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General Hospital Celebrates 13,000 Episode Milestone! ABC7 Los Angeles Speaks With Frank Valentini and Maurice Benard!

By Michael Fairman

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Courtesy/ABC

Courtesy/ABC

This afternoon the cast and crew of General Hospital took a few minutes out of their work day to honor the series 13,0000 episode milestone of ABC soap opera!

Member of the press gathered as executive producer Frank Valentini presided over the cake cutting ceremony which also saw series star Maura West, Sean Blakemore,  Maurice Benard, Kathleen Gati, Thaao Penghlis, William deVry, Finola Hughes, Rebecca Herbst, Sean Kanan, Ryan Paevey, and the executive in charge of General Hospital from ABC, Vicki Dummer.

After the cake-cutting, ABC 7’s entertainment guru, George Pennacchio nabbed the busy Valentini and long running series star, Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos) outside of the soundstages to talk about their 13,000 episode milestone and what to look forward to in the months ahead during the ABC 7 late afternoon newscast!

Find out what Frank said after the jump!  And congratulations General Hospital another tremendous achievement!

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wow!! 13,0000 episode’s ..
Longevity at it’s finest ..

Maurice Benard (Sonny is a cornerstone of GH and has dedicated decades to Sonny.. why to go Maurice !!!!

Long Live GH!! till the 26,0000 episode !!!!!

I am happy to hear they are showing GH in the rec room in between Bingo and cracker time.

Good one, Harry!!! Sounds like someone was on a sugar high there. By the way, am I safe to assume that the snappy Sappy “cake crack” came from you, too???? Saw it in my inbox….(excellent observation….) but alas, it did not pass muster from “Mr./Ms. Moderator!” Hey….it happens to the best of us….more often than we would like to admit…. : )

Shay, wish I could claim credit for the ‘cake crack” comment, but alas, it was not me.
I am finding that any time I use the phrase “Sparkle Pony” my comments disappear. I swear this is worse than communism.

I’m kinda, a lil, bit, soured… on all the brouhaha…. doted on FV and RC

blech… on the writing of Scrubs…. this couple… my dream couple… coulda woulda shoulda been IN LOVE…. from the get go…. what’s the point now? I will back burner these two… and hope the writers give the fans respect and not pair….. Patrick and Sabrina….. it’s too much of an upheaval… writing is apparently all that… because… these two actors had chemistry in spades… untouchable…. what on earth happened…. shell shocked… till all the firestorm… ebbs… please give Dr. Patrick Drake a whole new direction

seriously… if GH wants to remain vital and score points with a chore audience… it is the Puerto rican… latin community that would enjoy Sabrina and Carlos… Carlos is good… he has that potential… and i’d dare say… Sabrina has had to vamp it up… amp up her acting chops… and it shows she’s not one dimensional.. and sugary sappy sweet honest to godliness…. enuf! comprende

where is AJ? I hope its not the destruction of AJ… he was doing so well at the Q manse with Traci and Monica… I wonder … if AJ and Ava coulda had a go round…. the bend… LOL…

Liz…. i’m stumped and have near given up… that this actor isn’t featured…. will the hiring of RIck Hearst be the catalyst at jump starting her resurgence?

I know it was big disappointment for Scrub fans, but I think they knew from the get go that Robin would not be on canvas for long, so they didn’t write the reunion the way it might have gone if they knew they had her long term. No sense investing in scenes of how great this couple is if they know they will be tearing them apart in few months.

As for Sabrina the way she told the story to Patrick about Carlos, one would think they would write some scenes where Sabrina’s old love for the guy would surface. If he had been her first big love, she should be torn– but she treats him more like an annoying older brother– so I too would like to see more of what made them a couple in the past, now in present tense– that would be nice.

As for Liz I really, really hope she ends up with Patrick. Personally I think there is potential for them. Don’t want him back with Sabrina, never bought he loved her, loved her— but I can see that kind of love forming out his friendship with Liz, especially when Robin leaves once again.

