'General Hospital' Replaces Head Writers After Recent Cast Shakeups
Port Charles is in for another shakeup as General Hospital prepares to say goodbye to head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor.
Van Etten and O’Connor have been replaced on the long-running soap opera by Patrick Mulcahey and current General Hospital script editor Elizabeth Korte, according to TVLine. Episodes previously written by Van Etten and O’Connor are expected to air until March before Mulcahey and Korte officially take over.
General Hospital fans should be familiar with Korte, who has been a member of the writing team since 1995. She also served as a head writer in 2001 before shifting to the role of script editor. In total, Korte has worked on over 1,000 episodes of the soap opera so far.
Mulcahey, meanwhile, started out as a script writer on General Hospital before transitioning into the positions of associate head writer and breakdown writer from 1998 to 1999. He later moved to The Bold and the Beautiful, penning more than 900 episodes between 2005 and 2019.
All good things must come to an end, even when it comes to TV. Over the years, many television stars have suddenly left their roles — while others have been cut from a series without much notice. Anna Faris announced in September 2020 that she was leaving CBS’ Mom after starring as the lead character […]
As for Van Etten, he was promoted to head writer in 2017 before O’Connor joined him two years later. The writing duo were in charge when General Hospital won multiple Daytime Emmys, including its third consecutive trophy for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series in 2023.
Earlier this month, General Hospital celebrated 60 years on the air. Along with its major industry milestone, the series has also been making headlines for a handful of surprising cast shakeups in recent months.
Roger Howarth departed the series in November 2023 after his character, Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt, was shot and killed. Howarth later recalled finding out that his ABC contract was not renewed a few weeks before his last episodes were filmed.
General Hospital has had numerous different cast members during its 60-year run, including some familiar faces. John Stamos got his start on the soap opera with his role as Blackie Parish from 1982 to 1984. Even though he starred on the show for only two years, Stamos has discussed the tremendous impact General Hospital had […]
“It took a second for me to let that settle in. And then, immediately, I realized how lucky I was to have been able to do something I really love doing for more than a decade with people who I really enjoyed working with,” he told Soap Opera Digest at the time. “I’m a lucky guy. I had a great run and this was a decision made by people who make these kinds of decisions for a living.”
One month later, Eden McCoy was mysteriously replaced by Courtney Fulk as Josslyn Jacks. The role of Sam McCall was also recast, with Lindsay Hartley temporarily filling in for Kelly Monaco earlier this month. As for Maxie Jones, the character has looked a little different since actress Nicole Paggi took over the role in December 2023 while Kirsten Storms took a brief break from the daytime soap.
Soap operas often change up their casts, but there seems to be something in the water in Port Charles on General Hospital. Fresh off winning a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Young Performer in a Daytime Drama Series, Eden McCoy was mysteriously replaced by Courtney Fulk as Josslyn Jacks in December 2023. Neither ABC nor […]
The most shocking casting news, however, was Steve Burton‘s return as Jason Morgan three years after he was fired from the show due to disputes over COVID vaccine mandates. The reveal came one day after Burton, 53, confirmed in a YouTube video that he filmed his “final scenes” for Days of Our Lives after signing a one-year deal in 2023 to reprise his role as Harris Michaels on the soap.
“Happy anniversary, General Hospital,” Burton said in a prerecorded clip that aired during ABC’s primetime special General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars & Storytelling earlier this month. “Stay tuned — big things are coming to Port Charles.”
