What do you get when you turn 12,000 episodes old? Why, a new set of opening credits, naturally. That's what'll happen today as 'General Hospital' unveils a new set of opening credits to coincide with the milestone occasion.

By the way, if you're wondering, 'GH's' 12,000 episodes equates to nearly 47 years of continuing daytime drama. The show began on April 1, 1963, and it was not an April's Fool joke. It was something different at the time, because most of the soaps were New York based.

In fact, on the same day 'GH' launched, NBC premiered a new medical soap, too, out of New York. It was called 'The Doctors,' and for the first decade or so 'GH' and 'The Doctors' were on TV, the NBC show was a better soap. However, all that changed in 1978 when Gloria Monty became executive director... which led to the Luke and Laura sensation.

But today, 'The Doctors' is a fading memory, while 'GH' thrives and that sensation named Luke is still causing trouble and tremendously popular. With the new credits, they have even left in that great Luke walk off, the 'what the hell' attitude that works so well for Anthony Geary. Here's a look at the credits:



One more note about 'GH,' James Franco isn't the only name star to appear as a guest on the show. Three-time Emmy winner Michael Learned -- Olivia on 'The Waltons' -- has just signed to appear as a cancer patient. Learned be guesting on 'General Hospital' throughout the month of April. She's not as big a name as Franco, but a damn, good actress.