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‘General Hospital’ Head Writers Tease Plans to Honor Tristan Rogers’ Robert Scorpio and Denise Alexander’s Lesley Webber

By Michael Fairman

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Photos: JPI

General Hospital viewers recently saw the incredibly moving episodes surrounding the death of Monica Quartermaine (the late Leslie Charleson) and her memorial, and its aftermath. That aftermath is still playing out which includes; the sudden arrival of Monica’s never-heard-of before sister, Ronnie Bard (Erika Slezak).

Now fans are wondering, can lightning strike twice or three times if GH’s co-head writers, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten, honor Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio) and Denise Alexander (Lesley Webber) both of whom passed away this year?

During last week’s 52nd annual Daytime Emmy Awards, General Hospital took home the gold for the Outstanding Writing Team in a Daytime Drama Series. In the Winners Walk, following their victory, Elizabeth Korte and Chris Van Etten spoke with TV Insider, who asked if there was any update to how GH plans to send-off and honor the beloved characters of Robert Scorpio and Lesley Webber and would it be similar to what fans saw in terms of the care and thoughtfulness that was put into Monica’s death.

Photo: NATAS

“Our plan is to absolutely do that,’ said Van Etten “We want to make sure that we achieve the same goal that I think we have with the story of Monica’s passing. We want a story that will carry (Lesley and Robert’s) names into the future, so that we still feel Robert’s and Lesley’s presence for years to come.”

Denise Alexander joined General Hospital back in 1973 after her 7-year successful run as Susan Martin on Days of our Lives.  When Alexander came over to GH, the show was struggling with low ratings. In fact, a 1976 TIME magazine article panned the soap opera, but praised Alexander’s portrayal of Lesley, calling her the show’s ‘only saving grace.'”

Photo: ABC

Soon after, the Lesley/Rick/Monica triangle caught fire and the show became top-ranked once again. Alexander portrayed Dr. Lesley Webber until 1984 when she was killed-off. However in true soap fashion, she returned to GH in 1996 very much alive and remained on a recurring basis until 2021.

Photo: JPI

It was 1980 when Tristan Rogers joined General Hospital as super spy Robert Scorpio. He remained with the show until 1992. The character of Scorpio at that time was presumed dead. Fast-forward to 2006 when viewers learned Robert was alive and well. Rogers continued playing Scorpio on and off until this year; with a few years/stints to The Young and the Restless in-between as Colin Atkinson.

Photo: ABC

Knowing how emotional it was for viewers and the positive reaction they received for the writing of Monica’s memorial, Korte added she understands the importance of honoring these memorable and defining GH characters in the series history. “Monica was a pillar of General Hospital,” explained Korte. “She was the heart of the Quartermaines, and the Quartermaines are our crazy, awesome family.”

So, how would you like to see General Hospital handle killing-off the characters of Robert Scorpio and Lesley Webber in order to honor the contributions of Tristan Rogers and Denise Alexander to the legacy of the iconic soap opera? What kind of story would you like to see, and who would you like to see return to the show to heighten the emotion of the story? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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I will honor robert and leslie webber.oxoxoxRIP

I will as well oxoxox

I do think that these two pivotal characters deserve proper memorials.
More than anything, though, I want Sam McCall resurrected. She added so much to General Hospital with her investigation services, her back story, the way she took care of her children and family. Maybe she had to go undercover with the investigation into what is going on with Sidwell, Drew, etc.

I totally agree with you, would be continuing in the Soap Opera tradition and great plot line(s)

That’s an awesome idea!

Robert’s passing deserves a storyline (not just a tribute episode) and requires timing to get Emma Samms, Kimberly McCullough and probably Sofia Mattsson back temporarily.

Because most of her contemporaries have passed on, Lesley’s death only impacts Laura. Elizabeth might have had a scene with Lesley, but nothing stands out. With Jon Lindstrom recently being spotted in the studio, hopefully Kevin is back soon to help Laura when Lesley’s passing is addressed.

For anyone wondering, Audrey lives on happily off screen with Rachel Ames nearing her 96th birthday.

Thanks so much for the update on Rachel Ame. It would be amazing if Audrey was able to be at Lesley’s service.

As nice as that sounds, she retired full time around 10 years ago.

