Khan

Well, I can't say that I blame her, lol! Again, I wouldn't suggest that S8 (or any other season) is unwatchable, but it's probably the most un-MSW-like of all 12 seasons. Even the Cabot Cove-based stories are grittier and "sexier" than they should be; and the guest stars' performances that year are also among the series' all-time campiest, too. It really is like watching Dean Hargrove and his team of trusted writer/producers try and produce a more cerebral mystery show after years of action-driven fluff and meeting the mark only halfway. On the other hand, seasons 9 through 12 restore some of the classiness that was missing from S8, but the mysteries also become rather bland - to the point where, by the final season, MSW itself is becoming less like a mystery show and more like a travelogue (that never leaves the Universal Studios backlot, lol).

Thanks for posting that, @DaytimeFan! I could be wrong, of course, but I suspect Lansbury butted heads more with Moessinger than she did with Peter S. Fischer. Say what you will about the first seven seasons of MSW - especially in the last two seasons when, to quote Fischer, Cabot Cove was getting too cute for its' own good - but they did retain a "literary quality" that Moessinger's lone year as showrunner lacked (J. Michael Straczynski's scripts notwithstanding). Which isn't to say that S8 was a terrible year! Moessinger and his team certainly broadened Jessica's world and put the show back in the Top 10. But whenever I watch reruns from that particular season, I often feel like I'm watching a Dean Hargrove-produced series (like "Matlock" or "Diagnosis: Murder") rather than classic MSW.

I feel the same as you, @DeliaIrisFan. I'm a big Douglas Marland fan, as most everyone here knows, so I should be used to a storytelling style on a soap that involves a large number of characters. Yet, there are so many characters and storylines right now on GH that I'm struggling to keep up with. As much as I think EK/PM are doing fantastic jobs as Co-HW's, I still believe the time is now to start pruning this cast - and yes, that includes the recurring and off-contract players - and start zeroing in on those who are grabbing the most attention.

I must admit, @applcin, I'm not a Trekkie - or is it Trekker, lol? - so my knowledge of all things ST is extremely limited. But I definitely thank you so much for this information!

This is truly devastating news. May she RIP.

Who says Alexis can't have both jobs (unless, that is, her/the writers' intention is to become D.A.)?

Whoever said MW's 'do reminds them of Linda Evans was bang-on, lol.

As if the original, live-action GT wasn't cartoonish enough, lol.

Well, in that case, why does it have to be Stavros? Why couldn't it have been Mikkos? That's even darker (if that's even possible)! At the time, I don't think I criticized it too strongly, because, I thought, maybe it'll lead somewhere. But, here we are, years after the fact, Julian's back to being a misty, water-colored memory, and little, if anything, is being made out of Sam's connection to another mob family.

But wouldn't that make Sam a product of incest? I mean, in order for Stavros to have fathered Sam, they'll either have to retcon him back to being Mikkos' cousin, or retcon Alexis' own biological father.

Honestly, I don't even know why they made her a Cassadine, lol. And then, on top of that, she has a child with Julian Jerome? I think that's entirely too much baggage for any character. (If you're reading these boards, Mr. Mulcahey and Ms. Korte, I would seriously consider retconning Sam's paternity. Just saying.) Didn't Stefan shoot Katherine the first time he met her? Oh, yeah. That's exactly how I would want to launch my show's next big couple, lol.

Not to get too political or anything, but I think you also could look at real-life events from the last eight years or so and argue that this is a reaction to all the social and political upheavals that have been going on, both in this country and abroad. For many, the world might be changing too fast, so now they want to retreat to what is tried-and-true and familiar - which, in this case, means network soaps.

