titan1978

I get my continuing drama fix with other shows now, from Netflix to network. Nothing will replace the traditional soap storytelling model. What Prospect Park was attempting was the best shot at getting daytime soaps into a new market and format, because they had the fan base to support a transition and maintained a daily structure. It had production values, talent, and bts people that knew how to produce “daytime”. Unless SONY were to try something with DAYS and Y&R, these last four are the end of the line. Why would I watch something like The Bay, when I can stream Orange is the New Black, Stranger Things, or Walking Dead or Handmaids Tale or Grey’s Anatomy (which I don’t even enjoy, but it is a soap and it’s been on the air for over a decade) or Dear White People? All offer diverse storytelling with good acting, writing and continuing storylines and characters. Which daytime does not at this point.

Sean was there until around 1995, so he was more solid than the rest. Anna has had a complicated past with her children.

Holly called him Robert as I recall, it was definently before Mac arrived. I thought Kevin and Lucy had moved away before her Carlivati return?

Soaps are about habits, and also people bitch about changes no matter what. Put those two things together and you have the majority of internet commentary. The genre as we know it is pretty much dead. Continuing story drama may survive, but anything like the original format soaps are down to the four that are collapsing, so even an online story wont truly be a “soap opera”.

They were not a good pairing on GH, but I think the story called for that. As out of character as it was for Bobbie to be with Stefan, I wish we could have seen what Guza has planned there for a longer story. The thing with Tony and Genie is they had a lot of charisma with the talent, and it made them chemistry machines. I thought she had some heat with Sonny, Stefan, Mac and even Tony during the 1990’s period in the show. And Luke had some heat with Lucy, Alexis, and even Helena then. So I totally get being a fan of them together, and also seeing the possibilities for a triangle or two.

Two of my favorite scenes from the Bacchanalia. I wasn’t really a fan of Katherine, but it is heartbreaking when she realizes just how much Stefan loves Laura. And the next clip has a scene with Amy confronting Alan about his addiction, and Laura finding the trunk and the infamous painting. Such a great time on the show. I had forgotten that Luke and Alexis were trying to kill Helena and Katherine “died” instead.

I prefer Falken-Smith on GH. I think a lot of what I loved on the show came from her and then Monty ran with it. The high style, the action elements. His contribution was without question vital. But I just enjoy her work more.

I think Brenda was a great Ashley, but I still prefer Eileen. But that was a great scene, and it reminds me how much the staging and music were instrumental in Y&R. The classic character in the foreground (Ashley) with another character looking on in the background (Jill) as the scene fades out. They always went for the drama, even if it seemed low key. Simmering until it boiled over, then back to simmering.

If only the show had come close to living up to that luxe, sexy and dark theme. Even with the king of darkness himself, Guza writing, it just didn’t materialize. I think if someone like Ed Scott or Conboy or even JFP had been the on set EP that show would have had legs. Tomlin’s work always looks cheap. It had potential.

OMG! I wonder if those were the days when actors used some of their own wardrobe on daytime and he must really have liked that jacket and turtleneck! I love Brooke Bundy. But she’s clearly nothing like Diana in looks, style or temperament.

I’ve also seen several really compelling scenes of her and teenaged Laura where she references her past and how much she wanted to have a relationship with Laura that has nothing to do with Rick or Lesley, to help her with her troubles. I used to feel that way about Bobbie too. On paper this is someone that has a background of tragedy and even when she was after Scotty she was still a good nurse that worked hard to give herself a new life. To see people try to shame her in later years about her past as a sex worker and have her not be embarrassed, to be open and trusting and a loving character (who still sometimes had an edge) was great. They just don’t write them like they used to.

Wick Webber! I love that special. And Denise Alexander saying the slap was so satisfying because she slapped Monica instead of the other way around.

Alan loss the precision in his hands that he neede as a surgeon, and had to go into general practice because of it. He had been a gifted surgeon before the accident. So he lost a lot on a personal level considering how hard he worked to become a doctor, especially with Edward not approving of that. It also led to his drug addiction in the late 1990’s, as he was initially using the pills for pain from a surgery to reverse his old injury and get back to surgery if I am remembering correctly. I think that original Edward was always kind of snide and funny. He was the most catty character on the show. Then the rest kind of flowed from there. They used to have humor, but didn’t become a joke until Guza came back from Sunset Beach. Then it was just put them in scenes and have them argue over the same stuff over and over again. Alan and Monica often had very humorous fights, even in their early years.

