General Hospital
General Hospital 50th Anniversary Episode – A Heartfelt Moving Tribute!
Courtesy/CBS
Tuesday’s episode of General Hospital was the highly anticipated 50th anniversary episode of the series, and not only did it not disappoint, it was a heartfelt tribute to the legacy of the series and to its five decades of fans. Brilliantly written by GH head writer Ron Carlivati, the episode blended surprise returns, humor, drama, suspense … all of which GH is known for … wrapped into a neat one-hour package with a bow on it.
The set-up was what would have been the late, great Dr Steve Hardy (John Beradino) Chief of Staff’s 50th Anniversary running the hospital, and his picture that was going to be hung in the hospital boardroom in his honor. As the episode began, the picture of Dr. Hardy is seen as Nurse Epiphany Johnson (Sonya Eddy) answers the nurses’ station phone with the line: “Hey Doris. How’d you like Frank’s big surprise?” (Clearly a nod to General Hospital creators, Frank and Doris Hursley!)
Courtesy/ABC
Meanwhile, Monica (Leslie Charleson) and Tracy Quartermaine (Jane Elliot) are going at it one more time, after Monica told Tracy she has “darkened her door for the last time,” and to move out of the Q Mansion. But wait! All of a sudden dearly-departed Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) shows up (he first appeared at the end of Monday’s episode) in the Q living room, and this time not only does Tracy see him, so does Monica! But Alan has brought some back up to stop the feuding ladies in one of the big surprises of the episode … the return of Natalia Livingston as the deceased Emily! Together, Alan and Emily try to get the gals to reconcile, but lo and behold, Rick Webber (Chris Robinson) shows up in the living room too, and attempts to get the gals to stop their in-fighting by making up with Alan! As it turned out, it appeared that the return of Emily, Alan and Rick was part of “Pickle-Lila” induced hallucination, or was it? The segment reached its payoff when Monica and Tracy tried to show the threesome from the great beyond that they could hug and make-up, and in one of the most priceless moments of the episode, Tracy and Monica do their “version” of a hug. Special kudos to the magnificent Jane Elliot here! She was marvelous in those scenes.
Courtesy/ABC
Now, how wonderful was it to see Rachel Ames (Audrey) share scenes with her on-screen granddaughter Elizabeth Webber, played by Rebecca Herbst again? And, in a tender moment, Liz recants that all of the Webbers and the Hardys are scattered all over the map, and how much she missed having her family around. Liz went on to explain where all the missing in action characters are, including her sister Sara, dad Jeff Webber, Tom Hardy, and his son Tommy. In these scenes, we were very moved by the performance of Rebecca Herbst, who was given some gems to play with Ames.
One of the more touching moments throughout the entire special episode featured the sublime Jason Thompson as Dr. Patrick Drake, who introduced the new crop of interns to General Hospital and what it means to be a part of the hospital and its staff, while paying homage to the nurses, and Dr. Hardy. Thompson hit all the right notes throughout, ending the anniversary episode with a moving voice-over that was introduced first by dialog between Patrick, Elizabeth, and Audrey. This summed up the meaning of the show General Hospital to its longtime viewers:
Courtesy/ABC
Patrick: “It’s going to be a little intimating sitting through those board meetings with the original Chief of Staff upon us. Hopefully, it will inspire us to reach a standard. That’s the plan anyway.” Elizabeth to Audrey: “You and Grandpa had quite a love story, didn’t you?” Audrey: “Well, we all have. What’s life but one person’s story crossing with another?” Patrick: “I think about that, often, and I think about if my dad didn’t practice here, would Robin not have tracked me down for that first procedure? Would we have gotten to know each other? Fall in love? Have our beautiful daughter? This place changed my life. I know I am not the only one.” Elizabeth: “I think about how many lives have been touched, how many stories have passed through this place in 50 Years.” Patrick’s voice-over begins: “Stories of rivalries, stories of love, stories of heartbreak, stories that left us on the edge of their seats. The thing about all those stories is … we never know how they will end. 50 years …. it’s quite an accomplishment.”
Courtesy/ABC
In another part of the anniversary story, Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) found none other than Ethan, the returning Nathan Parsons, who was being held captive on the Haunted Star by Helena Cassadine (Constance Towers) and her cronies! In another heart-tugging moment Laura, who has never met Luke’s son Ethan, accepts him into her family. Meanwhile, the search for Lulu continued, but as we saw, at the end of the episode, Helena wants Laura to shoot someone! Is it Luke and Ethan? Or, does Helena want her to kill her own daughter, Lulu? Another great nod to the history of GH by resurrecting the Cassadine/Spencer feud, with Genie Francis back in the fold!
