carolineg

12 hours ago, EricMontreal22 said:

Was Keith seen as a Shemar clone?  I never thought Shemar was shown to be "from the ghetto" to the same extent (I think there was even controversy about that and if it was too much of a stereotype)

I never thought the characters were that similar at all.  And they had two different acting styles for sure.  Noah was way more intense, IMO. Malcom was more suave. 

It's not like in 1996-1997 when every ABC soap had a random Australian because Jax on GH was a hit. 

I liked Keith Hamilton Cobb better than Shemar Moore, but I might be the only one.

Lol at Brenda and Miguel being unrealistic.  I didn't think they were that bad just lacking chemistry.  And by lacking chemistry I just mean Ricky Martin can't act..

1 hour ago, teplin said:

 

A little? John Black was never a Mensa candidate but Marlena lost 50 IQ points under Reilly. 

Yeah poor John.  He was really an idiot from 1995-1997.  Marlena was dumb about John's feelings but at least she actually figured Kristen's schemes out eventually.  John slept with Susan and couldn't tell the difference.  Lol Nvm Marlena couldn't tell John was not Roman so they truly are meant to be.   

On another note I am always confused about the Brady custody situation.  He appears to live with Marlena some of the time.  Did Jarlena ever explain this or were the kids just lumped together because why not?  I mean it's totally not important now, but did John just expect Marlena to raise Brady if he died in Aremid with no formal custody agreement?  I know there is a scene where he tells her she gets all the money for the kids, but that's kinda of a big ask to have your ex raise your kid with someone else lol.

1 hour ago, Gray Bunny said:

 

Reilly had characters (and us viewers) ignore the obvious social cues everywhere... good grief, from Austin/Carrie to Bo/Hope/Billie. 

 

One thing that bugged the hell out of me, especially during his 2.0 (2003-2006) era was when characters would literally stand and look off to the side while having a flashback. Like, you'd have people like Belle, Philip, Shawn grilling Jan Brady about something and Jan literally takes a step to the side, looks far off camera and has her flashback moment. I wanted the other characters to be like "WTF? What are you doing? Snap out of it!" 

Lol.  I buy Austin not being able to pick up obvious social cues.   

Reilly had a weird fetish for flashbacks and fantasies and for characters talking to themselves lol.

I can't say there was a lot to like about Reilly's 2nd stint.  Did he have a single good story that stint?  And, no, I absolutely will not count the Salem Serial Killer story.

46 minutes ago, Gray Bunny said:

 

Those Reilly-era spin-off ideas never made sense to me, long term. Be it AREMID (never heard of an official title) or SALEM HIGH (early 00's), neither have legs to stand on. If they were to stay in Aremid, the mysterious small-town atmosphere would've gone stale quickly, and soon enough they'd be talking about Aremid's international airport. 

 

+1 on the Mark Valley love. As I said recently in another thread, with DAYS' love for recycling actors, he could be brought back as a new character for Hope. Kristian Alfonso is in desperate need of a strong male lead and she and Valley had great chemistry together. 

Agreed on the Aremid spinoff.  It's not like any of the Aremid characters were particularly great or stand outs. 

I think the Manhattan Lives spinoff may have been okay because I think it included Carrie and possibly Jen?  too.  I don't remember the details anymore.   And that would have really harmed Days, so it's probably just a pipe dream that helped Deidre Hall sign her contract in 1991.

The Salem High spinoff would have been horrible.  Days doesn't even feel the need for these characters now and I like Belle, Shawn D, and Brady mostly because of their parents not because they are the most awesome characters.

I doubt Mark Valley would ever return, but if he did I wouldn't have a problem with him as a new character.  Hope really does need a strong love interest and I don't think MV would be as jarring as say Tamara Braun as Taylor lol.

1 hour ago, titan1978 said:

I wonder if Passions would have even happened if Reilly had been allowed to run with that spin-off.

 

I loved Matt as Jack, but I also grew to really love Mark too.  He was definently more of a soap hunk version, but he was still great.  He still had sparkling chemistry with Missy.  Jason Brooks certainly had plenty of chemistry with her too.  Allegedly.

 

By the time we got to Cameron and Wilder that was like the bland of the bland.

I think Passions sounds better on paper than an Aremid spinoff.  Or Manhattan Lives the Deidre Hall spin off that was proposed in the early 90's.  Although I don't know why you would take your main heroine off of your flagship show.

