General Hospital
General Hospital’s EP Frank Valentini on How the Writers and a Dream Helped Craft Bobbie’s Emotional Final Story and Exit
This week, viewers and Port Charles said goodbye to Bobbie Spencer who passed away while in Amsterdam. That also meant, that the long-running ABC daytime drama series was laying to rest the character in heart-tugging episodes that honored her portrayer, the late Jackie Zeman.
Three stand out story points delivered the gut-punch and brought the tears to many a longtime fan. First, Angela, the “Associated Press reporter” from Amsterdam, was played by the same actress who played little BJ Jones up till the character died in a school bus accident. As GH fans know, BJ’s heart was given to Maxie to save her life. Brighton Hertford returned 30 years later to the show in which she used to appear to honor her former on-screen mom, Jackie Zeman.
In the story twist, Angela turns out to be BJ who visits Bobbie’s family and friends from heaven, but who brings with her an important secret of Bobbie’s. The second stand out story point involved Carly (Laura Wright) and Felicia (Kristina Wagner) as they quickly headed to Amsterdam after learning that Bobbie was helping women escape human sex trafficking. This harkened back to the days of a young Bobbie, who was a prostitute. In the end, Bobbie was helping a young girl to safety. Carly and Felicia wanted to honor Bobbie’s last wish and find the young woman, which they did. And third, changing the name of “Kelly’s” to “Bobbie’s” as the final moment of Thursday’s episode revealed.
Photo: ABC
Speaking with PEOPLE, GH executive producer Frank Valentini clearly gave credit where much of the credit is due to his co-head writers, Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor. Addressing why it took so long for GH to address Jackie Zeman’s death and what should happen to the character of Bobbie, Valentini shared it all had to do with the timing of the writers’ strike and wanting his head scribes back in the fold to craft the story.
Frank explained: “Jackie passed away while we were in the middle of the writers’ strike, and I wanted to make sure that we saved Bobbie’s memorial and everything dealing with Bobbie’s and how we were going to deal with the character parting the canvas.” He added, “There was never any question in anyone’s mind that we weren’t going to recast, Bobbie because that just would’ve been impossible and I think would not have honored the show. So we decided that Bobbie needed to have had some kind of purpose to help sort of explain her exit.”
Photo: ABC
The head scribes also came up with the idea for BJ to return in the form of Brighton Hertford. The GH showrunner said, “It’s really their brainchild.” However, the final moment where Carly hangs the new sign at Kelly’s and it now says “Bobbie’s” came to Valentini in his dream.
Frank shared, “I dreamt that we changed the name of it because, having known for several months that we needed to address this character’s departure from the canvas and being concerned and wanting to do right by not only Jackie, but by Bobbie Spencer.” He concluded, “I thought, ‘What’s something that could be lasting?’ And that was the one that seemed to make a lot of sense.”
So, what did you think about what the GH writers and the EP came up with to do right by Jackie Zeman and the character of Bobbie Spencer? Comment below.
The show has been on fire for weeks. The shows dealing with Bobbie’s/Jackie’s death were amazing. The performances of the actors will stick with me for a while. Laura Wright, Kristina Wagner, Kin Shriner, Genie Francis and Kirsten Storms were simply the best.
I remember thinking that Finola Hughes had Best Actress in the bag for her scenes regarding Charlotte’s shooting. But, now I see how rich GH is with so many great performers. The show has an embarrassment of riches with the aforementioned actors, plus Maura, Cynthia, Nancy Lee, Jane Elliott and Kate Mansi.
We’re in a new Emmy cycle (for daytime, it’s based on calendar year). Finola’s work on the Charlotte story is all for 2023.
What an incredible dream.
Kudos to Frank, the writers and the incredible cast. The two farewell episodes were incredible! It was worth the wait!
