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General Hospital

IT"S OFFICIAL: Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati named New EP and New Head Writer at GH!

By Michael Fairman

Published

15 years ago

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Courtesy/ABC

It has becoming official this morning, soapers, that the uber-talented duo of Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati who led One Life to Live to be the most creative, under budget, and highest rated series in the ABC Daytime soap opera line-up are coming to General Hospital!  Valentini will take over from Jill Farren Phelps as the shows executive producer, and Carlivati will assume the head writing spot, effective January 9th, 2012.

This comes on the heels of last week’s disappointing news that One Life to Live had been dropped by Prospect Park, so it would not live again online, and thus the future of Valentini and Carlivati had opened.  There had been recent speculation of a move such as this by ABC to bring the team over to its only soap left in their daytime programming  line-up.

ABC Daytime President Brian Frons has just released the announcement below on the hiring of Valentini and Carlivati to steer the ship in Port Charles!

© Steven Bergman

“Frank and Ron’s creativity, passion and outstanding leadership will be a welcome addition to the cast and crew, as well as viewers and longtime fans,” said Frons. “As creative leaders in the industry, I am very excited for their arrival to ‘General Hospital,’ and their dedication to the genre will certainly invigorate the daytime drama that has been part of pop culture and the TV landscape for many years.”

“I look forward to this next exciting chapter working with the wonderful cast and crew of ‘General Hospital,’” said Valentini. “This is an incredible opportunity for me to extend my passion and expertise for daytime television as I continue my relationship with DATG and become part of an extraordinary team in 2012.”

Since 2002 Valentini has served as the executive producer of ABC Daytime’s award-winning “One Life to Live,” the same year the show garnered an Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Drama. Along with his duties as executive producer, he directs, and has two consecutive wins in 2008 and 2009 as a part of the “One Life to Live” directing team. He was also nominated for a DGA Award in 2002. With over 26 years of experience with “One Life to Live,” Valentini has held many production positions throughout his career with the series, including associate director, stage manager and coordinating producer. In addition, he has served for two years on the Board of Directors for the New Group Theater Company. Valentini received his degree in Film & Television Production from the University of Buffalo. He has traveled to over 60 countries, and in 2002 he became a published photographer.

With a 15-year tenure at “One Life to Live,” Ron Carlivati served as head writer from 2007 to 2011. On behalf of the drama series, he garnered the 2008 Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Daytime Drama. He was previously nominated for an Emmy in 2002, 2006 and 2009, along with two WGA Award nominations. A law school graduate of George Washington University, the self-professed fan of soap operas briefly worked as a corporate lawyer before moving to New York City in 1996 and pursuing his lifetime passion as a writer for the genre.”

So what do you think of the news of Valentini and Carlivati heading to GH? Enthusiastic? A band-aid? Thoughts? Let us know! Clearly, there is some bitter irony in all this for soap fans and those in the know. If  Valentini and Carlivati are deemed so fantastic by ABC Daytime (which we all know they are), they should never have cancelled One Life in the first place.  Let’s hope they are being brought into help GH and not to just close out the show, and if the numbers do go up that ABC pays attention and not turn a blind-eye!

On-Air On-Soaps can tell you that these two have a creative match made-in-soap-heaven, so hopefully they can work their magic on the ailing GH and pronto!

 

 

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Hmmm.. i dropped GH about 10 years back when it back so mob oriented.. but if ABC has so much faith the both these two men, why couldn’t it be OLTL that was carried on? Will I go back to GH once OLTL is over? I really don’t know… I value Frank and Ron’s talent… but still have a BIG hate on for ABC for cancelling One Life To Live !

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i agree 100% . But then again we know abc disney is ruled by lies and liars.. i dont think i will ever forgive them for cancelling OLTL. As for frons.. he isnt the head of the snake but the bastard is/was a fang in its head. Its all bull.. I want my soaps.

