Former General Hospital Executive Producer, Joe Hardy Has Passed Away At 95

More sad news for General Hospital (GH) fans. Deadline is reporting that Joseph Hardy, former executive producer of both GH and Ryan’s Hope, died on June 6 of this year. He was 95 years old.

Former General Hospital Executive Producer, Joe Hardy – His Legacy

Hardy was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico on March 8, 1929. After he graduated from the Yale School of Drama, he started his career as a script editor in daytime drama. He would make his way to Broadway, and started directing, with the 1967 hit Johnny No-Trump and later Child’s Play, starring Ken Howard and Fritz Weaver, where he won a Tony Award.

He remained tied to the land of soaps, producing Love Is A Many Splendored Thing from 1967 to 1973. When 1974 rolled around, he worked on the movie, Great Expectations, starring Michael York, James Mason, and Sarah Miles, and would go on to produce two television movies in 1978, Taxi, as well as The Seduction of Miss Leona, and the primetime show, James at 15/16.

Former General Hospital Executive Producer, Joe Hardy – His Impact On Soaps

Of course, daytime drama came calling in 1983, and ABC reached out in hopes that Joe could save a struggling Ryan’s Hope. He agreed and remained with the show until 1988.

After Ryan’s Hope, Hardy also was the EP of Loving later on in 1988, and then headed to the land of Port Charles in 1989, where he remained as executive producer until 1991.

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Tom Lansi, the author of “Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap”, told Soap Opera Digest that Hardy created “quite the stir” on the soap. He notes that Joe lightened up and modernized sets, “… making the show more visually appealing was offset by his firing of fan favorites as directed by ABC angering long-time fans.

Whatever the viewers felt about his contributions to the show, the cast respected him, and he was very protective and supportive of the actors he hired.”

On behalf of everyone here, we pass on our condolences to Joseph Hardy’s family, loved ones, friends, and fans.

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