An amazing tribute to a daytime legend! I have always believed that the ABC soaps I’ve watched (OLTL, GH, and RH) truly honor the history of these soaps to longtime viewers. First of all, the fact that the actress who played little BJ reprised her role as a ghost was genius. And when she says to Lucas, “anytime champ” as the memory Lucas shared pulls at your heart string. Second, the amazing performances by the entire cast, especially Kristina Wagner, kin shriner and genie francis who not only were grieving the character of Bobby but their friend Jackie who they have known and worked with since the late 70s and early 80s. Third, the story behind how Bobby who was trying to help a young girl from human trafficking as to how she started on the show came full circle to honor the true essence of this character and renaming kellis to Bobbies allows her legacy to live on for years to come. Lastly, the part that really brought me to tears is when Felicia realizes it was BJ and goes back in to tell Maxie and touches her heart and you can hear the heart beating just like Tony heard when he put his ear next to maxies heart nearly 30 years ago. This is what made daytime soaps special. Thank you GH for honoring Jackie zeman in this way. We the audience got to grieve her loss with you. WE MISS YOU JACKIE & BOBBY but you will never be forgotten!
Brilliant!!
The outcome of what transpired on the screen this week was Beyond Great. It was so well done and totally tugged on the heartstrings. You just have to know Jackie is smiling knowing how much she is loved.
I thought it was a beautiful and very emotional tribute to Bobby. Jackie Zeman would be so incredibly proud. Great work GH
Mycomment to Frank is the tribute was nice. Sorry I don’t give Dan & Chris all the credit for this story. My reason is you guys blew the 60th anniversary show- disgusting. It appeared you threw it together in 15 minutes. Gh deserves better than this. I wish change from Disney in 2024 or else I don’t see gh making it. Bad
The fact the network gave GH a primetime special (not on a Friday or in summer) shows Disney’s commitment to the show. The ratings are significantly up in the past few weeks. GH is in relatively good shape.
I couldn’t disagree more regarding the prime time special on the 60th anniversary!! I loved it and have already watched it (via Hulu) several times. It had EVERYTHING including humor, surprise guests, fans, flashbacks, behind the scenes, blooper reels, and more. Hopefully it draws more viewers to the show & it continues for an additional 60 years. I liked the tribute to “Bobbie” of course l, but I enjoyed the anniversary special even more. But that’s what makes GH terrific. You might not like something one day, but luckily it’s aired 5x a week, so you’re bound to enjoy something else.
Just wish that something had been done regarding the Audio. The music dubbed over the actors was way too loud. Also, wished for more clips and it seems some of the guest actors had nothing to do with GH other than being fans.
The ending with the doors however made up for a lot of the quality issues. That shocker with Steve Burton – BOOM! Wow!
The guest actors DID have something to do with the show except I think her name is Sheryl Underwood. John Stamos, Max Gail and the guy that plays Brick have all been on the show.
They did nothing of the sort! The anniversary special was great! I don’t know what you expected, but a primetime special for a daytime drama us amazing in itself. Sad you couldn’t appreciate it.
Perfect “Farewell and Closure” to Bobbie and Jackie! Well done…Thank you!
EXCELLENT, GENIUS 2 DAY MEMORIAL!!
Great ending to a daytime legend and her character. The GH writers and EP obviously love the show and tied up the show with a historical twist to include the return of the original BJ as an angel. Let the tears flow. GH may have just wrapped up another Best Daytime Drama nomination and win in 2024! See you at Bobbie’s!
General Hospital writers and Frank Valentini hit this one way out of the ballpark. As a viewer who started watching in 1977, I loved the way Bobbie was memorialized. Genie Francis and Kin Shriner were amazing. It is so hard to believe that the three of them remained connected on this show for so long. Thank you for doing this for us fans.
Thank you for showing Bobbie/Jackie the person she was. Because Bobbie was a part of the show for so long, the actors didn’t need to ‘act’ – their true feelings showed how they felt about her. We’re really gonna miss you Bobbie Spencer!
They did some exceptional writing! I love that they changed Kelly’s to Bobbie’s. I think it is a wonderful way to honor Bobbie and Jackie.
What a team, they bring it every day.
Kudos, to Frank i have mixed feelings about the name change. But i understand why it was done. To Chris/ Dan congratulations on horning Jackie Zeman. And what a brilliant idea to ask Brighton Hertford to come back as Angela who turn out to be BJ angel you had everyone tears.
