GH Soapnet Promo: MetroCourt Crisis

[Darn]

This is actually enticing to you people?

[DruRocks]

IA Darn. I like GH, but that promo sucked IMHO. I guess for starters, every single character featured are annoying. I'm sure GH will do a good directing job with this, but if the main focus is Sonny, Jason, Sam, Carly etc...then I wouldn't care as much.

[PhoenixRising05]

Not in love with the promo but I know GH will do this well. They always do stuff like this well.

As I said, the show is better but it's getting a little irritating having someone shot in some huge shootout or mob-related act, something blow up, etc every sweeps month. Why can't it be simple payoffs or secrets being revealed or something?

That is why I actually liked November on GH. Even though I didn't care for every aspect of Laura's return, GH finally had a sweeps that was mostly based on something that wasn't a catastrophe of epic proportions. They had a shootout and that took away from my enjoyment but the main focus was Luke and Laura and their family for the most part and I appreciated that. We need more sweeps like that from GH. It's ok to do these things once in awhile but to do them every sweeps period nearly...it loses it's luster.

I am very interested in this and will watch but the fallout better be good and the show needs to maintain story and quality episodes beyond this event. That is their problem. They put all their ducks in a row for 3 months out of the year and the rest of the year is hit or miss. I wish we could go back to a time when soaps that got ratings and that won an emmy got them for quality story and drama all year around, not in episodes created just for emmy's or just during sweeps months. Yes, anyone can do it but they shouldn't do it. I wish the emmy's would have some new system where they judged episodes from different points of the year or something so that a show has to be on the ball all year. Never will happen though.

Back on topic, I am interested and will watch. Not happy about Alan but curious to see it all go down and the fallout to see if GH can do a good job with this and carry some momentum after sweeps.

[titan1978]

I like the events too, my only problem is that they have little ability to grow the ratings longterm. Guza does this stuff well, but then we are in a holding pattern until the next event. I agree with Kenny about the all year round storytelling being more worthy of best show emmy.

Remember when the event was the payoff for longterm storylines? Like the 1st Sami wedding reveal on Days? Or Alex Spaulding ripping into Roger Thorpe at the Country Club on GL? GH has had better ones in this respect too-Clink/Boom comes to mind.

[Bree]

That's the thing with GH...they do these stunts and then almost immediately go back to the same old crap. Sonny's depressed about something. Carly's !@#$%^&*]ing out someone about something. Emily, Liz, and Maxie's whining about something. Sam goes back and forth between being a slut and a saint with Jason right there at her side. Yet, other characters get shafted. I honestly don't think we'll see any fallout from Alan's death as it relates to Monica and the rest of the Q's. Maybe one or two days, but that's it, and we go back to Sopranos Lite.

[Cat]

IA with kenny. What's the point of investing of 3-4 weeks in a 24 rip-off when the viewers get treated like crap the other 48 weeks?

GH have the writers and the actors to produce great things year-round if they wanted to. Their disdain of the audience is evident in the lazy way they write the same few SLs over and over again. This Cataclysmic Sweeps Event © isn't even for us. It's for the Emmy voters.

[pamela1965]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Lucid]

Every year that hack Guza writes a stunt, no different this year. I'm sure some bit player will die and Sonny/Jason will emerge without a scratch.

Wake me when either one of them dies...........

[DruRocks]

Oh please, y'all are still going to watch anyways lol. It's typical, but it's sweeps month, THAT is the purpose of sweeps. Attract viewers. The problem is the follow through kills GH in the end (epidemic). Just look at Desperate Housewives and Bang.

[SteveFrame]

According to last weeks SOW this is the story where GH does more than just an event. They are doing a first in daytime storytelling. This will be a story where like some movies they are going to show the ending first - the blowing up of the hotel. Then the next episode will start at the beginning of the story and tell what is leading up to it.

I love this - that they are trying something different - and at least trying to push the envelope a little. I give Guza his props on that one. As I have said many times that is what I like about Latham - she is the only daytime writer right now who is not doing things safely or following a formula that has worked for her soap. She even took a return of a popular character and twisted it.

Back to GH, many can say that GH uses their props and don't learn from them. Well since November I think they have. They hit their high with the Luke/Laura story (admittedly it should have been higher but sadly those highs just aren't part of daytime anymore) and while other shows took drops in their ratings GH has not fallen below 2.7 since November and even up to some 3.0 dailys and 2.9 weekly rating.

They brought the ratings up this time and have even built on them. Now they have this big story kicking off on the 26th. If it is as good as it sounds with the folks that are still tuning in February could be the month that GH overtakes B&B for #2. Notice I said could. And I really think it could happen especially after last weeks 2.9.

From what I am reading not only will the explosion happen but there will big goings on or even a conclusion to the Rick Webber story in February. Both could really pull GH on up.

[Kylie]

Same ole same ole. Guza thinks bombs, and guns, and a couple of weeks of lucidity will make up for everything else. It seems just like the train wreck, etc. Sonny, Jason, Sam, lather rinse repeat, with a dose of Robin thrown in.

[DruRocks]

Yet, viewers still tune in. If it's been working in there favour for all this time, then why stop now?

[Sylph]

ABC'S "GENERAL HOSPITAL" BREAKS NEW GROUND
WITH EXPLOSIVE STORYLINE TOLD IN REAL TIME

Kin Shriner Returns as Scott Baldwin;
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith to Also Appear


On the January 26th episode of "General Hospital," a massive explosion interrupts a charity fundraiser at Port Charles' swankiest location - the Metro Court Hotel - putting the lives of many prominent residents at risk. Immediately following, the show fades to black as the clock turns back 16 hours before the explosion and explains the events - which includes a massive hostage takeover - that led up to the disaster. Each subsequent episode throughout the end of January and into February will be told in real time, as each episode will move forward one hour. As previously announced, the February Sweep storyline will coincide with the anticipated return of Kin Shriner as Laura Spencer's ex-husband, Scott Baldwin, who has been out of town. Both announcements were made by Brian Frons, president, Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group.

"This story is an exciting, emotional roller-coaster told like never before in daytime history," said Mr. Frons.

"This is a very exciting time for 'General Hospital,' as we are continually looking for ways to raise the bar in how we produce a daily drama. This is an interesting and captivating way to tell a story that will expertly intertwine all of the show's characters together," says executive producer Jill Farren Phelps.

In addition, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith will make an appearance in the February 2nd episode as a reporter covering the hostage situation as it unfolds. The on-air personality has been a fan of "General Hospital" since he was five years old. Mr. Smith adds: "It was a wonderful experience all-around. Meeting many of the actors on the show - including Steve Burton (Jason) and Greg Vaughan (Lucky) - was very exciting and a dream come true. Let this be a lesson to all the ladies out there: There are men who love the soaps."

"General Hospital" airs at 3:00 p.m., ET, 2:00 p.m., PT on the ABC Television Network, and on SOAPnet at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT. Recently awarded five Daytime Emmy Awards, including a record ninth win for Best Daytime Drama, the program celebrated 43 years of broadcasting on April 1, 2006, and is the longest-running dramatic serial on ABC, having aired its 11,000th episode earlier this year. "General Hospital" consistently rates as one of the top-rated Daytime programs in Women 18-49.

"General Hospital" was created by Frank and Doris Hursley. Jill Farren Phelps is the executive producer. Mary O'Leary, Mercer Barrows and Michelle Henry are producers. Bob Guza is the head writer. "General Hospital" airs Monday-Friday (3:00-4:00 p.m., ET, 2:00-3:00 p.m., PT) on the ABC Television Network.