Courtesy/ABC
And in another emotional story, Jax (Ingo Rademacher) and Brenda (Vanessa Marcil) returned! Jax showed up at Carly’s doorstep to ask her to sign the divorce papers one more time, due to a filing mix up, because he is engaged to be married to none other than Brenda! In the scenes with Jax, it was Laura Wright, as Carly, who shined. Wright discussed Jason’s death, and her issues trying to find love with other men, and realized she would like to have another shot at love with Jax, only to have it shot down when she learns of Brenda! And meanwhile, Brenda shows up at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) door, and lo and behold, the letter she sent to Sonny via Robin was brought up! Brenda revealed the details in the letter saying she wanted Sonny to join her, and her son, in Rome. However, now she came to tell Sonny that since she was in town for The Nurses’ Ball in honor of Robin, that she is engaged to Sonny’s nemesis, Jax! And … the stage was set for some fireworks and heartbreaks in the episodes to come!
Courtesy/ABC
The final moment of the episode was a chyron card thanking the most important people of all: the fans for sticking with GH for five decades! A beautiful and masterful job well done by executive producer Frank Valentini, head writer Ron Carlivati, and the cast and crew. We are popping open the champagne right now and raising our glass, and all we can say after that milestone and episode is, “Here’s to you, General Hospital!”
OK GH fans, now you read our review and our thoughts on the 50th anniversary episode now share yours! What was your favorite moment of the episode? Do you give it a thumbs-up? Did it showcase the heart and soul of what General Hospital has meant to fan for fifty years? Weigh-in!
And in case you missed today’s golden anniversary episode of General Hospital, watch it below!
General Hospital
Soap Stars and Notables Participate in the 91st Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (Photos)
Sunday night in tinseltown, it was time for the 91st anniversary of the Hollywood Christmas Parade, which has become an annual tradition featuring soap stars and other celebrities from primetime, movies, music, and sports as thy drive down famed Hollywood Boulevard amongst floats and musical performances.
While many attended the live event, viewers around the country will be able to see the taped version of the parade on Friday, December 15th when it has its first airing on The CW in a two-hour special starting at 8 pm ET/PT.
Taking part in the festivities were: General Hospital’s Tajh Bellow (TJ), The Bold and the Beautiful’s Kimberlin Brown (Sheila), Ashley Jones (Bridget), Denise Richards (ex-Shauna), and Naomi Matsuda (Li), Days of our Lives stars, then and now, including: Deidre Hall (Marlena), A Martinez (ex-Eduardo), Stephen Nichols (Steve), Brant Daughtery (ex-Brian), and Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa), The Young and the Restless’ Kate Linder (Esther) and former star Tatyana Ali (ex-Roxanne), The Bay’s Kristos Andrews (Peter/Adam) and Maxwell Caufield (Sir Thomas Kenway), plus As the World Turns Ming Na Wen (ex-Lien) and more.
In addition, iconic dancer/singer and choreographer, Paula Abdul was the recipient of the Humanitarian of the Year, while Dean Cain, Erik Estrada, Laura McKenzie, Montel Williams along with guest host, Elizabeth Stanton, called the Sunday-after-Thanksgiving tradition from different locations around the parade route.
Now below, check out some of the snaps from the 91st annual Hollywood Christmas Parade featuring some of your soap favorites.
Photo: JPI
Wow! Marlena and Sheila together for the first time! Imagine if Marlena as the MarDevil met up with Sheila Carter and caused all sorts of havoc from Salem to Los Angeles? Crossover? Here’s Deidre Hall and Kimberlin Brown getting into the holiday spirit.
Photo: JPI
Reunited and it feels so good? Remember when Daytime Emmy-winner, A Martinez came to Salem to play Eduardo Hernandez, father to Gabi, Rafe and Dario? Now, A can be seen in The Bay. Meanwhile, Stephen Nichols continues to keep on keepin’ on as Salem’s “Patchman”.
Photo: JPI
GH’s Tajh Bellow with his lady love actress Lauren Speights.
Photo: JPI
Giving us some Christmas wrapping vibes, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Naomi Matsuda (Li).
Photo: JPI
Always ready for the holidays is former Days of our Lives star, Jen Lilley (ex-Theresa).
Photo: JPI
Former ‘Bold and Beautiful’ star, Denise Richards (ex- Shauna) dressed in the holiday spirit.
Photo: JPI
There is no doubt! Our pick for ‘Best Dressed’ has to go to General Hospital’s Josh Kelly (Cody). I mean, how can you top that for being in the ‘Christmas Spirit’?
Photo: JPI
Humanitarian of the Year recipient, Paula Abdul.
Photo: JPI
Former As the World Turns Star Ming-Na Wen (ex-Lien Hughes) ready for the holiday season.
Photo: JPI
Brant Daughtery brought along his young son, and wife Kimberly, who is expecting their second child.
Photo: JPI
Maxwell Caufield who will soon appear in the latest season of The Bay, looking ‘Christmas’ dapper.
Photo: JPI
Ready for winter, and dressed in holiday white, Y&R’s Kate Linder.
So, who’s holiday outfit from their appearance in the Hollywood Christmas Parade, did you think was the best? Let us know via the comment section.
General Hospital
THIS WEEK ON GH: Austin’s Murder Begins to Reveal Its Suspects (Preview)
It’s been a minute since General Hospital left Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt shot dead on the floor, which also signaled the exit of fan favorite, Roger Howarth. Now, in the latest promo for the ABC soap opera, it looks like the story will finally pick back up the week of November 27th.
Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) is on the case and trying to go through the list of potential suspects who wanted Austin dead, and there are several. Look for Dante to confront Sonny (Maurice Benard) about Austin’s murder and in turn, Sonny to hightail it to Ava (Maura West) and ask her if she pulled the trigger. Meanwhile, Cyrus, Mason, Nikolas and others could have fired the shots.
Since Austin is related to the Quartermaines, will his death make an already potentially messy family Thanksgiving even worse? When we last left the Q’s, a smoke alarm went off as Gloria (Ellen Travolta) and Lois (Rena Sofer) were putting the finishing touches on the Turkey. But as we know, Gloria is seemingly tormented and keeping a secret about a mysterious caller.
Photo: ABC
Check out the teasers for the action this week on General Hospital below, and then the weekly promo.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Thanksgiving continues in Port Charles. Sonny senses something off between Anna and Nina. Marshall is worried about Curtis. Gloria shares with Lois that she is in some trouble. Stella and Portia make a realization.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Dante gets some disturbing news. Alexis has a meeting with Laura. Sam is concerned about Drew’s recent behavior. Elizabeth tries to reassure Finn. Molly and TJ have a disagreement.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29
Sonny confronts Ava. Martin helps Finn with his legal issues. Maxie opens up to Felicia. Dante and Chase collaborate on an investigation. Gloria gets some help from her family.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30
Dante has questions for Ava. Dex relays a message to Sonny. Portia gives TJ some advice. Sonny makes plans for Christmas Eve. James enlists Cody’s help.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023
Carly has an interesting encounter at Kelly’s. Sonny gets a proposition. Ava makes a confession to Nina. Brook Lynn panics from family pressure. Kristina consoles Molly.
Now let us know, who do you think the smart money that will be revealed to be the culprit that killed Austin? Comment below.
Dallas
Morgan Fairchild, Nicollette Sheridan & Donna Mills Visit ‘Tamron Hall’ to Talk ‘Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas’
Monday November 27th, soap opera favorites, Morgan Fairchild (GH, ex-DAYS, DFT, The City, Dallas, Falcon Crest et al), Nicollette Sheridan (ex-Knots Landing) and Donna Mills (ex-Knots Landing) visit with Tamron Hall on her syndicated talk show. (find times in your area here).
The trio is set to give some inside intel to Tamron on their highly-anticipating holiday film, Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas, set to premiere on Lifetime on Saturday, December 2nd (8pm ET/7Pm CT) and streams next day.
As previously reported, Ladies of the 80’s: A Divas Christmas also stars Linda Gray (Dallas) and Loni Anderson (WKRP in Cincinnati) and in story, five glamorous ‘80s soap opera stars reunite to share the spotlight to shoot the final Christmas episode of their long-running soap opera.
The producer, Alex (Travis Burns) and director Nell (Taylor Ann Thompson), old college friends, do their best to keep things on the rails but as the ladies come together, old rivalries resurface that threaten to tear the whole production apart. With the show nearly canceled before it even begins due to the ladies’ famous diva behavior, they reluctantly agree to set aside their differences and past secrets to “act” as if they all still love each other. When old sparks reignite between Alex and Nell, the ladies become eager to play cupid and conspire to bring the couple together. Along the way, the divas also discover that the love between them all is still very strong too.
Photo: Lifetime
Ladies of the ‘80s: A Divas Christmas also stars Christopher Atkins, Patrika Darbo (ex-DAYS, B&B, The Bay), Alec Mapa, and Mills’s daughter, Chloe Mills. In addition, the holiday film features a theme song performed by none other than ’80s pop star Tiffany.
Check out the official trailer for ‘Ladies of the ’80s’ starring Donna, Nicollette, Linda, Morgan and Loni below, followed by the Tamron Hall Show preview for Monday’s episode.
