General Hospital
Chris Van Etten Named Co-Head Writer Of General Hospital!
Courtesy/ABC
A current Daytime Emmy Award-winning member of the GH writing team, the talented Chris Van Etten, has been named the new co-head writer of General Hospital working alongside of co head-writer, Shelly Altman.
Outgoing GH co-head writer, Jean Passanante, revealed the co head-writer promotion for Van Etten when answering an inquiry from a GH fan’s tweet on who would be replacing her, since this week marked Jean’s last day at GH. As previously announced by the enduring soap scribe, Jean has decided for now to step away from the soaps and has retired.
In her tweet, Passanante stated: “Shelly will have Chris Van Etten as co-head, and he’s a lifelong fan and brilliant writer.”
Van Etten got his start on the beloved One Life to Live back in 2001 and worked his way up through the ranks to where he was an associate head writer, and breakdown writer and had been with the series all the way through till One Life went off the air.
Chris joined the team at General Hospital then under head writer Ron Carlivati in 2012 and has been there ever since.
So what do you think of Chris Van Etten’s promotion to co head-writer? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
I think it is fantastic! I always love the shows that he has written!
I know nothing about him but I hope that he brings some balance and fresh ideas to the show. Friday’s episode was one of the worst things I have ever had to endure as a loyal fan and avid viewer. It was basically 40 minutes of Sonny in a hole, praising himself endlessly by enumerating the wonderful qualities that his children were lucky enough to have had him pass on to them. It could not have been any funnier if it had been intended as satire, but sadly it was not. I guess that since every other character seems to have done it, all that was left was to have Sonny himself extol his unending list of virtues. Why, the man could be a saint if he wasn’t a murdering thug of a mob boss! So, come on Chris Van Etten – write us out of the current mess of a show we’re being being forced to endure. Long live GH!
Amen!
Thanks for posting this–that Friday’s episode was 40 mins of Sonny. Now I can just delete it off the DVR without bothering to FF through it.
Same thing today, Charday.
I know I sound like a broken record; but, for heaven’s sake!!!!! Sonny went on and on about if he died, he’d, at least, see Morgan. Lordy Lord!! Even if Morgan were dead ( which he isn’t), father and Sonny would never meet in the supernatural sense.
One woukd be “upstairs”, the other underground; Beelzebub’s habitat.
That should read: father and son.
Morgan, Morgan, Morgan! It’s always about Morgan…..
Funny thing is…
Sonny, himself, has killed like 5 Mobsters, that is his kill list ..
It is Jason that did the killing..
At least with Sonny it was always mobster against mobster it was kill or be killed..
Sonny isn’t such a bad assed killing dude that’s Jason..
Sonny actually saved more people from being killed then he killed , weird huh.. lol
Su, Sonny killed AJ for no reason. Just because. No kill or be killed about it. Nah, my friend…..no excuses here.
From what I hear, Sonny and Carly tortured AJ. I am not interested or invested in this couple, so I never bother to delve too much into Sonny’s “past”….nonetheless, I know it’s a notoriously crooked one.
Today’s was the weirdest episode. So, this Stone guy/spirit had to come down from the heavens? ….or wherever; to show Sonny the way out?
He already knew the way out….had actually tried to scale the wall on boxes and barrels. So what was the big deal about this apparition? A big waste of time.
Su, you say, “Sonny actually saved more people from being killed than he actually killed.”
And I say, “Yes, and wouldn’t it be great if he had “saved” people rather than killed anyone? And if he had just been a “shady” character on the edges of crime rather than have been a monster?
I say that would have been better dramatically: he would have had more moral conflicts and been an infinitely more interesting character. “Shades of gray” is always better that “black and white” when dealing with drama. Don’t you agree?
It was a fast forward fest for me. 100% agree.
Saint Sonny isn’t going to die. Regrettably.
If GH hadn’t been so coy about what kind of mobster he is we’d feel very differently. Choices for mobsters include drugs, prostitution, gun running, protection intimidation money, gambling, loan shark, identity theft.. Not the kind of stuff most find acceptable.
Since he’s in imports it would be drugs or guns, right? And Momma Car
Momma Carly, Moral Jason and Cop Son Dante are cool with drugs and or guns?
