GH: Share Your Memories

[JackPeyton]

With the 50th anniversary upon us I thought it would be fun to share personal stories of the show in our lives, as opposed to just favorite moments and stories. For example, whats your earliest memory of watching GH? Did you start because of a mom or grandma or babysitter? Any cool stories about meeting cast members, going to fan club weekend, etc... anything really.

[saynotoursoap]

During the golden age of Dark Shadows, it was preceded by General Hospital. I was one of those 60s kids who literally ran home from school to watch. I would catch some of GH in the process. What immediately springs to mind is how very different it was from The Doctors. During the summers and any school breaks, The Doctors, Another World, and Days were my shows. GH's tone, characterization, music, it was all quite the opposite of The Doctors. For one thing, even back then, GH had more humor. It was not as blatant as the humor of contemporary soaps, but it was there, nonetheless, and quite unusual for the era. Thinking back on watching it for the first time, I picture myself as an 11 year old, drinking a bottle of Mountain Dew and eating my favorite snack Pizza Spins from the box on the floor of our den.

The second thing I associate GH with is that John Beradino (Dr. Steve Hardy) was my first older man crush. Of course, at that age every man on every soap was older than me, but Steve seemed so very far out of my age range. He was like my dad's age (!). At 11, anyone over 21 seemed positively ancient to me. We were more innocent then. I did not think of it in a sexual way really. Only as an adult can I look back on it and understand what I was really experiencing. Not so coincidentally, John possessed many of the same qualities as my husband: strong, handsome, masculine. I have enjoyed so many soaps over the years and cannot begin to count the number of actors I found attractive, but John and GH do hold a special place in my life.

[DRW50]

Those are wonderful memories.

I'd watched GH off and on for a few years, not paying heavy attention, but my strongest memories are of Sarah Brown's Carly. I was riveted to her portrayal, as her Carly was damaged beyond belief, self-loathing, broken, weak, yet also strong, triumphant, wild. I rooted for her to find happiness even when I knew it wouldn't happen (with Jason). I read a comment on TWOP about how SJB was so good as Carly, in an unplayable role, that she ruined the show, because Guza felt like it was his writing that did this, not her portrayal, and he began to feel free to write darker and darker characters, and push Carly even long after the character seemed exhausted. I don't think this is entirely true, but I do think SJB's Carly changed the show forever.

[jam6242]

I first started watching after school while waiting for a variety show called "Where the Action Is" to come on (the show featured the latest pop acts). I also started watching a soap called "Never Too Young," and then "Dark Shadows" which replaced it, both of which were on between GH and Action. My mother and older sister also started watching GH at that time. Previously my mother watched only NBC soaps. My sister was a teenager and was into the British invasion craze and used to have tea every afternoon the way the British do while we watched the shows together. She was also severely physically disabled so that was one of the few things we could do together. I think I stopped watching GH regularly after "Dark Shadows" was canceled (Action was already gone). I also remember that I liked the couple Howie and Jane, because my name is Jane and I had a crush on a boy in school named Howie, lol. The Howie on GH was no good and his mother constantly interfered with his marriage. I returned when Denise Alexander left Days (which was by then my favorite soap) and went to GH. I continued to watch for many years throughout the 70s. I've only watched occasionally since then.

[All My Shadows]

GH has never been "my" soap or one of "my" soaps, but being on the ABC lineup, it's always been a part of my soap-watching experience. I first tried to get into it in around '02 because I wanted a second soap to go along with AMC. I remember thinking it moved way faster than AMC did, and I wasn't too crazy about the mob stuff. I've never attempted to watch it with any regularity since then, but I've tuned in many, many times, and I've enjoyed some of what I've seen over the years. More than anything, I respect the show's reputation for being *the* soap to watch for so many years, and I respect its history and what it's contributed to the soap genre.

[applcin]

The first episode of GH I ever saw was the one that set off Luke & Laura's first on-the-run storyline. I saw Scotty come aboard Frank Smith's yacht, fight with Luke and knock him overboard. It was an exciting introduction to the show. I ran home from school the 2 days of Luke and Laura's wedding.

I guess I'm an oddball because my mother had been an NBC watcher (Days of Our Lives, The Doctors, Somerset, Another World) before she went back to work (after I came along) but I ended up being the one to start on the ABC lineup. Only much later did we end up trying out each other's soaps.

[VirginiaHamilton]

Though I'd peeked in and out beforehand, AMC and OLTL were the soaps that I'd preferred as a tween. Then, I started to see countless commercials featuring Luke & Laura's triumphant return and tuned in to see what the big whoop was all about. Though that they were great, but truly flipped head over heels for this show once I laid eyes on S&B. Needless to say, my then-teenaged heart was a goner and I got swept into the world of Port Charles.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

My mother and aunt were always GH/ABC fans, but I was more of a CBS soaps watcher (due to my grandmother living with us for a period of time - those were her "soaps").

I started watching GH regularly in 1993 when my CBS affiliate moved GL to the morning timeslot. Initially it was mostly out a convenience as I could catch it as soon as I returned home from school, but I ended up falling in love with the vibe and characters the show was going for in the mid-90's - that's possibly why I can't stomach much of Gloria Monty's GH.

The first story I remember hooking me was Dominique's death and Lucy carrying Serena for Scotty and Dominique.

I stanned hard for Sonny & Brenda for a period of time, before the actors and writers gave up (and I grew up). I also loved Lois and Ned before they were blown up. Sarah Brown's Carly was a revelation for me and definitely kept me tuning in when the show frankly got messy and lost its way by the end of Wendy Riche's tenure.

[BKuzak]

I started watching in the early 1990's (back when Tony was Bill Eckert.) My grandmother was watching me. She watched it from day one. My grandfather would pick me up from school around 2 so i would go into the back room and read or do homework and then at 3, i'd come watch GH. I think i did it for about a year before i got into One Life to Live. I remember GH had Mac and OLTL had Max so whenever i was talking to my grandmother, she would sometimes mix up the two names. But i watched GH all through the 1990's. I've watched it on and off ever since. My mother started watching it when she retired in the mid-2000's so i've watched on and off with her ever since.

I loved the Quartermaines, Bobbie Spencer, and even Scotty. The first soap magazine i ever bought had Sean and Tiffany on it. One of my all time fave's was Ned Ashton. I started watching not long after he married Jenny. he always kept me entertained. One of my all time favorite stories was when Tracy returned to town in 1996. That was just the best because from the moment she walked in, she just insulted everyone in the room and then anounced she was home. I knew it would be good.

[Ryan Chamberlain]

Most people already know how I came about GH.

I was a soap watcher my entire life. But, never watched any ABC soaps except for Loving. Because, when I was like 4/5/6 years old and being homeschooled. I had a break during the afternoon because my mom watched soaps. So, I'd go into my room. Watch Perfect Strangers on our ABC affiliate at 11:30am, the news at Noon, and then Loving at 12:30. After that. I'd watch the CBS soaps.

Well. Back in Sept. 2007. When I was 20. I went through a very bad breakup. So bad that I was more of an insomniac than ever. And, kind of a drunk one too. So, one night when I was up. Drinking...I was channel surfing at like 3am. And, came across GH on soapnet. That day's episode. I saw Johnny and Lulu together and LOVED them. So, I watched the next day's show at 3PM on ABC...and just kept watching. Actually, after GH went off that night at 4. I got out of bed. Got on YT. And, pulled up some 90s episodes. Watched them. Loved them too.

About a month later. I joined my first soap board. SOC. And, started watching AMC and OLTL as well. So, that's history.