GH: Is it salvageable?

[leevo64]

With the amazing turnaround that One Life to Live has seen in the past year, and with Y&R allegedly on the upswing, I turn my eyes to my one true love, General Hospital. It's been beaten, tortured, then beaten some more in the past few years. I like to say that the REAL General Hospital ended in 2002 when Laura went crazy and Brenda returned, igniting the Mob Wars that still haven't ended. However, looking at clips of the show from two or three years ago is STILL like watching a different show than what's on today. Just a few years ago, we had a lot to root for. There was Sonny and Carly (once the holy grail of the show), the Zander/Emily/Nikolas love triangle, and my personal favorite, GQ (Dillon and Georgie). Although we didn't see much of them, the Quartermaine family was filled to the brim with Skye, Ned, AJ, Emily, Tracy, Brooke Lynn, Alan, Edward and Monica. There was still A LOT wrong with the show - the writing was over the top, there were hideously unlikable characters, and vets were being misused in the worst way. But at least we knew that they were still around.

Fast forward to 2008... Alan, Emily, AJ and Georgie are DEAD and have all died from HORRIBLE circumstances. Michael is in a coma somewhere after being shot thanks to his father while his mother and father are having hate sex in their limo. The new core family on the show is a group of cartoon mobsters, the Zaccharas, with not one redeeming quality among them except for the fact that Claudia is played by a very good actress. Lulu, once written beautifully (I think she should have won an Emmy for her work in the abortion story), is now a shrill, bitchy blonde who can't decide which hunk to lead on next. There is no heart, soul or rhyme or rhythm to anything on the show.

Can it be saved? I think it needs something remarkable to happen, like Genie Francis returning and having a story that rejuvenates the show, like the Paris, TX story on OLTL. Even then, there is so much damage done that it would be a tough sell. What do you think?

[Ryan]

Of course GH is salvageable. The only way for that to happen is for the show to have creative changes from top to bottom. The regime there is stale, and they're burned out.

Genie Francis returning won't be the cure, neither will Vanessa Marcil as long as the current regime is still there. GH has no desire to change, and that's the scary thing. They're perfectly content wallowing in their repetitive mediocrity, hoping stunt casting and big sweeps events will save the show. It's not working.

[Cat]

It *is* salvageable. But it needs its very own Ron Carlivati -- by that, I mean a writer who loves the show in its entirety, loves the characters, knows the history backwards and is ready to spearhead its rennaissance. On his (or her) terms.

Nelson Branco (and I know he's not popular with everybody here but just hear me out) talked about soaps employing what Primetime shows like Desperate Housewives sometimes do -- the flash-forward or the flash-back.

GH needs to do this. Flashback a bunch of years when Jason was in hospital for something brain-dead-related. In walks in AJ. Alive. And the Qs. Alive. (Unfortunately this would also mean having Demon Spawn alive but... bay steps. Baby steps).

Jason dreamed the past however many X years. His family still think he's the same old brain-dead borg assassin. Unbeknowest to them, Jason has awakened with feelings for his old family. And for Liz... even though he's meant to be with Sam at this stage in his life.

Sam, meanwhile, has grown closer to Lucky while Jason was in a coma...

Jason and Sonny's friendship is essentially over as Jason wakes up increasingly sickened by the lifestyle... blah blah blah. OK, I'm getting into fan-fiction territory here, but I would essentially like to see the permanent return of Genie Francis as the heart of the show. And Vanessa Marcil to usher Maurice Benard off the canvas (although I would love for Brenda to stay for longer).

The last couple of years need to be ERASED, IMO (although I do love Kate). If TPTB are worried about pulling a Dallas here... then the next best solution would be a fast-forward five years. As Jason stands over Sonny and Carly's joint grave! FYI, Lucky would become a frontburner young, flawed hero on the show.

[LoyaltoAMC]

From the spoilers, it doesn't look like the mob will be going back-burner anytime soon.