Jason Brooks had chem with everyone.  It's too bad.  I actually love Mark Valley too.  He had a certain swagger that was so charismatic.  He just wasn't Jack.   Steve Wilder and that shower scene was the worst.  He wasn't good at all.  Cameron was fine.  She just wasn't Missy.  She probably would have been fine in another role except for the fact she looked just like Jennifer lol.

22 minutes ago, YRBB said:

 

Yes, this is definitely a more lowkey period now that Aremid, Jude St. Clair, and Bo/Hope have been resolved and before other major developments happen. 

 

I agree -- Kristen's POV is completely understandable. John and Marlena are nearly salivating at each other. Also agreed on Peter. He should still be driving major story on the show.

 

I have no idea how the Sami/Austin/Carrie/Lucas stuff moves on from here. I'm excited that Kate is starting to discover what Sami's like. Sadly, I had a feeling about Bo/Hope. I recall watching an episode a few months from now (June I think) years ago and I believe Bo and Hope were arguing because he doesn't want her to go back to work? Maybe I'm completely making that up but it just seemed really uninspired and boring. I'll see how I feel this time around.

 

Reilly does know how to structure a (umbrella) story, build tension, and deliver payoffs for sure.

 

Interesting! Aremid was great fun. I can see why it worked so well.

 

 

Welp. Good thing I know about that already.

 

Honestly, over the months, I think Stephanie Cameron's improved a little. She's not a master or anything, but not nearly as breathless and annoying as she was. But I adore Mark Valley. Wonderful. Wonderful.

 

An Aremid spinoff? Interesting. Would that have been a whole daytime soap or...?

The reason I feel for Kristen is the other villainesses at the time  (Sami, Vivian, Billie) knew their beloved was in love with someone else.  And John adamantly denied it and she believed it.  She genuinely thought John loved only her, so the letter was a tough blow.  And haha, John/Marlena just get a room already. 

Austin/Carrie/Sami/Lucas gets amazing.  I LOVE LOVE  Carrie but Sami was great as a villain.

With Bo/Hope I hate the intro of Franco into the story.  They make Hope a model.  Which just seems weird.

There was a whole plan to make the Aremid  thing a spinoff before Passions.  But Missy leaving screwed it all up and maybe it wasn't that great of an idea but IIRC it was going to be Jen, Jack, Peter and the Aremid crew.  I also think Jude St. Clair would have been involved but there was some backstage issues..

2 hours ago, titan1978 said:

Maison Blanche was my favorite.  I loved Hope’s return, and Stefano was so much fun back then.

 

And I agree, the Lady in White was just annoying.

 

Was Melissa Reeves still there during Aremid?  I know I cared very little for Jennifer storylines when she left.

Maison Blanche is great.  And I always sorta forget Roman is still on the show at the time because it's so Jarlena focused.  

Stefano was so much more fun when he was a scary villain before Paris and The Secret Room when he was kinda ridiculous. 

Missy left halfway through Aremid.  Stephanie Cameron is in the conclusion of it.   I didn't hate her, but Mark Valley's Jack and her Jen were just 2 different characters.  I am pretty sure MR leaving screwed up the spinoff they had been thinking about with all the Aremid characters like Sarah.

1 hour ago, amybrickwallace said:

 

Yes, but Kristen's fake teeth flying across the lawn into Vivian's champagne glass was worth it!!

Of course.  I don't mean to disparage the story at all.  John and Marlena were just being silly with all their he/she doesn't feel the same stuff when they clearly were the closest exes in the history of ever lol.  All those stories were great.  I love Paris through the Secret Room.  It was just very Reilly.  They both were just oblivious to obvious social cues for approximately 2 years.  But I ate it up.  Kristen and Marlena in the Secret Room was everything.  DH and ED played off each other so well..  It's so soapy, but I feel like John and Marlena both come off a little dumb and ridiculously self-sacrificing.

15 minutes ago, AbcNbc247 said:

Somebody refresh my memory 

 

After John was cleared of Tony’s “murder”, why did he go back to Kristen? Why didn’t he just immediately tell Marlena about the letter and reunite with her? I can’t remember.

It's pretty dumb.   John and Marlena both think the other has moved on and don't want to tell one another because it would be a burden or obligation even though they have a bunch of scenes where they clearly have sexual tension and also are inappropriately close with one another .  There's a lot of hemming and hawing and dancing around telling each other.  Then Kristen asks John for another chance and Marlena encourages John to go for it-which is silly, but whatever.  Kristen also has a weird fertility issue where she only has a short period of time to conceive so John just agrees to knock her up immediately.  Then Kristen finds the letter, schemes, and Marlena finds the letter and goes to tell John she loves him and Kristen announces she's pregnant before she can tell him.  Then the whole Paris fiasco starts shortly after.

