Another General Hospital writer shakeup: Patrick Mulcahey out, Chris Van Etten back

The General Hospital writing team is going through its second upheaval this year.

There seems to be more behind-the-scenes drama than on-screen at General Hospital as the show's head writing team is undergoing its second change this year. Soap Central can confirm that veteran soap scribe and only recently appointed co-head writer Patrick Mulcahey is out. In another shocking twist, former co-head writer Chris Van Etten is back at the show as a breakdown writer.

It is unclear at this time if Mulcahey chose to exit GH or if he was let go. Soap Central has reached out to a GH rep for comment, but the show has not responded to that request.

Co-head writer Elizabeth Korte will remain on as the sole head writer for the time being and material written by Mulcahey and will continue to air through the summer. A show source hints that there will additional changes to the writing team ahead and that those changes will be shared at a later date.

Van Etten began his head writing tenure in 2017, working alongside Shelly Altman after Jean Passanante retired. He was joined by Dan O'Connor in 2019, who replaced a retiring Altman.

In January, word came that Chris Van Etten and Dan O'Connor had been let go from the soap. Patrick Mulcahey, who had written for several soaps throughout the decades, including GH, The Bold and the Beautiful, Santa Barbara, and Guiding Light, was named the show's new co-head writer along with Korte who had been elevated to that position. Korte has been with GH since 1994 in various writing positions and acted as co-head writer at one point. She also helped create the spinoff series General Hospital: Night Shift.

In March, breakdown writer Shannon Peace announced she was no longer a part of the writing team but still wished the show success, saying, "In the aftermath of a historic writer's strike that shed new light on the troubling ways writers are regarded in daytime, my sincere hope is that GH recommits to valuing staff writer efforts and input, with a more intentional focus on diverse viewpoints -- and thrives for another 60 years."

In April, Alley Mills (Heather Webber) told Michael Fairman TV that Van Etten was still writing for the soap. On May 13, Van Etten's name was in the credits as a writer for that episode, confirming what Mills said.

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News of Mulcahey's exit was first reported by The Buzz.

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