Daytime TV, particularly soap operas, doesn’t hold the elevated spot in the popular zeitgeist that it did in past decades, but one of the first and most legendary, General Hospital, is proving today just how enduring its popularity is (including getting John Oliver to appear recently). Today, the long-running show is celebrating its 16,000th episode as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Yes, you read that correctly, 16 thousand. That number is completely mind-blowing to me. There is some perspective needed to truly wrap my head around that number, so let’s get into it.
