Remembering PORT CHARLES
We can’t believe it’s been two decades since PORT CHARLES aired its final episode on Oct. 3, 2003. The GENERAL HOSPITAL spinoff debuted on June 1, 1997, and was originally more focused on the hospital with a group of new interns. But over time, it evolved into a supernatural soap, and in 2000, began telling 13-week storylines similar to telenovelas. Sadly, this new approach didn’t help increase the ratings, and ABC axed the show in 2003.
Brian Gaskill, who had played angel Rafe Kovich on PC from August 2001 until the final episode, took to Instagram to share some photos of him and his old castmates as well as reminisce about the much-missed soap.
“20 years today since Port Charles aired its final episode,” he wrote. “It was a cult hit which never got its full due… and sadly ended with no ending… just a cliffhanger. It was a dream role (most of the time) for me and it woke me up to a singular moment in my career when I was lucky enough to see that dreams could come true.
“I mean, I worked a lot besides this,” Gaskill continued, “but to play a supernatural being of this world and not of this world at the same time, and to be a hero but quirky and vulnerable and supported by the writers and producers to be as weird and vulnerable and angry and happy as I felt I wanted to be… not only the dream but the medicine I needed… and I am so grateful for that moment.”
Unfortunately, when PC was canceled, the soap was not able to wrap up its storylines, and the final episode ended with vampire Caleb informing Livvie that because of the wish she’d made, Alison was now pregnant with his baby, and Imani was revealed to be a werewolf.
“I really, truly hoped we were going to get one more year to send it off right,” Gaskill lamented. “Was really looking forward to Kent King as a werewolf and whatever else was up the writers’ sleeves. But anyway, I love these people, and those few years as an angel on TV with freedom and trust given to me as an actor, and all the fans loving story and emotion and wild characters and angels and vampires, etc.… I am grateful.”