Fast. Forward.
Tomas- I fast forward through anything Sonny, Carly , and Michael ( when he’s with them) because I’m sick of them. I can’t stomach Michael because he still calls Sonny , dad. Who does that when someone kills your natural father on purpose? Writers, wake up!
Mister Media- You are full of the truth! I’m tired of this uneven writing ; for example, the way Sonny’s daughter talked to Julian when he visited Sam at the hospital. To have Julian not say anything when she talked to him harshly should never have happened . The whole city of Port Charles needs to Wake up and recognize that Sonny is a mobster who has killed many people including A.J. ; unless they’re bringing him back to life. Even Monica doesn’t say anything against Sonny.
LOL
AJ was a bad man, he was worse than most.
AJ was murdering Ava when Sonny entered, AJ stopped the choke and Sonny shot him.. Sonny was pizzedoff and bipolar, but AJ deserved to die cuz he was a creep that shot his father in the back.. LOL
Jason is the all time murder, he has killed more people than any other in soap history and yet he is a loved cold blooded murder, sigh..
Sonny is not as bad as the hysterical mind meld believes, but then again Sonny should never ever be a saint, he is a crime lord..he needs to be bad.
Jason is king of the murders not Sonny ..
@Su0000
I’m not sure if you’re serious, but you might want to go on YouTube and rewatch the AJ/Sonny/Ava confrontation again. AJ did start choking Ava because she framed him for Connie’s murder. He did stop and even if he didn’t, Sonny could have grabbed him off of her or threatened with a gun. AJ was trying to turn his life around. Yes, he threatened Connie, but Ava is the one who killed her and ultimately led to AJ’s demise as well.
If you’re counting murders, Ava was directly responsible for Connie, but could have prevented AJ, Sabrina and Morgan from perishing, too.
I can only hope the Chris guy is under age 50, best yet under age 40..
Young writers are desperately needed ..
I searched and searched.. no information on him (age)
he is from NY and has written a teen book;
Chris Van Etten is a writer for the beloved television show One Life to Live. He is also one third of David Van Etten, the writing team behind the Likely Story series.
Wickedpedia (Point Horror) by Chris Van Etten (2014-06-24)
It’s the return of Point Horror for the Internet generation! Don’t open the door. Don’t answer your phone. And whatever you do, DON’T turn on your computer. . .
Cole and Greg love playing practical jokes through Wikipedia. They edit key articles and watch their classmates crash and burn giving oral reports on historical figures like Genghis Khan, the first female astronaut on Jupiter. So after the star soccer player steals Cole’s girlfriend, the boys take their revenge by creating a Wikipedia page for him, an entry full of outlandish information including details about his bizarre death on the soccer field.
It’s all in good fun, until the soccer player is killed in a freak accident . . . just as Cole and Greg predicted. The uneasy boys vow to leave Wikipedia alone but someone continues to edit articles about classmates dying in gruesome ways . . . and those entries start to come true as well.
To his horror, Cole soon discovers that someone has created a Wikipedia page for him, and included a date of death. He has one week to figure out who’s behind the murders, or else he’s set to meet a pretty grisly end.
Hey Suoo! Maybe the kid who plays Spencer has a classmate who always earned As in sixth grade Language Arts and he can be the new head writer!
hi Harry..
hmm that would be an interesting journey, kid soap writers they may surprise us!
they the gen of video games and transformers and super heros, yup it may well be good a thing..
The Joker in Port charles, I’m for it..
so0000
I’ve said the same thing ; young writers are needed. If they don’t know the show’s history, they can read it.
hi Boop ..
perhaps holding onto 5 decades of old history is what keeps the soaps in the 80’s ..
A new start a new day is what is needed ..
I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt for a few months. It would be interesting to know which stories he’s been involved with the past few years.
Despite many issues near the end, Ron was good at balance among storylines. Jelly have ventured into Guza territory with the primary focus on Sonny (of course that might be the directive from V&V).
What will their mash-up name be? Shellis? Chelly? If it works, I’ll go with SAVE.
Just hope the focus changes quickly. The focus on Sonny is killing the show.
