History of General Hospital refers to the long-running American soap opera General Hospital. The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... For other uses, see General Hospital (disambiguation). ...

The Early Years (1963-1969)

The first stories were mainly set at General Hospital in Port Charles, NY, and revolved around Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and his friend, Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin). Steve was Chief Of Internal Medicine on the hospital's seventh floor and dedicated his life to healing and caring for the sick, ably assisted by Nurse Jessie. Jessie's turbulent marriage to the much-younger Dr. Phil Brewer (originally portrayed by Roy Thinnes; lastly by Martin West) was the center of many early storylines. Over the years, Phil became renowned for his philandering, with Jessie constantly forgiving her errant husband for his affairs. The seemingly never-ending cycle of separation and reconciliation between the two finally ended in 1974, when Dr. Phil Brewer was murdered. John Beradino, pictured with co-star Rachel Ames, in a still from General Hospital. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Emily McLaughlin (December 1, 1928 - April 26, 1991) was an American soap opera actress. ... Roy Thinnes (born April 6. ... [Sir] Martin West (1804 - 1849)was born in England, the son of a civil servant in the Treasury. ...

Another nurse, Lucille March (Lucille Wall), brought her sister, flight attendant Audrey March (Rachel Ames) to town; slowly but surely, she romanced Dr. Hardy, eventually marrying him three times. While there was no overt tension, Jessie was disappointed as there had always been an air of sexual tension between her and Steve. It was never acted upon, as they remained close friends until Jessie (and actress Emily McLaughlin) died in 1991. Steve Hardy himself died five years later when his portrayer, Beradino, died in 1996. Lucille Wall (January 18, 1898 - July 11, 1986) was an American actress who played the role of Lucille March Weeks on the ABC soap opera General Hospital from 1963 to 1976. ... Rachel Ames, at right, with co-star John Beradino, in a still from General Hospital. ...

The Stagnant Years (1970-1979)

GH was glacially paced and low-rated in the earlier years, except for one relatively high-rated and fast-paced plot in 1971. In this storyline, Audrey was accused of murdering her son's babysitter and General Hospital was briefly elevated to the number one position, beating longtime ratings giant As The World Turns. However, the success was short-lived. Due to relatively easygoing choices in storyline, the show almost always lost out to rival medical soap The Doctors, which was considered by many to be more daring. TIME magazine panned General Hospital in 1976, and said that the acting performances were unremarkable and "antiseptic." The article went on to chide the show for its minimal budget for settings and props, calling it "not unlike a high school production," and noted that the serial's only saving grace was in the form of Dr. Lesley Williams (Denise Alexander). As the World Turns (ATWT) is the second longest-running American television soap opera (the first being Guiding Light),[1] airing each weekday on CBS. Set in the fictional town of Oakdale, Illinois, the show debuted on Monday, April 2, 1956[2] at 1:30pm. ... The Doctors was a soap opera which aired on NBC from April 1, 1963 to December 31, 1982. ... Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An antiseptic solution of Povidone-iodine applied to an abrasion Antiseptics (Greek αντί, against, and σηπτικός, putrefactive) are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction. ... Categories: Stub | 1939 births | Soap opera actors ...

When Douglas Marland objected to a planned storyline that had called for the virtuous Dr. Lesley Webber to cheat on her husband with David Hamilton, Marland was challenged to come up with an even better idea. As a result, Lesley rejected David's advances and the enraged suitor began sleeping with her sixteen-year-old daughter Laura Webber (Genie Francis) instead. This torrid affair culminated in Laura killing her older lover after discovering that he was only using her to get back at her mother. This storyline was successful and as a result, Laura became a major focus of the show. Laura's subsequent storyline, a love triangle involving her, Scott Baldwin, and Bobbie Spencer, was also a success, but soon the success of both stories would be overshadowed by a phenomenon that very few expected, when Laura crossed paths with Bobbie's brother Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary). Douglas Marland (born Marland Messner, May 5, 1935 - March 6, 1993) was an American writer of soap operas. ... Lesley Williams Faulkner Webber Webber is a fictional character on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Luke Spencer and Laura Webber, accessible from a disambiguation page. ... Image:GenieFrancis001. ... Information Nickname(s) Scotty Occupation Special Prosecutor Address Port Charles, New York Portrayed by Kin Shriner Scott Baldwin is a fictional character from the ABC daytime drama General Hospital and its now-defunct spinoff Port Charles. ... Information Occupation Nurse Address Port Charles, New York Portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman Bobbie Spencer (born Barbara Jean Spencer) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera , General Hospital. ... For other uses, see Phenomena (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Luke Spencer and Laura Webber. ... Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947 in Coalville, Utah) is an American actor. ...

