GH: Classic Thread

[DRW50]

Thanks. I thought that was Lorena but that hair was so horrendous I thought it might have been Grandmama from the Addam's Family.

[DRW50]

2/13/87 credits at about 6:05 in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9XL0VEPol8

[DRW50]

6/16/87 promo at about 3:25. Poor Liz Keifer, I really shouldn't laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isYoQKfHdAc

[Max]

Sorry for going off-topic, but I just wanted to comment on a few of the 1984 commercials. (Thank you for posting these clips, Carl.)

As soon as I saw those ads for Macy's, I knew that these commercials had to have either aired on a San Francisco or Reno TV station. (There later was a commercial for ABC's San Francisco affiliate, thus confirming which area these spots originally aired.) In 1984, the now defunct R.H. Macy & Company (which filed for bankruptcy in 1992 and was purchased by Federated Department Stores two years later) only operated in the San Francisco, Reno, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore markets. However, in the Atlanta area, all R.H. Macy & Company owned stores operated under the Davison's nameplate (which was replaced by Macy's in 1985), and all stores that operated in New Jersey and the Philadelphia and Baltimore markets operated under the Bamberger's nameplate (which was retired in 1986). Thus, all stores (aside from a lone store in Florida that also beared the Macy's name) with the Macy's nameplate only existed in New York State, Connecticut, and the San Francisco/Reno markets (and any commercials R.H. Macy & Company aired on NYC stations featured both the Macy's and Bamberger's names).

I absolutely loved the "There's More for Your Life" advertising campaign/jingle that Sears had at the time. I always knew that 1984 was the year the Sears "racetrack" logo debuted, but I was unsure as to the month; given that these ads aired in the summer, I now have a better idea as to the exact date the logo was first used. (It is interesting to note, however, that the commercial above still showed a shot of the classic, previous logo--on a shipping box, if I recall correctly--which was just the word "Sears" with a rectangle around it.)

I thought the Kmart ad was well done as well. It portrayed Kmart as a hip and happening store (home to a neat clothing line), which is the complete opposite of that store's image in recent times.

Finally, can anybody please elaborate on the AMC and OLTL commercials that aired? What storylines were they about?

Edited September 25, 2011 by Max

[Paul Raven]

Who killed Phil Brewer?

[DRW50]

Judith looks like Carolyn Jones there.

[DRW50]

A May 1992 SOD critique of GH, by Donna Hoke Kahwaty

Acting B+

Humor A

Troubleshooting B

Couples C

Casting A-

It's been a bumpy ride for GENERAL HOSPITAL. GH had a firm grip on second place in the ratings, despite many changes in leadership, when the announcement came that Gloria Monty was returning to the show's helm. The press touted her return as the "Second Coming," predicting that she would restore GH to the glory days it had experienced during the reign of Luke and Laura. Perhaps GH would even reclaim its number-one spot.

It wasn't to be.

What went wrong is anybody's guess. Many people claim that Monty's first mistake was getting rid of too many characters foo fast. (And the producer wasn't exactly dealt a full deck - several of the most popular departees left of their own volition). Monty also caught flak for bringing back Tony Geary, not as Luke, but as his boring blue-collar cousin with an equally lackluster family. (Again, it may not be fair to place the blame wholly on Monty. Word had it Geary wasn't interested in reprising his old role.) Whatever the reason, GH's ratings didn't rise; they plummeted. A year later, Monty left the show.

Now, GH is in a state of recovery, and it's hard to say what the show is "about" right now. While GH has made great strides, there is still room for improvement - largely because, in the midst of its reconstruction, the show lost Finola Hughes (Anna) and Tristan Rogers (Robert), two of its standout performances. GH has always had a talent for capitalizing on breakout characters (Luke Anna, Robert, the Quartermaines, Duke, Lucy); they gave the show a larger-than-life quality it now lacks.

Without these characters, too many people in Port Charles are clones of people on other shows, with the exception, of course, of the Quartermaine family. No other show in daytime or prime time has a family like the Quartermaines. That eccentric, over-the-top family has remained witty, fresh and biting, thanks in large part to the talented actors who portray its members: David Lewis (Edward), Anna Lee (Lila), Stuart Damon (Alan), Leslie Charleson (Monica) and Jane Elliot (Tracy). Wally Kurth as Ned is an excellent recast and, now, GH has seen fit to add another dimension to this versatile family by aging the Quartermaine kids and casting likable actors who really look like brothers in the parts. Watching Alan and Monica contend with wayward A.J. is a new treat.

From the Quartermaine camp comes GH's only successful story of the moment, the Paul/Jenny/Ned/Tracy quadrangle. This story works because the Quartermaines are involved and because it has a lot of mileage in it. We can understand why unloved Tracy would want to have handsome Paul at her side, yet we sympathize with Paul's predicament.

Unfortunately, other couples on the show aren't working nearly as well. GH was quick to recognize that Mac (John J. York) and Dominique (Tawny Fere Ellis) lacked chemistry, and replaced Ellis. But the new Dom, Shell Danielson, while more seasoned, has no more chemistry with York than Ellis did. Part of the problem is Mac - brought on as a sexy rogue, he's become completely domesticated.

If recent scenes between Holly, Mac and Bill are any indication, GH seems to have recognized Mac and Dominique's flaws and is moving in the direction of a Bill/Holly/Mac triangle. It's a move that would certainly capitalize on the rapport between Emma Samms and Tony Geary, but would it be in the best interest of GH?

