Connect with us

General Hospital

ABC Entertainment President Paul Lee: "I'm thrilled to see General Hospital rocking and rolling in the afternoon!"

By Michael Fairman

Published

on

Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

This morning at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Winter Press Tour, it was the first day of sessions from the Disney/ABC Entertainment Group to promote their shows and reveal some upcoming programming agendas, as well as talk about the hits and misses of the season, and where things stand with current series on the network.

To kick things off, Paul Lee, President ABC Entertainment Group, addressed the press.  When discussing the success and future of the network’s primetime soaps, Lee gave kudos to daytime’s General Hospital!  According to a tweet from Sara Bibel of Deep Soap, Lee stated, “I’m thrilled to see #GeneralHospital rocking and rolling in the afternoon.”

In addition, according to HitFlix, Lee went on to say that primetime soaps are back citing:  “Soaps is one of the great genres.  I think we do soap operas particular well.”  Lee also made an observation that Latinas love soaps and bring that demo to ABC. 

When discussing the ratings for its freshmen primetime soap Nashville, Lee revealed the network needs to bring in the younger demo to help propel it forward in the ratings:  “Its a big show in 18-34. For 18-49, there may be a barrier to entry. Our strategy in going forward (with ‘Nashville’) is we have the young trendsetters using multiple platforms. That will help to bring an older audience in. We think we can do better.”

Revenge was also a topic of conversation, and according to TV Line, Lee touted the series ratings performance but conceded that the storytelling got a bit too “big” in Season 2. “I know (series creator) Mike Kelley is excited about focusing on our lead characters and their emotional journey,” related Lee.

So soapers, what do you think about Lee’s comment about GH?  Good vote of confidence? And what are your thoughts on when the executive stated that ABC does soap’s particularly well?  Are you watching Nashville and/or Revenge? Let us know your thoughts!
Click to comment

0 Comments
oldest
newest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

abc sucks at soaps! I watch GH because of the OLTL crossovers and I do like Nashville. That’s what I’m watching. ABC is really good at canceling the BEST soap they had and destroying the storylines on GH.

great news…………

I feel more confident GH will last another five years as long as the president of the company likes the way it’s rocking and rolling in the afternoon. Good luck GH.

Bring back One Life To Live on ABC. OLTL already had latino characters on it, and of course, there is room for more. OLTL was the most diverse soap on the daytime lineup. Cancelling it was a colossal mistake. The demographic watching it was the group with the most spending money also. This is vital to selling advertising space. I will never watch any replacement shows, and I think that there is a huge portion of the daytime audience that feels this way.

you do know that they are bringing oltl back but online only~

Not online ONLY. They are looking at cable channels for re-airing after their original airing online.

This is for CTwildheart.. I didn’t know they were considering cable channels also. I just know about PP making a deal to put it on line. I am very interested to know where you read this about OLTL…..

yeah me too! i looked and looked and i didnt see anything about that CTwildheart.

Honestly GH, Nashville and Revenge are 3 of my favorite shows on TV!! Guess I am an ABC girl. Thrilled about the comment about my beloved #GH.

I also the ABC prime time soap; Sacndal

All of those plus Once Upon a Time…and in the non-soapy category, Castle and Modern Family.
The majority of the shows I watch are on ABC, so I could never be a part of the boycott ABC group. 🙂

Revenge is must see for me.. It is a spellbinding prime time soap., luv it! .
Nashville, I can take or leave ..
He was right on, GH is rocking it !!
I have no doubt that GH will be renewed..!!!

Talk about a 360 from last year. Last year ABC told its viewers they didnt have the time to watch soaps. That its viewers wanted and only had time for talk and cooking lifestyle shows!
Crow casserole anyone?

My question is does he mean it? Now somebody tell me it is driving me nuts since when did doctors walk in on other doctors uh seperate quarters I was extremely put off concerning the shower scene today between Patrick & Britt. I mean I feel sorry for the patients glad I am not one of them. I mean really this is the only storyline you can come up with for Patrick did we not do this at ad nauseum with the other physco Dr.