As for A.J. they should wrap that story– tell us who killed Connie and if they are truly writing the character off the canvas they should have go off to rehab and start a new life somewhere new– maybe to come back another time when they can really do the character justice.

I think that most of us are pretty nonplussed at this point, Patrick, and seeing Scorpio bidding adieu to Port Charles only compounds the disappointment and disgust! All the stops should have been pulled out to keep that marvelous man on the GH canvas…he’s a glittering gem of colossal charm, and would have been an awesome adversary to Thaao Penghlis’ returning Victor Cassadine. But hey, there are far more important efforts underway, i.e., the continued forcefeeding of “Sabzilla.” Just encountered a Frank quote on another soap website regarding the nurse’s preposterous pregnancy and he called it a “nice shot in the arm……..which keeps her viable and connected to Patrick.” (Delusional much there, Valentini?) So much for showing respect to “Scrubs” fans, not to mention that his very telling comment says it all….there has to be constant re-invention, poking and prodding to keep this character going since she has absolutely nothing to offer on her own. Talk about being tone deaf to the public’s very verbal responses. But that is just par for the course, isn’t it?….As for your suggestion to target Sobby and her Latin lover to their particular ethnic market, I’m just sick of the both of them and want to see them go, NOW! Good, gripping storylines, appealing, substantial characters and acting talent are universal….these elements matter so much more than trendy demographics when you are encountering a serial on a daily basis…and sadly these basics seem to have been sacrificed on the altar of “identity politics.” Let’s face it, there are many groups which are not currently being “represented” on GH, but it doesn’t mean that it deters those belonging to not tune in….that’s just life. In terms of AJ, it’s a true tragedy that SK’s considerable charisma and history with the show have been backburnered in favor of other really questionable plotlines….particularly letting his acquittal for murder going all but ignored whilst continuing his personal downward spiral. Really hope it is not an omen for his future with the show. Another huge disappointment is the ongoing lack of attention to Liz….would love to see her with Patrick, she was always my first choice for him, but in no uncertain terms do I wish for her to be reunited with that creep of an ex, Ric. His return is an unwelcome one for me…dude makes my skin crawl, and we already are having enough of those queasy moments with Scotty and Lucy’s nauseating lovefest….another hugely unnecessary plot machination, because, let’s face it, adultery is just so entertaining, particularly when a nice husband like “Doc” is involved! Oh well, it is what it is…just have to hold onto the few glimmering aspects like the uber-fab “Dr, O.,” Nik and Britt, the coming Cassadine tide and the legendary Shirley Jones and Donna Mills! February sweeps, here we come….

Congratulations to everyone at GH!!! That’s a huge accomplishment with probably 1,000’s of people responsible over those 13,000 episodes! GH is the best!!! Let’s have 13,000 more!

Hope this view reflects the future at GH?….Liz, AJ, Dr. O., Victor, Anna, Nik and well, yes more of the mob, but hey, you can’t have it all now can you???? The best part of this photo-op????? (Besides that yummy-looking cake, of course?) No Sabrina! And THAT is truly the icing on said baked good!!!!! Making a wish that it’s an eventual omen, even if not an immediate one…..At any rate, congrats GH on marking such an impressive milestone!!!!

IA about no Sabrina being in the picture. Her character is horrid, and she should leave town like Ellie and Spinelli. Heck…where is Epiphany’s storyline-how come we don’t know anything more about her than her being the mother of Stan?

I kind of liked Ellie.