Tony Geary is turning in powerful performances as Bill; in his hands, the potential for the character is virtually limitless. And Emma Samms is even lovelier and more fetching as Holly than she was last time around. But Bill and Julia were a strong couple; they were on their way up. Why break them up just because Bill and Holly might be better? Crystal Carson (Julia) is too charming to be sacrificed. Emma Samms could probably be appealing with just about any leading man; Geary is equally capable of making almost any leading lady look good. So why throw Samms and Geary together as one super couple, when separately, the show could have two wonderful couples? Make that three - it's just a matter of time before Mac is paired with the right woman.

Are we going to see Holly torn between her dead husband's brother and her ex-lover's look-alike cousin - a second-hand Robert, a second-hand Luke? Hopefully, GH will concentrate on forging ahead, not re-creating the past.

On the other hand, maneuvering Scott (Kin Shriner) into Julia's life in a business partnership is clever - these two could be a lively pair. The wonderful Shriner hasn't been used nearly enough, and the departure of Lynn Herring (another devastating loss, which left Tracy without a foil and Scott without a love interest) could diminish his role further. And on the teen front, Robin's crush on Jason Q. - in the hands of the capable Kimberly McCullough - gives GH the first real teen love storyline it's seen since Laura Vining and Scott Baldwin. The fancy footwork to keep Robin on the show after her parents' death was worth it.

Still, the show needs more young people in the twenty-something age group. Ned and Jenny are the only front-burner characters in this category, though their union has brought a resurgence of activity for the corresponding back-burner players - Sheila, Eric and Meg, and, arguably, Amy (although Ms Vining is certainly no longer twenty-something, she'll always look, and act, as though she's right out of high school). Amy is the perfect person to be at the center of a rare GH social issue story concerning breast implants.

When it comes to back-burner players in general, GH has always had a strong supporting crew. Performers like John Beradino (Steve Hardy) and Norma Connolly (Ruby) could certainly carry a story of their own, but they remain back-burner, lending depth to GH's everyday scenes.

Unfortunately, Sean (John Reilly), who used to be a dynamic leading man, has been reduced to a caricature savior. Perhaps as police commissioner he'll be put to better use. It's almost as though being part of Sean's storyline is the kiss of death: Witness Tiffany (the enjoyably flamboyant Sharon Wyatt), and now Connor (Michael Lynch). Once the poor guy was revealed to be Sean's son, his story went nowhere.

GH is in something of a holding pattern as the new direction of the show crystalizes. Obviously, the powers that be are responding to viewer displeasure and are hard at work rerouting characters and stories. As jarring as the loss of several major stars must be to fans, it could prove to be a blessing in disguise. GH is full of seasoned, talented and charismatic performers who remained idle while Robert and Anna took center stage. As their characters are developed, good stories will follow. GUIDING LIGHT learned its lesson when it lost Kim Zimmer's Reva: Other characters had not been sufficiently developed and the show suffered - initially. But the show identified its weakness, spread the wealth and has emerged as one of daytime's finest hours.

GENERAL HOSPITAL has the tools and talent to do the same.

[Paul Raven]

That was a real transition time for the show.Wendy Riche and the Labines really tightened the focus.

This article highlights a whole different era

Edited October 4, 2011 by Paul Raven

[DRW50]

Thanks for the article. I find it interesting that she uses the word "negativism," as this is the word Al Rabin used when he went on a firing spree at DAYS around this time. Was she having a dig at him, or was this some common term in the industry?

I've wondered for a while why viewers so quickly dropped GH during Monty's second, very woeful run. GH had such a loyal fan base, but many just seemed to have enough.

[quartermainefan]

Once Robert and Anna left it stopped being the real GH. I dropped it for a time when Mac was front burner because he was just so deadly dull (and still is). I think it was Marco Dane that brought me back to GH because I was so curious to see this old character on a new soap, but the other stuff from that time did nothing for me. And the stuff with drug addict Tiffany was just horrendous. Whoever wrote that garbage needed to have their union card rescinded.

[OldGHFan]

I'm not sure. There were real problems before Robert and Anna left GH. While I absolutely love Robert and Anna individually, I didn't really like them as a couple. The stories at the time were all over the place and didn't have continuity. Monty was having a tough time restructuring GH. I wish ABC would have given her more time. I think eventually she would have figured it out and then we could have gotten back to real GH. Not that I didn't like Wendy Riche's GH, but when I see how long ABC has let Jill Faren Phelps run GH into the ground (over a decade!), I wish ABC would have given Monty more time on her second stint.

[DRW50]

I guess there were such high expectations for Monty. It does seem like she had to face a lot of bad luck.

Phelps is more of a figurehead and Frons/Guza seemed to have total control.

It's funny that a lot of the issues in her second run (Geary hating Luke; wanting to get rid of the Quartermaines) ended up sucking the life out of the show under Guza/JFP.

[Max]

Who is considered the most responsible for GH being knocked out of the #1 spot? (And how much were the then heads of ABC Daytime to blame?) Becuase back in the early-80's heyday, it appeared as if GH would be #1 for at least twenty years (as was the case for ATWT and Y&R).

Edited October 5, 2011 by Max

[OldGHFan]

Not sure. Gloria Monty left in 1987 and GH fell to the #2 spot for the year. I'm not sure if GM was still there when GH fell to #2 though. I would think the head of ABC Daytime would be to blame. And then GH floundered for a long time until Wendy Riche took over as E.P. in 1992.

[DRW50]

I remember reading some letters around the time of the ratings falling (although they may have already been #2 before this time) and some would write into SOD criticizing Joe Hardy for his changes in the show, especially weakening female characters.