Over the years, soap operas have come and gone, but one series has remained a steadfast staple on ABC. General Hospital is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year and ABC is pulling out all the punches to help them commemorate this historic milestone. At the TCAs today, it was announced that the soap opera would be kicking off the anniversary celebration at the end of March with a special episode to commemorate Sonya Eddy, before the beloved—and fictional—Nurses Ball returns in April, which will usher in the return of Jane Elliot as Tracy Quatermaine.
The long-running and award-winning daytime drama was created by the husband-and-wife soap writing duo of Frank and Doris Hursley. It first premiered on April 1, 1963, introducing audiences to the high-flying adventures and daily lives of the citizens of Port Charles, New York. Over the six decades it has been on the air, the series has evolved into a truly diverse series that has often tackled difficult subjects, all the while delivering the romance and drama you expect from a soap opera.
To commemorate General Hospital's 60th anniversary, the network is set to present the cast and crew with something that will forever cement the series' legacy and impact. For sixty years, the series has been filmed on the Prospect Studios lot in Los Angeles, and this year the stage will be dedicated in honor of General Hospital as a reminder of the history that has been made in that very spot.
In 2022, General Hospital won five Daytime Emmy Awards including the marquee Outstanding Drama Series, marking the show’s 15th win for this honor as well as the record for most wins in the category. That year, the series also celebrated its 15,000th episode, which was a truly remarkable feat and marked the return of a few beloved characters. Today the series stars, Genie Francis, Maurice Benard, Finola Hughes, Kristina Wagner, Nancy Lee Grahn, Rebecca Herbst, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright, Kirsten Storms, Dominic Zamprogna, Maura West, Chad Duell, Roger Howarth, Donnell Turner, Michael Easton, Eden McCoy, Cynthia Watros, Katelyn MacMullen, Sofia Mattsson, Amanda Setton, Brook Kerr, Nicholas Chavez, Avery Kristen Pohl, Cameron Mathison, Charles Shaughnessy, Tajh Bellow, Tanisha Harper, Tabyana Ali, Robert Gossett, Josh Kelly, Gregory Harrison, and Evan Hofer.
Frank Valentini took over as executive producer and showrunner in 2012, with Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor taking over as co-head writers in 2017.
General Hospital's 60th Anniversary Episodes
General Hospital will kick off its anniversary programming at the end of March with a very special episode dedicated to Sonya Eddy. She tragically passed away unexpectedly just before the holidays last year. She starred as Epiphany Johnson, the head nurse of General Hospital, since 2006. Initially, the role was meant as a one-day role, but she turned it into a 16-year career as a fan-favorite. During her tenure on the series, she appeared in over 540 episodes, with October 22, 2022 marking her final appearance on the series. In addition to appearing in the main series, Eddy also reprised her role as Epiphany in the short-lived spinoff General Hospital: Night Shift.
After the Nurses Ball was first introduced in 1994, it became one of the most highly-anticipated events on General Hospital, typically because it saw several main subplots converge in varying degrees of shock, horror, and delight. The fictitious ball was first introduced to the series as a way to inform viewers of General Hospital about the HIV/AIDS crisis and raise awareness about the highly-stigmatized illness. The ball became one of Port Charles' most glamorous charity events featuring red-carpet fashion and musical numbers. Over the past three decades, the event would see couples get together, break up, or kill each other; buildings would explode, fights would break out; babies would be born, and so many other memorable moments were born out of the Nurses Ball. This year, the event returns for the first time since 2020, and the legacy of hosting jaw-dropping moments will also return. As the festivities get underway, the icons of Port Charles will unite to stop a legendary threat from the past—Tracy Quartermaine (Elliot).
Whether you've been watching for sixty years or thirty years, or you are looking to tune in for this historic moment after taking a hiatus as a soap watcher, you can check your local listings for when General Hospital airs on weekdays. You can watch the new promo, looking back at the series' sixty years, below: