Jump to content

GL: June Discussion


Recommended Posts

  • Members

The only current GL writer I've ever given the benefit of the doubt is JLH. That's because she did not take a more active role in the stories until a time I thought the show began significantly improving. Now that the show is not that great, I realize I was probably wrong.

I didn't have a big problem with MAB when she was with Griffith, even though the show was aimless. I have had a problem with the show since the arrival of Sheffer and Rauch. Most of my criticism has been directed towards Sheffer, not MAB, but she does get the most notoriety because she's said the show is on her shoulders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 120
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • Members

While I think the show is still a mess, can we blame it all on the writers, even Davey Crapsmein? The Phillip returns stuff was great, and that had to be JLH, but the show fell apart after that...some of Davey's first few months I really, really liked....Phillip's descent into madness, while rushed was good stuff...the Jonathon as the bad boy not above using his sexuality to manipulate and hurt anyone he can was great (with even a hint of a *thing* between him and Sandy) and the start of the Sebastian take over of Spaulding was really promising...but that all went to hell (the Spaulding stuff after just a few episodes...) The 75th anniversary, which he wrote, was excellent, one of the best anniversary shows ever.

So what happened? I think it comes down to Wheeler each and every time..she is the captain of the ship and she is said to be very much into "interfering," with the writing, so much so that two years ago I had heard that Bloom supposedly told Wheeler to stay out of the writing....and things seemed to change for the better...but then again went to crap..(was she back in the game???)

I think it comes down to Wheeler being way over her head in this job, she plans things out and they dont come to fruition (i.e. Peter Simon returning for the Sebastian story, GA returning after the "dead," Phillip story bombed) and the writers, who she instructs to write, get the blame.

I am not defending Davey or Jill, I think their material can be attrocious, (especially Davey's fixation on Harley and the Coopers) but I think more blame rests on Wheeler's ineptness, her twisted "vision," of what GL should be, her management skills.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The whole Sebastian story was supposed to bring Ed back...when Sebastian kidnapped Holly on the island, it was to draw Ed out to save her, so he in turn could save Sebastian from the same disease that killed Roger. Which I think would have been a good story (even better if my fanwank was the Sebstian was really the son Rita had with Ed, who Roger found, convinced him that he was his son, tutored him into the art of evil and then lied to him and told him the disease was a heridity type thing...all very good as Roger's final f*ck you to Ed for living while he died.) Anyway, the reason the storyline dragged on and on with Holly in the cage was that Wheeler tried to convince PS to return, even though he said time and again he wouldnt. So she greenlights a story, tells Davey to write it, but doesn't have an actor to play it. So we get MG in a cage, and Michele and Tony Santos somehow on the island and Michele and her erector set medical kit saving the day. Oh,and Sebastian falling out of a plane and surviving, only to later just leave on a plane with no mention afterwards. And yes, MG was abondonded because PS didn't come back, and the Spaulding takeover story was abondoned for uh, great stuff like Olivia torn between Buzz and Frank of all people.

Its [!@#$%^&*] ups like this and the GA debacle....(he wouldnt come back either, as Wheeler insisted he be EVIL..but she writes stories invovling Phillip, but they cant show him cause GA wont come back)..that just prove to me the woman has no clue how to run a show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm wondering that too because we have four headwriters and none of them know how to write a story?! Even during Gold and Dunn's solo stint, they seemed like they could tell a longterm story. It may have sucked, but it was a story. But now, there IS NO writing!! There are no substantive scenes to be found on this show. All of it is pure fluff. Reva telling her kid how to use a coffeemaker? Otalia bonding while making cookies? The moms going hogwild trying to plan a wedding? Rick calling his ex-wives about the Bauer BBQ? Remy and Cyrus hosing themselves off? Boy Wheeler was certainly right. It WAS alot more realistic for us to actually see them jump into a REAL vat of sewer [!@#$%^&*]... My eyes are rolling so hard right now I look like Cookie Monster...

Noone at GL has cared enough to put out a quality product for YEARS and it shows. It's hard to watch a show when it's clear that the only ones putting in a valiant effort is the cast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I'm trying to get through last week's episodes. The scenes between Rick/Ed/Phillip were good (if too brief -- that isn't it for Ed is it?), and the basketball scenes with Phillip and Rick were very good. I'm not going to go into how rushed and unbelievable it was that Ed found out Phillip had a terminal illness within a few hours. Just sloppy writing and considering that they still have months of episodes to fill up, this rapid movement makes no sense to me.

I can't bring myself to care about the rest of the Spaulding dynamics, although I'm glad we're seeing more of Alex lately. My Alex will always be Bev, but I'm still happy the character of Alex will be on the show to the end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

IA Carl. Bev was Alex, but it's good the character is still on the show for historical purposes. Good thing that Bev didn't leave the show during this regime or they would have killed her off like they have everyone else that's left (Gus, Coop, Grady, Edmund, Ava's baby, Tammy). Who have they saved? Their precious "star" - Cassie. And Jonathon.

