General Hospital
Could General Hospital end up as a primetime Summer Series?
Courtesy/ABC
There is a report out this evening from TV Guide, that is saying that while General Hospital may get the ax later this year in the daytime to make room for Katie Couric’s new syndicated talk show that the alphabet network may be looking into other scenarios to keep the show on the air in primetime!
According to TVG, “One scenario being discussed has the drama continuing as a short-run prime-time summer series, similar to Spanish-language networks’ telenovelas. Even if the cost of production doubled over the typical soap budget (around $200,000 per episode), a nighttime version of GH would still be inexpensive for an original scripted show.”
Perhaps, what they really should be doing is keeping GH on the air in the daytime and doing a summer series to bring more eyeballs to it in the daytime, so the soap doesn’t go away all together? Whatever the case, new creative heads, Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati are plotting big returns for GH with Robert, Anna and Holly and bringing John McBain and the Mannings over from OLTL, be it long or short term to try and drive up the ratings and invigorate the ailing lone ABC soap.
What do you think about a primetime GH telenovela style arc? Let us know!
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob
This week on all-new episodes of General Hospital, new and old motivations come into play with dangerous consequences. According to the just released GH video spoilers video for the week of August 3-7, a bailiff calls out, “All rise!”
Now it’s Isaiah (Sawandi Wilson) vs. Curtis (Donnell Turner), as the surgeon is suing the owner of the Savoy for assault that ruined is ability to operate. At the end of the day, which of these men has enough evidence against the other? Portia (Brook Kerr) is by Isaiah’s side, while Jordan (Tanisha Harper) is with Curtis.
Next, Lucy (Lynn Herring) has a plan to get the controlling shares of Deception away from Michael (Rory Gibson). She wants her daughter, Serena (Kelly Kruger) to seduce Michael. She tells her, “Pick out your most seductive suit.” Soon, we see Serena in her bathing suit at the Metro Court face to face with Michael.
Later, there is a small baggie containing three blue pills. Nina (Cynthia Watros) ask Willow (Katelyn MacMullen), “What did you do?” We also see Michael asking the same thing of Jacinda (Paige Herschell). Leading into this week, viewers know that Willow doesn’t want the former escort anywhere near her children, Amelia and Wiley. Is this how she stops her, or is Jacinda up to old tricks and wants to frame Willow? Remember when Jacindsa drugged Drew (Cameron Mathison)? Stay tuned.
Finally, in the pick-up from last Friday’s cliffhanger, an emotional Jason (Steve Burton) continues to tell Sonny (Maurice Benard) that he cannot work for him anymore. Sonny ask, “So that’s it? You’re Out?” We fade to black.
Take a look at the official GH spoilers for the week below.
MONDAY, AUGUST 3
Jason makes a sacrifice for Danny. Elizabeth becomes privy to a secret. Carly is touched. Valentin has a warning for Nina. Josslyn cautions Brennan.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
Brook Lynn and Chase celebrate a milestone. Trina gets an earful. Carly’s plan backfires. Curtis is skeptical. Michael is anxious about his family’s’ future.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
Sonny wants answers. Ava is struck with inspiration. Curtis’ trial begins. Brook Lynn wrestles with a big decision. Lucy and Serena scheme.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 6
Sonny makes a stunning announcement. Serena makes her move. Willow faces a new threat. Isaiah takes the stand. Lucy questions Laura.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7
Josslyn is taken aback. Ava courts a new ally. Jordan and Anna catch up. Isaiah vents to Lucas and Elizabeth. Michael questions Jacinda.
Check out the latest ABC promo for General Hospital entitled, “What Did You Do?” below.
Now weigh-in: Do you think GH is about to pair Serena with Michael? Is it curtains for Jacinda? Can anyone stop Willow once and for all, or make her pay for her crimes? What will Jason do without Sonny and the mob? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
General Hospital Fan Club Weekend brought out many of your favorites to the four day event; with the main cast gathering on Saturday, August 1. Fans near and far attended the weekend held this year at the Burbank Marriott Hotel. Whether it be the main cast event or the smaller more intimate events featuring two or three cast members a great time was had by all.
