Ron Carlivati replaced as General Hospital Head Writer!
There was a BIG shakeup at General Hospital today – head writer Ron Carlivati is out, replaced by a new team from The Young and the Restless!
Carlivati was with the show for four years, responsible for bringing back the Annual Nurse’s Ball as well as some veteran fan favorites (Anthony Geary, Lynn Herring and Kin Shriner, to name a few). Other notable accomplishments this year included the black and white 52nd Anniversary episode (the Luke Spencer big reveal), and two live episodes which were flawless.
But under his watch, Port Charles also lost key characters – both Ian Buchanan (Duke Lavery) and Sean Kanan (AJ Quartermaine) were killed off, mob-style.. as mob violence began to escalate. Let’s not forget poor Connie Falconeri, who was shot by Ava Jerome and much-loved Wally Kurth, who chose the role of Justin Kiriakis over Ned Quartermaine. Victor Cassadine came and went quickly, and it would appear Helena’s reign of terror has come to an end with the departure of Luke Spencer (once Nikolas shipped his grandmother off to the island).
However, the whereabouts of Robin Scorpio-Drake are still unknown (she was last seen leaving town with Helena!).
It should be interesting to see what the future holds for Port Charles – Little Jake is alive and well, Elizabeth and Nikolas are hiding the fact that Big Jake is really Jason Morgan, Sam is finally happy with Patrick (while Robin is somewhere in France), and Ava is Denise.. for now. Stay tuned!
General Hospital: Shelly Altman And Jean Passanante Named Co-Head Writers Of ABC’s Emmy Award-Winning Drama Series “General Hospital”
SHELLY ALTMAN AND JEAN PASSANANTE NAMED CO-HEAD WRITERS OF ABC’S EMMY AWARD-WINNING DRAMA SERIES “GENERAL HOSPITAL”
Shelly Altman and Jean Passanante were named Co-Head Writers of ABC’s Emmy Award-winning series “General Hospital,” it was announced today by Vicki Dummer, Executive Vice President Current Series Programming. The scribes will take the reins of the network’s long-running drama series starting August 10, 2015.
In making the announcement Dummer said: “We are pleased to welcome back two esteemed writers to our ‘General Hospital’ family. Shelly and Jean’s combined talents and experiences promise to continue the show’s legacy of compelling storytelling that will resonate with our impassioned viewers. We’re delighted with what they have in store for the show as they continue honoring the rich, diverse environs of Port Charles.”
Altman is a multiple Emmy award-winner for her extensive work on soap operas, including “One Life to Live” and “The Young and the Restless.” Prior to her work on serial dramas, Altman wrote for several primetime shows, including “Kate and Allie,” “Counterstrike” and “True Blue.” She is also an accomplished film writer whose credits include the award-winning, “Sweet Lorraine.”
Passanante previously served as head writer and co-head writer for several daytime dramas, including “The Young and the Restless,” “All My Children” and “As the World Turns.” She has won four Daytime Emmy awards, six Writer’s Guild awards and five GLAAD media awards. Passanante also has an extensive theatre background, having served as administrator of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Playwright’s Conference and artistic director of New Dramatists and New York Theater Workshop, among many other creative roles.