Caught the show yesterday and the only thing that stood out is that I see they're back to using that asinine "alternative" music to score the show. What happened to their using traditional music? It makes the show much more enjoyable than this bullshit they're playing now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Oh, there is that "edgy," music that brands this show and its executive producer as "mavericks." Kind of like killing Phillip and/or Rick! Poor stupid soap viewers that we are can't appreciate the genius of Wheeler!!!

I think both CBS and P & G is hands off right now so Wheeler has been taken off her leash totally and can do what she wants...hence the rapidly falling ratings each week.

About Alex...why use Marj Dusay for one scene and have her sitting alone drinking. That scene she had with Beth made it seem that something was cut...like an argument with Alan before Beth walked in..it didnt make sense that Alex would be drinking and seemingly pissed off about something out of the blue. It is sad, after all these years I can appreciate Marj as Alex, as I too will always see Bev as Alex. Marj has had consistently bad writing on all her tenures and unlike Bev..she plays what is on the page, so her Alex is over the top and yet, much less threatening then Bev/Alex...(that bitch could turn you to stone with one look!!!) I still wish they would have brought Marj on as someone who married a Spaulding Cousin, a good old gal, no nonsense who constantly flubbed up things and drove Alan and Alex crazy....Bev was to the manner born but Marj seems more to the manor "married."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

LOL! Right! Ellen Wheeler is the modern incarnation of Irna Phillips. NOT!

Mitch, you have expressed this perfectly. I recall the anniversary episode (at least I think it was the anniversary episode - was it?!?) that had Alex/MJ playing a waitress in Company. She was absolutely glorious in those scenes! Anyhoo - ICAM. Marj's character should have married into the Spauldings and kept her trailer-girl roots from Alabama. I think that would be more fitting to her strengths.

No one can or ever will touch Bev's Alex. She was perfection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I like some of the goofy, small moments. I think GL is good at those. Like Remy and Cyrus hosing each other off. Or Beth and Mel laughing about Rick assuming they would have considered hosting the Bauer barbecue. It's more the overall stories I am not into. The small stuff and the location work I will miss.

I wish they hadn't had Lillian tell Beth she will always have time with Phillip. I know that's supposed to be more clever irony, but given the history between Beth and Phillip, has that ever been true? I wonder if Lillian will be the first to find out about his illness, since she's close to Ed.

I have never been a big Lillian fan but she's settled into a very strong area as a character over the past few years, which is kind of funny, because during most of the 90s and the early part of this decade, she seemed to struggle for any role (and the role she did have, cheating with Ed and this causing Maureen's death, made many fans loathe her).

I can see why they cast Marj, she was known for taking over difficult recasts, but from almost the start of her run, Alex stopped being a character and started being a plot device. Really, this started with Bev's last year or so, thanks to JFP reducing her to the foil for Nick/Mindy, but it got worse and worse after Marj took over. Alex has never been a character in the 15 years, off and on, Marj has played her. I don't count nonsense like Alex being a drug lord or stalking Reva as character. I feel sorry for Marj, because the only character-driven material Alex has had in the last 15 years was during Joan Collins' brief run.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Greg's GL, here is the clip of Marj as the waitress.

Please register in order to view this content

"India Wrap".

I miss India. I was hoping they could bring her back before the end, but apparently not.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

I still love watching the India clips; you'd think such a camp persona and big hair and fashion would seem dated, but like Linda Dano as Felicia, Mary Kay Adams always made sure we saw a person behind the bigness.

I'd love to see her again, but they might give her a terminal illness or have her kill someone, so maybe I should be happy she's offcamera.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.



  • Recent Posts

    • The last five or so episodes of season 8 after the Jean Hackney story ended were pretty strong with the Laura/Val friendship breakdown, Ben's PTSD with Val trying to help him, and the start of Jill realizing that Val was as much of a threat to her happiness with Gary as Abby was. I always thought that the Jean Hackney story should have ended at mid season at the latest... and then deal with the fall-out because seeing Ben/Val switch roles with Ben in mental decline instead of Val would have been interesting to explore.  And seeing Val and Laura's friendship suffer also was interesting and should have been explored especially with Karen caught in the middle and Abby both intrigued and amused at the conflict that she didn't cause. However, season 8 was the only Latham run season where Val was well written.  
    • Well, she's not in there sweeping the floors at the end of the night, and you don't bring in an award-winning producer to just sit on their backsides (or hey, maybe you do!). Again, without knowing the specific capacity she's in there working as⏤and it seems as if we are not going to at the present time⏤it's hard to speculate/discuss. I would interpret she's in a role that either would not require being credited, or she's, as others have speculated, is back and not receiving credit for the work she's done. That'd be like saying, per the WGA, all writers must be credited, but as we've seen by those who've worked as fi-core, they don't always receive credit. 

