A big birthday arrives for ‘General Hospital’
Rebecca Herbst is among the stars of “General Hospital” weekdays on ABC. ABC weekday staple ‘General Hospital’ turns 60
Very few television programs last for 60 years, especially in the current media climate.
That makes it a big deal, indeed, that the ABC drama “General Hospital” – which has won the Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding drama series 14 times, a record – is marking its sixdecade milestone with special moments before and after the actual anniversary: April 1, which falls on a Saturday this year. Still, the Mondaythrough-Friday episodes surrounding that date will honor legendary characters and stories (including a tribute to late co-star Sonya Eddy), and bring back the popular Nurses Ball being staged for the first time in three years.
Created by Frank and
Doris Hursley, the saga of the residents of the fictional Port Charles (now guided by executive producer Frank Valentini) has transformed since its 1963 debut, reaching one of its peaks with the 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura Spencer (played by Anthony Geary and continuing cast member Genie Francis) ... to date, the highest-rated dramatic hour in daytime-TV history. However, for whatever romance or espionage has been factored in, the center of the show always has been the title medical facility.
One of the longtime characters reflecting that is Nurse Elizabeth Webber, portrayed by Rebecca Herbst, who’s marking her own “General Hospital” milestone by celebrating her 25th anniversary with the series.
The part was created for her, and with her alter ego having gone through affairs and kidnappings and pregnancies over a quarter-century, the three-time Daytime Emmy nominee appreciates that she remains prominent on the show.
“It certainly does not feel like it’s been 25 years,” the pleasant Herbst reflects. “We have so many cast members, I do not envy the writers with their job of keeping everybody on the canvas in these complex stories. It really is amazing to me.”
Herbst confirms that the mood on the “General Hospital” set has been quite spirited lately. “I feel like we look at each other and just chuckle in a way,” she muses, “because this show has been around for 60 years. We’re not surprised, because it’s been a popular show forever and our writers have done a really great job of keeping up with the times. We’re just incredibly grateful that we’re still here!”
Married to former “General Hospital” co-star Michael Saucedo, with whom she has three children, Herbst almost left the show in 2011 due to a storyline shift. Fans spoke up against that – loudly – and effectively saved her job.
Expressing her ongoing thanks for that, Herbst says that lately, the initially rebellious Elizabeth is “not too far off from who she was when she came to Port Charles. It’s really nice that
I’ve been able to add so many layers to the character over the years.”
Saturday Movie: A Picture of Her 8 p.m. on W
She should have had to sign a release. Beth (Rhiannon Fish) spends her days working in a coastal town when she unwittingly becomes the subject of an award-winning PDJD]LQH·V FRYHU SKRWR 6KH WKHQ JRHV RQ D TXHVW WR discover the true identity of the photographer who snapped her photo in the 2023 romance. Other stars include Tyler Hynes, Samantha Ferris, Robert Wisden, Alison Araya and Aadila Dosani.
Movie: The Last Emperor 8 p.m. on TCM
Veteran director Bernardo Bertolucci earned an Oscar for
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Movie: Clerks III 1:40 a.m. on STRZ2
When Randal (Jeff Anderson) suffers a heart attack while trying to sell “Buddy Christ” NFT kites, he has an epiphany in the hospital and enlists his friends and fellow clerks Dante +LFNV %ULDQ 2·+DOORUDQ (OLDV *URYHU 7UHYRU )HKUPDQ DQG Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) to make a movie about their lives at the Quick Stop Convenience store WKDW VWDUWHG LW DOO 1RW VXUSULVLQJO\ WKLQJV GRQ·W JR DV SODQQHG and the “life as art as life” takes on a life of its own in this 2022 comedy.
Sunday NASCAR Cup Series 12:30 p.m. on KCPQ, FOX
The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, is the scene today as NASCAR Cup Series drivers such as Joey Logano, A.J. Allmendinger, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski get set to do battle in the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Ross Chastain won this race in overtime a year ago on the 3.4mile, 20-turn road course, outdueling Allmendinger and Alex Bowman to the checkered flag in a wild finish for his first victory of 2022.
Ride
6 p.m. on DRAMA; 9 p.m. on DRAMA; 2 a.m. on DRAMA
Isabel (Nancy Travis), Missy (Tiera Skovbye), Cash (Beau Mirchoff) and the rest of the McMurrays are part of a rodeo G\QDVW\ JRLQJ EDFN D JHQHUDWLRQ %XW WKH\·UH VWUXJJOLQJ WR keep their beloved ranch afloat. After a tragic loss, each of them embark on a journey of transformation and selfdiscovery, while also uncovering a twisted web of secrets, threatening to tear the family and their small Colorado town apart at the seams in the series premiere opener “Legend of the Fall.” Sara Garcia, Jake Foy and Tyler Jacob Moore also star.