Faced with threats of cancellation in 1978 after several years of stagnant ratings, ABC Daytime executives gave GH six months to increase ratings and brought on Gloria Monty as Executive Producer. Monty had much experience in the genre from directing The Secret Storm for years. Under her tutelage, and the headwriting stints of Douglas Marland (who created longtime staples the Quartermaine and the Spencer family) and Pat Falken Smith, General Hospital bounced back from the brink and subsequently became the highest-rated American soap opera from 1979 to 1988. Monty stayed as Executive Producer until 1987, only to return briefly from 1991 to 1992, in a widely panned tenure during which she was accused of no longer being in touch with the daytime audience. Monty was fired in late 1991, then the equally controversial Wendy Riche come aboard. ABC Daytime (ABCD) is a programming block on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). ... Gloria Monty is an American TV producer working primarily in the field of daytime drama. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Secret Storm title card from 1960. ... Douglas Marland (born Marland Messner, May 5, 1935 - March 6, 1993) was an American writer of soap operas. ... Patricia Pat Falken Smith (January 21, 1926 – May 19, 2001) was a television writer, most famous for her stints as head writer of several soap operas, including General Hospital and Days of Our Lives. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Wendy Riche is a critically acclaimed American TV producer. ...

Cultural Phenomenon & Supercouple Pairings (1980-1989)

The supercouple pairing of Luke Spencer and Laura Webber would eventually become the most popular storyline in soap opera history. Their November 16, 1981 wedding was watched by about 30 million people, making it the highest-rated episode of a soap opera in American television history. They were so popular that even Elizabeth Taylor wanted in on the action, she guest-starred as Helena Cassadine and adorned People Weekly magazine with Francis and Geary. Luke and Laura's relationship was not without some controversy, as Luke had raped her in 1979. Laura was traumatized and went to counseling, but after her popularity with Luke flourished, she claimed the rape was "seduction." In 1998, the issue was revisited and Laura finally admitted to herself that Luke had raped her. Luke and Lauras record-breaking wedding, November 16, 1981. ... For other persons named Elizabeth Taylor, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation). ... Helena Cassadine is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital. ...

The success of Luke and Laura led General Hospital (and other soap operas) to try and emulate the formula. GH was very successful in creating pairings, and after Luke and Laura, other 80s pairings were popular:

• Dr. Alan Quartermaine & Dr. Monica Quartermaine (Stuart Damon & Leslie Charleson)
• Robert Scorpio & Holly Sutton (Tristan Rogers & Emma Samms)
• Duke Lavery & Anna Devane (Ian Buchanan & Finola Hughes)
• Frisco Jones & Felicia Cummings (Jack Wagner & Kristina Wagner)
• Bobbie Spencer & Dr. Tony Jones

