GH airing less this week, but fans "shouldn't be worried"

General Hospital is taking a few days off this week, but an ABC exec urges viewers to keep calm because new Port Charles shenanigans will carry on... next week.

Do not adjust your dials and please do not say naughty things to your DVR this week when you see that it's only recorded two episodes of General Hospital this week.

In case you hadn't heard yet, General Hospital is airing three reruns this week. But viewers shouldn't worry too much, because the episode repeats actually aren't reducing the amount of brand-new material the ABC soap opera shares with viewers. As ABC executive Nathan Varni explains, the show is airing reruns Wednesday, August 29, through Friday, August 31, because there have been significantly fewer preemptions this year.

"You shouldn't be worried," Varni tweeted. "It's been planned for months. Last year we didn't have to take additional encores because Trump interrupted the show so much. This year, with less interruptions, we needed to take some extra days off based on the number of new episodes we produce for you."

In other words, GH fans can rest assured that they will be seeing the same number of new episodes that they do every year. However, that new material won't be hitting screens until Tuesday, September 4. As has been the case every year, GH will also be airing an encore episode on Monday, September 3, due to Labor Day.

As for what viewers can expect from the repeat episodes, here is a breakdown of the days ahead:

Wednesday, Aug. 29: Lucas shares the exciting news that he and Brad are adopting a baby, Finn and Alexis bond, Faison traps Lulu and Obrecht in his death trap and shoots Nathan when Nathan attempts to rescue Maxie. This episode originally aired on January 26, 2018.

Thursday, Aug. 30: Dante and Sonny arrive at Spoon Island as Lulu and Obrecht escape the poison gas, everyone demands answers from Faison, and Nathan undergoes surgery for life-threatening injuries. This episode originally aired on January 29, 2018.

Friday, Aug. 31: Sam and Drew return from their honeymoon to find utter chaos, Jason gets answers out of Faison, and Maxie reunites with Nathan just moments before he dies. This episode originally aired on January 30, 2018.

Monday, Sept. 3: During Nathan's emotional funeral, everyone says their final goodbyes. This episode originally aired on February 9, 2018.

Meanwhile, Varni answered a very important question often asked by fans: why doesn't GH show classic episodes from the 70s, 80s, and 90s on the days the show must air encore episodes? It all comes down to practicalities.

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"Music rights and talent costs," he explains. "We're trying to find a way, but as of today, it's cost prohibitive. We will be the first to announce should we strike a deal!"

Do you ever tune in to repeat episodes of GH when they air? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.

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