Re-watching it now it just seems like John and Marlena are being lame and clearly ignoring the obvious-especially John, but Kristen becomes thoroughly enjoyable.   

18 minutes ago, Gray Bunny said:

Sigh... 1996 for DAYS was wonderful, start to finish. The Aremid storyline will always be my favorite, and it should be noted that it was during the Aremid arc that DAYS not only hit No. 2 in the Nielsen ratings, but *STAYED* at No. 2 until December of 1997.  We can thank "Tony" (or whomever) for framing John and the Lady in White walking around town in white lace for DAYS' Nielsen victory, not a possessed Marlena ...

 

I go back and forth between Aremid or Maison Blanche being my favorite. Aremid is probably better overall but I loved all the Stefano/Marlena/John stuff and finding Gina/Hope in Maison Blanche.  The Possession is not really one of my favorites, but it was fine at the time.  I don't ever re-watch it though.  

I still think the Lady in White is the most annoying character ever.  So much crying and wailing.

28 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

I remember thinking at the time that he was not well suited to play a cop.

 

Kristen Storms has her charms as

Maxie- screwball comedy, bitchy rivalry, and she is capable of drama.  Much like LC as Monica though- they have made her into a tragic character several times over the years, and stopped writing to their strengths.  

She is kind of like a modern Lucy, that unfortunately never was allowed to actually go as far into selfish or as fun as Lucy, and never got that one rival (Bobbie) or romantic pairing to carry her through (Scott).

 

Genie Francis could play light and dark material equally well, although she excelled at emotional material.  Kristen is being asked to play that kind of material often, and it just doesn’t sit as well.

Oh the summer of sleaze!  I was firmly in the Jason Liz camp, and have never understood why it didn’t happen.  I recall rumors that it was yet again (SJB’s Carly) a pairing Steve did not want to happen.

 

The only time I enjoyed Sam was when she went bad during this.

 

I also had forgotten how involved Manny was in everything.

 

Even though at the time I was mad Laura was gone and the vets except Luke and Tracy were all but gone, I did enjoy characters like Lorenzo, Patrick, Skye, Jesse, Ric, Georgie and Dillon, etc.  I just needed more balance.

 

Also, how typical of JFP and Guza- the majority of characters I liked that they created were the men.  The women got such horrible writing.

The guy that played Jesse wasn't very good.  

I really like Kirsten Storms and I think she plays Maxie well, but GH never really utilizes her right. And they dress her terribly..    I sorta wish she just stayed playing Belle on Days. I always thought her and Spinelli were popular?   Maybe not.  Spinelli was an annoying character always lol.

I liked the Summer of Sleaze.  It was ridiculous and made everyone look bad but it was literally the only time I liked Sam.  I am not a Liz/Jason shipper or anything but they really got nothing overall.  I mean, a kid, sure, but they never got a chance to be anything more.  It was bizarre and I am sure behind the scenes stuff, but they deserved a shot.  They have good chemistry to this day.

GH has always puzzled me in the way they discard vets while shows like Days literally still use their 60 plus stars to lead stories lol. 

2 hours ago, YRBB said:

March 1996

After 40 episodes of threatening to rape Hope, finally the whole Jude St. Clair story comes to a head and, I’ve got to say, it’s pretty fun – Hope’s escape, Bo risking his life to find her, Jack determined to prove Jude and Peter are connected. I like that Peter shot and killed Jude. Overall, this was a good story.

 

The infamous “Letter” storyline has begun and I’m anxious to see how it develops. Marlena's got that damn letter in her bag for over a month now and hasn’t seen it. Jesus.

 

Vivian finding Stefano in her bed made me gasp. A great twist.

 

There was something very touching and poignant about what I assume is Sarah's last appearance when Jack mentions that she told him she didn't know anything about love the first time they met and she says that, after watching him, Bo, and Hope, she does.

 

I didn’t expect the feels I felt when Hope and Alice hugged once Hope returned to Salem (which finally gave Laura, Mike, and especially Mickey, Maggie, and Shawn a reason to come out of storage).

 

It’s utterly fascinating watching Kristen's slow transformation into a villainess. Say what you will about Reilly's DOOL, but this is masterful writing, expertly delivered by Davidson.

