Could ‘General Hospital’ Be Getting A New Digital Spinoff?
General Hospital had two separate spinoffs. The first one was called Port Charles, and it lasted from 1997 to 2003. The second was called General Hospital: Night Shift (which was stylized as NIGHTSHIFT), and it ran for 13 episodes on SOAPnet. Now, though, recent comments by ABC Entertainment’s president have led some fans to believe that there’s a new GH spinoff on the horizon.
‘General Hospital’ had two different reboots
In 1997, ABC debuted the first General Hospital spinoff called Port Charles. Though it ran until 2003, the show was nowhere near as popular as its original. And that’s because it has some pretty weird storylines. (Remember the “vampire love” storyline? That was a little more than most people could take.)
The second spinoff was called General Hospital: Night Shift. It’s also sometimes just stylized as NIGHTSHIFT. Unlike its original or its previous spinoff, NIGHTSHIFT solved all the issues of the show in just one hour. In other words, there were no continuous storylines.
NIGHTSHIFT only lasted for 13 episodes. However, the show drew more than 1 million new viewers to the then-fledgling SOAPNet. And while, in the past, spinoffs were seen as something to look down upon, times have certainly changed. Also, thanks to the Internet, there are new and exciting ways for soap operas to explore new storylines, and General Hospital is no exception.
Current reboots of classic soaps are on Apple+ TV
The Prospect Park production company was formed by three former television executives all the way back in 2008. One of their best-known hits was the USA Network series, Royal Pains. But they also had some success in the music industry.
In 2013, the Prospect Park production company launched The Online Network. As you might imagine, this was a revolutionary idea at the time. The Online Network was the home of reboots of classic soap operas. Specifically, they handled the reboot of All My Children and One Life to Live.
Soap Opera Digest confirms that Apple+ is currently carrying the two reboots of All My Children and One Life to Live. And fans of classic soaps can see some of their favorite General Hospital actors on there, as well.
ABC Entertainment president said he would be ‘open to additional iterations’
Soaps.com was on hand when ABC Entertainment president Craig Erwich spoke to the Television Critics Association virtual winter press tour. There, he told the rapt audience that he would be “always open to additional iterations or explorations” of General Hospital.
Erwich said that he was inspired by the success of the Days of Our Lives spinoff series, Beyond Salem, on the Peacock streaming network. He also said that the Days digital series, Chad & Abby in Paris, was also successful. And he wouldn’t be averse to either “iteration” for the hit ABC soap opera.
While Erwich didn’t announce anything definitive for a potential General Hospital spinoff, we will definitely keep you posted as any announcement come up.