The show's focus began to drift away from the original hospital setting onto a series of action/adventure plots, most of which were highly successful with the show's audience. The introduction of the WSB spy agent Robert Scorpio (and later fellow agents Sean Donely and Anna Devane)led to several popular spy mysteries involving secret formulas, hidden treasures and world domination schemes. A few of these plots were widely considered preposterous, such as the 1981 storyline in which Luke, Laura and Robert saved the town of Port Charles from being placed under a deep freeze by maniacal Mikkos Cassadine. Another far fetched storyline occurred in 1990 when Robin Scorpio (Robert Scorpio and Anna Devane's daughter) befriended Casey Rogers, an alien from the planet Lumina. He has been portrayed continuously by actor Stuart Damon since the character was first introduced in 1977. ... Dr. Monica Bard Quartermaine, played by Patsy Rahn from 1976 - 1977 and then by Leslie Charleson since 1977, is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Stuart Damon (born Stuart Michael Zonis on February 5, 1937) is an American actor. ... Leslie Charleson was born February 22, 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Information Gender Male Occupation Espionage Portrayed by Tristan Rogers Robert Scorpio is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. ... Emma Samms (born August 28, 1960 in London) is an actress who played Holly Sutton Scorpio on General Hospital from 1982 to 1985 and from 1992 to 1993. ... Tristan Rogers (born June 3, 1946 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian-American actor. ... Emma Samms Emma Samms (born Emma Samuelson on 28 August 1960, in London) is a British television actress // Career Samms played Holly Sutton Scorpio on the daytime soap opera General Hospital from 1982 to 1985, and from 1992 to 1993 and again in 2006. ... Duke Lavery was a fictional character on the long-running American daytime serial General Hospital. ... Anna Devane Scorpio Lavery Scorpio Hayward is a fictional character on the soap operas General Hospital (1985-1992, 1995, 2006-present) and All My Children (2001-2003). ... Ian Buchanan, in a still from the opening sequence of All My Children. ... Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1960 in London) is an English actress of Irish and Italian extraction who is best known for her portrayal of Anna Devane on the soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, and her portrayal of Anna Devanes identical twin sister, Dr. Alexandra Devane... Frisco and Felicia Jones Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings Jones were a supercouple on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings were a couple on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... The name Jack Wagner is shared by the following people: Jack Wagner (1891-1965) was an American screenwriter. ... Kristina Wagner, in a still from General Hospital. ... Information Occupation Nurse Address Port Charles, New York Portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman Bobbie Spencer (born Barbara Jean Spencer) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera , General Hospital. ... Dr. Anthony Tony Jones was a long-running fictional character played by actor Brad Maule on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Information Gender Female Age 29 Date of birth October 12, 1978 Occupation Neuropathologist Family See below. ... Information Gender Male Occupation Espionage Portrayed by Tristan Rogers Robert Scorpio is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. ... Anna Devane Scorpio Lavery Scorpio Hayward is a fictional character on the soap operas General Hospital (1985-1992, 1995, 2006-present) and All My Children (2001-2003). ...

The series also launched the media career of fitness instructor Richard Simmons, who frequently appeared as himself. For other persons named Richard Simmons, see Richard Simmons (disambiguation). ...

The Transition (1990-1999)

In the 1990s, General Hospital entered a transitional phase as the action/adventure storylines of the 1980s became less popular. During this period, the show lost major stars such as Finola Hughes (Anna Devane) and Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio), and the much-heralded return of Anthony Geary as Luke Spencer's identical cousin Bill Eckert in 1991 was seen as a failure. Finola Hughes (born 29 October 1960 in London) is an English actress of Irish and Italian extraction who is best known for her portrayal of Anna Devane on the soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, and her portrayal of Anna Devanes identical twin sister, Dr. Alexandra Devane... Anna Devane Scorpio Lavery Scorpio Hayward is a fictional character on the soap operas General Hospital (1985-1992, 1995, 2006-present) and All My Children (2001-2003). ... Tristan Rogers (born June 3, 1946 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian-American actor. ... Information Gender Male Occupation Espionage Portrayed by Tristan Rogers Robert Scorpio is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera General Hospital. ... Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947 in Coalville, Utah) is an American actor. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Luke Spencer and Laura Webber. ...

Eventually, in 1993, Anthony Geary would reprise his famous role of Luke Spencer, along with Genie Francis who reprised her role as Luke's wife Laura Spencer. Along with the reprisal of Luke and Laura came the addition of their ten year old son, Lucky Spencer, played by newcomer Jonathan Jackson. Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947 in Coalville, Utah) is an American actor. ... Image:GenieFrancis001. ... Lucky Spencer (full name Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr. ... Jonathan Stevens Jackson (born May 11, 1982 in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor who appeared as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital from 1993 to 1999. ...

In 1994, Anthony Geary and Genie Francis were invited to appear on an episode of Roseanne, as Luke and Laura. The couple would race through her house 'on the run', as Roseanne was a huge fan of General Hospital. In return, (Roseanne Arnold) and her then husband, (Tom Arnold) were invited to a storyline on General Hospital. Roseanne portraying Jennifer Smith, Luke's ex-love interest and daughter of mob boss Frank Smith. Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947 in Coalville, Utah) is an American actor. ... Image:GenieFrancis001. ... Roseanne is an Emmy Award winning American sitcom which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997, starring stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr. ... Roseanne was an American sitcom which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997, starring the stand-up comedian Roseanne Barr. ... Roseanne Barr (November 3, 1952) is an actress, writer, talk-show host and comedienne. ... Thomas Arnold (born March 6, 1959) is an American actor and comedian. ...