 

And it's always good when Sami reveals the tragic hopelessness at her core. It helps ground her. 

I love this era.  I loved everything about Aremid and it's ridiculousness.  Unfortunately, when I re-watch I generally skip ahead to Paris shenanigans after Aremid ends.  I feel like the show just treads water for those few months in between.  I mean the damn letter is the star of May Sweeps 1996 lol.

ED does so well with Kristen's descent into villainess/crazy lady.  I hated her in 1996, but looking back it's actually understandable.  John and Marlena practically swoon all over each other 24/7 but they just decide to not tell each other for really no reason at all lol.  I won't spoil it for you because it gets so good, but I will say I hope Marlena still has that letter framed somewhere because it took a lot of time for her to get it and read it.

Peter was a great villain.  It's too bad there were personal reasons he couldn't come back because he's a villain that should have returned several different times.  Heck, even now.  It's a shame the story was really less effective due to recasts.

I definitely think Sami/Austin/Carrie really gets good after this, but Bo/Hope get worse.  You can tell Reilly didn't care to write for Bo/Hope the way he did for Austin/Carrie and John/Marlena.

One thing I love about Reilly is that the entire cast is involved in these stories.   All of Salem except Carrie/Austin/Sami were involved in Aremid.  The entire town basically all goes and hangs in Paris during that storyline.  It's a little silly but I like how so many people are connected during these stories.

13 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

Was he a cop? The only thing i remember for sure is that he was very cute, and ended up dead.  The first of her dead partners.

Jesse was a cop.  He was Lucky's partner and I believe died in the line of duty.  It was the first of Maxie's dead partners but his death actually began the set up to Maxie/Lucky's weird affair.  

I mean if they are only going back a few years why aren't they starting with 2013 and the 50th when the Nurse's Ball came back?  Are Jack Wagner, Rick Springfield, and Vanessa Marcil too expensive to pay residuals to?

I think WN was pretty sexy in the 80's but in the 90's no lol.  RoJohn/John was definitely the sexier of the two, but I don't think either are classically handsome.  I can see the appeal in both of them and WN was hot in Dynasty.  By the time he returned to Days all the charm and most of his chemistry with DH was gone.

Also count me in with those that hate Marlena's short 80's hairstyle.  I like her so much better with longer hair always.  I was devastated in 1997 when she cut off her awesome long Paris hair for that unattractive, shaggy short hair.  It makes her look older and matronly.

16 hours ago, titan1978 said:

There was a period of time when I thought GH would maybe pair Luke and Alexis, at least for a tryst.  I also thought Alexis and Jax should have been given a shot.  But I also like V, and wanted her to get with Jax as well.

 

I also thought Laura had chemistry with Mac (after the Felicia affair), Tony, and Sonny.

 

What was up with Maureen and Roger on GL?  If they had not been forced to kill her off, I wonder if the show would have gone there.

Yeah, it definitely seemed like Luke and Alexis were going to hook up for awhile.  I am always curious why Jax and V were dropped completely.  Probably BTS stuff but V seems like a character everyone liked and would have been a solid post-Brenda pairing for him.  

I also thought Genie and Maurice had a lot of chemistry lol.  Genie is a real chemistry magnet. Even though I thought Diana was a dud of a character on Days-she was really good with Drake.

Probably unpopular but I always wanted a Jason and Brenda fling on GH.  Not forever love, but I think it would have shaken up a lot of things.  Also better than the mess that was Jason and Courtney.

I second the Jax/Alexis thing.  I thought they were 100% going there in the early 2000's but then they just didn't

I always thought Days should have paired Chad/Will too.  

55 minutes ago, KMan101 said:

 

Yeah that seems to be the case with Frank/Vanessa. Shame. But we get Nina's legacy and Kim Nero. Anywho ...

 

And agreed on LW's Carly. Definitely the worst traits of both. I can't even imagine SJB playing this version. And it wouldn't be written like that with her in the role. Also think they do a disservice by not using Bobbie more. Like Heather Tom, I dream of SJB still playing Carly. But that's all it is. lol. And at least Laura Wright can act circles around Mo, unlike Heinle who sleepwalks through her scenes. Anywho ..

 

Agreed on Jarlena. It's their best option at this point. I'll take it at this point.

I mean, I have no idea if that's the case with Frank/Vanessa but it seems like it.  You know Guza would have camped out in Vanessa's back yard to get her back if he could have.  Frank just seems indifferent. But her stock was a lot higher back then too.