Some of the cast participating in the main cast event included: Cyrus Hobbi (Yuri), Gary James Fuller (James), Bradford Anderson (Spinelli), Viron Weaver (Wiley), Paige Herschell (Jacinda), Chris McKenna (Brennan), Josh Kelly (Cody), Kayden Brenna Tokarsi (Scout), Cassandra James (Terry), Laura Wright (Carly), Dominic Zamprogna (Dante), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), Rick Hearst (Ric), Adrian Anchondo (ex-Marco), and Chloe Lanier (ex-Nelle).
In addition to, Van Hansis (Lucas), Cameron Mathison (Drew), Ryan Paevey (ex-Cassius), Easton Rocket Sweda (Leo), Maurice Benard (Sonny), Kristen Vaganos (Molly), Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis), Kate Mansi (ex-Kristina), Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth), Cynthia Watros (Nina), Kristina Wagner (Felicia) and more.
Take a look at some of the snaps from the main event arrivals below:
Photo: HutchinsPhoroi
GH’s Rick Hearst with on-screen daughter, Kristen Vaganos, plus Nancy Lee Grahn, and Kate Mansi.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Maurice Benard on-hand to meet the fans.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto.com
Jack Brennan in the house … Chris McKenna.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Adrian Anchondo, Van Hansis and Anchondo’s boyfriend, Days of Our Lives, Colton Little.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
GH’s Josh Kelly and his gal, the former Nelle Benson of Port Charles, Chloe Lanier.
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
Who is James’ father? Not Cassius or Spinelli, actually. Actors Gary James Fuller, Ryan Paevey and Bradford Anderson!
Photo: HutchinsPhoto
One of General Hospital’s newest cast members, Kayden Brenna Tokarski attends her first GHFCW event.
Check out some more arrival images featuring: Laura Wright (Carly), Cassandra James (Terry), Carolyn Hennesy (Diane) and more in the gallery below.
Michael Fairman TV will be adding more images to this post in the day ahead.
So, were you glad to see so many of your GH favorites attending this year’s General Hospital Fan Club Weekend? Let us know via the comment section.
General Hospital
Vincent Pastore of ‘Sopranos’ Fame and ‘General Hospital’s’ Maximus Giambetti Dies at 80
Vincent Pastore, best known for his memorable role as Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on HBO’s The Sopranos has passed away.
The veteran actor was found dead on August 1st in his home in the Bronx, New York. Pastore was 80-years-old. The cause of death is yet to be determined.
As well as his role on The Sopranos, many soap fans will recall he played multiple smaller roles on the beloved One Life to Live from 1995 and 2004. However, in 2008, he landed the short-term role as Maximus Giambetti on General Hospital.
PASTORE WANTED TO BE ON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Maximus was the mobster father of Sonny Corinthos’ (Maurice Benard) bodyguards: Max (Derk Cheetwood) and Milo (Drew Cheetwood)
According to Soap Opera Digest, Pastore told Soaps In Depth back in 2009, after appearing in a SOAPnet promotional campaign as a celebrity fan of General Hospital: “‘I’d love to be on the show. So they called up GH’s casting director (Mark Teschner) and Bobby (Robert Guza Jr. ex-head writer, GH) and they wrote me in!”
Pastore was a huge General Hospital fan from way back, who at one point told producers that he would watch the ABC soap opera while working in bars and nightclubs in the 70s and 80s.
Throughout his decades long career, Pastore appeared in films including: Goodfellas, Carlito’s Way and Men of Respect, The Jerky Boys: The Movie and the 1996 HBO TV movie Gotti.
In TV, besides The Sopranos, Pastore’s credits included: Law & Order, The Practice, Son of the Beach, Queens Supreme, Hawaii Five-0, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, plus the miniseries The Last Don II. Most recently, Vincent was a series regular on Gravesend and guest starred on Yellowjackets.