The return of Luke and Laura marked the beginning of a creative renaissance for the show. Through the efforts of executive producer Wendy Riche and Head Writer Claire Labine, the show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of social issues, most notable of which were the heart transplant storyline which involved the death of eight-year-old BJ Jones (daughter of Dr. Tony Jones and R.N. Bobbie Spencer) in a bus crash and the subsequent donation of her heart to her dying cousin Maxie Jones. Shortly afterwards, Dr. Monica Quartermaine (Leslie Charleson) began a long battle with breast cancer, which led to her adopting Emily Bowen, a young girl who had been orphaned when her mother died of breast cancer. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Wendy Riche is a critically acclaimed American TV producer. ... A head writer is a person who is in charge of a television/radio series writing team. ... Claire Labine is an American soap opera writer. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Dr. Anthony Tony Jones was a long-running fictional character played by actor Brad Maule on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Information Occupation Nurse Address Port Charles, New York Portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman Bobbie Spencer (born Barbara Jean Spencer) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera , General Hospital. ... Maxie Jones (full name Maria Maximiliana Jones) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. ... Monica Quartermaine (née Bard, formerly Webber) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. ... Leslie Charleson was born February 22, 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri. ...

GH was also praised for yet another storyline in the form of the beautiful but tragic love story of teenagers Stone Cates (Michael Sutton) and Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough). After a struggle that lasted throughout most of 1995, Stone died from AIDS at the age of 19 and his death was followed by storylines in which 17 year old Robin had to deal with being HIV-positive as a result of her and Stone's relationship. The storyline got McCollough a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor and won MccCullogh an Outstanding Younger Actress award. Michael Stone Cates was a fictional character on the popular ABC daytime drama, General Hospital. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Information Gender Female Age 29 Date of birth October 12, 1978 Occupation Neuropathologist Family See below. ... Kimberly McCullough (born March 5, 1978 in Bellflower, California, USA) is an Emmy Award-winning actress. ... For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ... HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the human immune system. ... The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York- based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ...

Problems began to arise again around 1995 and 1996, when the show lost more than a million viewers. All the soaps lost ground at this time, but particular scrutiny was placed upon GH for the succession of grim stories involving BJ, Monica, and Stone. As a result, they dropped plans to give Audrey Hardy Alzheimer's Disease. However, the show remained popular and a long-rumored spinoff (which was tentatively titled GH2) materialized in 1997 into the half-hour soap Port Charles. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ... Port Charles was a soap opera which aired on ABC from June 1, 1997 to October 3, 2003. ...

From 1993 to 1997, the show produced what many consider the last major supercouple (in terms of popularity) on daytime television, in the form of mobster Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil). The hot couple's passion and heartbreak kept viewers glued to every episode like Luke and Laura did a decade before. Later, Brenda's relationship with corporate raider Jasper/Jax Jacks (Ingo Rademacher) gave General Hospitalone of the hottest love triangle in the show's history. However, the departure of Vanessa Marcil in 1998 dealt the creative team at General Hospital a major blow. Luke and Lauras record-breaking wedding, November 16, 1981. ... Information Gender Male Occupation Mobster Coffee Importer Family See below. ... Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born Mauricio Jose Morales on March 1, 1963) is a Salvadoran-American actor. ... Information Address Rome, Italy Portrayed by Vanessa Marcil Brenda Barrett is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, portrayed by Vanessa Marcil from 1992 to 1998 and again from September 2002 to February 2003. ... Vanessa Marcil (born Vanessa Sally Ortiz on October 15, 1969 in Indio, California) is an American actress known for her roles in the TV series General Hospital and Las Vegas. ... Categories: Supercouples ... Jasper Jax Jacks is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. ... Ingo Rademacher (born April 22, 1974 in Iserlohn-Letmathe, West Germany; raised in Australia), is a noted television actor. ... Vanessa Marcil (born Vanessa Sally Ortiz on October 15, 1969 in Indio, California) is an American actress known for her roles in the TV series General Hospital and Las Vegas. ...