Succession
6 p.m. on HBO; 10 p.m. on HBO
With the sale of Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard) inching closer, the prospect of the sale rears angst and division among the Roys as they picture their lives once the deal is done. A power struggle ensues as the family weighs a future with diminished cultural and political weight. Not surprisingly, battle lines have been drawn with Logan (Brian Cox), Tom (Matthew Macfadyen), Greg (Nicholas Braun) on one side and the four Roy siblings on the other in the Season 4 premiere.
Seeking Brother Husband 7 p.m. on TLC; 11 p.m. on TLC
This new series features polyandrous couples and trios as they navigate the ups and downs of adding additional husbands into their family life and everything that happens in-between as couples navigate boundaries and life-changing decisions when a woman decides one man is not enough. :KDW·V JRRG IRU WKH JDQGHU LV JRRG IRU WKH JRRVH LQ WKH
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Monday General Hospital 1 p.m. on KOMO, ABC
Alums and newcomers come together to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the most scandal-ridden hospital in American history. Averaging 250 episodes of original programming each year for 60 years has created a spectacular list of cast members, many of whom will make appearances as the anniversary celebration continues into April. This week will include an honoring of the late Sonya Eddy, who played head nurse Epiphany Johnson starting in 2006.
Spring Baking Championship 6 p.m. on FOOD; 9 p.m. on FOOD
Come prepared for pranks and pastries EHFDXVH LW·V $SULO )RRO·V 'D\ LQ WKH kitchen. Host Jesse Palmer asks the remaining bakers to create “fool for love” tarts and embrace the holiday of tricks and gags by serving judges Kardea Brown, Nancy Fuller and Duff Goldman cakes that look like pies in the new episode “Fool for Love.” Each one will probably claim to be fat free.
The Bachelor 8 p.m. on KOMO, ABC
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All American: Homecoming 9 p.m. on CW
Simone (Geffri Maya) is presented with unexpected obstacles that help her decide between Damon (Peyton Alex Smith) and Lando (guest star Martin Bobb-Semple) as she preps for the Exhibition Match. Then JR (Sylvester Powell) stands up for Cam (Mitchell Edwards) in an unusual way. Nate (Rhoyle Ivy King) learns the truth about her secret admirer and Keisha (Netta Walker) sees her situation with Dr. Pace (Diahnna Nicole Baxter) in a new light in the Season 2 finale episode “Diary.”
+LVWRU\·V *UHDWHVW RI $OO 7LPH :LWK Peyton Manning
10 p.m. on HIST; 12 a.m. on HIST
There are names that are almost inseparable: Venus and Serena, Ali and Cosell, Lennon and McCartney, Batman and Robin, Simon and Garfunkel, etc. Host Peyton Manning counts down the top 10 Dynamic Duos of all time, as voted on by a panel of experts in the new episode “Perfect Pairs.” Which terrific twosome is the most unforgettable?
Tuesday Movie: Cool Hand Luke 5 p.m. on TCM
:KDW ZH·YH JRW KHUH LV WKH XOWLPDWH prison movie, which set the standard for the genre and earned Paul Newman an Oscar nomination. His Luke is a rebellious World War II vet who lands on a chain gang for beheading some parking meters in
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Luxe for Less
7 p.m. on HGTV; 10 p.m. on HGTV
Many of us are looking for ways to have high-end design, while protecting our pocketbooks. Here, designer Michel Smith Boyd, who counts celebrities among his client base, uses clever budget hacks to help homeowners create luxurious homes without stretching the limits of their bank accounts. Fortified by his creative team, Michel maximizes his FOLHQWV· FDVK E\ UHSXUSRVLQJ IXUQLWXUH purchasing easily repairable “scratch and dent” appliances, and employing savvy shopping techniques to bring upscale design within reach and deliver beautifully overhauled spaces.
Pawn Stars
9 p.m. on HIST; 12 a.m. on HIST
Chum is swinging for the fences when he tries to bring home a signed poster from the movie “The Sandlot.” Then Rick sets his sights on a vintage musket rifle from the 1800s, but can he take a shot at this deal or is he shooting blanks? And a seller tries to pose and flex with a signed autobiography by Arnold Schwarzenegger, but will his offer be terminated? Meanwhile, an old YHQWULORTXLVW·V GXPP\ PDNHV &RUH\ DQG 5LFN·V KHDGV VSLQ )LQG RXW ZKR·V pulling all the strings in the new episode “The Pawnerator.”