[Wales2004]

I think the show is "salvageable." I don't think the solution is to undo what's already been done or to make it all a dream. I think that improvements can be made going forward. There needs to be some sort of direction and to me the key is to make it more relationship oriented.

The problem with the mob, for instance, has never been for me that it exists but that it is the center piece instead of the actual relationships and consequences. I can see the use of it as the catalyst for some major sweeps stories here and there but not the total reliance on it as is the case now.

Trevor makes a more formidable foe than Claudia and Johnny who both epitomize what's wrong with the show. They're brought on and are shown almost every day along with the Sonny, Carly, and Jason yet none of these characters are progressive in any way. Three's no real character development and they're always singing the same song. There is no way to get around the fact that Claudia contributed to Michael's medical condition so the flirtation with Sonny and Jason or even her concern for Spinelli can't flourish yet it continues. Nikolas makes the best avenue because he knows what she did and Ric is what he is and is up her alley. Instead of committing to one thing, there is always this constant tease about several potential relationships which leaves people who may tune in for romance with nothing and no reason to watch.

[applcin]

I haven't watched GH in a number of years for the reason that I grew bored with it. Its decade-long focus on the mob and the sheer redundancy of those stories became tiresome for me long ago. It lacks versatility. The only times I've been back recently were to see Finola Hughes and Anna (who is my favorite all time female soap character) has been written with such dispassion and disconnectedness that I barely recognize her. Characters have the same dialogue they had years before.

I think GH needs someone willing to tell a variety of stories and not use the mob as this dark cloud showering over everyone. As long as there's this persistence of mob vision, I don't see any hope for change. But...I'm not a giddy fan who squeals with delight every time Jason Morgan comes on the screen or Maurice Benard appears at the Emmys. The show would need a major retooling for me to even want to go back. But I am guessing TPTB feel they are serving the demo they want to serve so they keep the same formula.

[JackPeyton]

without a doubt. in three easy steps...

1. get its heart back

2. make actions have consequences

3. a major event that will shake everyone to the core and have long lasting affects

[CassieFan]

Yup, if they fire Guza and remove the mob scene. It's a soap about freaking HOSPITAL not MOBSPITAL.

[dragonflies]

It'll never be salvagable as long as Guza, Phelps and company are around to stink up the show

[leevo64]

But take away the mob and what's there? You have a series of broken families and lost characters. Maybe the way to do it is to get rid of the mob and then make the main story about the rebuilding of Port Charles in the wake of all the violence. Have the characters find peace and solace as the viewers do.

[dragonflies]

I wouldn't take the mob away completely, right away, I'd focus on making it less important to the show, and make the hospital-which is the main character of the show IMO-more important and the focus. The name is General HOSPITAL, not General Mobsters......

[Khan]

Is GH salvageable? Frankly, not as long as Brian Frons and Bob Guza remain in charge. (Y&RWorldTurner and, I think, Ryan made a good point in another thread about JFP not being the real problem.)

[Wales2004]

I don't think the mob has to be destroyed to improve this show. They can exist in a lesser capacity. There's nothing wrong with Sonny being in the mob as long as the mob is eating the show. Sonny's growth and development as a character should be more of a focal point than is his profession. There is a way for him to exist in PC and not dominate the show highlighting the lack of progression.

GH primarily lacks substantive stories. Nothing of substance happens on this show period. There are series of events and actions and reactions but nothing of substance. The relationships are all flimsy. There's no family bonding and nothing but lip service on most of the other relationships. Until they learn how to write substance then the show will continue to have no heart.

[detroitpiston]

It can if Guza is gone. Phelps can stay, but he needs to go. He's fresh out of ideas and starting to repeat himself.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Right now it's salvageable, but TPTB think nothing's wrong with it, and that's not a good predicament. Sooner or later, GH is going to be too set in its ways to change, which I fear is already starting to happen.