General Hospital is a British daytime soap produced by ATV, which ran on ITV from 1972 to 1979. It was modelled after the American drama of the same name. In 1975, after 270 twice-weekly episodes, General Hospital was given a primetime slot on Friday evening. The move saw the episodes double from 30 to 60 minutes, with each being more self-contained, while on-screen medical procedures, including detailed scenes of surgery, became more prominent. In a fictional Midlands town, the series follows the romantic and professional lives of its doctors and nurses. While the location and the characters names had been changed, in most other respects, General Hospital was almost identical to its predecessor, Emergency - Ward 10, a deliberate attempt to recreate its success.