General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling airing as primetime ABC special

Paging General Hospital fans everywhere, the soap is celebrating 60 years in a primetime special titled General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling, airing on Thursday, January 4, at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC.

Before the British series Casualty and American series Grey's Anatomy (Grey's Anatomy season 20 launches on March 14) began their historic runs as medical dramas in primetime, General Hospital laid the groundwork for the genre in daytime TV. From hot and heavy romances to shocking deaths to surprising family twists, the soap has had it all over the course of six decades, leaving inspiration in its wake and memorable TV moments.

Speaking of such moments, General Hospital went down in TV history in 1981 when roughly 30 million people tuned in to watch iconic characters Luke (Anthony Geary) and Laura (Genie Francis) tie the knot. Even Princess Diana recognized the feat, sending the actors champagne as a wedding gift.

While the landscape of Port Charles has changed a bit since then, the soap continues to capture the attention of loyal fans as the Spencer, Corinthos, Quartermaine and Cassadine families evolve with their own unique brands of love and chaos. If you've been watching recent episodes as of late, you certainly can attest to the chaos.

As far as the General Hospital primetime special, here is a synopsis of what viewers can look forward to:

"ABC's Emmy Award-winning daytime drama General Hospital will celebrate its milestone 60th anniversary with a primetime special, General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling, airing Thursday, Jan. 4 (10:00-11:00 pm ET), on ABC, next day on Hulu. The television event will feature fan-favorite cast members from throughout the years as they pull back the curtain on six decades in Port Charles, including behind-the-scenes moments, bloopers, a special fan tribute and more exciting surprises honoring General Hospital’s legacy.

"The special will feature GH cast members Maurice Benard, Jane Elliot, Genie Francis, Finola Hughes, Kelly Monaco, Laura Wright and more. Joining the robust slate of current and past cast members for this retrospective look at General Hospital are recent Dancing with the Stars winner and pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, film and television star Emma Samms, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter/actor Rick Springfield, and actress and writer Amber Tamblyn, among other all-star celebrity guests."

Again, General Hospital: 60 Years of Stars and Storytelling airs on Thursday, January 4, at 10 pm ET/PT on ABC. The celebratory event can be watched the next day on Hulu.