General Hospital
Sawandi Wilson on Contract at General Hospital as Dr. Isaiah Gannon; Could He Be Related to the Gannons of Llanview?
On the Friday, September 6th episode of General Hospital, as the closing credits rolled and the contract players names were shown, a new name caught everyone’s eye when Sawandi Wilson, who recently joined the soap opera was listed and playing the character of “Dr. Isaiah Gannon.”
Thus far, viewers only know the character as “Isaiah” when they first were introduced to him, and as “John Doe” after Jason found him, and to those who have been taking care of him, after he was hit by the car driven by Agent Boyle with Ava Jerome in tow.
When Wilson debuted on GH back on August 26th in scenes with the returning Jonathan Jackson (Lucky Spencer), the story picked-up with both men being held against their will in a refugee camp in Africa, only Lucky helped Isaiah escape and told him to go to Port Charles and to get in touch with the WSB.
Courtesy/ABC
Jordan has been keeping an eye on the “mystery man” while in the hospital, leading many to suspect that Isaiah could be an eventual love interest for her. Meanwhile, when the credits rolled and as Isaiah’s last name was “Gannon”, it had also led to fan speculation that he would be tied to the family tree of the Gannons of Llanview and the beloved One Life to Live.
Could it be that Isaiah is the grandson of Nora (Hillary B. Smith) and Hank Gannon’s (Nathan Purdee) and the son of their daughter, Rachel Gannon (last played by Daphnee Duplaix)? Could he somehow be related to Hank’s brother, RJ Gannon (Timothy B. Stickney), or is this just a red herring and that’s not his real biological last name after all?
Courtesy/ABC
As previously reported, Wilson has an impressive list of credits before joining GH including as Captain Leto in the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, plus roles on episodes of Quantico, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Bull, as well as The House of Flowers and Harlem.
Of note: at the end of the Friday, September 6th GH cliffhanger, one of the henchmen has arrived on the scene ready to kill Isaiah with a syringed-filled concoction. Will Isaiah wake-up just in time to fend him off? Stay tuned.
So, who do you think Isaiah will turn out to be related to? The Gannons of Llanview, someone else, is this just a temporary last name? Share your thoughts via the comment section below and let us know if you are glad Sawandi Wilson is sticking around Port Charles.
I was very sad when Elizabeth was in his hospital room and did not recognize him. Was really hoping this character would be Thomas Hardy Jr. Son of Tom & Simone. Grandson of Steve & Audrey. Cousin of Elizabeth.
Thought they were done with the OLTL dragonshit when they finally let Howarth & Easton go after multiple characters for both of them. The returns of Jason & Lucky and future return of Lulu seemed like positive signs that GH was really GH again. Let’s not ruin that with more newbies with ties to some other show’s history.
Aww come on, those little nods and character mentions and appearances are all we have left of our beloved AMC and OLTL world now lol!
Are you crazy? We GH watchers also watched OLTL. We grew up watching all 3 abc soaps AMC, OLTL and GH.
AMC & OLTL never aired down here in Hell. GH and Days were the only soaps we ever got. Actually, Dark Shadows was a big hit down here, but that’s going way back.
We didn’t even get the “Port Charles” spinoff, so when ReRon tried to bring that vampire dragonshit into GH back in 2013, that was also annoying.
So while I’ve dated succubi over the years who managed to get bootleg VHS tapes & DVDs of other shows shipped down here, I’ve only seen bits and pieces of other soaps. No reason to be invested in anything OLTL related.
The Hardys though… that’s old school GH. And just like the Spencers, that’s a family that could use a reboot. There’s no “Gannon” family in Port Charles.
I will address one element of your shtick by noting Agnes Nixon’s original suggested name (rejected by ABC) for OLTL was “Between Heaven & Hell”. You weren’t in the target market.
Word on the street is that Jennifer Landon is the nu-Lulu! 🙂
Is that Michael Landons daughter?
Ah, Roger, apparently your G(H)PS had you on the wrong street, lol.
There is now!!
So much for hell having everything. Cancel my reservation please…
I loved all three ABC shows. I think it’s great to bring back viewers of those Soap Operas by reintroducing characters or offspring to the one current ABC show.
True that. It would be great if he turned out to be related to the Gannons of Lanview and RJ had to come to the recuse
One life to live character Nora’s last name wasn’t Gannon it was Buchanan because I watched it from day one
She was divorced from Hank Gannon. They have a daughter Rachel. Bo Buchanan was her second marriage. Remember when she would rhyme off her names ” Nora Hannon Gannon Buchanan ” ?
I totally remember that!!! The writers always had her say that! What a blast from the past! That would really be cool if they tied it in like that! But,looking for Lucky as a match for Lulu’s liver transplant is ridiculous! He wasn’t a match before!!! Just saying!
Rumor has it that Jennifer Landon is the nu-Lulu. 🙂
As is often the case, rumors are usually true.
Exactly! Love being reminded of AMC & OLTL. I watched all of them, as a unit. Port Chucky also!
That’s funny. I’d love to see RJ Gannon again. Some of the things that came from that man’s mouth were a hoot.
I only looked at 2 soaps – All My Children and General Hospital. I did not substitute one of the others for the one that left nor did I change channels to see why sisyer looked at another soap when writers threw “Nina” in the mix too often and now “Drew” who is sickening. I am true blue for GENERAL HOSPITAL! ! !
Yes yes yes. I loved and watched all of the ABC soaps back then. I’d love a RJ or Hank connection.
Certainly not a coincidence that he has that last name. He should have been Tom Hardy Jr to tie into Gh history.
His mercenary background does sound like something RJ Gannon would’ve been.
