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 »

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Admits To Sonny She Was Falling Back In Love with Jason

October 16, 2021

On Friday’s episode of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) finally had the “talk”. You know, the one about what Sonny really walked in on the night he “returned from the dead” on Carly and Jason’s (Steve Burton) wedding night? Yeah, that one.

Sonny has already had a conversation with Jason, where Jason admitted he was starting to fall again for Carly, even though they were originally getting married to show a united front for the five families.

Now coming to confront Carly, Sonny is at first greeted by her with “Mike’s” cowboy hat, where she says the man he was in Nixon Falls is a mystery to her. Sonny tells her he spoke with Jason and so Carly is compelled to admit that she and Jason would have slept together on their wedding night, if Sonny hadn’t shown up alive and in the bedroom!

Sonny’s clearly upset about his best friend and his wife getting so close and rekindling their old feelings. Carly tells Sonny that, at first, Jason and she were just going through with the wedding for show, but later, they decided to make it a real marriage, and were falling in love.

When Sonny poses the question to Carly, if she has any residual feelings for Jason, she says they have gone back to being best friends, and how much she loves Sonny. Carly points out that Nina (Cynthia Watros) did this to them – she kept them apart for nine months – and so much has happened that it’s been difficult for them to be together as it was in the past because of it.

In the end, despite what Nina had perpetrated on them, Carly and Sonny come to an agreement that they need to rebuild their relationship. But the cowboy hat looms as we fade to black.

Clearly, the Jason and Carly relationship and almost consummating it on their wedding night, is not sitting well with Sonny; plus Sonny seems to continue to not really tear into Nina for her deception as much as someone would if he didn’t also have feelings for her.

So, what do you hope happens next? Do you want Sonny and Carly to work things out? Do you hope Sonny sleeps with Nina? If he does, and Jason goes back to Britt (now that they are going on another adventure together to locate Liesl) is Carly ultimately the odd woman out? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.

As The World Turns

‘Santa Barbara’ & GH Favorite Judith McConnell Virtual Interview On Tap

October 15, 2021

You loved her as Sophia Capwell on Santa Barbara, and the troublemaking Augusta McLeod on General Hospital, plus several other soap roles, and now fan favorite Judith McConnell is set for a virtual interview in The Locher Room.

Look for Judith to chat it up with host, Alan Locher on the upcoming Friday, October 23rd edition of the You Tube series beginning at at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

As well as being known for her soap roles on SB and GH, Judith also played Valerie Conway on As the World Turns, Miranda Bishop on Another World and Eva Vasquez on and One Life to Live.

In primetime, McConnell has appeared on Star Trek, Dragnet, Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry RFD, Green Acres, Mannix and more.

To watch the livestream click here.

So, what has been your favorite Judith McConnell role in her illustrious daytime career? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

General Hospital

Sarah Joy Brown Directs Haley Pullos, Carolyn Hennesy, Eric Martsolf in New ‘Red Riding Hoods’ Podcast

October 14, 2021

What happens when a team of “Final Girls” (sole survivors of horrific mass murders) join forces to hunt malevolent entities while uncovering the apocalyptic conspiracy uniting them? Well, you have to listen to the brand new Horror Podcast Network’s latest offering Red Riding Hoods to find out. But here’s the twist! There are some daytime notables involved in the series.

Chief among them is three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Sarah Joy Brown (Ex-Carly and Claudia, GH) who directs the podcast series, a first for her career.

Along for the ride with Sarah are none other than General Hospital’s Haley Pullos (Molly) and Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), as well as Brown’s former DAYS co-star, Eric Martsolf (Brady) who all have roles within the story.

New episodes of the series began to roll out this past Monday on October 11th and there will be another installment every Monday thereafter.

Red Riding Hoods is available on all major podcast streaming platforms including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. You can also listen to the podcast via the Violet Hour Media website here.

So, let us know if you check out Red Riding Hoods via the comment section below or are intrigued to hear the show!