Now let us know, are you looking forward to watching Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Legends Donna Mills, Morgan Fairchild, and Nicollette Sheridan reunite for an epic new holiday movie. Then, he was told if he didn’t lose weight he would die so he decided to run a marathon. Tune in MONDAY on “Tamron Hall.” pic.twitter.com/yOw4Qw0v4G
— Tamron Hall Show (@TamronHallShow) November 24, 2023
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS: The Newmans Are Blindsided By Who Aunt Jordan and Claire Really Are
The Men of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Tell All: Their On-Screen Romances and Love Scene Secrets During Their Visit to ‘The Talk’
Soap Stars and Notables Participate in the 91st Annual Hollywood Christmas Parade (Photos)
THIS WEEK ON GH: Austin’s Murder Begins to Reveal Its Suspects (Preview)
Morgan Fairchild, Nicollette Sheridan & Donna Mills Visit ‘Tamron Hall’ to Talk ‘Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas’
Josh Swickard, Eileen Davidson & Annika Noelle Star in Netflix’s ‘Holiday in the Vineyards’
Y&R’s Camryn Grimes and Fiancé Brook Powell Reprise Their Roles as Santa and Mrs. Clause for Disney
Jonathan Frakes Opens Up on How He Met Real-Life Wife ‘General Hospital’s’ Genie Francis
Brooklyn Rae Silzer on Her Return Visit to General Hospital as the 10-Year Anniversary of When Emma Sees Robin is Alive Approaches
The Leading Men of The Bold and the Beautiful to Appear on ‘The Talk’
The Men of ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ Tell All: Their On-Screen Romances and Love Scene Secrets During Their Visit to ‘The Talk’
THIS WEEK ON GH: Austin’s Murder Begins to Reveal Its Suspects (Preview)
Morgan Fairchild, Nicollette Sheridan & Donna Mills Visit ‘Tamron Hall’ to Talk ‘Ladies of the ’80s: A Divas Christmas’
THIS WEEK ON Y&R: Aunt Jordan Ramps Up Her ‘Attack of the Newmans’ (Preview)
Marty Krofft Famed Children’s Show Producer of ‘H.R. Pufnstuf,’ ‘Land of the Lost,’ Dead at 86
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General HospitalNovember 19, 2023GENERAL HOSPITAL: Who Shot Austin?
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General HospitalNovember 25, 2023Josh Swickard, Eileen Davidson & Annika Noelle Star in Netflix’s ‘Holiday in the Vineyards’
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General HospitalNovember 20, 2023Roger Howarth Exits General Hospital
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Days Of Our LivesNovember 18, 2023Greg Vaughan Honors His ‘General Hospital’ Brother, Tyler Christopher
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NewsNovember 20, 2023ATWT Favorite Colleen Zenk on Being Cast as Y&R’s Aunt Jordan: “Josh (Griffith) Was Around During the Evil Barbara Days So He Knew What I Was Capable Of”
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NewsNovember 19, 2023Christian LeBlanc Returns On-Screen to The Young and the Restless Following Cancer Battle
Love every moment in the hospital today, especially that nod to Frank and Doris, thought it was a great thing to do.
It was a Great Show 🙂
Beauifully written..made me laugh made me cry most of all happy to be loving lasting fan of such a wonderful milestone..GH ROCKS!
You said it perfectly! Glad I’ve been watching for 33 years.
Loved every part of today’s show. It definitely brought tears to my eyes!
Agreed! What a tribute to such an iconic show. Frank V and Ron C are brillant. They truly know how to honor the history and legacy of a show. When Viki gave her speech on One Life To Live during its final week, Ron and Frank showed how vested soap fans are to their shows. I am thrilled OLTL is coming back. Congratulations to 50 fabulous years of General Hospital.
Is it true OLTL is coming back?
Yes, otl and amc are back April 29 via Hulu.com, huluplus and itunes.
Yes TL…Monday April 29, 2013. Hulu, Hulu + and ITunes. 🙂
I loved all the surprise returns that I did not know were coming (Ethan and Emily), seeing Audrey and Liz interact and above all that wonderful portrait of Steve Hardy and the wonderful tribute to him. If Steve were alive, he no doubt would have valued Patrick and Robin greatly as part of the GH staff so great choice of having Patrick deliver the speech saluting GH and the hospital’s heart and soul!
Jenny
I agree Jenny – Patrick’s part was my favorite – great show, kudos to all!!
I agree I really enjoyed the part where Patrick led the students past the picture of Steve Hardy (he did the Christmas story so well to the children in the hospital at Christmas)! Great show I’m really enjoying it!!
First of all Tuesday’s April 2 episode was great. Second, it appears that Helena wants Laura to shoot Ethan and not Lulu. Thanks for a great anniversary show those involved!
Loved the episode especially the scenes with Rachel Ames. What a treasure this lady is!
The episode was so awesome, i was crying throughtout, love seeing everyone but especially Audrey, I can’t believe how great Rachel Ames looks. She looked so strong and able. hope she will stick around for more appearances.. i also recorded the soap net marathon that aired and although i couldn’t record all 50 hours, i did record alot of episodes, and oh god, where has my memory gone? i can’t believe how much i have forgotten, but it was great going back to those episodes, and it was awesome seeing the ones i wasn’t around for. GH truly is a gem. and i found myself enjoying episodes written by Robert Guza, holy cow, i can’t believe he use to be pretty good, what ever happened to him? he became so close minded and started destryoying the show. there was so many classic episodes, it blew my mind. I can now seriously laugh at those OLTL fans who think their show holds up against GH in any way. Granted each soap has their uniqueness and everyone is entitle to love what they love, but GH truly is a Classic soap all the way. And it deserves the title of BEST SOAP OPERA of all times.
She does look great, I agree! Great to see her, Stuart Damon & Chris Robinson all on the show!
Love all the attention GH has been getting for this 🙂
I agree wholeheartedly. I was only 2 when the show started. I started watching it when I was 13. Am now 53. have watched ALL of the ABC soaps. GH is by far the best! Loved traveling down memory lane with everyone, and being able to tell my daughter who everyone was back then. Laura has always been my favorite 🙂
I salute everyone on the show, and everyone who was behind the scenes. Here’s to 50+ more!!