Pastore is survived by his daughter, Renee, son-in-law and granddaughter.
Share your remembrances and condolences for Vincent Pastore on his memorable role on ‘The Sopranos’ and his time on ‘General Hospital’ via the comment section below.
Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun Written Out of The Young and the Restless
Rosie O’Donnell Says She Will Return to ‘The View’ During its Season 30
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night Two: Top 5 Takeaways
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob
‘General Hospital’ Fan Club Weekend 2026 (Photos)
GH Alum Nicholas Alexander Chavez Lands Role in Paramount’s Remake of ‘Possession’
‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reveals His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy-Nominated Reel Did Not Contain Monica’s Funeral
‘General Hospital’ Ethan Lovett Recast: Christian Howard Replaces Nathan Dean
‘General Hospital’ Alum Colin Cassidy to Appear in Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan Lovett Hightails Out of the Country, Christian Howard Wraps His Stint
Lucas Adams and Tamara Braun Written Out of The Young and the Restless
Rosie O’Donnell Says She Will Return to ‘The View’ During its Season 30
WWE SummerSlam 2026 Night Two: Top 5 Takeaways
GENERAL HOSPITAL Preview: Serena Sets Her Sights on Michael; Jason’s Emotional Exit from the Mob
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Preview: Katie is Suspicious of Dylan and Warns Will, Steffy Takes Off to Monaco
-
General Hospital5 days agoGH Alum Nicholas Alexander Chavez Lands Role in Paramount’s Remake of ‘Possession’
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’s’ Steve Burton Reveals His Lead Actor Daytime Emmy-Nominated Reel Did Not Contain Monica’s Funeral
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Ethan Lovett Recast: Christian Howard Replaces Nathan Dean
-
General Hospital1 week ago‘General Hospital’ Alum Colin Cassidy to Appear in Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’
-
General Hospital3 days agoGENERAL HOSPITAL: Ethan Lovett Hightails Out of the Country, Christian Howard Wraps His Stint
-
News5 days ago‘The Young and the Restless’ Names New Co-Head Writers: Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor
-
News6 days agoY&R’s Billy Flynn and Gina Comparetto Reveal Birth of Their Third Child and It’s a Girl!
-
News5 days agoErika Slezak to Celebrate 80th Birthday; How Fans Can Share a Special Memory and Message to the Soap Opera Icon
Don’t like it. I want for General Hospital to remain on abc Daytime. Waiting an entire year for a short Summer prime time version doesn’t do much for me.
Although OLTL was by far my favorite soap on ABC, it is now a thing of the past. But GH isn’t and it’s not too late to save it. It’s time for OLTL and GH fans to put their differences aside and to join forces to save General Hospital.
I’m calling out all OLTL fans, GH fans as well as Y&R/B&B/DAYS fans to boycott The Revolution like the plague and to support General Hospital by watching it live on ABC as much as possible (if possible, avoid the DVD or online thing). I know that General Hospital isn’t exactly the best soap right now, but it needs our help and it’s time to save it and prevent this cancellation trend that has completely wiped out the NY soaps to infiltrate itself on the LA soaps.
Because if General Hospital gets canceled, you can be sure that these anti-soap executives won’t stop it there and will go after the three remaining soaps until they have succeeded in fully killing a genre that has existed since the 1930s .
So let us, ALL soap opera fans, join force to save General Hospital and
show these bigwig network executives that soap operas are still a viable business in 2012.
I am with you but HOW does anyone know if we watch live on ABC or on DVR, DVD, VCR or online? HOW DOES ANYONE KNOW THAT? I will gladly watch it live if I know how this matters & will help things! Thanks
unless you are a Neilson home, watching it live means nothing. The best thing right now, as per Raven Beauty’s blog, is to watch it at abc.com on your pc or mibile device. She has heard from a reliable source that abc is monitoring online viewing of GH right now. For what purpose? nobody knows but still-anything to help. DVD watching only counts if the info is requested from the cable company (which it rarely is and still only for a week after airing) I dont know anyone who has a Neilson monitoring system, so I will dvr it as I normally so and also watch online at night, even if it’s just in the background, while I check e-mails.