The writers did not miss a moment on tying all who Bobbie was and all the people and events she lived together. I have watched since day one and this touched my heart and left me in tears. A perfect storyline and great heartfelt acting.❤️❤️
Y’all did a fantastic job with this week, brought back so many me memories ❤️
This was an amazing way to pay tribute! Every scene was emotional and having Felicia realize that the reporter was BJ was jaw dropping and heart warming at the same time…General Hospital, (as BJ would say) way to go…CHAMP!!!
I have mixed feelings about Kellys being renamed. As a very long time viewer I actually remember the real Kelly. I think it will always be Kellys to me. I did see the renaming coming because of the way the story line was going. so it wasnt a surprise to me.I remember her more as a nurse, than running the diner.
It was simply epic! Quite the emotional roller coaster!
It was fantastic but they should have given Bobbie a fantastic storyline the last 15 years she was on the show basically doing nothing!! R.I.P. Bobbie Spencer
I loved it! Kudos to all!
It was very touching. To watch all of the people not just having to play their parts but it was a loss of a real character and friend had to be so hard; these were real tears. I had a few myself. After the story ended I said ” what an awesome and wonderful tribute ” to honor Jacqueline Zeman ” Well done producers, cast and all involved. Thank you all. Susan Green, N. Carolina
The latest ratings are out for the week of October 26-30, 2026 and the big takeaways include: that CBS daytime’s Beyond the Gates was separated by only 23,000 viewers behind third place (of the soaps) General Hospital! For the last several weeks, Beyond the Gates has been closing the gap on this year’s winner for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, and continuing to best GH in the key demos.
According to the latest Nielsen ratings breakdown from Soap Opera Network, the final week of October brought Beyond the Gates 1.790 million on average tuning-in and the show set a season high in total viewers. Meanwhile, General Hospital hit a new season low! The long-running ABC soap had 1.813 million for the week, and once again the series did not go over the 2 million mark.
Meanwhile, in the key Women 18-49 demo, Beyond the Gates was firmly ahead of GH with a rating share of 0.21, while General Hospital had 0.17 rating share.Then, in the key Women 25-54 demo, Beyond the Gates was once again ahead of the ABC soap with a ratings share for that demo at 0.30 while GH came in with 0.26.
Photo: CBS
MORE BY THE NUMBERS
In addition and comparatively, Beyond the Gates +22,000 viewers week-to-week, and had the largest gains in viewership year-to-year in daytime TV with +267,000 from this in 2025.. However, General Hospital seems to be going in reverse. The show was down -56,000 viewers week-over-week and down -22,000 year-over-year .
BEYOND THE GATES
Let’s take a look at some of the storylines that had people tuning-in to Beyond the Gates during the ratings week:
Hayley (Marquita Goings) attempted a massive shocker regarding her pregnancy and tried to use it to extract money from Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett). Although, Bill saw right through her game, he demanded a paternity test, and made it clear he has no intention of raising the child—planning instead to pay her off to take the baby and leave. Meanwhile, Hayley confided her plan to her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry).
Jacob Hawthorne (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi Hamilton (Arielle Prepetit) clashed over Jacob’s ongoing investigation into The Impaler, causing significant strain in their marriage. At the same time, Smitty (Mike Manning) considered taking matters into his own hands—including potentially heading to Mexico for evidence—while Martin Richardson (Brandon Claybon) worried about what comes next.
Photo: ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Over at General Hospital for the ratings period, the story served up included:
Carly (Laura Wright) and Valentin (James Patrick Stuart) teamed up to investigate what really happened to Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna). Later, Danny (Asher Antonyzyn) leads them to Jack’s dead body.
Jude (Wil Traval) dropped a bombshell claim to Alexis (Nancy Lee Grahn); that he is Phoebe’s father, while Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) and Chase (Josh Swickard) signed their divorce papers.
Then, Danny caught Rocco (Finn Carr) and Scout (Kayden Brenna Tokarski) sharing a kiss, plus the shocking return of Heather Webber (Alley Mills) capped the week.