American Experience 9 p.m. on KCTS
The new episode “The Movement and 7KH ·0DGPDQ · µ H[SORUHV KRZ WZR perfectly orchestrated antiwar protests in the fall of 1969 — the largest the country had ever seen — pressured then President Nixon to cancel what he called his “madman” plans for a massive escalation of the U.S. war in Vietnam, including a threat to use nuclear weapons. Protestors had no idea how influential they would be and how many lives they may have saved. Stories are told here through remarkable archival footage and firsthand accounts.
Will Trent
10 p.m. on CTVBC, KOMO, ABC
A horrific trailer park massacre leaves a young boy without his family, and Will (Ramon Rodriguez), strongly opposed to leaving him, becomes his temporary guardian. Meanwhile,
Faith (Iantha Richardson) receives a visit from her mother, and Angie (Erika Christensen) spirals from incidents of her past in the new episode “Pterodactyls Can Fly.” Jake McLaughlin, Deion Smith, Sonja Sohn and Kurt Yue also star.
Wednesday
Movie: Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For 6 p.m. on LIFE; 10 p.m. on LIFE
Adapted from a book series by novelist R. Franklin James, this 2022 mystery-movie franchise stars Toni Braxton as Hollis Morgan, who meets both requirements for membership in the Fallen Angeles Murder Club: a passion for books and a criminal record. Hollis did time after her ex-husband left her holding the bag for an insurance fraud VFKHPH KH FRQFRFWHG 1RZ VKH·V RQFH DJDLQ LQ WKH KRW seat after another book club member is murdered in a manner right out of the novel the group has been sharing. Eddie Cibrian also stars.
Renovation 911
6 p.m. on HGTV; 9 p.m. on HGTV
Minneapolis-based emergency restoration experts and sisters Lindsey Uselding and Kirsten Meehan are rebuilding D IDPLO\·V NLWFKHQ OLYLQJ URRP DQG JDUDJH DOO GHVWUR\HG E\ D UDJLQJ ILUH LQ WKLV QHZ VHULHV 7KHQ WKH\·OO LQYHVWLJDWH D house left with a monster hole thanks to a car crash and try WR VDYH D FOLHQW·V IORRGHG OLYLQJ URRP DQG EDVHPHQW DIWHU a washing machine hose leak. Over the season the two face more property mishaps head-on, including a fallen tree through a roof, burst radiators, sewer backups and more.
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6 p.m. on FOOD; 9 p.m. on FOOD
Time is ticking and nobody likes to wait for their food. To that end, chef/host Guy Fieri brings together four chefs who feel the need for speed to compete in Grocery Rush. ,Q WKLV UDFH DJDLQVW WKH FORFN WKH\·OO VHUYH D EUXQFK LQ RQO\ 20 minutes and make their favorite noodle dish using 10 ingredients or less in the new episode “All-Star Rush.”
Riverdale 9 p.m. on CW
Everyone is still trapped in the 1950s and blissfully XQDZDUH RI ZK\ WKH\·UH WKHUH :HOO HYHU\RQH EXW -XJKHDG (Cole Sprouse). But he is determined to return the town back to the present day. To do so, he will need the help of his girlfriend Tabitha Tate (Erinn Westbrook) in the Season
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Thursday
Walker
5 p.m. on DRAMA; 8 p.m. on CW; 1 a.m. on DRAMA
In this entertaining second half of the two-part episode “False Flag (Part Two),” the Texas Rangers and the Walker )DPLO\ PXVW FRQWHQG ZLWK *UH\ )ODJ·V SODQV DQG RQH WUXWK ... that everything was a lie. But will they be able to turn things around in time before more damage is done? Stars include Jared Padalecki, Lindsey Morgan, Genevieve Padalecki, Violet Brinson and Keegan Allen.
Movie: Fallen Angels Murder Club: Heroes and Felons 6 p.m. on LIFE; 10 p.m. on LIFE
Toni Braxton returns as book lover, ex-con and amateur sleuth Hollis Morgan, who joins her fellow Fallen Angel Murder Club members in seeking answers to another PHPEHU·V GHDWK $IWHU D MRXUQDOLVW LQYHVWLJDWLQJ WKH GHDWK also turns up murdered, Hollis once again finds herself at the center of a murder probe. As the bodies start to stack XS VKH PXVW VROYH WKH GHDGO\ VSUHH EHIRUH LW·V WRR ODWH Kelly Hu also stars in this 2022 crime drama.
Swamp People 9 p.m. on HIST
The hunt is on, but when Pickle teams up with Jacob she WKLQNV LW·V DOPRVW OLNH EHLQJ RQ YDFDWLRQ 7KHQ =DN WULHV WR