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Hmmm. I wonder if this is why the plug was pulled on OLTL? I dunno….it’s all suspect at this point. Frons is now commenting on the “genre.” It’ll be gone in a year. Maybe these guys can one out of three a respectable ending.

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Not exactly. It was previously announced before the PP deal that FV (tentatively) and RC (definitely) would head to GH. When RC announced that he would join with PP, he thanked JFP for “releasing” him from his contract with GH. What I’m wondering is if this is why Garin Wolf’s storytelling has gotten so erratic after such a promising start. I thought I was strange that they would hire one show’s head writer, just when they’ve promoted another one to head. I considered that they might make them co-heads, but I guess Garin was just interim. I think they both have their strengths.

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Can someone please tell me why the HELL ABC canceled OLTL?! You put the two men in charge of OLTL in charge of GH and we’re supposed to be happy? ABC, go F@$# yourself!!! I’m done with your damn network!

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And on another note, this is a plan put forth by ABC to piss off soap fans, so that they take out their frustrations on GH, and not watch, in sheer protest for the bitter irony of placing the two heads of OLTL in charge of GH….They are probably hoping that soap fans will turn their backs on GH and not watch…therefore making it much easier for them to slide Katie Couric’s show into the daytime lineup. I HATE ABC!!! AND I TRULY HATE BRIAN FRONS!!!!

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You said it beautifully. Frons should be dipped in cheese sauce, feathered in cheetos, and ridden out of town on a stripper pole. And the mob should be led by Erika Slezak, Robin Strasser, and Susan Lucci – with the rest of the cast of OLTL and AMC backing them up. The man is so lethally untalented and immoral.

I have never watched GH with any regularity, and I haven’t watched at all since it became the Sonny and Jason “Aren’t mob psychos just so HOT” hour. But, with Frank V. and Ron C. at the show, I will tune in, at least when their stuff starts airing, just to see if they can do anything to salvage the horror I hear the show has become.

But frankly, it makes my head spin like Linda Blair’s in The Exorcist to even attempt to understand the reasoning that would justify cancelling OLTL, which is consistently excellent – and recognizable, while keeping GH which has been as badly damaged as AMC ended up being.

And, as you say so well, and I echo, I HATE ABC!!! AND I TRULY HATE BRIAN FRONS!!!!

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Agree with every word. What the hell are they doing? GH cannot hold a candle to OLTL, I am just frustrated beyond words & have been since April 14. Mark my words, Frons will announce the cancellation of GH just in time for their 49th anniversary in April to make room for Katie! Why even bother to sign Ron & Frank up over there? Damn it.

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I have been a watcher of both OLTL and GH. As much as I am disapointed to see OLTL be cancelled, I can’t say I am happy about the new addition to GH. Although it sounds like GH is not too popoular around here, it is a great show and I have no desire for it to change anytime soon.

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I know how you feel Mary. If you are happy with your show you don’t want it to change. But even thought OLTL is my favorite I certainly do not want to lose GH! I just don’t care for some of the storylines and some of the characters are just too predictable. They lost a lost when they killed off most of the Quartermaines. A healthier mix would have been the Qs, the hospital and the mob. All tied in together.

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lost a lot-oops

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As a 16 year loyal GH fan, I think this is wonderful news. It’s been a frustrating time to be a viewer of the show, to say the least.

I had high hopes that things would get better when Garin Wolf took over for Bob Guza as head writer, but if anything, Wolf has made things worse. The show has been almost unbearable to watch in recent months.

And I’ve never a big fan of Jill Farren Phelps. Under her watch, GH became a poor man’s version of The Sopranos, while iconic families like The Quartermaines were slowly destroyed, and beloved fan favorites were moved to the backburner, so new characters could be shoved down our throat. The show wasn’t all bad during her tenure, but we were definitely long overdue for a change.

I’ve been hearing a lot of great things about what Frank Valentini and Ron Carlivati have been doing on OLTL, so I’m excited to see what they can do with GH. Perhaps even incorporating some OLTL characters into the mix on GH, which I think would be a great idea, and a nice way to freshen up the show. As well as reinvigorating some of the misused and underused characters on GH.