Excellent question, Sharonda! I love Epiphany….she always makes the most of her far too limited screentime, and is exceptionally talented. I have never understood why her character was not expanded to include relatives…so she lost a son, that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have any other family? I repeatedly suggested that Felix should have been her nephew….that would have immediately given him credibility and they could have had a wonderful relationship around which to build a more substantial backstory for both of them. But instead we got him as an annoying, petty little busybody who is nothing more than Sappy’s lapdog…which makes him as non-persona grata to a lot of the viewers as she is!!!! P.S. Speaking of family ties, I also thought that it was a nice touch to make Brad related to those from the “Asian Quarter” storyline…it gave him some distance from Felix which he sorely needed. Between that GH historical heritage and his fling with Lucas, his character may just be redeemable after all….the only thing I would have added would have been to make his adoptive parents “Jade and Yank.” They were such a cute and cool couple from that era, and it would have been neat to hear mention made of them….maybe even have Tia Carrere and Patrick Bishop do a cameo as “Ma and Pa Cooper!” (Hey, they could have been in witness protection all these years, hence the surname!)

13 is and has been an unlucky no. for me in anything… Hopefully, its just the opposite for the show…lol…just wish there werent any ‘Houdini’ disapearing acts with certain characters like A.J. for instance…he was shown starting to remember the night of Connies murder…then suddenly not shown…i know its a large cast and actors cant be shown everyday but A.J.s story about Connies murder should be more front and center, and should be solved during at least by Feb. sweeps…i know it looks like Ava done it but i like Mary SFs idea better that it was Alice since she is a character rarely seen and could easily written out for long period but i want Ava to stick around!!! Maybe if it was Alice she couldve done the killing for A.J. but also for the Jeromes…let Alice be a secret member of the Jerome mob crime family!!!

The nurses ball again…great…just wish they wouldve taken my suggestion from a year ago and made it a 2 hr. live real fundraiser kinda like the Jerry Lewis telethon! Cant believe its almost been another year!!! Time flies when your having fun!!!

Prospect studios? Any connection to Prospect Park? Just curious!!!

At the 2015 nurses ball…on stage Patrick is tenderly holding Sabrina in his arms…and as they gaze lovingly into each others eyes, Patrick sings to a happily sobbing Sabrina, with the love he has felt for no other, ”You’re Having My Baby”…lol

That would have been nice. Instead, they made it Disney on Ice starring Sparkle Pony.

It’s so sad to see Sean Kanan there when rumors are flying that they are going to let him go. I bet they didn’t even let AJ has some cake just like the guy from the movie Office Space.
If they are stupid enough to let Sean go, I hope he at least gets to keep his red stapler.

GH is on fire and always entertaining with some kick butt acting..In my opinion the best acted show in daytime..I am so happy it got “renew” by ABC..Here is to more 13,000 episodes!!! AJ and Carly have some serious chemistry and I hope the writers sense that and get a story going there and lets wrap up the Kate/Connie murder and hopefully it is not Ava, since this character is so deliciously entertaining!! Maura you rock!!

Go, GH! I still don’t get Sonny’s popularity. Women want to save “bad boy” Sonny?? Makes no sense to me.

General Hospital

‘General Hospital’s’ Dominic Zamprogna Shares He Was ‘Happy to Hear’ of The Triangle Storyline Developing Between Dante/Elizabeth/Ric

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Dominic Zamprogna

General Hospital’s Dominic Zamprogna (Dante Falconeri) opened up about the burgeoning love triangle forming between his Port Charles alter-go, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) and Ric Lansing (Rick Hearst) after recently aired scenes, plus his hopes for the future of a Dante and Liz pairing, during his appearance on the Sunday, April 23 edition of the That’s Awesome podcast with Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) and Bradford Anderson (Spinelli).

On last week’s episodes of GH, Ric has made the decision that he wanted to propose to his ex-wife, only when he showed up at Elizabeth’s front door, he misread the scenario he walked in with Liz tending to Dante’s injured leg from the softball game. From there, the legal eagle’s jealous streak is reemerging which may cause him to act out and do something unforgivable, or will he take the high road? Stay tuned.

Speaking with Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson about where Elizabeth stands in the annals of the long-running soap, Zamprogna said, “She’s up there with Steve and Maurice (Maurice Benard) as one of the most legacy-filled people on the show.”

Courtesy/ABC

HOW DANTE AND ELIZABETH CAME ABOUT

Dominic jokes it’s a far cry for where Dante and Elizabeth previously, recalling, “We had some scenes together years ago and we were both laughing. Becky’s like, ‘Well, I guess we’re not going be paired up anytime soon.’ I remember we laughed immediately after they yelled ‘cut,”‘and said to each other, ‘Well, so much for that!'”

Fast-forward to early 2025 and as Zamprogna remembered it, “Elizabeth Korte (co-head writer, GH) came up to me at the General Hospital Christmas party, and I think it was a year and a half ago and she said, ‘We’re going to have you in scenes with Elizabeth,’ My internal monologue is going, ‘I’m not with Lulu (Alexa Havins) anymore and Sam’s (Kelly Monaco) gone, so maybe they want to see if this works.’ I didn’t want to get scenes with Becky and try to find the chemistry. I just wanted to play whatever honestly was written and came across for both of us and hope it was what people liked, and I don’t know if it is … or not.”

Knowing how beloved Elizabeth is to the GH faithfuls, Zamprogna added, “She got a big fan base with Ric … and a big fan base with with Jason … and you know, you’re going to piss somebody off. But, didn’t Ric drug Elizabeth and put Carly in a panic room?”

Dom and Liz

Photo: ABC

DANTE AND ELIZABETH PAIRING COULD STIR UP STORY FOR OTHERS IN PORT CHARLES

In closing, Dominic felt that the wide-reaching tentacles of a Dante and Elizabeth relationship is something he is 100% down for. “The triangle thing; I was happy to hear it was with Ric and her, because I felt it’s important to have her the top of it as opposed to Dante, Lulu and Elizabeth.”

Zamprogna added, “When you get into relationships on a soap, things seem to fizzle out a little bit, The buildup is what’s the fun part, and the getting to know each other, and the people who are affected by this coming together. When with this case it’s going to affect: Ric, Sonny, Lulu. There’s so much more story here. To me, it’s going to be a fun story to play.”

You can check out Dominic’s visit to That’s Awesome with Steve and Bradford below.

Now weigh-in: Are you rooting for Dante and Liz, or Dante and Ric at this juncture of the story, or neither guy  for Elizabeth? Let us know your thoughts and picks via the comment section.

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GH and OLTL Alum Patrick J. Gibbons Reveals the Story Behind Writing Trina’s Song on ‘General Hospital’ (Exclusive)

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Patrick J. Gibbons

At the conclusion of today’s August 21 episode of General Hospital, Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) sings a lullaby to baby Dez, that went into a montage to close out the episode as her father Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) reports to Pentonville and winds up in his jail cell.

However, in a fun fact, the song entitled, “A Lonely Heart To Give” was actually written by none other than former One Life to Live and General Hospital actor, Patrick J. Gibbons.

Daytime fans first met Gibbons as Sam Manning on One Life to Live. At the time, when he started on the soap, he was just 5-years-old. Gibbons played the part from 2010-2013 on ABC and Prospect Park’s editions of the show. Fast-forward to 2018, Gibbons shows up on General Hospital as Wyatt Hoover, the scout who seemed always be injured, but in the thick of the drama. Patrick had appeared on GH multiple times as Wyatt including: 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023.

Photo: ABC

FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH CAME THE INSPIRATION FOR HIS SONG

Now in 2026, General Hospital fans are getting to learn about another side of Gibbons’ talent as a songwriter and guitar player after “A Lonely Heart to Give” debuted today! Michael Fairman TV caught up with Patrick, who is now a senior at Penn State entering his final year as a finance major, to get the back-story of how his song wound up on GH!

