ARTICLE: Chris Van Etten Back to ‘General Hospital’

[Errol]

While it was announced in January that “General Hospital” had replaced co-head writers Chris Van Etten and Dan O’Connor with new co-head writers Elizabeth Korte and Patrick Mulcahey, it looks like Van Etten at least is officially back in the writer’s room at the ABC daytime drama series.

During the Tuesday, May 14 episode, Van Etten’s name appeared in the credits for the first time since mid-March, this time as a breakdown writer.

Savvy fans had an inkling that Van Etten returned to the series when actress Alley Mills let the news slip during a video interview with journalist Michael Fairman in late April. 

At the time, Mills was discussing her second consecutive Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performance in a Daytime Drama Series for her portrayal of Heather Webber on the series. She won her first-ever Emmy in December 2023 for her work.

ABC

“… the head writer at the time, Chris Van Etten, who’s still with us, thank god because I just adore him. I love the new head writer who I’ve known forever from ‘The Bold and the Beautiful.’ He’s amazing. We have a double whammy there,” commented Mills while speaking on material she’d been given by the show’s writers since joining the cast in 2022.

Mills previously portrayed Pamela Douglas on “The Bold and the Beautiful,” where Mills encountered Patrick Mulcahey, who worked as a scriptwriter for that soap starting in 2005 before later transitioning to the position of story consultant. In 2019, Mulcahey took a break from soap opera writing until landing back at “General Hospital” this year.

A rep for “General Hospital” did not immediately respond to a request for comment at press time.

Before the switch in head writers, Van Etten had been the co-head writer of “General Hospital” since October 2017, replacing Jean Passanante, who decided to retire after 25 years in the industry. 

Van Etten worked alongside the show’s then-co-head writer, Shelly Altman, through much of 2019 until she retired, leaving the door open for Dan O’Connor to replace her. Van Etten and O’Connor became the show’s co-head writers in November 2019 and remained in that capacity until they were replaced by Korte and Mulcahey.

Before head writing at “General Hospital,” Van Etten had been a breakdown writer at the show since May 2012, joining the writing staff under the show’s then-head writer, Ron Carlivati (now at “Days of our Lives”). Prior to that, Van Etten had been working at “One Life to Live,” where he started out as the assistant to the show’s executive producer, first for Gary Tomlin and then Frank Valentini (now executive producer at “General Hospital”) from 2001-2003.

Van Etten went on to become a writer’s associate at “One Life to Live” before being promoted to continuity supervisor, followed by associate head writer in August 2005. By November 2006, Van Etten had become a breakdown writer at the since-canceled New York-based daytime drama series.

In 2008, Van Etten won his first Daytime Emmy Award as a member of the “One Life to Live” writing team.

Note: The post Chris Van Etten Back to ‘General Hospital’ appeared first on the Soap Opera Network website.

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[Maxim]

Thank you @Errol! 

[Contessa Donatella]

"No Comment" is typical of them, but if it weren't true, they'd just say so. 

[dragonflies]

Donna it's true LMAO 

[Contessa Donatella]

Yeah, I figured. Dammit.

[BrendaB]

Is this the reason the show went back to sucking boredom again for the last few weeks?  The early few months of Patrick Mulcahey (before and after he was officially credited) was showing promise with better dialog, characterizations and beginning of plots (that have yet to materialize), but now it's completely sputtered out back to the mess it was before.  The only other fun time this show has had recently was during the writer's strike.

They really need to get rid of the whole Ashford family and whatever Michael Easton's character's family is called.  Hopefully Elizabeth dumps him Monday and his character (and that annoying daughter) depart for Pine Valley permanently and go find Greenleaf off-screen and never come back!