Heather: This is a wonderful post but you have to continue to keep posting THIS POST. Because people dont get it. If they don’t stop with which show is better and which should be cancelled, there will be no more GH., period. Please continue to POST this same post. Save it and copy past t in your email so that U can go back to it and re-post it. Hopefully, your post will take fire and people will see that we need to rally together. Continue to fight for the genre by saving GH., at the same time we must still do all the things we were doing before OLTL got cancelled (sending soap, petitions on Facebook, boycotte cable get a Dish, call /write Disney and abc) in hopes of getting it restored elsewhere.
Absolutely! I couldn’t agree more. I am also not watching ANY ABC shows, except for GH. In the morning, I now watch the Today show on NBC instead of GMA that I watched for years. The afternoons I turn to CBS, as they still have two soaps Y&R, BB, then turn to ABC for GH. I autotune my satellite, so the channels will change even if I’m not at home ( I keep the tv on for my cats when not at home). I’m only watching shows on networks that still run soaps in the daytime. I think we soap fans need to give our support to the remaining soaps on the air even if we never watched those soaps before. That’s what I’m doing even though I never watched BB or Days before now. I too urge you all to do the same if you can.
I’d prefer it to stay in the daytime as is, but at this point, I’ll take my stories any way I can get them.
That’s true, I’d rather have it part time than never.
Why did not think of this for AMC and OLTL?!!!
For me, GH was the targeted soap to save in the first place and the save AMC & OLTL was a smoke screen and slap in the face to fans who participated.
same here-better some of the time, than not at all!
Why not bring OLTL back as a primetime summer run show while they’re at it.
I wish they would just leave our soaps alone, they have done more than enough damage! Let us recover from our latest losses…seriously!!!
So after all the whining about how expensive Soaps are and that is the reason they have to go – now they say Soaps are cheap compared to Prime Time shows? I always thought the expense excuse was a lot of bunk.
Yes, but will there be as many Virgin Marys hanging on the wall? I like my novellas authentic.
Right now I need the patience to wait for Frank & Ron to work some magic. Today’s GH was awful !
It has gotten so bad that when the scene was going on with Tracey & Anthony I was gringing at his voice & demeanor…. Hate this. Hurry up and dump these awful storylines. Then advertise on prime time who’s back, especially on Wednesday & Thursday nites with their best lineups. I cannot believe not having
One life today I turned off GH. Do we really need to deal with a new messed up kid thrown into the mix……really?
Oh how I agree. Every day I turn GH on & TRY to watch, every day I turn it off in disgust. I cannot stand Anthony & Tracy, I mean really. And I when I saw the new angry kid, I turned it off then.
Another example-Friday, I think it was, I turned it on at 2:00-first thing was Ethan kissing that girl, I turned it off-it is hard to invest in a story when you know the character is leaving.
At 2:30 I checked again-there is Sam with big tears in her eyes & Jason looking sick-what’s new here-turned it off.
At the end of the show checked again & there is Sonny getting either shot or blown up AGAIN. Turned it off. I am trying but this poor show needs a total overhaul-I mean clean house & start over, it is so bad. And to think OLTL is gone.
I would rather for The Revolution to tank so that GH takes its timeslot in September.
Although OLTL was by far my favorite soap on ABC, it is now a thing of the past. But GH isn’t and it’s not too late to save it. It’s time for OLTL and GH fans to put their differences aside and to join forces to save General Hospital.
