General Hospital (TV series)
"General Hospital" is a long-running American daytime television soap opera that premiered on April 1, 1963, on the ABC network. Set in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York, the series originally focused on the lives of medical professionals within the local hospital. The show faced challenges in its early years and was nearly canceled in 1978 until significant changes revitalized its popularity. Under the new executive producer Gloria Monty, "General Hospital" transitioned to an hour-long format and introduced beloved characters such as Luke Spencer and Laura Webber, whose iconic romance captured the audience's attention and became a cultural phenomenon, leading to the coining of the term "supercouple."
The series further evolved by incorporating adventure and mystery elements, moving beyond its initial medical drama roots. This blend of romance and action helped "General Hospital" dominate the soap opera ratings throughout the 1980s, earning multiple Daytime Emmy Awards and setting a benchmark for the genre. As a trailblazer in daytime drama, the show not only shaped the narrative landscape of soap operas but also influenced competing programs to adopt similar storytelling strategies. With its rich history and engaging characters, "General Hospital" continues to resonate with audiences, making it one of the most enduring productions in television history.
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General Hospital (TV series)
Identification American soap opera
Date Premiered April 1, 1963
Once struggling in the ratings, General Hospital introduced innovative characters and plotlines during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s that made it the most popular American soap opera. Its newfound success made the show influential as well, as competitors began to copy its winning formula.
Created by Frank Hursley and Doris Hursley, General Hospital debuted on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network on April 1, 1963. Set in the fictional town of Port Charles, New York, the show was scheduled as a half-hour daytime drama. Initially, most of the story lines took place at the Port Charles Hospital and focused on the lives of Dr. Steve Hardy (John Beradino) and Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin). Only marginally successful, the show was threatened with cancellation by network executives in 1978.
In an attempt to save the struggling soap opera, ABC executives hired Gloria Monty as its new executive producer in 1978. That same year, the show was expanded to an hour-long format. Under Monty’s guidance and with the writing leadership of Douglas Marland, the characters of Laura Webber (Genie Francis) and Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) were introduced to General Hospital fans. Luke and Laura’s subsequent romance became enormously popular with viewers. The couple’s wedding on November 16, 1981, was watched by approximately 30 million people, and the episode continues to hold the distinction of being the highest-rated episode in American soap opera history. The phenomenal success of Luke and Laura’s romance caused a neologism to be coined to describe them: “supercouple.” Other supercouples on General Hospital that became extremely popular with fans during the 1980’s were Robert Scorpio (Tristan Rogers) and Holly Sutton (Emma Samms), Duke Lavery (Ian Buchanan) and Anna Devane (Finola Hughes), and Frisco Jones (Jack Wagner) and Felicia Cummings (Kristina Wagner).
Along with these power couples, the writers also introduced adventure plots into the show, which had previously been a medical drama. Many of the characters’ story lines began to revolve around spy mysteries. In fact, the characters of Scorpio and Devane were introduced to viewers as international spies for the fictional organization, the World Security Bureau (WSB). This combination of the supercouple and the action/adventure story line made General Hospital the number-one-rated soap opera between 1979 and 1988. The series also won seven Daytime Emmy Awards during the 1980’s, including two Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series, in 1981 and 1984. In 1982, Anthony Geary won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Luke Spencer.
Impact
General Hospital introduced the action/adventure plot and the supercouple to daytime drama. The enormous popularity of both devices catapulted the once-struggling soap opera to the top of the Neilsen ratings. Equally important, the series became a leader in the industry, as competing shows attempted to model their story lines after those of General Hospital.
Bibliography
Simon, Ron, et al. Worlds Without End: The Art and History of the Soap Opera. London: Harry N. Abrams, 1997.
Spence, Louise. Watching Daytime Soap Operas: The Power of Pleasure. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 2005.
Warner, Gary. General Hospital: The Complete Scrapbook. Toronto, Ont.: Stoddart, 1995.