Would be great to bring back some more GH history, some grandkids, nephew’s, nieces, maybe even some long lost brothers & sisters, like Sasha’s and Dex’s biological relatives or parents, it’s been long over due, we know nothing about these two….ijs
I would’ve accepted Isaiah as Jordan’s brother, but she is his most likely romantic pairing.
Oh! I didn’t think of Jordan being involved with the new Dr Gannon. I like her in the few scenes she has with Brick. I would prefer he be a long lost relative. Jordan needs more family in P.C.❣️
Your key phrase is “few scenes “. Due to the performer’s availability, Brick is not a viable long-term heavily recurring character. A pairing with Jordan would doom her to C level appearances. Let’s see where Isiah and Jordan (both contract performers) can go.
Yes! Some Sasha & Dex relatives would be great. Especially Sasha she’s been floating around all alone long enough. She needs a happy story. There’s been to much sadness for her character. And she has a wide range of very good acting emotions ❣️
I’m getting whiplash from all the comings and goings. I may take a break til the Molly TJ hysterics are over.
He should have been Tommie Hardy!
Glad Wilson is joining GH
Yes I forgot that Nora Gannon on One Life to live had her Black daughter Rachel who came on the show for a short while and was dating someone. That could be her Son. Remember Hank tried to get back with Nora at one time for a while.
Yes! Maybe the actress who played Nora could come to visit him in P.C.! Would love to see her again!
Dear Kathleen,
Hillary B Smith brought Nora Hanen Gannon Buchanan to GH for a few episodes several years ago. I’m not a GH viewer but watched for the week or so that she was on. She’s always great.
I don’t understand. Why fire vets who have given show 20 yrs of their life and sign new hires to contracts? Are vets really getting paid that much more that not renewing vets contracts and signing new ones saves money. Look at all vets gone: Howarth Easton Shriner and now Monaco. That’s not right.
I think it most certainly the paycuts! It’s the only reason GH fires its actors . Disney Corp. is cutthroat about payroll. Always has been since they bought ABC , & immediately cancelled ALL the Soaps. It was only Fan uproar that saved GH. I hope that same uproar keeps Monaco on GH. I would miss her even more than I miss all the others. And the way they let them go is vicious! Alcoholism for Finn! Murder supposedly for Sam! Murder for Roger Howarth! I miss him the most ! And I’ll really miss Kin Shriners humor & fun scenes with Lucy. GH is spiraling
Let’s get the facts correct about Disney & ABC. They acquired Disney in 1995 and fully supported soaps for quite some time. Disney debuted “Port Charles” the series, launched the SoapNet channel and had Super Soap weekend at its theme parks.
It wasn’t until 16 years later that ABC cancelled both AMC and OLTL. Fan uproar did not save GH (although ratings did go up after Frank & Ron took over). The complete failure of the show that replaced OLTL did. Needing space on the schedule for a new talk show, ABC moved GH into the old OLTL slot, cancelling the poorly executed “The Revolution” (or whatever it was called).
And, to be clear, Kin Shriner is not gone for good. The mystery of Scott’s disappearance will be addressed sometime in the near future.
He could be a sibling or cousin to Rachel, but please not her child. They’re close in age don’t want another Olivia/Dante, Jordan/TJ
No not for Jordan he looks a little young she needs brick they make a nice couple.
Brick is not a sustainable long term character. Stephen A Smith has limited availability with his ESPN duties. Also, he and Jordan – yuck.
I like Stephen A Smith is on GH. I love that he is also has ESPN duties… shows sportsmen love soaps too.
How could would that be?!?!! It would be great to be treated to a guest appearance from Hillary Smith and Nathan Purdee, passing through Port Charles to see their grandson.
I watched all of ABC soaps, I’d love, love to see RJ, Nora,& or Nathan again, when I read that last name, Gannon, I said, I know that name from , OLTL.
I hope that the new Doc is related to Nora also ! Miss her. Would love her to visit P.C.❣️
Just happy GH is adding a DOCTOR to the hospital. The name of the show is General Hospital.
A good-looking one helps with the ladies.
I like the idea of a Gannon joining the show. Plus I think that if he is the son of Rachel he could also the son of AJ Quartermaine. They could’ve met off screen and had a child.
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.
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ in Total Viewers
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
Antonio Sabáto Jr. Breaks Silence on His Son’s Arrest for Fatal Hit-and-Run
DANCING WITH THE STARS: A Shocking Elimination on Grammy Night Leaves Ballroom Silenced
Y&R’s New Head Writers Share Vision for Genoa City: Contemporary Homage to Bill Bell, Mixing Heightened Escapism and Grounded Reality
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS Preview: Episodes From New Co-Head Writers, Jamey Giddens and Dan O’Connor, Begin to Air
‘General Hospital’ Casts Ayla Bullington as the New Avery Jerome-Corinthos
‘Days of our Lives’ Celebrates 61st Anniversary: EP Ken Corday Teases New Character’s Arrival in Spring 2027
‘Days of our Lives’ Kyle Pryor Debuts as Dominic Marino and Says of Alleged TV Mom, “Deidre Hall is the Absolute OG, Amazing” (Exclusive)
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Katie Kicks Bill to the Curb … for Now
B&B’s Sydney Bullock Weighs In on Future of Dylan and Will: ‘I Think She Can Hold on to Him for Awhile’ (Exclusive)
‘Days of our Lives’ Veteran James Reynolds Reveals Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Y&R’s Matt Cohen Talks Role as Compassionate Zookeeper in Rom-Com ‘Christmas at the Zoo’
Alice Halsey Returns to ‘Days of our Lives’ as Rachel Black – Find Out How Long!
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