The last major storyline of the 1990s occurred in 1998, with the revisit of Luke's (Anthony Geary) long ago rape of his now-wife Laura (Genie Francis). Head Writer Robert Guza Jr. decided that Luke and his son, Lucky Spencer (Jonathan Jackson), needed to have a major wedge driven between them, and out of this came the idea that Lucky would find out that his father had raped his mother. The storyline also featured what many consider the last great young love story on the show; in the form of Lucky Spencer and Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst). Lucky found Elizabeth, a victim of rape, in the park on February 14, 1998, and their close friendship eventually blossomed into a pure, powerful romance. Lucky wanted nothing to do with his parents when his half-brother, Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher), revealed the rape. The ensuing storyline won Daytime Emmys for Jackson, Geary, the writers, the directors, and the show. The nine-minute monologue Luke deliverers to Lucky telling him about the night of the rape, without commercial interruption, is considered one of the greatest moments in soap opera history. Anthony Geary (born May 29, 1947 in Coalville, Utah) is an American actor. ... Image:GenieFrancis001. ... A head writer is a person who is in charge of a television/radio series writing team. ... Robert Guza Jr. ... Lucky Spencer (full name Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr. ... Jonathan Stevens Jackson (born May 11, 1982 in Orlando, Florida) is an American actor who appeared as Lucky Spencer on General Hospital from 1993 to 1999. ... Lucky Spencer (full name Lucas Lorenzo Spencer Jr. ... This article is about the soap opera character. ... Rebecca Herbst (born May 12, 1977 in Encino, California) is an American actress. ... Information Gender Male Age 26 Date of birth 1981 Occupation Russian Prince/ Head of Cassadine Industries Family See below. ... Tyler Christopher Tyler Christopher (AKA. Tyler Baker) (born Tyler Christopher Baker, November 11, 1972, Joliet, Illinois, USA) is an actor best known for his role on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Nikolas Cassadine, scion of the powerful Cassadine family. ... A Daytime Emmy Award The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. ... A monologue, pronounced monolog, is a speech made by one person speaking his or her thoughts aloud or directly addressing a reader, audience, or character. ...

Robert Guza Jr., a former GH script writer, returned and became Head Writer in 1996, and zeroed in on the mob and the popularity of Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard). Guza came and went several times during December 1997 through December 2000, then returned for good on June 13, 2002. Riche left in early 2001 and was replaced by the controversial Jill Farren Phelps. Robert Guza Jr. ... A head writer is a person who is in charge of a television/radio series writing team. ... Information Gender Male Occupation Mobster Coffee Importer Family See below. ... Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born Mauricio Jose Morales on March 1, 1963) is a Salvadoran-American actor. ... Jill Farren Phelps (born August 18, 1948 in Methuen, Massachusetts) and has been the executive producer of many American television soap operas: Santa Barbara (1987-1991), Guiding Light (1991-1995), Another World (1995-1996), One Life to Live (1998-2001), and currently General Hospital (2001-present). ...

New millennium (2000-2006)

At the beginning of the new millennium, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) would gain a new love interest in the form of Carly Benson (Sarah Brown) after previous efforts to pair him up after the departure of his longtime love interest Brenda Barrett (Vanessa Marcil) who supposedly died in 1998, failed. The popularity of the Sonny and Carly coupling remained even after Carly's original portrayer, Sarah Brown left the show in 2001 and was replaced by Tamara Braun. Eventually though, the enormous amount of airtime that the duo (along with those in their immediate circle) received only served to polarize the audience. In particular, criticism was leveled at the amount of airtime that was devoted to the various mob storylines that these characters were involved in. Information Gender Male Occupation Mobster Coffee Importer Family See below. ... Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born Mauricio Jose Morales on March 1, 1963) is a Salvadoran-American actor. ... Caroline Carly Benson Quartermaine Corinthos Alcazar is a fictional character on the hit ABC soap General Hospital. ... Sarah Joy Brown (born February 18, 1975) is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Carly Corinthos on the American daytime drama General Hospital from 1996-2001, for which she won three Daytime Emmy Awards. ... Information Address Rome, Italy Portrayed by Vanessa Marcil Brenda Barrett is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, portrayed by Vanessa Marcil from 1992 to 1998 and again from September 2002 to February 2003. ... Vanessa Marcil (born Vanessa Sally Ortiz on October 15, 1969 in Indio, California) is an American actress known for her roles in the TV series General Hospital and Las Vegas. ... Sarah Joy Brown (born February 18, 1975) is an American actress, best known for playing the role of Carly Corinthos on the American daytime drama General Hospital from 1996-2001, for which she won three Daytime Emmy Awards. ... Tamara Braun (born April 18, 1971) is an American actress. ...