Sounds like business-as-usual with the execs still writing the show and them taking on someone as co-head writer that will tow the line as much as possible. I hope this backfires and he pushes them to do the right thing, but since RC and JP didn’t have any influence beyond a year for RC and six months for JP/SA , I doubt a younger person would have any more sway, probably less.
JMER- You’re probably correct. I loved what Ron was doing ; however, he signed his death warrant when he consequenced Sonny for killing A.J. Somebody didn’t like that.
Ron might have been able to survive the Sonny issue, but Fluke and Denise Demuccio were the final nails in the coffin.
I read JP’s tweets and correct me if wrong but she said, “I am retiring-at least for the time being”-something to that effect. Is that like Steve Burton every time he leaves a show to be with his family in Nashville? I don’t know. Were Jean and Shelley really writing partners like Barbara Essensten and James Harmon Brown-do I have the names right? They were partners it seemed on every show they worked on. I know that when I have a half-empty carton of milk or tub of whatever that has soured-I don’t buy another and then add it to the half-empty one-I toss it out and start fresh. How much of this is really the headwriter and how much is the Exec. Producer or other higher-ups? I wish I knew the inner workings-only to have a clearer idea of the thought process-or lack of it-that goes into these shows. I do not know about Days but Victor is king at Y&R and Sonny at GH-once Luke left. Bold and Beautiful does not have a king-it has a wonderful cast and writing-in my opinion-and all get a turn front and center-and I do love the show-more so than any other and GH was once at the top, for me.
So many of the plots and stories on GH are beyond suspending disbelief- they are like some crazed fool putting together a jigsaw by force-making the pieces fit regardless of their size or shape or towards any conclusion that pays off emotionally for me. Sonny shot and in a hole- there is no angst for me-except how long do we draw this out for? I am hearing Tyler Christopher was just signed by Days-to me huge score for them-huge loss for GH. I hope this new writer -who seems to have a good deal of experience, is well-liked by his peers and I like when one who has paid dues is promoted-but will his status now as co-head writer make any difference or not? How far ahead have they already written? I get all worked-up and frustrated- it seems GH fans are the most vocal and fanatical of all the shows.
The higher-ups all seem very happy with the writing and Sonny centered focus of the show-and I know many are die hard Sonny fans and say no show without him. Luke fans said the same- yet show is still on. I don’t dislike Steve Burton, but not excited for his return, either.
Excellent post.
Oh no, did not know Tyler Christopher was signed onto Days.
Shoot. For me, he’s the only Nikolas Cassadine. He looks and breaths the part perfectly.
I like Nick who subbed for Tyler.
Loved your soured milk analogy, Maureen! That pretty much said it all about the state of GH storylines right now…time to toss out the entire bad carton of whatever and begin afresh!
@Maureen : Tyler Christopher going to DAYS of OUR Lives
just read this on the internet.. as far back as three days ago.
RUMOUR MILL RUMOUR MILL
as was said: he could be Alexander Kiriakis
THE BEST , IS BACK !
can only hope
Cronie of Ron’s do not like it. But he has been in the background on the show for several years so maybe….
Not the name I was expecting, but I do see Chris Van Etten credited often whenever I watch General Hospital, so I can only hope that he can bring some great things to the table. I only hope that it brings a bit more consistency to the serial. I know a lot of people were hoping for Sri Rao to come on board, and while I would’ve been open to that, as well, I am willing to give Van Etten a fighting chance to see how he handles the position as co-head writer, alongside Shelly Altman. Though, I low-key would’ve loved for ABC to lure Lorraine Broderick back as a head writer for a soap opera, despite her not wanting that kind of position again.
Hope he continues to write more and more drama for Genie (Laura). She takes the crumbs that she is given and milks them. (Sorry to mix metaphors–lol. Maybe I should have said that “she takes the crumbs that are given her and soaks in them.–LOL)
Nancy- I hope Chris can stop everyone from going into the rooms of patients and threatening them; Sonny with Ava , Carly with Oscar, Dante with everybody. If someone went into my family member’s room as they do, a complaint would be filed everyday. However, not with the Port Charles Dept. because they’re all incompetent.; even, Jay. They’re not fair officers because they only help the ones who are their friends; people such as : Valentin , Julian , Ava, Nelle , Franco and anyone who’s not Sonny’s friend or relative doesn’t stand a prayer!