Agreed! I wish Rachael was on more… she’s wonderful and Liz needs her! She looks fabulous!!!
It was one of the best anniversary episodes of a soap ever done by ANY soap.
Yes it was!
I have only been watching GH for a few months, but I have been soap watcher for over 40 years. I agree with you, even without knowing all the history I could tell this is how a milestone show should be– Y&R’s recent 40th pales in comparison to what they did on GH. It really made me wish I had started to watch sooner
I have only watched GH sporadically in recent years but was a fan back in 70’s and early 80’s and with the current producing/writing regime doing such good work i’m hooked again!
I cannot believe that Jax & Brenda are getting married!!! Why not try again with the other people that love them? I get it, but then again, I don`t get it!!!
Because Ingo & Vanessa are not staying on the show long term.
Mainly because Ingo and Vanessa aren’t staying long term yet we get this built in storyline in the future. So if either ingo or vanessa visit, theres this connection already built in they can go so many ways with this quadrangle now. plus its nice to have jax and brenda connected offscreen while sonny and carly are with whomever they are put onscreen. i think its brilliant.
Sonny looked surprised when she told him they were engage!
It’s only fair since they never had a chance to be married. I know neither did Sonny and Brenda but that kept coming around to Jax. It seemed fitting since the actors aren’t going to stay on for long.
This one of the best shows I’ve seen, not just from GH but from any soap! It was so perfect and beautiful. It was full of history and sentimental feelings, but also moving forward with action and storylines. I loved the Audrey/Liz scenes, especially when they walked out together passing the GH sign. I loved the Patrick and Ephiany scenes, they incorporated the right amount of humor. The Luke/Laura/Ethan stuff was INCREDIBLE. I thought it was very fitting to see Laura accept Ethan as part of the family- a contrast of Luke’s reaction to her own “bastard” son, Nikolas, which was very true to Laura’s forgiving nature. The appearances of Ethan and Emily completely floored me (in a good way!)! The Monica and Tracy scenes with Alan, Emily, and Rick were terrific. It was touching to see “bygones be bygones” between Alan and Rick and I LOVED at the beginning when Tracy says “You faked his death too?!” LOL. The Jax/Carly/Sonny/Brenda scenes were BRILLIANT. I’ve never been a huge Brenda fan, but that whole quadrangle is so full of history and I think it played out perfectly. Can’t wait to see more! On a side note, I also loved Sonny and Brenda talking about Robin, addressing Brenda not being at the funeral. Patrick’s one piece of monologue about taking on a legacy and wanting to make it your own, yet stay true to history- it was like Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati personally addressing the audience! Those two have revived this show in so many ways and ANYONE who argues with that- watch this episode!
@Nikki. agree with every single word you said
You are spot on Nikki!
I so agree with you about all of it.I am still hoping that robin comes back soon. What ever happened to Sean Donally and Tiffany?
Great writing there Nikki. I loved it when Patrick took the new interns on a tour and said the nurses are the backbone of the hospital. When Epiphany heard him she replied “Why Drake Junior there just might be hope for you yet.” I was quite hoping that Alan was really alive after all. I am still wishing and hoping for Sean and Tiffany to come back when Robin does if only for a little while. They need to be mentioned for sure.
I agree as well. Could not have said it better! It was an amazing episode! I loved seeing Rick again, the whole scene was great! Thank you GH for this wonderful episode.
DMG I think I mentioned this before on another post but here goes the actress Sharon Wyatt/Tiffiany has been suffering from some kind of bone disfigurement disease since 2011. I do not know anything about the actor who played Sean D. Very sad for SW I liked her.
You said it!!!
My thanks to everyone involved in this episode. I can’t even remember the last time I gasped out loud, in surprise, by any show (daytime or primetime). Today I gasped several times. I love the surprises (Ethan, Emily, Rick, Brenda/Jax engagement, the compilation of openings at the begining the episode). For me, it was a mixture of tears and laughter, both whle sitting on the edge of my seat. I wonder if Stuart Damon and/or Chris Robinson are ill. Please GH, keep it coming. If this is any indication of the upcoming Nurses Ball, I will be on cloud nine.
Incredible… just incredible. I’ve already watched it 5 times, back-to-back-to-back!
Loved seeing Rick Webber and Alan again! And Audrey!!!
I’ve also really loved seeing the intro to the show featuring the different versions from the many years. I would LOVE see them continue to use that expanded opening, even after the anniversary period is over!
These writers did a masterful job today!!!
The scene with the three corpses was creepy and badly written.
I guess you could say that, but, it’s not easy to work in three characters that have been killed off, and do so for just a single appearance. So, I think it was actually a clever way to allow us to see those three characters one more time.
I thought Alan and Audrey are looking especially great!
Bottom line… the 50th Anniversary Show was incredible!!! Soooo well done!!!