In 2001, a bus accident disrupted The Nurses Ball 2001, an annual event for AIDS research. The event has yet to return to GH. For other uses, see AIDS (disambiguation). ...

GH aired its 10,000th episode on April 17, 2002, with an episode that revolved around the show's only longest running cast member, Audrey Hardy (Rachel Ames), celebrating her 10,000th shift as a nurse at the hospital. The episode was notable for showcasing much of GH's long history in a series of clips and montages, but shortly afterwards, the show would soon be accused of forgetting its history and veteran characters. is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Rachel Ames, at right, with co-star John Beradino, in a still from General Hospital. ...

Trouble had been brewing for quite some time (due to the increasing amount of focus on Sonny and the mob), but it really became apparent after the abrupt departure of Genie Francis (Laura Spencer) in 2002 under controversial circumstances, the re-writing of history that angered many viewers to facilitate Ms. Francis's exit. However, ratings remained stable after Francis' departure and even climbed because Vanessa Marcil returned as Brenda Barrett in a five-month stint which lasted into the early months of 2003. Image:GenieFrancis001. ... Categories: Supercouples ... Vanessa Marcil (born Vanessa Sally Ortiz on October 15, 1969 in Indio, California) is an American actress known for her roles in the TV series General Hospital and Las Vegas. ... Information Address Rome, Italy Portrayed by Vanessa Marcil Brenda Barrett is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera, General Hospital, portrayed by Vanessa Marcil from 1992 to 1998 and again from September 2002 to February 2003. ...

In 2002, after more than 35 years, Rachel Ames, who played Audrey Hardy, was taken off contract and removed from the opening credits, angering many longtime viewers. Around the same time, Brad Maule (Tony Jones) and Shell Kepler (Amy Vining) were also taken off contract. In 2004 Anna Lee was moved to recurring status after 25 years as Lila Quartermaine (Lee died soon after and some fans held the show responsible). At the same time, John Ingle, who had played Lila's husband, was fired from the show after landing the role of Mickey Horton on Days of Our Lives, and he was replaced by Jed Allan. Kin Shriner was also let go, despite the fact that he had been with the show on and off since 1977. Other characters, such as Bobbie Spencer (Jacklyn Zeman) and Felicia Jones (Kristina Wagner) became little more than extras, in spite of their years of popularity with fans. Rachel Ames, at right, with co-star John Beradino, in a still from General Hospital. ... Brad Maule (October 11, 1951 - ) is an American actor best known for a longtime role as Dr. Dr. Tony Jones on the American television series General Hospital, which he played until 2006. ... Anna Lee MBE (January 2, 1913 – May 14, 2004) was an English actress. ... John Ingle (born May 7, 1928, Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an actor best known for his role as evil patriarch Edward Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital. ... Mickey Horton (born January 19, 1932) is a fictional character on the soap opera Days of our Lives Family Tom Horton (father) Alice Horton (mother) Tom Horton Jr. ... Days of our Lives is an American soap opera, which has aired nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965[2] on the NBC network in the United States, and has since been syndicated to many countries around the world. ... Jed Allan (born Jed Allan Brown on March 1, 1937) is an American actor. ... Kin Shriner (born December 6, 1953 in New York, New York, USA) is an actor, best known for playing Scott Baldwin on both daytime soap operas General Hospital (1977-1980, 1981-1984, 1988-1993, 2000-2004) and Port Charles (1997-2000, 2001). ... Information Occupation Nurse Address Port Charles, New York Portrayed by Jacklyn Zeman Bobbie Spencer (born Barbara Jean Spencer) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera , General Hospital. ... Jacklyn Zeman, in General Hospital Jacklyn Zeman (born on March, 1953 in Englewood, New Jersey, USA), sometimes credited as Jackie Zeman, is an American actress. ... Frisco Jones and Felicia Cummings were a couple on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Kristina Wagner, in a still from General Hospital. ...