It is fictional soap opera .. not real life …
so yah, they will walk in on each other and give a lil sexy ..

Soaps should at least “resemble” real life.

I agree with you, k/kay. I thought the whole thing was disgusting, but then again, so is everything about Britt. I can’t wait until she gets a taste of her own medicine. 🙂

The set-up in the changing area/showers did not seem plausible, but then again, I have never worked at a hospital before. I can see them fooling around in a supply closet – that could happen at any job – but I would think the men and women would have separate showers and changing areas.

Maybe the Cassadines need to donate more money to the hospital to get this fixed.

It is always nice to hear positive feedback about GH, especially when it comes from someone in a position to decide the future of it, but I will be even happier when I hear that it has been renewed !!!!

It doesn’t need ‘renewing’ as ABC/D owns GH. It is on until they cancel it, no renewal necessary.

I wonder what his thoughts would be if the soap fans didn’t retaliate with the boycott. I still only watch GH on ABC!

I’m with you Linda! The last day I watched ABC was January 13th, 2012 . The day OLTL went off the air. I will watch GH as long as OLTL characters are on.

Let’s hope the on-line version of OLTL is a success!

Best-

Patrick

Ditto. I’m enjoying GH but I’m done with ABCD.

I’m sorry for you…you all are missing some wonderful, fun shows on primetime ABC.

Oh Lee can just kiss my butt.

He is a moron.

I learned everything I needed to know about this man last year with his lame comments and now that he has jumped ship we are all just supposed to bow down?! Please.

Brian Frons basically said the same thing about AMC. He said that All My Children was in good standing and wasn’t going to be cancelled.

Next thing we knew, it was cancelled.

I’ll never fall for that line again. I won’t trust any daytime president on ABC. Or CBS for that matter.

So now they like soaps? That’s the ultimate betrayal to OLTL & AMC. They’re really trying to get past the bad PR from canceling our shows. Or all the buzz has made them change their tune because they think soaps are hot now. Either way its too little too late.

If they really want us to forgive & forget they need to publicly say that they made a big mistake canceling our shows. They also need to do whatever they can to make sure that Prospect Park succeeds.

I am so upset with Mr Lee’s comments. Can he twist the knife just a little more?

Liz-I absolutely agree. ABC’s comments are schizophrenic at best. The saving graces here are that it appears to be a formality that GH will be renewed for 13-14, and that Mr Lee has no delusions about being a soap actor, unlike Frons

Totally agree with you. I want a public apology for canceling OLTL & AMC….it’s so strange how only a year later, ABC now suddenly loves soaps and is ready to stand behind GH. Funny, but they said the same thing after they moved AMC to Los Angeles….then the news of the cancellation came. I don’t trust, nor do I watch ABC daytime anymore. Used to start my day with GMA and go all the way through to GH….I haven’t watch ABC daytime since January 13th 2012….the day OLTL went off the air.

Just say it ABC….”We made a big mistake!”

So with you Liz! After saying basically the same thing before and then uprooting an entire show from one side of the country to the other side – only to cancel it months later…has left me wary of ANYTHING that ABC/D says. Even with an apology (which NEEDS to happen!) I will never forget.
Troy…since ABC/D owns General Hospital, they don’t need to ‘renew’ it. They either show it or cancel it.
I have only watched GH since they took AMC and OLTL off the air. That will not change until I hear/read this apology AND see both back on the air!

I think Disney is starting to realize they underestimated the power of the Soap Opera fans and the replacement shows like the Chew are not getting the ratings that they wanted.

After the last three years of ABC/D lying to its fans and employees – I give this no weight. It means nothing to me…except that (maybe) they have realized what a mistake they made. It started with them deciding no one wanted to watch daytime dramas anymore – and they actively worked at killing the shows with terrible writing and alienating actors. It has not ended yet, and my boycott (except for GH) stands.

I agree CT. I’m still boycotting ABC – idiots that they are.

ABC/D lied to no-one, they have no need to lie.
They simply do what they do with no explanations to anyone ..
ABC/D is total power and do not care of peoples emotions, they would not even bother to lie, they just do what they decide to do ..