TOUPS, I WANT THE SOAP OPERA RATINGS FROM JULY 17-21 NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I still would like to know which age bracket Chris is in..
And- with Shelly and FV the leaders not much will change.
I’m hoping for good results. I’ll refrain from further comment for now…except for one thing. Why on God’s green earth are nearly all of the characters saying “what if” in the vast majority of their lines? This type of writing/dialogue is nerve-wracking to me. It’s tired. It’s unimaginative. It’s lazy. It needs to stop.
Oh good, more OLTL stunt casting!
The show needs to return to its roots. I mean can we get awesome wsb plots. Danger mystery intrigue action adventure… Against all odds storytelling
ahh yes, return to the Real GH..
the GH that was unique and stood alone among all the other soaps with its own identity unlike all the other soaps..
GH the Not Traditional Soap, the soap on the edge.
That GH needs to rise in its exciting glory!
Im not sure why more Fans dont ask for this explicitly
Everyone gets so caught up on the characters and what actor they do or dont like… I bet a number of new characters would work perfectly if the show put them in the harrowing situations from the 80s. The cast is there. I wish Gh wss more like Days of Our lives.
I think they should have scouted around for someone fresh who understand the genre and has even a mild grip on who the loyal viewers are and what they expect and want from a soap opera
And has a knowledge of the history of general hospital and it’s MAIN characters
This is a promotion from within the ranks of the current writing team, so anyone who expects so see a different show when Chris takes over duties with Shelly will be disappointed. Plus, with all the meddling from higher-up executives, story direction and creative control is seldom in the sole hands of the writers anymore. It’s frustrating for fans because GH doesn’t feel like GH anymore, and if they hired a brand new writing team with fresh ideas and let them tell the stories they want to tell, I have no doubt we would love GH again.
It’s funny; Lauren Koslow recently said DAYS has “found its path again” with Ron C taking over as writer, and the two weeks of his shows that have aired so far have shown a marked improvement. I felt the same way when Ron took over at GH too. Hopefully they can find someone who can restore GH’s path because it’s been hardly recognizable for years.
It seems shows always bring in a new writer right after irreparable damage has been done to a show. There are now so many cold blooded murderers running around Port Charles that it’s hard to like or sympathize with so many characters. Ava, Julian, Sonny, Jason, Anna, the rumored departing Obrecht, Alexis (in a way), even those who killed in when being fired upon (Sam) or trying to defend someone (Michael). And of course, Valentin. They need to bring back Nicholas so that Valentin can be softened and not made a murderer, and so Genie Francis and Marci Rylan don’t go into conniption fits every time they see him. Burning and disfiguring Ava is not going to make anyone more sympathetic to her character, she still has to pay for the number of characters she has killed off. Also, if I were Monica, I’d still be revolted by Sonny for killing my son, despite Monica apparently falling for the excuse that Ava goaded him into it, and taking out her vengeance on Ava by getting her to donate a painting to the Nurses Ball. It is ridiculous that all the characters have to act friendly and concerned to unpunished murderers who killed members of their family or lovers. I also hate the fact that lazy writers find it easier to kill of a character than creatively writing them out of the show. Budig’s character had such wonderful potential but they are rushing into this end-times scenario that appears the character will be written out forever. I don’t know how much of a back lash there has been (but the mantra, “anything for Steve Burton” takes precedence), but throwing her under the bus with two years on her contract (unless of course she has been a negative force on set and has been making life miserable for all the other cast members) pains a lot of viewers. I thought Michael Sutton did a terrific job. But the decimation of the Quartermaines really started GH on its path to ruin and too much emphasis on cold blooded murder performed by characters we are supposed to love has hastened its demise. Hasn’t anyone told ABC that The Sopranos went off the air and shows like the Good Fight (or Wife) or This Is Us are the shows that are attracting audiences today.
Queerbec -I agree with most of what you’re saying; however ,Julian and Ava are very weak mobsters who don’t fit in the same category as hardnosed Sonny . Yet, I will say that all bad behavior should be consequenced regardless as to who it is.