Just as long as it doesn’t become OLTL 2.0, which I know some people would love. But I think there can be a happy medium somewhere, a show that GH fans past and present, as well as OLTL fans, can enjoy.

And in turn, we can get the ratings up to where ABC will have no choice but to keep GH on the air for many years to come. That’s the most important thing.

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I agree w/ everything you said, i couldn’t of said it better.

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“[If] we can get the ratings up to where ABC will have no choice but to keep GH on the air.” The ratings for OLTL have been better than GH’s consistently for some time. Did that save OLTL? No, because ratings don’t matter–profits do. The most highly rated show still has to make money. Similarly, a show can be so cheap to produce that it will generate decent revenue regardless of the ratings, which is why The Chew and The Revolution exist. Please begin to prepare your emotions now. GH will be dumped and canceled regardless of how well FV and RC do. Katie’s show is already in the affiliates’ GH slot for this fall. It’s a done deal. It’s business.

I can’t imagine why FV and RC would want to work for Disney/ABC after what happened to OLTL. Nothing like doing your best and being rewarded with cancellation. They must be getting paid plenty.

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I think these two guys just love the genre, they want to see soaps survive.

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There is hope in Port Charles this holiday season. I would gladly fully embrace this show (which was a family favortie and remained so for decades!) if it could dispense with the overreaching mob-related storylines. Such talented actors but such depressing drama. Reach back to the hospital roots and give us core families we can cheer and can love. Bring back — not from the dead, please — legacy characters, even in new actor bodies. Let us see generations and life-affirming moments. Thank you!

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You are in for a treat, then, with Ron & Frank. OLTL is the best, “family tie” oriented show there is. Almost every character is related to Viki in some way. She is the true heart of the show & they’ve done an outstanding job over the years keeping the core of the show-mixing up the Lords/Buchanans/Cramers-to have very rich, wonderful relationships. Think of Starr & Jack & who all they are related to. Today Natalie, Liam & Shane had sweet family scenes & I love any day that features Llanfair. I love that set & Dorian’s house too.

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I would caution–strongly–against anyone’s holding out much hope that Valentini and Carlivati will be allowed to do much to change GH’s mob and violence focus, any more than Garin Wolf has been allowed to. It’s been the Sonny and Jason shoot-em-up hour for so long now that any shift in focus would threaten to alienate the viewers who actually like the show in its current state–and let’s face it, they are by far the largest group among those who are still watching, because others (like me) gave up long ago. It’s a tough dilemma for anyone coming into the job of EP or headwriter: how do you fix a totally broken show without alienating the one significant audience segment that is still there (i.e., the ones who don’t think it’s broken and like it just as it is). I’ll be interested to see what V & C can do, but I can’t see that they would be allowed to make the kind of changes that need to be made when Maurice Benard (Sonny) and especially Steve Burton (Jason) are the biggest stars of the show. If they can figure out some way of keeping Sonny and Jason front and center, not tampering too much with their characters, but getting them out of the mob and the stories away from all of the associated violence and misogyny, they’ll be golden. I’m just not sure it’s possible.

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Maybe there’s still hope for GH after all.

Look out The Chew and The Revolution. Your slot could very well belong to GH in September 2012 (though I wouldn’t hold my breath too much for that).

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On the OTHER hand…..let’s say the duo fixes GH and then THAT”S the one PP will pick up in six months. Could be worse. At least there’s one left for now. Doesn’t change how I feel about Frons and Oprah. No OWN, No ABC Daytime. Nope.

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Forget about PP. It’s not adequately staffed, managed, or financed to handle GH and never will be after the public fiasco with AMC and OLTL.

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You know what’s also been a part of the daytime landscape for many years, Frons? ONE LIFE TO LIVE AND ALL MY CHILDREN.

Idiot.

