GH: Is it salvageable?

[DeeeDee]

Amen.

[NYC123]

With Guza ehh. Thats a tough one.

If Guza can write CHARCTER driven SL then yes. GH has sooo much potential to be the better soap then now. I WANT GH to be better.

I think it can! You gotta have faith

[SeanM]

GH can be saved, but nobody at ABC wants to save it, they don't even see that something is wrong with it. Like many people already said, if Guza, JFP and Frons are gone and most of the other writers it can happen, but I'm afraid that day will never come.

[MarkH]

No, it is about "love in wartime"

[DavidEvanSmith]

Lee, you touched a nerve in me because GH was once truly my favorite soap, and it took me FOREVER to shake that. I really held on for dear life, but it became clear that GH didn't want me as a fan. It ignored me, spat in my face, and destroyed everything I ever cared about. I didn't give up on GH, GH gave up on me.

But is it salvageable? Are you talking in a realistic sense, or in an "I had a dream" sense. Because in my wildest hopes and dreams, I want to say yes. But realistically, I don't see how it's possible.

Everyone says "get rid of the mob". The mob IS all the show has left. It has decimated the Quartermaines, Cassadines, and Spencers. Luke, Lucky, and Lulu are all that are left of the Spencers, and they are all shells. Nikolas is the last Cassadine standing, because Alexis and Sam are more identified with Sonny/Jason/Ric than they are as Cassadines. And how much story can be driven from the last Quartermaines standing, Edward, Monica and Tracy? It's a shame, but these once CORE families are now nowhere near outnumbering the amount of career criminals on the canvas, or the random hospital staff.

Mob family: Sonny, Jason, Spinelli, Ric, Trevor, Claudia, Johnny, Anthony, Carly, Jax, Kate, Jerry, Sam (she's almost out of the sphere, but not REALLY)

Hospital family: Robin, Patrick, Nadine, Leyla, Kelly, Lainey, Epiphany, Elizabeth, Matt

Both families FAR outnumber any ONCE-core family that GH ever had. And neither new core family is really worth a damn.

The other alternative is to phase the mob out slowly, BUT can you or any viewer REALISTICALLY see the executives deciding not to renew Maurice Benard's contract in order to take General Hospital "in a new direction"? Look me in the eye and tell me you really believe it's possible. Sonny's not even in the mob right now, but he's never REALLY out of the mob. It's all HE has. He has no story pushing coffee. He has nothing without the mob. I could never see them realistically phasing out the mob and reducing Benard to a b-player story, appearing 2 days a week. It just won't happen. GH would be canceled first. And Guza would think that a fitting cliffhanger ending would be to blow up the hospital. That's the scariest part.

[MTSRocks]

I agree. GH identity is now the mob.

[leevo64]

Dave, it's sad to hear you say all of this - because I mostly agree with you. Realistically it's probably not possible. HOWEVER - I also thought All My Children was on its last legs before Anna Cascio stepped in with Gordon Rayfield. Granted, it was a very different situation, but shows CAN turn around.

But you're right - the Quartermaines, Spencers, Webbers and Scorpios barely exist anymore. I guess Sonny leaving is not an option, but eliminating the violence from the show would be a nice first step. And placing Carly back into the Spencer orbit, putting Bobbie back on contract and having Lucas return could start to rebuild the Spencers. Having Felicia return and putting Mac in a front burner story involving Robin and Maxie would begin to rebuild the Scorpios. Jeff Webber and Sarah Webber coming to town to help Elizabeth take care of an ill Audrey would jump start the Webbers. The real tragedy is the Quartermaines, who need a miracle.

But in a realistic sense, none of that will ever happen. Very sad.

[Vanguardian]

I've developed a more "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em" attitude about how Guza continues to write for GH. Reading between the lines, it's so clear that Guza doesn't have any interest in the old-fashioned soap fare. Even Robin and Patrick's baby story seems horribly insignificant in the midst of overwhelmingly mob and other crime stories. Guza wants a crime/action/mystery show, not a soap, pure and simple! I think Guza can actually make GH work as a serialized crime drama (similar to The Edge of Night????) if he learns how to write more complex mysteries beyond just the mob. Why not try using Robin and Patrick in a crime-related story instead of the current one in which Guza clearly seems to have no real interest.

[Vanguardian]

It is primarily the mob. I think it might actually work, however, if it's a show focusing COMPLETELY on criminally-related stories and not just the mob. I've posted above that I believe that is what Guza is really interested in, GH as a crime-related soap, not the old-fashioned love, romance, and socially-related stories.

[S&BFanForLife]

ITA. Bringing GF or VM back won't do a bit of good if the same crew is there writing the same bullsh*t.

IMO, the only thing that would ruffle some feathers would be if OLTL surpasses GH in the ratings. I don't even think that would do anything, though. I truly believe that no one wants to save this soap. That's just sad.