And, I hope they continue to occasionally bring back these characters for appearances in the future.
i was just so overwhelmed with the episode – as a viewer from day 1 it was very emotional for me…….
I had tears in my eyes just from seeing Steve’s portrait alone! Having Epiphany give a brief but solid nod to GH creators Frank & Doris Hursley was a treat too. Rachel Ames was fantabulous and made me even more fits of tears. The surprise returns of Emily, Ethan, and Rick blew me out of the water. I loved when Rick said that what happened in the bedroom wasn’t true….TAKE THAT BOB GUZA! Seeing them all made me briefly have my anger pains at Jill Phelps, Guza, and Frons for allowing such beloved characters die. Jason Thompson and Sonja Eddy work so well together. Loved the staff clapping for Audrey….even more tears! How anyone can say that Frank and Ron don’t take GH’s best interests seriously lost all any credibility after this episode. I still remember the 30th Anniversary episode from 1993 that was under the Wendy Riche regime which I thought was excellent too. Does anyone remember GHs 40th anniversary produced under the horrible regime of Phelps??? I didn’t think so. Actually, to her credit, the ONLY story I loved during Phelps’ disaster was the Patrick/Robin love story….and for giving us Jason Thompson. Loved seeing Laura accept Ethan and Ethan be warm to Laura too. Thank you to Frank and Ron for successfully resusitating the patient that was GH. Your love and respect showed brilliantly and made the cast glow in the material they were given. I read that during the Nurses Ball, a tribute to Jessie Brewer and Amy Vining will be addressed….where are my tissues!
I agree I was thrilled in one hand and furious in the other of all these characters who got whacked under dragon lady JFP & Guza. Loved the episode Liz with Grandma Audrey was great. Remember when Liz came on what a pill she was maybe this means we are slowly going to get our gal back front and center.
I completely agree! I as well needed tissues and after reading what you wrote, need them again 🙂
I certainly hope that Jessie and Amy are acknowledged for all they contributed to the show.
I have to say that Allen looks better dead than alive and Natalia Livingston was gorgeous as always.
Allen looked better than Rick Webber!
Totally agree with EVERYONE. EVERYONE . I too, have watched it several times already. My emotions were all over the place. That being said, the one thing that brought tears to my eyes was the acknowledgement of all of us at the end. WOW, the first time we have had the TPTB recognize the true reason GH or any show continues. Thank you FV and RC for that along with the returning our show to it’s rightful place of excellence. First time in years I have actually watched the entire show without fast forwarding through something that I have no interest in. I find that us fans are becoming truly passionate about our show again. Once again, hats off to the outstanding executive producer, the unbelievable head writer, and the fantastic actors. Here’s to another fifty years.
Simply put Frank and Ron get it!
…the clip of Audrey and Steve dancing, fomr way back when… touching!
It was incredible!!! I absolutely loved every minute!!! Extremely well done by everyone… cast, writers and crew!!! Truly a wonderful tribute… touching so many of the key storylines over decades!!! A+ or 10 stars… totally nailed it!!! Very touching and emotional with great surprises and touches of humor rounding out a well balanced array of every element of a stellar episode and show!!!
Thank you Michael for giving us this episode on your site to watch over and over again… I know I wll! Thank you for having your site with the best content we could ever ask for!!! You are the BEST and we love you for it!!!
Congratulations GH!!! May you have 50 more years!!!
I’ve watched four times now and it’s just so well done!!! I love it!!! Congratulations again GH!!! I am hoping you do as much justice to the Nurses’ Ball as you did to this show!!! It truly is perfect in every way!!! Thank you!!!
Not a single dull moment. I watched every single second of it. Thanks to the writting team for such an amazing and heartfelt episode.
My favorite has to be the meeting at the Q’s house. It was amazing to see Alan Emily& Rick again.Loved that Luke& Laura found Ethan.
I have been watching general since 1969 , yesterdays episode was the best GH I have seen, It made you laugh,cry , and remember why this soap has endured 50 glorious years !!! love to everyone involved on this show keep up the great work
Excellent – the “glory days” of GH are here again!!
All I can say is “Bravo” 🙂
It was perfect! I couldn’t have imagined anything so perfect! All wrapped in a big gold bow.
I can’t stop thinking about it! Soo good!
Loved the episode! Hit on all five decades with different characters or stories important to each. Only soaps can have such a deeply moving anniversary, since the actual 50 years HAVE gone by and some of these people (Audrey, Monica, Tracy, Luke and Laura, etc) have been here for huge parts of it. Legacy, it really means something. Such big kudos to Carlivati and Valentini and the cast and crew. Thank you for the last 50 years! Here’s to many, many more!
I loved everything else. the only stupid and most useless part was having Jax and Brenda engaged yet they seemed so upset when they were breaking the news to Carly and Sonny.
The whole I heard you moved on so they moved on together was borderline bogus and unnecessary.
Why not after what Carly has been through have the fact that she and Jax still being married be the faith and hope she always prayed for? Why not have Jax say that he is done running away from hi marital problems and that they’ll work through them together?
