SOAPnet to Celebrate GENERAL HOSPITAL's 50th Year with Weekend Marathon, 3/29-4/1

In celebration of "General Hospital's" 50th anniversary, SOAPnet is airing an unprecedented 50-hour marathon of classic episodes from the beloved series, starting Friday, March 29th at 10pm ET/PT and running through Monday, April 1 at 12:00am ET/PT (Sunday night/Monday morning). The marathon kicks off with the very first episode from 1963, and will include shows from every decade. The stunt leads up to the very special 50th anniversary episode of "General Hospital," airing on Monday, April 1 on ABC (2:00-3:00 p.m. ET//1:00 p.m. PT/CT) and SOAPnet (9:00PM ET/PT, encore at 12:00AM ET/PT).

The marathon will cover all your favorite characters, couples and storylines with such themes as romance (Luke & Laura's wedding, Frisco & Felicia's wedding, Luke & Laura's dance at Wyndham's, Lucky & Liz's first kiss), heartbreak (Stone dies, Sonny leaves Brenda at the altar, BJ dies/Maxie's heart transplant), action-adventure (Ice Princess, the Hostage Crisis, the Hotel Fire,) and shocking bombshells (Elizabeth finds Carly in the panic room, AJ discovers he's Michael's father, Jason's car accident) plus many more surprises and appearances by fan favorites (Elizabeth Taylor as Helena Cassadine, John Stamos as Blackie, Ricky Martin as Miguel, Rick Springfield as Noah). It is an extraordinary marathon, 50 years in the making.

"General Hospital," the most honored show of the 2012 Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards, celebrates its golden anniversary on April 1, 2013. Approaching 50 historic years on ABC, "General Hospital" is the longest running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest-running drama in American television history. "General Hospital" was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Frank Valentini is the executive producer. Ron Carlivati is the head writer. "General Hospital" airs 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET; 1:00 p.m. PT/CT on the ABC Television Network.

SOAPnet owns the world of character-driven soapy drama. The network features same-day episodes of popular daytime dramas "Days of our Lives," "General Hospital" and "The Young and the Restless" as well as classic episodes of "All My Children" and "One Life to Live." Plus favorite primetime series "Gilmore Girls," "One Tree Hill," "Veronica Mars," "Brothers & Sisters" and "Beverly Hills 90210." Wrapped in a 24-hour environment, SOAPnet is the one destination for stories focused on real emotions and revealing truths about intriguing yet flawed characters.