General Hospital is undergoing more changes to its writing team. Two months after being named co-head writer alongside Elizabeth Korte, Patrick Mulcahey is leaving. Mulcahey and Korte were named the new co-head writers earlier this year after Dan O’Connor and Chris Van Etten were fired. According to Soap Opera Network, Korte will take over as the sole head writer, while Van Etten is returning as a breakdown writer.
Elizabeth Korte Will Make Things Worse at General Hospital
Fans have been critical about the writing for General Hospital since O’Connor and Van Etten were in charge. When Korte and Mulcahey were named as their replacements, viewers were hopeful things would change.
Mulcahey is one of the best and respected writers in daytime television. His previous credits include Santa Barbara, Guiding Light, and The Bold and the Beautiful. He also worked as a script writer for General Hospital from 1996 to 1998. During his previous tenure at the ABC drama, he created the vixenish character Carly Benson.
When he was appointed co-head writer earlier this year, he reportedly wanted to return the show to its golden days. But rumor has it, his vision clashed with Korte.
It soon became apparent to viewers that what they saw onscreen was more of Korte than Mulcahey’s work. From characters switching jobs to making villains into heroes to focusing on the same people; it was obvious who was in charge. With Korte now taking over as the sole head writer, things aren’t going to get any better for the show.
Korte has worked with the soap opera since 1994 in many roles, including script editor. As someone who’s been there that long, she knows the show’s history and what fans want. Yet, like many showrunners, she does things her way.
Korte is biased towards certain characters, mainly Carly. She sees the character as a heroine and Port Charles’ golden girl can do no wrong. Fans are tired of the show revolving around Carly, and nothing’s changing in that department.
Viewers should expect more of the Carly worship. Carly will insert herself into other storylines, and characters will be thrown under the bus to make her look good.
Aside from the storytelling, the ratings slump will continue. According to TV Series Finale, in the past four weeks, the show has dipped under the 2 million mark in viewership. The latest ratings for the week of May 6-10, the show garnered 1,876,000 viewers.
Things are not looking good for General Hospital and with Korte in charge. Chances are by the end of the year, the show might be going through more changes to its writing staff.