I’m calling out all OLTL fans, GH fans as well as Y&R/B&B/DAYS fans to boycott The Revolution like the plague and to support General Hospital by watching it live on ABC as much as possible (if possible, avoid the DVD or online thing). I know that General Hospital isn’t exactly the best soap right now, but it needs our help and it’s time to save it and prevent this cancellation trend that has completely wiped out the NY soaps to infiltrate itself on the LA soaps.
Because if General Hospital gets canceled, you can be sure that these anti-soap executives won’t stop it there and will go after the three remaining soaps until they have succeeded in fully killing a genre that has existed since the 1930s .
So let us, ALL soap opera fans, join force to save General Hospital and
show these bigwig network executives that soap operas are still a viable business in 2012.
A primetime summer series? Sounds to me like an even easier way to get rid of GH once and for all. I can see it now. Well we took it from daytime and put it on primetime, but the ratings were not what we would like. Might as well cancel it in favor of another reality show … after only a handful of episodes. That is what ABC does.
What GH, and while we are at it, OLTL, AMC, GL, ATWT, PC, Loving/The City, etc., all the cancelled shows and those remaining need is to go to their OWN network, like the CW, or even HULU – they just started their own original programming. I would be willing to pay a subscription fee to watch QUALITY television again.
What sort of damage control is this? We can all see through this. The show is getting cancelled, one way or another.
As soon as Ron’s material starts airing, I’ll be watching GH. Not before.
how would it work? i just can’t see it.
I’m almost done with GH, so boring lately, how dumb is this ghostly gal running around, to broad of storylines, get back to the main players and thier issues, the more you add the less focus. I would rather read this then watch GH now.
ABC needs to STOP with the insanity!!!! Enough is enough, leave GH alone and get rid of these stupid live talk shows that air on every channel everyday all day. Cheap Cheap Cheap is what ABC has become and I’m ready to boycott all together. They can afford the one last soap on the network and put alot into it to make it successful. Kaitie Couric wasn’t successful as a primetime news anchor and she won’t do any better as a talk show host. Wake Up ABC before you lose all of your remaining viewers to other networks.
Amen! KC is not the deal!!
I’m being driven to whatever it is that my mother watches on TNT all day.
Ron should hit the ground running. Entice the OLTL viewers to want to give GH a try. He is already alienating the Jolie fanbase by ignoring Melissa Archer going over with Michael Easton to GH. Wouldn’t take much for die hard fans to follow. Instead of treating GH’s cancellation as a done deal, do what it takes to save it!
They tried this format (televovelas) with Port Charles. 13 week story arcs. So where is Port Charles now?
Exactly! Why would they do this, when they’ve tried it before? And why wasn’t this an option that was even considered for OLTL……which is my opinion was the best soap on tv, and deserved to be saved. Although, putting a daytime soap in the primetime line-up is a sure fire way to make sure it gets cancelled. If the 2.5 – 3 million viewers isn’t enough in daytime, then why would it be enough for primetime? Not to mention, as of March 2012, Soapnet will be a thing of the past. Running the soaps exclusively on Soapnet would have been better than canceling all of the soaps. Hell, the network is called Soapnet, so why not just feature AMC, OLTL & GH on that network? That way the fans get to see their shows, and the network can run their lousy talk shows during the day on the regular network channel. Soapnet should have been a ground-breaking network that featured all the shows that we love, and also could have been the forum to start up new original soap series. Instead of running repeats of O.C, Beverly Hills 90210 & Gilmore Girls. Ryan’s Hope, Generations, Another World, As The World Turns, Santa Barbara, Guiding Light, Sunset Beach…..I mean, it’s not like they didn’t have a bevy of shows to run on the network. We soap fans our fanatical about our shows, and I know that if they were to run all of the programs that I listed above, they would surely have an audience to tune in. I for one, miss Generations & Sunset Beach….and they haven’t been on for years.
Seems to me, they don’t have the right people in charge….cause the people in charge don’t know how to think outside of the box.
I am confused. Should the ratings jump for GH, and they will, why move it anywhere? Is Katie, Revolution, Chew that high in ratings??