OMG!!!!!! WOW!!!! Hmmmmm!!!
Above reply is for Queerbecca.
He is under 40.
I’m hoping that Steve and Rebecca will be reunited and let Kelly continue to be with Billy. I never been a Jasam fan and for the fans of Liz and Jason we should finally get to see that. Why bring Steve back to focus on just Sam? Sam has her Jason, let Liz have her Jason especially for the fans who are not on the Jasam bandwagon!
Beyond the Gates
53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Announced: ‘The Young and the Restless’ Tops With 18, ‘Beyond the Gates’ With 16
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the full list of nominees for the upcoming 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards, and it was CBS daytime’s The Young and the Restless and broadcast television newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates that racked up the most nominations with 18 and 16, respectively.
The full reveal on Tuesday follows the announcement of several major categories including Lead Actor and Actress on Monday via Extra and Entertainment Tonight and The View today revealing Daytime Drama Series and more.
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmys ceremony is set to take place on Friday, October 30 at the historic Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California.
Photo: CBS
In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS expressed, “We’re proud to honor the extraordinary talent and creative teams whose work continues to define and elevate daytime television, As the Daytime landscape evolves and new forms of storytelling emerge, we remain committed to recognizing the innovation happening across the industry.”
“Each year, the Daytime Emmy Awards celebrate the creativity, passion, and dedication that drive this vibrant community of storytellers,” said Rachel Schwartz, Head of the Daytime Emmy Awards. “Congratulations to this year’s nominees, whose work continues to entertain, inspire and connect with audiences every day. We look forward to celebrating their remarkable achievements in Hollywood this October.”
The Daytime Emmy Awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Honoree, Gold & Silver Circle Inductees, and ceremony host will be announced at a later date.
Now below, check out the nominees in the daytime drama, talk show, entertainment news series and creative arts categories and congratulations to all!
Photo: JPI
Outstanding Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Stacy Haiduk (as Kristen DiMera), Days of Our Lives
Karla Mosley (as Dani Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Michelle Stafford (as Phyllis Summers), The Young and the Restless
Heather Tom (as Katie Logan), The Bold and the Beautiful
Tamara Tunie (as Anita Williams Dupree), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Eric Braeden (as Victor Newman), The Young and the Restless
Steve Burton (as Jason Morgan), General Hospital
Scott Clifton (as Liam Spencer), The Bold and the Beautiful
Thorsten Kaye (as Ridge Forrester), The Bold and the Beautiful
Christian Jules Le Blanc (as Michael Baldwin), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
Linsey Godfrey (as Sarah Horton), Days of Our Lives
Camryn Grimes (as Mariah Copeland), The Young and the Restless
Beth Maitland (as Traci Abbott), The Young and the Restless
Trisha Mann-Grant (as Leslie Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Amanda Setton (as Brook Lynn Quartermaine), General Hospital
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
Sean Dominic (as Nate Hastings), The Young and the Restless
Timon Kyle Durrett (as Bill Hamilton), Beyond the Gates
Michael Graziadei (as Daniel Romalotti), The Young and the Restless
Roger Howarth (as Matt Clark), The Young and the Restless
Mike Manning (as Bradley “Smitty” Smith), Beyond the Gates
Lawrence Saint-Victor (as Carter Walton), The Bold and the Beautiful
Outstanding Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series
Braedyn Bruner (as Emma Scorpio-Drake), General Hospital
Al Calderon (as Javier Hernandez), Days of Our Lives
Alice Halsey (as Rachel Black), Days of Our Lives
Giovanni Mazza (as Gio Palmieri), General Hospital
Ambyr Michelle (as Eva Thomas), Beyond the Gates
Arielle Prepetit (as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne), Beyond the Gates
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series
Jasmine Burke (as June Hughes), Beyond the Gates
Jeff Kober (as Cyrus Renault), General Hospital
Eva LaRue (as Natalia Rogers-Ramirez), General Hospital
Christopher Sean (as Paul Narita), Days of Our Lives
Ray Wise (as Ian Ward), The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Beyond the Gates
The Bold and the Beautiful
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
Outstanding Directing Team for a Daytime Drama Series
Days of Our Lives
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Casting for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates
General Hospital
The Young and the Restless