In 2004, two important but sensationalized storylines took place that many fans had divided opinions on. The first being the Port Charles Hotel Fire, which saw the majority of the cast trapped in a burning inferno during February sweeps. The second involved a masked serial killer terrorizing the Quartermaine mansion for five episodes. The serial killer storyline took place while the Olympic Games were screening on rival channel NBC and was widely seen as an attempt to lure NBC soap fans who were not interested in the Olympics to watch General Hospital, particularly as the serial killer storyline on General Hospital lampooned the recent serial killer storyline that had taken place on rival NBC soap Days of Our Lives. This article is about the television network. ... Days of our Lives is an American soap opera, which has aired nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965[2] on the NBC network in the United States, and has since been syndicated to many countries around the world. ...

2005 would end up being a year of change for General Hospital. After Tamara Braun left the series, the role of Carly was recast with former One Life to Live star, Jennifer Bransford. This move was not met well by fans. In May 2005, Kristina Wagner opted to leave the role of Felicia Jones because of scheduling conflicts with producers. She was replaced with former Another World star Sandra Ferguson. Maxie Jones was also recast with former Days of our Lives star Kirsten Storms taking over for Robyn Richards. These recasts led to the mediocre response to the storyline revisiting Maxie's heart transplant, which viewers felt would have been more meaningful had it been done by Wagner and Richards, the actors from the original storyline. Also, these changes, as well as a succession of violent storylines that included Emily's rape by Connor and young Michael Corinthos apparently murdering his own father sent the ratings falling, so more changes were made. Just as she was becoming more popular with viewers, Jennifer Bransford was let go and replaced by former Guiding Light actress Laura Wright. Tamara Braun (born April 18, 1971) is an American actress. ... One Life to Live (OLTL) is an American soap opera which has been broadcast on the ABC television network since July 15, 1968. ... Jennifer Bransford (born December 2, 1968) is an American actress. ... Kristina Wagner, in a still from General Hospital. ... Another World (sometimes called Another World: Bay City as it was briefly known) is a Daytime Emmy-winning American soap opera which ran on the NBC television network from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. ... Sandra Ferguson, in a still from Another World. ... Maxie Jones (full name Maria Maximiliana Jones) is a fictional character on the popular ABC soap opera, General Hospital. ... Days of our Lives is an American soap opera, which has aired nearly every weekday since November 8, 1965[2] on the NBC network in the United States, and has since been syndicated to many countries around the world. ... Kirsten Elisha Storms (born April 8, 1984, in Orlando, Florida) is an American actress best known for her role as Isabella Belle Black in the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives from 1999 to 2004. ... Guiding Light (known as The Guiding Light prior to 1975, GL) is an American television program credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the longest-running soap opera in production and the longest running drama in television history. ... For the romance novelist, see Laura Wright (author). ...

November sweeps saw a train wreck storyline and Reese Marshall (Kari Wuhrer) was the only major character to die in this storyline. Wuhrer, a relative newcomer to the show, having only joined in February 2005, was let go due to lacking storyline between stars Maurice Benard and Rick Hearst. Wuhrer later decided to sue for discrimination, claiming that her pregnancy was the cause of her dismissal. On a brighter note, the popular Kimberly McCullough returned as Robin Scorpio, and a guest appearance by former star Rick Springfield as Dr Noah Drake, quickly turned into a recurring role. The show later attempted its first gay storyline as Lucas Jones, played by Ben Hogestyn began to come out to his friends and family. Kari Samantha Wührer, born April 28, 1967 in Brookfield, Connecticut, USA. She is an actress and a singer. ... Maurice Benard Maurice Benard (born Mauricio Jose Morales on March 1, 1963) is a Salvadoran-American actor. ... Rick Hearst (born Richard Charles Herbst on January 4, 1965 in Howard Beach, New York, USA) is an actor, best known for roles in US soap operas. ... This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ... Kimberly McCullough (born March 5, 1978 in Bellflower, California, USA) is an Emmy Award-winning actress. ... Rick Springfield (born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is a songwriter, musician and actor. ... Noah Drake is a fictional character on ABCs daytime drama General Hospital. ... Lucas Jones is a fictional character on the American soap opera General Hospital. ... Ben Hogestyn (born April 27, 1983 in Petaluma, California) is an American soap opera actor. ...