General Hospital is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in Guinness World Records as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after Guiding Light. Concurrently, it is the world's third longest-running scripted drama series in production after British serials The Archers and Coronation Street, as well as the world's second-longest-running televised soap opera still in production. General Hospital premiered on the ABC television network on April 1, 1963. General Hospital is the longest-running serial produced in Hollywood, and the longest-running entertainment program in ABC television history. It holds the record for most Daytime Emmy Awards for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series, with 14 wins. The show was created by husband-and-wife soap writers Frank and Doris Hursley, who originally set it in a hospital, in an unnamed fictional city. In the 1970s, the city was named Port Charles, New York.
Genre | Soap opera |
Created by | Frank Hursley, Doris Hursley |
Written by | Dan O'Connor, Chris Van Etten |
Directed by | See below |
Starring | Present cast, Past cast |
Theme music composer | Jack Urbont, Paul Glass, Steve Hopkins |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 14,000 (as of February 23, 2018) |
Executive producer(s) | Frank Valentini (2012–present), (and others) |
Producer(s) | See below |
Location(s) | The Prospect Studios, Los Angeles, California |
Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
Running time | 30 minutes (1963–1976), 45 minutes (1976–1978), 60 minutes (1978–present) |
Production company(s) | Selmur Productions (1963–1968), Walt Disney Television (1968–present) |
Distributor | Disney–ABC Domestic Television |
Original network | ABC |
Picture format | 480i (NTSC) (1963–2009), 720p (HDTV) (2009–2018), 4K (Ultra HD) (2018–present) |
Audio format | Stereo |
Followed by | General Hospital: Night Shift, Port Charles, The Young Marrieds |
Related shows | All My Children, The City, Loving, One Life to Live, Ryan's Hope, What If... |
About General Hospital
A group of people experience life and love in the upstate New York town of Port Charles. It holds the record for the longest-running American soap opera in production as of 2017.
Achievement of General Hospital
The series won its first Daytime Emmy Award in 1979 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Peter Hansen. The show won its first Creative Arts Emmy Award in 1995 for Costume Design for a Drama Series.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About General Hospital
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Latest information about General Hospital updated on July 28 2021.