So many from Lesley Webber’s stories are gone. Scott should be there. John Stamos as Blackie? Little Mikey? Laura, Lucky, Lulu.
Robin has to make a cameo for Robert. Tiffany, too. Even by phone if necessary.
So many from GH’s history are gone.

Based on the number of people at Monica’s funeral, I wouldn’t hold out hope for too many for Robert and Lesley. Definitely not John Stamos. Maybe they can get JJ to do a few episodes… KM is the true question mark. They’ll want her, I just don’t know if she wants to be in front of the camera at all. I just get that impression. She hasn’t acted since her last GH appearances in 2021 and prior to that 2018.

Jonathan Jackson told Michael Fairman he will definitely return for episodes honoring Leslie Webber. In fact, I thought they may have already shot those scenes as I heard rumors that JJ was on set earlier this month shooting episodes.

I think Kimberly McCullough will agree to return to honor Tristan Rogers. I know she’s busy directing new projects, but I think she would return to honor him.

Where are you reading that JJ said that about returning? I follow this site regularly and have never seen any quote like the one you suggest.

I saw that, too, but it was on another tv entertainment site that he said would be interested in returning for a memorial honoring Lesley.

Very happy to hear that both will be honored.

Lesley Webber and Robert Scorpio are very important parts of GH history. I hope they and the actors are appropriately honored.

.I like both actors
The were always the best we will miss them always. for all the .actors that are gone so soon. I have watching for 6oyears love the show ,known I am retired now. I do not miss a day of Gh
.kept it going

I very much agree

I remember the first time Robert met Leslie. He met her in front of Laura’s apartment. He thought she was gorgeous and he felt she looked so young to be Laura’s mom. He said something like “You’re Laura’s mother? How is that possible?”I loved these 2 characters when I was a kid. I’m glad GH is going to honor them.

I’m glad to hear they plan to honor both Leslie Webber and Robert Scorpio. I know Jonathan Jackson said he will return to shoot episodes honoring Leslie. There were rumors that JJ was on set a few weeks back and I wondered if they were shooting scenes honoring Leslie. When Laura attended Monica’s memorial she told Jason that Leslie was sick. So I thought they were leading up to Leslie’s story. I’m sure Laura, Lucky, Lulu, Elizabeth, and Aiden, would definitely be part of Leslie’s memorial. Inwishntheyd bring Jake, Nikolas and Scotty back for the memorial, but it’s doubtful.

As for Robert, I really hope Frank can get Kimberly McCullough to return to honor Tristan Rogers. If there is a reason KM would return to GH, it would be to honor TR and Finola Hughes. They would have to get Sasha, Holly to also return. Of course Mac, Felicia and Maxie, if it happens next year, would be there.

I’d like to see Brenda and Jax return to GH

I highly doubt they will bring back Ingo Rademacher to play Jax after he sued ABC.

RIP to all that have passed loved you all!

Luke should come back for Leslie as she was his mother-in-law, as well as, for Robert. They were good friends.

Luke is dead.

Is anyone every really dead on a soap? I think if Tony Geary wanted to do an appearance… Luke would be very much alive. I still hold on to “never say never” where Luke / Tony is concerned.

About 5 years ago, I would’ve agreed with you. Geary (now 78) is enjoying retirement in Amsterdam. He had some very heartfelt comments when Tristan passed (as he did when Jackie did).

Yes, he did a cameo (Luke was still alive then) in 2017 when Jane “retired”. Fortunately for us, she changed her mind.

When discussing his prior “returns” over the years, he has hinted or stated they’ve stroked his ego. Like they’ve raved about his abilities or they’ve given him carte blanche to write the story or make whatever changes he wants to make. He has said things like “He/she really knows how to talk to an actor’s ego”. So, I’m guessing if they want him to come back for a limited run, they better start laying on the charm and let him have whatever he wants. Otherwise, he will happily stay in Amsterdam.

Bring back Sam

Please bring back Sam!!

Really looking forward to this! It’s past time to honor them!

Beyond the Gates

RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers

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Beyond the Gates and General Hospital

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.

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General Hospital

Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run

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Antonio Sabato Jr.

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.”

Jack Sabato

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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A post shared by Antonio Sabato Jr (@antoniosabatojr)

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General Hospital

‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos

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Ayla Bullington

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.’” 

Josslyn

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

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