GL: Frank Dicopoulos pitching ideas to save show

[jacks]

Frank Dicopoulos (Frank) says on his twitter account that P&G is still behind GL but that it is just too costly to produce. He says he is working on ideas to pitch to them to continue GL in some format, either by having a reality show about fans trying to 'save' GL, or a spin off called Company that takes place at Company.

On the one hand this is very exciting to hear but at the same time, after watching GL for 17 years (I'm 21) I was finally starting to get use to the idea of it not being around and now this throws a wrench in there that realistically will be difficult to accomplish (i.e. sets have been torn down, actors are moving, possibly new roles on other soaps.)More power to him for trying though I guess!

I kinda wonder why was it easier for Passions to secure a new cable outlet for a while than GL, given its long history and the fact that they both went down with similar low ratings.

Here is the link to his twitter where he also mentions that the GL tribute and cut off at the Emmy's was not cool with him:

http://twitter.com/FrankDicopoulos

[bellcurve]

DEAR GOD FRANK, GIVE IT UP!

Go back to college, get your real estate license, teach acting, get whored out to other soaps and Stu Segall Productions by Michael Bruno!

Anything but this! Just give it up!

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Seriously Frank, GET A JOB...

I doubt this will get off the ground anyway, so whatever, it's a cute attempt, but kind of desperate...

[Gray Bunny]

Poor guy knows he doesn't have a chance at any of the other soaps. He has no sex appeal, real talent, or any fan following. He's the Josh Taylor of Guiding Light.

[All My Shadows]

Yeah, and even Josh had The Hogan Family for five years. No family-friendly 80s sitcoms for Dicopoulos, I don't think.

[Darn]

I don't even like the use of Company in the context of GL, why would I want to watch a whole show about it?

[Vee]

Oh good God. Someone, please, give this man a home and a job. Let him be a roofer or a sanitation worker. Otherwise we're going to come back in a year and he'll still be wandering Peapack like Bill Bixby on The Incredible Hulk, calling out for Harley or Buzz or Natalia.

[marceline]

Am I the only one thinking he's blowing up Melina Kanakaredes' voice mail?

*beeeeep* "Hey Melina, its Frank Dicopolous! It's been a long time! We should get together for lunch or something. Here's my number..."

[MarkH]

So I disagree with you all on this.

I think a way to actually preserve some of these shows as a franchise, but also to modernize (something marceline keeps calling for) is to think about building a new enterprise on the bones of the existing one.

In that sense, an Otalia spinoff (on TV or the web or whatever...basically what Crystal is now trying to do with Venice) or an episodic show based in Company seems fine to me.

I realize that while this has worked out in primetime sometimes (e.g., JAGS begat NCIS), it has failed as often as it has succeeded (e.g., AfterMASH). But it can be worth the risk. The Trek spinoffs (especially TNG) are also good examples...I even think that DS9 and Voyager as fairly direct concept spinoffs was not a bad idea (even though I realize most of fandom disagrees). I am a fan of Torchwood and Sarah Jane as Doctor Who spinoffs. I am also aware that The City and Port Charles enjoyed less success..so it is risky.

Of course, the ability to do this usually relies on the core franchise being strong and successful. And therein lies the problem of a new life for GL. The embers of Otalia were the sole ones, IMO, that could have supported a spinoff...but that fanbase is now sufficiently p*ssed off that...I don't think so.

[Vee]

I agree that soaps may need to transmute in some ways, but putting Frank Dicopoulos in charge is like leaving an OLTL spin-off to Crystal Hunt, or allowing Zombie Michael Jackson to executive produce The Suite Life On Deck.

[RoseVioletDaisy]

I have no problem with the idea of a modernized spin-off of GL. I have a huge problem with the notion of wasting that idea on the freaking Coopers. A Guiding Light totally centered around the Coopers has already been on the air for the last 5+ years and was an utter failure. The hyper-focus on them is a big reason why GL is going off the air. A spin-off might have a tiny shot if it was centered around the Lewises or the Spauldings but that's it.

[marceline]

Ah Mark you love to throw my theorem back in my face, don't you?

Actually I agree that spinoffs are probably soaps best chance at soap evolution and I agree with you that Otalia would've been the perfect source for that. I don't think a spinoff about the Coopers, Spauldings or Lewises would work because that wouldn't be a spinoff. That's Original Flavor GL.

I lean more toward the Norman Lear method of spinoff of taking a tangential character(s) and building a show around them. All in the Family gave way to The Jeffersons and Maude. Maude gave way to Good Times. Sadly since they apparently incinerated Otalia, I don't know if there's enough creative DNA left in the corpse of GL to grow a new show.

[Mitch]

LOL...I love Frankie D, what a freakin' dork! (and I can't believe someone in a post above suggested he teach "acting," kinda like Joey from Friends?) Of course he would like spin off of GL just featuring Company and the Coopers, but as RVD pointed out, that has already been done and one of the big reasons that GL is now dead. Could some one clue him in on that? Of course, this is the delusional Frankie D, who in an email told me one time the Coopers were the heart of GL and when I pointed out to him that was not true, I made his wife cry. Having Frankie D in charge is a recipe for failure. How about a reality show about an aging soap actor with no talent or charisma who pathetically keeps trying to relive his past glories (kind of a Sunset Boulevard with a man in it.)

And how in hell could an Otalia spin off work? The whole point of it was that it was the angst and the longing from CC...a show centered around Olivia and that wet rag of a character called Nat, would fail...(plus, who would be the supporting cast, that friggin little rat looking son of hers, and Frankie D???) Otalia has a fervernt following, but I liken that to the same following Nuke has, gay viewers desperate to see a couple/storyline which would relate to them. Otalia aint going to fly otherwise.

A "rebirth," of GL would be the only ones likely to work. Maybe if they followed the same format as the proposal from Hurst, which would center on the Spaudlings, the Lewises and the Bauers (no Coopers thank you.) But the key is, Wheeler can't be involved..(people have hinted that the stumbling block was that Wheeler would still be attached to a new version of GL, and no outlet in their right mind would touch that. )

[MichaelGL]

If the show had a strong younger cast, I would love it if the show had a spinoff called "5th Street" with some guest appearances of some of the vets from the show.

[ClassicsSoapFan]

I can sympathise with Frank.

I worked for a company for 30 years that started tanking after I had been there 25.

They retooled and refocused. We changed supervisors every year and managers every two years. Eventually they sold out and left a lot of long term employees with out a job.

The best he can do is get a recurring job on OLTL or ATWT. Maybe as a doctor,assistant D.A. or bartender.

GL is history untill PGP decides to put it online in 10 years like they did AW.