Where does the story line of General Hospital take place?
History of General Hospital
General Hospital was created by Frank and Doris Hursley and premiered on April 1, 1963.[1] The first stories were mainly set on the seventh floor of General Hospital, in an unnamed midsized Eastern city (the name of the city, Port Charles, would not be mentioned until the late 1970s).[2] "They had this concept of the show that it was like a big wagon wheel – the spokes would be the characters and the hub would be the hospital," John Beradino (Steve Hardy) later reflected to Entertainment Weekly in 1994.[1] Storylines revolved around Dr. Steve Hardy and his friend, Nurse Jessie Brewer (Emily McLaughlin).[3] Steve was Chief of Internal Medicine and extremely dedicated to his work. Jessie's turbulent marriage to the much-younger Dr. Phil Brewer (originally portrayed by Roy Thinnes; lastly by Martin West) was the center of many early storylines.[3] In 1964, Audrey March (Rachel Ames), a former flight attendant and the sister of Nurse Lucille March (Lucille Wall), joined the canvas and started a relationship with Steve. Other notable nurses during the 1960s and 1970s included Meg Bentley (Patricia Breslin, later Elizabeth MacRae), Diana Taylor (Valerie Starrett, later Brooke Bundy), Sharon McGillis (Sharon DeBord) and Jane Harland (Shelby Hiatt). Meg marries Lee Baldwin (Ross Elliott, later Peter Hansen), who adopts her son Scotty and becomes his only family when Meg dies. Diana is torn between two men, Dr. Peter Taylor (Paul Carr, later Craig Huebing) and Dr. Phil Brewer. Sharon marries Dr. Henry Pinkham (Peter Kilman) while Jane marries Howie Dawson (Ray Girardin). In one fast-paced plot in 1971, Audrey is accused of murdering her son's babysitter and General Hospital was briefly elevated to the number one position, beating longtime ratings giant As the World Turns. In 1972, Howie Dawson becomes involved with Brooke Clinton (then Indus Arthur), who is found murdered the day after she spurns his advances. In 1973, Audrey marries alcoholic Dr. Jim Hobart (James Sikking) before finally realizing she loves Steve. Augusta McLeod (Judith McConnell) arrives the same year, bringing back Phil Brewer in an attempt to break up Peter and Diana Taylor. Augusta is pregnant with Peter's child. In December 1974, Phil Brewer is murdered with a geode paper weight and Jessie Brewer is put on trial. She is acquitted and Augusta is sent to prison and gives her son up for adoption.
History of General Hospital
The November sweeps involved a large train wreck, and was the first story for Laura Wright as Carly. At the same time Kimberly McCullough reprised her role as Robin Scorpio, bringing along 1980s character Dr. Noah Drake, played by Rick Springfield, on a recurring status.[53] Robin is soon romantically paired with Noah's son Patrick Drake, played by newcomer Jason Thompson. The following February sweeps saw General Hospital quarantined due to an encephalitis virus outbreak. While the virus killed off long-time character Tony Jones (Brad Maule) and Courtney Matthews (Alicia Leigh Willis). other veteran characters made guest appearances that year. The story briefly brought back Robert Scorpio, played by Tristan Rogers, who reunites with his daughter Robin after years of being presumed dead. Anna Devane (Finola Hughes) returned in May for the first of several brief guest stints. In the summer of 2006, the series focused on the issue of unplanned pregnancy and featured Lulu Spencer (Julie Marie Berman)'s decision to have an abortion. The show worked closely with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy to make the dialogue realistic, and the storyline saw ratings rise in female teenagers.[54] In November, Genie Francis reprised Laura Spencer for the November sweeps; the character temporarily awakened from her catatonic state for an emotional reunion with her family. Laura and Luke Spencer remarry on the 25th anniversary of their 1981 historic wedding before Laura returns to catatonia. Francis won her first Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for this performance.