General Hospital News Update: Does The Soap Plan A July 20 On-Air Return?

General Hospital hasn’t aired a new episode since late May when it ran out of fresh soaps thanks to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down television and movie production.

Last week, word leaked that the ABC soap planned to make a return to the set by the middle of July, and now TV Source Magazine tweeted what the encore episodes the show plans for the week of July 13-17 — and they are pretty recent.

“General Hospital episodes tentatively set to air July 13-17 are not themed. Though **SUBJECT TO CHANGE**, the plan is to re-air episodes 14532, 14533, 14533A, 14534 and 14535 which originally aired 5/6/20, 5/7/20, 5/11/20, 5/12/20 and 5/13/20,” TV Source tweeted.

If you are keeping track, those were the last new episodes we saw, leaving off with Sonny (Maurice Benard) still unsure if he should let a dying Mike (Max Gail) go as well as custody of Wiley being up in the air as Nina (Cynthia Watros) took the stand to talk about Nelle (Chloe Lanier).

If GH plans a production return by mid-July, that means the soap would have to get these episodes done and ready for air in a matter of days if airing May’s episodes means it is gearing up for new shows by July 20. While that isn’t commonplace anymore, it is definitely do-able. There was a time when a new episode could be shot, edited, and on-air within a few days.

Of course, this is all tentative as L.A. County gets hard hit with rising coronavirus cases, but The Bold and the Beautiful has been back shooting for a week and there are strict guidelines in place to keep cast and crew safe. Soap Hub will keep you informed as we learn more.

General Hospital History

GH made its debut in 1963 and is the second longest-running daytime soap opera in American history. The longest-running sudser is Guiding Light. While it’s not the longest-running sudser, General Hospital is the longest-running soap opera currently on air.

The daytime drama outlasted other soaps to become a mainstay for many households! From Luke (Tony Geary) and Laura’s (Genie Francis) gripping romance and wedding, to Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and his mobster activities, GH knows how to please their viewers.

Bringing the Drama

More than five decades of gripping drama has kept the daytime sudser on the air as other soap operas were axed. It is one of only four remaining soap operas currently on the air. The other three daytime dramas include Days of our Lives, The Young and the Restless (YR), and The Bold and the Beautiful (BB). GH airs weekdays on ABC. Check your local listings for air times.