If the show is good, bringing in viewers, can’t another network pick it up?
I am not a telenovela fan. I like daytime drama and its legacy characters and histories. Seems as though B&B is that sort of telenovela with its stop-and-start plotting and character assassinations. Just not my thing.
Would love the focus to be on daytime and keeping that genre special and unique. Moving GH to summer primetime does not solve a problem. The strongest primetime offerings seems to languish during summer months so I would expect GH to do the same.
One day someone decided daytime drama was beginning to fail and ignored warning signs or failed to do right the ship. As a result, we have lost so much wonderful entertainment in favor of glossy personalities who offer self-improvement hints my parents and vets like Heloise have shared for years.
That someone was Brian Frons. Several actors have spoken of his dislike of the genre and how it’s fans meant nothing to him. So he is leaving abc come the end of January. Big deal. The damage has been done. He is also responisble for the mess SoapNet has become. Before his reign SoapNet had great original programming; like Soap Talk, One Day With in addition to running old soaps like Another World, Ryans Hope, Dallas, Dynasty etc. etc… He took over and gave us The OC twice a day, 90210 three times a day and Gilmore Girls. The same stuff over and over. But that seems to be the way Disney does things as anyone who has kids will tell you. (How many times have you seen the same episodes of Good Luck Charlie or Wizards of Waverly Place?) It was the fans of abc daytime who pushed Oprah to the top. She ran after GH and I for one as I know many others would not have watched her had she not had a great lead in like GH. (I have a few choice words for her as well but that is for another time.) OLTL is gone and tha’s it. GH is on it’s way and there is no one who can convince me otherwise. Katie Couric is washed up. No one wants to see her yet again. You know TNT is doing a reboot of Dallas. If that fares well in the ratings then maybe some cable channel may step up and buy the rights to OLTL.
Why not bring back OLTL in that form?
Don’t like it at all… unless it is all we get! Let’s keep GH on daytime in whatever slot it is in… frankly it could be the morning as long as it is on and we can get it on abc.com or hulu or wherever. There is one nice aspect to primetime and that is increased viewers. I like the idea of doing it with OLTL and if the viewers like it someone thinks about spinning off a new network for OLTL and GH if it has to move and then eventually B&B, Y&R and DOOL all go there too. I still like the notion of an all soaps network with maybe some shows or movies that use the soap actors for fun new ways to use their talent. Sort of like one big rep group with any type of vehicle (plays, movies, shows, musical concerts, talk shows with the stars with Michael hosting and interviewing and etc.)
I would rather see the genre evolve than go away. If done the right way I think it could work. Let’s give it a shot.
put it on anytime, any place but it has to be on 5 days a week and 52 weeks a year. I need my GH fix daily, not just for the summer.
Bringing it to prime time is another way to let it die. If it doesn’t attract more than it’s current viewers it will be cancelled after one season, and a summer series is what, 8-12 episodes? No, we need to get the ratings up and keep it online.
what is a primetime all? I love My GH
Honestly, I’ll watch whenever it’s on. Daytime, primetime, online, infomercial-only-time, makes no difference to me. What I will not watch, ever, never in a million years, is Katie Couric talking about anything.
Zzzzzzzz
Gimme a break already!
Still do not understand why ABC is wasting money on Katie Couric. Does anyone remember that, a former “The Today Show” co-host, Jane Pauley had a talk show? Will anyone want to watch Katie Couric listening to herself babble on and on?
I love GH!! If it is taken off, I might as well sell my TV….
I am soooo tired of all this drama about GH, I WANT GH TO STAY WHERE IT IS FOREVER! If ABCD wants to commit suicide so be it. Right now GH is the only show I watch on ABCD, so if they cancel it, this lady is off to CBS. ABCD is a lot like FB as far as I am concerned all FLUFF and NO STUFF…most of their programming stinks anyway and I am tired of people (ABCD) deciding for me what I watch.