LW's Carly in general doesn't bother me.  She just comes off loud and obnoxious.  I didn't have a huge attachment to Carly to begin with even with SJB so it's not as jarring.  I liked both TB and SJB and Carly as a character should be a lot more interesting than she is.  But LW seems like a great team player, loyal, attractive enough, and honestly always tries.   Her lack of chemistry with MB bothers me more than Sonny and Carly.  They are fine, but they should be so much better.  But then I hate when they pair Sonny with some young petite brunette, so I guess I am okay with it.  Carly could do better though.

AH and her messy hair bother me.  And I liked her on loving.  She is the KeMo of Y&R.  Boredom is their acting choice...

4 hours ago, Dr Neil Curtis said:

Right! They hated each other...

Stefano definitely changed gears away from Marlena about 15 to 20 years ago, but I can still buy it?  He was obsessed enough to kidnap her a billion different times so I'll give it a pass.  I think Deidre Hall still looks stunning and Jarlena were great today.  Ridiculous and OTT with a side of bad acting, but their scenes were still good soap to me.   I squealed in my living room over John's dialogue and obviously I could tell it's a show on a shoe string budget but John and Marlena still resonate with me as a soap viewer.  

58 minutes ago, KMan101 said:

 

Exactly.

 

I think some folks on social media are pressed (basically the Cin stans) that the fabulous Deidre Hall is currently leading DAYS as she should and leading a storyline right now and they hate it. Ron knows people want to see Marlena. Stories good? No ... it's a lot of wash/rinse/repeat but that's what Jarlena fans seem to want and I get it at this point after being punished by Higley and Tomsell.

 

It still boggles my mind this show drove away Sarah Brown and seemed to have driven away Vanessa Marcil. Not sure why Frank can hire any out of work daytime actress but Vanessa Marcil sits at home. I get Laura Wright fills that void and they've merged the two characters but it doesn't work.

Cin stans definitely hate Marlena and John for some reason.  I think Ron wants to feature John/Marlena and it has to be a Marlena in peril thing because, at this point, Jarlena have certainly outgrown any third party interferences that aren't wacky or villainous and it's all Ron knows how to do. Can you imagine him writing a serious cancer story or something?  On Days now?

I think it's weird to think Days became "The Marlena Show" after she joined because I only really think she was super heavily featured was in the mid 1990's.  She was always a lead but never overtook the show like Reva or Sonny did on GL or GH.

I know SJB has/had issues with GH, but I don't really think Vanessa does.   I just don't think there is much interest on either side.  FV doesn't seem to want her and she doesn't seem to care. When is the last time the show even mentioned her?   She seems perfectly content to just do a Lifetime Movie a year and raise her kid.  I am sure she will come back one day if only for the end.

Laura Wright fills that void fine and I guess it's sorta a merger of the two parts, but not the good parts of Carly and Brenda lol. Not anything that made them unique.  LW plays Carly like a soccer mom and that's fine, but it's not Carly.  And her and MB just really have no romantic chemistry.

1 hour ago, John said:

GH: Was Oscar's Mom Supposed to be Brenda but VM wouldnt retturn so they created Kim

 

GH: Wasnt Rebecca Herbst originally to be Alexis Daughter leading to a Cassadine/Sppencer love story but they made Becky, Sarah's sister, Elizabeth

I heard the Elizabeth thing a long time ago, but I think it was that she was going to be the long lost daughter, not Sam.  Not sure if it's true or not. 

The VM one was just a rumor.  There is no real evidence to suggest that Brenda was ever going to be Oscar's mother.  I think the show just didn't know who the mother was going to be and fans speculated. Just like they are with Dev now even though we have no indication Brenda lost her son in Turkey lol..

I have always wondered though if Cooper Barrett was supposed to Julia/Brenda's sibling or Julia's son.  Or if they just randomly named him that.

14 hours ago, BetterForgotten said:

And with the unfortunate timing of her Tweet regarding John Callahan, Nancy Lee Grahn is another one I am surprised has lasted this long on GH...

 

Alexis hasn’t been the go-to lawyer in years, her romantic relationships have largely failed, and her connections are pretty thin overall.