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series
3rd Hour of TODAY
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Live With Kelly and Mark
TODAY With Jenna & Friends
The View
Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host
Joy Behar, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Farah Griffin, Sara Haines, Sunny Hostin & Ana Navarro, The View
Kelly Clarkson, The Kelly Clarkson Show
Tamron Hall, Tamron Hall
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Outstanding Entertainment News Series
Access Hollywood
Entertainment Tonight
Extra
Outstanding Daytime Personality (Daily)
Mona Kosar Abdi, Derek Hough & Terri Seymour, Extra
Cassie DiLaura, Denny Directo, Kevin Frazier, Rachel Smith & Nischelle Turner, Entertainment Tonight
Scott Evans, Zuri Hall, Kit Hoover & Mario Lopez, Access Hollywood
Star Jones & Corey Jovan, Divorce Court
Outstanding Arts and Popular Culture Program
Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood — An Entertainment Tonight Special
Off Script With The Hollywood Reporter
Variety & CNN Actors on Actors
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
Working In the Theatre
Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Daytime
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
Have Guitar Will Travel World
The Kelly Clarkson Show Episode 5033
Let Frankie Cook,” Getting the Band Back Together
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Outstanding Technical Direction and Video for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 104
The Bold and the Beautiful,” Episode 9511
Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
The Jennifer Hudson Show, ” Episode 4041
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”
Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup for a Daytime Program
Beyond the Gates, Episode 103
General Hospital, Episode 15719
The Kelly Clarkson Show,” Episode 5033
The Young and the Restless,” Episode 13273
So, what do you think of the 53rd annual Daytime Emmy nominations? Who are you happy to see receive a nomination and who do you think was snubbed? Weigh-in via the comment section.
General Hospital
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Shares Reaction to His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy Nomination, ‘It Was to Honor Leslie Charleson’
The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominations kicked-off on Monday with the announcements of four major categories including, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series — Actor, and among the nominees is General Hospital’s Steve Burton (Jason Morgan).
Burton is already a two-time Daytime Emmy winner in the Supporting Actor category for his roles as GH’s Jason and his turn as Dylan McAvoy on Y&R. However, Steve is yet to win in the Lead Actor category and he has received 11 nominations along the way in his daytime career.
Following the reveal that he is a 2026 Daytime Emmy nominee, he and his GH co-star, podcast co-host and comedy show partner, Bradford Anderson (Spinelli) taped a special edition of their That’s Awesome podcast just featuring Burton’s reaction to the news.
Photo: JPI
FOR LESLIE CHARLESON
Steve expressed, “I know it’s such a cliche to say, ‘I’m just so honored to be nominated.’ But truly, I’m so grateful to be nominated, so grateful to just be on the show off and on for 30 plus years and to be nominated with the guys in my category. Just to get the opportunity. Frank (Valentini, executive producer, GH) texted me right away. I was just like, ‘Thank you for the opportunity to get to do what I do.'”
Taking in the moment, Burton thanked those who helped him select the material for his nominated reel. “Unless you win, you don’t get to say things. So. I’m going just say a few things: Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) helped me a lot with the material, (as did) Michelle Henry, who’s a producer on the show, Laura Wright (Carly, GH), and then my wife Michelle (Lundstrom). I believe it was Jill Phelps who told me that when A Martinez felt like he had a great show or great scenes, he would mark it down. So, when Emmy time comes, you have all the show numbers written down, and you don’t have to think about it, because that’s half the battle (finding the material).
Burton explained how meaningful this nomination is for him, because of playing the scenes of Jason losing Monica, and his closeness with the late, great Leslie Charleson.
“The nomination’s an amazing thing, and it’s beautiful, but really it’s to honor Leslie Charleson. A lot of my material was because of her, and how I started on the show as a Quartermaine, it just means a ton,” shared Burton. “Maurice Benard (Sonny, GH) has obviously has been instrumental, and I’ve said it from day one and I’ll shout it from the rooftops. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here, and to be working with the people that we work with is incredible.”
Photo: JPI
SHOULD JOHN OLIVER BE NAMED HOST OF THE DAYTIME EMMYS?
