General Hospital

Exec Prod Frank Valentini On GH’s Return with New Episodes: “There is a Bang and a Surprise and a Twist”

August 2, 2020

Photo: ABC

Monday, General Hospital will finally be airing a new episode – the first in months due to COVID-19 – which had previously shut down production of the show. Now with safety protocols in place, GH will become the first ABC network show back on TV with original installments.

GH’s executive producer, Frank Valentini spoke to ABC 7 Los Angeles’ entertainment guru George Pennacchio on the legacy soap opera’s return and picking up the story where things left off.

Valentini offered up for Monday’s episode: “The very first few seconds of the show, I think, will blow a lot of the audience’s mind because there’s a big surprise that we inserted in.”

Meanwhile, viewers know that their is a major custody case going on for Wiley/Jonah, and that Mike’s (Max Gail) battle with Alzheimer’s could wrap in the coming months if the story continues as it had before the shut down.

However, Valentini shared that fans have some very exciting things to look forward to on GH: “There is a bang and a surprise and a twist and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

In addition, Pennacchio reports that the GH Nurses’ Ball will return sometime in August, which usually airs in May, but didn’t, because of COVID-19 this past spring.

As to how GH will handle the love scenes, the kisses, and the intimate moments between characters which are a staple of the genre during the health crisis, Frank expressed:”Physical intimacy is limited. We’re going to leave a lot more to the imagination.”

So, what surprises do you think are in store as previewed by Valentini when GH returns with new episodes? Comment below.

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Guest

Satan

Well, assuming there’s no time jump due to the missing months, and they pick up where they left off, then I sure as Hell hope the “big surprise” isn’t anything to do with Psycho Nelle being Nina’s daughter…… We know Dante’s coming back, but I doubt we will see him on Monday. While it’s logical to assume he might come back due to Mike’s rapidly declining health, he might just have a “work-related” reason to turn up in Port Charles, and my guess that it will have something to do with Cyrus the Virus. Maybe Dante knows what the real… Read more »

Guest

Scott (ATWT Fan)

Pretty sure Dominic Zamprogna is back full-time.

Guest

Satan

OK, a Devil can admit when he missed a call… They actually DID bring Dante back first thing. Literally the first scene. Though Frank’s own words were they “inserted” this in, so my interpretation is that this was not part of the original script for today’s show, and we probably won’t be seeing Dante full time for a while. This is much like the way we saw a 5 second appearance of Ian Buchanan on GH literally the same day he left Days, but he didn’t have any further appearances on the show for a few months… and then even… Read more »

Guest

FanC.

We can only hope!

Guest

Of course we left off in the court room! I hope Nina sees the other half of her necklace!!!! In Nelles hand !!!

Guest

Su000

Heeey Satan 🙂
I have nothing, as to where GH left off.
000hhh Mike (luvs Mike) was near death.. perhaps a miracle, that would be good..
I gotta tell;
I did not miss Y&R ad GH as I had thought I would..
I got busy with other things and moved on..(different viewing routine)
But– I am looking forward to seeing, both, again.
And– WHOA! you have a great recall/memory- to be able to go back in time.

((it’s like I haven’t clue lol I’ll need a refresher course ..

Guest

Scott (ATWT Fan)

I am sad that none of the soaps seem to have done a time jump… however, am looking forward to General Hospital‘s return!

Guest

Jeremy

I REALLY don’t want Nelle to be Nina’s daughter. A bang? Someone gets shot???
Nurse’s Ball, well, I hope they spend one episode on it, the 3 day episodes tend to be boring. And, did I say I REALLY don’t want Nelle to be Nina’s daughter? 🙂

Guest

Jeremy

The Surprise… could Kristian Alfonso be joining GH??? Wishful thinking. Or, could Greg Vaughn be returning as Lucky?
I, too, think it is Dante coming back, they’ve had plenty of time to make a deal with the actor. A Twist… I don’t have a clue… guess we’ve got one more day to wait and see. And… #NELLEISNOTNINASDAUGHTER

Guest

Patrick

as much as I like Nelle shenanigans’ – which end up more oft a spoiled brat tantrum – and she’s given a let… till the next big write up. which has actually run it’s course… she’ll NEVER get to Carly she seems more dismal than any thing… AND we don’t want that for Nina , do we? I watched her with Jax… and Nina has it going… but it’s Jason Patrick Stuart sensuals that she clearly dreams about. I certainly would be… hotted out! to that extent … Nina and Valentin… end all be all PERIOD. bringing in Nelle? I… Read more »

Guest

aria

It looks like the show is picking up right were they left off, from what I could see from the preview the show wasn’t missing a beat. I’m being biassed here but GH is vastly more surperior then BB. I saw the show first week and it was cringe inducing to say the least, I mean the weird close up scenes of the characters face, it looked like bad soap opera 101, the plots are pretty silly and I was so glad I’m a GH fan instead because watching BB almost gave me a seizure. sorry but that’s my opinion… Read more »

Guest

davlestev1

I actually enjoyed the first week of B&B’s return. Aside from Flo not being able to untie a bunch of stockings (?) Or whatever fabric was used to tie her to a radiator. That was straight eye rolling comedy. Brad Bell seems to have put the brakes on and turned around a bit. We’ll see how it goes.