I saw Nashville once. It’s terrible, These nighttime soaps are not as good or as fun to watch as a “real” soap like GH. I stick with a real soap. GH

Happy for GH !!!!!!!! Glad it is ROCKIN N’ ROLLIN!

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Carly and Lulu Make Plans to Rescue Their Children; Anna Looks Determined to Secure Her Freedom

Published

on

By

This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, the race is on! Can Lulu (Alexa Havins) and Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) get to Rocco (Finn Carr) and Britt (Kelly Thiebaud) in time to ensure their safety from Cullum (Andrew Hawkes)? Can Carly (Laura Wright) with the help of her brother, Lucas (Van Hansis) rescue Josslyn (Eden McCoy) from captivity at Wyndemere? These questions may be answered, plus the return of the one and only Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) are on tap!

In the just released General Hospital spoilers video for the week of June 22-26, Lulu tells her mother, Laura (Genie Francis), “Dante and I have to get to Rocco before Cullum!” Meanwhile, Rocco (Finn Carr) looks angered and emotional as Britt walks through their cabin hideout. Does Rocco know his parents are on the way to find them, or has Cullum already tracked them down to the British Virgin Islands?

Back in Port Charles, Carly is informing Lucas that his niece, “is a WSB agent.” She knows Josslyn (Eden McCoy) is being held against her will at Wyndemere, and she has to find a way to get her out. Lucas agrees with Carly’s plan of, “We go in and we don’t leave without Josslyn!” Elsewhere, Josslyn is looking worried for her future as she is stuck in captivity thanks to Cassius, Cullum and Sidwell!

Courtesy/ABC

FINOLA HUGHES RETURNS

The final moments of the teaser promo reveal Anna in a psychiatric clinic in France. We have not seen her for months after Cullum, Sidwell and Pascal fed her hallucinogenics to make her believe her arch nemesis, Cesar Faison was alive!

Now, the doctors walk towards her hospital bed, where we see the super spy calmly knitting. Is Anna back to normal and playing everyone to get out of her predicament, or does she still remain deeply traumatized … or both?

Take a look at the rest of the official GH spoilers for the week below.

MONDAY, JUNE 22
Willow gets an unwelcome surprise. Trina sticks to her guns. “Nathan” wants reassurance. Ethan advises Ava. Brook Lynn receives an update.

TUESDAY, JUNE 23
Dante cautions Liz. Laura learns a secret. Brook Lynn confides in Michael. Sonny challenges Ava. Chase makes a decision.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
Anna meets with her doctor. Carly makes a stunning confession. Britt extracts a promise. Cullum pulls a fast one. Gio and Emma hit the pool.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Josslyn clashes with Cassius. Lulu and Dante make a discovery. Chase receives a warning. Jordan seeks help. Alexis is summoned to the PCPD.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Anna takes a huge risk. Britt is in grave danger. Willow is in disbelief. Danny must act fast. Curtis jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Check out the latest General Hospital promo entitled, “Rescue Mission” below.

Now weigh-in: Do you think Anna is still mentally off-balance, or OK, and just pretending to be troubled to get out of France and get back to Port Charles? Will Josslyn finally be rescued, or will Carly and Lucas find themselves locked up with her? And, who will get to Britt and Rocco first? Cullum, or Dante and Lulu? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

General Hospital

Maurice Benard Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’ Writers; Teases Upcoming Sonny Scenes with Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric

Published

on

By

With the highly-anticipated returns of Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) on this week’s June 24 episode of General Hospital, Steve Burton’s (Jason Morgan) upcoming return on July 13, which also serves as the ABC daytime drama’s 16,000 episode, things are about to fire on all cylinders in the story, as noted today by series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos).

On Father’s Day, the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor and mental health activist took to his Instagram and expressed in a video that he has some unbelievable upcoming senes with the aforementioned Burton and Hughes. Add to that Nazneen Contractor (Justine Turner) and Rick Hearst (Ric Lansing), where Benard gave credit where credit is due to the GH writing team, which is led by co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten..