TBH, I had difficulty accepting that Laura had had a child that she told no one about, because I knew of the pain she herself had endured when she met Lesley - plus, you can't tell me that the same Laura who pulled a rifle or machine gun on Mikkos Cassadine and his henchmen BITD is suddenly so afraid of his idiot son and wife - but I think Bob Guza did an okay job justifying Laura's actions. However, once Stefan's initial arc or whatever was left of it was finished, that should have been the end of him, and of the rest of the Cassadines (save for Nikolas, of course). For me, the problem with Stefan/Katherine was that TPTB were obviously hoping to recapture the magic that SN and MBE had had as Patch and Kayla, but DAYS was a different show, Patch/Kayla were of a different time, and Stefan and Katherine were much different characters.

No offense, @Liberty City, but I wouldn't judge someone's acting skills on a few Hallmark movies. Those concoctions don't do anyone any favors, lol.

If only the Prospect Park dudes had gone behind the scenes beforehand and observed how soaps are produced.

I know I wouldn't have believed it, lol! Going into 2024, I was so sure that this would be the year when soaps were done. But, the sun also rises, lol! Yeah, I'm concerned about that as well. You're right, @DaytimeFan, in that "consolidation fever" has been going on for awhile, but it seems like the recent SAG/AFTRA/WGA strike has triggered the entertainment industry in a big way. Hollywood is definitely living in some interesting times at the moment.

I don't think it was so much Grayson as it was that his Dusty was an entirely different character from Brian Bloom's Dusty.

Frankly, I didn't think it was right for daytime even back then, during the late '90's and early '00's, when the soaps were taking beatings from the O.J. trial and the rise of those trashy talk shows, and when the genre as a whole needed to get back to basics.

From what I understand, though, the network's reversing their decision on "Star Trek" was kind of a double-edged sword. Yes, the franchise got another season, but with a reduced budget and without Gene Roddenberry's participation.

I've had only one poster adorn my bedroom walls, and it was of the "Beverly Hills, 90210" cast during that one "summer season" when I actually loved the show. (Boy, did I get over that obsession quickly, lol.)

I don't, lol! If I had my druthers, the "mob element" AND the Cassadines would have been phased out a long time ago (along with things like Crimson, Deception, the Metro Court, etc.) in favor of a renewed focus on the hospital and the complex and all-too-human personal lives of its' staff.* Claire Labine and Wendy Riche worked so hard to turn GH into a grounded, relatable show again after a decade or more of OTT supervillains and action/adventure storylines. To me, Bob Guza's decision to reactivate the Cassadines was a real step backward. Again, I'm not disparaging any characters connected to that family, nor am I disparaging anyone who's a fan of them, but I've questioned for decades whether families like the Cassadines really belong anymore on daytime. (Same goes for DAYS's DiMera clan, by the by, lol). (*Or, at the very least, I would have offloaded all that onto PORT CHARLES, because the show, after all, is called GENERAL. HOSPITAL.)

"Come home, Miss Rowell, all is forgiven!" First, Patrick Mulcahey comes out of retirement to co-head-write GH; then, Michele Val Jean leaves B&B to launch THE FIRST NEW SOAP OPERA TO PREMIERE IN TWENTY-FIVE YEARS; and now, this. 2024 is truly shaping up to be a pivotal year in the history of daytime. If this is true, then I wonder what prompted SONY's decision. Did something transpire BTS to force Kent out? Has SONY been planning this move for awhile, or...? Are they dissatisfied with DAYS's and Y&R's performance in the ratings and felt the time was right for a shakeup? Does TG have them running scared? Are they seeking a replacement for Kent, or are they phasing out his position altogether? So many questions, lol. Yeah, I'm wondering how this might affect JG and his current situation at Y&R, too.

I think it'd be hilarious if there were some sort of mixup and Chase got the male stripper that was intended for Brook Lynn's bridal shower.

Personally, I wouldn't want them back either, if I were handling the HW'ing duties on this show. No offense to the actors or to their fans, but I truly believe the time has come to bring these shows back to the kinds of characters and storylines that mean the most to viewers. So much is happening in our world these days, and I feel soaps as a whole really lost something vital when they stopped reflecting that reality.

nm