Gibbons explained he wrote the song in honor of his grandmother who passed away a few years ago with whom he was, very, very close with. “Randomly, my grandmother had a downfall and passed away during the second semester of my sophomore year. I was in my dorm a lot and I was just playing with my guitar. And at the time, I was really into finger-style playing. I wrote the lyric and music to it (with a little help from my guitar teacher Lou), and my mom showed the rough demo to Frank Valentini (EP, General Hospital). He’s like an uncle to me. Frank loved it so much he said, “Finish that up. I want to hear the whole thing, and I want it on the show.”

MAKING MUSIC FOR GENERAL HOSPITAL

Gibbons and his parents took the next steps! “So now, all we needed was a female voice, because I thought that would fit the song well,” Patrick shared. “At the golf club we go to my parents were at a dinner. They liked the singer that was performing and spoke to her about the song, and she says she would like to bring it to her ‘boss’ who ended up being Eric Bazilian of the Hooters fame!” (Bazilian also wrote the smash hit song “One of Us” for Joan Osborne).

Next, “We went in the studio and recorded it and the song came together and it was beautiful. We loved it. They loved it at General Hospital and now they’re putting it the show and they are coming in with a piano, instead of a guitar. Paul Glass, the GH musical director, has been keeping us updated over the last six months of how it was coming along, and when it would air, and how GH put their own arrangement to it. I can’t wait to see and hear what they did with it.”

Photo: JPI

PATRICK’S ONE LIFE TO LIVE FAMILY

Everyone knows that the One Life to Live extended family share a very tight bond, and Patrick said he does stay in touch with a few of his former One Life to Live co-stars, especially those from the Manning family! “I stayed in touch with Kassie DePaiva (ex-Blair) and sent her little videos here and there. She was like my second mom for five years. We keep in contact with Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr) over X the most, and she can’t believe how big I’ve gotten. Like, none of them can! (laughs). I also loved working with Roger Howarth (ex-Todd) and Trevor St. John (ex-Todd and Victor Jr.), and to me since I was so young, they were just my friends, ‘Roger and Trevor,’ not Todd Manning or Victor Jr.”

It was a trip to California and a visit to Port Charles that ultimately led to Gibbons second soap role of Wyatt Hoover. Patrick explains, “In 2016, Frank Valentini invited us out to Los Angeles to visit the set of General Hospital. I think he heard me say, ‘This is so much fun. I miss being on the set.’ He goes, ‘You should come out. I’ll bring you on the show. We can make you a character.'”

A few years later, Patrick’s dream became a reality! “Then, by the summer of 2018, I was playing Wyatt, the scout, and shared scenes with Wes Ramsey (Peter August), and the best was when I shared a scene with Roger Howarth and Michael Easton (ex-John, OLTL and ex-Silas, Finn et al, GH), it was like chemistry from the old days.”

Photo: PGibbons

IT’S ALL IN THE NUMBERS

As to his future aspirations, it’s a career in the finance game that has piqued Gibbons’ real-life interest. But never say never to a return to acting. Patrick explained, “I’ve always enjoyed numbers. And on top of that, one of the biggest parts of finance is being personable and outgoing.”

He continued, “That’s one of the greatest skills I developed growing up. I really love the markets. I’m super interested. I’m never going to close the door to acting. I’m always open to that because I just love it so much. It’s such a great art.”

Take note! If there are any investment bankers or private equity folks among the GH faithful looking for a young analyst next year, Patrick’s DMs are open. You can find him on X at @PatrickJGibbons.

So, what did you think of the song sung by Trina on today’s GH that was written by Patrick J. Gibbons? Did you enjoy Patrick’s performances as One Life’s Sam and GH’s Wyatt? Would you like to see him back on GH at some point? Let us know via the comment section.

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‘General Hospital’ Alum Chad Duell Admits That He Didn’t Expect the Role of Michael Corinthos to be Recast, and Would Consider Working on Another Soap (Exclusive)

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Chad Duell, the Daytime Emmy-winning actor, who stepped away from the pivotal role of Michael Corinthos on General Hospital, opened up about: his previous decision to leave the series after nearly 15 years, where’s he’s at now after time away from the demands of a daytime soap opera, and took a stroll down memory lane with some of Michael’s most-acclaimed storyline during his run, during a livestream chat on August 19 on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel.