In this video, Benard said, “I just want to get on here and say that I did some work with Steve Burton, Finola Hughes, Rick Hearst, Nazneen Contractor, and they’re all just fantastic. Truly fantastic. But, I want to say the writing was just exceptional. It truly was. It was exceptional. So, thankful for that kind of writing. I know writers don’t get the credit a lot, but I just want to say to the General Hospital writing team, keep rolling!”

GENERAL HOSPITAL PREVIEW

So now the question becomes, with a major tease like that, what is about to go down between Sonny, Anna, Jason, Justine and Ric? Will we finally get to the end of the line for Sidwell (Carlo Rota), as previously teased by the GH co-head writers? Will we learn what happened to Jason and Anna, fully? Will Justine and Sonny becomes closer or stop their liaisons? And what of Ric? Will he be true blue to his brother or double-cross him? There is a lot at stake as we move further into the summer and one that looks like it could be one of the more exciting ones in years!

FINOLA HUGHES CONFIRMED AMAZING SCENES WITH MAURICE BENARD

As a punctuation point to his video, Benard also shared this written message in the post: “I just did some wonderful scenes with Steve Burton, Rick Hearst, Finola Hughes and Nazneen Contractor and  and unbelievable writing, freaking amazing scenes that you will see in the near future on General Hospital.” In fact, Finola Hughes jumped in the post comment thread and responded, “I loved our scenes so much xxx”

Fans will most likely see all the scenes Benard referred to later in July, since GH tapes approximately six weeks ahead of air.

So, are you excited to see what Maurice is talking about? Are you hyped for what’s to come on GH? Any clue on what you think will go down between the main characters on the soap with the returns of Anna Devane and Jason Morgan to the mix? Weigh-in via the comment section below.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Maurice Benard (@mauricebenard)

Continue Reading

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Announces Upcoming Release of His First Single, ‘If You Need Me’

Published

on

By

In a surprise move, Daytime Emmy winner, Chad Duell (ex-Michael Corinthos, GH) is getting ready to unveil a new chapter of his career in music.

The former GH star, where he played the son of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Carly Spencer (Laura Wright) for 15 years, has announced his new single, “If You Need Me” will drop on Friday, June 26. The single is now available for pre-order on Spotify and major music streaming platforms and is distributed by DistroKid.

Taking to his Instagram story over the weekend, to announce the pre-save of his new single, Chad expressed, “I’ll make a full post about what I’ve been up to and my music once it goes live next week, but you can pre-save my first single so it goes straight to your Spotify once it drops next week.”

Photo: CDuellIG

SINCE LEAVING GENERAL HOSPITAL

Previously, since his departure from the ABC soap opera. Chad starred alongside Zach Mendez in the world premiere of of Yum Yum at Annapolis, a new play written by Bruce Reisman. Duell last appeared on General Hospital on the January 21, 2025 episode.

The part was recast with Rory Gibson who debuted as the new Michael in May of 2025 during the Nurses’ Ball episodes and who has remained in the role since that time.

In an interview earlier this year on The Able Show, Duell said on his decision to exit the soap opera, “I was blessed to be part of that (show) for as long as I have, but what happens sometimes is if you’re doing the same thing, especially in a creative field for such a long time, you can get a little burnt out in a way. It can make you a little depressed, so that’s kind of what happened. On top of that, I had other things going on in my life at the time. My father passed away recently and I just needed a reset. So, I stepped away. A lot of times you have to go through some stuff to really step into that next level. I needed to kind of feel uncomfortable.”

So, what type of musical genre will Chad’s new song be? Country? Pop? Rock? Dance/Club? Something else? Let us know your thoughts via the comment section below, and if you are eager to hear the new single next week via the comment section below.

Continue Reading

Video Du Jour

Jonathan Bennett joins the cast of GH as Joe Fitzpatrick. Catch the latest promo! Leave a comment.Leave A Comment

Recent Comments

Power Performance

Finn Carr & Dominic Zamprogna as Rocco & Dante

General Hospital

Airdate: 5-14-2026

Popular

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x