Port Charles

infobox Television Soap Opera
show_name = Port Charles


caption =
genre = Soap opera
runtime = 30 minutes
creator = Carolyn Culliton
Richard Culliton
Wendy Riche
country = USA
network = ABC
first_aired = June 2, 1997
last_aired = October 3, 2003
num_episodes = 1633
imdb_id = 0118435
tv_com_id = 1130

"Port Charles" is a daytime soap opera which aired on ABC from June 2 1997 to October 3 2003. It is a spin-off of the popular serial "General Hospital", which has been running since 1963 and takes place in the fictional New York city of Port Charles. The new show featured longtime "General Hospital" characters Lucy Coe, Kevin Collins, Scott Baldwin and Karen Wexler, along with several new characters, most of whom were interns in a competitive medical school program. In the first episode, tenured nurse Audrey Hardy ("General Hospital's" longest-running character, portrayed by Rachel Ames) was injured and an intern had to operate on her with a power drill to save her life.

In the first few years, "Port Charles" got a reputation for focusing most of its energies on the medical school program, setting more of its main action at Port Charles's General Hospital than was seen on the parent show, "General Hospital". As it evolved, it turned its focus to stories with gothic intrigue that included themes such as forbidden love, vampires, and life after death. It also abandoned the basic open-ended writing style used on all other daytime dramas in December 2000, instead creating thirteen-week story arcs (which were also referred to as "books"). This type of storytelling is a staple of Spanish "telenovelas". It also allowed the cast, crew, and writing staff to only work six months out of the year.

"Port Charles" never attracted strong ratings. Since it taped for only six months out of the year, the remaining episodes were aired with the cast not allowed to return to tape resolutions to storylines. This left the final episode as a cliffhanger; Caleb told Olivia that Alison (Erin Hershey Presley) was pregnant with his baby because of the wish that she (Olivia) made on his ring and Jamal found out why the beautiful Imani was so mysterious... because she was really a werewolf.

After "Port Charles," the characters of Scott Baldwin and Audrey Hardy returned to "General Hospital", and many of the other actors from "Port Charles" moved on to play roles on other dramas, including a few who took on new roles in "General Hospital", such as actors Kelly Monaco, Kiko Ellsworth, Eddie Matos, Kent King and Jay Pickett.

tory arcs

13 Week Arcs (“Books”)
* Port Charles: Fate (12/04/00 – 03/02/01)
* Port Charles: Time In A Bottle (03/05/01 – 06/01/01)
* Port Charles: Tainted Love (06/04/01 – 08/31/01) "
* Port Charles: Tempted (09/03/01 – 11/30/01)
* Port Charles: Miracles Happen (12/03/01 – 12/31/01)
* Port Charles: Secrets (01/02/02 – 03/29/02)
* Port Charles: Superstition (04/01/02 – 06/28/02)
* Port Charles: Torn (07/01/02 – 09/27/02)
* Port Charles: Naked Eyes (09/30/02 – 12/27/02)
* Port Charles: Surrender (12/30/02 – 04/01/03)"
* Port Charles: Desire (04/02/03 – 07/04/03)
* Port Charles: The Gift (07/07/03 – 10/03/03)

Cast of characters

ee also

* "" - 2007/2008 "General Hospital" spin-off

Links

* [http://soapnet.go.com/thesoaps/pc/ SOAPnet PC Page]
* [http://www.soapcentral.com/pc/ Port Charles @ soapcentral.com Page]
* [http://www.soapzone.com/pc Port Charles - SoapZone]