Viewers last saw Duell on-screen as Michael in January of 2025, and with his successor in the role, Rory Gibson making his debut at the GH Nurses’ Ball in episodes that aired later in May. It was clear that during the conversation, Chad was a bit surprised that the GH brass decided to recast him when he thought he was just taking some much needed time off.

Burn-out of the daily grind of being on a soap was definitely a part of Chad’s decision to take a break. Duell explained “People know when you’re doing something for so long or your character is kind of in the same place for so long or doing the same stuff over and over again, you do get a a little burnt out, you get a little stiff, stale, a little stiff at times. I didn’t want that to be any sort of lasting impression. I have 15 years of a body of work of I’ve done on that show, which is fantastic.”

Chad Duell

Photo: ABC

WHILE CHAD WAS AWAY GH RECAST MICHAEL CORINTHOS WITH RORY GIBSON

Chad shared, his mindset when leaving GH was, “I’m taking some time away, we’ll see what happens.” Then he added, “Obviously, they decided to go in a different direction with Michael when I was gone. I didn’t think they were going to bring somebody back in my place. But you know, it’s the business. You never know what can happen.”

Duell also shared he has not watched a single episode of General Hospital since he left the series, but now feels he reenergized following the loss of his father and stepping away from the GH, “I’m in a place now mentally, where I’m ready to sink my teeth into it again.”

Courtesy/ABC

Even though he is no longer Michael on GH, Chad was very happy with his final storyline where Michael was set on fire when a bomb exploded at Sonny’s (Maurice Benard) penthouse. “It was fun to put him in a dangerous situation, because I was wanting Michael to be in something scary instead of trying to be a hero character or just things happening around him, but to be the center point of tragedy happening to him. (I always saw) Michael as the heart of the (Corinthos) family.”

When Michael was badly burned the show chose not burn his face, which normally a soap does when they are recasting role and switching actors. Chad weighed-in, “They didn’t burn my face because I told Frank Valentini (EP, GH) I’m willing to come back. It was just a little bit of a break. So, I assumed that if they would have burned my face, they could have brought somebody back looking different than me… if that’s what their plan was.”

Courtesy/ABC

MEMORABLE MICHAEL STORYLINES

One of Chad’s most memorable performances was the in the storyline of Michael’s rape while he was sentenced to prison in 2010 and the confession of it in 2011. “It was so well-written and I was very nervous,” recalled Chad. “When I get really nervous about something, it ends up being really good when I do it, because it just means I care a lot about it”

“I have to put a lot of effort and work into it, and I really want it to be good.  I was working with Dominic  Zamprogna (Dante) and Steve Burton (Jason) a lot during those scenes, and Laura Wright (Carly). It was great working with Steve and Dominic, especially, during that storyline.

A NEW SOAP ROLE FOR CHAD?

As to a future soap opera role, Chad is open to the idea and would love to jump back in to a juicy role, “I know people over at The Bold and the Beautiful, and The Young and the Restless. They know that if they’re interested, I would love to come in for a screen test or something, and they can see what I’m doing.”

Meanwhile, Chad has been busy putting out new music under the moniker Duelly and during the interview he explains how he creates his EDM tracks and much more. You can stream his latest single, Static in the Quiet Room on Spotify, Apple Music and You Tube Music.

You can check out the full conversation with Chad Duell below.

Now let us know: what show would you like to see Chad cast on down the line? BTG, DAYS, B&B, Y&R, or a new role on GH? What did you think of his thoughts on the casting switch while he was away in the role of Michael? What was your favorite Michael storyline during Chad’s 15-year run on the ABC soap opera? Let us know via the comment section.

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