General hospital is the longest running American daytime soap opera and the second-longest-running serial drama in television history. It premiered on April 1, 1963, on ABC, and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The show is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running soap opera in the world.
The series is set in the fictional town of Port Charles, a suburban setting in which the wealthy Quartermaine family and their associates interact with a variety of other people in the community. GH is also noted for its handling of social issues and for its focus on character development.
From the beginning, the show has been about more than just medical drama and the squabbles among its upper-crust families. It has also touched on socioeconomic issues such as poverty, mental illness, sex and relationships. The show has dealt with the death of a child, mob infighting, and the challenges of raising a family.
Despite the decline in its ratings, the storylines on GH still appeal to a large audience. GH’s current writers are trying to find new ways to attract viewers, especially the younger ones. They are experimenting with different genres, trying to reach a new generation of fans. They are hoping that new characters and different sex stories will keep the audience interested.
The show’s early years were marked by great writing and strong performances from John Beradino, Rachel Ames, and others. In the 1990s, GH gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of social issues such as BJ Jones’ bus accident and her subsequent heart transplantation and the HIV/AIDS storyline. The show also made use of a young and talented cast, including Kimberly McCullough, Tristan Rogers, Genie Francis, and Alicia Leigh Willis.
In recent years, the writing on GH has been poor. The newer pairings lack chemistry and the older actors are either backburned or left on the sidelines. The newest pairing, Courtney and Jason, is one such example. They have no chemistry and are not interesting together. Alicia Leigh Willis’s Courtney showed promise in the beginning but the pairing is a disaster. They have also gotten rid of many good characters, like Rachel Ames’s Audrey and Nancy Lee Grahn’s Alexis.
During the 1980s and 90s, GH was able to keep its loyal fan base due to its sharp writing and novel concepts. It managed to attract the younger generation of both male and female viewers. However, in the last 7-8 years it has struggled, mainly due to LOUSY WRITING!