As talented as FV and RC are, they won’t be able to save GH. Even if they improve its content (which frankly won’t be difficult considering the utter drek that they’ve had on this show for 10 years now) if OLTL’s cancellation proved anything, it’s that quality doesn’t mean diddly. The writing is on the wall and TPTB are just hoping to use FV and his budget tightening charms to save a few bucks before they cancel GH for good.

F U ABC daytime.

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I agree with every letter you wrote.

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Frank Valentini and Ron Carvalati are the best thing to happen to GH since Luke & Laura saved them from cancelation 25 years ago. Their first order of business should be to dump the way overrated Maurice Benard.

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its not going to happen, believe me any show would be happy to have a maurice benard on their show. Your obviously not a fan, but you can’t deny the guy his charm, talent and appeal, you don’t have to be a fan, but don’t expect any producer w/ any common sense to fire Maurice,it’s not going to happen, so Mike, dream on, lol.

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I haven’t been a fan of the way they’ve written the Sonny Corinthos character for a while now. But anyone that doesn’t recognize that Maurice Benard is a great actor clearly doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

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This is great news for GH creatively, but it doesn’t solve the one overriding problem. Frank and Ron can’t give GH the one thing it needs, a timeslot.

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Great news but I kinda agree that if these two are so great why not just keep OLTL instead?!

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I love GH and I am hoping it will be great for the show! I just don’t want to see my faves leave. I am happy for them because they have jobs and they get to stay in the medium they love.

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This is bittersweet news for me. I am a long time fan of GH, and am very happy to see Frank and Ron at the helm, incorporating their true talents into the storylines of GH. If you combine their creativity with the talented actors that will bring F & R’s stories to life, I can only see it getting better. I hope this means a promising long future for GH!!!!! I will definitely be watching. On the other hand, I am also a long time fan of OLTL, and saw Frank and Ron’s talents come to life with the stars of this great show, and I am very sad to see it end, and honestly almost still don’t believe it. Of course I want GH to make it and survive this terrible change of programming on ABC Daytime, but it is just too bad that we have to lose the superior OLTL and AMC too!!!! MAYBE Frank and Ron will bring some of our Llanview favorites over to GH’s Port Charles!!!!!

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I have and always will be a loyal Y&R fan, but I have to admitt that 3 – 4 times over the last few years have been drawn into OLTL. The writing is some of the best in daytime television and the stories are exciting and relevant. The social topics alone are worth the watch. I have tried to watch GH and just can’t seem to get with it. I will certainly tune in for these 2 very big talents as they take over GH. I still feel ABC has handled things very poorly and in bad taste. BF should be the next to recieve a pink slip, his arrogance alone is nauseating. Best of luck to GH cast and crew with this newest venture.

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What Frank and Ron do best is honor a shows history. As an avid fan of OLTL, I am sad to see my favorite soap of all time end. When I was younger, I was also a huge GH fan. If FV and RC have been brought to help end GH with dignity and honor its history for soap fans, they will. I am sure they will try to lure back the fabulous jaclyn zeman as bobbi, Kirsten M. as Felicia, Tristian Rogers as Robert to name a few beloved characters that are missed. I just feel GH fate has already been sealed and will leave the airwaves in sept. I wish them and the cast of GH the best.
Once again, thank you FV and RC for giving us OLTL fans the best year of our beloved show.

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I am just heartsick about the demise of OLTL and AMC. Yes, I do many things, DO have a life, so to speak, but these people have been a part of my family for so many years. Millions agree, and it is just making me sick. GH has not been this good for a couple of years, has bored me out of my mind for these last couple of years, and I can hardly stand it, that the other two shows will not be seen anywhere, ever again. Sickening!

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You hit the nail on the head! Agree with every word. I wake up during the night sick at the thought of no more OLTL. I too, have a “life” as you said-and have always been proud to say my soaps have been a huge, very enjoyable part of it since I can remember! What is a day without soaps? If you are like me, you get a down feeling at 3 p.m. central on Fridays, because darn it tomorrow is Saturday, no soaps! But Soapnet & DVRs, etc. changed all that-I love watching soaps anytime, day or night. They are my constant, my comfort. Imagine if pro football or baseball was fixing to go off the air forever! We love our soaps like people love their ball games! But who gets screwed in this world? Soap lovers. Agree, sickening.

