‘General Hospital’ (GH) spoilers reveal there’s a new boss in town. Head writer Shelly Altman has announced she’s retiring after four years at the helm. The news was broken by TV Insider. Altman has been a part of Port Charles since 2011, when she began on the series as a breadown writer. Here’s what you need to know.
‘General Hospital’ Spoilers: Head Writer Shelly Altman’s Exit From GH – What Does It Mean?
Altman was no stranger to the soap world when she took over on Port Charles. She’s also credited with One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless, and Another World. Her career as also been diverse, as she’s written for sitcoms like Kate and Allie, as well as the movie How the Toys Saved Christmas.
General Hospital spoilers: Legacy
During her tenure on General Hospital, she creating characters that are making a big impact on the story today, such as Cassandra Pierce (Jessica Tuck), Sasha Gilmore (Sofia Mattsson), Drew Cain (Billy Miller), and Neil Byrne (Joe Flanigan). Ironically, one of these might be leaving soon as well, as actor Billy Miller is also set to depart the series. There’s still plenty of story left in the rest, as Sasha is settling into Port Charles life and Cassandra is on everyone’s lips lately. We also recently saw the hint of a closer relationship between Neil and Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn).
General Hospital Spoilers: Looking ahead
The impact, according to the TV Insider article, sound be minimal, as co-head writer Chris Van Etten is sticking around. He’ll be joined by Altman’s replacement, Dan O’Conner. He’s currently a breakdown writer for the show. This will surely keep things running smoothly, but we’d expect there will be some minor shakeups in the future. After all, it’s a very common story for people coming into a new head position like that wanting to put their own unique stamp/perspective on the franchise. Fresh eyes are also always good for spicing existing characters and plots. We’d expect, though, that any possible big changes story-wise would be a while in coming while O’Conner adjusts to a new position.