      Please register in order to view this content

       And, if my research is correct, per the DGA, you can request not to be credited for work you do. I could only assume the same would be for the PGA, as well.
    • When Anita read Barbara's letter, it started out with the viewers hearing it in Barbara's voice as Anita read silently. And then Anita saying the next portion aloud while Barbara's voice continued simultaneously. And then ending with Anita alone saying the last part aloud. Excerpt from interview  (link to full interview) The rest may be spoilerish -- Only the nonspoiler part here: I love the idea of reading that letter,” shares Tunie. “And at one point in the script, I think it said that my voice joined her, and [Anita] started reciting the letter from memory because [she] memorized this letter. I suggested to Steve Williford, our director, ‘What if it’s like that moment in Hamilton when Hamilton is writing the resignation letter to George Washington, and then he starts saying it too, and then Hamilton’s voice fades away, and then it’s all George. What if we do something like that?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, my God! I just got chills. Let’s do it!’ So, we did it.” I understood that it worked really well, so I’m really happy about that.”  
    • I think MVJ and Guza made a good team in the launching of the soap, and I'm hoping that the rotation of all stories and characters is maintained once he officially departs from the credits. And so far, Ron C's breakdowns have been decent... but they pop only when he's paired with a good script writer like Jazmin.   I hope once Guza leaves officially... that MVJ is able to reign in Ron C and the dread Jamey G.
    • I read that, but my interpretation was that she is uncredited because it is in a non-production capacity.  In others words, she's not secretly producing, or writing, as some had speculated prior to the confirmation. Her likeliest position would be in a post-production consultant capacity. I assume we agree on this?
    • Errol already confirmed she is back at Y&R and in a non-producing role; this alludes to she is not credited for the role she has.
    • I don't think Lisa served a purpose after the serial killer storyline. The writers never gave her anything to do but be Vicky's nemesis. Joanna Going deserved better. Another example of a character taking over the show and then the writers not having a longterm plan for the character.  Exhibit B: Sally Spencer. Such a missed opportunity. It really angers me how they misused her. She could sing and act and they just threw her away in that sexist nonsense storyline. Once the story was over, they wrote her off. The McKinnons should have lasted for years. I will give the show credit for how they introduced Sandra Ferguson as Amanda. I thought it was expertly done. She comes in and she immediately connected to RKK's Sam. She has chemistry with Matthew and she has realistic conversations with MAc and Rachel. That's how it is done. 
    • Great points, and it has not completely vanished. Leslie on Beyond the Gates fits the trope (she's still not over that Ted lovin' two decades later), though I will say there does seem to be an effort to make her more complex.
    • I understand why people speculate, but I have to say it doesn’t sound very plausible that Jill Farren Phelps would be working at Y&R in any uncredited role. CBS daytime shows are tightly bound by union contracts and corporate oversight, and that kind of informal arrangement would be a major liability in 2025. Before the mergers of SAG-AFTRA and the two WGA branches, it may have been easier to hire someone quietly or off the books. But those days are behind us. With digital payroll, tighter pension tracking, and increased scrutiny from legal and compliance departments, it’s just not the kind of thing anyone can get away with anymore. Most union members, especially producers nearing retirement, would not risk their eligibility or benefits to take an uncredited role. The Producers Guild of America is also very clear about crediting. To even receive the PGA mark, a producer has to be verified through a formal review process. According to their credit certification guidelines (source), "only individuals who performed a majority of the producing functions on a motion picture or television production" are eligible for credit, and those credits must be official and recorded. If someone is functioning in that capacity, they are not supposed to be uncredited. Studios that are union signatories, like CBS and Sony, know better than to skirt those rules. If anyone has a legitimate, primary source confirming that CBS is hiring someone like Phelps in an uncredited production role, I’d honestly be curious to read it. But without that, this just feels like rumor—not reality.
    • I keep thinking about the persistent trend of eroticizing mental illness on Guiding Light. Sonni and Annie were never more compelling, or more attractive to the show, than when they were manic. It played into a recurring theme: strong women undone by their unhinged reaction to sex. The writers were likely inspired by Basic Instinct and the broader wave of neo-noir films in the late '80s and early '90s, where female sexuality was often equated with instability. The result was a crude portrayal, not just of mental illness, but of womanhood itself. Both Sonni and Annie were introduced as sharp, capable women, brought in specifically as formidable antagonists to Reva. They were logical and composed, standing in contrast to Reva’s emotional volatility. That difference made them threatening, but not especially “sexy”—until desire became their undoing. In a very male fantasy, their strength unraveled the moment they slept with Joshua. As soon as they got a taste of Lewis lovin’, they spiraled into scheming lunatics, willing to torch everything to hold on to him. It was part of a larger trend in the culture. Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle all traded on the idea that female desire was dangerous, barely held in check, and always teetering on the edge of madness. Looking back, it's a pretty grim trope. And while it's not completely vanished, I'm grateful we don't see it quite as often today.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy