General Hospital

GH’s Head Scribes Shelly Altman & Chris Van Etten Take You Inside The Writer’s Room Of How A Soap Is Written!

January 10, 2018

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The Nerdist has posted a very special podcast for soap fans and especially those of General Hospital.

Host, Ben Blacker welcomes GH head writers, Shelly Altman and Chris Van Etten for an inside look and discussion on just how the writer’s room works and is constructed on a soap opera, in particular the ABC daytime drama series.

Blacker is joined by writer and GH superfan, Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, as they talk the nuts and bolts of writing for a continuing daytime drama series from: the creation of long story, to how the each week’s episodes are laid out in the hands of the breakdown writers, scripts writers, and more.

Courtesy/CVanEttenTwitter

Altman and Van Etten also talk about their writing team, what they look for in a writer, and if they are a fit for the genre, if there is story that they want to tell, but haven’t had the chance to yet, and how they must map out the lives for the many contract players and characters on the Port Charles canvas.

It’s a compelling listen. Check it out here.

After you have had a chance to listen, let us know if there is something you learned that you didn’t know about how the process of writing a soap, and in particular how GH scripts and stories are planned in the comment section below.

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Guest

su0000

Whoa! that was more than long so I had to skip it… Anyways, I don’t care how they write GH I only care how good the writting is. I gotta admit, I have been in snoooz mode the past 2 weeks, nothing is happening to keep me awake 🙁 overkill of Sam and Jason looking at each other like hurt puppies, to say it kindly, nuff is nuff of them.. They desperately need to write some hard drama, intriguing exciting adventure intense stuff and shelf the stagnate mush. the couple’s woe is me woes are as interesting as a lint… Read more »

Guest

Fanny

@Su000, you never cease to make me laugh…. Thank you
for your unvarnished honesty.

Guest

aria

laugh and unvarnished honesty? all she does is complain about how boring gh is, if she doesn’t like it she should just give up already on the show, she seems happy w/Dool and RC, why is she bothering w/ GH if all she’s gonna do is bitch about it, what she is, is predictable, if you wanna read someone bitch about GH then su0000 is the one to go to to read about it That is all she offers.

Guest

Jovin

Su is a man, by the way.

Guest

Rebecca1

Su…I guess the difference lies in what you define as “drama.” I think you seek action. As for drama, Sam and Jason’s exchanged glances ARE drama…for those of us who were in love with their love story. Add to that Sam’s emotional conflict, her love for and loyalty to Drew coupled with her repressed but returning to the surface feelings for Jason and it’s an emotional tug-of-war for the characters and the veiwers who are invested in these characters. Personally, I get kinda teary when I see the flashbacks of Jason and Sam because I was watching back then. So,… Read more »

Guest

Allen Saint James

amen to Intense action adventure stories. They at the beginning phase of bringing back adventure storytelling to the show. The Jason/Faison Saga is the most intriguing story in ages.

Guest

Jake

They are building stories (i.e Faison and Mayoral/Charles St). What I like is that they are integrating a lot of the cast in both stories.

Guest

nancy dillingham

I, too, like the integration of a lot of the cast members. “Seems like old times.” 🙂

Guest

Reed

It’s worth a listen (interview begins 5 minutes in and is 68 in length). I enjoyed learning more about Shelly and Chris, the process of writing the show, the constraints and challenges. GH should be in good hands with Shelly, Chris, and the current writing team. I’m sure the goings-on behind the scenes can be even more interesting than what’s on the screen, so it was a neat glimpse from that perspective. But what about the bigger picture? Let’s hear about the business side of things from the executives, those that can speak not only on the state of the… Read more »

Guest

rose

I am curious…Do the writers ike Shelly and Van Etten pay any attention to comments made by fans. A big example is that, at least on MF, for years many have expressed being very tired of Sonny and Carly, the mob, and both monopolizing GH. Doesn’t this count for something when writing the GH stories.

Guest

4ever DAYS

@aria

su0000 only watches GH and Y&R.

Guest

rebecca1

It was an interesting listen but I think it was meant primarily for those who are either in or interested in getting into writing. I found it interesting because of my publishing background. not sure if it would be compelling if I wasn’t in that realm.

On that note, it was a good interview and an insight into the writers minds…and of course an insight into the business aspect, as well.

For those of us who might be thinking of writing a soap…as was asked during the interview…it wasn’t too encouraging. But never say never!

