General Hospital Celebrates 48 Year Anniversary
Back to basics? (Soaps.com)
Still going strong.
Today marks the 48th anniversary of “General Hospital.” Currently the longest running soap on the air, the show was created by Frank and Doris Hursley, who first introduced us to the Hardy, Brewer and Baldwin families. Over the years, fans have met the now familiar Webber, Quartermaine, Jones, Corinthos, Scorpio, Spencer, Cassadine, Davis, Jacks and Zacchara families, as well as others along the way.
With the introduction of some of these clans, the main focus of the show has been taken off the hospital, which has been a criticism of many fans and critics over the years. While some site Sonny Corinthos and his mob activities as taking the spotlight off the hospital, the ABC soap has long been home to the criminal element, as Frank Smith and the Cassadines tormented the citizens of Port Charles way before Sonny opened up his strip club. Many adventures were also had, taking some characters across the globe, as the Scorpios and Spencers were often seen saving the world and battling the bad guys in the 1980s.
In between the danger and intrigue, there have been many love stories, most famously that of Luke and Laura. Other notable supercouples included Alan and Monica, Robert and Anna, Frisco and Felicia, Robin and Stone, Sonny and Brenda, and Robin and Patrick, among others.
Port Charles has also boasted many social issues stories including Maxie's heart transplant, Stone dying of AIDS, Monica beating breast cancer, and Alan, AJ and Lucky have all battled an addiction of some sort.
A few famous faces have even stopped in for a visit, as Port Charles has seen the likes of Elizabeth Taylor (Helena), Vincent Pastore (Maximus Giambetti), Michael Learned (Shirley), Daniel Benzali (The Balkan) and James Franco (Franco) appear in guest spots. While some may complain about the stunt casting, it's quite a coup for the soap to attract actors after they've found success in Primetime and film.
In its 48th year, "General Hospital" is often seen as too violent, with not enough attention paid to the core families and fan favorites. While we've seen some amazing performances and witnessed long awaited reunions, we're also suffering a few losses. The recent killing of Jason's biological son Jake has not helped matters where the rapidly diminishing Quartermaine family is concerned. The Cassadine family is also losing a key member in Nikolas, as his portrayer Tyler Christopher has been let go. And leading man Jax, played by Ingo Rademacher, is being seen less and less. After an overwhelming outcry from the fans, the decision to fire Rebecca Herbst (Elizabeth) was reversed, but it remains to be seen if TPTB will listen to what else the fans have to say. It's pretty simple though. All they want is good storytelling involving the characters they love and have invested in over the years. It doesn't seem like too much to ask.
How are you feeling about "General Hospital" these days? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts below.
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For Steve Burton's (Jason) take on the Jake storyline, go to our sister site Soap Opera Fan Blog and watch Video Interview with General Hospital's Steve Burton. Join us on Twitter @soapoperafan, and Facebook. Come tweet and Facebook with us about "All My Children," all the other soap operas, "Glee," "Grey’s Anatomy" and "Vampire Diaries!"
