jimh on comments on 4/5 at 12:41p.m.

Brian Frons cancelled OLTL and it was doing well in everyway! He never had a clue about us soap fans! Info/talk/cooking shows NO WAY ! Drama ,Stories ,& being entertained will not change for me!

A well deserved honor for GH, and yet another step forward for the entire genre of soap operas!!!! Frank and Ron are certainly responsible for the resurrection of GH, with help from the show’s cast and all of those behind the scenes, as well as the fans, who together collectively fought to keep this great show alive. Happy 50th GH, and here’s to many more to come!!!!

Awesome, more publicity!!! I hope the old GHers from the past come back and get their ratings WAAAAAY up!!! love this show!

I wonder if show killing witch Jill Farren Phelps and steroid boy Burton are keeping this issue of TV Guide in their collections?

It’s so hard think of what soap is my favorite on abc. They have all been my favorite at some point or another during the year’s I have watched them. I guess if I had to chose for a million dollars, my favorite abc soap, I would have to ride with GH, bc ofn Luke and Lauran and Sonny and Brenda. Happy Anniversary GH.

Congraduation to GH, you did it! you did it.. I’m glad that goofball former ABC daytime president Brian Frons need to go, he is the one who get rid of AMC and OLTL ,but almost lost GH edgy there. I’m glad ABC fired Brian already after he put 2 programs on The Chew and The Relvolution made me upset.. We want AMC and OLTL back on the air.

This is amazing! GH has not only raised in ratings and quality, but it is once again becoming mainstream. We are seeing them on TV Guide, People magazine had a 50th anniversary issue for it, we are seeing the stars on various talk shows- it’s just incredible! There really was an axe hanging above the head of General Hospital due, not only to less-than ratings, but to the ex-ABC executives who were determined to wipe out all of the soaps. They may have succeeded getting AMC and OLTL off their network, but GH survived and better than that- they are THRIVING. Frank and Ron have turned this show completely around and gave people reasons to LOVE it again. Veterans (And not just for the 50th anniversary!), romance, drama, action, history, humor, everything that makes a successful soap they inserted as soon as they hit the scene. I am beyond grateful to them, to the fabulous actors, and to the amazing crew. And yes, I am even thankful to ABC for making the decision to fire Frons, to replace the previous, piss-poor GH powers-that-be, and hiring two men who are fans and respect this show. I literally can’t wait to watch the next episode! Here’s to another 50 more!

When I realized that ABC was actually investing huge amounts of money into GH, I had no doubt that GH would be around for for more years to come..

It makes a great difference when the network/ABC/D is backing the soap..
And of course, the magic of FV and RC bring it back from the dead ..
And, the actors giving it their all and all the staff / team work to keep GH on our screens.

I’m happy for any recognition of GH because for far too long the soaps got nothing but bad press from the main stream. This is a nice change. It ought to be a common occurrence.

Yeh! I agree!

Ditto.

Congrats GH! 50 looks so good on you! Loving it!

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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