I see no point in his being engaged to Brenda which only by the way proves that he is Brenda’s number one door mat, not Carly’s. Yesterday’s dialogue had it wrong. no offense to Ron Carlivati or his current set of writers, but am sure we the GH fans who watched Sonny/Carly/Brenda/Jax for so many years would know that better than they do.
In fact I took the pleasure of tweeting Ron Carlivati about that very mismatched dialogue.
Another mistake they made was just not mentions who Carly had moved on with. Yes, no more mentioning Todd but Johnny should have been mentioned. He was not a OLTL character.
Brenda should have returned to let Sonny know that she is done running away all the time and she respects that he is in a relationship but it’s him for the win in her heart. Or whatever childish llines come into play whenever Brenda is plotting.
Now as for the letter? Um……we are NOT in high school anymore! Who still writes letters? If you want to address an issue, say it to the person’s face!
Am so proud of GH for not making yesterday’s episode about Precious Sabrina of the wild hair days! Phew! thank you soap gods.
Other than that……Very well done episode!
This is the best review I’ve read yet. Spot on.
Many people still do write letters, especially when such huge emotions are involved. And my mom got teary and emotional when telling my dad that she was remarrying – people can still care about each other after a break up.
While i am not a fan of the current writing team, I Loved the episode.
The Q’s were funny, the Spencer’s are off doing what they do best. But Maurice & Vanessa captivated me the most. Sonny’s reaction to Brenda’s arrival, his guarded communication with her. Her facial unhappiness when he talks about having moved on. The cherry was Maurice’s instant reaction at the name Jax! And Mr Thompson (Patrick ) was outstanding explaining the history of GH!
I can only hope they will work off of that particular episode from here on in.
In closing while they talked about him twice, a total shame that Steve Burton aka Jason Morgan could not be on this particular episode 🙁
Shout outs…
Bob Guza Jr… Reason I started & loved GH (we miss u)
JFP… Daytime legend what she touches turns into gold
ROTFL. You MUST be joking about Bob Guza and JFP, right?
Valentini and Carlivati didn’t miss a beat, from the tribute opening montage to the postscript thanking the fans and every scene in between. It was just about perfect.
I watched this episode many times too ! First of all I love the blended opening of the show. It was great to see Audrey and her flashback with Steve. It was so fun to see Alan Q, Emily, and Rick Webber. Rick looked so different but his voice is so distinct from years past! I know when I last saw these characters they were much younger than the 70 plus years they are now. The writers did a wonderful job (but of course the headwriter is Ron C and he was the writer on OLTL and did wonderful writing over there). Really enjoyed seeing Patrick take the new interns through the hospital and Ephiphany…she’s so cool! Can’t wait to see the Nurses Ball! I cried a bit at the end when they thanked the viewers of GH over the past 50 years. It made me think how long I had been watching, which has been 40 years! Thank you writers, actors, and actresses of GH ! Well done!
So right Marcia… about Chris Robinson’s voice. It really struck me how much his voice took me back to the days when he was on. It’s a very nice and strong voice… that just flooded memories in my mind.
I screamed when I first heard his voice yesterday! lol Then I yelled, “Rick!” and scared my mother, who was watching with me! I was just so happy to see him and Alan! That they made up was precious! =)
Brilliant. Perfect.
I have watched this show just about 50 years off and on.. Has always been my favorite as it was my MOM’S…. I loved the show, and all the old actress and actors.. So so many memories.. LOVE IT can’t wait for the nurses ball….. <3
Every single minute was great. The surprises just kept coming. It was wonderful to see Alan, Rick, Emily, Audrey, Ethan, Brenda & Jax. I’m not sure it could have been much better unless they could have really brought back the spirits of Edward and Lila.
Thank you General Hospital for 50 wonderful years.
Sorry All. too contrived too sappy and over acted. I have watched GH,oltl and amc since the very first day of each one. I felt like I lost family when when they took the ladder 2 off the air. But watching Monica and Tracy with all the ghosts made me gag. There had to be a more intelligent way to bring these great old timers back. Even if it was a show dedicated to all these missed actors favorite memories
I liked seeing the actors ‘now’. I”m glad they didn’t do a bunch of flashbacks. Wouldn’t have been the same, in my opinion. =)
Loved the b/w flashback of Audrey and Steve dancing.
The whole hour was very entertaining and the best anniversary soap episode ever! I just wish they did a scene where Audrey sees Epiphany blasting some student nurse and then Audrey lovingly comments to Elizabeth how Epiphany reminded her of her late sister Lucille(in at least a brief flashback) Lucille was the head nurse (back in the 60s to early 70s) who was very much like Epiphany for those who didnt watch back then.
That would have been a great opportunity… I forgot about Lucille and remember her and agree!
I just wish the show paid more tribute to pre 1980s characters who were just as much part of gh history, especially since its 50 year anniversary. Its like your parents 50th wedding anniversary and your parents arent even there. Those b4 you helped paved the way!