Guest

Scott (ATWT Fan)

As someone who watches all current American daytime soaps, and grew up watching CBS soaps, I can absolutely tell you that General Hospital is vastly superior to The Bold and the Beautiful for a myriad of reasons.

Guest

Debbie

A bang? Maybe Julian shoots Nelle!

Guest

FanC.

If only!

Guest

davlestev1

Leaving the same Executive Producer in charge for too long tends to give them a big ego and a who cares what you think attitude. I wish the same British standards were employed for our soaps. An Executive Producer is switched out every three years. It makes for better and different viewing.

Guest

Michael (not Fairman)

Here’s the flip side of that: you get people in who have no sense of a particular show or its history and often are more interested in making their mark than on ensuring continuity or keeping long-time viewers happy. I am guessing that in the UK, you might be able to count on the people above the executive producer to insist on attention to those kinds of things; you’d be hard pressed to find a TV executive at any of the networks/sponsors who really understands the individual soaps–or soaps in general–well enough to ensure that the people hired would be… Read more »

Guest

Rodd

I am sooo excited to see new episodes back on the air! Hoping everyone involved with producing the shows stays safe and that we get to see great story coming our way again!

Guest

SHARON Y SIMS

Hope Kelly is getting better. hate to have LH take over the role Steve and Kelly is the only thing I watch !!!!

Guest

whynot

Yawn. That “band and surprise” was about as shocking as the Cheetoh tweetig something stupid

Guest

margherita

Once GH knew they were going to be on indefinite hiatus, they took the material that had already been filmed and extended each and everyone of these storylines by filling in with all of the (fun to see) flashbacks to extend the new material to the point of many cliffhangers that we are now all enjoying with the return of the new episodes. The kiss between Ned and Olivia, the Court scene, and the sad final days of Mike’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. I actually think that it was a pretty brilliant plan, as we continue to go through all of… Read more »

Breaking News

DAYS and GH Director Joe Behar Passes Away at 94

July 19, 2021

Joseph Behar was heavyweight director in daytime drama having worked on both Days of our Lives and General Hospital and now comes word of his passing. Behar passed away on June 26th at the age of 94.

According to his obit, he died at his home in Manhattan Beach, California.

Joe spent the the bulk of his career directing Days of Our Lives and General Hospital. He actually directed the pilot episode of General Hospital back in 1963, then came back the ABC daytime drama series 30 years later to direct it for more than 10 more years,.

Along the way, he won 5 Daytime Emmys for his work on GH, and had won six overall throughout his career. He continued directing until his retirement back in 2005.

Behar’s career started on the Ernie Kovacs Show and he also directed Let’s Make a Deal. and more.

Photo: JPI

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn and his sons, Jeffrey, Steven and Greg Behar and his grandchildren, Alex, Mallory, Niko and Lydia.

Watch an interview with Joe via the TV Academy on his career including working with Frances Reid (Ex-Alice, DAYS), the pace of directing in daytime and more below.

Share your remembrances and condolences for Joe and his family in the comment section.

General Hospital

GH’s James Patrick Stuart Releases His New Album ‘Clean Slate’

July 15, 2021

On Thursday, the highly-anticipated nine song set from General Hospital’s James Patrick Stuart (Valentin Cassadine) dropped on Apple Music

The album entitled “Clean Slate” features the tracks: “Look Out Below”, “My Funny Friend”, “Can U Feel Me?”, “World of Good”, “Don’t Tell Me”, “I Burn For You”, “Always Love You”, “Another Time”, and “My One and Only Love”.

Photo: japastuTwitter

Fans of General Hospital, always love when James performs at the Nurses Ball’ but now here, Stuart delivers several original songs with his unique vocal style that make it unmistakable JPS.

Check out a preview of the album below.

Now, let us know if you will be adding “Clean Slate” to your playlists and more via the comment section below.

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Austin Reveals His True Identity

July 14, 2021

Leave it to many GH fans who guessed right as to just who Roger Howarth’s new character of Austin will turn out to be! On Tuesday’s episode of the ABC daytime drama series, we learned the last name of the character who is related to the Quartermaine’s.

For weeks, Austin has seemed to be fixated on Michael Corinthos (Chad Duell) and the Q’s and now with this cliffhanger of a reveal we know why.

At a key family business meeting at the Q’s, Scott (Kin Shriner) who now seems in cahoots with Austin for a piece of the Quartermaine pie, brings Austin to the gathering.

When Austin arrives, Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) looks none-to-pleased! She clearly knows the guy. When Michael struts up to Austin asking who he is and what is he doing here … Austin introduced himself as Austin Gaitlin-Holt. Michael and everyone else look a bit perplexed as we fade to black.

However, GH history buffs know that Jimmy Lee Holt was the son of Edward Quartermaine and his mistress Beatrice LeSuer. Jimmy Lee did some pretty reprehensible things while he was in Port Charles. When he left he married Charity Gaitlin. Upon the death of Edward Q. back in 2012, Jimmy Lee was left out of his inheritance. Therein must lie some of the story…. and now Roger Howarth fans eagerly await to see how this new doctor in town and Quartermaine turns out to be. Will he be a bad boy, or a misunderstood good guy? We shall see.

So, what did you think of Austin being revealed to be Austin Gaitlin-Holt? Share your thoughts in the comment section, and also cast your vote in our poll on Roger’s new character below.