I think it ratchets up the tension all the way up the stairs. She often said her mix was a little bit of Hitchcock, a little bit of Capra, and a dash of humor. The Hitchcock references are really high in this scene for sure.

Post Lesley Webber, the hospital seemed to have lost the drive it once had. Sure there were scenes there, but stories didn’t really revolve around it like they did again during Labine. You still had people like Monica, Alan, Rick (until 1986 ish), Bobbie and Tony working there. It wasn’t until they reintroduced Audrey and Steve’s son that I felt they invested at all in new hospital characters during the spy era of the show. And that was post Monty, and more about his relationship with Simone than revolving purely around the hospital.

That medicine room is an iconic set for folks that watched the earliest days of the show. My grandmother often talked about stories or scenes that involved the medicine room. Even my dad, who caught a show here or there as a kid but wasn’t really invested used to tease my sister and I about our GH habits and ask if Jesse was still crying in the pill room in the 1980’s when we watched it as kids.

All this talk about Mary O’Brien reminds me of this quote from one of Michael Logan’s interviews- Geary: There was this actress on our show named Mary O'Brien — she played Heather before they cast Robin Mattson — and she was having trouble crying in a scene. Gloria came out of the control room and said, "You've got to cry! We need you to cry!" Mary tried it again and Gloria came back out and said, 'You're still faking it! I want real tears!" After another three or four trips to the stage, Gloria finally went ballistic. "You must be the worst actress I've ever hired! I don't know what the hell was wrong with me! The whole scene is hinging on this! You are ruining General Hospital!" And she went on and on until Mary started to cry. Then Gloria said, "Yes! That's it! Shoot it!" And she walked off the set.

Clips like the one above just remind me how much your perspective sets the norms for being a soap viewer. When I think about GH, so much of the things I remember were from Monty on. Very little pre her. Even the nurses station is the round one that I think Monty started. And those things are so ingrained that it’s hard to imagine the days before. I can’t stand that Rick either. He’s just seems wrong to me. And I didn’t even see the show before 1983 that I can remember, and didn’t start actively viewing until Frisco pulled that hat off Felicia’s head. But he is still not Rick to me.

I was hoping you would comment and have details! I don’t know anything about their relationship before they were married. It seems like it was a short courtship. But he liked her enough to give her the house! Or was that to spite Edward? I’m now so curious about Alan and Monica’s early days. Before Alan (and really Lesley Charleson), Monica was pretty much between Rick and Jeff, correct?

Oh my mother hated Lesley back in the day. Hated her. She didn’t care for Audrey either. So it’s not just modern fans. I wasn’t really that fond of Robert. But when he came back during the contagion story, I was shocked how happy I was to have him back and how much I had truly missed him.

Might as well post my favorite scene involving Lesley. The good stuff starts around 6 minutes. It’s also a pretty great Monica scene too.

Alan being gone left a huge hole in the show. Not just as a Q or his relationship with Monica. His scenes as a doctor, and his ability as a character to go from caring doctor to manipulative bastard never felt false. Alan was all those things. The loss of Alan and the diminshing of the Q’s also let out all the tension in Jason. When he had that Jason Q past as a constant reminder at odds with Jason Morgan, it gave him more depth as a character.

And other than Holly, we were seeing all of them regularly about 3 years ago. Including Felicia and Mac. And the ratings were higher! And there was still room for the characters that are not popular but Valentini loves played by Michael Easton, Roger Howarth, Kiki, etc. And again, the ratings were higher! The only neglected vet we see much of these days is Monica, and good for her.

I liked Julian back then a lot. I thought he was cute, and I loved his dynamic with Cheryl. Their dad was fun too. But Olivia was he most dangerous. She was just sinister and obsessed.

The big deal is that he is the first gay American male in his sport to compete out of the closet. Not come out later, but at the height of his career so far. Gus is more my type, but I have nothing but pride for Adam.