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WHAT were they THINKING?!!?

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General Hospital

Kelly Sullivan Gives High Praise to ‘General Hospital’s’ Maura West Recalling When Ava Shot Connie (Exclusive)

Published

7 hours ago

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September 12, 2026

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Maura West and Kelly Sullivan

It was just over 13 years ago on General Hospital when Ava Jerome (Maura West) shot and killed Kate Howard/Connie Falconeri (Kelly Sullivan) in an effort to keep her quiet from revealing that Derek Wells was actually Ava’s back-from-the-dead brother, Julian Jerome (William deVry). It’s a crime that somehow Ava never has quite paid for either.

The episode back aired on August 13, 2013 and viewers had to say goodbye to Kelly Sullivan who played Kate and her alter, Connie. In the story, just before she died, Kate/Connie scrawled the letters AJ in her own blood, initially making the PCPD and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) think that it was AJ Quatermaine (Sean Kanan) who did the deed.

Now, Sullivan recalled sharing scenes with the three-time Daytime Emmy-winning West, during a live conversation on You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel. Kelly was the special guest talking about her recent return to the soaps in her new role as The Bold and the Beautiful’s Darcy Dylan.

Photo: JPI

FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF MAURA WEST

Speaking of her final GH scenes and working with Maura West, Sullivan gave her then GH co-star major props. “If you’re going to be shot by somebody (on the soaps), you want to be shot by Maura West, c’mon!”

Maura West debuted back in May 2013 as Ava, and Sullivan remembered when the As the World Turns favorite began on GH. “I remember when Maura West first arrived at GH. She walked in with this cute little bob (hairdo) and she’s just delicious,” shared Sullivan.

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

Kelly revealed more about Maura, adding “I think she’s amazing! I remember right before I left the show, someone suggested, and I would still love to do this with her, if she ever want to, but someone suggested that they wanted to direct the stage play A Streetcar Named Desire with Maura and I, where I would play Stella and she would play Blanche! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Speaking of the Ava/Connie showdown scenes, Sullivan expressed, “On television and on General Hospital specifically, Maura West is able to play a character who does the most horrendous things and you still care about her and that’s the mark of a really great actor. In other words, you’re able to be liked in the midst of the most horrendous things, and as a performer not shying away from that, and to just have the courage to do what’s on the page (in the script).”

Photo: JPI

KELLY SULLIVAN PARTING THOUGHTS AS SHE LEFT GENERAL HOSPITAL

Kelly also shared her sentiments when she walked off the set of General Hospital after her run back in August of 2013. “I really was honored. Every day I would go to work and I would say a little prayer, which is I want to do justice for my character, explained Kelly. “It’s between me and my character. I get to walk this path with her and to leave the show on that note, which is, I left every out there. I just gave it my all and again what an honor it was to play Kate/Connie.”

You can catch the full conversation with Kelly where she talks about her time on General Hospital, The Young and the Restless where she played Sage Warner and now The Bold and the Beautiful below.

So, do you remember the Ava and Connie scenes where Ava shot and killed her? What did you think of Kelly Sullivan’s sentiments about Maura West? Share your thoughts via the comment section. But first, watch the reveal where Ava recalls murdering Connie below!

 

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General Hospital

Steve Burton Reportedly Signs Three-Year Contract with ‘General Hospital’

Published

8 hours ago

on

September 12, 2026

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Steve Burton

The question of will Steve Burton (Jason Morgan) stay awhile at General Hospital after his recent extended hiatus from the show earlier this year, has reportedly been answered.

TMZ via court documents obtained in Burton’s ongoing legal battle with his ex-wife Sheree Gustin, shared that Steve actually inked a new three year deal with the ABC soap opera back in June.

