‘General Hospital’ Rehires Previously Fired Head Writer

In an unexpected twist, the popular soap opera General Hospital has brought back a previously dismissed head writer to its writing team.

Bob Guza, who served as head writer on General Hospital during various periods in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is returning. Known for crafting memorable storylines, particularly those involving the mob boss Sonny Corinthos, Guza’s tenure was not without controversy. Many fans faulted him for the demise of beloved characters like Alan Quartermaine and Georgie Jones. However, former GH writer Michele Val Jean recently defended him, stating that these unpopular character deaths occurred during the 2007-2008 writer’s strike.

Interestingly, Guza and Val Jean are set to reunite on a new CBS soap opera titled The Gates. Val Jean will assume the role of showrunner and head writer, while Bob Guza will act as one of the executive producers. The Gates is slated to debut in January 2025 on CBS.

Additionally, General Hospital has rehired a head writer who was let go earlier this year. News broke recently that Chris Van Etten is making a comeback to the ABC soap just six months after his dismissal alongside co-head writer Dan O’Connor. Following their departure, Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahey took over, with Mulcahey subsequently being fired in May.

Van Etten will now join Korte as co-head writer. The soap’s executive producer, Frank Valentini, expressed his support for this change, stating, “No one knows General Hospital and its history more than Elizabeth and Chris.”

This behind-the-scenes shuffle is one of several casting news in recent times. Jonathan Jackson is set to reprise his role as Lucky Spencer later this summer. Moreover, Rick Hearst will return to General Hospital as Ric Lansing after a nearly ten-year hiatus. The soap is also in the process of finding a new actor to portray Lulu Spencer.

Not all fans received the news of Chris Van Etten’s return warmly. Soap columnist Alan Sarapa expressed his bewilderment on Twitter, quipping, “It is comical to fire a man and then rehire him for the same position less than a year later.” Other viewers shared similar sentiments, using words like “pathetic,” “sad,” and “annoying” to describe their feelings.

The first episode penned by the new head writer team is scheduled to air on August 8, 2024.