General Hospital (UK TV series) productions to fill in the extended schedules. Among the first of these shows, which were aimed at giving advertisers access to housewives, were the long-running rural soap "Emmerdale Farm" (YTV) and the twice-weekly medical drama "General Hospital". Set in a fictional Midlands town, the series followed 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. In 1975, after 270 twice-weekly episodes, "General Hospital" was given a
Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime "The Soap Opera Digest" Award for Outstanding Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime has been given every year since the first "Soap Opera Digest" Award in 1984 until the award's end in 2005. There were no awards presented in 1987, 2002 or 2004. The category was split up into "Soap Opera Digest" Award for Outstanding Villain/Villainess in a Drama Series – Daytime only in 1993, 1994, and 2000. In the lists below, the winner of the award for each year is shown first, followed by the