That is significant because it was June when Burton returned back to work as Jason. In addition, the court filing confirmed that Burton had already moved back to California from Tennessee.

Steve Burton

Photo: ABC

STEVE’S HIATUS AND HIS RETURN TO PORT CHARLES

GH fans will recall, it was back in February of 2026, that Burton announced via his Instagram that he was stepping away from his role of Jason Morgan for short break and pointed to wanting to spend quality time with his new wife, Michelle Lundstrom Burton with whom he tied the knot back on May 17, 2025.

Steve expressed at that time, “I’m newly married and looking forward to spending some quality time with my family.” It was back on March 25 that viewers saw Jason carted away by the WSB after taking the fall for Rocco Falconeri (Finn Carr) who shot then WSB Director Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes).

Burton returned to work on June 1, and due to General Hospital taping roughly six weeks ahead of air, made his on-screen comeback on the July 13 episode.

GOING FOR GOLD AT THE UPCOMING DAYTIME EMMYS

Then, Steve and his enduring fans got an extra special treat on the same day, when it was revealed on Extra that he was nominated for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Daytime Drama Series category.

Steve previously won in the Supporting Actor category for his work as General Hospital’s Jason in 1998 and as The Young and the Restless’ Dylan McAvoy in 2018.

Now with Jason and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship seemingly hitting the skids, plus Jason’s commitment to staying out of mob life to focus on being present for his son Danny Morgan (Asher Antonyzyn), what does the future hold for the fan favorite character? Stay tuned.

So, happy to hear that Steve Burton signed a new three year deal with General Hospital? Knowing that, what storyline would you like to see Jason get involved and with who? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section.

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General Hospital

GENERAL HOSPITAL: Jason and Britt Reach an Impasse; Is This the End of Their Relationship?

Published

14 hours ago

on

September 12, 2026

By

Jason and Britt

On the Friday, September 11 episode of General Hospital, Jason (Steve Burton) and Britt’s (Kelly Thiebaud) relationship becomes strained to potentially the point of no return.

Things take a turn when an unglued Britt having been traumatized by almost being killed by Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) asks Jason to back her up with the PCPD when she reports Anna for attempted murder.

However, Jason told Britt, he can’t. Jason shares that he does not believe Anna would have gone through with shooting her. Therefore, Britt was not in any real imminent danger. Britt is flabbergasted and hurt that Jason is refusing to tell the police what he actually witnessed for himself on Mount Emerson.

Britt

Courtesy/ABC

BRITT WANTS BACK UP FROM JASON

Jason counters that he can’t believe that Britt would want Anna punished. or sent to prison, or a mental facility after the trauma she endured while being locked up and mentally tortured while at Wyndemere.

He asks Britt, “How could you even say that you want her locked up or prosecuted for what she did when you knew she was being held prisoner and you did nothing to save her?” Britt is stunned by Jason’s response.

Coming up, official General Hospital spoilers share that on the upcoming Monday, September 14 episode, Jason confides in Carly (Laura Wright), while Britt is stung. In the video preview that aired at the end of the Friday, September 11 episode for this coming Monday, Britt says to Jason, “You don’t believe me. Do you?”

General Hospital head scribes, Chris Van Etten and Elizabeth Korte previously teased in their fall preview of the soap, “Britt and Jason have come a long way and fought a lot of enemies to be together. But the most stubborn obstacle to their happiness isn’t without, it’s within. Decisions Britt made to stay alive while under Cullum’s thumb will come back to haunt her and may prove too difficult for this unlikely couple to survive.”

So, what do you think will happen? Will Jason and Britt break-up over Britt’s lies and Jason’s unwillingness to report Anna’s crime against her? Do you want Jason and Britt to go their separate ways? If they do, will Britt become romantically involved with Dr. Tristan Roberts (Dean Geyer) ? If so, who do you pair Jason with? Anyone? Weigh-in via the comment section.

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