Those of you who say GL couldn't be saved...

[DRW50]

The ratings for GL aren't that much worse than most of the other soaps. The show makes money, and that may mean more than the ratings at the moment, as long as there's a slight improvement (as there has been the past few weeks).

[jcar03]

I think most, when referring to the show not being able to be "saved," was that it won't be able to drag intself out of the bottom of the ratings barrel. And that is the ONLY thing that matters come renewal time.

[Dan]

Oh God, you're right. Oh well. Stranger things have happened, right?

And RVD, I'm glad you've been lurking around these parts, I always love your observations. Surely, there is alot about the show that needs fixing. I hope they can build on their recent success to realyl blow out the competition. I'm tired of my favorite show being a laughingstock of the genre.

[Soapsuds]

Fighting words from Dan. Who would have thought Dan would come out punching/swinging for his show..hehe.

RVD, your posts are always right on. I remember you from the GLBuzz boards. Glad you post here too.

[Dan]

Call it more guarded optimism. I'm not *quite* ready to completely defend this show.

[Southofnowhere]

Unless they end up in a steady 7th place in HH&18-49 they won't make it!

[SOAPSFOREVER]

What's wrong with the show still centers on the amateurish production values. The tiny sets that the actors can barely move around in, the music cues, the harsh lighting, putting actors outdoors in the freezing cold for no reason, the list goes on and on. It's still like watching some high school production. I don't see this show surviving much longer, even bringing Phillip back.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, decent production values are a huge thing for me as well. Even when the story is good, I need production to back it all up. GL is simply too ugly of a show, and the make-up, hair, and lighting definitely doesn't do well in highlighting the beauty of most of its cast.

It's a shame, GL used to be the best looking soap (based purely on production values) based on the East Coast.

Maybe things would look better if they got rid of handheld cameras and went back to the traditional cameras they used, but the sets, land, and execution is still far too ugly.

[Cheap21]

why should anyone be eating their words? Im sure the people who said GL couldnt be save dont really care

[P.J.]

As far as the production values have fallen (and that lime-green hospital set literally hurts my eyes)...I still have a lot more problems with the inconsistant writing and subset of dull characters and the actors portraying them.

[DRW50]

I hated the production model last year when they were trying too hard to be some type of edginess, but I think they've toned themselves down since then. I think the show sort of benefits from having location footage, as most of the other soaps don't (although I know the location footage looks cheap).

[Cashton]

I watched GL this week and I admit it's good soap, right now. Nelson said it best - why are they just now focusing on the writing? The writing has been piss-poor for a LONG time now. Alan Spaulding is such a joke of a powerful patriarch. He doesn't have any character logic and is usually the culprit in almost every story. Beth has lost all focus and integrity. she's slept with just about every man on the show, kidnapped people, been crazy, been sane and her crying in every scene is nauseating. Dinah makes no sense to me anymore either. When she came back with a new portrayer, she was fierce and her vendetta against Cassie was great but she doesn't have any real impetus anymore, she's just messed up and flat. I still like Reva, though cause she still makes sense and nobody does protective mama better than Kim (cept maybe for Susan Flannery on B&. Buzz is best in these types of gut-wrenching stories and I'm glad he's at the forefront. Daisy, Mel, Marina, Mallett, Ashley et al are completely rudderless and I have no interest in them whatsoever. I have no clue what happened to Coop and Ashley, but Caitlin always leaves me cold when I see her try to act.

Big picture though, the show is watchable and actually interesting. i used to not be able to even sit through a whole ep, but I am very interested in what Phillip's up to and the preview for Monday's ep looks good. So i'm in for now - till I have to see scenes of Marina and Mallett trying to adopt a baby. Or anything with Daisy. Or people worrying about money (realism, in my opinion doesn't work on soaps).

I'm not eating crow, but I'm watching GL, tentatively. Frankly, if you watch Y&R, you know what a real rebound is. This, as of yet, ain't it. But there's progress for sure.

[DRW50]

I watch Y&R (not every day, but I try to watch on Soapnet) and as much as Y&R has improved, the awful Billy/Chloe/Lily/Cane and Winters family storylines are too much for me to say the show has truly rebounded. They also need to figure out what to do with most of the Newmans (Nikki who?) and stop wasting Ashley and Jack.

The writing is still a problem at GL, as is the poor directions Dinah and Beth have gone in the past few years. I get my back up when Nelson talks about that because he doesn't talk about any of the problems at AMC or OLTL, but he's right about the writing. I just hope people give GL a chance to make those improvements, especially since some other soaps are given such lavish praise no matter what the writing.