I actually really liked Alexis and her relationships.  I liked her with Ned, I liked her with Jax, and even liked her with Sonny.  But then I saw NLG's twitter and it colored my entire view on her and her character.  She's a reason stars shouldn't have social media.  Her and CC both just seem like drunk crazies and it stinks because they are good at their jobs.  But saying all that Alexis really isn't all that necessary to the canvas on GH.  The list of people I'd get rid of before her is pretty long though. I did enjoy her this week when she told Sam she was an idiot.

2 hours ago, KMan101 said:

 

Yeah, Belle, Brady & Philip were the worst aged (but then came EJ) up. Brady and Abby should be the exact same age. I always resented they didn't grow up together. lol. Then you had Philip and Will who should be the same age, basically. Belle should be a year younger than Abby! It's sooo bad.

 

Will and Shawn-Douglas are actually the best in terms of aging up and only really being aged a couple of years more than they should have been.

 

Brady should not be Sami and Eric's contemporary.  

 

I mean, lord. EJ was born in 1997 and became Sami's "soul mate" (gag). So ridiculous. Two years YOUNGER than Will and he's now in his 40s and her love interest. LOL. Yikes.

 

But then we've had Mike Horton aged and de-aged and then put back more where he should have been. Same with Abby. Oh DAYS ...

It's weird Days seem to struggle with SORASing while other soaps do an okay job at it.   I can't think of an instance where GH hugely threw me with SORAS the way Days has.  

51 minutes ago, ghfan89 said:

This goes back to power plays between the TPTB. Guza wanted Ric as Lily's brother, but since he was a FOJ, Jill wanted him as Sonny's brother to have more ties to the canvas. Jason and Courtney happened because Jill pushed for the idea, then Frons came aboard and agree with her. Guza was basically outnumbered. He did not care for Courtney and offed her the first chance he could.

Well that really stinks that Guza was outnumbered.  It really was a quick drop of Jason and Liz that's for sure.  But I get the decision to change up Ric, not because he was a FOJ, but because the story probably would have been better with Brenda and then she left.  But in all these years I am surprised none of Lily's relatives popped up to get revenge. Besides the useless kid Migel and lily had and he just was as lame as his parents.

17 minutes ago, titan1978 said:

From what I can recall, SB was against any romantic storyline at that time except Robin.  He did comment in interviews that Jason would never truly fall for Carly because she couldn’t be trusted and acted too impulsively.  I know that several kisses were scripted over the period of time between her being with AJ and then Sonny, and they really only kissed like one time.  And then again when the PC Hotel was on fire and TB was in the role.

 

I always kind of assumed he thought Jason needed to be with a “good” girl.  Robin. Liz (when Lucky was dead).

 

Also- was there ever a plan to really pair Liz and Jason?  Again, it seems like at times they were going in that direction only to have it stop.

 

Also GH- Luke’s big last story was not originally DID.  It was Bill Eckert.  But Ron wanted to twist instead of have it make sense.

Hmm.. that's so interesting he clung to Robin.  I wonder why?  Didn't Kmc say specifically she did not want Jason and Robin when she came back?

I think there was a plan to pair Liason in 2002 but then I think Guza became infatuated with the idea of Jason/Brenda and we got Courtney in the interim.  And what about Ric?  He was clearly supposed to be Lily's brother and they just completely changed that.  He had flashbacks of a car blowing up.  Never explained lol. Wasn't there always rumors of a Liason pairing and it got nixed by Frons?  Idk what's real or fake with the Liason/Jasam stuff though.

12 minutes ago, ghfan89 said:

Why SBu was against it is anyone's guess. I've heard multiple things to it being personal, to him making comments that Carly was crazy and he didn't get why Jason would put up with her.

 

No it was earlier than that, when Riche was fired and Guza left at the end of 2000. Those were his plans for Gia and Zander retrospectively but JFP had other ideas, which included bringing on McTavish as head writer. Courtney she brought on cause she worked with ALW on AW. Guza was gone for over a year, and by that time JFP already created Courtney as Sonny's sister, and turned Zander into a sorta love interest for Carly.

That's all super interesting thanks!   My memory about some of the 2000's is off.  I am much better at the 90's. 

I am surprised SBu was so powerful back then.  It was before Jason was the savior of upstate New York, but I guess this was probably back when MB was off the show and they needed a mob lead.

I don't think ALW or Courtney is the worst. They just made her out to be the most awesome thing ever.  She was fine with AJ.  Zander and Gia were just much more interesting but probably because they weren't shoved down our throats.  Gia being Sonny sister would have been such a fascinating dynamic.  I actually would have really liked to seem them play that instead of Sonny's blonde perfect sister.