Huge changes are set to rock ABC's lone soap, General Hospital, this week when the material by the series' new head writers, Jean Passanante and Shelly Altman, begins airing.
The female duo's storylines will be billed in the show's opening credits on Wednesday, October 7, and it'll be the beginning of the return of Love in the Afternoon. "There is a pretty clear interest in bringing more romance to the show, and I think both of us have a pretty good track record with that and tend to be emotional storytellers," Passanante revealed back in September. "If you listen to us planning things and laying out a week of episodes, you always hear, 'Okay, where's the romance?' It's our natural inclination as storytellers to frame every story in romantic terms... You have to ask yourself, when you're approaching that as deliberately as we are, 'What's the love story here? I know there is a bad guy stalking somebody in this, but what are the romantic stakes?'"
The writers, who also wrote together for CBS' The Young and the Restless from 2013 to 2015, are of the opinion that love is the magic that draws viewers in and makes them stay. "It's so interesting to hear from the viewers because they are advocates for one couple or another and they are completely contradictory, the ones who want Jason (Billy Miller) and Sam (Kelly Monaco), the ones who want Jason and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst), and you can't please everybody, that's for sure," Passanante says. "But that just fascinates me, that for the really serious, committed viewers, their way into the show is the couples."
And speaking of Jason, the reveal that Jake is the beloved character will soon rock the canvas -- finally! ""It's coming soon," Passanante has teased. "That train is moving into the station as we speak. It's long-awaited, obviously."
GH has seen a steady decline in key female demographics in recent months, leading to the ousting of former head writer Ron Carlivati in July. That announcement was soon followed by Passanante and Altman being hired as co-head writers, Daniel J. O'Connor leaving for a primetime opportunity, Kate Hall jumping from GH to the writing team of The Young and the Restless, and veteran soap writer Christopher Whitesell reportedly signing on as breakdown writer for the ABC soap.
Are you looking forward to Passanante and Altman's material? What elements of the show do you think need work? Which elements do you continue to tune in for on a daily basis? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, on our message boards, or by submitting Feedback.
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