During the end of his conversation with Anderson, Steve suggested that the host of the Daytime Emmy should be Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver, who recently guest starred as the head of the WSB named Z on General Hospital, and is soon to show up on Days of Our Lives in a mystery role in August.
Thus far, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has not revealed their host for the upcoming ceremony to be held on October 30 in a venue to be named in Hollywood, California.
You can watch Steve sharing his reaction to receiving his 2026 Lead Actor Daytime Emmy nomination below on a special segment on the That’s Awesome podcast.
Now let us know, are you glad that Steve chose scenes surrounding Jason mourning the loss of the woman that raised him, Monica Quartermaine for his Emmy reel? What do you think of John Oliver as a suggestion to host the Daytime Emmys? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason Reconnects with Danny; Tristan Roberts Arrives in Port Charles, Lots of Nods to #16
General Hospital’s 16,000th episode was packed with little reminders through points in today’s script that the ABC daytime drama series has set another milestone and it paved the way for the return of fan favorite and newly nominated Daytime Emmy Lead Actor nominee Steve Burton (Jason Morgan). The 16,000th episode also introduced viewers to the new surgeon in Port Charles Dr. Tristan Roberts played by Dean Geyer.
Here are the key takeaways and what went down on the July 13 episode: Tristan and Jason are seated next to each other on a plane heading to Port Charles. Throughout the flight, a beaten up Jason has flashbacks to being thrown into, and being held captive in a cell and tortured. It appears Jason is suffering from some form of PTSD from what he was put through after being dragged out of Port Charles by the WSB months ago.
As the plane prepares to land, Tristan tells Jason there would be a car waiting for him once they land and to enjoy the rest of his life. Later, Tristan arrives at the nurses and doctors hub at GH and approaches Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst). He tells her his name and that he is the new surgeon on staff.
Photo: ABC
A REUNION PLUS A HEAD NURSE DEFENDS SONNY
Meanwhile, at the end of the episode, Jason is outside the Quartermaine boathouse looking bewildered when he runs into Danny (Asher Antonyzyn), who is so thrilled to see his father, and the two hugs each other as tears are shed.
Elsewhere, Elizabeth tells Sonny (Maurice Benard) that he thinks its a great idea for him to get the 16th seat on the hospital board, but when it comes times to convince Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) of that, things go awry when Tracy, Laura and Sonny try to work things out. After Tracy launches into Sonny about killing Alan and Monica’s son AJ, Sonny walks away dejected.
Next, Sonny runs into Elizabeth, where he informs her what happened with Tracy. So what’s a head nurse to do? Elizabeth marches into the conference room and reminds Tracy of all the different donations and ways Sonny has contributed to the hospital from the Stone Cates AIDS wing, to the Michael Corinthos Center for Pediatric Head Injuries as well as his constant support each year for the GH Nurses’ Ball.
Courtesy/ABC
WSB WAR SCARS
Then, in one of the best parts for longtime fans of the series, Elizabeth talks about her legendary grandparents, Audrey and Steve Hardy and she tells Tracy they would have wanted Sonny to have a seat on the board for all the good that he has done for the hospital. After Elizabeth states Sonny’s case, things took a turn and Tracy and Sonny wound up shaking hands as Sonny is board member #16.
In the how great was it to see Anna (Finola Hughes) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) together scenes department, the pick-up of last Friday’s cliffhanger is played out as the two former lovers fill each other in on what has gone down in their lives in the last several months including Valentin admitting he had been living in Carly’s attic, and Anna realizing she was kidnapped by Cullum, Sidwell and Cassius Faison. During their conversation, Anna sees the hallucination of Peter August (Wes Ramsey) right while Valentin is standing there.
Courtesy/ABC
Later Anna was on her way to saying goodbye to Valentin, when the two share an emotional hug. After Valentin made his exit, Peter reappeared and warned Anna to not let Valentin distract her because she has important work to do. Anna answers, “I know.”
So, what did you think of General Hospital’s 16,000 episode? What do you think is wrong with Jason? What is the important “work” that Anna has to do? Were you glad to see Sonny get a seat on the hospital board, or not so much. Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, check out the scenes on Jason and Tristan’s long flight to Port Charles.
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