GH: Bryan and Claudia

[DRW50]

I know very little about these characters other than they were friends of many lead characters and Sammy Davis Jr. was Brian's father. They held on for a fairly lengthy amount of time, and when I look through old magazines up to about 1985 or 1986 I would still see mention of them. When exactly did they leave? Did they have an exit? Were they replaced because GH was bringing in a new black character (Simone)? Was there any crossover? What stories did they have, besides the one with Brian's father? I think I read about one where Brian was controlling Claudia or thought she spent too much money.

[Dion]

From what I have been able to work out from very limited sources, though there is a site with recaps for most of the 1980s which has been helpful, they got together (not sure if they actually had a "get together" of sorts) and were friends with Laura and Scotty (Bryan was Scotty's best friend) and the rest.

Bryan was of course involved with Rick's clinic and the sportscenter I think and that led him into conflict with the mobster Anthony Hand (I think the same mobster who was involved with the Johnny and Packy story...I think it was all part of the same arc?). Scotty was also involved as I think he was doing some nefarious deeds for Hand...and I think that Scott and Bryan's falling out was quite an issue (well relatively speaking of course). Not sure how that ended but Bryan and Claudia eventually got engaged and were married in 1983. They then had some money problems and fought a bit but reconciled when Claudia's parents were killed in an accident.

Claudia then got pregnant with twins and gave birth in 1984. Her aunt Bettina came to stay for a while as Bryan and Claudia had trouble coping. Claudia got fed up with her aunt's presence while Brian liked having her around. After that it seems they just faded away. I'm not sure when they left...1987 I think?

And of course they also played minor parts in various storylines (eg Bryan helped Scotty find Laura in New York after the David Hamilton mess, Bryan and Claudia were there when Bobbie sabotaged Scott's car so he and Jennifer wouldn't get to the sailboa and I think Claudia was briefly involved in the Malkuth story as well as Bryan getting shot during the 1983 GH hostage crisis...there's probably a lot more examples)

EDIT: here's a link to that recap site I mentioned Curlyqgrl's General Hospital episodes

[DRW50]

Thanks for the extra information. I didn't know most of that. I know they had some money problems in 1985 or 1986, and SOD in the 1986 previews said they could vanish and no one would notice. I wasn't sure how anyone watching at the time felt about them, or what they might remember. It's a shame they lasted as long as they did then left with no real acknowledgment, but then, that is a pattern at GH, isn't it...

Sometimes I forget about all the friendships GH used to have.

[quartermainefan]

They left in 1987 according to imdb. I think if you watch the frisco/felicia wedding they're there.

[DRW50]

Thanks.

Do you think they should have gone?

[quartermainefan]

They were always likable people, she especially was very sweet. The problem was they were basically tokens and never had real stories. But I liked them and they were part of the community that GH had so nicely fleshed out. 1985 or so the show started to change, a lot of characters started to disappear and new ones started coming in. I personally would have kept them around because,like Amy, they made the show pleasant. I was just looking up, she is retired I guess, married to some actor from Designing Women. Neither one seemed to ever have much of an acting career before or since.

[quartermainefan]

Oh here is a bit of their wedding reception, coincidentally included in another story clip

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This clip is another example, like the boxing clip I posted the other day of GH doing so well at crowd scenes, and everyone knowing everyone else, and you get the feeling they are all live in the same town and like each other (except for the badguys). I love that the same gangster from the boxing clip is skulking around up to no good a year later.

[DRW50]

Thanks. It's nice to see that community feel. That's one of the things I miss most about soaps and it seemed like GH kept that for a long time, up to the mid/late 90s.

I wonder how many recurring or low-key characters have just vanished over the years on GH. Of course these days they just get killed.

Was it because of Gloria Monty's departure that they were written out?

[quartermainefan]

I believe in 1985 or so they got a new exec producer or writer, I forget which, and a lot of the show started to change. The sets changed, characters got written out and new ones added, and I think stuff like the whimsical transition music GH used to end and begin scenes got discarded.

I don't think GH in the 90s can hold a candle to the 80s personally. Maybe it was budgets but scenes like this or the boxing scene with 20 contract actors on with dialogue mingling about just wasn't done anymore except for rare nurse's balls. Plus, where GH in the 80s was this happy optimistic show, the 90s turned into this depression fest with one tragedy after another.

[DRW50]

There does seem to be much more of a homespun charm in the 80s episodes. I think the 90s still had something of a set of friendships and community values, and fun moments with Amy, but it was on the decline.

So I guess they were gone before Simone arrived.

[quartermainefan]

I forget when Simone joined exactly. If you were to watch clips of Blackie he is best pals with "Tommy" who I have to assume goes on to become Tom. Simone must have joined 88 or so, when Tom came on. I forget now exactly.

[FrenchFan]

Bianca Ferguson was demoted to recurring status in May 1987.

Dr. Tom Hardy was back in the show in March and by June, he was already involved with Simone but I haven't found the exact date she arrived.

[DRW50]

Thanks. Did she or Bryan ever appear after being put on recurring?

[FrenchFan]

Good question. Only found the article about Claudia being demoted to recurring. It could clearly have been the end of the character.

[tune_in_tomorrow]

I watched GH fairly regularly from around late '85 thru '87 and sporadically for a year or so after. I remember Brian and Claudia but as quartermainefan mentioned earlier, they really didn't have much to do during that time. I seem to remember Claudia worked with Lorena Sharpe at a spa or gym, but that just seemed to be time-filler material in the show. Brian and Claudia had twins, as I recall, but the family disappeared from the canvas without much fanfare.