My late grandmother,also named Lucille, was so much like her(the yelling part…’JIM!,) and an original gh fan…it was not hard for me to forget her, or my grandmother!!!
So glad I’m not the only one who remembers Lucille March, played by Lucille Wall. I loved her. She was an important part of the old days too. I loved when she would yell at the nursing student “Clampett!!!!!!!” She was wonderful.
My late granmother, a gh fan, was a lot like her…and also named Lucille!
The opening credit montages have been heartfelt for me! It’s like I flash through decades of my life as I watch- very cool. The episode itself combined humor, history and honor and as most people have posted, I laughed and cried all the way through it. It has been a very long time since I enjoyed a tv show on so many levels. All I can say is well done, everyone, well done! Oh, and thanks to all at GH…and Frank and Doris too! You gave us a gift to last a lifetime.
That’s how you celebrate an anniversary one of the best episode I have ever seen made me nostalgic I wanted to cry great great episode
I Loved the episode!! So many nice surprises and old character returns! It was the perfect blend of emotions from being touching, to dramatic, to humorous. I enjoyed explaining who some of the old characters were to my 23 year old daughter who has been watching since she was a kid. About the same age I started watching it with my mother, who at age 86 Still watches!!
3 Generations watching and 50 years of GH! Here’s to at least another 50!!!
Your post made me cry! lol I watch because my dad watched it first! His job included lots of sitting at a desk with nothing to do but watch tv, and he got hooked! lol
Amazing – That is how you honor 50 years of being on television !
The episode made my heart sing!!
This only proves that Frank and Ron are the Best team in Soap History. Not just they crafted the Best Finale in Soap History, but now the best anniversary in soap history. They didn’t rely heavily on clips, but worth story and reminded us of the magic and Heart. Been watching Days in the last few years and they never forget thier history and have reminders of Tom and Alice all over the place. GH needed to remember Steve and Audrey. (Don’t get me started on ignoring Jessie’s memory, but I know they will Honor Jessie and Amy at the Nurse’s Ball).
Well, what can I say? For FIFTEEN YEARS I had to put up with Bob Guza’s crap, hoping that the day would come when a new regime would come to save the day and bring the show back to glory, Well, thanks to the Valentini/Carlivati team, it has in the past two years! There is no way that Guza could have pulled off an episode as meaningfil as this or the great memorial to John Ingle from a few months ago. THIS is what an anniversary show should be like: saluting the past while moving present stories forward. Unlike Bob Guza, Ron Carlivati reveres the show’s history (loved the opening reference to the Hursleys!) and uses that history well into new storylines (the Heather/Todd baby switch mass and also making her privy to the secret about Franco’s birth, the resurrection of A.J., and even Pickle-Lila!).
The character of Epiphany has gotten new depth and is a worthy successor to the hospital role of head nurse in the tradition of Lucille March Weeks (Audrey’s late sister whon held the position from 1964-76)- both women seem rough on the outside and bark orders, but each has a heart of gold on the inside and is very protective of their nurses. The only nitpicking I had was that Patrick should have mentioned to the interns that his dad had worked at GH in the 1980s! I wonder if these interns are merely walk-ons or possible new characters. Great to see ‘the ghosts’, but I still feel that Alan is not dead- he is being held prisoner in the same place that Robin is!!
It was a wonderful walk down memory lane. Loved it!!!
I couldn’t wait to get home and watch it, I even stayed off any websites that might have people posting on it after they watched it, until I got home to watch, so I could be surprised and I was surprised! it was a really great 50th anniversary show oh and your article got me choked up inside! wonderfully written! love love love love General Hospital!!
Al I can say is “perfection” so maybe powerful moments, and the love letter to the fans at the end for so much appreciated by this fan!
Thanks for pointing out the bit with Epithany on the phone, I did not really catch that other then the wonderful Epipt was showing a bit of gossip. I was more focused on the photo of Steve!
Bravo!! To General Hospital, let’s have 50 more! Ok 25 more!
I loved this episode. Brillantly done!!! I’ve been watching GH for 40 years now and it was nice to see Audrey and other actors who have been gone . Keep up the good work GH! Happy 50th , and heres to 50 more…
I had tears in my eyes at the end. Would actually like a few more flashbacks to the early days. I liked Audrey and Steve dancing. But what about Jessie, and Lucille? And a picture of the old nurses station where poeple at least went in the little back room to discuss all the details of their lives. But I liked it. Jax with Brenda, always a problem for Sonny. But both too fickle. Carly and Sonny are better off without them. Love having Laura back, but time for someone to finally shoot Helena and get it over with. Cracks me up she “instantly” shoots any henchmen she decides to get rid of, but of course has to point the gun and talk about it when it is one of our heros. So they have time to escape and turn the tables. And Dante had better be alive !!!
Wow, you can say that again (bout Carly n Sonny being better off without the). Never did like Brenda (she was and is so annoying); and Jax (never liked the actor or the character) is just irritatingly self-righteous.
I was completely blown away at all the surprises in this episode. Bravo to the writers, cast and crew of gh! i laughed and i cried. well done!