It’s here! Tomorrow is the day the iconic, American soap opera, General Hospital turns 50! GH first aired on April 1st, 1963. Just about a year ago, the fate of the entire soap opera genre was hanging by a thread. Skeptics and loyal fans alike were uncertain of the fate of this beloved American tradition. In such a short time, General Hospital has proven it is possible to overcome what was the end of a dying genre. As we have seen, the genre isn’t dead. It has just begun.
After the cancellation of ABC’s All My Children and One Life to Live, fans immediately protested and banded together to get their show back on the air. It was obviously a mistake to take these two shows off the air but soon after there was talk of reviving the shows for online viewing. General Hospital was ABC’s last standing soap and the executives and actors knew that they had to do everything they could to keep this show alive. And they did. In one year, we have seen an amazing turn around, complete fan devotion, and dedication from all that are involved in the production of the show. Women and men of all ages have given General Hospital a place in their home. Even when the time slot changed to 2Pm Eastern after decades of airing at 3 PM, fans still remained loyal. I am sure we can accredit a portion of that to the wonderful technology that is DVR.
This is such an exciting time for General Hospital and it’s devoted fans. As a GH fan myself, I want to congratulate everyone who is a part of this amazing production. I also want to thank them for making me fall in love with this show as a young girl. General Hospital has created a bond between myself, my Mother, sister, and friends that I will be able to cherish forever. My Mom passed her love for GH on to me and I in turn am passing it on to my little girl.
Please make sure to tune in tomorrow and all this week as General Hospital celebrates it’s fantastic 50th anniversary and the legendary Nurses Ball. We look forward to the coming surprises they have in store for all of us!