Guest

JMER

I’m really disappointed with Chris Van Etten as the choice for co-headwriter. For someone who watched late 80s GH, supposedly, I see nothing that shows respect for that time period onscreen. I also don’t like that he is basically Ron Carlivati’s pupil, who loves the soap cliches like Ron does. Because the genre and especially GH started going toward the bad in the 90s, I see some sense in putting older Head Writers in place at GH becaue they know what good soap is made of. Many of the writers working under Chris and Shelly are older so why not?

General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Carly Admits To Sonny She Was Falling Back In Love with Jason

October 16, 2021

On Friday’s episode of General Hospital, Carly (Laura Wright) and Sonny (Maurice Benard) finally had the “talk”. You know, the one about what Sonny really walked in on the night he “returned from the dead” on Carly and Jason’s (Steve Burton) wedding night? Yeah, that one.

Sonny has already had a conversation with Jason, where Jason admitted he was starting to fall again for Carly, even though they were originally getting married to show a united front for the five families.

Now coming to confront Carly, Sonny is at first greeted by her with “Mike’s” cowboy hat, where she says the man he was in Nixon Falls is a mystery to her. Sonny tells her he spoke with Jason and so Carly is compelled to admit that she and Jason would have slept together on their wedding night, if Sonny hadn’t shown up alive and in the bedroom!

Sonny’s clearly upset about his best friend and his wife getting so close and rekindling their old feelings. Carly tells Sonny that, at first, Jason and she were just going through with the wedding for show, but later, they decided to make it a real marriage, and were falling in love.

When Sonny poses the question to Carly, if she has any residual feelings for Jason, she says they have gone back to being best friends, and how much she loves Sonny. Carly points out that Nina (Cynthia Watros) did this to them – she kept them apart for nine months – and so much has happened that it’s been difficult for them to be together as it was in the past because of it.

In the end, despite what Nina had perpetrated on them, Carly and Sonny come to an agreement that they need to rebuild their relationship. But the cowboy hat looms as we fade to black.

Clearly, the Jason and Carly relationship and almost consummating it on their wedding night, is not sitting well with Sonny; plus Sonny seems to continue to not really tear into Nina for her deception as much as someone would if he didn’t also have feelings for her.

So, what do you hope happens next? Do you want Sonny and Carly to work things out? Do you hope Sonny sleeps with Nina? If he does, and Jason goes back to Britt (now that they are going on another adventure together to locate Liesl) is Carly ultimately the odd woman out? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.

As The World Turns

‘Santa Barbara’ & GH Favorite Judith McConnell Virtual Interview On Tap

October 15, 2021

You loved her as Sophia Capwell on Santa Barbara, and the troublemaking Augusta McLeod on General Hospital, plus several other soap roles, and now fan favorite Judith McConnell is set for a virtual interview in The Locher Room.

Look for Judith to chat it up with host, Alan Locher on the upcoming Friday, October 23rd edition of the You Tube series beginning at at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

As well as being known for her soap roles on SB and GH, Judith also played Valerie Conway on As the World Turns, Miranda Bishop on Another World and Eva Vasquez on and One Life to Live.

In primetime, McConnell has appeared on Star Trek, Dragnet, Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry RFD, Green Acres, Mannix and more.

To watch the livestream click here.

So, what has been your favorite Judith McConnell role in her illustrious daytime career? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

General Hospital

Sarah Joy Brown Directs Haley Pullos, Carolyn Hennesy, Eric Martsolf in New ‘Red Riding Hoods’ Podcast

October 14, 2021

What happens when a team of “Final Girls” (sole survivors of horrific mass murders) join forces to hunt malevolent entities while uncovering the apocalyptic conspiracy uniting them? Well, you have to listen to the brand new Horror Podcast Network’s latest offering Red Riding Hoods to find out. But here’s the twist! There are some daytime notables involved in the series.

Chief among them is three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Sarah Joy Brown (Ex-Carly and Claudia, GH) who directs the podcast series, a first for her career.

Along for the ride with Sarah are none other than General Hospital’s Haley Pullos (Molly) and Carolyn Hennesy (Diane), as well as Brown’s former DAYS co-star, Eric Martsolf (Brady) who all have roles within the story.

New episodes of the series began to roll out this past Monday on October 11th and there will be another installment every Monday thereafter.

Red Riding Hoods is available on all major podcast streaming platforms including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. You can also listen to the podcast via the Violet Hour Media website here.

So, let us know if you check out Red Riding Hoods via the comment section below or are intrigued to hear the show!