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General Hospital 50th Anniversary Celebration Continues! Nurses' Ball Scores 18-Month Highs In Key Demos!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

The week of April 8 through the 12th was an amazing week of episodes for General Hospital!  The ABC soap who just turned 50 years old, continued its celebration in grand style with the second and third part of The Nurses’ Ball and the story of Luke and Laura and the Cassadines Ice Princess story revisited!

According to ABC, “During the week of April 8,General Hospital continued its 50th anniversary celebration, soaring to 18-month highs in Women 18-49 (721,000/1.1 rating) and Women 25-54 (927,000/1.5 rating) – since week of 9/26/11 – placing a solid #2 for the week in the demos and climbing by double digits year to year across all target demos.

In fact, General Hospital generated the biggest year-to-year increases of any broadcast daytime program, surging by 29% in Total Viewers (2.87 million vs. 2.22 million), by 31% in Women 18-49 (721,000 vs. 550,000) and by 22% in Women 25-54 (927,000 vs. 760,000).

Monday’s telecast, returning to the ‘Nurses Ball’ storyline, stood as the series’ most-watched telecast in nearly 20 months in Women 25-54 (1.02 million) and in close to 4 months in Women 18-49 (789,000) – since 8/15/11 and 12/18/12, respectively.”

So what do you think of the impressive ratings?  The Nurses’ Ball certainly had fan favorite returns, heartfelt moments and great singing and dancing production numbers! Let us know your thoughts on GH’s impressive ratings week!

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you know…. this isn’t all “sourgrapes”

but… it’s just time…

for GH to ascend to new heights…. ie: #2 is on the up and up…

should it be #1 – why not…

i read and hear that Y&R is on the mend… so… give em #2

DAYS…. hopefully… with Jenn Lilly and Charisse…. yeah, it’s revitalizing with characters and the writing is suspect…. Oye! TPTB… understand ???? PUHLEASE.

that leaves B&B @ #4.

Y&R will always be #1 no matter how bad it gets..
It has held #1 for for umpteen years even when it stunk to high heaven..
Then again, the BB and Y&R are shown in 32 countries..
GH in USA and Canada..

Y&R is a good soap, no doubt.. but in all these years not once has another soap topped its ratings, not even if just for 6 months..
and we know the odds of that happening for decades and it also has twice as many viewers as all the soaps.. I can see it having higher numbers but double?
Y&R will always be #1 .. (proof, it has been #1 for decades) even when other have been just as good and even much better..
You’d think just one year, just one, another soap would be #1 but it never happened.
(all as far as i know)

wow. CBS soaps are shown worldwide?!! No wonder why GH can’t beat CBS soaps eventhough the writting has been phenomenal as of late. Anybody know why ABC is not showing GH in those other 30 countries?

New characters to Days won’t help them, they need to dump their writing team.

I think they’ve tried that 14 times in the last couple years.

ces –

ditto!

DAYS -it’s bereft of passion…. the current writing team…

when will that writing team realize what a talented cast they have….. when?

it’s a little stifling to not compare… to GH…. when I watch both shows….

Totally Patrick!
There is no energy in this show, no passion, no oomphhh.. I want that mad crazy passion that Bo & Hope once had.

I can’t figure out why I still watch Days, after all, I did give it up for 10 years but thought I’d support it again when my faves came back.. Only problem? MY faves are either gone (Matt Ashford & Christie Clark) or they are not on the canvas much (Kristian, Drake & Dee)..

I may have to throw in the towel.

You just have to remember that Y&R will be #1 and will not leave that spot no time soon……….
It may not have been good over the years but it’s getting great again with JG as head writer. This past week has been a bit boring……

I know, right TRW? With the talent they have on that show, it’s a shame they aren’t utilizing them. The closest we had to a great storyline is Will coming out.. nothing has happened since.

Support GH soap fans…dont boycott it just because its on abc…over a year ago we were crying and complaining we were loosing our soaps, and now there is a turnaround we should not give up on any of them. Prove abc wrong…there is people watching soaps. no one boycotted cbs when they cancelled two of their soaps. Do what i do…boycott only the shows that replace our soaps not the whole network!

Love to hear it! GH has and is #1 for me!!!

This is good news for the soap world! A year or two ago, everyone was declaring the genre as dead.

congrats to GH’s crew and cast! Please keep it up. We love the show.

I don’t understand why Y&R and B&B numbers are so high. those shows are boring. Are they being broadcasted oversea and those viewerships counted toward the rating as well? Anybody knows?

I agree. I tried to watch Y&R years ago at it’s prime and I was bored. The pace is soooo slow and I’m sorry but trying to figure out what he hell Eric Braeden is muttering is not enjoyable TV.

I am thrilled for GH’s success on its 50th anniversary. Everyone involved in presenting this run of episodes deserves applause. Not only was it entertaining programming, it revived the entire genre and for GH, made it soemthign to keep watching into year 51 and beyond.

WOOHOO!

I agree, should be #1. 50th Celebration and Nurses Ball were both fantastic.

I’ve said it before….while I understand the ratings system and competition should make for better shows….I HATE that we put these shows against each other for ratings! I would much rather see how well ALL our soaps do against the other daytime shows – talk, game, judge…

Well, event programming always draws numbers- people who used to watch GH may have turned in for sentimental reasons, those who watch to see what the fuss is over, and then those lookie lous- fans of soaps that only watch when something big is going on then tune out after—if these viewers stick around then yes this will be good news. So it is the numbers in coming weeks that will tell the tale on whether GH star is rising or not.

I hope those viewers will stick around.

Yes, event programming does have that effect — but it bears noting that GH has had a steady incline in ratings over the last nine months, and just topped itself in numbers for the last EIGHTEEN months this past week. That’s an incredible accomplishment, considering where it was a little over a year ago. And the trend shows no sign of waning. 😉

anybody knows when GH renewal status would be confirmed? I’d love to see GH getting renewal for at least 5 more years. anyone?

GH is owned by ABC, so it’s on a perpetual production track; therefore, ABC doesn’t make a big deal about “renewing” it. It just keep chugging along. Basically, no news is good news.

Glad to see that all of the hard work and creative script writing paid off, and I hope to see GH continue to soar in the ratings. I am loving it. Keep up the great work.

GH may not get the numbers but it does get the praise..
No other soap gets praised, that is GH’s crown….

that’s right and we have the Emmy wins for best show to prove it. GH is the best in quality. I’d bet, if GH is shown in the same country as CBS soaps, our rating would be #1. Long Live GH!!

Awesome news! Soaps live on. I hope the naysayers will leave our shows alone now.

I sure hope we haven’t seen the last of Frisco. He and Felicia have so much chemistry, the screen just sizzles. Felicia and Mac that doesn’t happen. Mac is a nice guy and I enjoyed him with Alexis but not Felicia. I hated it when Felicia said no to Frisco. In fact, I turned my television to something else and the only thing that keeps me going back to GH is hoping that Maxie and Spinneli get back together.

What if Lauren Frank was always under Spinnelis nose and its Ellie? What if there really isnt a Lauren Frank but Francos child is really a man and its Spinneli?

General Hospital

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

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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.

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General Hospital

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

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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.

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A post shared by Maurice Benard (@mauricebenard)

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General Hospital

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

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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.

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

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Finn Carr & Dominic Zamprogna as Rocco & Dante

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