Now the questions become; without having much promotional synergy in the ABC day-part to draw more eyeballs it is not helping but hurting General Hospital. It seems Beyond the Gates is also a benefactor of a one-two-three punch of CBS soaps (Y&R, B&B and BTG) and promotion.
However, that still doesn’t take away the fact that Beyond the Gates is close to besting GH in all ratings category as they go head-to-head in some markets across the country.
So, are you excited to see Beyond the Gates climb in the ratings? Are you concerned for General Hospital? Do you think they can stave off Beyond the Gates in total viewers or will the upstart soap overtake them in the next ratings report? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Antonio Sabáto Jr., the former Jagger Cates of General Hospital and GH: Night Shift, and the former Dante Damiano of The Bold and the Beautiful has issued his first public statement since the incident involving his son, Jack’s arrest in Alaska for a fatal hit-and-run.
Jack is the son of Sabáto Jr. and Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen, and according to court documents obtained by KTUU Jack, was allegedly driving a white Chevy Tahoe when he hit and killed Carl Simmonds, 42, near an intersection in Anchorage around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, November 9.
The reports indicated that Jack fled the scene — but later decided to called the cops to say he hit “something” that “suddenly appeared in the road” while he was “doing late-night DoorDashing.”
Photo: NBC
Now, Antonio has taken to his Instagram breaking his silence on the situation, sharing, “At this time, my family and I are navigating an extremely sensitive and deeply personal matter.”
He added, “As a father, my love for my children remains unconditional, and my priority is the well-being of my family. We ask that the public and members of the media honor our privacy during this difficult time and keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.”
The soap alum concluded, “I also wish to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of the gentleman who tragically lost his life. My thoughts and prayers are with them as well. We sincerely appreciate your compassion, understanding, and respect for the privacy of everyone affected.”
Jack Sabáto was arraigned in court on Tuesday, November 10 with bail set at $5,000, and a no-driving order and the potential of $5,000 penalty fees if he fails to attend future court appearances.
Antonio is the father to Jack, 34, daughter, Mina Sabato, 24 and son, Antonio Sabáto III, 15.
This is a developing story. You can check out Antonio’s official statement below.
So, let us know your thoughts on this tragic hit-and-run, which claimed the life of another man, and Antonio’s statement, via the comment section below.
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Sonny (Maurice Benard) and Ava’s (Maura West) daughter Avery looks quite different, starting on today’s November 9 episode of General Hospital. That’s because GH has made Avery into a full-blown teenager and the role is now being played by actress Alya Bullington.
In her debut, the Tennessee native was thrown into the deep soap waters with Daytime Emmy winners, Maurice Benard and Eden McCoy (Josslyn). Bullington weighed-in to TV Insider about her first scene which featured Avery overhearing a fight between Sonny and Josslyn.
She explained “It was something I have never done before, I did not have a lot of experience with the screaming and the crying stuff, but I got my first script, and I was like, ‘OK, this is a huge opportunity to learn so much about how that stuff works and to become this character that I have never even tried playing before.’”
Photo: ABC
THE TEENAGED VERSION OF AVERY WILL HAVE A LOT TO CONTEND WITH
Speaking of working with McCoy, Bullington shared, “She’s incredible. I remember her just laughing and making jokes on set, and then the minute that they started taping, she just locked in and she cried immediately, and my first thought was, ‘I want to be able to do that.’
The soap opera newcomer added, “I think she just inspired me so much because she is so great and she can just lock into whatever character she wants to in the moment.”
The character of Avery was born back in 2014, but as recently as the October 8 episode of General Hospital, the character was suddenly referred to as a teenager. This is the second young female character in recent months to be aged up following the casting of Kayden Brenna Tokarski as Scout Cain.
As for her take on Avery and what’s ahead, Alya said,“She’s emotional, and she’s curious, and she’s a really fun person to play because so much stuff is happening in her life. I think she’s kind of confused about what’s happening and what to believe.”
So, what do you think about General Hospital making Avery a teenager? Are you excited to see the conflict between Sonny, Ava and Avery now that they have aged up the character? Share your thoughts and welcome Alya to GH via the comment section below.
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B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
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